Therapeutic shower enclosure

• US 6,681,417 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gestion Ultra Internationale Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gestion Ultra Internationale Inc.
• Inventors: Baron, Stéphane, Brunelle, Henry, Bilodeau, Stéphane, Beland, Marc, Lemay, Patrick, Veyrie, Henri
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Khoa D
• Application Number:
  US10/173,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 452/4, 452/5, 461/2, 461/3, 461/4, 459/6, 459/7, 459/8, 522/64, 607/87, 342/02, 342/24, 342/25, 342/32, 342/33
• US Class Current: 4/597
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2033/061 Artificial hot-air baths
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2033/141 with ionised gas, e.g. ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/06 Artificial hot-air or cold-air baths; Steam or gas baths or douches, e.g. sauna or Finnish baths artificial climate rooms A61G10/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0668 Apparatus adapted for operation in a moist environment, e.g. bath or shower
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment

Abstract

A therapeutic shower enclosure is comprised of a bottom wall, sidewalls a top wall and a door assembly in the sidewalls for access to the enclosure. An air blower is mounted above the top wall in communication with one or more air return orifices in the top wall. An air distribution channel is in communication with the air blower and at least one air injecting orifice is provided in the top wall and communicates with the enclosure. A heater is provided in the air distribution channel for heating convected air therein to a temperature of up to about 75° C. to provide a stream of hot dry air circulating in the enclosure about a person'"'"'s body standing therein whereby to cause the person'"'"'s body to transpire and provide a therapeutic effect of shedding toxins through the skin. In combination with the hot dry air treatment there is available a chromotherapeutic and luminotherapeutic light treatment and an ion and ozone generator to inject ions and ozone in the hot dry air stream.

Claims

1. A therapeutic shower enclosure comprising a bottom wall, sidewalls, a top wall and a door assembly in said sidewalls for access to said enclosure;

an air distribution channel in communication with an air blower and an air return orifice and at least one air injection orifices communicating with said enclosure whereby to create a stream of circulating air in said enclosure, heating means in said air distribution channel for heating air convected therein to a temperature of up to about 50°

C. to 75°

C. to provide said stream as a stream of hot dry air circulating in said enclosure about a person'"'"'s body in said enclosure whereby to cause said person'"'"'s body to increase its internal temperature to cause perspiration to thereby provide a therapeutic effect of shedding toxins through the skin, wherein said sidewalls are disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to each other to define a corner area in said enclosure, said air return orifice being disposed in said top wall in said corner area, therebeing two of said air injecting orifices disposed spaced adjacent said sidewalls on a respective one of said opposed sidewalls forwardly of said corner area whereby to create said stream of hot dry air having a downward path from opposed sides of said enclosure to said bottom wall and then up along said corner area to said air return orifice to subject the user person standing in said enclosure to said dry heat air stream.

2. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air distribution channel is mounted in said top wall of said enclosure, said air return orifice and at least one air injection orifices being provided in said top wall.

3. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 2 wherein said air blower is mounted in said air distribution channel adjacent a single one of said air return orifice.

4. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air is heated to a temperature preferably within the range of from about 31°

C. to 40°

C. and for a predetermined period of time.

5. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 4 wherein said predetermine period of time is about 20 minutes, said temperature being attained within a time delay of about 5 minutes from start-up for said enclosure having a volume of about 62 cubic feet.

6. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 5 wherein said air blower has a displacement capacity of 65 cfm and said air injection orifices are of predetermined sizes, whereby air displacement on a user'"'"'s skin will not exceed 0.2 m/s.

7. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are two of said sidewalls disposed at substantially right angles to one another and having a point of juncture in said corner area to define a right angle rear corner of said housing, said air injecting orifices being disposed adjacent a forward end of each said two of said sidewalls.

8. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 7 wherein said air distribution channel is formed in a molded shell which is secured over said top wall of said enclosure, said air distribution channel having an inlet end surrounding at least part of an impeller of said air blower and two branch channels leading to a respective one of said air injecting orifices, said air injecting orifices being elongated slots formed in said top wall spaced close to a respective one of said two sidewalls.

9. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air injecting orifices are elongated slot orifices dimensioned to provide an accelerated downward air stream adjacent said sidewalls at a pressure sufficient to reach said bottom wall and to create a return air stream comfortable to the head of a user person standing in said enclosure.

10. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongated slots each have a dimension of approximately 6 inches by ¾

of an inch, said air return orifice being a circular orifice having a diameter of 3 inches and said air blower having an air displacement capacity of 50 cfm for said enclosure of approximately 36 inches×

40 inches×

80 inches and wherein said heating means is a 2 kw electric resistive element.

11. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air return orifice is constituted by a single air return orifice.

12. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 11 wherein there is further provided a shower head and water control valves in said enclosure, and a water deflector cover secured forwardly of said single air return orifices and having collecting throughs for accumulating water droplets at said air return orifice and directing same at said sidewalls.

13. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 11 wherein an air filter support frame is mounted adjacent said air return orifice and supported above said water deflector cover, said frame being adapted to retain an air filter adjacent said air return orifice, said filter being accessible by removal of said water deflector cover.

14. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 13 wherein said water deflector cover is secured to said top wall and said filter support frame by detachable attachment means.

15. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 14 wherein said detachable attachment means are Velcro™

attachment patches.

16. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided in combination with said hot dry air therapeutic stream a chromotherapeutic light source to subject a user person to colored light, a luminotherapeutic light source to subject a user person to intense light, an ion generating source to inject ions in said air stream and an ozone generator to inject ozone in said air stream.

17. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 16 wherein there is further provided control means having several programmed control functions, and push button switches and symbols associated with said switches for switching “

on”

or “

off”

said programmed functions.

18. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided at least one colored light source mounted in said top wall, and control means to energize said light source for a desired predetermined period of time to subject a user person to a chromotherapeutic effect.

19. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 18 wherein there are three of said colored light source, each said source comprising a plurality of red, blue and green light emitting diodes, said light sources being disposed at a position variable to a user person'"'"'s head standing in said shower enclosure.

20. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 18 wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, there being three or more groups of different colored diodes, said groups of diodes being actuated to produce a desired resultant colored light source.

21. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 20 wherein said groups of colored diodes are connected to light intensity control means to modulate the light intensity thereof to provide a color mix to generate said desired resultant colored light source.

22. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided at least one intense clear light source in said top wall, and control means to actuate said intense clear light source for a desired predetermined period of time to subject a user person to a luminotherapeutic effect.

23. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 22 wherein said intense light source is one of halogen light source, a neon light source or the like light sources.

24. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 23 wherein there are two or more halogen light sources secured in said top wall.

25. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided an ion generator in communication with said air distribution channel to inject ions in said hot dry air stream, and control means to actuate said ion generator for a desired predetermined period of time to subject a user person to an energizing therapeutic effect.

26. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 25 wherein said ion generator is secured to said air distribution channel between said air blower and said heating means.

27. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided an ozone generator in communication with said air distribution channel to inject ozone in said hot dry air stream, and control means to actuate said ozone generator for a desired predetermined period of time to subject a user person to a purified hot dry air stream.

28. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided a water atomizer spray nozzle in communication with the interior of said enclosure to inject a fine water mist herein, and control means to control the operation of said water atomizer for a predetermined period of time.

29. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air return orifice is a single air return orifice of circular contour, and an air deflector disc secured to said top wall and aligned concentrically with said air return orifice and spaced a predetermined distance forwardly thereof.

30. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided control means to control the operation of said air blower for a predetermined period of time within a time span of from about 5 to 30 minutes.

31. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 30 wherein said shower enclosure is a thermo-formed enclosure having insulated sidewalls.

32. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 31 wherein said door assembly comprises a plurality of glass panels retained between a top guide track and bottom rail, some of said panels being slidingly displaced on said bottom rail.

33. A therapeutic shower enclosure comprising a bottom wall, sidewalls, a top wall and a door assembly in said sidewalls for access to said enclosure, one or more chromotherapeutic light source secured to one of said top wall or sidewalls of said enclosure to subject a user person to colored light, and control means to energize said light source for a desired predetermined period of time to subject a user person to a chromotherapeutic effect, wherein there is further provided an air distribution channel in communication with an air blower and an air return orifice and at least one air injection orifices communicating with said enclosure whereby to create a stream of circulating air in said enclosure, heating means in said air distribution channel for heating air convected therein to a temperature of up to about 50°

C. to 75°

C. to provide said stream as a stream of hot dry air circulating in said enclosure about a person'"'"'s body in said enclosure whereby to cause said person'"'"'s body to increase is internal temperature to cause perspiration to thereby provide a therapeutic effect of shedding toxins through the skin, wherein said sidewalls are disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to each other to define a corner area in said enclosure, said air return orifice being disposed in said top wall in said corner area, therebeing two of said air injecting orifices disposed spaced adjacent said sidewalls on a respective one of said opposed sidewalls forwardly of said corner area whereby to create said stream of hot dry air having a downward path from opposed sides of said enclosure to said bottom wall and then up along said corner area to said air return orifice to subject the user person standing in said enclosure to said dry heat air stream.

34. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 33 wherein said one or more chromotherapeutic light source is secured to said top wall of said enclosure at a position to direct said colored light for visibility by a user person.

35. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 34 wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, there being three or more groups of different colored diodes, said groups of diodes being actuated to produce a desired resultant colored light source.

36. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 35 wherein said groups of colored diodes are connected to light intensity control means to vary the light intensity thereof to provide a color mix to generate said desired resultant colored light source.

37. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 33 wherein there is further provided a shower head and water control valves in said enclosure, and a water deflector cover secured forwardly of said single air return orifices and having collecting throughs for accumulating water droplets at said air return orifice and directing same at said sidewalls.

38. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 37 wherein an air filter support frame is mounted adjacent said air return orifice and supported above said water deflector cover, said frame being adapted to retain an air filter adjacent said air return orifice, said filter being accessible by removal of said water deflector cover.

39. A therapeutic shower enclosure as claimed in claim 34 wherein said air distribution channel is mounted in said top wall of said enclosure, said air return orifice and at least one air injection orifices being provided in said top wall.

40. A therapeutic shower enclosure comprising a bottom wall, sidewalls, a top wall and a door assembly in said sidewalls for access to said enclosure, one or more intense clear light source in one of said top wall or sidewalls having an intensity of at least 2000 lux, control means to energize said light source for a desired predetermined period of time to subject a user person to a luminotherapeutic effect, said enclosure having a shower head and water control valves, wherein there is further provided an air distribution channel in communication with an air blower and an air return orifice and at least one air injection orifices communicating with said enclosure whereby to create a stream of circulating air in said enclosure, heating means in said air distribution channel for heating air convected therein to a temperature of up to about 50°

C. to 75°

C. to provide said stream as a stream of hot dry air circulating in said enclosure about a person'"'"'s body in said enclosure whereby to cause said person'"'"'s body to increase is internal temperature to cause perspiration to thereby provide a therapeutic effect of shedding toxins through the skin, wherein said sidewalls are disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to each other to define a corner area in said enclosure, said air return orifice being disposed in said top wall in said corner area, therebeing two of said air injecting orifices disposed spaced adjacent said sidewalls on a respective one of said opposed sidewalls forwardly of said corner area whereby to create said stream of hot dry air having a downward path from opposed sides of said enclosure to said bottom wall and then up along said corner area to said air return orifice to subject the user person standing in said enclosure to said dry heat air stream.