Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/06—Devices for suspending or supporting the supply pipe or supply hose of a shower-bath
  • E03C1/063—Devices for suspending or supporting the supply pipe or supply hose of a shower-bath with reciprocating mechanisms
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
  • A61H2201/00—Characteristics of apparatus not provided for in the preceding codes
  • A61H2201/16—Physical interface with patient
  • A61H2201/1657—Movement of interface, i.e. force application means
  • A61H2201/1664—Movement of interface, i.e. force application means linear
  • A61H2201/1669—Movement of interface, i.e. force application means linear moving along the body in a reciprocating manner

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a massage shower system.
• the present invention also relates to a massage shower cabin equipped with a massage shower system according to the invention.
• These systems generally comprise one or more fixed vertical ramps each carrying a certain number of fixed injectors, and mechanisms for controlling these jets to feed them one after the other from the bottom up and / or at a certain rate.
• a system comprising a brush movable vertically along the patient's body, associated with a fixed jet.
• a massage shower system comprising injectors for directing jets of water or air and of water under pressure substantially radially towards the body d 'A patient in a standing position, a frame supporting the injectors and driven in a vertical movement relative to the patient, and actuating means for communicating to the frame a vertical movement back and forth relative to the patient.
• the frame is animated at a constant speed between two lower and upper levels spaced vertically.
• the object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of known massage shower systems and to propose a massage shower system using jets of water or air and pressurized water reproducing actions and pressures as well as possible. continuous and progressive movements of a masseur.
• the massage shower system of the aforementioned type is characterized in that the actuating means comprise means for communicating with the frame means, between two lower and upper levels spaced from one another in the direction vertical, an upward movement whose speed increases and goes from a substantially minimum value to a substantially maximum value when the frame means pass from the lower level to the upper level.
• the massage carried out by the jets of water or air and water under pressure thus has a progressively increasing speed in the direction going up towards the heart of the patient, and approaches the progressive gesture of a masseur considerably.
• the body of a patient being divided in the direction of the height into several regions capable of being massaged separately independently of one another or successively one after the other, the actuating means comprise means for communicating to the frame means, for each of these regions, an upward movement whose speed increases when the frame means pass from the lower part at the top of said region.
• the system of the invention thus includes all the flexibility necessary for a person skilled in the art to adapt the operation of said system to the particular case of each of his patients, both in terms of morphology and in terms of the mode of treatment required.
• the shower system allows both localized treatment of a region of the patient's body, for example the legs or hips or the back, as well as an action on the entire surface of the body. It thus meets all the needs of use of massage specialists.
• the system includes means for varying the pressure of the water at the same time and in the same direction as the speed of the frame means.
• the shower cabin according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a massage shower system according to the invention.
• the shower cabin has watertight walls and is adapted to be filled at least partially with water, the massage shower system being adapted to a movement of the means forming a frame and to an operation of the injectors in water.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a shower cubicle equipped with a massage shower system according to one embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 2 is a schematic front view, partially in section, of the massage shower system of Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 is a schematic top view of the massage shower system of Figure- 1;
• - Figure 4 is a very enlarged view in elevation of the cable winding drum of the shower system of Figure 1;
• - Figure 5 shows a variation curve of the speed of the vertical movement of the frame of the shower system of Figure 1;
• FIG. 6 shows a diagram of the connections for controlling the movement of the frame of the shower system of Figure 1;
• FIG. 7 is a reduced view similar to Figure 3 of another embodiment of the shower system according to the invention.
• FIG. 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 of another embodiment of the shower system according to the invention.
• the massage shower cabin 1 has walls 2, 3, 4, 5, sealed and is adapted to be filled at least partially with water.
• the shower cabin 1 is equipped with a massage shower system 6 comprising injectors 7 for directing jets of water or air and water under pressure substantially radially towards the body of a patient in a standing position at center of cabin 1, on the bottom 8 thereof.
• this massage shower system 1 comprises a frame 9 supporting the injectors 7 and movable vertically according to a relative movement relative to the patient, and actuation means 10 for communicating to the frame 9 a relative vertical movement relative to to the patient.
• the frame 9 is movable relative to the walls 2, 3, 4, 5, and to the bottom 8 of the shower cabin 1, but it would be possible to make a bottom 8 movable relative to the walls 2 to 5 of the cabin and frame 9, or any other equivalent system.
• the frame 9 is in one piece and has a generally oval shape; this oval comprises in a zone of larger radius a median part 11 which is retracted inwards and slightly concave corresponding to the back of the patient.
• the frame 9 is a tubular frame and carries the injectors 7 which are oriented substantially radially.
• the injectors 7 are fixed in an adjustable manner and orientable in any way on the frame 9. Their number is arbitrary and variable, adapted to the case of the patient to be treated.
• the injectors 7 are injectors of any known type capable of directing towards the patient a jet of pressurized water of any shape, for example a cylindrical jet or a flattened jet with a brush, the pressurized water arriving at the frame 9 by the fixed lines 12 connected to the frame 9 by the hoses 13, the length of which is adapted to the amplitude of movement of the frame 9.
• the injectors 7 can also be of the type suitable for directing jets of water and air under pressure , especially hot air.
• the injectors 7 are then generally connected in any known manner, for example by a hose connecting each injector to a second tubular frame (not shown), to a source of pressurized air (not shown).
• the frame 9 is connected by two arms 14 to a carriage 15 movable along a vertical post 16.
• the post 16 has a T-shaped cross section, and the carriage 15 comprises rollers 17 placed on either side of the upper bar 16a of the T to roll along it and guide the carriage 15.
• the carriage 15 carries a projecting finger 18 which is adapted to engage, when the carriage 15 moves along the post 16, with the rocking lever 19 of several pneumatic and / or hydraulic contactors
• the carriage 15 moves along the post 16 under the action of the actuating means 10 constituted by a cable 22 which is wound on a drum 23 driven by a motor 24.
• a mast 25 located inside the frame 9 carries two shields 26, 27, movable along the mast and intended to protect from the force of the jets the sensitive parts of the body of a patient at the level of the chest and the bottom. belly.
• the mast 25 also carries a support and support bar 28 on which are fixed two handles 29 and 30 which the patient must hold permanently and whose function will be seen below.
• the masseurs have wide, continuous gestures, which are accelerated by going up towards the heart, and exert on the tissues a pressure which increases while going up towards the heart.
• the frame actuation means 10 are adapted to communicate to the frame 9, for each of the regions of the body of a patient, an upward movement whose speed increases when the jets of water or air and water pass from the lower part to the upper part of said region. Naturally, this speed returns to its minimum value by approaching the region of the body located immediately above the previous one.
• the massage shower system 6 also includes means which will be detailed below to vary the pressure of the water at the same time and in the same direction as the speed of the frame 9.
• the drum 23 has on its peripheral surface a helical groove 31 whose radius is variable and increases to increase the speed of the jets of water or air and water between the lower part and the upper part of each region of a patient's body, and very quickly returns to its minimum value by approaching the region located immediately above the previous one.
• the drum 23 comprises, from its longitudinal end 32 to which is fixed one end 33 of the cable 22, a first zone 34 whose radius increases from a minimum value R Q to a value R ] _, this zone 34 corresponding to the region of the legs going from the ankles to the knees, a second zone 35 whose radius increases from said minimum value R Q and which corresponds to the region of the thighs going from the knees to the top of the thighs, a third zone 36 whose radius is constant at its minimum value R Q and which corresponds to the region of the hips going from the top of the thighs to the waist, and a fourth zone 37 whose radius increases from said minimum value R Q and which corresponds to the back region between the waist and the shoulders.
• the total journey from the ankles to the shoulders can last for example approximately 4 seconds, the frame passing after approximately 1.3 seconds at the knees, after about 2 seconds at the top of the thighs, and after about 2.6 seconds at the waist.
• the return journey is fast and takes, for example, 1.5 or 2 seconds.
• the movement of the carriage 15 is adjusted and adapted to the size of the patient by means of the contactors 20.
• the contactor 20a is adjusted at the foot of the support 21 so that its lever 19a swings down under the action of the finger 18 when the jets of pressurized water are at the patient's feet or ankles, the cart
• the contactor 20c is placed at the top of the support 21 so that its lever 19c swings upwards under the action of the finger 18 when the jets of water under pressure are at the level of the patient's shoulders, the carriage 15 being in its position extreme high.
• Other contactors such as 20b can be placed in an intermediate position which will be specified below. It is also possible to mount a small patient on an adjustable height stool.
• the handle 29 on the support and support bar 28 must be tightened by the patient for the system 6 to work: if the patient releases it, the system will stopped.
• the handle 30 is an adjustment handle available to the patient, who can adjust by tightening it more or less a parameter such as the speed of rotation of the motor 24 and / or the maximum pressure of the water in the jets.
• a safety clutch shown diagrammatically at 24a in FIG. 4 is inserted between the motor 24 and the drum 23.
• the system 6 comprises a control member 39 associated with a control and signaling desk 40 available to the operator.
• the control member 39 is thus connected to the console 40, to the contactors 20a, 20b, 20c, to the handles 29, 30, to the valve 38 for adjusting the water pressure, to the motor 24 and to a power source.
• 41 which is preferably a source of compressed air, but which could also be a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid or a source of low voltage electric current.
• the frame 42 is constituted by two individual sectors 42a, 42b independent of one another and each actuated by respective individual actuating means 43a, 43b independent of each other , which in this example are telescopic cylinders, preferably pneumatic or hydraulic.
• the frame 44 is constituted by at least two arcuate parts 44a, 44b articulated one to the other to adapt to the morphology of a patient. These articulated parts 44a, 44b are fixed to the carriage 15 by arms 45a, 45b articulated respectively on the carriage 15 and on the corresponding arm 44a, 44b, these arms being blocked by any blocking means not shown.
• the cabin can be more or less filled with water at will, the level of the surface of the water reaching the maximum at the level of the patient's shoulders, so as to add the effect of the hydrostatic pressure on the extremities lower than the massage effect of the inventive system.
• the means of the massage shower system 6 that have just been described are obviously adapted to a movement of the frame 9 and of the carriage 15 and to an operation of the injectors 7 in water.
• the frame 9 is initially in its low position.
• the motor 24 is powered and rotates the drum 23 on which the cable 22 is wound.
• the water circuit supplying the injectors is open, and the injectors direct towards the patient jets of water or air and water under pressure which move in an upward movement whose speed varies according to the diagram in Figure 5.
• the pressure of water can also vary at the same time and in the same sense that speed.
• the jets of pressurized water therefore have an effect on the patient's body comparable to that of the movements of a masseur.
• the lever 19c of the contactor 20c switches over under the action of the finger 18, which has the effect of commanding an inversion of the direction of rotation of the motor 24.
• the drum 23 then unwinds the cable 22 for lowering the frame 9 to its low position, preferably at a speed greater than the climb speed; the pressure of the water supplying the injectors is also preferably greatly lowered or even sometimes, entirely canceled out during the downward movement of the frame 9.
• the finger 18 causes the lever 19a of the contactor 20a to tilt, which has the effect of commanding a new reversal of the direction of rotation of the motor 24, and the system 6 starts a new cycle.
• the operator can also choose to have the system act only on a region of the patient's body, for example the hip region. It suffices to place the two contactors 20a and 20c respectively at the top of the thighs and at the level of the patient's waist.
• any means to control and vary the mode, speed and amplitude of the movement of the frame can also modify the shape and structure of the frame, the type and number of injectors, the means and organs for controlling and adjusting the displacements of the frame.
• the invention also covers the case where the bottom 8 on which the patient stands is movable vertically under the action of actuating means such as a jack, the frame 9, 42, 44 being itself fixed or movable vertically .

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Massaging Devices (AREA)
• Percussion Or Vibration Massage (AREA)
• Bathtubs, Showers, And Their Attachments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9410934

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Families Citing this family (16)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 1991
  • 1991-03-20 FR FR9103380A patent/FR2674125B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1992
  • 1992-03-13 AT AT92908989T patent/ATE117036T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1992-03-13 JP JP4508578A patent/JPH06506130A/ja active Pending
  • 1992-03-13 DK DK92908989.4T patent/DK0575534T3/da active
  • 1992-03-13 EP EP92908989A patent/EP0575534B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1992-03-13 WO PCT/FR1992/000233 patent/WO1992016697A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1992-03-13 ES ES92908989T patent/ES2069996T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1992-03-17 DE DE9203592U patent/DE9203592U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1993
  • 1993-10-27 US US08/119,118 patent/US5418985A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1995
  • 1995-04-10 GR GR950400853T patent/GR3015721T3/el unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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