GB2156218A

GB2156218A - A foot bath

Info

Publication number: GB2156218A
Application number: GB08404162A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tadashi Kurosawa
Original assignee: Tensho Electric Industries Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tensho Electric Industries Co Ltd
Priority date: 1984-02-17
Filing date: 1984-02-17
Publication date: 1985-10-09
Also published as: GB8404162D0

Abstract

The foot bath comprises a body (1) having an openable cover (3). A hot water jet injector (18) is provided at the front of the foot bath and a foot vibrator is provided to vibrate a person's feet and hot water in the foot bath. Calf vibrators (9) are provided at the rear of the foot bath. Toe receiving shoulders (15) are provided to support a person's toes so as to effectively provide vibration to said toes. Finger-pressure massaging projections (14) are provided on the bottom of the foot bath and an infrared radiation device is provided behind a perforated covering plate (4) on the cover (3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Afoot bath This invention relates to a foot bath particularly for recovery offatigue, easing of neuralgia and muscleache, removal of stiffness in a neck and shoulders by facilitating blood circulation, maintaining health, recovery of bad condition of automatic nervous system and remedy of various diseases.

A back face of a person's foot has many vital points in oriental medicine which have a close relation to various organs. it is well known that stimulus ofthe vital points causes fatigue to be recovered and also the organs to be remedied. Since about 60% of blood which is called movable organ is located in a person's hands and legs, the organs which tend to have congestion ofbloodarethefeetand legsforthe person who lives while standing for a lot oftime. Thus, it is commonly said that the phenomena of aging starts from the feet.Furthermore, the feet which are closed or unnecessarily fixed in their shape by socks or shoes without breathing at their skin for a long time tend to be most dirty and also treated most unnaturally among the organs, which causes various fatigues to be provided and also the organs to be badly affected.

Although the feet are most important, people take no interest in them. Heretofore, various complicated and expensive devices which have an object of stimulating a backand shoulders otherthanthefeet have been developed, but foot stimulating devices have not been developed except for a mat for stimulating a foot back and a foot treading bamboo.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a foot bath comprising: afoot bath body for receiving a person's feet and having a cover openably mounted thereon; hot water jet means to inject foamed hot water into said foot bath body from a front face thereof; foot vibration means to provide a vibration massage to backs of the person's feettogetherwith the whole feet by wave vibration of said hot water; calfvibration means provided at the rear portion of said foot bath body to engage the person's calves to provide a vibration massage to said calves; toestimulation means provided atthefrontportion of said foot bath body to engage the person's toes in a bent manner so asto effectively provide said vibration to said toes;; finger-pressure means to provide a finger-pressure massage to said backs of said feet; and extreme infrared radiation means provided on a back of said cover to provide far infrared rays to said feet.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. lisa perspective view one embodiment of a foot bath constructed in accordance with the invention with a person's feet entering the foot bath; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the foot bath of Fig. 1 with a cover opened; and Fig. 3 is a side elevational and sectional view of the foot bath of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring nowto Figs. 1 through 3, afoot bath 1 shown therein comprises a foot bath body 2 which feet 7 of a user 11 areto enterand having a cover3 pivotally supported on the foot bath body 2 at its front portion thereofso as to be openable.

Far infrared radiation ceramic 6 is provided on a back face ofthe cover 3. A covering plate 5 may be provided on the cover 3 so as to cover the far infrared radiation ceramic 6. Far infrared rays from the far infrared radiation ceramic 6 pass through small holes 4 in the covering plate to be provided to the feet 7 and hot water 8 described later. Heating means not shown heats the far infrared radiation ceramic 6 so as to provide a temperature suitable for radiation effects thereto.

Calfvibration means 9 is provided on the foot bath body 2 at the rear edge thereof. The calfvibration means 9 includes a vibrator 9a provided therein and a resilient member two engage the user's calves in a suitable manner. The vibrator 9a may be preferably of type producing such a vibration as tunes with a music to which the person listens through a headphone. The vibrator 9a is supplied with electric power through an electric cord which has a jack inserted into a plug provided on the foot bath body 2. Although the calf vibration means 9 is integrally mounted on the foot bath body 2 at the rear edge thereof, it will be noted that it may be removably mounted on the foot bath body 2.This calf vibration means 9 may be preferably of semicircular cross section so that it engages the calves of the feet of the user 1 1 who sits on a chair 12 and inserts its feet 7 into the foot bath 1, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, it will be noted that a vibration massage is provided to the calves of the user 11. Although not shown, the caif vibration means 9 may be adjustable in its height and/or width, and otherwise, a plurality of calf vibration means 9 of various heights and widths may be prepared and removably mounted on the foot bath body 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, on the bottom 13 ofthe foot bath body 2 are provided a plurality of finger-pressure massaging projections 14which serve to stimulate the whole backsofthefeetand a pair of protrusions 14a having a configuration corresponding to the arches of the feet, which serve to stimulate the arches of the feet on which the vital points lowering a blood pressure are concentrated and toe mounting shoulders 15 on which are mounted in a bent mannerthe toes ofthe feet on which many vital points are concentrated, so that they are stimulated to effectively recover fatigue and stimulate various organs.

As shown in Fig. 3, a foot vibrator 16 is provided on the underside ofthe bottom of the foot bath body 2 to massage the feet within the foot bath body 2 by vibration. This also serves to collectively stimulate the arches ofthefeetonthe protrusions 14a and also the toes on the shoulders 15 by its vibration.

A medicine container 17 may be removably provided on the bottom of the foot bath body 2 at the centerthereofbetweenthefeetinserted into the foot bath body 2. The medicine container 17 contains herbs and solid medicines, which are emitted into hot water through small holes 17a in the medicine container 17.

Hot water jet means is provided which comprises a jet stream injection port 18 which opens at the front face ofthefoot bath body2 and an air inlet 19 provided also atthefrontface of the foot bath body 2 to inhale airto inject foams into the waterjet stream. As shown in Fig. 3, hotwater8 may be introduced through a filter 20 into a hot water pipe 21 on the underside ofthe bottom ofthefootbath body2and injected ina foamed mannerfrom the injection port 18 by a pump 22 while combined with the air inhaled through the air inlet 19. Thefoamed hot waterjet stream serves to stimulate the whole feet. The filter 20 serves to remove dirt on thefeetand dust such as cotton dustto clean hot water.A heating pipe 21 a is provided at a part of the hot water pipe 21 to heatthewaterto maintain it at a temperature necessary for stimulating the feet. A removal pipe 24 may be provided to remove the hot water in the foot bath body 2 by means of a change-overvalve 25. The change-overvalve 25 may be manually operated by a cock 26 or otherwise automatically operated. A drain pipe 27 having a plug 28may be provided to completely drain the water which cannot be removed through the removal pipe 24.

An operating pannel 29 is provided to automatically control power of jet water stream and the rhythm vibrator. A F I p,lot lamp 30 may be provided on the back of the cover 3.

It will be noted thatthe feet within the foot bath body 2 are stimulated by hot water and jet stream including foams to have a facilitated stream of blood and breathing at their skin and by stimulus from the arch protrusions 14a andthetoe mounting shoulders 15 and by radiation ofthefar infrared rays from the back ofthe cover 3 as well as by vibration from the vibrator 16 on the bottom of the foot bath body 2 to massage them.It will be also noted that the calfvibration means 9 at the rear edge ofthe foot bath body 2 massages the calves ofthe feet, which most effectively recovers the user's fatigue. Furthermore, itwill be noted that hot water can be circulated without its introduction out of the foot bath because of no requirement of any pump and tank out ofthe foot bath. It will be understood that hotwaterwithin the foot bath 1 is maintained by the heating pipe 14a atthetemperature suitable forthe user and for massage ofthe feet to stimulate them.

Since the jet hot water includes foams, it can provide a massage effectto the feet by explosion of foams.

Since the foot bath 1 has the filter 20, hot water can be always cleaned.After using the foot bath 1, hot water can be fully removed out ofthe foot bath 1 by switching the valves 25. Furthermore, since the toes are adapted to be mounted on the shoulders 15, the finger-pressure effect can be provided to the toes by theirweight. Is should be noted that stimulus by vibration can be provided not only in a plane but also from hotwaterand other portions of the foot bath body 2, which causes the feet to be strongly stimulated.

While one preferred embodiment ofthe invention has been described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat it is by way of example and thatvarious changes and modifications may be made witho ut depa rting fro m th e scope ofthe invention, which is intended to be defined only by the appended

Claims

claims. CLAIMS

1. Afoot bath comprising: a foot bath body for receiving a person's feet and having a cover openably mounted thereon; hot water jet means to inject foamed hot water into said foot bath body from a frontfacethereof; foot vibration means to provide a vibration massage to backs ofthe person'sfeettogetherwith thewhole feet by wave vibration of said hot water; calfvibration means provided at the rear portion of said foot bath body to engage the person's calves to provide a vibration massage to said calves; toe simulation means provided at the front portion of said foot bath body to engage the person's toes in a bent manner so as to effectively provide said vibration to said toes; finger-pressure means to provide a finger-pressure to said backs of said feet;; and extreme infrared radiation means provided on a back of said cover to provide far infrared rays to said feet.

2. Afoot bath as setforth in claim 1 and further comprising a medicine container provided on the bottom of said foot bath body at the center thereof and having small holes provided therein to emit medicine contained therein.

3. Afoot bath as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said foot vibration means produces such a vibration astuneswith a musictowhich said person listen.

4. Afoot bath as set forth in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein said hot water jet means further comprises a pump to forcably circulate said hotwaterthrough a heating member.

5. A foot bath as setforth in claim 4, wherein said heating member comprises a heating pipe provided in a hot water pipe of said hotwaterjetmeans.

6. Afoot bath as setforth in claim 5, wherein said hot water pipe and said heating pipe are provided on the underside of said foot bath body.

7. Afoot bath as set forth in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein said hotwaterjet means further comprises a filter to remove dirt and dustfrom said hot water.

8. Afoot bath as set forth in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein said hot water jet means includes a removal pipe to remove said hot water from said foot bath body.

9. Afoot bath as set forth in claim 8, wherein said hot water jet means further includes a drain pipe to drain said hotwaterwhich cannot be removed through said removal pipe.

10. Afoot bath as setforth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said calf vibration means includes a resilient member to resiliently engage the person's calves.

11. Afoot bath as setforth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said calf vibration means are integrally provided on said foot bath body.

12. Afoot bath as set forth in any one of claims 1-10, wherein said calfvibration means are removably provided on said foot bath body.

13. Afoot bath as setforth in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein said toe simulation means comprisesshouldersfor mounting said toes thereon.

14. Afoot bath as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said finger-pressure meanscomprisesapiuralityofprojectionsprovided on a bottom of said foot bath body.

15. Afoot bath substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.