US3417747A

US3417747A - Device for the production of pressure waves in liquids

Info

Publication number: US3417747A
Application number: US519218A
Authority: US
Inventors: Beger Hilde
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-04-10
Filing date: 1966-01-07
Publication date: 1968-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-24
Also published as: FR1463482A; NL6515256A; AT273360B; CH457714A; DE1303506B

Description

H. BEGER Dec. 24, .1968

DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PRESSURE WAVES IN LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 7, 1966 INVENTOR. /-//LD "5561 2 United States Patent 3,417,747 DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION ()F PRESSURE WAVES IN LIQUIDS Hilde Beger, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany Filed Jan. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 519,218 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 10, 1965, B 81,393 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-66) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A therapeutic bath device including a tubular distribution member having a plurality of axially spaced discharge openings formed on the inner side thereof. The distribution member is connected to a blower for supplying pressurized air thereto, the blower preferably supplying approximately 300 cubic meters of air per hour at a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure. The air, in passing through the discharge openings, creates pressure waves within the liquid for causing a massaging effect.

A device is known for the production of vibrating water, in particular for therapeutic baths, in which high frequency vibrations are produced supplying steam or another suitable gas under pressure to one or more membranes located under the water and provided with very small openings. The provision of such membranes to which steam is applied not only involves considerable technical outlay, since both means for supplying cold water and a heat exchange container must be provided, but also has the disadvantage that the vibrations produced by means of a membrane have only a locally limited effect. High frequency vibrations can moreover only produce a vibration effect, not an actual massage effect.

Bubble baths are also known, in which a very fine bubble effect is produced with the aid of elastic tubes which are provided with a network of very fine mesh pores. Carbon dioxide, oxygen or even air are fed through these elastic tube to the bath, emerging from a very large number of very fine holes which automatically close again after the emergence of the small air bubbles. Such a bubble bath is comparable with the bubble movement in an open bottle of mineral water. A massage effect cannot be obtained with such a bubble bath.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for the production of pressure waves in liquids, in patricular for therapeutic baths in order to obtain a massage effect, in such a manner that these pressure waves and the massage effect will extend over a fairly large area of the bath.

With this object in view, in the device according to the invention, there are arranged beneath the surface of the liquid compressed air ducts which are connected to a source of compressed air and have outlet openings at relatively large intervals which are of such dimensions as to permit the liquid to penetrate into the compressed air channels. These outlet openings can have a diameter of from 1 millimetre to approximately 10 millimetres. The compressed air ducts thus contain liquid or water which is partially compressed by the compressed air at the individual outlet openings in a series of impulses, so that as a result of this and of the emerging relatively large compressed air bubbles which, on rising up through the bath, assume a size of approximately 2 centimetres or more, pressure waves are produced which create an intensive vibration movement in the water and thus exercise a powerful massaging effect on a human body immersed in the bath. The frequency of air emergence from each opening is approximately 3 to 10 air bubbles per second, this 3,417,747 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 ice frequency being in inverse proportion to the diameter of the air outlet opening.

In order to obtain the pressure waves for the required massage effect, the supply of relatively large quantities of air is necessary, so that for example, in the case of a full bath, a volume of 15 to 500 m. /hour compressed air is supplied. Smaller quantities of air are required in the case of small outlet openings and a larger superatmospheric pressure, and larger quantities of air in the case of larger outlet openings and a lower superatmospheric pressure.

In order to maintain an approximately constant bath temperature, it is necessary when large quantities of air are fed into the compressed air ducts, to provide a heating device.

A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a bath with a device according to the invention shown in section along the line 1-1 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 is a cross section along the line HII in FIG. 1.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a bath filled with water up to the level shown at 2. Beneath this water level, preferably at the bottom of the bath, are located compressed air ducts 3, 4 provided with outlet openings 5 which are spaced apart by distances a. In the embodiment illustrated, these compressed air ducts consist of a tubular ring which is inserted in and is adapted to fit the bath and which, in

the present case, is of approximately rectangular shape. The tubular portions forming the longer sides of the rectangle are shown at 3 and the transverse tubular portions at 4 and 6. This tubular ring is preferably connected at the foot end of the bath to the lower end of a compressed air pipe 7, the upper end of which is connected to a source of compressed air 8. This source of compressed air may consist of a compressor or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1 of a blower. A heating element 9 is advantageously inserted in the compressed air pipe 7 in order to maintain an approximately constant bath temperature. The compressed air is heated so as to be fed in to the bath at approximately 60 C. when the bath temperature is for example 36 C.

It is further desirable to provide in the compressed air pipe 7, in advance of the heating device 9, a controllable compressed air outlet which is shown as a longitudinal slit at 10. The control of this outlet can be effected for example by means of a casing 11 which is movable in the directions indicated by the arrows A.

The air outlet openings 5 are spaced apart by a relatively large distance a of for example 15 centimetres. For a normal bath, as shown, some 23 outlet openings in all may he provided in the compressed air ducts 3 and 4, which openings preferably, as shown, face towards the interior of the tubular ring.

The pressure waves required for a massage effect can, as already explained, be produced with different diameters of outlet opening 5, with different quantities of compressed air volumes and a corresponding pressure. With a smaller diameter of the compressed air ducts 3, 4 of approximately 20 mm. and outlet openings 5 having a diameter of 1.5 mm., the compressed air pipe 7 is connected to a compressor which feeds into the compressed air ducts a quantity of compressed air of approximately 18 m. hour with a pressure of approximately 6 atmospheres above atmospheric pressure.

If larger outletopenings 5 having a diameter of approximately 10 mm. are selected, the compressed air ducts 3, 4 have a correspondingly larger diameter of approximately 50 mm. In this case, instead of a compressor, a multi-stage blower (as shown) may be used, which feeds into a normal bath a quantity of compressed air of approximately 300 m. /hour at an excess pressure of approximately 0.14 atm. in the compressed air ducts 3, 4.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. Whereas in the embodiment shown, pressure waves are produced throughout the whole bath, i.e. a massage effect occurs which acts on the whole of the bathers body, treatment of individual parts of the body may instead be carried out with a correspondingly smaller requirement of compressed air, for which only a correspondingly smaller number of air outlet openings and one correspondingly smaller quantity of air are necessary, and also the shape of the compressed air ducts 3, 4 can be modilied to suit the baths or parts of the body concerned.

It is also possible for the compressed air ducts in the bath be constructed as integral parts of or to be located in the walls of the bath. The invention can be applied to anything from a small hand-basin to a large communal bath used for movement therapy.

The device according to the invention, enables a pulsing underwater compressed air massage for medicinal therapy to be obtained, in which the massage effect can be regulated according to the quantity of air and the pressure employed.

The device according to the invention can be used for example as a circulation dehydration bath. It has been shown that, in the case of underwater compressed air massage with the aid of the device according to the invention with a treatment period of to minutes (full bath), a weight loss (water, fat) of at least 200 grams is obtained.

What I claim is:

1. A therapeutic bath device for creating pressure waves in a liquid to achieve a massaging effect, comprising a tubular distributor member adapted to be positioned on the bottom of a tub containing a liquid therein, said distributor member being of a diameter of approximately mm. and having a pair of side portions extending in substantially parallel relationship, said distributor member including said side portions having a plurality of discharge openings through the wall thereof adjacent the inner side of the member, said discharge openings having a diameter of approximately 10 mm. and being axially spaced along said distributor member at distances of approximately mm., the discharge openings formed in the one side portion opening toward the discharge opening formed in the other side portion, blower means connected to said distributor member for supplying pressurized air thereto at a rate of approximately 300 m. per hour and at a pressure of approximately 0.14 atmospheres above atmospheric pressure, said distributor member being of a substantially large diameter with said disharge opening being substantially axially spaced from one another and said discharge openings being of substantially large diameter so as to permit the admission of liquid into said distributor member, whereby the pressurized air within said distributor member is discharged outwardly through the discharge openings formed in said one side portion in opposition to the pressurized air discharged outwardly through the discharge openings in the other side portion so as to create substantial pressure waves within said liquid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,699,198 1/1929 Millmather 12866 X 2,663,178 12/1953 Schwartz 128-66 X 3,065,746 11/1962 Gregory 128-66 3,138,153 6/1964 Osborn et a1. 128-66 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.