WO2003082056A1

WO2003082056A1 - Apparatus for assisting meditation

Info

Publication number: WO2003082056A1
Application number: PCT/AU2003/000376
Authority: WO
Inventors: Reece Phillip Girven
Original assignee: Reece Phillip Girven
Priority date: 2002-03-28
Filing date: 2003-03-28
Publication date: 2003-10-09
Also published as: AUPS140802A0

Abstract

An apparatus for assisting meditation (10). The apparatus (10) comprises a turntable (12) mounted on a central drive shaft (16), the central drive shaft (16) having a seat (14) mounted thereon. A drive means (24) is connected to the central drive shaft (16) in order to rotate the central drive shaft (16) and the turntable (12). A speed control means (34) is connected to the drive means (24) to control the rotational speed of the central drive shaft (16) wherein the speed control means (34) is located in a position in which the speed control means may be adjusted by a user sitting on the seat (14).

Description

TITLE "APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING MEDITATION"

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for assisting meditation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for assisting meditation characterised by comprising a turntable mounted on a central drive shaft and having a seat mounted thereon, a drive means connected to the central drive shaft in order to rotate the central drive shaft and the turntable and a speed control means connected to the drive means to control the rotational speed of the central drive shaft wherein the speed control means is located in a position in which the speed control means may be adjusted by a user sitting on the seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is side view of an apparatus for assisting meditation in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the apparatus for assisting meditation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 a is a side view of the seat of the apparatus for assisting meditation of Figure

i;

Figure 3 b is a top view of the seat of Figure 3 a; Figure 3 c is a side view of the seat of Figure 3 a showing a typical seating position; Figure 4 is a top cross sectional view of the apparatus for assisting meditation of

Figure 1 showing the drive means;

Figure 5 is side view showing the mounting of the turntable of the apparatus for assisting meditation to the base; Figure 6a is side view of the overhead support structure of the apparatus for assisting meditation of Figure 1;

Figure 6b is a side view of the connection of upper ends of elongate members of the overhead support structure of Figure 6a;

Figure 6c is a perspective of a connection of an elongate member and cable means of the overhead support structure of Figure 6a;

Figure 7 is side view of the focus rod of the apparatus for assisting meditation;

Figure 8 is an exploded view of the base and turntable of the apparatus for assisting meditation; and

Figure 9 is a side view showing the safety shut-off mechanism of the apparatus for assisting meditation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures, there is shown an- apparatus for assisting meditation 10 comprising a turntable 12 having a seat 14 mounted thereon. The turntable 16 is mounted on a central drive shaft 16. The central drive shaft 16 is rotatably mounted on a base 18. As shown in Figure 5, the base 18 is provided with a bearing housing 20 secured to the base 18 by suitable securing means, such as bolts 22. The bearing housing 20 is arranged to receive a lower end of the central drive shaft 16. An upper end of the central drive shaft 16 is secured to the turntable 12 by bolts 23. The seat 14 comprises a lower mounting portion 15 secured to the turntable 12 as shown in Figure 3. An upwardly extending tube member 17 is secured to the lower mounting portion 15 and a seat base 19 is mounted to the upper end of the tube member 17. The seat base 19 is mounted to the tube member 17 such that it is angled to the horizontal to provide a comfortable position for meditation. Preferably the seat base 19 is angled at around 30 degrees to the horizontal. To further assist in the provision of a comfortable seating arrangement, the seat base 19 and turntable 12 may be provided with cushion 13. Further, the tube member 17 is preferably provided with a height adjustment means 21 to allow adjustment of the height of the seat base 19 above the turntable 12, to suit different users. The height adjustment means 21 may be in the form of known arrangement such as that used on bicycle seats. The apparatus for assisting meditation 10 is provided with a drive means 24 to provide rotation of the drive shaft 16 and turntable 12. As seen in Figure 4, the drive means 24 comprises an electric motor 26 and gearbox 28. The electric motor 26 and gearbox 28 are connected to the central drive shaft 16 by a belt 30. The belt 30 is secured around drive pulley 32 provided on the central drive shaft 16. The apparatus for assisting meditation 10 is provided also with a speed control means 34 connected to the electric motor 26 to control the speed at which the electric motor 26 operates. The electric motor 26, gearbox 28 and speed control means 34 are mounted to the base 18 adjacent the central drive shaft 16.

The speed control means 34 is further provided with a control panel 36 by which a user can control the speed control means 34 and therefore the speed of the electric motor 26. The control panel 36 is mounted on a flexible elongate member 38, extending upwardly from the base 18. The position of the control panel 36 can thereby be adjusted so that it is accessible by a user sitting on the seat 14 on the turntable 12 in use. The control panel 34 may also include a display means 35 to provide information to the user, such as the rotational speed of the turntable 12. In an alternative embodiment, the control panel 34 may be mounted on the seat 14. In this case, the display means 35 may still be provided on the flexible elongate member 38 to display the speed of rotation to the user.

As shown in Figure 8, the base 18 preferably comprises a first base member 40 and a second base member 42. The first base member 40 comprises a first disc secured to a stable surface. The second base member 42 comprises a second disc arranged on top of the first base member 40. A plurality of packing means 44 are provided between the first and second base members 40 and 42. The packing members 44 are arranged to ensure that the second base member 42 is horizontal. Further, the second base member 42 is provided with a cylindrical member 46 arranged to be secured to the second base member 42 such that the cylindrical member 46 extends upwardly from the periphery of the second base member 42. The cylindrical member 46 provides a housing for the drive means 24, the speed control means 34 and the central drive shaft 16.

The apparatus for assisting meditation 10 is provided with an overhead support structure 50. The overhead support structure 50 is preferably provided as a pyramid shaped structure, as shown in Figure 1. The overhead support structure 50 comprises three elongate members 52. Lower ends of each of the elongate members 52 are secured on the periphery of the turntable 12. Upper ends of the elongate members 52 are secured together directly above the seat 14. A support member 54 is provided extending downwardly from the upper ends of the elongate members 52. At a lower end of the support member 54 is secured a magnet 56 to enhance the meditation of a user sitting on the seat 14 in use. The magnet 54 may optionally be pulled downwards towards the user sitting on the seat 14 on the turntable 12 in use to even further enhance meditation. Preferably, the magnet 56 is provided as a rare earth magnet.

Lower ends of each of the elongate members 52 are further secured to each other by a cable means 57, as is shown in Figure 6c. In this way, the overhead support structure 50 is a free standing structure which may be optionally removed from the turntable 12 and used as an independent aid for the user to achieve a meditative state. Also provided is a focus rod 58, as shown in Figure 7. The focus rod 58 comprises a rod extending upwardly from the turntable 12 in a position in which the upper end of the focus rod 58 is positioned directly in front of the user sitting on the seat 14. On the upper end of the focus rod 58 is mounted a light 60 on which the user focuses their attention during meditation. The focus rod 58 is preferably constructed of copper and may include also a magnet mounted adjacent the light 60. Preferably, said magnet is provided as a rare earth magnet. The apparatus for assisting meditation 10 is also provided with a safety shut-off means 62. The safety shut-off means 62 comprises a tube 64 arranged to extend through an aperture provided in the turntable 12. An upper end of the tube 64 is connected by a flexible connecting member 65 to the user. A shut-off switch 66 is arranged on the base 18 such that if the user faints or falls, the tube 64 falls downwardly through the aperture in the turntable 12 to a position in which it engages the shut-off switch 66 and stops the drive means 24.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting meditation characterised by comprising an apparatus for assisting meditation characterised by comprising a turntable mounted on a central drive shaft and having a seat mounted thereon, a drive means connected to the central drive shaft in order to rotate the central drive shaft and the turntable and a speed control means connected to the drive means to control the rotational speed of the central drive shaft wherein the speed control means is located in a position in which the speed control means may be adjusted by a user sitting on the seat.

2. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the central drive shaft is rotatably mounted to a base and the drive means comprises an electric motor and gearbox mounted on the base and connected to the central drive shaft by a drive belt.

3. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the seat comprises a lower mounting portion secured to the turntable, a tube member extending upwardly from the lower mounting portion and a seat base secured to an upper end of the tube member, the seat base being mounted such that the seat base is angled to the horizontal.

4. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the seat base is angled at around 30 degrees to the horizontal.

5. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the tube member is provided with a height adjustment means to allow adjustment of the height of the seat base above the turntable 12.

6. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the speed control means is mounted on the base and is provided with a control panel mounted on the upper end of a flexible elongate member such that the control panel is accessible to a user of the apparatus for assisting meditation in use.

7. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the control panel includes a display means, the display means displaying the rotational speed of the turntable.

8. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7, characterised in that the base comprises a first base member secured to a stable mounting surface, a second base member arranged above the first base member and a plurality of packing means arranged between the first base member and the second base member to level the second base member relative to the horizontal.

9. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that a cylindrical member is mounted to extend upwardly from the periphery of the second base member to house the drive means and central shaft.

10. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an overhead support structure is provide extending upwardly from the turntable, the overhead support structure supporting a magnet above the seat.

11. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the overhead support structure is pyramid shaped.

12. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the overhead support structure comprises three elongate members, the elongate members being secured at lower ends thereof around the periphery of the turntable and the upper ends thereof being secured together.

13. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that a support member is provided extending downwardly from the upper ends of the elongate member, the magnet being mounted on the lower end of the support member.

14. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a focus rod is provided, the focus rod being mounted to extend upwardly from the turntable such that the upper end of the focus rod is located directly in front of a user sitting on the seat.

15. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that a light is mounted adjacent the upper end of the focus rod.

16. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterised in that a magnet is mounted adjacent the upper end of the focus rod.

17. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a safety shut-off means is provided, the safety shut-off being arranged to shut down the drive means if the user falls.

18. An apparatus for assisting meditation as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the safety shut-off means comprises a tube extending through an aperture in the turntable, an upper end of the tube being connected to the user by a flexible connecting member, and a shut-off switch mounted on the base, wherein if the user falls, the tube drops downwardly through the aperture such that the tube engages with the safety shut-off switch which turns off the drive means.