WO2005065622A1

WO2005065622A1 - Therapy unit using hydraulic pressure

Info

Publication number: WO2005065622A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/003475
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dae-Hwang Kim
Original assignee: Dae-Hwang Kim
Priority date: 2004-01-08
Filing date: 2004-12-28
Publication date: 2005-07-21

Abstract

Disclosed is a therapy unit using hydraulic pressure, more particularly to a therapeutic water-proof matt using hydraulic pressure with an improved user's convenience, in which the driving operation of a pump for discharging hydraulic fluid under pressure and the magnitude of hydraulic pressure can be manually operated or be easily automated by a user with paralysis or other motor impairment lying on the matt. The therapy unit includes a main body filled with water, having a water-proof matt securely sealed to the top and an exterior case being attached to the outer surface; an injection unit connected to a pump for discharging the water under a designated pressure, and having a nozzle for ejecting hydraulic pressure to the bottom surface of the water-proof matt; a belt member installed on the bottom surface of the main body to reciprocate the injection unit in a horizontal direction thereon; and a rotating means for rotating the nozzle during the motion of the injection unit to form a trajectory of hydraulic pressure that is discharged to the bottom of the water-proof matt.

Description

THERAPY UNIT USING HYDRAULIC PRESSURE

Technical Field The present invention relates to a therapy unit using hydraulic pressure, which injects water of a predetermined hydraulic pressure uniformly into every part of the body of a user lying on a water-proof matt, whereby the blood circulation and metabolism of the user can be promoted by the acupressure massage effect, resulting in the improved health of the user. More particularly, the present invention relates to a therapeutic water-proof matt using hydraulic pressure featuring an improved user's convenience, in which the driving operation of a pump for discharging hydraulic fluid under pressure and the magnitude control of hydraulic pressure can be manually operated or easily automated by physically handicapped users or bedridden patents with paralysis or other motor impairment. Background Art Waste products of a body diminish blood flow in blood vessels and hinder blood circulation in general. Poor blood circulation causes not only an imbalanced or slow metabolism but also many different poor health effects and aches in all parts of the body. To improve the blood circulation, people usually receive physical therapies or acupressure massages. Those treatments are, however, available only in particular places such as hospitals, so any one who wants the hospital treatment has to go to hospital personally. Therefore, there is a need to develop a home therapy unit which enables people with physical disabilities to easily operate at home without the help of others. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 illustrate a water mattress (Utility Model Registration No. 20- 0240408), where the main body of the matt 100 includes a box-shaped support frame 110, a support plate 120 fixed on the upper portion of the support frame 110 to create a designated space, a water-proof matt 130 with through holes 150 formed therein, mounted on the support plate 120 and having an airtight space S inside, and pipe nozzles 230 and outlets 310 formed in correspondence to the through holes 150. The water mattress further includes a water injection unit 200 for injecting water of predetermined pressure into the water-proof matt 130, which consists of a tank

220 connected to a pipe 210 on the support frame 110, a plurality of pipe nozzles 230 installed in such a manner to be exposed to the same plane of the support plate 120, and a pump 240 installed inside the tank 220. Also, the water mattress includes a water supply unit 300 which consists of an outlet pipe 320 connecting the water-proof matt 130 closely adhered to the support plate

120 and the tank 220 so that the water to be injected into the water-proof matt 130 can be circulated in the tank 220, a cap 210a attached to the end of the pipe 210, and a check valve 320a installed on one side of the pipe 210. When the wet pump 240 is powered given that the water is filled in the tank 220, the water of a predetermined pressure is injected through the nozzles 230, and the injection pressure thereof constantly strikes designated portions of the water-proof matt 130, whereby giving a stimulus to certain body parts of a person lying on the matt 130. The injected water alleviates muscle tension by applying a designated hydraulic pressure to the body, which in turn reduces fatigue. The pipe 210 and the nozzles 230 come in diverse shapes depending on the body shape of a user. In short, the related art water mattress is a massager using hydraulic pressure so that it continuously gives a stimulus to certain parts of the body to reduce fatigue and promote blood circulation of the user. However, the nozzles and the pipe (although they are arranged along the body shape of the user) are not movable to positions that can give a massage to body parts the user desires. In other words, the user has to move around on the matt to get the massage he or she wants. In addition, more nozzles are required to meet such need.

Disclosure of Invention It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a therapy unit, more specifically a therapeutic water-proof matt, using hydraulic pressure, which features using the minimum number of nozzles for discharging hydraulic pressure and less components, and providing uniform pressure to all parts of the body without requiring a user to move around. It is another object of the present invention to provide a therapy unit, more specifically a therapeutic water-proof matt, using hydraulic pressure featuring an improved user's convenience, wherein the driving operation of a pump for discharging hydraulic fluid under pressure and the magnitude of hydraulic pressure can be manually operated or be easily automated by a user with paralysis or other motor impairment. To achieve the above object, there is a therapy unit using hydraulic pressure, including: a main body filled with water, having a water-proof matt securely sealed to the top and an exterior case being attached to the outer surface; an injection unit connected to a pump for discharging the water under a designated pressure, and having nozzles for ejecting hydraulic pressure to the bottom surface of the water-proof matt; a belt member installed on the bottom surface of the main body to reciprocate the injection unit in a horizontal direction thereon; and a rotating means for rotating at least one of the nozzles during the reciprocation of the injection unit to form a track of the hydraulic pressure provided to the bottom of the water-proof matt. Preferably, the belt member runs on the track by means of a driving means including: a driving motor rotating clockwise and counterclockwise by the application of power; a driving gear with lower end being axially fixed to the driving motor and upper end being geared with the gear of the belt member for tracking the belt member during the operation of the driving motor; and a driven gear rotatably installed on the bottom surface of the main body for supporting the motor-driven belt member. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rotating means includes: a rack gear installed along the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface of the main body; a spool rotatably supported to the injection unit and having a pinion gear installed at the lower end and a counter gear installed at the upper portion, in which the pinion gear is geared with the rack gear and the counter gear is geared with the gear of the belt member, thereby moving along the rack gear in the horizontal direction; a first rotating gear being connected to the upper end of the spool and having the nozzle mounted on the top surface; and a second rotating gear being rotatably installed at the injection unit and geared with the first rotating gear, and having the nozzle mounted on the top surface. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the therapy unit further includes support rollers rotatably installed on the injection unit for pressing the outer side of the belt member to help the belt member maintain constant machine tension. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the therapy unit further includes a distributor to which water from the pump is supplied through the hose and distributed through three distributing hoses to the nozzles, respectively, in which the mouth of each of the distributing hoses communicates with the distributor and the exit of each of the hoses communicates with the nozzle, and the distributing hoses are made of flexible rubber materials so that the hoses are not easily twisted during the rotations of the first and second rotating gears. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the therapy unit further includes a control box fixed to the upper portion of the main body, in which the control box is designed to be opened or closed by a user and comprised of a function button for enabling the user to choose the operation mode of the injection unit and the belt member either in auto mode or manual mode, and a display device installed at one side for enabling the user to monitor the operation state of the injection unit and the belt member. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle includes: a first nozzle that is installed at the first rotating gear, communicates with the distributor through a first hose and forms a circular track for hydraulic pressure on the bottom surface of the water-proof matt during the rotation of the first rotating gear caused by the motion of the injection unit; a second nozzle that is installed at the second rotating gear, communicates with the distributor 18 through the second hose and forms a circular track i n t he o pposite d irection o f t he t rack formed b y t he first n ozzle o n t he b ottom surface of the water-proof matt during the rotation of the first rotating gear caused by the motion of the injection unit; and a third nozzle that is installed at the injection unit, communicates with the distributor 18 through the third hose, and continuously provides hydraulic pressure between the tracks formed by the first and second nozzles straight to the spine of the user. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the control box further includes a speaker installed therein for outputting broadcasting, or an audio signal indicating the operation state of the injection unit and the belt member to the user music lying on the water-proof matt.

Brief Description of Drawings The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a related art therapy unit using hydraulic pressure; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a therapy unit of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a therapy unit using hydraulic pressure according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of key elements of an injection unit shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a guide means for moving an injection unit shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of an injection unit shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing water injection into a water-proof mattress through nozzles of an injection unit shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 8 illustrates the application of the present invention therapy unit using hydraulic pressure. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to Figs. 3 to 7, a therapy unit using hydraulic pressure according to the present invention includes a main body 3, an injection unit 6, a belt member 7, and a rotating means. The main body 3 for containing water includes an exterior case 2 made of a plurality of disassemblable pieces being detachably attached, and a water-proof matt 1 sealed directly onto the top thereof. The injection unit 6 includes a pump 4 for discharging the water in the main body 3 at a predetermined pressure, a flexible hose 5 connected to the pump 4, and a plurality of nozzles through which hydraulic pressure is provided to the bottom surface of the water-proof matt 1. The belt member 7 for tracking is installed at the bottom surface of the main body 3, and includes a gear 7a formed on an inner surface to continuously reciprocate the injection unit 6 in the horizontal direction. The rotating means rotates at least one nozzle during the reciprocation of the injection unit 6 in order to form the trajectory of the hydraulic pressure given to the bottom surface of the water-proof matt 1. Meanwhile, the belt member 7 for tracking is driven by a driving means which includes a driving motor 8 rotating clockwise and counterclockwise by the application of power, a driving gear 9 with lower end being axially fixed to the driving motor 8 and upper end being geared with the gear 7a of the belt member 7 for tracking the belt member 7 during the operation of the driving motor 8, a driven gear 10 rotatably installed on the bottom surface of the main body 3 for supporting the motor-driven belt member 7, and a plurality of support rollers 11 rotatably installed on the injection unit 6 for pressing the outer side of the belt member 7 to help the belt member 7 maintain constant machine tension. The rotating means includes a rack gear 12 installed along the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface of the main body 3; a spool 15 rotatably supported by the injection unit and having a pinion gear 13 installed at the lower end and a counter gear 14 installed at the upper portion, in which the pinion gear 13 is geared with the rack gear 12 and the counter gear 14 is geared with the gear 7a of the belt member 7, thereby moving along the rack gear 12 in the horizontal direction; a first rotating gear 16 being connected to the upper end of the spool 15 and having a nozzle on the top surface; and a second rotating gear 17 being rotatably installed at the injection unit 6 and geared with the first rotating gear 16, and having a nozzle on the top surface. Also, there is a distributor 18 to which water from the pump 4 is supplied through the hose 5. The water is then distributed through three distributing hoses (i.e., first, second and third hoses 19, 20, 21) to the nozzles, respectively. To this end, the mouth of each of the distributing hoses 19, 20, 21 communicates with the distributor 18, and the exit of each of the hoses 19, 20, 21 communicates with the nozzle. Preferably, the first, second and third hoses 19, 20, 21 are made of flexible rubber materials so that they are not easily twisted by the first and second rotating gears 16, 17 that rotate in opposite directions of the first, second and third hoses 19, 20, 21. The therapy unit further includes a control box 25 fixed to the upper portion of the main body 3. The c ontrol box 25 is designed to be opened or closed by a user lying on the water-proof matt 1. The control box 25 includes a function button 22 for enabling the user to choose the operation mode of the injection unit 6 and the belt member 7 either in auto mode or manual mode; a display device 23 installed at one side for enabling the user to monitor the operation state of the injection unit 6 and the belt member 7; and a speaker 24 installed inside for outputting to the user music, broadcasting, or an audio signal indicating the operation state of the injection unit 6 and the belt member 7. There are three nozzles being in a one-to-one correspondence to the first, second and third hoses 19, 20, 21. More specifically, a first nozzle 26 is installed at the first rotating gear 16, communicates with the distributor 18 through the first hose 19, and forms a circular track for hydraulic pressure on the bottom surface of the waterproof matt 1 during the rotation of the first rotating gear 16 caused by the motion of the injection unit 6. A second nozzle 27 is installed at the second rotating gear 17, communicates with the distributor 18 through the second hose 20, and forms a circular track in the opposite direction of the track formed by the first nozzle 26 on the bottom surface of the water-proof matt 1 during the rotation of the first rotating gear 16 caused by the motion of the injection unit 6. A third nozzle 28 is installed at the injection unit 6, c ommunicates w ith t he d istributor 1 8 t hrough t he t hird h ose 2 1 , and c ontinuously provides hydraulic pressure between the tracks formed by the first and second nozzles 26, 27 straight to the spine of the user. In addition to the above components, the therapy unit further includes a gas spring 29 (please refer to Fig. 8) for opening/closing the control box 25 attached to the main body 3, and a leakage-proof pad 30 (please refer to Fig. 3) for pressing the water- proof matt 1 to a recessed groove 3a formed on the top surface of the main body 3 and thereby, preventing water leakage. With reference to the drawings the following will now explain the operation of the therapy unit using the hydraulic pressure. The user with paralysis or other motor impairment lying on the water-proof matt 20 (as shown in Fig. 8) operates the gas spring 29 and descends the control box 25 towards the main body 3 to be over the head of the user. Referring to Fig. 5 to 7, when the user operates a power on/off switch (not shown) installed in the control box 25 to turn on the driving motor 8 the driving gear 9 axially fixed to the driving motor 8 rotates clockwise, while making the belt member 7 run on the track. At this time, the belt member 7 is supported by the driven gear 10 that is rotatably installed on the bottom of the main body 3 in a manner that it rotates clockwise. As the belt member 7 runs on the track, the counter gear 14 geared with the gear 7a which is formed on the inner surface of the belt member 7 rotates, and as a result thereof the spool 15 rotates in the clockwise direction. Then the first rotating gear

16 mounted on the upper end of the spool 15 rotates clockwise (as seen in the drawing), and the second rotating gear 17 rotates counterclockwise (as seen in the drawing). At the same time, the pinion gear 13 installed on the lower end of the spool 15 and the rack gear 12 installed on the bottom of the main body 3 to be in gear with the pinion gear 13 move together, consequently moving the injection unit 6 of the main body 3 in the left direction as shown in the drawing. If the pump 4 installed in a space between the main body 3 and the case 2 starts running the water in the main body 3 is sucked in through a drain (not shown) formed on one side of the main body 3, and discharged under the predetermined pressure. The water discharged from the pump 4 is then provided through the hose 5 to the distributor 18 mounted on the injection unit 6. The distributor 18 distributes the water of the predetermined pressure to the first, second and third nozzles 26, 27, 28, respectively, through the first, second and third hoses 19, 20, 21. As such, the hydraulic pressure is provided to the bottom surface of the water- proof matt 1 through the first and second nozzles 26, 27 mounted on the first and second rotating gears 16, 17 and the third nozzle 28 mounted directly on the injection unit 6. Since the first and second nozzles 26, 27 are mounted on the first and second rotating gears 16, 17 the hydraulic pressure provided through the first and second nozzles 26, 27 also forms on the bottom surface of the water-proof matt 1 circular tracks in opposite rotational directions. These rotations and the straight line motion of the injection unit 6 provide the hydraulic pressure to all body parts of the user lying on the water-proof matt 1. Meanwhile, the third nozzle fixed onto the injection unit 6 moves along the injection unit 6 while the first and second nozzles 26, 27 run on the circular tracks. Hence, the hydraulic pressure injected through the third nozzle 28 constantly stimulates the spine of the user, thereby generating the effect of acupressure. If the injection unit 6 moves to the end of the rack gear 12 with the aid of the belt member 7, a sensing signal from a limit switch (not shown) which is installed inside the main body 3 is sent to the control box 25. The control box 25 outputs then a control signal for driving the driving motor 8 in the reverse direction. If the driving motor 8 is driven in the reverse direction, the driving gear 9 and the driven gear 10 are driven in the counterclockwise direction. With the aid of the belt member 7 the injection unit 6 is supported by the rack gear 12 installed on the bottom of the main body 3 and the pinion gear 13 installed on the spool 15, and moved in the right direction as shown in the drawing to return to its original position. Preferably, the first, second and third hoses 19, 20, 21 are made of flexible rubber materials so that they are not easily twisted between the distributor 18 and the first, s econd, a nd t hird n ozzles 26, 27, 28 d uring t he c ontinuous r eciprocation o f t he injection unit 6. The operation time of the driving motor 8 and the magnitude of hydraulic pressure provided to the water-proof matt 1 through the first, second and third nozzles 26, 27, 28 that are installed at the injection unit 6 can be set up in consideration of the age and health condition of the user lying on the water-proof matt 1, by operating the corresponding switches installed in the control box 25. While receiving a massage to desired parts of the body, the user lying on the water-proof matt 1 can also enjoy music and broadcasting outputted through the speaker 24 i nside t he c ontrol b ox 1 5. Particularly, t he m assage e ffect c an b e m aximized b y adjusting the magnitude of the hydraulic pressure according to the health condition of the user and as a result of the massage, the blood circulation and metabolism of the user can be improved. After pressing the bottom of the water-proof matt 1 to stimulate desired body parts of the user lying on the water-proof matt 1 , the water flows back to the main body 3. The water filled in the main body 3 is sucked into the pump 4 through the drain (not shown) formed on the bottom of the main body 3. The water discharged from the pump 4 has the predetermined pressure and is supplied to the distributor 18 through the hose 5. Later, the water under pressure is injected through the first, second and third nozzles 26, 27, 28 to press the bottom of the water-proof matt 1 again. While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Industrial Applicability The therapy unit using hydraulic pressure according to the present invention has the following advantages. Firstly, the therapy unit uses the minimum number of nozzles for discharging hydraulic pressure and less components, and provides uniform pressure to all parts of the body without requiring the user with physical disability to move around to receive the massage onto desired body parts. Secondly, the user is able to manually operate or easily automate the driving operation of the pump for discharging hydraulic fluid under pressure and the magnitude of hydraulic pressure, and see or monitor the operation state. Therefore, the user's convenience is improved and the product competitiveness can be increased.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A therapy unit using hydraulic pressure, comprising: a main body filled with water, having a water-proof matt securely sealed to the top and an exterior case being attached to the outer surface; an injection unit connected to a pump for discharging the water under a designated pressure, and having nozzles for ejecting hydraulic pressure to the bottom surface of the water-proof matt; a belt member installed on the bottom surface of the main body to reciprocate the injection unit in a horizontal direction thereon; and a rotating means for rotating at least one of the nozzles during the reciprocation of the injection unit to form a track of the hydraulic pressure provided to the bottom of the water-proof matt.

2. The therapy unit according to claim 1 , wherein the belt member runs on the track by means of a driving means comprising: a driving motor rotating clockwise or c ounterclockwise by the application of power; a driving gear with lower end being axially fixed to the driving motor and upper end being geared with the gear of the belt member for tracking the belt member during the operation of the driving motor; and a driven gear rotatably installed on the bottom surface of the main body for supporting the motor-driven belt member.

3. The therapy unit according to claim 1, wherein the rotating means comprises: a rack gear installed along the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface of the main body; a spool rotatably supported to the injection unit and having a pinion gear installed at the lower end and a counter gear installed at the upper portion, in which the pinion gear is geared with the rack gear and the counter gear is geared with the gear of the belt member, thereby moving along the rack gear in the horizontal direction; a first rotating gear being connected to the upper end of the spool and having the nozzle mounted on the top surface; and a second rotating gear being rotatably installed at the injection unit and geared with the first rotating gear, and having the nozzle mounted on the top surface.

4. The therapy unit according to claim 1, further comprising: support rollers rotatably installed on the injection unit for pressing the outer side of the belt member to help the belt member maintain constant machine tension.

5. The therapy unit according to claim 3, further comprising: a distributor to which water from the pump is supplied through the hose and distributed through three distributing hoses to the nozzles, respectively, in which the mouth of each of the distributing hoses communicates with the distributor and the exit of each of the hoses communicates with the nozzle, and the distributing hoses are made of flexible rubber materials so that the hoses are not easily twisted during the rotations of the first and second rotating gears.

6. The therapy unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a control box fixed to the upper portion of the main body, in which the control box is designed to be opened or closed by a user and comprised of a function button for enabling the user to choose the operation mode of the injection unit and the belt member either in auto mode or manual mode, and a display device installed at one side for enabling the user to monitor the operation state of the injection unit and the belt member.

7. The therapy unit according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle comprising: a first nozzle that is installed at the first rotating gear, communicates with the distributor through a first hose and forms a circular track for hydraulic pressure on the bottom surface of the water-proof matt during the rotation of the first rotating gear caused by the motion of the injection unit; a second nozzle that is installed at the second rotating gear, communicates with the distributor 18 through the second hose and forms a circular track in t he opposite direction of the track formed by the first nozzle on the bottom surface of the water-proof matt during the rotation of the first rotating gear caused by the motion of the injection unit; and a third nozzle that is installed at the injection unit, communicates with the distributor 18 through the third hose, and continuously provides hydraulic pressure between the tracks formed by the first and second nozzles straight to the spine of the user.

8. The therapy unit according to claim 6, wherein the control box further comprises: a speaker installed therein for outputting music, broadcasting, or an audio signal indicating the operation state of the injection unit and the belt member to the user lying on the water-proof matt.