WO2016062931A1

WO2016062931A1 - Device in particular for thermotherapy

Info

Publication number: WO2016062931A1
Application number: PCT/FR2015/052426
Authority: WO
Inventors: Samuel SIBOUT
Original assignee: Sibout Samuel
Priority date: 2014-10-23
Filing date: 2015-09-11
Publication date: 2016-04-28
Also published as: FR3027512A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1), in particular for thermotherapy, including at least one grippable object (2) capable of storing and releasing heat, characterised in that said grippable object (2) is coupled with at least one element (5) capable of concentrating the heat of a light source toward at least one area of said grippable object (2).

Description

DEVICE IN PARTICULAR FOR THERMOTHERAPY

The subject of the present invention is a device, in particular for thermotherapy, comprising at least one prehensible object capable of storing and returning heat.

The properties of certain types of materials, consisting of progressively restoring heat from any previously stored source, have been known and have been widely used for a long time for many purposes.

Thus, for example, it is common practice to use the soothing, relaxing and anti-stressing properties of a prehensible object, such as, in particular, a stone of natural or artificial origin, previously heated, in the context of care based on thermotherapy.

Once hot, the stones can in this case be advantageously used especially to perform massages, to stimulate energy points or relieve tension points by apposition on the areas of the body concerned.

Usually, for this type of application, the stones are heated to about 50 ° C by immersion in hot water, steam or in a water bath for a suitable duration, and / or by means of heating apparatus. -stones implementing one or more electrical resistors.

Due to their dependence on a source of domestic energy, these means of heating a stone nevertheless have the disadvantage of limiting their autonomy, their use being conceivable only within an indoor environment comprising at least one electrical outlet, or gas supply, etc. In addition, these solutions do not allow much flexibility with respect to the moment of their use and suppose a certain anticipation on the part of a user to be near a source of domestic energy (electricity, gas ... ) when he wants to use hot stones.

These disadvantages have the effect of curbing the development of the use of hot stones in particular for thermotherapy, even though this technique has a significant number of benefits for a user.

The present invention therefore aims to provide an alternative solution for heating up to about 50 ° C a prehensile object, such as in particular a stone of natural or artificial origin for use in particular in the context of a thermotherapy, this solution allowing in particular a greater autonomy of the stone in terms of places of use, and thus to multiply the contexts of use.

Moreover, the object of the invention is also to propose a solution for heating a stone by means of a source of renewable energy that is environmentally friendly.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a device of the type indicated in the preamble, characterized in that said gripping object is coupled to at least one element able to concentrate the heat of a light source towards at least one zone of said object graspable.

According to the invention, said element capable of concentrating the heat of a light source towards said grasping object may be defined by a magnifying glass, or a transparent piece made of glass, plastic, composite material or any transparent material having equivalent properties.

Furthermore, said gripping object may advantageously be at least partially made of a material chosen from the group comprising a natural stone, an artificial stone, a metal, a composite material, plastic, wood.

Preferably, the invention provides that the light source is defined by the sun or a heat lamp, especially infrared. Thus, the grasping object of the device according to the invention can advantageously be heated and then used both in nature, when it is used solar radiation, and in the interior environment thanks to the possibility of using an infrared lamp . The autonomy of the device according to the invention is therefore significantly improved compared to conventional devices.

On the other hand, according to a feature of the invention, said element comprises a cover movable between a position in which said element is exposed to the light source and a position in which said element is masked with respect to the source of light. light. This advantageously makes it possible to prevent the object to be prehensored from heating beyond the desired temperature. The cache also makes it possible, once placed in its position in which the element is masked with respect to the light source, to manipulate the gripping object without risk of burning.

In order to verify whether the gripping object has an adequate temperature, the present device further comprises means for measuring the temperature of at least one zone of said gripping object, such as, for example, a temperature probe housed in an orifice formed in said zone of the stone, or a temperature indicating label integral with said zone of the stone, or else measuring means remote from the temperature of the zone of said gripping object, such as for example a non-contact thermometer.

Another feature of the invention is further defined by the fact that said stone rests or not releasably on a support, which may advantageously comprise means for adjusting its inclination relative to said light source, which allows the where appropriate and as needed, to shorten or extend the exposure phase of the stone to the light source.

Furthermore, according to an alternative embodiment, said element capable of concentrating the heat of a light source on at least one zone of said gripping object may have a shape complementary to at least a part of said gripping object.

The device may also comprise assembly means for fixing said element on the gripping object. According to an alternative embodiment, said element is pivotally mounted on said support.

According to another alternative embodiment, the support may comprise a first plate on one side of which is mounted at least one gripping object and a second plate, substantially parallel to the first plate, said second plate having at least one through hole located in said gripping object and arranged to receive said element, and said first and second plates being spaced from each other by a distance allowing the transfer of heat from said element to said gripping object.

Advantageously, in this case, the device according to the invention can further be characterized in that said support comprises means for adjusting the distance between said first and second plates.

Furthermore, according to a feature of the invention, the support can be defined by a box or by a case with or without a handle.

In addition, according to a further feature, said element may have a curved shape, or a half-sphere, allowing it to capture solar radiation in an optimized manner regardless of its orientation.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the description of exemplary embodiments given with reference to the appended figures, provided as non-limiting examples, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an alternative embodiment of a device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 represents a side view of a steerable support on which four devices of FIG. 1 are positioned, and

- Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention.

In the variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the device 1 according to the invention comprises a stone 2 capable of storing heat, such as in particular a roller, a volcanic stone or any natural or artificial stone having equivalent properties for storing and recovering heat, and whose base 3 may rest removably or not on a support of appropriate shape, two variants of which will be described below in relationship with Figures 2 and 3.

The device 1 further comprises a magnifying lens 5, made of glass, plastic or any other suitable transparent material, which may have a shape complementary to at least a portion of the stone 2 so that it can be at least partially fitted on the latter.

The magnifying glass 5 can be simply placed on the part of the stone 2 so that it can, if necessary, be separated quickly from the latter and without the aid of a tool.

Alternatively, the magnifying glass 5 may also be fixed on the part of the stone 2, for example by means of screws, rivets, clips, by gluing, molding or by any other equivalent attachment means making it possible in particular to avoid inadvertently fall and break it by moving the device 1.

Advantageously, the magnifying glass 5 makes it possible to concentrate the heat of a light source, such as preferably the sun or an infra-red heating lamp, towards at least the area of the stone 2 which it covers.

The stone 2 can thus be heated both in outdoor and indoor environments.

Since the sun can be a source of heat, the device 1 has improved autonomy, and can be easily transported to be implemented in any context or context desired by the user, for example on the beach, or on a relaxing hike in nature.

On the other hand, the use of solar energy can benefit both the benefits of the sun and those of stones, which makes it possible to improve the well-being of a user at a lower cost.

The use of a source of domestic energy, including electrical power to supply a heat lamp is not excluded, however, the device 1 can also be implemented in any place where the heat of the sun can not be operated and where a source of electric power is accessible, for example at a workplace during a break to get rid of the accumulated voltage.

In practice, once heated, for example by means of solar radiation or the radiation of an infrared lamp, conventionally until reaching a temperature of about 50 ° C, the side of the stone 2 opposed to the part on which the loupe 5 is nested can be applied on the body of the recipient, directly on his skin, or through a thin garment or a towel, until the temperature has dropped to reach a value deemed too low. The device 1 can then be repositioned in front of the solar radiation or infra-red for a new heating cycle of the stone 2 or waiting for it.

So as to be able to ensure the proper temperature of the stone 2, the device 1 may advantageously comprise a non-contact thermometer or a probe (not shown) housed in an orifice (not shown) formed in the stone 2 or in the form a label (not shown) indicative of the temperature.

According to an additional feature of the invention, the device 1 may also include a cover (not shown), movable between a position in which the magnifying glass 5 is exposed to the light source and a position in which the magnifying glass 5 is masked by relative to the light source.

Such a cache makes it possible, on the one hand, to stop the exposure of the stone 2 to the source of heat and consequently to avoid an excessive rise in its temperature which could require a waiting time to allow its cooling before use. In addition, such a cache also protects a user from possible nuisance burns by contact with magnifying glass 5 previously heated. Another function of such a cache is also to protect the magnifier 5 from any scratches or other damage during periods of non-use of the device 1. Moreover, the cache can also play an aesthetic role for the device 1 by presenting a original and / or personalized design.

Figure 2 illustrates an orientable support 4 for receiving four devices 1, as described above.

In this alternative embodiment, the support 4 comprises a plate 7, for example of parallelepipedal shape of glass, wood, metal, plastic, stone or any other material chosen according to the wishes of the user. Of course, by adapting the dimensions of the plate 7, the support 4 could also accommodate a different number of devices 1, the number four being cited and illustrated by way of non-limiting example.

The respective base 3 of each stone 2 of a device 1 is disposed on the upper face 70 of the plate 7 on which it is held in position for example by means of clips, elastics, or any suitable securing means. Alternatively, the plate 7 could also be equipped with four housings of appropriate shape respectively for housing a device 1 and wherein it would be held in position for example by mechanical friction or resilience.

The support 4 has a pair of legs 8 for placing it on any flat surface, including a table top, or the floor.

Furthermore, the plate 7 may advantageously be oriented optimally with respect to the light source used to heat the stones 2 of the four devices 1, thanks to an articulated arm 9 connected to its lower face 71. In addition, a protection box (not shown) may be provided for storing and transporting the support 4 housing the four devices 1 after use.

According to another variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a device 10 according to the invention can be equipped with a support 11 comprising on the one hand a first plate 12 on one side of which are mounted removably or not by example four stones and secondly a second plate 13, parallel to the first and having four through holes each located vis-à-vis a stone 2 and arranged to each accommodate a magnifying glass 5. According to another alternative, the second plate 13 could also be entirely defined by a magnifying glass.

The two plates 12, 13 can be interconnected by means allowing or not the adjustment of the distance d between them, and which can be chosen in such a way that an optimal heat transfer between the loupes 5 and the stones 2 is carried out.

Such a support 11 could also be equipped with a steerable foot 14 to obtain an optimal orientation of the first and second plates 12, 13 relative to the light source used. A case (not shown) may also be provided for storing and transporting such a support 11.

Such a support 11 could also be directly in the form of a box, or a case equipped or not with a handle, the bottom of which would correspond to the first plate 12 supporting the stones 2 while the cover would correspond to the second plate 13 equipped with magnifying glasses 5.

Of course, many modifications can be made to the examples described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Device (1, 10), particularly for thermotherapy, comprising at least one grasping object (2) capable of storing and returning heat, characterized in that said grasping object (2) is coupled to at least one element ( 5) capable of concentrating the heat of a light source towards at least one area of said gripping object (2).

2. Device (1, 10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said element capable of concentrating the heat of a light source towards said gripping object (2) is defined by a magnifying glass (5), or a transparent piece made of glass, plastic, composite material or an equivalent transparent material.

3. Device (1, 10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said gripping object (2) is at least partially made of a material selected from the group comprising a natural stone, an artificial stone, a metal, a composite material, plastic, wood.

4. Device (1, 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source is selected from the group comprising the sun, a heating lamp, including infrared.

5. Device (1, 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said element (5) comprises a cover movable between a position in which said element (5) is exposed to the light source and a position in which said element (5) is masked with respect to the light source.

6. Device (1, 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for measuring the temperature of at least one area of said gripping object (2).

7. Device (1, 10) according to claim 6, characterized in that said means for measuring the temperature are selected from the group comprising a temperature sensor housed in an orifice in said area of said gripper (2), a temperature indicator label integral with said zone of said grasping object (2), means for remotely measuring the temperature of said zone of said gripping object (2), such as a non-contact thermometer.

8. Device (1, 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said gripping object (2) releasably rests or not on a support (4, 11).

9. Device (1, 10) according to claim 8, characterized in that said support (4, 11) comprises means for adjusting its inclination relative to said light source.

10. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said element (5) has a shape complementary to at least a portion of said gripping object (2).

11. Device (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises connecting means for fixing said element (5) on said gripping object (2).

12. Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said element (5) is pivotally mounted on said support (4).

13. Device (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that said support (11) comprises a first plate (12) on one side of which is mounted at least one gripping object (2) and a second plate (13), substantially parallel to the first plate (12), said second plate (13) having at least one through hole located opposite said gripper (2) and arranged to receive said element (5), said first and second plates (12, 13) being spaced from each other by a distance d allowing the transfer of heat from said element (5) to said gripping object (2).

14. Device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that said support (11) comprises means for adjusting the distance d between said first and second plates (12, 13).

15. Device (1, 10) according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that said support is defined by a box or a case equipped or not with a handle.

16. Device (1, 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said element (5) has a curved or half-sphere shape.