Massage therapy is accepted for promoting wellbeing and relaxation through reduction of stress, pain and muscle tension. Massage apparatus has become more widely used because of the increasing awareness of the public of the salutary effects of body massage. Such massage apparatus includes massage tables and massage chairs, each of which includes a headrest to support the head of the person receiving a massage so that when lying prostrate on a massage table, or leaning forward in a massage chair, the person receiving the massage may rest his or her face on the headrest with the nostrils, eyes and mouth unobstructed. Such a headrest typically includes a horseshoe shaped cushion which will support the periphery of the face while allowing the eyes, nostrils, mouth and chin of the user to protrude into the void in the cushion.
It is known that use of augmented oxygen during intense exercise is useful to reduce lactic acid in muscles to prevent muscles from becoming fatigued. It is also widely accepted that administration of oxygen after exercise will improve the recovery time needed following intense exercise or work.
Because treatment through massage therapy is intended to promote relaxation and health, and because augmented administration of oxygen to a person promotes muscle recovery after exercise, it would be useful to have apparatus to supply additional oxygen to a person who is receiving a massage following a period of exercise. Administration of oxygen during a massage would increase the benefits of the massage therapy if performed in a convenient and passive manner. Apparatus to conveniently provide oxygen to a person receiving a massage would be desirable.
The present invention provides an improvement to massage apparatus in order to enhance the experience of the person resting on the massage table or sitting in the massage chair. Specifically, the invention provides apparatus to provide a flow of O2 or other desirable gas toward the face and nostrils of the user resting upon the massage apparatus. Optionally, a scent or aroma component may be infused into the stream of O2 before the stream exits openings alongside the face of the user.
The invention comprises a horseshoe shaped plenum supported by a planar base shaped and sized to fit between the face pillow cushion and the pillow support base on which the cushion is detachably supported. The base is formed in the shape of an inverted U or horseshoe and may conform generally to the shape of the pillow support base. The base includes a plenum following the inner periphery of the base, the plenum having openings on the opposing legs of the plenum which are located along the inner periphery of the base. The openings direct flow of gas slightly upward and toward the face of a user.
The first object of the invention is to provide apparatus to selectively supply an invigorating breeze toward the face and nostrils of a user of a massage table who has rested his or her head upon the horseshoe shaped pillow of the massage apparatus.
Pillow cushion 19 is generally horseshoe shaped with opposing sides 31, 33 joined by curved interconnecting segment 35. A void 29 is defined by opposing sides 31, 33 and curved interconnecting segment 35. When used by a user, the user's face is received in the void 29 while the peripheral parts of the face are supported by the pillow cushion 19.
As seen in more detail in
The base plate 18 includes opposing legs 46, 48 which are joined by a curved element 50 and base plate 18 generally conforms to the shape of the pillow cushion 19 and the pillow support base 17 and may be received between them. The base plate 18 includes an outer periphery 52 and an inner periphery 54 along which a plenum 22 within the base plate 18 is provided. Plenum 22 may be non-circular in cross section and in the illustrated embodiment is tear drop shaped in cross section (see particularly
Plenum 22 is closed at its second end 44. A shut off valve (not shown) may be provided between the coupling 20 and the plenum 22 if desired. In addition, an infusion port 32 may be provided near intake end 36 of plenum 22 which communicates with interior of the plenum 22 so that a scent or aroma or other desirable vapor may be infused into the stream of O2 or other inhalant gas passing into plenum 22, as desired. It is to be understood that infusion port 32 would be used only when a scent or other vapor is to be introduced into the stream of inhalant gas. Infusion port 32 may comprise a scent receptacle 34 which may be provided with a wick (not shown) or other similar introduction element which extends into the stream of O2 or other inhalant gas flowing past the infusion port 32. Other means of injecting scent or aromas may be used, such as an atomizer attached to infusion port 32 or tubing from an aroma source or scent source may be coupled to infusion port 32.
Plenum 22 is provided with plural exit ports 38 positioned along the inner periphery 54 along the opposing legs of 46, 48 of base plate 18, preferably near the free ends 58, 60 of legs 46, 48 respectively. Exit ports 38 communicate with the interior of plenum 22 and may be cut or drilled or otherwise formed so as to direct O2 other inhalant gas exiting from exit ports 38 toward the center of void 29 so that a gentle inhalant breeze of harmless gas (e.g. O2 or other desirable gas or vapor) is directed toward the face and particularly toward the nostrils of the user 13 of the massage table 11.
Typically, pillow cushion 19 fastens to pillow support base 17 by detachable fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners. Complementary hook and loop fasteners 26, 28 may be attached to top face 64 and bottom thee 66 of base plate 18 respectively so that base plate 18 may be detachably fastened between pillow cushion 19 and pillow support base 17.
The system invention 10 may be easily adapted for use with a massage chair having a headrest assembly constructed generally similar to headrest assembly 25. In the usual massage chair application, the headrest assembly allows a user seated in the massage chair to lean forward and to rest his or her head on a horseshoe pillow cushion with the user's face protruding into the void within the pillow cushion. The system invention 10 may be installed below the pillow cushion and upon a pillow support base generally similar to pillow support base 17 described above as an attachment to massage table 11. An inhalant gas such as O2 may be delivered via exit ports 38 of plenum 22 to the face of the user resting his or her head on the pillow cushion. The inhalant gas may be scented or infused with aroma incorporated into the inhalant gas stream as it passes the infusion port 32. Therefore, the user of the massage chair may enjoy the gentle breeze of the inhalant gas as it is directed toward the face of the user.
This application claims priority under 35 USC §119 from copending provisional patent application entitled INHALANT DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR MASSAGE APPARATUS, Ser. No. 61/712,080 filed Oct. 10, 2012. The disclosure of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/712,080 is hereby incorporated in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61712080 | Oct 2012 | US |