Patent Application
20220126031
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The disclosure relates to therapy devices and more particularly pertains to a new therapy device for producing a therapeutic steam for treating symptoms of a respiratory infection.
The prior art relates to therapy devices including a variety of aromatherapy devices that are integrated into a bathroom shower. The prior art discloses a variety of aromatherapy devices that each can produce water vapor, oil vapor or a combination of both for aromatherapy. The prior art also discloses a variety of aromatherapy devices that are integrated into steam room or sauna.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that has an intake and an exhaust to pass air through the intake and the exhaust. A water tank is removably attachable to the housing and the water tank has a fluid port to pass water therethrough for filling the water tank with water. An oil cartridge contains oil and the oil cartridge is removably insertable into the housing. A vaporizing unit is integrated into the housing and the vaporizing unit is in fluid communication between the intake and the exhaust to urge air into the intake and outwardly through the exhaust when the vaporizing unit is turned on. The vaporizing unit vaporizes the water in the water tank into a steam. Additionally, the vaporizing unit vaporizes the oil in the oil cartridge thereby mixing the vaporized oil with the vaporized water.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A water tank 34 is provided for containing water and the water tank 34 is removably attachable to the housing 12. The water tank 34 has a fluid port 36 that is fluidly coupled thereto for passing water therethrough to fill the water tank 34 with water 38. The water tank 34 is positionable in the recessed portion 24 of the top wall 18 of the housing 12 and the water tank 34 has a lower wall 40. The fluid port 36 extends downwardly from the lower wall 40. Moreover, the fluid port 36 engages the fluid inlet 28 in the upper bounding surface 26 of the recessed portion 24 to pass the water 38 into the housing 12. The fluid port 36 includes a filter 39 that is fluidly coupled thereto for filtering particles from the water passing through the fluid port 36. A handle 41 is attached to the water tank 34 to facilitate the water tank 34 to be carried and the water tank 34 may be comprised of a translucent material thereby facilitating the water 38 in the water tank 34 to be visible.
An oil cartridge 42 is provided that contains oil 44 and the oil cartridge 42 is removably insertable into the housing 12. The oil cartridge 42 is positionable into the cartridge well 30 in the upper bounding surface 26 of the recessed portion 24 of the top wall 18 of the housing 12. In this way the oil cartridge 42 can release the oil 44 into the housing 12. The oil 44 may be an essential oil, such as lavender oil or the like. The oil 44 may be a medicinal oil, such as cannabidiol or the like. Moreover, the oil 44 may be any non-toxic oil that is appropriate for human consumption.
A vaporizing unit 46 is provided and the vaporizing unit 46 is integrated into the housing 12. The vaporizing unit 46 is in fluid communication between the intake 14 and the exhaust 16 to urge air into the intake 14 and outwardly through the exhaust 16 when the vaporizing unit 46 is turned on. In this respect the vaporizing unit 46 may include an electric motor and a fan that is rotatably coupled to the motor for blowing air. The vaporizing unit 46 is in fluid communication with the water tank 34 when the water tank 34 is removably attached to the housing 12. In this way the vaporizing unit 46 can vaporize the water in the water tank 34 into a steam is urged outwardly through the exhaust 16. Moreover, the vaporizing unit 46 is in fluid communication with the oil cartridge 42 when the oil cartridge 42 is inserted into the housing 12 to vaporize the oil in the oil cartridge 42 thereby mixing the vaporized oil with the vaporized water. In this respect the vaporizing unit 46 may include an ultrasonic humidifier or other similar electronic device that is capable of vaporizing liquid into an inhalable steam.
The vaporizing unit 46 has a vapor input 48, an air input 50 and an air outlet 52. The vapor input 48 is fluidly coupled to each of the fluid inlet 28 in the housing 12 and the cartridge well 30 in the housing 12. The air input 50 is fluidly coupled to the intake 14 in the housing 12 and the air outlet 52 is fluidly coupled to the exhaust 16 in the housing 12. Additionally, the vapor input 48 is in fluid communication with the air outlet 52. The vaporizing unit 46 includes a heating element 54 that is in thermal communication with the air outlet 52 to heat the vaporized water and the vaporized oil when the heating element 54 is turned on. The heating element 54 may comprise an electric heating element that has an operational temperature ranging between approximately 120.0 degrees Fahrenheit and 150.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
A control circuit 56 is integrated into the housing 12 and the control circuit 56 is electrically coupled to the vaporizing unit 46 and the heating element 54. The control circuit 56 receives a water input, an oil input, a heat input, a timer input and an off input. The vaporizing unit 46 is turned on when the control circuit 56 receives the on input and the vaporizing unit 46 vaporizes the water 38 when the control circuit 56 receives the water input. Moreover, the vaporizing unit 46 vaporizes the oil 44 when the control circuit 56 receives the oil input. The heating element 54 is turned on when the control circuit 56 receives the heat input and the vaporizing unit 46 is turned off when the control circuit 56 receives the off input.
A display 58 is coupled to the outer wall 22 of the housing 12 such that the display 58 is visible to a user. The display 58 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. Additionally, the display 58 displays indicia comprising various operational parameters of the control circuit 56 thereby facilitating the display 58 to visually communicate operational status of the vaporizing unit 46 and the heating element 54. The display 58 may comprise an electronic display such as an LCD or other similar electronic device.
A receiver 60 is integrated into the housing 12 and the receiver 60 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. The receiver 60 is in wireless communication with an extrinsic electronic device 62 such that the control circuit 56 can be remotely controlled by the extrinsic electronic device 62. The receiver 60 may be a radio frequency receiver or the like and the receiver 60 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols. The extrinsic electronic device 62 may be a smart phone, or other similar device, that has wireless communication capabilities and which employs Bluetooth communication protocols. A remote receiver 64 is coupled to the outer wall 22 of the housing 12 and the remote receiver 64 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. The remote receiver 64 may comprise a radio frequency receiver, an infra-red light receiver or any other receiver commonly employed for remote control 100s.
An electronic timer 66 is integrated into the housing 12 and the electronic timer 66 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. The electronic timer 66 is turned on when the control circuit 56 receives the timer input and the electronic timer 66 counts down a pre-determined duration of time when the electronic timer 66 is turned on. Additionally, the control circuit 56 receives the off input when the electronic timer 66 finishes counting down the pre-determined duration of time. The pre-determined duration of time may range between approximately 5.0 minutes and 20.0 minutes.
A plurality of control buttons 68 is each integrated into the outer wall 22 of the housing 12 such that each of the control buttons 68 can be manipulated by a user. The plurality of control buttons 68 includes a power button 70, a water button 72, an oil button 74, a timer button 76, a heat button 77, a Bluetooth button 78 and a self clean button 80. The control circuit 56 receives the on input when the power button 70 is initially depressed and the control circuit 56 receives the off input when the power button 70 is subsequently depressed. The control circuit 56 receives the water input when the water button 72 is depressed, the control circuit 56 receives the oil input when the oil button 74 is depressed and the control circuit 56 receives the timer input when the timer button 76 is depressed. Moreover, the control circuit 56 commences a cleaning sequence when the self clean button 80 is depressed thereby facilitating the vaporizing unit 46 to perform a predetermined self cleaning process. The receiver 60 is actuated to communicate with the extrinsic electronic device 62 when the Bluetooth button 78 is depressed. The control circuit 56 receives a heat input when the heat button 77 is depressed and the heating element 54 is turned on when the control circuit 56 receives the heat input.
A power supply 82 is integrated into the housing 12 and the power supply 82 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. The power supply 82 includes a rechargeable battery 84 that is positioned in the housing 12 and the rechargeable battery 84 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. The power supply 82 includes a power port 86 that is recessed into the outer wall 22 of the housing 12 and the power port 86 is electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery 84. The power supply 82 additionally includes a power cord 88 that has a first end 90 and a second end 92. A female plug 94 is electrically coupled to the first end 90 and the female plug 94 electrically engages the power port 86. A male plug 96 is electrically coupled to the second end 92 and the male plug 96 can be electrically coupled to a power source 98 comprising a female electrical outlet for charging the rechargeable battery 84.
A remote control 100 is in wireless communication with the vaporizing unit 46 thereby facilitating the vaporizing unit 46 to be remotely controlled. The remote control 100 includes a transmitter 102 that is in wireless communication with the remote receiver 64 on the housing 12. The remote control 100 includes a plurality of control buttons 104, and the remote control 100 broadcasts a water command, an oil command, a heat command, a timer command and an off command when respective ones of the control buttons 104 on the remote control 100 is depressed. The control circuit 56 receives the water input, the oil input, the heat input, the timer input and the off input when the remote receiver 64 receives a corresponding one of the water command, the oil command, the heat command, the timer command or the off command.
In use, the water tank 34 is filled with water, the oil cartridge 42 is positioned in the cartridge well 30 and the water tank 34 is positioned in the recessed portion 24 of the top wall 18 of the housing 12. The control buttons 68 are manipulated to produce steam of either water, the oil or a combination of both. Additionally, the housing 12 can be positioned in a bathroom while a shower is being employed to produce steam. In this way the bathroom can be filled with steam from the shower and with the steam from the vaporizing unit 46. Thus, a user can relieve symptoms of a respiratory infection by inhaling the mixture of water vapor and oil vapor that is produced in the bathroom. Moreover, the vaporizing unit 46 can be remotely controlled or the vaporizing unit 46 can be controlled with the control buttons 68.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
