Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to vapour or hot air baths
and more partlcularly to those which are portable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sauna and steam baths of a multiplicity of designs
in general are well known. They may be designed and constructed
for simultaneous use by one or more individuals.
Baths for general use may be built into the interior
of, for example, health clubs. Such installations are
generally known as fixed saunas (Fin-saunas) being constructed
primarily of wood, and being permanently installed in institutions
and homes alike. Fixed saunas are expensive to install
and once installed cannot be relocated without great expense.
Further, in fixed saunas, individuals with health problems,
for example, asthma or high blood pressure, must be extremely
cautious in protecting themselves from overexposure. Disinfecting
a wooden sauna is also a very difficult task.
Alternatively, vapour baths designed for the
individual are also available and known in the ar-t. United
States Deslgn Patent 189,951 discloses such a "Steam Bath
Cabinet" which has a very simple appearance. United States
Patent 4,340,981 at the o-ther end of the spectrum of units
available, describes very elaborate "Bathing Devices" having
a multiplicity of components. Many such devices exist
in varying degrees of complexity, dating as far back as
1866 as taught in United States Patent 55,194, disclosing
a vapour bath of extremely simple structure but having
a questionable efficiency. Improvements were introduced
with United States Patent 158,022 which fully enclosed
the individual in a cabinet, but said cabinet was no longer
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1 portable. Thence, United States Patent 348,923 and Canadian
Patent 44,836 evolved. Many attempts have been made to
improve such baths, developing much more complex structures,
for example, British Patent 1,058,731, United States Patent
3,009,165, Canadian Patent 927,051, British Patent 1,418,856,
British Patent 1,041,115 and United Kingdom Patent Application
2,063,665.
Applicant is also aware of Application 3,139,930
which is before the German Patent Office and covers the
same subject matter, which teaches a portable sauna ba-th
structure similar in construction to United States Design
Patent 189,951, marketed by "Sauna Fit" within that country.
However, in spite of all the aforementioned teachings,
a void currently exists within the technology for a fully
portable, lightweight, economical and transportable vapour
bath which is efficient, yet simple to operate and disinfect,
which is not taught within any of the aforementioned references
cited.
It is therefore an object of this invention to
provide a portable vapour bath which is simple to use yet
efficient in design and requiring no installation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
a vapour bath which is fully portable requiring no permanent
or temporary piping connected thereto.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
a vapour bath that is safe to use having all electrical
connections external to the occupied bath unit ltself,
wherein one does not feel confined or oppressed while using
the bath.
It is still a further object of this invention
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1 t_o provide a vapour bath that is lightweight in construction,
yet rugged in design.
It is also a further object of this invention
to provide a vapour bath having effective contoured shaping,
making ef~icient use of steam even at remote extremities
of the body while allowing for the comfort of even the
largest of individuals.
It is still a further object of this invention
to provide a vapour bath wherein the user's head is precluded
allowing a continual supply of fresh air to the lower extremities
of the body.
Further and other objects of this invention will
become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering
the following summary of the invention and the more detailed
embodiments of the invention illustrated herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To these ends, according to one aspect of the
invention, a portable vapour bath is provided comprising
a contoured superstructure and interior (in a preferred
embodiment being cons-tructed from fibreglass-reinforced
plastic), having a top, bottom, front, rear and plurality
of sides, having disposed upon its front an opening closed
by a closure member; said front and rear having a top
and bottom, said front being inclined from said top at
an angle to both the normal horizontal and vertical planes
away from the rear to a position intermediate its top and
bottom and thereafter sloping to its bottom in the opposite
direction towards the rear; the rear sloping from its
top towards a position intermediate its top and bottom
away from the front and thereafter sloping to its bottom
1 in the opposite direction towards the front; having disposed
in its top an opening located above a seating means disposed
upon the bottom of the vapour bath; having afEixed adjacent
the bottom thereof a separate source of wet or dry heat,
wherein said bottom portion has at least one opening to
allow entry of said wet or dry heat into the vapour bath;
preferably having the plurality of sides comprising at
least one member per side, said sides having a top and
bottom left and right, the sides sloping from their tops
towards a position intermediate their tops and bottoms
away from the opposite side thereof and thereafter sloping
to their bottoms in the opposite direction towards the
opposite side, the sides further sloping from their left
towards a position intermediate its left and right away
from the opposite side, and thereafter sloping to their
right in the opposite direction towards the opposite side;
wherein said portable vapour bath will because of its contoured
shape, ensure close contact of wet or dry heat forwardly,
rearwardly, left and right, with the user's body located
within the bath chamber upon a seat securely fastened to
the interior bottom of said superstructure.
Preferably, the bottom of the vapour bath is
constructed to rigidify the superstructure by resiliently
inter-connecting said front, rear and sides. In one embodiment
the bottom is convexly shaped. The superstructure describes
within i-ts interior surfaces a bathing chamber accessed
through the closure member upon the front of said vapour
bath and containing within said bathing chamber alternatively
fastened upon its bottom a centrally-located seating device.
In a preferred embodiment, externally fastened
l to the rear of the superstructure at the bottom thereof
is a source of wet or dry heat, and in a preferred embodiment,
an electrically-operated, thermostatically-controlled vapour
generator having a multiplicity of orifices disposed upon
its fastened surface compatibly aligned with orifices upon
the superstructure of the vapour bath, said generator having
a water tank (normally containing four to six litres of
water in a preferred embodiment) within which an insulated
thermostatically submersible coil is contained which generates
vapour at 40 degrees to 45 degrees Celsius to a limit of
two-thirds of the capacity of the water tank as a precautionary
measure to prevent overheating. The vapour generated exits
the vapour generator at the orifices disposed upon its
afixed outer surface and enters the bathing chamber through
compatibly-aligned holes within the superstructure of the
vapour bath, said compatibly-aligned holes having adjustable
diameters to increase or reduce the volumc of vapour entering
the bath chamber and controlling the velocity of said vapour
entry.
The seat, centrally located within the bath chamber,
may alternatively be embodied with back and arm rests and
alternative means for adjusting the height thereof depending
on the physical makeup of the user. Further recesses may
be manufactured within the interior or exterior superstructures
of the vapour bath to provide for ledges, footrests, soap
dishes, hooks etc. In an alternative embodiment, dolly
wheels may be affixed to the vapour bath to permit easy
transport of the uni-t from room to room, and/or a tilting
device or levelling legs may be incorporated therein. Further,
hot and/or cold water may be provided for showering purposes.
1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure l is a perspective view of the able
vapour bath in a preEerred embodiment of the iriention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the portable
vapour bath cut away to reveal the internal chamber and
the components therein in a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
Figure 3 is a top view of the portable vapour
bath in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4 is a side view of the portable vapour
- bath in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 5 is a side view of the portable vapour
bath cut away to reveal the contoured shape thereof and
the positioning of an individual within in a pxeferred
embodiment of the invention.
DET~ILED DESCRIPTION ~F THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings depicting a preferred
embodiment of the invention, in Figures l and 2 a vapour
bath 10 is illustrated having a fibreglass reinforced plastic
body of contoured shape, having a front, top, bottom, rear
and two sides defining within a bath chamber l0, having
at its front a door frame wherein is fastened a seal against
which is affixed a sealable door 20 with exterior and interior
handle members 21 and 21(a), said door 20, inclined at
an alternative angle to both the horizontal and vertical
planes, having adjacent its top a neck opening 40 having
padding 41 thereupon for an individual head to be extended
comfortably and securely through said door, having adjacent
its bottom a retaining wall 20(a) clrcumlimited by corners
30 22, 24, 26 and 27 respectively, said wall inclining downwardly
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1 away from the door 20 extending from corners 22 and 24
to corners 26, 27 which forwardly suppor-t the vapour bath,
said vapour bath lO having a top 42 comprising two panels
42(a) and 42(b) slightly angled to each other and joining
at circumscribing rigldifying edge or seam 47, wherein
panel 42(a) centrally containing at least one rearwardly-extending
neck opening 40 slightly more inclined downwardly away
from the horizontal panel 42(b) to allow for the proper
fit of nec~ opening 40 and neck padding 4l when vapour
bath lO is in use as best illustrated in Figu:re 5. It
should be noted that neck opening 40 is defined on three
sides only having a void at its front adjacent door 20;
said vapour bath lO having two sides, each side comprising
two panels slightly inclined outwardly away from circumscribing,
rigidifying edge or seam 47, further contouring vapour
bath, said panels being described by corners ~i) 26, 22,
44, 47(b) and 47(c), (ii) 47(c), 47(b), 43, 23, and 28,
(iii) (as best illust-,-ated in Figure 2) 27, 24, 45, 47(a)
and (iv) 47(d), 47(a), 46, 25 and 29; said vapour bath
having a bottom and rear as best illustrated in Figure
2 and having affixed upon i-ts rear near the bottom a vapour
generator or alternatively air heating unit 30, said bottom
being described by corners 26, 27, 47(d), 29, 28 and 47(c)
and having upon its interior surface floor 55 and said
rear being described by two adjacent panels top and bottom
slightly inclined to each other as defined by corners 46,
43, 23 and 25 for the top panel and 25, 23, 28 and 29 for
the bottom panel, said bottom rearward panel being complementary
to panel 20(a) upon the Eront of vapour bath lO, said rearward
bottom panel having insulated vapour generator 30 affixed
1 thereto, wherein vapour ports 31 of vapour unit 30 align
with adjustable inlet ports 31(a) described through the
rearward bottom panel, as best illustrated in Figure 5,
thereby allowing hot air, steam, or medicated vapours to
safely enter the bathing compartment 11 without exposing
the bather to a risk of electrical shock, wherein a bather
safely sits upon at least one adjustable contoured seat
50 which may alternatively have a back rest and arm rests,
wherein affixed to the bottom of seat 50 is support column
50(a) wherein is described an alternative number of holes
53 into which height adjustmen-t lever 54 of base support
52 (attached to footing member 51 affixed to floor 55)
is alternatively engaged; said vapour generator 30 being
separate, having upon its outward surface, controls 33
for heating core 32 which is thermostatically controlled
to prevent overheating of the vapour beyond 40 degrees
Celsius, or continual operation when the supply of water
is too low to effectively generate steam. The floor 55
may be convex in shape allowing water to the corners wherein
a plug or drain may be provided.
Referring now to Figure 3 wherein vapour bath
unit 10 is illustrated in side view, the contoured shape
of both the front wall and rear wall panels and the location
of vapour generator 30 is illustrated. Further the stabilizing
convex shape of floor 55 is illustrated having in one alternative
embodiment a drain to allow quick and easy sanitation and
disinfecting of the vapour bath from time to -time. As
illustrated, the upper forward and rearward door and panel,
reduce the horizontal cross-sectional of the ba-th unit
as one proceeds upwardly from rigidifying corners 24 and
1 23 towards corners 43 and 44, wh~reLn the dis-tance between
the corners is least, thus providing a contoured shape
for the vapour bath 10; said contoured shape allowing
for alternative sizing of individual users, and further
bringing the steam towards the body at the vapour bath
unit's upper extremities. A collapsible roller 34 is illustrated
in Figure 3, allowing for the movement of the vapour bath
from place to place without lifting, by grabbing the neck
opening 40 and wheeling the unit about on roller device
34 as the vapour bath weighs 30 kilograms and is easlly
transported.
Referring now to Figure 4, vapour bath 10 is
illustrated in top view illustrating centrally-located
neck opening 40 and padding 41 being located forwardly
on panel 42(a) adjacent rearward panel 42(b) joining at
rigidifying seal or edge 47; said neck opening 40 extending
rearwardly from forwardly-positioned door 20 wherein the
head section of the door frame is centrally discontinuous
to allow for the position of neck recess 40. Further,
the sides of vapour bath 10 are contoured and rigidified
by circumscribed rigidifying seal or edge 47 dividing the
side panels in two, said bilateral panels slightly angling
away from a normal vertical plane creating a contoured
rigidifying structure.
Referring now to Figure 5, vapour bath 10 is
illustrated in cross-section (from a side view) in use
wherein said individual "A" is comfortably seated upon
contoured seat 50 within bath chamber 11, said seat centrally
located and affixed to convex floor 55 by base 51 connected
to cylindrical support 52, having affixed thereto fastening
1 mechanism 54 whose opposite end is retained in an alternative
number of holes 53 contained within seat support 50(a),
thereby allowing the user freedom to adjust the seat height
in a potentially indefinite number of positions for alternative
embodiments. The convex shape of floor 55 in a preferred
embodiment allows for the trapping of condensed moisture
within the periphery of floor 55 which may be mopped up
or drained through alternatively-positioned drain 55(a).
Seat 55 is centrally located on floor 55, thereby allowing
individual "A" adequate room to fit his/her knees within
bath chamber ll because door 20 is contoured to permit
comfortable positioning of the knees and legs. Both the
forward and rearward portions of the vapour bath taper
from the seat towards the body in either direction. This
contouring permits the steam to come in close contact with
the body of the user at the more difficult locations such
as the top of the back and front and neck areas without
the need to provide an oversized high pressure steam generator
which potentially could burn the user. The vapour genera-tor
30 is illustrated having a separate structure affixed thereto
to the bottom rearward panel of the unit, wherein said
steam generator contains a reservoir 30(a), preferably
having the capacity for six litres of water, in which a
coil 32 is submerged, said coil one which is conven-tionally
used in immersion heaters, having a power requirement of
l.5 to l.8 kilowatts at 110 volts, including a temperature
sensor to maintain the bath chamber temperature between
40 to 45 degrees Celsius. A plug socket 33(a) is provided
on the body of the generator 30 enabling safe electrical
connection to be made. The immersed coil 32 is suitably
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1 located and thermostatically controlled such that only
two-thirds of the contents of the reservoir 30(a) will
be converted to vapour, preventing overheating of the coil
and heater unit alike. The holes 31(a) compatibly aligned
with holes 31 of vapour generator 30 are adjustable in
cross-section allowing for variable rate and velocity of
the steam generated. Alternatively, a thermostatically-controlled
hot air generator may be used in place of vapour generator
30 having contained therein a fan to draw air over a heating
element and safely heat and carry the air to the bath chamber
11. The vapours, steam or hot air generated will rise
and set up a convection pattern in a counter-clockwise
direction because a suitable space exists 360 degrees around
the individual as a result of the contoured shape of vapour
bath 10. Vapour will rise and be forced to contact upper
body extremities by the contoured shape of the chamber
and the variable adjus-tment 31(b) on the inlet ports 31(a).
It is recommended that a towel be worn by the user about
the neck to improve the seal at opening 40 and improve
the effectiveness of the bath unit.
Further, the housing of the vapour bath is constructed
from materials such as fibreglass reinforced plas~ics materials,
which make it lightweight (30 kilograms), -temperature resistant,
readily shaped and alternatively coloured. As an alternative
to a drain, a water collection tray may be provided with
a duckboard cover on the floor to collect the condensing
vapour and provide for quick and easy disposal thereof
in areas where a drain is impractical, such as a living
room. Arm rests and back rests may be provided with the
seat as well as shelves and ledges embodied in the contoured
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1 internal walls of the vapour bath. Further, a portable
shower device known in the art may be provided to the user.
The vapour bath in a preferred embodiment is 115 cm. high,
90 cm. wide and 60 cm. deep at its extreme dimensions.
The unit may be extended dimensionally to incorporate a
multiplicity of users by adding the desired number of seats
and corresponding neck openings. Further, infrared or
alternative heaters may be substituted for the vapour generator
in another embodiment.
As many changes can be made to the preferred
embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention;
it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted
as illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting
sense.
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