Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02381876 2002-04-17
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
EYE MASK
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF T1HE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an eye mask having
the excellent effects of recovering from eye fatigue and
recovering ocular functions and also having functions for
recovering from eye s.lght disorder such as pseudo-myopia,
moderate farsightedness, or moderate astigmatism, as well
as hypnosis effect.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Various kinds of. products for recovering from eye
fatigue are commercially available. For instance, a
warming or cooling pad in they shape of an eye patch is
known in the art. The effects of such products are
temporary and wear off in a short time. Furthermore, any
conventional systems for warming eyeball parts by electric
or electronic warming devices have some disadvantages. For
instance, each of them has an. expensive complicated
structure and is hard to handling,
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTI~N
An object of the present invention is to provide an
eye mask having excel:Lent effects of: recovering from eye
fatigue; restoring ocular functions; providing hypnosis
action; and so on, in addition to being useful to restore
eyesight and various kinds of ocular diseases.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
an eye mask capable of substantially recovering or
restoring from eye fatigue or disordered ocular functions
as a long-time treatment can be performed through sleeping
hours.
Still another object of the present invention is to
provide an eye mask with a simple structure, which can be
mass-produced at low cost and can be easy to use.
The present invention has been proposed in view of
the above objects. Accordingly, there is provided an eye
mask comprising: a mask member to be placed over eyeball
parts; magnetic bodies provided on portions of the mask
member, where the portions correspond to the eyeball parts,
respectively; and
warming members for warming the eyeball parts, which are
provided on the mask member.
According to one of preferred embodiments of the
present invention, eye pads may be provided on the portions
of the mask member corresponding to the eyeball parts,
where the magnetic bodies area placed in the eye pads,
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respectively. In addition, a warming-member housing
portion may be provided on the mask member, where the
warming member for warming th.e eyeball parts is housed.
The term "mask member" refers to one prepared from
any material having any shape as far as it can be placed
over the eyeball parts, such as one in the shape of goggles,
glasses, eye bandage, or ocular adhesive sheet. Also, the
term "eyeball parts" refer eyes, eyeballs, and their
surroundings in the human body. Also, but not particularly
limited to, 'the magnetic body may be a ferrite permanent
magnet, a rare-earth permanent magnet, a diboronic
magnesium permanent magnet of a superconductive material,
or the like, which may be shaped like a ball, bar, plate,
ring, wire, particle, or the like to filled in the eye pad
or the like.
The magnetic force of the magnetic body may be
appropriately defined for attaining the object, for example
it may be in the range of 1 mT to 180 mT.
By the way, apparatuses for magnetic therapy have
been well known in the art. Each of them utilizes magnetic
actions of magnetic bodies for taking the stiffness out of
ach part of the human body, such as shoulder, scruff, back,
hip, foot, or for relieving fatigue of muscle. On the
other hand, 'the present inventors have found that magnetic
actions of magnetic bodies could be effective to restore
eye fatigue, ocular functions, various kinds of ocular
diseases, and so on. In particular, eye sight disorder
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such as pseudo-myopia, moderate farsightedness, or moderate
astigmatism can be naturally restored or improved by
applying a predetermined strength of magnetic force for a
long time. In addition, the present inventors have also
found that magnetic actions of magnetic bodies could be
effective to ocular diseases such as keratopathy, cataract,
glaucoma, paralysis of ocular muscles, and retinopathy.
It be presumed that each structural component of the
eye part, such as crystalline lens, ciliary body (zonula
cliaris) that regulates swelling of the crystalline lens,
or cornea, may be effected by magnetic force in a cellular
level to restore intrinsic biological functions of each
structural component. Simultaneously, there additional
effects of restoring the functions of nerve fibers
connecting to the ocular cells, causing increase in
bloodstream by expansion of peripheral capillaries around
the eyeball part, relaxing muscles and nerve fivers and
relieving tension on each of them, activating cells, and so
on to recover eyeball parts from fatigue and to enhance
ocular functions.
In the mask member, as described above, the warming
member for warming the eyeball parts and their surroundings
are provided in addition to the magnetic bodies.
The warming member may be, for example, a powder-type
exothermic material which can be self-heated at a
temperature of about 38°C to ~2°C, or may be a small-sized
far-infrared ray heat-generating device, or may be of using
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functions of heating or cooling by means of a potential
difference in module alloy. farming the eyeball parts
works synergistically with the magnetic actions of the
magnetic bodies to provide more excellent advantages of the
eye mask.
In other words, blocked meibomian glands in the lids
of eyes, which are a main cause of dry eyes, can be
restored by heating the eyeball parts, so that the stream
of tears can be recovered to allow normal secretion of
tears.
In addition, the stresses on somatic cells, muscles,
nerves, bone marrows, and so on can be relaxed and the
circulation of the blood can be improved.
Furthermore, there are synergistic effects of the
warming and 'the magnetic force on cells and tissues in the
body, so that fatigue materials such as wastes, blood
stasis, cholesterol, lactic acid, CO~, and active oxygen,
which are accumulated in the eyeball parts, will be removed.
Therefore, the stiffness or hyperemia of muscles, nerves,
bone marrows, and so on will be removed.
In addition, blood turns into alkalinity from the
acidity, and the body metabolism becomes active, so that
natural healing power in the body can be recovered and
improved, resulting in normalized eyesight as a necessary
consequence. Furthermore, stresses on cells and tissues of
the cornea and the surroundings thereof can be relieved by
warming the cornea with the warming member, resulting that
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these cells and tissues become expanded and softened.
Under such conditions, the softened cornea can be
deformed along the shape of the eye portion of the eye pad
by pressing down the eye pads on the eyeball parts from
above the eye lids or on the surroundings of the eye lids
at a predetermined pressure for a predetermined time period.
As a result, especially, eye sight disorder such as pseudo-
myopia, moderate farsightedness, or moderate astigmatism,
or the like can be corrected so that eyesight can be
recovered.
The eye pad is constructed of an elastic body such as
a sponge or a soft plastic material in consideration of
coming in contact with the eyeball part for a long time.
According to the present invention, however, it is not
limited to such materials. T:he eye pad may be constructed
of another material such as a semi-hard plastic material, a
cork, or a magnetic metal.
In addition, the eye portion of the eye pad is formed
in a concave shape. According to the present invention,
however, it is not limited to such a shape. Various kinds
of eye portions may be prepared in advance. For example,
each of the eye portion may have a different amount of
curvature of the concave, or a convex or flat shape,
depending on the purpose of correction. If the purpose is
not for corrective treatment on eyesight, there is no need
to forcefully press the eye gad against the eyeball part.
It may touch on the eye lid lightly by loosing the
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constriction band of the eye mask or the like.
The mask member may be equipped with means for
generating micro-vibrations, such as a vibrator. The
micro-vibration means providing the eyeball parts with
micro-vibrations to stimulate cells, tissues, nerves, blood
flows, and so on in the eye parts and the surroundings
thereof. Therefore, the effects of magnetic force and
warming can be further increased, and also the cornea
correction can be further effective.
In the mask member, if required, means for blinking
luminous bodies may be provided. The luminous body may be
a miniature bulb, a light emitting diode, or the like. The
luminous body can be turned on and off at predetermined
time intervals by adjusting the light level, flashing speed,
or the like of the luminous body, so that hypnotic and
ataractic effects can be induced.
Furthermore, the ocular functions or the like can be
improved by stimulating the eyeballs, retina nervous
systems, and so on by irradiating moderate light on the
eyeball parts and the surroundings thereof.
The luminous bodies may be colored with four primary
colors (red, blue, yellow, and green) or filtered with
colored filters, respectively. Therefore, the luminous
bodies can be independently rendered in different color
schemes so as to be appropriately adjusted to the goal of
treatment or the like. Therefore, it becomes possible to
improve or enhance the recognition ability of the eye and
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to treat or improve partial or total color-blindness.
Furthermore, if required, coolants may be housed in
the warming-member housing portions of the mask member for
cooling the eyeball parts at predetermined temperatures,
respectively. Therefore, it becomes possible to ease the
tensions of muscles of the eye parts and the surroundings
thereof. In addition, it also becomes possible to restore
hyperemia, to prevent a rush of blood to the head, and to
bring down the blood pressure.
The coolant may be a disposable cold sheet or pad,
which is commercially available, or an improved product
thereof for the present invention.
For recovering from a disorder such as insomnia or
mental stress, an aromatic material having a hypnotic or
ataractic effect may be provided in the mask member.
Furthermore, earplugs for sound isolation, a portable music
playback device, a radio, or the like may be optionally
provided in the mask member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of the eye
mask in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of
the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the eye mask shown in Fig.
1 in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention;;
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Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the eye mask
along the line a-a in Fig. 2 in accordance with the first
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the eye mask
along the line b-b in Fig. 2 in accordance with the first
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a front view of the warming member to be
attached on the eye mask of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the warming
member along the line a-a in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a front view of the eye mask in accordance
with the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the eye mask
along the line a-a in Fig. 7 in accordance with the second
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of the eye mask
along the line b-b in Fig. 7 in accordance with the second
preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of the eye mask
along the line c-c in Fig. 7 in accordance with the second
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Preferred embodiments of this invention will be
described below in detail with reference to the
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accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 to 4 show an eye mask as a first preferred
embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1,
an eye mask 10 comprises a mask member 11 and a
constriction band 12. In this embodiment, a front panel 14
of the mask member 11 is provided as a shade plate.
An edge frame 16 is attached on the peripheral end of
the front plate 14. In addition, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4,
a cushion 15 is mounted on th.e backside edge of the front
plate 14. In this embodiment, the cushion 15 is
constructed of a cloth bag filled with cotton, sponge, or
the like.
Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a back plate
18 is fixed on the backside of the front plate 14 with a
predetermined space between these plates 14, 18 to form a
housing portion 19 for housing a warming member 21
described below. Furthermore, stopper members 17, 17a are
provided on 'the middle portions of the back plate 18 and
the front plate 14, respectively. One of the stopper
members 17, 17a has a protrusion while the other thereof
has an opening, so that that the stopper members 17 can be
fixed together by fitting they protrusion into the opening.
Thus, the warming member 21 can be secured in the space
between the front and back plates 14, 18 such that the
warming member 21 can be prevented from coming out of the
space.
Furthermore, there are right and left eye pads 20, 20
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on the back place 18. Each of the eye pads 20 is
constructed of a cloth bag filled with an elastic body such
as a sponge material with a predetermined thickness. A
plurality of magnetic bodies 13 is imbedded in a part
corresponding to each of the eyeball and its surrounding
areas of the inside of the eye pad 20. The eye pads 20 may
be fixed on the back plate 18 by means of adhesive or the
like. Alternatively, the eye pads 20 may be fixed on the
back plate 18 using adjustable double-faced tape or hook-
and-loop fasteners so that they can be fixed at appropriate
positions for the treatment or correction to be performed
on user's eyeball parts and the surroundings thereof.
An eye portion 20a of each of the eye pads 20 has a
concave shape. In other words, it is gradua:Lly curved like
the inner surface of a sphere. The curvature and shape of
the eye portion 20a can be changed depending on the purpose
of corrective treatment of poor eyesight.
As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the warming member 21 is
shaped like a pair of eyeglasses and is constructed of
exothermic bodies 23 enclosed in the right and left side of
a heat-stable package film 22 placed in the space between
the front plate 14 and the back plate 18. The package film
22 is sealed and the .inner opposite faces are kept in
absolute contact with one another except the portions where
the exothermic bodies 23 are enclosed.
Each of the exothermic body 23 comprises iron power,
activated carbon, wood flour, salt, water, baculite, and so
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on. The exothermic body 23 can be self-heatE~d at a
predetermined temperature as a result of oxidation when
these components are mixed by kneading with hands through
the package film 22.
The warming member 21 generates heat at a temperature
of about 40°C to 70°C and is able to warm eyeball parts and
surroundings thereof through eye pads 20. I.f the treatment
requires only magnetic bodies 13 (i.e., there is no need to
warm the eyeball parts), the warming member 21 may be
removed from the housing portion 19.
When the above eye mask 10 is used, the warming
member 21 is housed in the housing portion 19 and the
stopper members 17, 17a are then mated together, followed
by placing the mask member 11 over eyeball parts of the
individual so as to place both eye pads 20 on the eyeball
parts while holding the mask member 11 on the head by an
appropriate pressure from the constriction band 12.
Therefore, the eye portions 20a of the respective eye
pads 20 appropriately apply pressures on the eyeball parts,
especially on corneas, respectively. In addition, the
eyeball parts and surroundings thereof can be magnetically
effected by the magnetic bodies 13 in the eye portions 20a,
respectively. Simultaneously, the eyeball parts and
surroundings thereof can be warmed with the warming member
21.
Referring now to Figs. 7 to 10, there is shown
another eye mask as a second preferred embodiment of the
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present invention. The eye mask of the present embodiment
is constructed just as in the case with the first preferred
embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 except of a micro-
vibrating device and a light-blinking device.
In this embodiment, a vibrator (i.e., a micro-
vibrating device) 30 is additionally provided in the middle
of each eye pad 20 as and a plurality of illumination
bodies 31 is provided as a light-blinking device around the
vibrator 30. In this embodiment, furthermore, each
illumination body 31 is a miniature bulb.
Moreover, a controller box 32 is arranged on the
middle of the front plate 14. The controller box 32 has an
upper end portion on which an electric switch 34 is
provided and a front portion on which an illumination-
control dial 35 for increasing or decreasing the light
levels of illumination bodies 31, a flash-control dial 35a
for controlling a blinking speed of the illumination, a
vibrator-control dial 36 for controlling the intensity of
vibration, an illumination body timer 37, and a vibrator
timer 38 are provided. In addition, as shown in Fig. 10, a
battery 33 is embedded in they controller box 32.
The eye mask 10 of the present embodiment as
described above is capable of: providing micro-vibrations on
the eyes from the vibrators 30. In this case, an
appropriate strong and an appropriate time period of slight
vibration can be controlled by the vibrator-control dial 36
and the vibrator timer 38.
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Simultaneously with or independently of vibrations
created by the vibrators 30, the illumination bodies 31 can
illuminate the eyeball parts as a result of selecting
predetermined light levels, blinking-speeds, and time
periods. These parameters can be appropriately adjusted by
the illumination-control dial. 35, the flash-speed control
dial 35a, and the illumination body timer 37, respectively.
Furthermore, if required, an aroma-emitting member
(not shown) having hypnosis and ataractic effects may be
arranged on a nose portion of the mask member 11, which can
be placed near the nostrils. The aroma-emitting member may
be a designated container (e. g., a small portable body
warmer) that contains a aroma material that emits pleasant
characteristic odor, as of a plant such as moxa to be used
for the so-called moxa treatment. In this case, moxa may
be burned in the container to produce smoke to be inhaled.
Alternatively, there .is another method for generating an
aroma of moxa. That i.s, the aroma of moxa may be provided
as a volatile liquid (aroma liquid) previously filled in
another container, followed by pouring an appropriate
amount of the aroma liquid into the aroma-emitting
container being placed near the nozzle portion of the mask
member 11. Therefore, an aroma of the moxa can be inhaled
into the nostrils as the aroma liquid in the container can
be volatized.
In the above housing portion 19, a portable coolant
such as a cooling pad known i.n the art may be housed
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instead of the warming member 21 if required to cool the
eyes or their surroundings. Furthermore, a small speaker
or an ear phone may be provided near each of the ear
portions of the mask member 11. The small speaker or the
like may connected to a portable music playback system, a
portable radio, or the like t.o provide various kinds of the
so-called healing music or the like for the purpose of
hypnosis or of healing sleeplessness.
For enhancing the hypnosis effect, cooling the head
is effective. Thus, a coolant. may be attached on a hair
band or a cap to keep the head cool in combination with use
of the mask member 11. The coolant to be used in the
present embodiment may be any of coolants well-known in the
art. Preferably, the coolant may be one which can be
commercially-available and made of a specific high-polymer
crystalline material that exert an excellent cooling effect
when the coolant absorbs water. In this case, such a
cooling effect can be kept for an extended time (e. g., over
30 hours). In other words, such a coolant has a cooling
action using the application of heat of evaporation, so
that a natural cooling effect can be obtained. Thus, there
is no possibility of cooling the eyes too much.
The embodiment described above has been provided as
one of representative examples of the present invention.
Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the eye
mask of the above embodiment. For instance, the mask
member 11 may be constructed as a bag sheet in which an
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exothermic body is tightly enclosed in addition to embed
magnetic bodies in the eye portions of the mask member 11.
Furthermore, the vibrator 30, the illumination body bulbs
31, the warm member 2:1, and so on shown in the figures are
provided for conveniently describing the present invention.
Therefore, such a configuration of the eye mask can be
changed within the scope of the present invention.
According to the present invention, as described
above, fatigue on the eyes anal surroundings thereof can be
relieved by the magnetic actions of the magnetic bodies and
the warming effects of the warming member, in addition to
expected effects of restoring ocular functions, recovering
from various ocular diseases, and so on.
According to the present invention, furthermore,
hypnotic and ataractic effects can be expected and sleeping
hours or the like can be utilized for long hours of
treatment. Therefore, effective treatment far recovering
from eye sight disorder such as pseudo-myopia, moderate
farsightedness, or moderate astigmatism can be performed.
According to the present invention, moreover, fatigue
on eyes or the like can be fundamentally relieved and eye
functions or the like can be also fundamentally restored.
According to the present invention, the configuration
of the eye mask is comparatively simple. Therefore, the
eye mask of the present invention can be obtained by
commercial production at low cost and can be easy to use.
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