Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02382744 2002-04-19
MAGNETIC THERAPY DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to a magnetic device for therapeutic
purposes and more
specifically to the delivery of magnetic north field.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Magnetic therapy has long been used to speed the natural healing of the body
and recent studies
have shown that blood flow is increased with the presence of a magnetic field.
Health
professionals have demonstrated that healthy blood is typically on the
alkaline side of the pH
scale. It has also been demonstrated that exposure to a north pole magnetic
field speeds up the
exchange of oxygen with waste products in the blood, thereby elevating the pH
or increasing the
alkalinity of the blood. Japanese researchers have been investigating the
benefits of north pole
magnetic energy to restore alkalinity in blood for several years. However,
conventional magnetic
therapy devices lack the ability to deliver a sufficiently complete north pole
energy field.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved magnetic
therapy device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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Briefly stated, the invention involves a magnetic therapy device comprising a
housing containing
a symmetrical array of magnet units which are arranged to deliver a cumulative
north pole
magnetic field.
Preferably, the magnets are joined in a plurality of sandwiched linear
segments, the magnets
aligned such that the north and south poles are oriented in the same
direction. The individual
magnets within the linear segments are affixed to one another, against their
natural tendency to
repel each other. In this case, the array may include at least three
sandwiched linear segments, or
more, depending on the size of magnetic field desired.
Preferably, the housing includes a first panel through which the cumulative
north pole magnetic
field is directed. It is believed that the north pole magnetic field emanates
not only through the
panel 16a but laterally outwardly from an upper peripheral region of the
housing adjacent to and
including the panel 16a. In this case, the first panel is positioned at one
side of the housing and
the housing has a second panel which is positioned at an opposite side of the
housing, the second
panel having a relatively larger surface area than the first panel.
Preferably, the housing includes a cavity to receive the array, the cavity
having a cross sectional
area which is substantially equal with the first panel, the second panel
having a peripheral portion
which extends laterally outwardly beyond the cavity. In this case, the second
panel is operable to
seat the device against a surface.
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In another of its aspects, there is provided a therapeutic magnetic device,
comprising a housing
which contains a first portion and a second portion, the first portion
including a cavity, an array
of magnets located in the cavity such that the north pole field emanating from
each magnet is
aimed in a common direction, the second portion hermetically sealing the
cavity.
In still another of its aspects, there is provided a therapeutic magnetic
device comprising a
housing comprising containing an array of magnets which are arranged so that
the north pole
magnetic field generated by each magnet is directed toward a common emission
region on the
housing and positioning means for positioning the housing in an orientation
selected so that the
emission region of the housing is directed at a person.
Preferably, the housing hermetically seals the magnets. The housing also
includes a cavity to
receive the magnets and a cover to cover the cavity. In this case, the housing
includes a first
portion which is formed from a thin wall plastics material and shaped to
provide said cavity as a
recess therein. A planar second portion is formed of a thin wall plastics
material, herein the first
and second portions are bonded together along a region peripheral to the
cavity.
In still another of its aspects, the present invention provides a method of
providing therapeutic
magnetic treatment, comprising:
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- a step for providing a magnetic therapy device with a housing containing a
symmetrical
array of magnet segments which are arranged to deliver a cumulative north pole
magnetic
field; and
- installing the device so that the cumulative north pole magnetic field is
directed at a
person.
In yet another of its aspects, there is provided a method of providing
therapeutic magnetic
treatment, comprising:
- a step for providing a therapeutic magnetic device with a housing which
contains an
array of magnets arranged so that the north pole magnetic field generated by
each magnet
is directed toward a common emission region on the housing;
- orienting the emission region in the direction of a person; and
- spacing the emission region a sufficient distance appropriate for therapy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be provided, by
way of examples
only, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein,
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Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the magnetic therapy device;
Figure 2 is a side view taken on line 2-2 of figure l;
Figure 3 is a schematic view of a portion of the device of figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of another magnetic therapy device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the figures, particularly figure 1, there is a magnetic therapy
device 10 having a
housing 12 which contains a symmetrical array 14 of magnet units 14a for
delivering an
intensified, therapeutic north magnetic field "F". The housing 12 surrounds
the array 14 and is
formed from a thin walled plastic material such as a high molecular weight
polyethylene or
polypropylene, or of plastics materials commonly referred to as "PET". The
housing 12
includes a first portion 16 and a second portion 18. The first portion 16
includes a panel 16a at
one side of the housing 12 and through which the cumulative north pole
magnetic field is
directed. In this case the second portion is in the form of a second panel
which is positioned at
an opposite side of the housing 12. For reasons to be discussed, the second
panel has a relatively
larger surface area than the first portion. Thus, the housing 12 is formed to
provide a relatively
high strength, relatively rigid and durable hermetic enclosure for the array,
which improves user
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safety while allowing the housing to be cleaned, as and when needed, without
damaging the
array.
As can be seen in figure l, the first panel 16a is formed with a cavity 20
which is substantially
the same size as the array 14 and has a peripheral edge portion 16d. The
second panel 18
similarly has a peripheral edge portion 18a which, when aligned with the
peripheral edge portion
16d, provides a bonding interface therebetween to seal the housing. If
desired, the housing may
also be provided with strengthening formations shown at 22.
The array 14 is formed from a plurality of (in this particular case four)
sandwiched linear
segments 24. Each linear segment includes a plurality of, (in this case four),
individual magnet
units 14a, wherein the north and south poles of each magnet unit 14a in each
linear segment are
oriented in the same direction. The individual magnet units 14a within the
linear segments 24
are affixed to one another, against their natural tendency to repel each
other, by way of a
sufficiently strong adhesive to overcome the resistance between the like poles
of the magnets.
Strong adhesives could include contact cements, construction adhesives, or
acrylic binding
agents.
The linear segments 20 in the sandwich are arranged upon one another with the
individual
magnet units of one linear segment in line with the magnet units above or
below. The individual
magnet units are also arranged so that each of the north poles are aligned
with a south pole of
magnet unit of an adjacent linear segment. This has the benefit of causing
each linear segment to
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be attracted to its neighbour (or neighbours as the case may be). The linear
segments are then
affixed to one another with an adhesive of sufficient strength to maintain the
structural integrity
of the internal magnet array and can involve the same adhesive as that used to
form the linear
segments themselves, as above discussed. In this case, the adhesive is shown
in cross-hatched
lines between the magnet units 14a and between the linear segments 24. The
spacing of course
will depend on the type of adhesive used. However, it is preferable that the
spacing between the
magnets be minimized. The entire array can likewise be affixed to first
portion 16 of the housing
12 in order to be immobilized inside the cavity, which has the added
advantage, in this case, of
preventing physical changes to be made to the array during use, as might
otherwise occur if the
linear segments were movable relative to one another. This can be seen by the
adhesive shown
in cross-hatched lines in figure 2. The array thus provides a cumulative north
pole field which
emanates from its north pole side and it is believed that the cumulative north
pole field is
stronger than would otherwise be the case from a single magnet.
The array is located within the cavity in such a fashion that the north pole
side of the array lies
adjacent the upper segment, that is the first panel 16a, of the first portion
16 as viewed in the
figure 1. In function, then, this segment of the first portion becomes a north
pole field emission
panel. The second panel 18 has a relatively larger surface area which lends
itself useful to
provide a seat for the device 10 on a ground surface, for example, to direct
the north pole field in
an upward direction. Thus, in use, the device 10 is placed on a suitable
surface, for example
beneath the bed of a user, in order that the cumulative north pole field
emitting from the north
pole field emission panel 12b can be directed upwardly toward the back of a
person positioned
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on the bed. In this case, the device 10 may be provided with a set of
instructions for its use.
Those instructions may include, for example, details on how to install the
device so that the
cumulative north pole magnetic field is directed at a person. For example, the
instructions
accompanying device 10 may include instructing the user to place the second
panel on the
ground surface.
The housing 12 is thus arranged to orient the magnet device such that the
north magnetic field is
projected from the top of the device. Preferably, this requires the housing 12
to have a wide base
at the bottom or southern pole, to clearly indicate the functional direction
of the unit, and to
provide stability to the device while in use. The second panel creates a
stable platform for the
device which ensures that the device is oriented correctly when in use. In
other words, the
second panel is arranged to facilitate proper alignment of the device.
It is believed that the device 10 provides an intensified therapeutic magnetic
north pole field . It
is further believed that, in the case of the device 10, the magnetic north
pole field is substantially
pure, at a distance within a few thousandths of an inch from the device, that
is through the panel
16a. In other words, there is substantially a complete absence of any south
pole field emanating
from the region near the panel 16a. It is believed that the presence of any
residual south pole
field that may exist in that region may be reduced with a corresponding
reduction in the spacing
of the magnet units. The north pole field emanating from the panel 16a is
believed to be an
amplified magnetic field, because of the like poles of the individual magnets
being next to one
another, causing them to repel, thereby forcing the magnetic flux outwardly
through the panel
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16a. In other words, the north pole magnetic field from each magnet unit is
cumulative over the
array. Furthermore, the proximity of the magnet units, and their adjacent like
poles, to one
another interrupts the normal magnetic flux lines that would otherwise join
the north and south
poles, causing the field to spread considerably farther away from the device
than would
otherwise occur if the individual magnet units were spaced from one another at
a distance
allowing the normal flux lines between the north and south pole fields. The
magnetic device
functions by way of substantially identical magnets arranged such that
adjacent magnets are
oriented with the polarities in identical positions. Non-invasive treatments
using the device 10
are believed to promote healing of the body and is a form of therapy for
treating and alleviating
body ailments, afflictions, and disease through the application of a magnetic
field. The linear
segments are arranged upon one another in a stack of layers, such that the
strength or potency of
the magnet device is increased. The layered or stacked linear segments are
arranged such that the
north pole of each unit is oriented in the same direction.
Another magnetic therapy device is shown at 40 in figure 4, having a housing
42 which is formed
from a plastic extrusion or similar fabrication method. The housing has a
central passage 44
running its length and which is open at both ends. A pair of plugs 46, with an
inner flange 46a
are provided to plug the ends of the passage, wherein the inner flange 46a
engages the inner
surface of the passage. Located within the central passage 44 is an array
similar to that used in
the device 10. In this case, the numbers of linear segments in the sandwich or
stack will vary
according to the inner dimensions of the passage. The housing 42 is also
provided with a pair of
wings 48a, 48b on either side of the lower surface. As with the second portion
of the device 10,
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the wings 48a, 48b allow the person using the device to lay the device
properly on a surface with
the upper surface emitting the north pole field directed upwardly. In other
words, the wings 48a,
48b allow for the proper placement of the device. It will be understood that
the wings 48a, 48b
could also be provided with an attachment means for attaching the device to a
surface, for
example a wall, cabinet or the like if desired. The attachment means may be a
hook-and-loop
fastener such as that sold under the trade name VELCRO, an adhesive strip, as
shown at dashed
lines at 50, or a fastener or the like to pass through a number of passages
such as those shown at
52
While the present invention has been described for what are presently
considered the preferred
embodiments, the invention is not so limited. To the contrary, the invention
is intended to cover
various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit
and scope of the
appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the
broadest interpretation
so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and
functions.
If desired, the housing may be of a number of different forms which may or may
not be different
from the housing 12. For example the housing may, if desired, be formed from
flexible material
such as nylon fabrics and the like. The housing may also be formed of
different materials and
configurations, beyond those shown hereinabove. For example, the magnets may
be arranged in
other arrangements with a greater number of linear segments in the sandwich as
well as longer
linear segments. The individual magnet units could be affixed to one another
by way of other
bonding means, such as clamping, constrictive wrapping, or sheathing.
