Steam bath device

Abstract

The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a steam bath device capable of suppressing scalding caused by steam generated by heating medicinal herbs and / or making the herb steam visible. A steam bath device 100 according to the present invention for providing a steam bath using herbs for a subject T includes: a heating device 110 for generating steam S from a liquid containing the herb; and a mist generator 120 for generating mist-like water W . The steam bath device 100 is configured to discharge a mixture M of the steam S and the mist-like water W to the subject T.

Description

Steam bath equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a steam bath device for providing herbal steam baths.

[0002] Traditionally, mugwort has been known to have many medicinal properties and be effective in treating gynecological diseases, so a treatment known as mugwort steaming has been practiced, in which mugwort is boiled and the steam generated is applied to affected areas of the body.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a chair used for mugwort steaming. This chair has a container for holding mugwort and water, a heating means for heating the container, and a housing for accommodating these components. The seat of the housing has an opening for venting the steam generated by heating the mugwort to the outside of the housing.

[0004] JP 2009-55968 A

[0005] However, the chair used for mugwort steaming described in Patent Document 1 had a major problem in that the user could be burned by the steam emitted from inside the housing. Also, because the steam is transparent, it was difficult to tell whether the steam was reaching the desired area, such as the affected area.

[0006] The present invention aims to prevent burns caused by steam generated by heating herbs. Another object of the present invention is to provide a steam bath device that allows visualization of herbal steam.

[0007] The present invention provides the following items.

[0008] (Item 1) A steam bath device for providing a subject with a steam bath using medicinal herbs, comprising: a heating device for generating steam from a liquid containing the medicinal herbs; and a mist generator for generating mist water, and configured to emit a mixture of the steam and the mist water to the subject.

[0009] (Item 2) A steam bath device as described in Item 1, having a housing with an opening on the seating surface of the subject, and configured to release the mixture from inside the housing to the outside through the opening.

[0010] (Item 3) The steam bath apparatus according to Item 2, wherein the housing includes the mist generating device inside and a duct for taking the steam from the heating device located outside the housing into the housing.

[0011] (Item 4) The steam bath device according to item 1, wherein the mist generating device includes an ultrasonic generating mechanism.

[0012] (Item 5) The steam bath apparatus according to Item 4, wherein the steam bath apparatus is configured to control the mist generating device and / or the heating device so that the temperature of the mixture is 43°C or less.

[0013] (Item 6) The steam bath device according to item 1, further comprising at least one of a hydrogen generator, a titanium oxide supplier, and a supplier for supplying lotion or aromatic oil.

[0014] (Item 7) A steam bath device kit further comprising: a mantle for accommodating the subject; and the steam bath device according to any one of items 1 to 6.

[0015] (Item 8) The steam bath apparatus kit according to Item 7, wherein the inside of the mantle is provided with an aluminum film.

[0016] According to the present invention, a steam bath device can be provided that can prevent burns caused by steam generated by heating herbs and / or make the steam from herbs visible.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing a steam bath device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The present invention will be described below.Unless otherwise specified, it should be understood that the terms used in this specification are used in the meanings generally used in the relevant field.Therefore, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs.In the event of any discrepancy, this specification (including definitions) shall prevail.

[0019] In this specification, the term "about" refers to a range of ±10% of the following number.

[0020] The present invention aims to provide a steam bath device that can prevent burns caused by steam generated by heating herbs and / or make herb steam visible, and solves the above problem by providing a steam bath device for providing a subject with a steam bath using herbs, which includes a heating device for generating steam from a liquid containing herbs, and a mist generating device for generating mist water, and is configured to release a mixture of steam and mist water onto the subject.

[0021] Therefore, the steam bath device of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it mixes mist water with steam generated by heating a liquid containing medicinal herbs and releases the mixture to a subject.

[0022] (Heating Device) For example, the heating device may or may not have a heat source. If it has a heat source, the heating device heats, for example, a container containing water and herbs by the heat generated by the heat source. Here, the heat source may be a heater, a burner, or a heating element that heats by changes in magnetic force. If the heating device does not have a heat source, for example, it directly heats the water and herbs in the container by microwaves.

[0023] Although the medicinal herbs are not limited to specific ones, a typical medicinal herb is mugwort.

[0024] In addition to mugwort, the following medicinal herbs are also listed:

[0025] For example, steamed ginger is effective against colds.

[0026] Furthermore, in order to improve blood flow in addition to the effect against cold, it is effective to mix bamboo grass, pine needles, ginseng, etc. into the steamed ginger.

[0027] Examples of herbs that are effective against swelling include cinnamon bark and Job's tears.

[0028] Jujube is one of the foods that are effective for bowel movements.

[0029] Some people also use jujubes to combat the cold or improve blood circulation.

[0030] Furthermore, mandarin peel, Eleuthero, and shiso are effective in relieving stress.

[0031] For gynecological problems, herbs such as angelica and senkyu are effective.

[0032] (Mist Generating Device) As long as the mist generating device generates mist-like water (water mist), the mechanism by which the water is sprayed into mist is not limited, and it may be a device with a nozzle structure that ejects water, or a device with an ultrasonic generating mechanism.

[0033] (Mechanism for mixing steam and mist water) The mechanism for mixing steam and mist water is not limited to any other configuration, as long as it is configured so that the steam and mist water are mixed before the steam hits the target person.

[0034] For example, when the steam bath device has a housing with an opening on the seating surface of the subject, the steam bath device is configured so that the mixture is discharged from inside the housing to the outside through the opening.

[0035] Here, the housing may include a mist generator therein and a duct for taking steam from a heating device located outside the housing into the housing.

[0036] Alternatively, the housing may have a heating device inside and a duct for taking mist water from a mist generating device located outside the housing into the housing.

[0037] Furthermore, the heating device and the mist generating device may be located outside the housing, and the housing may be provided with a duct for taking mist water from the mist generating device into the housing, and a duct for taking steam from the heating device into the housing.

[0038] The temperature of the mist water may be any temperature that can cool the mixture to a temperature that will not cause burns to the subject.

[0039] The temperature of the water in the mist can be adjusted by the temperature of the liquid, such as water, provided to the mist generator, and the steam bath device may have means for heating or cooling the liquid, such as water, supplied to the mist generator.

[0040] The temperature of the mixture may be any temperature that will not cause burns to the subject, and the steam bath device is preferably configured to control the mist generator and / or heater so that the temperature of the mixture is 43° C. or lower. Because the temperature that causes low-temperature burns is around 44° C. to 50° C., adjusting the temperature below this temperature makes it possible to prevent burns.

[0041] As a method for adjusting the temperature of the mixture, for example, the temperature of the mixture may be controlled by the amount of liquid and / or vapor of the mist generated per unit time in a mist generating device and / or heating device, or the temperature of the mixture may be controlled by the temperature of the mist.

[0042] Furthermore, the mist generator preferably includes at least one of a hydrogen generator, a titanium oxide supplier, and a supplier of lotion or aromatic oil. By including at least one of these devices in the mist generator, the mixture contains components of hydrogen gas, titanium oxide, lotion, or aromatic oil, providing benefits in addition to the benefits of a medicinal herb steam bath, such as the detoxification of active oxygen accumulated in the body during daily life with hydrogen, UV protection with titanium oxide, moisturizing and conditioning effects with lotion, and relieving physical and mental tension caused by stress with aromatic oil. Furthermore, while aromatic oils and other such products lose their fragrance and other benefits significantly when heated, supplying them to a mist generator that does not otherwise become hot with a heating device, as in the present invention, prevents this loss of effect.

[0043] Furthermore, it is preferable that such a steam bath device be configured as a steam bath device kit together with a mantle for housing a subject. The subject wears the mantle and introduces a mixture of medicinal herb steam and mist water into the mantle, allowing the subject to easily take a medicinal herb steam bath at home using this steam bath device.

[0044] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide an aluminum film on the inside of the mantle. This is because providing an aluminum film can suppress the dissipation of infrared rays from the inside of the mantle to the outside, thereby improving the heat retention effect inside the mantle. Another reason for the preferable aluminum film is that hydrogen molecules are small, so if a material other than aluminum is used, they will pass through the mantle and the effect will be reduced. Although an aluminum film has been described above, it is not limited to aluminum, and films made of other compositions may also be used as long as they are effective in preventing the permeation of hydrogen molecules. Furthermore, the mantle may be antibacterial / antiviral treated, or may be disposable. Making it disposable makes it possible to reliably ensure quality from a hygienic standpoint.

[0045] Furthermore, the container that houses the subject receiving the steam bath is not limited to a cloak that houses the subject's body from the neck down, but may also be a container that covers the subject's entire body.

[0046] Furthermore, the generation of atomized water (water mist) by an ultrasonic generating mechanism produces fine mist that is easily suspended, making it suitable for a full-body steam bath that envelops the entire body. Therefore, the specific form of the containment chamber may be, for example, a full-body steam bath enclosure with an internal space large enough to envelop the entire body of a single person, or, for multiple subjects, a sauna room large enough to accommodate multiple people. In this case, adding lotion-type or powder-type bath additives to the water used to generate the atomized water is expected to provide beauty or relaxation benefits.

[0047] Thus, the steam bath device of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it mixes mist-like water with steam generated by heating a liquid containing medicinal herbs and releases the mixture to the subject. However, in the following embodiment, the steam bath device is configured to have a housing with an opening on the seat of the subject, and to release the mixture of steam and mist-like water from inside the housing to the outside through the opening.

[0048] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0049] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining a steam bath apparatus kit 10 including a steam bath apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, where Figure 1(a) shows the entire steam bath apparatus kit 10 and Figure 1(b) shows the internal configuration of the housing 101 of the steam bath apparatus 100 that constitutes the steam bath apparatus kit 10.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 1(a), the steam bath device 100 of the first embodiment is a steam bath device for providing a subject T with a steam bath using medicinal herbs, and includes a heating device 110 for generating steam S from a liquid (water in this case) containing medicinal herbs, and a mist generator 120 for generating mist-like water W. The steam bath device 100 is configured to emit a mixture M of the steam S and mist-like water W to the subject T.

[0051] Specifically, the steam bath device 100 has a housing 101 with an opening 101a on the seat of the subject T, and is configured so that the mixture M is released from inside the housing 101 to the outside through the opening 101a.

[0052] Here, the housing 101 includes a mist generator 120 inside and a duct 130 for drawing steam S from a heating device 110 located outside the housing 101 into the housing 101. The mist generator 120 also includes an ultrasonic generator mechanism and is configured to apply ultrasonic vibrations to water to form mist. Since the mist generator 120 does not heat water, for example, when room temperature (approximately 25°C) water is atomized using ultrasonic vibrations to convert it into mist, the temperature of the mist remains the same as the temperature of the water before atomization (approximately 25°C). However, if the steam bath device 100 includes a means for heating or cooling the water supplied to the mist generator 120, the temperature of the mist can be adjusted as needed.

[0053] Furthermore, this steam bath device 100 is configured to control the mist generating device 120 and / or the heating device 110 so that the temperature of the mixture M is 43° C. Here, the reason why the upper limit temperature of the misted water or the upper limit temperature of the mixture M is set to 43° C. is that this temperature is lower than the 44° C. to 50° C. temperature at which low-temperature burns occur, and it is possible to prevent the subject from getting burned.

[0054] The control in the heating device 110 is the control of the amount of steam generated per unit time, and the control in the mist generating device 120 is the control of the amount of mist water generated per unit time. However, if the steam bath device 100 has a means for heating or cooling the water supplied to the mist generating device 120, the temperature of the mixture M can also be controlled by controlling the water supplied to the mist generating device 120 with the heating means or cooling means.

[0055] Within the housing 101, outlet 130a for steam S, which is an opening at one end (inside housing 101) of duct 130, is positioned immediately above and in close proximity to outlet 120a for mist water W in mist generation device 120. As a result, steam S from heating device 110, which is located outside housing 101, is mixed with mist water W within housing 101 and cooled before exiting through opening 101a in the seat of housing 101.

[0056] Here, the steam bath device 100 of embodiment 1 provides a steam bath to a subject T covered with a mantle 11, and is provided together with the mantle 11 as a steam bath device kit 10.The following describes how to use the steam bath device kit 10.

[0057] The subject T removes his / her clothes and puts on the mantle 11 so as to cover the part of his / her body from the neck down as shown in Fig. 1(a), and sits on the seat of the housing 101 so that the housing 101 is also covered by the mantle 11. Here, the mantle 11 has an aluminum film attached to the inside. Note that the mantle 11 may not have an aluminum film.

[0058] Thereafter, the mist generator 120 housed in the housing 101 is turned on to generate mist water W, and at the same time, the heating device 110 is turned on to heat the herbs together with the water to generate herb steam S. The herb steam S is introduced into the housing 101 inside the mantle 11 through the duct 130, and the mist water W sprayed into the housing 101 from the mist generator 120 inside the housing 101 is mixed with the herb steam S. The mixture M obtained by mixing the mist water W with the herb steam S inside the housing 101 in this way exits the housing 101 through the opening 101a of the housing 101 and hits the target part of the lower body of the subject T.

[0059] In this way, in the steam bath device 100 of this embodiment 1, the steam S from the heating device 110, which is located outside the housing 101 having the seat on which the subject T sits, is mixed with the mist of water W inside the housing 101 before exiting through the opening 101a of the seat of the housing 101.Therefore, the steam S from the heating device 110 is cooled by the mist of water W from the mist generating device 120, thereby preventing or suppressing the subject T from being burned by the herbal steam S.

[0060] Furthermore, by mixing the steam S from the heating device 110 with the mist-like water W from the mist generating device 120, the colorless and transparent steam S from the heating device 110 becomes visible due to the mist contained therein, making it possible to check whether the herbal steam S has reached the desired part of the body.

[0061] In the first embodiment, the mist generator 120 generates mist water by spraying water, but the mist generator 120 may also include at least one of a hydrogen generator, a titanium oxide supplier, and a supplier for supplying lotion or aromatic oil.

[0062] For example, if the mist generator is equipped with a hydrogen generator, the steam bath device 100 can provide the effect of detoxifying active oxygen accumulated in the body during daily life with hydrogen, in addition to the effect of a medicinal herb steam bath.

[0063] Furthermore, when the mist generating device is equipped with a titanium oxide supplying device, the steam bath device 100 can provide the ultraviolet protection effect of titanium oxide in addition to the effect of a medicinal herb steam bath.

[0064] Furthermore, if the mist generating device is equipped with a supply device for supplying lotion or aromatic oil, the lotion can have the effect of moisturizing the skin, and the aromatic oil can have the effect of relieving physical and mental tension caused by stress.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the container for housing the subject receiving the steam bath is a mantle that houses the subject's lower body from the neck down. However, considering that the generation of atomized water (water mist) by an ultrasonic generating mechanism produces finer mist that is more easily suspended, making it suitable for a full-body steam bath that envelops the entire body, the container may also be one that encases the subject's entire body. As a specific form of such a container, for example, if the subject is a single person, a housing with an internal space sufficient to encase the entire body of a person may be used. Furthermore, if the subject is a plurality of people, for example, a sauna room that can accommodate multiple people may be used as the container.

[0066] As described above, the present invention has been illustrated using preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be interpreted only by the claims. It is understood that a person skilled in the art can implement an equivalent scope based on the description of the present invention and common general technical knowledge from the description of specific preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that the contents of the documents cited in this specification should be incorporated by reference into this specification as if the contents themselves were specifically set forth in this specification.

[0067] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful in the field of steam bath devices, as it can provide a steam bath device that can prevent burns caused by steam generated by heating herbs and / or make herb steam visible.

[0068] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Steam bath kit 11 Steam bath mantle 100 Steam bath device 101 Housing 101a Opening 110 Heating device 120 Mist generating device 120a Outlet 130 Duct 130a Outlet M Mixture S Steam T Subject W Mist water

Claims

1. A steam bath device for providing a subject with a steam bath using medicinal herbs, comprising: a heating device for generating steam from a liquid containing the medicinal herbs; and a mist generating device for generating mist water, and configured to emit a mixture of the steam and the mist water to the subject.

2. The steam bath device of claim 1, further comprising a housing having an opening on the seating surface of the subject, and configured to release the mixture from within the housing through the opening to the outside.

3. The steam bath apparatus of claim 2, wherein the housing has the mist generating device inside and a duct for taking the steam from the heating device located outside the housing into the inside of the housing.

4. The steam bath apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mist generating device comprises an ultrasonic generating mechanism.

5. The steam bath apparatus of claim 4, wherein the steam bath apparatus is configured to control the mist generating device and / or the heating device so that the temperature of the mixture is 43°C or less.

6. The steam bath device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a hydrogen generator, a titanium oxide supply, and a supply for supplying lotion or aromatic oil.

7. A steam bath apparatus kit further comprising: a mantle for accommodating the subject; and a steam bath apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The steam bath apparatus kit according to claim 7, wherein the inside of the mantle is provided with an aluminum membrane.

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