Therapeutic Chair

Abstract

A lounge-type chair, particularly adapted for rest and therapeutic purposes, which includes means to impart high frequency vibrations to the chair and consequently to the occupant, and which means also produces audible music to relax, soothe, and entertain such occupant.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Heretofore, lounge-type chairs have--in certain embodiments--included electromechanical devices operative to create a vibratory effect, but these devices have served solely such purpose and none have accompanied such vibratory effect with audible music. The present invention was conceived in connection with endeavors to provide such dual occurrences in association with a lounge-type chair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, as a major object, a lounge-type chair--adapted and constructed for rest and therapeutic purposes--which includes a number of audio transducers mounted in novel manner and operative when actuated to not only produce high frequency vibrations throughout the chair but also audible, omnidirectional music whereby to relax, soothe, and entertain the occupant of the chair.

The present invention provides, as another object, a lounge-type chair--characterized as in the preceding paragaph--wherein the audio transducers are simultaneously energized by a modulated current fed from a tape deck and amplifier unit mounted on the chair; the transducers being mounted on sounding or "speaker" panels included in the chair structure and from which panels not only does the music emanate but, additionally, the transducer-induced vibrations therein transmit to the remainder of the chair.

The present invention provides, as a further object, a therapeutic chair of the type described which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and exceedingly beneficial and enjoyable use.

The present invention provides, as a still further object, a practical and reliable therapeutic chair, and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the improved therapeutic chair.

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of the chair, with the leg-rest section removed, and with the back and seat cushions omitted.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the back section of the chair, with the cushion omitted.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the chair, as here shown, is of the lounge type, and comprises--with a suitable supporting base structure 1--a back section 2 and a seat section 3.

The back section includes transversely spaced side rails 4, and a multiplicity of spaced rigid rods 5 spanning between and permanently secured in the side rails, and which rods support a removable back cushion 6.

Similarly, the seat section 3 includes transversely spaced side rails 7, and a multiplicity of spaced rigid rods 8 spanning between and permanently secured to said side rails 7; the rods 8 removably supporting a seat cushion 9.

A substantially rigid, sounding or "speaker" panel 10--preferably of hard-pressed particle board--is supported, in permanent connection, by and extends between the side rails 4 in substantially parallel and spaced relation below the row of rods 5 of back section 2.

Similarly, another rigid, sounding or "speaker" panel 11 (of the same material as panel 10) is supported, in permanent connection, by and extends between the side rails 7 in spaced and substantially parallel relation below the rods 8 of seat section 3.

A number of audio transducers 12--of a conventional type and such as are commercialized under the trademark "ROLEN-STAR" -- are mounted on the panels 10 and 11, preferably two on each panel and in diagonal relation to each other. The transducers for the panel 10 are mounted on the inner or upper face of said panel 10 so that such transducers are not visible from behind the chair. However, the transducers for the panel 11 are mounted on the outer or lower face of said panel 11 for the reason hereinafter described.

Each transducer 12 includes a short, central, attachment post 13 which is appropriately fixedly secured to the related sounding or "speaker" panel, and which post holds the transducer in closely adjacent but spaced, standoff relation to the panel.

A tape deck and amplifier unit 14 (which may be a conventional domestic-type, stereo tape player with necessary manual controls thereon, and adapted to be connected to a suitable source of electric current supply) is mounted on one side of the chair so as to be convenient to the occupant of the chair. Such tape deck and amplifier unit 14 is connected--by suitable wiring W--to the different transducers. The transducers 12, upon being simultaneously energized by a modulated current fed from the unit 14, produce high frequency vibrations which are imparted through standoff posts 13 to the panels 10 and 11. When this occurs, the panels in turn transmit the high frequency vibrations to the entire chair, and also--serving as sounding boards or "speakers"--reproduce the music provided by the tape deck and amplifier unit 14. Thus, the occupant of the chair is subjected, desirably, to both high frequency vibrations (18,000 per second or more) as well as audible music; these occurrences affording a most effective dual therapy.

The transducers 12, on each of the panels 10 and 11, are placed diagonally thereon in order to obtain an equal distribution of the vibrations imparted to such panels.

The chair is preferably provided with a leg-rest section 15 which, however, is not fitted with any transducers, but is merely supported from the seat section 3 for sliding movement into and out of said section 3 in the space between the rods 8 and the panel 11. The transducers 12, related to the seat section 3, are mounted on the outer or lower face of panel 11 so as not to interfere with the aforesaid sliding movement of the leg-rest section 15.

While the modulated current, as fed to the transducers 12, is preferably derived from a tape deck and amplifier unit 14, such modulated current can, if desired, be supplied by an electric phonograph or a radio.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a therapeutic chair as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the therapeutic chair, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A therapeutic chair comprising a back section and a seat section, at least one audio transducer adapted to be energized by a modulated current fed thereto, the transducer when energized producing high frequency vibrations, a sounding member on one section of the chair, means mounting the transducer on the sounding member, the sounding member producing audible sound upon such vibrations being imparted thereto by the transducer when energized, the sounding member in turn imparting such vibrations directly to said one section of the chair, and a unit adapted to provide a source of modulated current and to feed the same to the transducer.

2. A chair, as in claim 1, including a sounding member on both the back section and the seat section; there being a transducer corresponding to and mounted on each of said sounding members.

3. A chair, as in claim 2, in which the back section and the seat section are each provided with a cushion; the sounding members being panels disposed in spaced relation beneath the cushions.

4. A chair, as in claim 3, in which there are two transducers for each panel, said transducers being disposed in diagonal order on the respective panels.

5. A chair, as in claim 1, in which the transducer includes a short, central, standoff post bearing against and secured to the sounding member; such standoff post transmitting the vibrations from the transducer to the sounding member.

6. A chair, as in claim 1, including a sounding member on both the back section and the seat section, each such section including cushion-supporting means, and each sounding member being a panel secured on the corresponding section under and spaced from the related cushion-supporting means; there being at least one transducer mounted on each panel.

7. A chair, as in claim 6, in which the cushion-supporting means for each section includes spaced, transversely extending rods; the transducers related to the back section being mounted on the upper face of the corresponding panel but clear of said rods, while the transducers related to the seat section are mounted on the lower face of the corresponding panel.

8. A chair, as in claim 1, in which said one section includes a cushion and supporting means therefor; the sounding member being a panel disposed in adjacent but spaced relation to the cushion-supporting means, and the transducer being mounted on the panel clear of said cushion-supporting means.