Whirlpool Bath For Limb Extremities

Abstract

A lightweight, portable container having a perforated tube incorporated in the wall of the container along a substantial length of the wall from adjacent the top to the bottom thereof, for injecting air into water contained in the container, causing a circulation of the water for hydro treatment. The container is of a size to admit the extremities of a user's limb which may be immersed in the circulating water for its therapeutic effects. The water may be heated by an electrical heater coil in the container or by circulating heated air through the tube.

Description

In certain pathological conditions of limb extremities, hydro-treatment has been found helpful. Such treatment involves immersing the affected limb in gently circulating heated water. Available units for hydrotherapy are expensive, large and therefore not too portable, and are the currently not available in the patient's home. While portable water circulators have been provided in the past, they are arranged to be attached to a bathtub or the like, which of course limits the use of such a unit. Additionally, persons who are required to stand during their employment for long periods of time usually acquire pathological conditions of the lower limbs, and hydrotherapy has been found quite effective in such cases. Salespersons, for example, are subject to such infirmities of the lower limbs, particularly salespersons who stand behind counters. Many of such sales people can not afford the treatment or the currently available devices for the treatment.

It is, therefore, an object and advantage of the invention to provide an inexpensive portable hydrotherapy unit for limb extremities.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air circulated water bath for the hydrotherapy of limb extremities.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a heated, controlled, hydrotherapy unit for lower limb extremities.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable, integral hydrotherapy unit having included water circulated and heating means.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, portable hydrotherapy unit useful for user's leg below the knee and the user's arm.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention may be readily ascertained by referring to the description and appended illustrations in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of one form of the invention, illustrating an air circulating tube as well as an electrical heater coil;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an additional form of the invention utilizing heated air for circulating contained water; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a heater-blower unit for the device of FIG. 3.

In the device selected for illustration in FIG. 1, a generally cylindrical container formed of insulated, water proof material (for example, foam plastic with a resistant sheet on the surfaces of the container, metal container with an insulating liner of plastic, or the like) is provided with a bail handle 12 for portability of the container. A drain valve 14 may be optionally provided at the bottom of the container for release of contained fluid. The handle 12 may be a bail type handle (used in ordinary buckets) or the container may be provided with recessed handles, finger grips, or the like, for portability of the unit. Tubing 16, having a plurality of small apertures 18 therein, is coiled around the wall of the container from adjacent the top to approximately the bottom of the container. The holes are spaced in the tubing to provide desired circulation of water when air is forced through the apertures in the tubing. The tubing may be plastic (synthetic resins or the like) and may be formed in the wall of the container (formed of foam plastic, or the like) or it may be merely secured to the container wall by an adhesive, cement or the like. It is preferable to use an insulated bucket since the water used for the hydrotherapy is preferably heated and the insulated bucket prevents too much heat loss. A control box blower unit 20 with an electrical lead 22 is provided for the container, which is explained below. A small blower may be mounted in the control box 20 for forcing air through the tube 16 causing circulation of air through the tube, and thereby circulating the water in the container. Heated water may be placed in the container for the treatment.

In the device illustrated in FIG. 2, a container 30 is provided with a tubing 32 formed in the wall of the insulated container, and an electrical heating coil 34 is likewise formed in the wall of the container, both coiled from about the top to the bottom of the container. The tubing 32 is provided with small apertures 36 for introducing air into contained liquid. A control box 38 is provided with a small blower 40. A seal 42 surrounds the electrical lead to the heating coil 34. An electrical lead 44, arranged to be attached to common household outlet, is connected to the heating coil 34 and the blower 38(connection not shown). The blower and heating coil may be provided with conventional on-off switches. Additionally, the heater may be provided with a rheostat for control in a conventional manner. A thermostat in the container may be added in conventional manner for additional control of water temperature. The blower 40 may be a small blower using a fractional horsepower electrical motor, such as a motor-blower combination found on portable hair dryers. The blower should provide air less than about 20 pounds per square inch of pressure for producing a satisfactory whirlpool effect in the water. The coil should be arranged to heat the water from about 100.degree. to 130.degree. F. so that the patient may use the unit for hydrotherapy for 15 to 20 minutes.

In using the device of the invention, the container is sufficiently filled with water (with or without chemicals) to permit the introduction of a limb into the container. When the container is filled with ordinary tap water it should be heated to the desired temperature, or, when using the device such as that shown in FIG. 2 the coil is turned on to provide the temperature desired. The blower is then turned on and the limb of the user immersed in the water in the container. The whirlpool effect is achieved by the air forced through the tubing. By conventional wiring and thermostats the water may be accurately controlled as to temperature, and the blower may be controlled to provide a soft or hard whirlpool effect by controlling the power going to the motor of the blower.

In the device illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a container 10 is provided with a control box 20 having a heating, air blower 21 mounted therein, in the manner of blower 20. The power line 22 is provided with a pronged plug 23 for attaching to an electrical circuit. The container 10 includes the air tube 16 with apertures 18, shown in FIG. 1, however, the blower intake includes resistance wire coils 25 which are wired into the circuit in conventional manner, so as to be heated and thereby heat the air passing through the blower. The arrangement is similar to conventional portable driers, and similar controls may be included with the unit. The configuration of the air line in the or attached to the wall of the container is preferably spiralled down along the inner wall with the holes in a spiral path so that air exuding from the tube circulates the water. Other configurations may be made in the hole pattern including holes from only the bottom of the container, causing the water to circulate in the container by the introduced air.

Claims

We claim:

1. A portable whirlpool bath for limb extremities comprising:

a. insulated container means having a top opening and of a size to admit only limb extremities and being easily portable;

b. perforated tubing mounted in said container from about said top opening to the bottom of said container, and being formed in a coil therein;

c. air blower means mounted on the exterior of said container in communication with said tubing for injecting air through said perforated tubing;

d. electrical heating coil means mounted internally of said container, coiled from adjacent the top opening to about the bottom thereof, and arranged to heat water in said container; and

e. means for actuating said blower means.

2. A portable whirlpool bath according to claim 1, wherein said container insulation is foamed synthetic plastic resin having resistant surfaces covering the same.