US3159160A

US3159160A - Therapeutic appliance for headache

Info

Publication number: US3159160A
Application number: US233536A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert R Ullom
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-29
Filing date: 1962-10-29
Publication date: 1964-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-01

Description

Dec. 1, 1964' R. R. ULLOM THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE FOR HEADACHE Filed 001;. 29, 1962 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent ice 3,159,160 THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE FOR HEADACHE Robert U lqm, o fo k Va. (4604 Bunker Hill Lane, Virginia Beach, Va.) Filed Get. 29, 1962,'Ser. No. 233,536

4- Claims. 01. 12s-97 This invention relates to a therapeutic appliance for use on a portion of the human body to aid in relieving pain and discomfort therefrom by applying pressure, or a combination of presure with the application of either heat or cold to the affected body area.

More particularly, my invention relates. to an appliance which may be readily secured to an affected body portion to be worn thereon during thermal and/or Pressure treatment.

My appliance finds particularly utility and maximum benefit in the treatment of headaches or related head discomforts. Many people suffer from various types of headaches causing undue discomfort and pain. Attempted prior headache remedies have been taken internally and/or used externally for the relief of pain, of which some have been slightly effective while others have been only placebos or psychilogical remedies.

Among headache types are migraine, sinus, tension, histamine and those caused by overindulgence in alcohol, of which certain may be treated by use of heat, while others may be relieved by cold applications and still others by use of pressure applied for sustained periods of time to the head region where the pain exists. I have found that a combination of both pressure and thermal treatment, either heat or cold, can be most effective to bring marked relief from the, pain in a short period of time.

Therefore, a principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and yet highly effective therapeutic device whereby constant predetermined pressure may be applied by the user to the region of pain, along with thermal treatment, if desired.

Further, my invention contemplates providing means whereby the patient may apply pressure to the affected locale of pain in a novel and efiicient manner and wherein either heat or cold may also. be provided in an appliance which is secured in encircling relation to the affected body portion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a versatile appliance that. may be folded into a relatively small package or hung up. on a hanger when not in use. Still further, this device may be made of inexpensive broadcloth or any other material which is flexible, such as plastic, that will not irritate the skin when in snug contact therewith.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my therapeutic device as applied to the head.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

The therapeutic appliance comprises an elongated strip or band-like member 12 made from broadcloth or other suitable fabric. The ends of the strip 12 are provided with adjustable securing means such as snap fasteners 14, whereby the strip may be connected to form a loop, FIG. 2, of a perimeter sufficient to loosely encircle the head or other body member. After locating the loop over the head as in FIG. 1, or around some other body member, the band can be tensioned or be made taut as will be shown hereinafter.

Due to the several sets of snap fasteners 14 provided,

3,159,160 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 the appliance 10 may be adjusted for use on variously sized head, limb or body members afilicted by pain.

A strip 16 forming an elongated pocket is secured to strip 12 on the exterior thereof by means of stitching 13 or other means such as snap fasteners, the pocket thus formed. receiving a flexible, elongated water bottle 18, The strip 16 may be made of the same material as the band. The water bottle pocket is of substantial length, preferably a minimum of one-half the perimeter of the loop 12, as seen i1 FIG. 3, Thus the water bottle 18 may be slidably positioned in the elongated pocket at the locale where greatest relief is attained, without first loosening and reorienting or repositioning the loop 12 itself.

Further, the strip, 16 is of substantially greater length than the underlying portion of the band 12 to thereby provide a relatively loose or bulky pocket. In this manner, repositioning of the water bottle, or removal thereof for recharge, is readily effected.

An essential feature of the instant invention resides in the provision of a second exterior pocket 20, also secured to band 12 by stitching or other suitable means and having an opening covered by flap 22 which is similarly attached to band 12. Flap 22 may be fastened to the pocket by snaps 24 or a zipper. Arr inflatable member such as an elongated air bag 26 is received within the pocket 20. As best seen in FIG. 3, attached to and depending from air bag 26 is a base 28 having at the remote end thereof a squeeze ball air pump 30. A conventional finger-actuated release valve 32 is provided adjacent squeeze ball 30 so that the wearer may release or decrease the air pressure instantaneously when desired.

Disposed adjacent pocket 20 is a snap-secured strap 34, one end of which is secured by stitching to band 12. Thus, the portion of hose 28 adjacent squeeze ball 30 may be placed beneath strap 34, the latter then being snap secured thereover to thereby elevate and support the hose and ball adjacent the loop 12, whereby the ball will not dangle freely from the head band. While the ball 30, normally presents no problem, when the loop 12 is reoriented through substantially from the position illustrated to thereby locate the water bottle 18 adjacent the rear of the head, it becomes preferable to secure the ball and hose as described so as not to impair the vision or otherwise discomfort the wearer with a depending air tube immediately before his vision.

It will be noted that if the band becomes dirty the air bag 26 and attached hose, and the water bottle 18 may be readily removed thus facilitating Washing of the band 12. A detachable connection 36 may be provided between the hose 28 and bag 26.

In use, a person encircles the head or other body portion with the band 12 and snap fastens the opposite ends together in loose fitting engagement therearound. The closure 22 of the bag pocket is secured, and air bulb 30 is then repeatedly squeezed so as to pump air into the air bag 26 to inflate the same.

It will be seen that as air bag 26 inflates, the strip 20 forming the pocket is urged outwardly. As the opposite ends of strip 20 are stitched or otherwise secured to band 12 on either side of air bag 26, the band 12 is drawn snugly and uniformly about the users head and exerts reliefgiving pressure thereon. The amount of band tension pressure is dependent upon the amount of air bag inflation imparted thereto by the userand may be varied at will in seeking maximum relief from headache or other pains. The air bag 26 may be quickly deflated by the user by manual actuation of valve 32 associated with the squeeze ball. Should the user wish to apply either heat or cold to the afiiicted area, the elongated water bottle 18 is placed into pocket 16. Should the water bottle need recharging anytime during the treatment, the user need only remove airbag 26 or the tension on strap 12, the strip 16 forming the water bottle pocket is not under tension, but remains relatively loose. Thus, the water bottle 18 may be shifted as desired within the elongated pocket to bring the thermal treatment to the desired portion of the head. For a major relocation of the water bottle relative to the head, the air bag may be quickly deflated by valve 32 and the appliance rotated sufliciently to locate the bottle 18 properly. The air bag 26 is then easily and quickly inflated to provide the desired degree of pressure. Upon completion of the deflate the bag, and removes the band from the head. The treatment, the user simply actuates the air valve 32 to band, bag and water bottle may then be. folded into a compact package and stored, or, if the user wishes, he may hang the appliance by means of tab 34 on a clothes hanger.

7 Without departing from the scope of the invention, this head band may be made with an electric heating-pad attached thereto, or wherein the pocket 16 is constructed to receive an electric heating pad. It will be apparent from the foregoing that while I have illustrated and described my appliance in connection with the treatment and relief of headaches, it is obvious that my appliance may also be employed to aid in the relief of many ailments, such as muscle strains in the limbs, or afiiictions of knees and thighs or any other body portion which may be encircled by my appliance, without modification of the appliance as to form and operation.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be. apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A therapeutic appliance for relieving body member discomtorts comprising, i

an elongated strip of substantially inelastic material provided with means for adjustably and detachably securing the ends of the strip to form a loop for loosely encircling the body member,

a second strip of like material loosely overlying a minor external portion of said loop and secured thereto at its'ends and partially along the lower edge thereof to definea pocket,

means removably disposed within said pocket for exerting outward pressure on said second strip to thereby uniformly tension the portion of said elongated strip when encircled about said body member, and for exerting inward pressure on the portion ofsaid elongated strip underlying said second strip to thereby constrict and presssaid loop about said body memher,

and a third strip of material overlying a separate external portion of said loop and secured thereto to define an elongated pocket for receiving a thermal applicator therein, whereby thermal treatment may be applied to said body member simultaneously with constriction of said loop thereabout.

2. A therapeutic appliance for a body member comprising:

an elongated strip of flexible substantially inelastic material, means for detachably securing the ends of said strip to form an encircling band for enclosing a body member,

said band having means on the exterior thereof forming an elongated pocket for receiving a thermal applicator in any one of a plurality of locations along said band and within said pocket whereby said thermal applicator may be positionedin a desired peripheral relation to the body member,

an inflatable element for constricting said band substantially uniformly about said body member to exert a predetermined pressure thereon, to thereby simultaneously apply both a localized thermal treatment and a peripheral pressure treatment to the body member,

means connecting said inflatable element to said band to tension said band as said element inflates,

and means for inflating and deflating said element.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said third strip of material overlies a major external portion of said loop whereby a thermal applicator received therein may be positioned in any one of a plurality of locations within said pocket and in desired peripheral relation to the body member.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein said pressure means includes an inflatable element having a pump device a for inflating and deflating the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Brown 128ll8 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 159 160 December 1 1964 Robert R0 Ullom It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 24, for "psychilogieal" read psychological column 3 lines 16 and 17 strike out "def-late the bag, and removes the band from the head. The treatment the user simply actuates the air valve 32 to" and insert instead treatment, the user simply actuates the air valve 32 to deflate the bag, and removes the: band from the head, The

Signed and sealed this 6th day of April 1965,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE FOR RELIEVING BODY MEMBER DISCOMFORTS COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED STRIP OF SUBSTANTIALLY INELASTIC MATERIAL PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY AND DETACHABLY SECURING THE ENDS OF THE STRIP TO FORM A LOOP FOR LOOSELY ENCIRCLING THE BODY MEMBER, A SECOND STRIP OF LIKE MATERIAL LOOSEL OVERLYING A MINOR EXTERNAL PORTION OF SAID LOOP AND SECURED THERETO AT ITS ENDS AND PARTIALLY ALONG THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF TO DEFINE A POCKET, MEANS REMOVABLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID POCKET FOR EXERTING OUTWARD PRESSURE ON SAID SECOND STRIP TO THEREBY UNIFORMLY TENSION THE PORTION OF SAID ELONGATED STRIP WHEN ENCIRCLED ABOUT SAID BODY MEMBER, AND FOR EXERTING INWARD PRESSURE ON THE PORTION OF SAID ELONGATED STRIP UNDERLYING SAID SECOND STRIP TO THEREBY CONSTRICT AND PRESS SAID LOOP ABOUT BODY MEMBER, AND A THIRD STRIP OF MATERIAL OVERLYING A SEPARATE EXTERNAL PORTION OF SAID LOOP AND SECURED THERETO TO DEFINE AN ELONGATED POCKET FOR RECEIVING A THERMAL APPLICATOR THEREIN, WHEREBY THERMAL TREATMENT MAY BE APPLIED TO SAID BODY MEMBER SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CONSTRUCTION OF SAID LOOP THEREABOUT.