Therapeutic eye mask

Abstract

The therapeutic eye mask includes a multi-layer composite main body having a heater plate and a plurality of vibrators mounted therein. The heater plate is located over the wear's eyes when the mask is worn. The vibrators are located in upper locations relative to the heater plate. The heater plate and the vibrators are operated by a pulse control circuit and a timer which are operative by an electrical controller connected to an electrical supply with a USB connector. A space cloth plate and a plurality of magnet disks are provided in the main body. The electrical controller has a first switch operative to connect the eye mask to the electrical supply and a second switch is operative to facilitate the user in choosing selective massage motions to provide effective therapeutic operation.

Claims

1. A therapeutic eye mask comprising: a composite multi-layer main body mounted inside a flexible plastic frame, said main body being mountable over eyes of the face of a user of said mask; said main body having a fabric rear layer; a plurality of magnet disks mounted in said main body; a heater plate and a plurality of vibrators mounted inside said main body; an electrical controller electrically connected to said heater plate and said vibrators; said electrical controller having a pulse control circuit and a timer; and a USB connector for connecting said electrical controller to an electrical supply; a first switch provided on said electrical controller, said first switch being operative for activating said heater plate and said vibrators; a second switch provided on said electrical controller, said second switch being operative for selection of a plurality of massage motions by said vibrators.

2. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 1 wherein said first switch is operative to activate said heater plate and said vibrators are activated by said pulse control circuit after said heater plate has been activated, and said heater plate and said vibrators being operative in combination for a total period of 15 minutes.

3. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 2 including a first indicating light operative to indicate said heater plate has been activated, and a second indicating light operative to indicate said vibrators have been activated.

4. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 3 wherein said heater plate reaches a stable warming temperature of 43 to 46 C. in 2 minutes after being activated.

5. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 1 including a inner layer of resilient sponge material sandwiched between a front layer and a rear layer of said composite multi-layer main body; and said heater plate, vibrators, magnet disks being located within said inner layer.

6. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 1 including an adjustable belt mounted to two buckles located at two ends of said frame, said belt being adjustable for mounting said eye mask comfortably on the face of a wearer over the wearer's eyes.

7. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 6 wherein said composite multi-layer main body has a rear layer made of a smooth feel, resilient fabric material.

8. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 7 wherein said composite multi-layer main body has a front layer made of a silicon spray-treated plastic material.

9. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 8 including a one time use disposable cloth plate mountable removably over said rear layer of said main body.

10. A therapeutic eye mask according to claim 9 including two elastic cords located transversely over two side portions of said rear layer for removably mounted said disposable cloth plate on said mask.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective rear elevation view of the eye mask of the present invention having an adjustable belt for mounting the mask to the head of a user.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a cross section side elevation view along section line II-II of the multi-layer main body of the mask of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective front elevation of the disposable fabric plate for use with the eye mask

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] With reference to the drawings, the eye mask of the present invention has a generally oval shape frame 1 having a W-shaped lower edge and dimensions for comfortably covering over the face area of both eyes of a person. A main body 2 shaped as the frame of the mask is mounted within the frame 1. The main body 2 is a composite multi-layer plate having an front layer 3 made of a flexible plastic material spray-treated with silicon to have a smooth texture such that it is bacterial resistant yet can be easily cleaned. The rear layer 4 of the main body 2 is made of a resilient fabric which is bacteria resistant, smooth in feel, such that the mask can be worn comfortably over the user's face with the rear layer 4 adjacent to the user's face without causing any stress to the eyes. A resilient layer 5 of a resilient material such as natural or synthetic sponge is sandwiched between the front layer 3 and the rear layer 4 of the main body 2.

[0021] A heater plate 6 is also mounted between the resilient layer 5 and the rear layer 4 in the main body 2. The main body 2 with the heater plate 6 sandwiched therein covers flatly over both eyes of the wearer when the mask is worn. The heater plate 6 can be electrically operated to provide a stable warming temperature of 43 to 46 C.

[0022] Two vibrators 7 and 8 are provided in the main body 2 and are located just above the eyes of the mask user when the mask is worn. The distance between the two vibrators 7 and 8 is preferably between 62 to 66 mm apart from one another. The vibrators 7 and 8 provide vibration frequency of massage motion of between 7000 to 13000 Hz with an output energy of 0.001 watt.

[0023] A plurality of magnet disks 9, 10, and 11 are mounted within the main body 2 to apply additional magnetic field curing to the eyes. The central magnet disk 10 is located at the center of the main body 2, and the other two side magnet disks 9 and 11 are located at 5.6 mm spaced from the left and right sides of the main body 2 respectively. The magnet disks 9, 10 and 11 are made of a strong magnetic material such as neodymium (Nd.sub.2Fe.sub.14B), circular in shape and having a diameter of 5 mm, and thickness of 3 mm. The magnet disks 9, 10, and 11 are additionally fixedly mounted in place with adhesive within the main body 2.

[0024] An adjustable belt 12 is provided for the mask for mounting the mask to the head of the wearer. The two ends of the adjustable belt 12 are inserted and looped through two buckles 13 and 14 provided at the left and right sides of the frame 1. The adjustable belt 12 is operable to mount the mask over the head of the wearer with the main body 2 of the mask resting comfortably and intimately over the eyes of the wearer.

[0025] Electrical current is supplied to the heater plate 6 and the vibrators 7 and 8 through an electrical circuit in a control unit 15 which can be connected to a power supply through a connector 16 such as a USB connector.

[0026] The electrical circuit includes a pulse control circuit and a timer. The pulse control circuit operates to activate the vibrators to provide a plurality of selective massage motions, and the timer controls the time period the massage motions as well as the heater are being activated. Typically, the heater is first activated for a period of 6 minutes before the vibrators are activated, then the combination of both heat and massaging motions will be operated for a total time period of 15 minutes to provide the required therapeutic effect. A first depressible on/off button switch 17 with an indicator light is provided at the control unit 15 for the user to manually turning the power supply to the mash on and off; and a second depressible on/off button override switch 18 with an indicator light is provided at the control unit 15 for the user to manually activating the pulse control circuit. The first depressible on/off switch 17 and the second depressible on/off switch 18 may be different in size and the indicator lights of different colors, for example, red for the first on/off switch 17 and a second color for the second on/off switch 18, to facilitate the user in identifying these switches of the different functions.

[0027] A disposable cover sheet 19 as best shown in FIG. 3 having a shape and dimensions similar to the main body 2 may be provided for covering over the rear surface 4 of the main body 2. The disposable cover sheet 19 may be removably mounted over the rear layer of the main body 2 with two elastic cords 20 and 21 extending transversely to the two side portions of the frame 1 as best shown in FIG. 1. The disposable cover sheet 19 may be slipped under the elastic cords 20 and 21 to be held removably in place over the rear layer 4 of the mask prior to mounting the mask over the face of the wearer so as to prevent contamination of the mask in contact with the face of the wearer.

[0028] In operation, a disposable cover sheet 19 is first mounted to the underside over the rear layer of the mask, and the mask is then worn over the head of the wearer with the adjustable belt suitably adjusted such that the mask covers comfortably over the eyes of the wearer. The USB connector 16 is then connected to a power supply of 3V dc of 80 mA. The first on/off switch 17 is then depressed for about 3 seconds. The red indicator of the first on/off switch 17 will be lighted to indicate that power is supplied to the mask and the heater plate 6 is activated. The temperature of the heater plate 6 will eventually reach a stable temperature of 43 to 46 C. After another 4 minutes the second indicator light will be lighted to indicate the vibrators 9, 10, and 11 are being activated. Then the combination of heat and massage motions will operate for a total period of 15 minutes, at the end of the operation both indicator lights will automatically turn off to show the termination of the therapeutic function. The entire operation is simple and automatic.

[0029] Different selective massage motions may be chosen by the user during operation by depressing the override switch 18 until a selective desirable massage motion is provided by the vibrators 9, 10, and 11.