GB2410441A

GB2410441A - Magnetic therapy device able to be magnetically clamped to a users clothing

Info

Publication number: GB2410441A
Application number: GB0501133A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Markland
Original assignee: ECOFLOW PLC
Current assignee: ECOFLOW PLC
Priority date: 2004-01-27
Filing date: 2005-01-20
Publication date: 2005-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2025-01-20
Also published as: GB0501133D0; GB0401683D0; GB2410441B

Abstract

A magnotherapy device which can be attached to an item of clothing has a toroidal first part 1 which incorporates a ring magnet. A second part 2 with a flange at one end includes a magnetic element 6 such as a bar magnet. When the two parts are placed on opposite sides of a flexible sheet M, such as clothing, the magnetic element enters an aperture of the first part causing deformation of the sheet, and the two parts are clamped together by magnetic attraction through the sheet. When correctly engaged, blood flowing across either or two opposite faces of the device will be subject to two changes in magnetic field, N-S-N or S-N-S. The flange may incorporate a ferrous metal plate in contact with the first pole of the magnetic element, so that when the two parts are placed together the plate overlies the second pole of the ring magnet to form a magnetic bridge increasing the magnetic field strength at the opposite face.

Description

241 044 1 Ecoflow Limited

MAGNOTHERAPY DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for use in magnotherapy as practiced on the human or animal body.

BACKGROUND

Magnotherapy devices which are intended to be worn on the body are well known. GB 2 307 179 A discloses such a device which is arranged such that blood flowing beneath the device is subjected to a pronounced change in magnetic polarity (N-S-N or S-N-S). This effect is known as Central Reverse Polarity *. Another such device, described in EP O 898 982 A1, includes a circular magnet which is housed in a cup-shaped ferrous metal shield having a base wall in contact with one pole of the magnet and a side wall which substantially surrounds the magnet with a gap between the magnet and the side wall. Such devices are well known to have beneficial effects on blood flowing through a region of skin to which the device is opposed P1158 Such devices are generally secured to the wrist of a human by means of a wrist band. However, this is not always convenient, for example, when the user is engaged in a profession, occupation or sporting activity which precludes the wearing of objects on the wrist. Pinning the device to the clothing for example is not generally very effective singe it does not guarantee close contact between the device and the wearer's skin.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of effective magnotherapy device which is capable of being securely attached to an item of clothing in close proximity to the skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a magnotherapy device for attachment to a flexible sheet such as part of an item of clothing, the device having: - a first part including a ring magnet and having an aperture located within the ring magnet, and - a second part including a magnetic element and having a projecting flange at one end of the magnetic element; the arrangement being such that when the two parts are placed on opposite sides of a flexible sheet the magnetic element may enter the aperture of the first part deforming the sheet, and the two parts are held together by magnetic attraction through the sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS P1158

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the Invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Finure 1 is a plan view of a first part of a magnotherapy device in accordance with the invention; Finure 2 is an axial section 11-ll through the first part; Figure 3 is a plan view of a second part of the magnotherapy device; Finure 4 is an axial section IV-IV through the second part; Finure 5 is a side view, partly in axial section, of the two parts used to secure the device to a piece of clothing; and Figure 6 is an axial section through a modified form of the second part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The magnotherapy devices which are shown in the drawings are constructed as two-part fasteners which can be attached to thin, flexible sheet material such as a layer of clothing. P1158

The first form of the device includes a first part 1, shown in Fig.s 1 and 2, and a second par2 2, shown in Fig.s 3 and 4. The first part 1 includes a toroidal ring magnet 3 which is enclosed within an injection moulded toroidal plastic case 4 defining a central aperture 5. The ring magnet 3 has first and second North and South poles N and S which are disposed on opposite axially-spaced faces of the magnet. The second part 2 includes a squat cylindrical magnetic element 6 which is also sealed within an injection moulded plastic case 7. The case 7 has a cylindrical portion 8 which contains the magnetic element 6, with a generally planar annular flange 9 projecting outwardly adjacent to one end of the magnetic element. The flanged end of the case 7 forms the outer face of the device which is normally disposed on the outside of the clothing, and may carry decorative or advertising matter, for example. The outer diameter d1 of the cylindrical portion 8 is slightly less than the inner diameter d2 of the toroidal case 4.

Furthermore, the axial length al of the cylindrical portion 8 is slightly less than the axial dimension a2 of the toroidal case 4. The magnetic element has a North pole N which is disposed adjacent to the flange 9 and an opposite South pole S which is disposed at the opposite axially-spaced end of the magnet.

In use, the two parts 1 and 2 are placed on opposite sides of the flexible sheet material M, as shown in Fig. 5, and portion 8 of the case containing the magnetic element 6 is pressed into the aperture 5 of the first part 1, thereby deforming the sheet material into the gap between the two parts 1 and 2, as shown. The two parts are held together by magnetic attraction of the opposing poles N-S and S-N of the two magnets 3 and 6 to firmly grip P1158 the sheet material between the two parts. The non-planar deformation of the sheet material between the two parts substantially eliminates the possibility of unwanted movement of the device.

For best effect the device should be attached to a piece of clothing which lies directly adjacent to the wearers skin. Blood flowing through the skin will thus be subjected to two reversals of the magnetic field N- S-N or S-N-S, depending on which side of the device the skin is disposed. It should however be noted that when the two parts are engaged the surfaces of the two magnets are substantially co-planar at the rear face of the device, remote from the flange 9, which achieves a maximum magneticfield strength at the rear face.

The user can instinctively feel that the two parts are being engaged in the correct orientation since, in the correct orientation, the two parts will attract each other, but when the first part 1 is reversed the two parts will repel. The aperture 5 of the first part 1 could, if desired, be closed by an end wall (adjacent to the North pole of the magnet 3 in this example) to prevent the first part being engaged with the second part with the poles reversed. Such reversal would reduce the magnetic force holding the two parts together, and would also remove the pole reversal effect referred to above. The end wall can be integrally moulded as part of the case 7. Other means could be used to reduce the risk of incorrect engagement of the two parts, such as an arrow or other visual indication, which may be moulded onto the case.

In a second form of the magnotherapy device, the second part 2 is modified as shown in Fig. 6. Here, the flange 9 of the case 7 encloses a thin ferrous P1158 metal disc 10 which is held in contact with the first pole N of the magnetic element 6. When the two parts 1 and 2 are placed together as described above, the disc 10 overlies the second pole S of the ring magnet 3 to provide a magnetic bridge between the opposing poles of the two magnets.

This has the effect of increasing the magnetic field strength at the opposite faces of the two magnets, which must be disposed adjacent to the skin.

It will be appreciated that in both forms of the magnotherapy device the poles could be reversed so that the first poles of the two magnets become South poles and the second poles become North poles.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

*Central Reverse Polarity is a trade mark of Ecoflow pie.

* * * * * * * * P1158

Claims

1. A magnotherapy device for attachment to a flexible sheet such as part of an item of clothing, the device having: - a first part including a ring magnet and having an aperture located within the ring magnet, and - a second part including a magnetic element and having a projecting flange at one end of the magnetic element; the arrangement being such that when the two parts are placed on opposite sides of a flexible sheet the magnetic element may enter the aperture of the first part deforming the sheet, and the two parts are held together by magnetic attraction through the sheet.

2. A magnotherapy device according to Claim 1 in which the ring magnet has first and second magnetic poles disposed at opposite ends of the aperture.

3. A magnotherapy device according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the magnetic element has a first magnetic pole adjacent to the flange and a second magnetic pole at an opposite end of the magnetic element.

4. A magnotherapy device according to any preceding claim in which, when the first and second parts are placed together with the magnetic element in the aperture, a magnetic pole of the ring magnet (N or S) is disposed adjacent to a magnetically opposite pole (S or N) of the magnetic element. P1158

5. A magnotherapy device according to Claim 4 in which the device has a substantially planar face remote from the flange.

6. A magnotherapy device according to Claim 5 in which the magnetic poles of the ring magnet and the magnetic element are substantially co-planar at the said substantially planar face.

7. A magnotherapy device according to any preceding claim in which the flange substantially surrounds the magnetic element.

8. A magnotherapy device according to Claim 7 in which the flange is substantially annular.

9. A magnotherapy device according to any preceding claim in which the first part includes a toroidal plastic case which encloses the ring magnet.

10. A magnotherapy device according to any preceding claim in which the flange of the second part is part of a plastic case which encloses the magnetic element.

11. A magnotherapy device according to any preceding claim in which the flange incorporates a ferrous metal plate in contact with a pole of the magnetic element, and, when the first and second parts are placed together with the magnetic element in the aperture, the plate overlies an opposite magnetic pole of the ring magnet. P1158

12. A magnotherapy device substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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