US2637322A - Apparatus for producing healthful sleep - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1953 M. G. CLAY 2,637,322

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HEALTHFUL SLEEP Filed NOV. 8, 1949 t JVM/T@ CI@ Patented May 5, 1953 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HEALTHFUL SLEEP Murray G. Clay, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 8, 1949, Serial No. 126,229

1 Cla-im.

The present invention relates in general to the promotion of health by exposing a treatment subject to conditions tending to produce physical comfort, relaxation, and other health and sleep inducing factors, including substantially all health and comfort promoting radiations normally produced by the rays of natural sunlight, excluding the visible components thereof; the present application being a continuation in part of application Serial No. 686,385, led July 26, 1946, now abandoned.

An important object of the present invention is to promote health by inducing sleep and rest in position exposed to rays substantially duplicating the beneficial rays of natural sunlight, but excluding substantially all visible, sleep-arresting light components; a `further object being to provide means for generating and applying such rays for sleep and health inducing purposes, as to a would-be sleeper reclining, or otherwise disposed in sleeping position, on a suitable support. such as a bed..

A further important object is to provide apparatus adapted for use in conjunction with a bed, or other support, whereby to produce substantially invisible infrared 'radiation of wave length Within the range from 7600 to 50.000 Angstroms, in quantity or intensity sufficient to balance normal heat loss from a human body at rest, to thereby render unnecessary the use of' blankets or other covering; a further object being to provide for the application, to such human body in sleeping position, of substantially invisible ultraviolet radiation having components of wave length not greater than, say. 4200 Angstrorns, the lower wave length limit of visible light, but including components within the range from 2800 to 3200 Angstroms. at an intensity sufficient to produce vitamin D synthesization and erythemal tanning in human skin, whereby a human body subiected to such radiation will receive a benecial and therapeutic sun tan process at a rate suiciently moderated to avoid sunburn Another important obiect is to provide sleep inducing radiation, comprising substantially invisible infrared and ultraviolet rays delivered simultaneously in a sleep inducing zone, at a regulated rate, to maintain a would-be sleeper at a comfortable sleeping temperature, while simultaneously applying the therapeutic effects of safe and comfortable skin tanning; a further object, to this end, being to provide infrared and ultraviolet ray generators in conjunction with means for mounting the same in position to apply rays therefrom simultaneously to a person in sleeping position on a suitable support, suitable filtering means being provided for regulating the intensity of the rays, and for substantially eliminating visible light rays between, say, 4200 and '7600 Angstroms, to thereby promote restful sleeping conditions, the filtering means being further designed to eliminate substantially all ultraviolet radiation of wave lengths shorter than, say, 250G-2800 Angstroms.

Another important object is t0 promote health and sleep by simultaneously exposing the body of a person, in sleeping position, to infrared rays of wave length above the visible spectrum and to ultraviolet rays of wave length below the visible spectrum, and including rays of wave length in the sun tan or erythemal range from 2800 to 3200 Angstroms.

Another important object is to provide apparatus of the character mentioned, which may be conveniently mounted and associated with a bed, or other support of conventional or standard structure, thereby minimizing the expense of providing for restful sleep and health promotion, in accordance with the present invention.

The foregoing and numerous other important objects, advantages, and inherent functions of the invention will become apparent as the saine is more fully understood from the following description, which, taken in connection withy the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for practicing the present invention, as mounted in operating position in association with a conventional bed;

Figs. 2 3, and 4 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 2 2, 3 3, and 4-4, respectively, in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a graphical representation of light wave lengths,

As indicated in Fig. 5, the visible light spectrum comprises rays of wave length between about 4000 and 7600 Angstroms. The eye sensitivity curve indicates that the human eye is not materially sensitive to rays of wave length above 6,800 and below 4200 Angstroms. The curve of erythemal effectiveness, in Fig. 5, shows a beneficial sun tan zone in the wave length range between 2800 and 3200 Angstroms.

It is the object of the present invention to provide for irradiating a person for sleep and health inducing purposes simultaneously with infrared rays, to promote bodily warmth and consequent sleep promoting relaxation and comfort, and with ultraviolet rays, including rays having wave length in the benecial erythemal or sun tan zone in the wave length range between 2800 and 3200 Angstroms, to accomplish vitamin D synthesis and other healthful benefits, while excluding such visible light, in the wave length spectrum between, say, 4200 and 6800 Angstroms, as may tend t impair o'r prevent sleep. l

To illustrate the invention, the' drawings show sleep promoting apparatus comprising ray generating equipment II, supported in position to di'-v rect sleep inducing and therapeutic radiations upon a cooperating structure I2 of a character adapted to support a human body in sleeping position, within the eld of sleep and health promoting rays emitted by the apparatusv IIl when in operation. The structure I2 may comprise any suitable, convenient or preferred meansfor supe porting a body, preferably in reclining position; anchas shown in the drawings, the structure I2 mayoconveniently comprise a conventional sleeping bed, al1-important feature of the invention residing inthe fact that expensive special pur-l pose -fbed structures need not be provided, but the sleep inducing and therapeutic apparatus may be employed in conjunction` with any suitable bod-y supporting device, such as may comprise the usual furniture providedV in a sleepingroomor dormitory.

The equipment II preferably comprises a plurality of infrared ray generators i3 and a plurality of ultraviolet ray generators lll', the illustrated embodiment comprising a pair of generators I3' and four generators I4, although any suitable, preferred` or convenient number of both generator types may be employed. The gener` ators are preferably assembled iny unitsv i5, each comprising a suitable elongated' support structure carrying an ultraviolet ray generator It at each of the opposite ends of' the elongated support structure, and one or more infrared ray generating units supported on the structure in position intermediate' the opposite ends thereof.

Suitable means may be provided for mounting one or more of the units I5 in position above the bed I2 to' direct infrared and ultraviolet rays from the ray generators upon the bed., to thereby expose a body', in sleeping'k position on the bed, to said rays. To this' end', the elongated support structure comprising a generator unit' i5 may conveniently comprise an elongated, preferably trough shaped reflectorv IB, which may be made of material. .such as polished sheet aluminum or chrome plated sheet metal, suitable for reflecting infrared rays, the sheet' forming' the' reflector I8 being formed to provide substantially parabolic' sectional configuration in the trough shaped reflector, in order to eject' infrared rays therefrom, in the direction of the open side of the reflector. One or more preferably elongated rod-like infrared ray' generators Il', Il', of the electrically energized type, are supported in the trough-like reflector IS, preferably in side by side parallel relationship', and substantially at the focus of the parabolic' reflector I6. These generators Il, I I may conveniently comprise resistance heaters of the' Calrod type. Such' heater units may be dperated toY emit infrared rays of wave length above' 6600 Angstrorns', whereby'infrared rays containing substantially no visible light components may be produced. Where a plurality of such heatersV areruse'd together in a common reflector, they mayr have different heating. capacities, fo'r the se-` lectivo production of infrared ray heat atfvariousV intensities. For example, one' element may be designed to operate at, say, watts and the other at, say, 250 watts, whereby to provide heat at 150, 250, or 400 Watts by operating the elements separately or simultaneously. The rod-like generator elements I7, I'I' are preferably supported, at their opposite ends, in suitable mounting clips I8 mounted on the reflector element I6 adjacent thewopposite ends thereof.

The opposite" ends of the reflector( element I6 may be provided with extensions' I9`, on which the ultraviolet ray generators I4 may be supported.

The ultraviolet ray generators I4 preferably each comprise a parabolic reflector 20 of circular sectional shape, the base of the reflector 2D comprising an extension 20', in which is mounted a lamp socket 2l for detachably receiving a lamp 22 adapted to be electrically excited for the gen erationof ultraviolet rays, the socket 2I being positioned to support the lamp 22 with its ray generatingy elementsubstantia-lly ator near the focus of the parabolic reflector 2-0. The reflectors 20 may be secured in any suitable' or convenient fashion, as by means of fastening elements, or by welding or brazi-ng the same to the end extensions I9 of the elongated reflector IG.

While any suitable ultraviolet ray generator may be employed, the lamp 22- may conveniently comprise a sun tan lamp suchas type S-l lamp manufactured by General Electric Company.

A filter 23, comprising a plate or disk of material adapted to transmit ultraviolet rays of wave length between, sax/,.2500 andy 4200 Angstroms, including erythemalrays of wave length in the range of 2800 to 3'200l Angstroms, and to exclude substantially all other rays produced by the generator 22, above 4200 Angstroms and below 2500 d-ngstroms, including substantially all visible light, ispre'ferably mounted in the open endl of each relector 20, as by detachable clamping collar means 24, v

A suitable filter for this purpose may comprise the Corex A No. 986 glass filter materialy made by' vCorning Glass Company. This material, as

1 shown in- Fig. 5, excludes rays of wave length above 4200A Angstroms and below' 2500 Angs'tro'm's, and transmits rays of intermediate wave length,- including beneficial suntan' rays inV the erythenial wave length zone between' 2800 and 3200' Angstrox'ns. ,Y

u Th'e un'it or units I 5 may be mounted in opera'- tive position in any suitable" or preferred fashion,- as by fastening the reflector I5 on suitable support means' adapted to carry the unit in' operative r position above' the bed structure I2. To this end',

a unit I5 may be' secured directly on the ceiling of a sleeping room, as by' means' of screws 2.1, o'r other fastening devices, engaging the extensions' I9 to' anchor the unit in place'. Alternately, the' unit or units i5 maybe mounted on pedestal or' bracket means, including transverse supportv members 26, on' which the unit or units are af"- justably mounted forl movement in a direction transversely of the' be'd structure, to thereby alter, at will, the position of a unit or the spacement b`etween units. The transverse support members 25, in turn, may be secured to a room ceiling, or may form parts of a mounting structure', such as may comprisespaced apart dependent legs', litted with rollers and adaptedl to be moved into position straddlin'g the lied'- st'ructure and supportingthe units in operative' position above' the' bed'.-

Oneor more units I5 may thus' be employed' for therapeutic and sleepy inducingf purposes, although'- it isy preferableto employ a pair of units I5 infY substantially paralleliv spaced apart re1aI4 tionship, with the units disposed vertically above, and parallel with respect to, the opposite side edges of the bed, the units being tilted to substantially center the ray beams emanating theren from upon the medial portions of the bed structure, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In order to energize and Control the operation of the ray generators I3 and I4, a control box 2l may be provided, said control box having manually operable switch means for controlling the delivery of electrical energizing power to the generators. The control box 21, also, may be formed as a convenient unit adapted for attachment, in readily removable fashion, as on the headboard of the bed structure, or other convenient mounting place readily accessible t0 a person reclining in sleeping position upon the support structure I2. Electrical energy for actuatm ing the ray generators may be derived from any suitable source of electrical power, such as the usual house wiring system, as by means oi a plug-in device 29 adapted for electrical connection in the house wiring system, as at an outlet socket thereof. The plug-in device 29 may be connected with the control box 2l, as by means of suitable cable conductors 30. At the control box the conductors 30 may be provided with a manually operable master control switch 3 I, connected with the ultraviolet ray generators I4, through suitable transformer means, and a cable 43, delivery of power Ato the generators I4 being under the control of suitable switches 39 to selectively control operation of the ultraviolet lamp means. Likewise, any one or more of the infrared ray generators I4 may be electrically energized from the power source, through the cables 3|) and 43 under the control of suitable switches 40.

In order to use the device, al1 switches 3l, 39 and 4I) are turned on for a few minutes to allow the ray generators to become heated to normal operating temperature. The windows of the sleeping room are adjusted in accordance with outside temperature, in order to provide desired air circulation. The user may then assume a sleeping position upon the support structure or bed I2, with a minimum or total absence of bed covering. The switches 40 may then be adjusted to produce a comfortable sleeping temperature induced through the operation of the selected infrared ray generators, and one or more of the switches 39 may be left on, in accordance with the users individual response to ultraviolet or tanning rays. Heat radiation from the body will be balanced by the infrared ray heat, thus permitting restful sleep at optimum body temperature for comfort, with minimum heart exertion. Vitamin D synthesization, and other beneficial eiects associated with outdoor sunshine, will be derived by the user, who will acquire a healthy sun tan color while sleeping. The master control switch 3I allows for disabling the entire equipment when operation thereof is not required, without, however, disturbing the adjusted position of the other control switches.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein disclosed being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

Apparatus for promoting health-sleep comprising ray generating means embodying a support frame, a pair of spaced lamps comprising sources of visible light and invisible ultraviolet radiation mounted on said frame in position to project rays from said lamps within a treatment zone spaced from said frame, a light iiltering member disposed in the path of rays projected from said iamps to exclude from said zone substantially all rays emitted from said lamps and having Wave lengths either greater than 4200 Angstrorns or less than 2800 Angstroms, to thereby apply in said zone substantially invisible rays including rays within the wave length zone from 2800 to 3200 Angstroms, infrared ray generating means mounted on said frame between said lamps for generating infrared rays and projecting the same within said treatment zone, an electrical power supply circuit, connected with said generating means to energize the same, and adjustable means connected in said circuit to control the power supplied to said generating means and thus regulate the intensity of said infrared rays to compensate for the normal heat loss from the body of a treatment subject disposed in said zone, whereby the treatment subject in said Zone may be exposed to infrared and ultraviolet ray treatment substantially in sleeppromoting darkness.

MURRAY G. CLAY.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Halpern Mar. 2, 1937 OTHER REFERENCES Number

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