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Title:
AROMATHERAPY SUPPORT FOR THE HUMAN BODY
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/122183
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
An aromatherapy support for the human body comprises at least one elastically yielding bearing layer (2, 5; 22, 25; 32, 35; 42) adapted to support at least one part of the human body to be subjected to aromatherapy and made of a polymeric base material, selected from the group comprising polyurethane foams and polyurethane foams with shape memory properties. The base material is uniformly added during the expansion step with plant essences extracted from at least one plant having aromatherapy properties, such as essential oils and/or fragrances mixed with the polyurethane base material in a percentage from 1% to 10%, relative to the weight of the base material.

Inventors:
MAGAZZENO FRANCESCO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2017/050213
Publication Date:
July 20, 2017
Filing Date:
January 16, 2017
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
AFG SRL (IT)
International Classes:
A47C27/14; A47C31/00
Domestic Patent References:
WO2011045622A12011-04-21
Foreign References:
US20100175193A12010-07-15
US20130000045A12013-01-03
CN101554277A2009-10-14
US20070287002A12007-12-13
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MAIELLO, Helenio Francesco (IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. An aromatherapy support for the human body, comprising at least one elastically yielding bearing layer (2, 5; 22, 25; 32, 35; 42) adapted to support at least one part of the human body to be subjected to aromatherapy, said beating layer (2, 5; 22, 25; 32, 35; 42) being made of a polymeric base material, characterized in that said base material is selected from the group comprising polyurethane foams and polyurethane foams with shape memory properties and is uniformly added during the expansion step with plant essences extracted from at least one plant having aromatherapy properties, said plant essences being essential oils and/or fragrances mixed with said polyurethane base material in a percentage from 1% to 10%, relative to the weight of said base material.

2. Support as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said plant essences are essential oils and/or fragrances extracted from seeds, leaves, flowers or other parts of the plant.

3. Support as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said plant essences are extracted from a plant belonging to the genus Camellia, in particular Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Japonica.

4. Support as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it is a mattress comprising one or more mutually overlapping layers (2, 5; 22, 25; 32, 37, 35; 42) made of polyurethane foam and/or polyurethane foam with shape memory properties, at least one of said layers (2, 5; 22, 25; 32, 37, 35; 42) being uniformly admixed with said plant essences and having extension sufficient to support the entire body of the user.

5. Support as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said one or more layers (2, 5; 22, 25; 32, 37, 35; 42) are wrapped by a covering fabric (6, 16, 36, 46).

6. Support as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said plant essences are distributed in a uniform manner in said covering fabric (6, 16, 36, 46).

7. Support as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized by comprising a cushioning structure (3) superimposed to one or more of said layers (2) made of polyurethane foam and/or polyurethane foam with shape memory properties, the assembly of said cushioning structure (3) and said one or more layers (2) being enclosed in a containment structure (4) made of polyurethane foam.

8. Support as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said plant extracts are mixed with said polyurethane base material in a percentage from 2% to 7%of the weight of said base material.

Description:
AROMATHERAPY SUPPORT FOR THE HUMAN BODY

Description

Technical Field

The present invention finds application in the technical field of the supports for the human body and has particularly for object a support for the human body, such as a mattress, a pillow or the like, having aromatherapy properties.

State of the art

Many plants are known which are provided with specific active substances that can be extracted from leaves, flowers and/or seeds and that have special healing properties. For example, the healing properties of plants of the genus Camellia, commonly known as camellias, and its plant extracts (essential oils and fragrances) and related active substances contained in the flowers, seeds and leaves of the plant have been known for thousands of years, so that this plant has been used in a variety of aromatherapy and herbalist applications.

In particular, the active substances of the camellia, thanks to their antioxidant, toning, draining and purifying properties, promote cell regeneration, stimulate hair growth, slow down the aging process, are a powerful antifungal and antiparasitic, protect against many diseases including tumors and diseases of the nervous system, are used as a natural antibiotic.

For these reasons the therapeutic properties of various plants are used in different types of applications to provide specific benefits to users.

In particular, aromatherapy applications are known in combination with pillows, mattresses and similar supports for the human body in order to improve the quality of sleep or rest.

For example, CN203234390 discloses a mattress for aromatherapy that is provided, at the area on which the head rests, with two slots for a pair of fragrance diffusers to be spread by nebulization.

However, it appears clear that such a solution is extremely inconvenient and costly and moreover it does not allow to bring the specific benefits in a distributed manner over the whole body. US 2010/175193 discloses a support for the human body, such as a pillow or a mattress, obtained starting from a polyurethane foam which in the process of expansion is added with powder of green tea leaves {Camellia sinensis).

However, the use of such parts of the plant does not allow to have an aromatherapy action which is effective and lasting in the time and also does not allow to obtain a complete diffusion of the aromatic portion in the support.

CN 101554277 discloses a mattress with a foam layer which contains microcapsules containing fragrant essences. Even in this case, the mode of using the essence does not allow its substantially complete diffusion in the support, reducing the efficacy of the aromatherapy effect.

US 2007/045622 discloses a foam mattress that can include lavender essences. It does not make any reference to the mixing of oils in the expansion step of the foam.

Scope of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a support for the human body for aromatherapy which present characteristics of particular efficiency and relative cheapness.

A particular object is to provide a support for the human body for aromatherapy, in particular a mattress, pillow or the like, which uses the beneficial properties of specific plants, and in particular of camellia, to improve the quality of sleep and/or the rest of the person using the support.

One further object is to provide a support for the human body for aromatherapy which brings its benefits in a distributed and homogeneous manner throughout the user's body. A particular object is to provide a support for the human body for aromatherapy wherein essential oils are distributed in a uniform manner into the support to exert their therapeutic effect over the whole part of the body resting on the support.

Still another object is to provide an aromatherapy support for the human body that has lasting efficacy during time.

These objects, as well as others which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an aromatherapy support for the human body according to claim 1.

Preferably, the vegetable essences may be essential oils and/or fragrances extracted from seeds, leaves, flowers or other parts of the plant, especially extracted from a plant that belongs at the Camellia genus, such as Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Japonica. With this combination of features you can take advantage of the beneficial properties of this medical plant throughout the body and use the pleasant essence given off from the support, especially when having a mattress configuration, to aid relaxation and night rest. The introduction of the essences directly in the foaming or expansion step of the polymer will allow the essence to spread in a uniform and substantially complete manner within the material of the support, avoiding accumulation zones and zones with little or no presence of the essence.

Furthermore, the use of essential oils and fragrances will have a therapeutic effect greater and more lasting than the use of parts such as leaves or similar.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained in accordance with the dependent claims.

Brief disclosure of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the detailed description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a support according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawing tables wherein:

Figs. 1 to 4 are schematic sectional side view of four different embodiments of the support defining a mattress.

Best modes of carrying out the invention

In the accompanying figures there are shown four different embodiments of the support according to the invention shaped as a mattress. However, the support may also be a pillow, in particular designed to support the head, or any other yieldable support generally used for the rest and/or sleep.

Fig. 1 shows a first preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the support or mattress, globally indicated with 1, which comprises an elastically yielding lower carrier layer 2 in polyurethane foam that extends substantially throughout the whole extension surface of the support 1 to support the entire body of the user.

The polyurethane base material of this first layer 2 is uniformly mixed with vegetable essences extracted from a plant having aromatherapy properties.

In particular, the vegetable essences are essential oils and/or fragrances extracted from seeds, leaves, flowers or other parts of the plant, preferably from a plant belonging to the genus Camellia, in particular Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Japonica. The techniques of extraction of these vegetable essences not constitute a limiting aspect to the present invention.

On the top of this first layer 2 there is a cushioning spring structure 3, which may be traditional type springs, Bonnel or pocket springs, without particular limitations.

The assembly constituted by the cushioning spring structure 3 and from polyurethane lower layer 2 is wrapped and enclosed by a containment structure 4 formed from sheets of expanded polyurethane, optionally mixed with the above plant extracts.

Above the containment structure 4 a second layer 5 of shape-memory additioned polyurethane foam is disposed, which is also uniformly mixed with the above-mentioned plant extracts.

The types of polyurethane foams and of shape memory polyurethanes, commonly known in the industry as memory foam, and in particular their density and colouring, may vary depending on the needs and within the common use for similar products on the market, without particular limitations. Moreover, the polyurethane layers 2, 5 may have smooth or shaped inner structure.

The entire support 1 may be wrapped by a coating 6, shown in enlarged scale, wherein plant extracts are optionally distributed in a uniform manner.

For example, the coating 6 will be a Jacquard or stretch type fabric and may be removable, with the possible presence of zippers or other fasteners, not shown as known per se, or may be beaded to be not removable.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the mattress, globally indicated with 21, comprising a lower layer 22 of polyurethane foam and a top layer 25 of shape-memory polyurethane foam.

One or preferably both layers 22, 25 are added with the above plant essences, not necessarily in the same amount. Moreover, the two layers 22, 25 are wrapped by a fabric covering 26 as above.

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the mattress, globally indicated by 31, comprising two lower layers 32, 37 made of polyurethane foam and a top layer 35 made of shape memory polyurethane foam.

However, it is understood that more than three layers of polyurethane material and/or shape-memory polyurethane may also be provided, at least one of which is added with the above-mentioned plant extracts. Also in this case one or more of the layers 32, 35, 37, preferably all, will be added with the above plant essences, not necessarily in the same amount, and will be enclosed within a fabric covering 36 of the type described above.

Fig. 4 finally shows a fourth embodiment of the mattress, globally indicated with 41, comprising a single carrier layer 42 of polyurethane foam or shape memory polyurethane foam admixed with the above plant essences and enclosed within a fabric covering of the type described above.

Regardless of the embodiment, the plant extracts are preferably blended with the polyurethane base material of one or more layers already in the expansion step thereof. In particular, when the plant extracts are essential oils, they will be mixed with the polyurethane base material in a percentage comprised between 1% and 10%, preferably between 2% and 7% compared to the weight of the base material.

If the plant extracts are fragrances, they will be mixed to the polyurethane base material in a percentage comprised between 0.5% and 5%, preferably between 1% and 2% with respect of the weight of the base material.

The dimensions and the thicknesses of the single layers and of the final support do not represent a limiting aspect for the present invention and may vary without particular theoretical limitations depending on the specific requirements, with the total thickness of the mattress that will be generally comprised between 10cm and 30cm, depending on the most popular standards on the market.

From above it is clear that the support according to the invention achieves the intended objects.

The support of the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the accompanying claims. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.