Abstract:
A far infrared heating methods to facilitate a user receiving continued comfortable thermal stimulation. The far infrared heating method, are provided with a temperature sensor for attachment to the object to be heated, and when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor has reached a predetermined maximum temperature, the radiation from the far infrared radiator is stopped. Furthermore, the user can switch to a timer control mechanism which causes the far infrared radiator to radiate intermittently during a predetermined time cycles.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a far infrared heating apparatus which is particularly suitable for a far infrared radiation treatment apparatus for medical or health preservation purposes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, various kinds of infrared radiation treatment apparatuses, using thermal effects, have been utilized for purposes such as relieving lower back pain or a stiff neck. Infrared rays are classified by their wavelengths generally as near infrared rays, far infrared rays and the like. 
     Near infrared rays, which cause electromagnetic wave damage like cataracts, sunstroke, and cytoclasis, must be reduced as much as possible when infrared rays are utilized for medical treatment. In contrast, due to far infrared rays significant thermal and wave motion effects (resonance (vibration) absorption phenomenon), they are not only harmless to humans but they also promote metabolism by promoting blood circulation in capillaries and they activate the automatic functions of the nervous and hormone systems, thereby activating the functions of the immune system and the spontaneous recovery system. 
     Radiotherapy also uses radiation which is a kind of electromagnetic wave and is employed in medical facilities particularly because it is effective in killing cancer cells. However, radiotherapy causes side effects, such as a swollen face and pain, because the radiation also damages the surrounding normal cells. 
     Therefore, far infrared radiation treatment apparatuses recently have become an alternative to radiotherapy apparatuses. The publication of Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No Hei 3-51912 discloses a far infrared heating apparatus comprising a radiator, which is made by winding a heating wire around a hollow ceramic cylinder to radiate far infrared rays. 
     However, conventional apparatuses, like the above, place great importance on simply heating an object to be heated by the radiating infrared rays. This results in the following problem when infrared rays are applied for the treatment of cancer and the like. During cancer treatment, cancer cells are killed by means of the heat-shock protein effect in the patient&#39;s body caused by heating the affected part (e.g. the object to he heated). When the affected part is maintained at a certain temperature, however, the part becomes used to the thermal stimulation and the heat-shock protein effect cannot be fully maximized. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Wherefore, a major object of the invention is to provide a far infrared heating apparatus which continues providing thermal stimulation so that the heat-shock protein effect on the object to be heated can be further heightened. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a far infrared heating apparatus with a temperature sensor to be attached to an object to be heated. A sensor control which stops, for a predetermined period of time, radiation from the far infrared radiator when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor equals or exceeds a predetermined temperature. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a timer control for radiating infrared rays intermittently from the far infrared radiator during a predetermined cycle. Also, a switching means for switching between the sensor control and the timer control as desired. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide a bobbin around which a heating wire is wound and a ceramic coating applied to the exterior surface of the bobbin and the wire. 
     Yet still another object of the invention is to heat the object to be heated up to a maximum temperature and then cool the object to be heated by stopping the heating for a predetermined period of time. The object to be heated is then again heated, once the predetermined period of time has elapsed, until the object to be heated again reaches the maximum temperature. Due to this cycling “on” and “off”, the object to be heated feels this as a “fluctuation” in heat and, therefore, does not become used to the thermal stimulation thereby allowing the user to obtain an adequate heat-shock protein effect by using oscillating temperature. Thus, the invention can be applied to an apparatus for cancer treatment as well as for alleviating any sharp pain caused by cancer. Also, the user (the object to be heated) can undergo desired treatment by switching between the sensor control and the timer control. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a construction of a far infrared heating apparatus, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a far infrared radiator of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the control circuit of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the radiation process performed in the control circuit of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the timer control process performed in the control circuit of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the sensor control process performed in the control circuit of the preferred embodiment; and 
     FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a modification of the control circuit according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a far infrared heating apparatus is provided with a far infrared radiator  1 . As shown in FIG. 2, the far infrared radiator  1  comprises a heating wire  4  wound around a tubular ceramic bobbin  2  and the exterior surfaces thereof are coated with a ceramic  6 . When the heating wire  4  is heated by the current flowing therethrough, the far infrared radiator  1  radiates far infrared rays having a wavelength of about 4 microns or more 
     The far infrared radiator  1 , to which a reflective shade  8  is attached, is accommodated within a top housing  10  The top housing  10  is secured to a base  12  by a flexible support  14 . A control circuit  16  is contained within the base  12  and coupled to the far infrared radiator by at least one wire (not shown). 
     The control circuit  16  controls heating of the heating wire  4  by connecting/disconnecting the power supply to the heating wire  4 . As schematically illustrated in FIG. 3, the control circuit  16  comprises a CPU  31  for controlling the radiation process, a ROM  32  for storing main control programs and the like, a RAM  33  for temporarily storing information, including the control conditions set by an operation section  35 , and an input/output interface  34  for conveying data and information between those components and the radiator  1  and a temperature sensor  20 . All of these components are connected to communicate with one another by means of a communication bus  36 . 
     The radiation process has the feature that radiation is performed intermittently To control the radiation, two modes of operation, namely, a timer control process and a sensor control process, are available and a user selects one of the two modes of operation via an operation section  35 . 
     When the user chooses the timer control process, the user also presets the control conditions, such as a total intermittent connecting time and a connecting cycle. The total intermittent connecting time here means the total time, 20 minutes or 30 minutes for example, during which the current is intermittently supplied to the far infrared radiator  1  for use in the radiation process, The connecting cycle consists of a connecting time, during which the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is “on” and a disconnecting time during which the current is “off”. Both the connecting time and the disconnecting time are set for 1 to 3 minutes, for example. 
     When the user chooses the sensor control process, the user also presets the control conditions, such as a maximum temperature and a disconnecting time, via the operation section  35 . The maximum temperature here means the upper limit of temperature for the object to be heated  18 . And the disconnecting time means the time period during which the current supplied to far infrared radiator  1  is “off”. 
     The CPU  31  detects the preset state of the operation section  35 , and stores the data indicating the preset control conditions in the RAM  33 . Then, the CPU reads the data ind executes the control programs stored in ROM  32 . 
     The specific processes performed by CPU  31  will be explained hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 through 6. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, when the power supply is turned “on”, the CPU  31  in the control circuit  16  determines whether or not the process mode is set for the timer control process (Step  100 ). If it is determined that the timer control process has been selected, the timer control process is performed (Step  200 ). If it is determined that the sensor control process has been selected, the sensor control process is performed (Step  300 ). 
     In the timer control process, as shown in FIG. 5, the CPU  31  firstly reads a predetermined total intermittent connecting time stored in RAM  32  (Step  210 ). 
     Secondly, the CPU  31  also reads a predetermined connecting cycle during which the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is intermittently “on” (Step  220 ). 
     Thirdly, it is determined whether or not the predetermined total intermittent connecting time, read at Step  210 , has elapsed (Step  230 ). If it is determined that the predetermined total intermittent connecting time has not elapsed, the current to far infrared radiator  1  is turned “on” (Step  240 ). Then, far infrared rays are radiated from the far infrared radiator  1  toward the object to be heated  18 . 
     Next, it is determined whether or not a predetermined connecting time has elapsed (Step  250 ). If it is determined that the predetermined connecting time has not elapsed, the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is kept “on”.If it is determined that the predetermined connecting time has elapsed, the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is shut “off” (Step  260 ). 
     In turn, it is determined whether or not a predetermined disconnecting time has elapsed (Step  270 ). If it is determined that the predetermined disconnecting time has not elapsed, the current is kept “off”. If it is determined that the predetermined disconnecting time has elapsed, the processes returns to Step  230  and repeats the process. Thus, the far infrared radiator  1  radiates far infrared rays toward the object to be heated  18  during the connecting time, while the radiation is prevented from radiating far infrared rays toward the object to be heated  18  during the disconnecting time. 
     Since heating during the connecting time and the stopping of heating during the disconnecting time are repeated by the far infrared radiator  1 , the object to be heated  18  repeatedly undergoes heating and cooling. The object to be heated  18  (e.g the user) feels this as a fluctuation in heat so that the user can continue undergoing treatment comfortably without becoming used to the thermal stimulation. When it is determined, at Step  230 , that the predetermined total intermittent connecting time has elapsed, the current is shut “off” and the control process ends. 
     When it is determined, at Step  100 , that the sensor control process has been selected, the CPU  31  firstly reads, as shown in FIG. 6, a predetermined maximum temperature of the object to be heated  18  which is stored in the RAM (Step  310 ). 
     Secondly, a predetermined intermittent connecting time is read (Step  320 ) in the same manner as the aforementioned Step  210 . 
     Thirdly, a predetermined disconnecting time is read (Step  330 ). 
     Then it is determined whether or not the predetermined intermittent connecting time has elapsed (Step  340 ). If it is determined that the predetermined intermittent connecting time has not elapsed, the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is turned “on” (Step  350 ). As a result, far infrared rays are radiated from the far infrared radiator  1 . 
     Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor  20  has reached the maximum temperature (Step  360 ), which maximum temperature was read at Step  310 . If it is determined that the sensed temperature has not reached the maximum temperature, the process returns to Step  340  and the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is kept “on” the entire time If it is determined that the sensed temperature has reached the maximum temperature, the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is shut “off” (Step  370 ). 
     It is then determined whether (Step  380 ) or not the predetermined disconnecting time, read at Step  330 , has elapsed and the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is kept “off” during the disconnecting time. 
     When it is determined that the predetermined disconnecting time has elapsed, the processes returns to and repeats Step  340 . That is, the current to the far infrared radiator  1  is kept “on” until the temperature of the object to be heated  18  has reached the maximum temperature and, when it has reached the maximum temperature, heating is again stopped during the predetermined disconnecting time. When it is determined, at Step  340 , that the predetermined total intermittent connecting time has eventually elapsed, the current is shut “off” and the control process ends. 
     As aforementioned, the object to be heated  18  is heated until its temperature has reached the maximum temperature, cooled by stopping the heating for a predetermined disconnecting time, and then heated again after the predetermined disconnecting time has elapsed until its temperature again reaches the maximum temperature. The object to be heated  18  (the user) feels this as “fluctuation” in heat, so that the user can continue undergoing treatment comfortably without becoming used to the thermal stimulation. 
     Instead of the above described computer-controlled system, a relatively simple control circuit  16 , shown in FIG. 7, may be employed as a control means of the present invention. 
     Specifically, the control circuit  16  comprises a timer circuit  40  which performs the above described timer control process and a sensor circuit  50  which performs the above described sensor control process. 
     A common timer such as an electromagnetic timer may be used in the timer circuit  40 . In the sensor circuit  50 , a thermistor may be connected as the temperature sensor  20 . In this case, the current supplied to the radiator  1  can be turned “on/off” in accordance with the resistance value of the thermistor. 
     In one case where the above timer control process is selected by a setting means  60 , a power switch SW 1  is turned “on” and a selector switch SW 2  is connected to the channel by-passing the sensor circuit. Then the timer circuit  40  turns the supply of current to the radiator  1  “on/off” in accordance with an total intermittent connecting time, a connecting cycle, and the like which are all predetermined by the setting means  60 . 
     In another case where the above sensor control process is selected by the setting means  60 , the power switch SW 1  is turned “on” and the selector switch SW 2  is connected to the channel through the sensor circuit. In the sensor circuit  50 , when the temperature sensor  20 , attached to the object to be heated  18 , senses a predetermined maximum temperature, the current supplied to the radiator  1  is automatically shut “off”. Then, once the temperature sensor  20  senses a predetermined minimum temperature, the current supply to the radiator  1  is again turned “on”.The intermittent connection to the radiator  1  is performed in this manner. In this case, timer circuit  40  counts a predetermined total intermittent connecting time set by the setting means  604  and shuts “off” the supply of current to the radiator  1  once the predetermined total intermittent connecting time has elapsed. 
     As described above, employment of the simple control circuit  16  can lead to the same effects as the aforementioned system with lower costs. 
     The invention is not restricted to the above described embodiment and may be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.