Patent Publication Number: US-2010122410-A1

Title: Portable device for cleaning and massaging the skin

Description:
The present invention relates to a portable device that is usable, in particular, for cleansing, massaging, and relaxing the skin of a portion of a person&#39;s body, in particular the that person&#39;s face. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Skin cleansing and massaging devices are known that include spray means for spraying a cleansing liquid onto a portion of a person&#39;s body, which spray means are carried by fixed means disposed on or next to the person, or by means that can be manipulated by hand. The spray means are connected to water feed means via a pump that serves to increase the pressure of the water delivered by the spray means. 
     Such devices are used exclusively by healthcare professionals or by specialized institutes because they are voluminous and costly, and require an energy source to be used. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a device for cleansing and massaging skin that does not suffer from those drawbacks, that is simple to use, and that is inexpensive. 
     To this end, the invention provides a portable device for cleansing and massaging the skin, said device comprising fastener means for fastening to a portion of a person&#39;s body, connection means for connecting to fluid feed means such as a water supply network, and fluid carrier means connected to the connection means and designed to extend around and/or along a portion of the person&#39;s body, at a short distance therefrom, said fluid carrier means being provided with orifices and/or with nozzles for spraying fluid onto said portion of the person&#39;s body. 
     The fluid used may be water in vapor or liquid form, or a liquid or a gas suitable for treating the skin. 
     The device of the invention is portable and can be used either by a healthcare professional or by a private individual, at home or away from home. 
     The fluid used is advantageously liquid water, the device being fastened to that portion of the person&#39;s body that is to be cleansed and massaged, and being connected directly to the water supply network. In which case, it does not include a pump, and operates without being connected to an electrical or other energy source. 
     Optionally, and in particular for professional use, said device can be connected to a pump in order to increase the pressure of the fluid delivered by the spray means. 
     The device of the invention makes it possible to massage and to relax the skin and the underlying tissue, and to improve the vascularization of the corresponding portion of the body. 
     In simple manner, the connection means comprise a housing provided with a first water-passing channel that opens out freely at the end of the housing, with a second water-passing channel for water that feeds the device, and with selector means for opening the first channel and closing the second channel or vice versa. 
     The connection means are advantageously connected to the shower hose receiving orifice provided on a shower or bath mixer faucet, the shower hose then being connected to the outlet of the first water-passing channel of the housing. Opening the first channel makes it possible to use the shower, and opening the second channel makes it possible to use the device of the invention. 
     The connection means preferably comprise ingredient-receiving means for receiving at least one active ingredient packaged in a capsule, tablet, pellet, or the like for the purpose of releasing said active ingredient in controlled manner into the fluid flowing through the first channel or through the second channel. 
     The active ingredient may also be in the form of a liquid, of a gel, of a bead, of a capsule, of a tablet, of a pellet, or of the like, and has an invigorating, reparative, relaxing, or soothing property for the skin. For example, it is possible to use essential oils, plant extracts, surfactants, medicinal substances, etc., or mixtures thereof. 
     Advantageously, the active ingredient is packaged in a cartridge or in a small bottle that is mounted in a compartment provided in the above-mentioned housing and designed for receiving the cartridge or the bottle, which compartment is provided with means for automatically opening the cartridge or the bottle, and with means for releasing the active ingredient in controlled manner when the water is flowing. 
     The device is usable in a medical, beauty, or cosmetology context, and takes part in dermatological treatment such as, for example, treatment of acne or removal or reduction of scars or of wrinkles. 
     The fluid carrier means are of adjustable length, e.g. telescopic, are deformable, and/or are hinged so as to match the shapes of the portion of the person&#39;s body, a short distance away therefrom. 
     The device of the invention thus adapts to the shapes of the person and can thus be made in one-size only. 
     The fluid carrier means comprise at least one duct equipped with fluid spray means over at least a portion of its length, the fluid spray means comprising, for example, fixed and/or rotary nozzles for spraying fluid in a sweeping motion. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the device is designed to be fastened to a person&#39;s head and includes eye-protection goggles whose side branches form fluid carrier ducts. 
     Other fluid carrier ducts equipped with fluid spray means and connected to the side branches of the goggles are designed to spray fluid onto the chin, the nose, the cheeks, the temples, the forehead, the cranium, and/or the neck of the person. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear on reading the following description given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the device of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a variant embodiment of the device; 
         FIGS. 3 to 7  diagrammatically show water carrier ducts equipped with spray means for spraying water; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are diagrammatic section views of the connection means of the device of the invention, respectively showing how the second water-passing channel opens, and how the first water-passing channel opens; and 
         FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic section view of a variant embodiment of the connection means. 
     
    
    
     MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The device  10  of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  makes it possible, in particular, to cleanse and to massage a person&#39;s face by spraying water onto said face. It is designed to be fastened to the person&#39;s head and includes goggles  12  for protecting the eyes from being sprayed with water. 
     The goggles  12  comprise a pair of transparent lenses  14  carried by a frame made up of a front portion  16  that extends around the lenses  14  and that is designed to bear against the skin around the eyes so as to limit passage of water towards the eyes, and whose central portion  18  extending between the lenses  14  is a bridge designed to rest on the person&#39;s nose, and of two side branches  20  extending on either side of the person&#39;s head, at a short distance therefrom, and having rear ends  22  that are curved downwards and that are designed to be hooked over the person&#39;s ears for fastening the device  10 . 
     An elastic strip (not shown) can also be attached between the ends  22  of the branches in order to improve the fastening of the device  10  to the person&#39;s head. 
     The side branches  20  of the goggles  12  form ducts for carrying water that are connected at their ends  22 , via suitable flexible pipes  24 , to means  26  for connecting to water feed means, such as a water supply network, diagrammatically represented by arrow  28 . 
     The device  10  further includes water carrier ducts  30 ,  32  that are connected to the ducts  20  forming the side branches of the goggles  12  and that extend respectively in front of the person&#39;s forehead, and along the person&#39;s cheeks and chin and/or nose. 
     On their faces that face the skin over which they extend, the water carrier ducts  20 ,  30 ,  32  are equipped with spray nozzles for spraying water onto the skin, which nozzles are shown diagrammatically in  FIGS. 3 to 7 . 
     The ducts  20 ,  30 , and  32  are provided with longitudinal slots  34  ( FIG. 3 ), holes  36  ( FIG. 4 ), or nozzles  38  ( FIG. 7 ), or combinations thereof ( FIGS. 5 to 7 ). 
     The orifices  34 ,  36  and the nozzles  38  are distributed regularly over a portion of the lengths of or over the entire lengths of the ducts  20 ,  30 ,  32 , and are formed along one or more longitudinal lines ( FIG. 6 ). They are designed to spray water in the form of jets, of showers, or of mist, in given directions and at a given pressure that is no greater than about 3 bars, and the nozzles  38  are preferably mounted to rotate so as to spray water in a sweeping motion, thereby increasing the area of skin treated. 
     In a variant, the water spray means can be distributed irregularly along the ducts  20 ,  30 ,  32 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the device  10  is designed to treat the skin of the person&#39;s forehead via the forehead bar  30 , the skin of the cheeks and of the chin via the chin bar  32 , and the temples via the side branches  20 . The area of treated skin can be increased by using rotary nozzles  38 , e.g. on the duct  30 , for sprinkling water over the entire area of the forehead, and/or on the duct  32 , for treating the skin situated between the mouth and the nose of the person, and/or by forming orifices  34 ,  36  for spraying water in predetermined directions. 
     In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , consecutive orifices  34 ,  36  are designed to spray water in different directions, e.g. oriented at 90° relative to each other. 
     The device  10  can also include means (not shown) for preventing the sprayed water from penetrating into the nose or into the ears of the person. The means for protecting the nose can, for example, extend downwards from the central portion  18  of the goggles  12 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the device  10  includes additional water carrier means  40 ,  42  that are of adjustable length, e.g. telescopic, and that extend respectively from the side branches  20  of the goggles  12  and from the ducts  32 , for cleansing and massaging a portion of the cranium and of the neck of the person. 
     These means  40 ,  42  are formed of a first duct  44 , of large diameter, connected at one of its ends via suitable means to the duct  20  or  32 , and of a second duct  46 , that is smaller in diameter, received in leaktight manner inside the duct  44  and mounted to slide therein, its free end being provided with a stopper  48 , or, for example, with a rotary nozzle (not shown). 
     Each of the ducts  44 ,  46  surround at least a portion of the cranium and of the neck of the person, and they are preferably deformable so as to match the shape(s) of said portion(s), at a small distance therefrom, and pivotable about the axes  50  in order to facilitate positioning them. 
     The ducts  44 ,  46  are also provided with orifices  34 ,  36  and/or with nozzles  38  for spraying water onto the cranium and onto the neck of the person. 
     By way of a variant, the means  40 ,  42  can be connected in pairs via a single duct  46 , each end of which is received slidably and in leaktight manner in a duct  44 . 
     Connection means for connecting the device  10  to a water supply point  24  are shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . They comprise a housing  52  provided with a water inlet  54  designed to be connected, e.g. by screwing in an end-piece, to the orifice for receiving a shower hose that is provided on a shower or bath mixer faucet. 
     Said inlet  54  can be connected either to a first compartment  56  that is provided with a water outlet  58 , so as to define a first water-passing channel through the housing  52 , as represented diagrammatically by arrow  60  in  FIG. 9 , or else to a second compartment  62  that is provided with a water outlet  64 , so as to define a second water-passing channel through the housing  52 , as represented diagrammatically by arrow  66  in  FIG. 8 . 
     The first water-passing channel  60  or the second water-passing channel  66  through the housing  52  is selected by a body  68  being moved in a third compartment  70  that extends between the above-mentioned compartments  56 ,  62  and separated therefrom by respective walls  72 ,  74 . 
     The body  68  is provided with an axial orifice  76  connected to the inlet  54  and to a transverse orifice  78  opening out on either side of the body  68  towards the compartments  56  and  62 . 
     The body  68  is connected to a handle  79  for moving it in translation in the compartment  70 , between a low position in which the transverse orifice  78  is aligned with an orifice  80  in the wall  72  opening out into the compartment  56  for causing water to pass as indicated arrow  60  ( FIG. 9 ), and a high position in which the transverse orifice  78  is aligned with an orifice  82  in the wall  74  opening out into the compartment  62  for causing water to pass as indicated by arrow  66  ( FIG. 8 ). 
     The housing  52  includes a fourth compartment  84  that is separated from the compartment  62  by a wall  86  that is porous or that has perforations  88  for enabling water to pass from the compartment  62  to the compartment  84  and vice versa. 
     The compartment  84  is designed to receive at least one active ingredient in the form of a liquid, a gel, a bead, or a tablet, etc. designed to be released by being mixed or dissolved in the water flowing from the compartment  62  to the compartment  84 , and returning to the compartment  62  by passing through the wall  86 . 
     The active ingredients used can, for example, be essential oils, plant extracts, medicines, surfactants, etc, and can have invigorating, reparative, relaxing, soothing, and other properties for the skin. 
     The device  10  is connected to the outlet  64  by means of the above-mentioned pipes  24  and thus makes it possible to cleanse, to massage, to relax, and to treat the skin by spraying an active ingredient having predetermined properties onto said skin. A shower hose is connected to the outlet  58 . 
     By way of a variant, the fourth compartment  84  is separated from the compartment  62  by a wall  90  and is connected thereto via a duct  92  that opens out into the compartment  62  remote from the water outlet  64 , and into the compartment  84  via an end-piece  94  that projects relative to a wall of the compartment  84 . 
     The compartment  84  is designed to receive a cartridge  96  containing an active ingredient which, in the example shown, is inserted into the compartment  84  via an orifice  98 , until the head  100  of the cartridge comes to be engaged over the end-piece  94  so as to be pierced in order to release the active ingredient into the duct  92  and into the compartment  62 . 
     The inside diameter of the duct  92  and the viscosity of the active ingredient are determined such that the active ingredient is released in controlled manner. 
     The cartridge containing the active ingredient can be implemented in any form whatsoever that enables it to be fastened simply and rapidly to the housing  52 , that enables the active ingredient to be released in controlled manner, and that enables said active ingredient to be mixed with the water flowing through the compartment  62 . 
     The other compartment  56  can also be associated with a compartment such as  84  designed to receive an active ingredient packaged in suitable form, for the purpose of enabling it to be released into the water flowing through the shower hose. 
     The housing can also be provided with means for homogenizing the mixture of water and of active ingredient in the compartment  62  and/or in the compartment  56 . 
     The device  10  of the invention can also include mounting means (not shown) for clipping onto hot water and cold water pipes feeding the mixer faucet. 
     The temperature of the water delivered by the device  10  is adjusted by means of the shower or bath mixer faucet, a low temperature being preferred for toning up the skin, and a warm temperature being preferred for improving cleansing of the skin. 
     In a variant, the inlet  54  of the housing can be connected to feed means for feeding gas or a liquid suitable for cleansing or treating the skin. 
     The device of the invention can be used on any portion of a person&#39;s body. For example, it can be designed to treat the skin:
         of a calf for relieving a contracture or a cramp;   of the buttocks and of the thighs for treating cellulite;   of the back for relieving rheumatism;   of the hands for relieving arthrosis;   of the arms, of the legs, or of the torso for treating scars, e.g. burns; or   of the cranium for treating the scalp.       

     The device is designed to be used typically for a few minutes, or optionally for a few tens of minutes.