Patent ID: 7008443

Claim:
An apparatus for generating a stream of steam for direction against an area of skin of a person, the apparatus comprising: a water vessel for retaining a quantity of water, said vessel having an upright tubular vessel side wall and a vessel bottom wall and vessel mounting means, and a water heating mechanism mounted outside and in thermal proximity to said water vessel comprising a heating element and power source connection means for generating heat for transfer into said water vessel to heat the quantity of water sufficiently to progressively transform the quantity of water into a stream of steam; a steam guidance framework including a vessel cover structure having a structure upper surface and a structure lower surface, vessel engaging means for suspending said vessel from said vessel cover structure, said vessel cover structure having a steam port over the water vessel for passing a stream of steam from said water vessel; a steam delivery tube comprising a steam delivery tube receiving end and a steam delivery tube discharge end, said steam delivery tube receiving end being sealingly affixed to said structure upper surface and positioned to enclose said steam port, said steam delivery tube protruding from said structure upper surface to said delivery tube discharge end, said delivery tube discharge end comprising a steam discharge port for orientation toward a selected area of the skin of a person to direct the stream of steam against the selected area of skin; wherein said vessel mounting means comprises: a vessel supporting flange extending radially outwardly from said vessel side wall; and wherein said vessel engagement means comprises two spaced apart and opposing flange receiving channels secured to and extending from said vessel cover structure, oriented to open toward each other and positioned to receive said vessel supporting flange, vessel gasket means on said vessel cover structure lower surface; and a vessel clamp affixed to and protruding downwardly from said vessel cover structure for receiving said vessel and for pressing said vessel upwardly such that said vessel rim is sealingly pressed against said vessel gasket means.