MAGNETIC THERAPEUTIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING MAGNETIC THERAPEUTIC DEVICE
Disclosed is a magnetic therapeutic device for use as a wearable article including a necklace to exert a blood flow-promoting effect on a body of a user. The magnetic therapeutic device comprises an elongated flexible magnet portion formed from a mixture of a silicone rubber and a magnetic powder to extend in a given direction, and magnetically polarized, and a flexible sheath portion formed from a silicone rubber to cover over an entire outer periphery of the magnet portion. The magnetic therapeutic device of the present invention can more uniformly apply a magnetic flux to a body of a user.
1 . A magnetic therapeutic device for use as a wearable article to exert a blood flow-promoting effect on a body of a user, comprising:
an elongated flexible magnet portion formed from a mixture of a silicone rubber and a magnetic powder to extend in a given direction, and magnetically polarized; and
a flexible sheath portion formed from a silicone rubber to cover over an entire outer periphery of said magnet portion.
2 . The magnetic therapeutic device as defined in claim 1 , which is formed by subjecting said silicone rubber-and-magnetic powder mixture for said magnet portion and said silicone rubber for said sheath portion, to a multicolor extrusion molding process.
3 . The magnetic therapeutic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein said magnetic powder is a powder of rare-earth magnet.
4 . The magnetic therapeutic device as defined in claim 1 , which includes:
a lock portion formed from a silicone rubber at one of opposite ends of said sheath portion; and
an engagement portion formed from a silicone rubber at the other end of said sheath portion, and adapted to be releasably locked by said lock portion,
wherein said magnetic therapeutic device is adapted, when said engagement portion is locked by said lock portion, to have a ring shape while maintaining the condition where said sheath portion covers over said magnet portion.
5 . A method of producing the magnetic therapeutic device as defined in claim 2 , comprising:
a kneading step of kneading the silicone rubber and magnetic powder for said magnet portion, together with a vulcanizing agent, in a first kneader, and kneading the silicone rubber for said sheath portion, together with a vulcanizing agent, in a second kneader;
a charging step of charging a magnet-side mixture of said kneaded silicone rubber, magnetic powder and vulcanizing agent, into a first extruder, and charging a sheath-side mixture of said kneaded silicone rubber and vulcanizing agent, into a second extruder;
an extrusion step of extruding said magnet-side mixture from said first extruder, and simultaneously extruding said sheath-side mixture from said second extruder onto an outer periphery of said magnet-side mixture; and
a vulcanization step of applying heat to said two extruded mixtures to vulcanize said mixtures.