Inducing tactile stimulation of musical tonal frequencies
View Patent ↗Transducers and resonators are embedded in body support structures in contact with a user to for the purpose of conveying musical sound energy to a user's body at selected frequencies and in selected patterns. Body support structures include beds, pillows, chairs, and other structures typically used to support people. The sound may be audio tones and/or music. The transducers and resonators may be incorporated into a foam component or in a coil spring component of the body support structure. Latex-type foams and beds made with springs are candidate body support structures for receiving transducer's and resonators. Electro-active polymers are also used as transducers.
1. A method of inducing tactile stimulation of musical tonal frequencies using a rigid diaphragm structure comprising:
providing said rigid diaphragm structure;
forming at least one first curved structure in a portion of said rigid diaphragm structure, said first curved structure having a curvature and thickness that causes said first curved structure to have a resonant, sympathetic frequency that responds to a first set of predetermined musical tonal frequencies;
forming at least one second curved structure in a portion of said rigid diaphragm structure, said second curved structure having a curvature and thickness that causes said second curved structure to have a resonant, sympathetic frequency that responds to a second set of predetermined musical tonal frequencies that is different from said first set of predetermined musical tonal frequencies;
attaching a first transducer to said rigid diaphragm structure that vibrates in a frequency range that corresponds to said first set of predetermined frequencies;
attaching a second transducer to said rigid diaphragm structure that vibrates in a frequency range that corresponds to said second set of frequencies.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming additional curved structures in said rigid diaphragm structure that respond to additional sets of musical tonal frequencies.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
attaching additional transducers to said rigid diaphragm structure that vibrate at frequencies that correspond to said additional sets of musical tonal frequencies.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said process of attaching said first transducer to said rigid diaphragm structure and attaching said second transducer to said rigid diaphragm structure comprises:
attaching first transducer to said rigid diaphragm structure at a location that corresponds to a peak of said first curved structure;
attaching said second transducer to said rigid diaphragm structure at a location that corresponds to a peak of said second curved structure.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
placing said rigid diaphragm structure as an insert between a box spring and a mattress to induce tactile stimulation of said musical tonal frequencies in a bedding system.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
placing said rigid diaphragm structure in an insert to induce tactile stimulation of said musical tonal frequencies in said insert.