Vibroacoustic Bathing Systtem

Abstract

A vibroacoustic system includes a shell having a plurality of transducers mounted in an energy transmitting relation thereto. The transducers receive input signals having distinct wave characteristics and drive the shell to simultaneously produce both a vibratory experience effected by a tactile stimulus and an auditory experience effected by an aural stimulus.

1 . A vibroacoustic plumbing fixture, comprising:
 a shell for containing water; and   a plurality of transducers mounted in energy transmitting relation to the shell, wherein the transducers receive distinct input signals so as to simultaneously drive the shell to produce a vibratory experience and an auditory experience having at least one wave characteristic different from the vibratory experience, the vibratory experience being a tactile stimulus effected through the water in the shell and the auditory experience being an aural stimulus effected outside of the water to effect an aural stimulus.   
   
   
       2 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the shell is tuned to enhance at least one wave characteristic of the vibratory experience. 
   
   
       3 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the vibratory experience has a non-melodic, essentially non-repetitive wave characteristic. 
   
   
       4 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the transducers is positioned essentially vertically above a waterline of the water in the shell and wherein at least one of the transducers is positioned essentially vertically below the waterline, and wherein the at least one transducer above the waterline provides the auditory experience and the at least one transducer below the waterline provides the vibratory experience. 
   
   
       5 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 1 , wherein there are at least four transducers, a first pair of the transducers being arranged about a first axis of the shell and a second pair of the transducers being arranged about a second axis of the shell essentially perpendicular to the first axis. 
   
   
       6 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 5 , wherein there are at least six transducers, at least two of which are dedicated to the auditory experience and at least four of which are dedicated to the vibratory experience. 
   
   
       7 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 6 , wherein the at least two transducers dedicated to the auditory experience are arranged on opposite sides of the first axis. 
   
   
       8 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 7 , wherein the at least four transducers dedicated to the vibratory experience are arranged one in each quadrant defined by the first and second axes. 
   
   
       9 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 8 , wherein the shell defines a bathtub basin. 
   
   
       10 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 9 , wherein the basin includes a head pocket for locating a head of a bather essentially below a rim of the bathtub basin. 
   
   
       11 . The vibroacoustic plumbing fixture of  claim 10 , wherein the basin defines a foot wall, a head wall, and two side walls, the foot wall being opposite the second axis from the head wall and two side walls extending between the head and foot walls on opposite sides of the first axis. 
   
   
       12 . A vibroacoustic plumbing fixture, comprising:
 a shell for containing water; and   a plurality of transducers mounted in energy transmitting relation to the shell, wherein the transducers receive input signals having separate and distinct audile wave and vibratile wave characteristics, wherein the transducers simultaneously drive the shell to produce an auditory experience corresponding to the audile wave characteristics effecting an aural stimulus and a vibratory experience corresponding to the vibratile wave characteristics effecting a tactile stimulus.   
   
   
       13 . A vibroacoustic plumbing fixture, comprising:
 a shell for containing water;   a first set of transducers mounted in energy transmitting relation to the shell and receiving an input signal having an audile wave characteristic; and   a second set of transducers mounted in energy transmitting relation to the shell and receiving an input signal having a vibratile wave characteristic different from the audile wave characteristic;   wherein the first and second sets of transducers drive the shell to simultaneously produce a vibratory experience corresponding to the vibratile wave characteristic and an auditory experience corresponding to the audile wave characteristics so as to effect separate and distinct tactile and aural stimuli.   
   
   
       14 . A vibroacoustic plumbing fixture, comprising:
 a shell for containing water, wherein when the shell contains water the water defines a waterline relative to the shell below which is filled with water;   a first set of transducers mounted in energy transmitting relation to the shell essentially above the waterline and receiving an input signal having an audile wave characteristic; and   a second set of transducers mounted in energy transmitting relation to the shell essentially below the waterline and receiving an input signal having a vibratile wave characteristic different from the audile wave characteristic;   wherein the first and second sets of transducers drive the shell to simultaneously produce a vibratory experience corresponding to the vibratile wave characteristic and an auditory experience corresponding to the audile wave characteristics so as to effect separate and distinct tactile and aural stimuli.