Mouth Insert for One-Way Breathing

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/407,313, filed Sep. 16, 2022, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates generally to mouthpieces, and more specifically to training mouthpieces that are designed to prevent inhalation by the mouth.

Breathing is the body's automated response to carbon dioxide levels in the body exceeding a certain threshold. When that threshold is exceeded, the brainstem sends a signal to the respiratory muscles to inhale air. Upon exhalation, the carbon dioxide levels in the body drop and a new breathing cycle begins.

While breathing occurs naturally and automatically in the body, many people breathe incorrectly. That is, many people breathe only using their mouth and do not inhale or exhale through their nose.

Inhaling primarily through the mouth is known to cause and/or contribute to many health issues. These issues can further be exacerbated in overweight or obese persons as well. For instance, it is known that inspiring primarily through the mouth can contribute to many sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. Further, inspiration by the mouth while sleeping is likely to result in or increase snoring, which can ultimately prevent a person from obtaining a full restful night of sleep. In addition to being tired during the day from a lack of restful sleep, a lack of sleep can contribute to more significant health problems such as weight gain and behavioral issues.

Inspiration by the mouth, during wakefulness or rest, can also contribute to bad breath and/or dry mouth and throat. Consistent dry mouth and throat can further lead to a number of oral diseases, including gum disease and tooth decay.

The nose acts as the body's natural filtration system. The hairs found in a person's nose can capture small particles, such as pollen or other allergens and even bacteria or other unwanted microorganisms. Inhalation by the mouth completely bypasses this natural filtration system, allowing the allergens or microorganisms direct access to the body. This can result in an increased sensitivity to allergens and may even result in recurring upper respiratory illness.

The nose also acts as a temperature buffer between the ambient air and the lungs. Air that is taken in through the nose is forced through intricate structures within the nasal cavity, called turbinates, before being introduced to the lungs. These structures aid in regulating the temperature and humidity of the air before it passes to the lungs as well as providing additional filtration of that air. Air that is more closely matched to the temperature and humidity within the lungs can be taken up easier in the bloodstream and thus result in better oxygen levels in the blood. Inhaling primarily by the mouth avoids these nasal structures, preventing the temperature and humidity of the inhaled air from being balanced to those levels found in the lungs.

Aside from the adverse health impacts of inspiration by the mouth, it can also be detrimental during active training or physical activity. Inhaling by the mouth during training or other physical activity is common because it allows a person to take in more air than compared to breathing primarily through the nose. However, the actual amount of oxygen that will make it into the bloodstream may be lower than an equivalent intake breath through the nose. Further, breathing in through the nose allows the person to better control their heart rate and actually slow their breathing. In combination, this can result in a quicker recovery back to the person's baseline levels. Quicker recovery during training or other physical activity can increase a person's overall performance. Nose breathing during active training sessions can also allow the person to maintain a lower, more controlled heart rate, allowing them to train longer and harder.

The problem is that many people find nose breathing to be difficult or otherwise uncomfortable. This is because they have trained their bodies to subconsciously bypass the nose during breathing and only use their mouth. There have been several attempts by others to address this problem either through use of some type of facemask or other mouth covering device to restrict inhaling through the mouth. However, a common failure among these attempts is that the device restricts air intake through the mouth but does not completely block or prevent the air from flowing in. While a person using these devices may think they are training themselves to breathe through their noses, the restricted intake at the mouth can actually reinforce the inspiration by mouth habit. That is, by only restricting the air intake at the mouth, the person is still able to intake some air through the mouth, and if they inhale hard enough maybe even a full breath is taken in, which trains the body and the brain to inhale deeper and harder through the mouth, thus defeating the purpose of these prior art solutions.

Thus, what is needed a device that can completely restrict or otherwise block air being taken in through the mouth so as to train the person to breathe in primarily through their nose.

According to the invention disclosed herein, a mouthpiece for one-way breathing is disclosed. In general, the inventive mouthpiece has a movable baffle that will block an air hole when a user attempts to inhale through their mouth.

In particular embodiments, the inventive training device includes a mouth insert having an air hole defined therethrough. A first end of the insert is designed to engage a user's mouth and a second, opposite, end is designed as an impact surface. The air hole extends through the insert from the first end to the second end. A cage is engaged to the second end of the insert and has at least one guiding track and a backstop. The backstop is opposite the impact surface of the insert and is designed to allow air to pass through the cage and into the air hole. A baffle is housed within the cage and is movable between the backstop and the impact surface. The baffle is configured to block the inflow of air at the air hole when a user attempts to inhale through their mouth. Thus, the baffle moves along the guiding tracks to the impact surface and blocks the air hole when a person inhales through the mouth insert. Similarly, the baffle moves along the guiding tracks to the backstop upon a positive outflow of air through the air hole, e.g., the baffle moves to the backstop when a person exhales through the mouth insert. In some embodiments, an audible alert is generated when the air hole is blocked. The audible alert may be generated by the movement of the baffle against the impact surface of the second end.

In some embodiments, the second end of the mouth insert has a means to removably connect the insert to the cage. The removable connection means may be a snap-fit engagement between the second end of the mouth insert and the cage. In some embodiments, the first end of the mouth insert may include a retaining ring formed at the proximal end thereof. The first end may be configured to removably engage with an opening of a mouthpiece. The opening of the mouthpiece may further include a groove circumvolving the inner perimeter of the opening. The groove of the mouthpiece is designed to engage with the retaining ring formed on the mouth insert. The mouthpiece may be a conventional mouthpiece or mouth guard made from a synthetic material, such as rubber, and provides a bite surface for a user's mouth to grip when using the disclosed invention.

In some embodiments, there may be multiple guiding tracks formed with the cage. Each of the guiding tracks may have a defined curvature from the distal end of the cage to the proximal end of the cage. The curvature of the guiding tracks is designed to minimize friction generated between the baffle and the guiding tracks during inhalation or exhalation through the disclosed device. The baffle may be a free floating disk having rounded edges that move along the guiding tracks. The guiding tracks and backstop of the cage are designed so that the baffle cannot escape or otherwise dislodge from the cage unless the cage has been removed from the mouth insert.

In some embodiments, the cage may include a plurality of guiding tracks. The guiding tracks may be integrally formed with an inside surface of the cage. In some embodiments, the guiding tracks may be integrated with the backstop such that the backstop and the guiding tracks are a single molded component.

The backstop may be partially opened so as to allow the passage of air therethrough. One or more flow paths are defined in the cage when the baffle is positioned against the backstop. The total cross-sectional area of these flow paths is substantially equal to the minimum cross-sectional area of the air hole.

In further embodiments, the cage has an oval shape and the guiding tracks define an open oval-shaped area to house the baffle within the cage. The baffle can be an oval-shaped free-floating disc having a surface area less than the surface area of the open oval-shaped area of the cage.

The cage may also include a retaining clip. The retaining clip may be used to attach the disclosed training device to a keychain or lanyard or other such similar devices to ensure the training device does not become lost when not in use.

The following disclosure presents exemplary embodiments for a device for training a person to inhale through their nose. Particularly, the disclosure presents exemplary embodiments of multi-piece mouthpiece for completely blocking and preventing air intake through a person's mouth. In some embodiments an audible alert is generated when a person attempts to breathe in through their mouth using the present device. Methods for training proper breathing using the present device are also described.

is a perspective view of one embodiment according to the invention of a one-way breath trainer. The one-way breath trainerhas a mouth insertconnected to a cage. Housed within the cageis a free-floating planar baffle. The free-floating planar baffleis movable between the mouth insertand a distal end of the cageas a freely movable disc. The cageincludes at least one guidance trackformed on an inside surface of the cage and defining a depth of movement for the free-floating planar baffle. The guidance trackshave a defined curvature from the distal end of the cagetoward the proximal end. The curvature of the guidance tracksis configured to assist in containing the free-floating planar bafflewithin the cageas well as aid in centering the planar baffle within the one-way breath trainer. Further, the curvature of the guidance tracksis designed to minimize friction between the tracks and an outer edge of the bafflethereby allowing the baffle to move with minimal force requirements.

The distal end of the cagealso has an integral backstop. The guidance trackmay also form part of the backstop. The backstopis designed to keep the free-floating planar bafflecontained within the cage and prevents the baffle from dropping out or otherwise becoming disengaged from the one-way breath trainer. The backstopis also designed with at least one openingdefined therethrough. The openingallows for passage of air through the backstop. Preferably, a plurality of openingsare defined through the backstopto ensure a sufficient amount of airflow can be achieved. In preferred embodiments, the backstopis configured as an X defining four openingstherethrough. The X-shaped backstopensures the free-floating planar baffleis sufficiently contained within the one-way breath trainerwhile simultaneously ensuring there is sufficient open space for airflow to move through the breath trainer.

In some preferred embodiments, the baffleis movable under forces generated by normal human inspiration. For purposes of this disclosure, the phrase “normal human inspiration” is understood to mean the average volume of air taken in with each inhalation, under normal breathing pressures, by a human. In the relevant field, this volume of air is typically referred to as tidal volume and has been found to be between about 400 milliliters (mL) and about 600 mL of air for the average healthy adult. Further, normal breathing pressures for an average healthy adult have been found to be between about 1 pounds per square inch (psi) and 2 psi. Therefore, the baffleis configured to be movable under the forces generated by an average healthy adult human being inhaling between about 400 mL and 600 mL of air at pressures of between about 1-2 psi. It should be obvious to the skilled artisan that the bafflewill remain movable under forces generated by larger tidal volumes being inhaled under high pressures, for example, during certain types of strenuous exercise. Thus, movement of the bafflewithin the cagerequires minimal effort by a user. The bafflewill be freely movable under virtually any use-case scenario, including while a user is at rest and during strenuous exercise.

is a side view of the mouth insert. In this first embodiment of the mouth insert, there is a first endwith an elongated sectionextending toward a second end. The first endis configured for insertion in a user's mouth and has a retaining ringformed in a proximal end thereof. The mouth insertis designed such that a user can insert the first endin the user's mouth and surround the elongated sectionwith the user's lips while the retaining ringabuts the backside of their teeth. Thus, the retaining ringprovides an engagement surface for a user's teeth to contact and easily hold the mouth insert in their mouth.

is an isolated view of one embodiment of the free-floating planar baffle. In preferred embodiments, the free-floating planar baffleis configured as an oval shaped disc that is freely movable between the backstopof the cageand the air holeof the mouth insert. The free-floating planar baffleis sized such that it can completely block the air holeto prevent air from moving through the mouth insert. The free-floating planar baffleis sucked in against the air holewhen a user attempts to inhale through their mouth to block any additional air from moving through the hole.

In preferred embodiments, the free-floating planar bafflehas rounded edges. The rounded edgeswork in conjunction with the curvature of the guidance tracksto provide an uninhibited adjustment and reorientation of the free-floating planar bafflewithin the one-way breath trainer. The rounded edgesallow for a smooth alignment and realignment along the curvature of the guidance tracksby minimizing the friction generated between the moving parts. This design is particularly useful at preventing the free-floating planar bafflefrom becoming lodged at an angle along the guidance tracksthat prevents movement of the baffle in the cage. Further, the design promotes the free movement of the free-floating planar bafflewithin the cage.

is an exploded view of an embodiment of the one-way breath trainer. An air holeis defined substantially in the middle of the insertand extends from the first endthrough the elongated sectionto the second end. In preferred embodiments, the air holehas a substantially oval shape that is smaller than the overall surface area of the free-floating planar baffle. The second endhas an impact surfacesurrounding the air hole. The impact surfaceprovides a planar surface which the free-floating planar baffleengages to cover the air hole. The second endof the insertalso has a means for connecting the insert to the cage. Preferably, the insertis connected to the cagevia snap fit engagement. The cagehas a ridgeformed around the perimeter of a forward endthat snaps into engagement with a groovedefined substantially around the outer perimeter of the impact surfaceat the second end. Other connection mechanisms may also be used, such as magnets, threads, or any other conventional attachment means. Alternatively, the cageand the mouth insertmay be formed as a single component piece with the bafflepositioned to be free floating therein.

is a back view of an embodiment of the cage.is a front view of the cage of. The cageincludes at least one guidance track. In preferred embodiments, there are multiple guidance tracks, each with a defined curvature, as best shown inand described above. The guidance tracksare designed to provide a contact surface along which the free-floating planar bafflecan slide as it moves between the insertand the backstopof the cage. Preferably, four guidance tracksare formed integrally around an inside surfaceof the cageand spaced substantially equidistant from one another. The integrally formed guidance tracksmay extend to form an x-shaped backstopdefining four openingsthrough which air passes freely. The guidance tracksdefine an open spaceformed within the cage. The open spaceis less than the total surface area defined by the inside surfaceof the cage. In preferred embodiments, the free-floating planar baffleis freely movable within the open spaceformed between the tracksand the backstop.

In some embodiments, the inside surfaceof the cagedefines a depth of the cage between the backstopand the impact surface. The depth of the cagedefines the maximum distance the baffleis movable between the backstopand the impact surface. In some embodiments, the depth of the cageis between about four times and about fifteen times the thickness of the baffle. In other preferred embodiments, the depth of the cageis between about four times and about ten times the thickness of the baffle.

illustrates the free-floating planar bafflein its most distal position against the backstop. This positioning would occur when a user exhales through the one-way breath trainercausing air to flow out of the air holeand push the free-floating planar baffleoff the air hole and abut the backstop. With the free-floating planar baffleabutting the backstop, there remains flow pathsdefined around the baffle. The flow pathsare formed within the inside surfaceof the cageand around an outer edge of the open spaceformed by the guidance tracks. The flow pathsdefine a total cross-sectional area that is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of air hole. This ensures a user will be able to readily inhale and exhale through the mouth insertwith minimum effort to move the bafflewithin the cage. In alternative embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the flow pathsmay be more or less than the cross-sectional area of the air hole.

The cagemay also have a retaining clipextending from the distal end thereof. The retaining clipis designed so that a person can attach a lanyard or other such device onto the retaining clipso the breath trainermay be hung from a person's neck while in use. This allows a user to simply spit the device out of their mouth when they need to take a break from use. In addition, this prevents a person from having to put the device in their pocket or on another surface that may be unsanitary. Further, if a person's hands are occupied, such as when riding a bike or lifting weights, the person will be free to simply spit the device out of their mouth if/when they feel the need to inhale deeply through their mouth.

In preferred embodiments, the cagehas a substantially oval shape and the open spaceformed within the cage has a corresponding oval shape. The free-floating planar baffleis sized such that it can move freely within the open spaceformed within the cage but is large enough to completely block the air hole. The inventors have discovered that the oval shaped planar baffle, curved guidance tracks, oval shaped cagewith an x-shaped backstopprovide an effective geometric design to promote the free movement of the baffle within the open spaceand align the baffle properly against the air holewhen a user inspires through their mouth. However, other geometric designs, such as circular, rectangular or any other geometric shape, may be used with the present invention.

is a rear view of an embodiment of the mouth insert.is a front view of the mouth insert of. The air holeis defined substantially through the mouth insertfrom the mouth sidethrough to the second side. The air holeis surrounded by the impact surfaceon the second sideof the mouth insert. Preferably, the air holeis oval shaped and defined substantially through the center of the mouth insert. In alternate embodiments, the air holemay have other geometric shapes. The size of the air holeis configured such that the maximum amount of air flowing therethrough closely matches the maximum amount of air flow moving through the open spaceof the cage and through the backstop openings. The air hole is smaller than the baffleso that the baffle can easily cover the air hole when subject to inward suction forces.

In use, the one-way breath trainersubstantially blocks inhalation by the mouth. When a user places the mouth insertof the breath trainerinto their mouth and attempts to breathe in through their mouth, air is drawn through the openingsof the backstopcreating a pressure differential across the elongated sectionthat forces the bafflealong the guidance tracksand against the impact surfaceat the second endof the mouth insert. There, the bafflecompletely blocks the air hole, thus preventing any more air from entering the air hole.

In one embodiment, when the baffleengages the impact surfaceof the mouth insertto block the air hole, it produces an audible alert, such as a click, that alerts the user of an attempt at inspiration by the mouth. The audible alert also informs the user they are no longer able to breathe in through their mouth and must finish their inhalation via their nose or otherwise disengage from using the breath trainer. Preferably, the audible alert is generated by the force with which the baffleengages the impact surfaceand based on the materials used to make the one-way breath trainer. For instance, when the breath traineris made from hard plastics through aD printing process, the force need not be that great as the engagement of hard plastic on hard plastic will generate an audible alert. In other embodiments not using hard plastics, additional features may be present to generate the alert. For example, in soft plastic or rubber embodiments, it may be necessary to embed a hard plastic or metal strip in the baffle and on the impact surface so that the hard surfaces can engage and, with sufficient force from the inhalation, produce the audible alert.

After completing inhalation, the user must now exhale. With the breath trainerstill engaged, the user may exhale through their mouth. The air flow exiting the air holepushes against the baffle, moving it along the tracksuntil it meets the backstop. With the air holenow exposed, air can exit the cage around the baffleand through the flow paths. Preferably, the breath traineris configured so that when the user exhales with enough strength to force the baffleagainst the backstop, the flow resistance of the resulting flow channel is substantially equal to a flow resistance experienced by the user when exhaling without the breath trainer. In other words, the fully open flow resistance of the breath trainer is imperceptible to the user and preferably places no additional load on the user when exhaling. Alternatively, the breath traineris designed is to minimize the resistance a person may experience during exhalation through their mouth so that any additional perceived breathing load is negligible. In another embodiment, the breath traineris configured so that when fully open (i.e., baffleabutting backstop), the total cross-sectional area of flow pathssubstantially equals the minimum cross-sectional area of the air hole.

The breath trainermay come in a variety of sizes that can be used for a variety of purposes. For instance, at-home breath training or meditation style uses may only require a miniature breath trainer whereas a person engaged in strenuous exercise may find it more suitable to use a larger sized device. The different size requirements correlate to a difference in activity level and thus a person's oxygen requirements. During strenuous exercise, a person's oxygen requirements are typically higher than the oxygen requirements of a person who is meditating. The increase in size of the breath trainer scales up the relative sizes of the air hole, the baffle and the cage, which allows a person to increase inspiration depth. In a larger sized breath trainer, the baffle continues to work against the air hole to block inspiration by the mouth. Further, the larger air hole and cage results in increased room for air to move through the flow pathsduring exhalation by the mouth. This increased size is preferable during strenuous activities, such as weight training, running, mixed martial arts training or any other activity where a person needs to take deep breaths to support the body's oxygen requirements.

is a partially transparent perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a one-way breath training mouthpiece. The breath training mouthpiecehas essentially the same major components as the one-way breath trainer. The primary difference between the two embodiments is that the first endof the mouth insertis configured to engage with a mouthpiece. Note, the dashed lines inrepresent the forward edge of the mouth insertas engaged with the mouthpiece. A distal endof the mouthpiece has an opening that extends into a hollow elongated section. The opening into the elongated sectionof the mouthpieceis configured to receive the first endof the mouth insertand surround the elongated sectionof the mouth insert. The elongated sectioncontinues into a bite plate. The bite platemay be designed according to conventional mouthpiece designs having wallconforming to the shape of a person's jaw and a bite surfaceintegrally formed with the walland extending inward. The wallis sized such that a person can insert the mouthpiece into their mouth and surround it with their lips while their upper and lower teeth engage the bite surface. The opening extends from the distal endthrough the elongated sectionto the proximal endand defines a hollow flow channel. In preferred embodiments, at least one grooved rimcircumvolves an inside surface of the elongated section. The retaining ringof the mouth insertis configured to engage the mouthpieceby friction-fit within a groove on an inner surface of the grooved rimto secure the mouthpieceto the mouth insert.

In alternate embodiments, the mouthpiece may have multiple grooved rimspositioned at differing depths within the elongated section. The multiple grooved rims allow a user to select the position of the mouth insert relative to the mouthpiece which correlates to the force required to separate the mouth insertfrom the mouthpieceduring exhalation. The deeper the insertis positioned in the mouthpiece, the more exhalation force is required to separate the component pieces. Similarly, positioning the insert at the most distal groove results in lower exhalation force to separate the pieces. The ability to vary resistance against separation of the pieces due to the exhalation force exerted may be beneficial to certain persons using the breath training mouthpieceduring certain activities. For instance, during high energy exercise, a person may need to exhale harshly. Positioning the insert at the distal end ensures that during harsh exhales, the insertis capable of being forcibly disengaged from the mouthpieceas a safety precaution to allow the user to quickly recapture their breath without resistance. This may be necessary for users just beginning to use the device during training where it feels uncomfortable to limit their ability to exhale in a controlled manner. As the user becomes more comfortable using the breathing device, they can push the insert deeper into the mouthpiece to experience an increased resistance to the forcible separation of the mouth insertfrom the mouthpiecedue to exhalation and thus continue to train themselves to take deep, controlled breaths during activity. There may be a series of grooved rimspositioned at different depths where each depth corresponds to a calculable exhalation force required to forcibly separate the component pieces by exhaling. This serial design provides a user the ability to train using the breath training mouthpiece in a stepwise manner, progressively moving the insert deeper into the mouthpiece as the user becomes accustomed to the previous depth and resistance to forcible separation.

The mouthpiece may be made from conventional polymer or rubber material as is common for other conventional mouthpieces. Further, it may be advantageous to make the bite surface out of a moldable rubber or polymer material so that a user can mold the surface to the profile of their teeth. Further, the bite surface may extend the length of a user's teeth profile so as to provide complete coverage of their teeth. This design of the mouthpiece may be beneficial for people using the training device during sleep so they do not unconsciously grind their teeth while asleep.

is a diagram of a training methodto eliminate inspiration by the mouth. The method is applicable to all embodiments of the invention, including the one-way breath trainerand the breath training mouthpiece. At step, a user engages the device with their mouth, creating an airtight seal between the user's mouth and the device. Once the seal has been created, at step, the user inhales through their mouth which causes air to be sucked in through the device. The air flowing in works against the baffle and begins to move it along the tracks toward the air hole. At step, if an audible ‘click’ is generated, the user is informed to finish the inhalation through their nose (step). The ‘click’ indicates to a user the air hole is now covered by the baffle and no more air can pass therethrough. If the user does not hear the ‘click’ they will continue inhaling through their mouth until the ‘click’ has been generated, at which point the inhalation can be stopped or otherwise completed through the nose (step). At step, once the user has finished inhaling through their nose with the air hole sufficiently blocked, they may now exhale through their mouth. The air being exhaled through the air hole works against the baffle to move it off the air hole, thus allowing air to pass through the air hole and out the cage through the flow paths. At step, the process goes back to stepand the breathing exercise is repeated.

The above-described training method works on principals of behavioral conditioning. That is, when a person begins to mouth breathe, an audible ‘click’ is generated and the air supply is cut off. To continue breathing, the person must now inhale through their nose. Repeated practice of this training method can condition the person's brain to avoid the ‘click’ while breathing by inhaling primarily through their nose. The training method may be practiced while sitting at home watching tv, driving, while at work or virtually any other activity. Repeated practice of the training methodcan subconsciously teach the person the proper manner to breathe, e.g., in through the nose and out through the mouth, and thereby eliminate the many health risks associated with mouth breathing.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in an illustrative style. Accordingly, the terminology employed throughout should be read in a non-limiting manner. Although minor modifications to the teachings herein will occur to those well versed in the art, it shall be understood that what is intended to be circumscribed within the scope of the patent warranted hereon are all such embodiments that reasonably fall within the scope of the advancement to the art hereby contributed, and that that scope shall not be restricted, except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.