US3929548A

US3929548A - Method for customizing mouthpiece retainer for underwater breathing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3929548A
Application number: US499183A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph B Shamlian
Original assignee: Farallon Industries Inc
Current assignee: Farallon Industries Inc
Priority date: 1973-10-02
Filing date: 1974-08-21
Publication date: 1975-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-30

Abstract

The retainer portion of the mouthpiece of an underwater breathing apparatus includes at least a portion made of a thermoplastic material. The retainer is customized to the bite of the user by heating the mouthpiece to render the retainer plastic. The retainer, while plastic, is gripped by the teeth of the user to form an impression of the users bite in the thermoplastic material of the retainer. In one embodiment, the thermoplastic portion of the retainer comprises only a sleeve of thermoplastic material which is affixed over the conventional rubber retaining member. In an alternative embodiment, the thermoplastic retainer is formed as an integral molded portion of the mouthpiece.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Shamlian 1 1 Dec. 30, 1975 [75] Inventor: Ralph B. Shamlian, San Francisco,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Farallon Industries, Inc., Belmont,

Calif.

22 Filed: Aug. 21, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 499,183

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 402,720, Oct, 2, 1973, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl. 156/245; 128/136; 156/293; 264/222 [51] Int. Cl. A61D 15/00; B29B 3/00 [58] Field of Search 156/245, 293, 311; 128/147,136,140 R, 145 A, 351; 32/19; 264/222 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,247,844 4/1966 Berghash 128/136 5/1966 Greenberg 128/136 10/1973 Helmer 128/136 Primary Examiner-Caleb Weston Attorney, Agent, or FirmLowhurst & Aine [57] ABSTRACT The retainer portion of the mouthpiece of an underwater breathing apparatus includes at least a portion made of a thermoplastic material. The retainer is customized to the bite of the user by heating the mouthpiece to render the retainer plastic. The retainer, while plastic, is gripped by the teeth of the user to form an impression of the users bite in the thermoplastic material of the retainer. In one embodiment, the thermoplastic portion of the retainer comprises only a sleeve of thermoplastic material which is affixed over the conventional rubber retaining member. In an alternative embodiment, the thermoplastic retainer is formed as an integral molded portion of the mouthpiece.

6 Claims, *6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec.30, 1975 Sheetlof2 3,929,548

US. Patant Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,929,548

METHOD FOR CUSTOMIZING MOUTHPIECE RETAINER FOR UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS This is a division, of application Ser. No. 402,720, filed Oct. 2, 1973, now US. Pat. No. 3,844,281.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to mouthpieces for underwater breathing apparatus and, more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus for retaining the mouthpiece within the mouth of the user by customizing the retainer means to the bite of the user by means of the use of thermoplastic material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore, the mouthpiece of an underwater breathing apparatus has been retained within the mouth of the user by means of rubber projections extending outwardly of the flanged lip portion of the mouthpiece. The retainer projections included a flanged free-end portion and an intermediate portion which fits between the teeth and which is gripped between the upper and lower teeth in use. The retaining members are made of rubber and formed as an integrally molded portion of the rubber mouth-piece.

The problem with the prior art retaining members is that they present a relatively small area to the teeth of the user such that a relatively high pressure is transmitted from the retaining member to the one or two teeth which grip each of the retaining members. In cold water, the low temperature of the gums and teeth tends to aggravate the pain produced by the reactive force of the rubber retaining means on the gripping teeth.

Therefore, it is desired to obtain an improved mouthpiece wherein the reactive gripping force exerted on the teeth by the retaining means is distributed more uniformly over the gripping teeth such that the mouthpiece is more comfortable is use.

It is also known from the prior art to make a toothprotective guard for boxers and other athletes of a thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic guard comprises a curved channel of thermoplastic material which is heated to plastic temperatures and inserted into the mouth and pressed over and around the upper teeth. The user bites gently into the guard, while in the plastic state, and the plastic guard is pressed against the back of the upper teeth such that an impression of the upper teeth is obtained in the guard, whereby the guard is customized to the teeth of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an improved mouthpiece for underwater breathing apparatus.

In one feature of the present invention, a blank of a thermoplastic material is formed to be affixed to the mouthpiece of an underwater breathing apparatus as a portion of the retaining means thereof, whereby the retaining structure may be customized to the bite of the user. The mouthpiece is customized to the user by heating the mouthpiece with the affixed thermoplastic member to render the member plastic, inserting the mouthpiece into the mouth of the user and biting down on the heated thermoplastic retainer portion to obtain an impression of the user's bite in the retaining struc- 2 ture, whereby the retainer of the mouthpiece is customized to the bite of the user.

In another feature of the present invention, thermoplastic blanks which are to form a portion of the retaining structure of the mouthpiece are formed as sleeves which fit over the conventional rubber retaining projections of the mouthpiece, whereby a conventional mouthpiece may be customized to the bite of the user.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a perusal of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the mouthpiece portion of an underwater breathing apparatus incorporating features of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an end view of the structure of FIG. 1 taken along line 22, in the direction of the arrow,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view ofa portion of the structure of FIG. 2 delineated by line 33 and depicting a thermoplastic blank of the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 depicting an alternative embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 4 taken along line 55 in the direction of the arrows, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 4 depicting an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a conventional mouthpiece structure 11 of an underwater breathing apparatus as modified to incorporate features of the present invention. More particularly, the mouthpiece structure 11, as of one piece molded rubber, includes a breathing tube portion 12 connected in gas communication via additional tubulation, not shown, to a source of air.

That portion of the mouthpiece 11 which is to be retained within the mouth of the user includes a pliable flanged lip portion 13 at the mouthpiece end of the tubulation 12. The flanged lip portion 13 includes a central breathing hole 14 connected in gas communication with the breathing tube 12.

A pair of retaining members 15, as of rubber, project outwardly from the concave face of the flange 13 to be clenched between the teeth of the user for retaining the breathing tube 12 within the mouth of the user. The retaining members 15 each include a central body portion 16 extending outwardly from the flange 13 to a flanged free-end portion 17. In a typical example, the central body portion 16 has a thickness 1 of 0.20, a width w of 0.50 and a depth of 0.20 inch. The flange portion 17 has approximately equal width and thickness as of 0.50 each and a depth as of 0.l0 inch.

A thermoplastic sleeve 18, as more fully shown in FIG. 3, is affixed over each of the retaining projections 15. In a typical example the sleeve 18 is made of a suitable thermoplastic material such as ethylene vinyl acetate. Such a material is commercially available from Dupont under their trademark Alathon. In a typical example, the sleeve 18 has a depth d of 0.35 and awall thickness 1 of 0.20 inch. The central opening 19 in the sleeve 18, which is to receive the main body 16 of the retaining projection 15, has a height h of 0.15 and a width w of 0.45 inch. In .use,.the thermoplastic blank sleeves 18 are threaded. overthe respective centralbody portions 16 of the retaining projections .15 and captured'to flange l3 via-the flanged. end portions 17 of the retaining projections 15. w 1

The mouthpiece 1 1 is heated, in a pot of boiling'water for 50 seconds'to" render the blank sleeve portions 18 thermoplastic. The mouthpiece 11 is then removed from the boiling water and inserted for l second' into cold water. The mouthpiece 11 is placed immediately in the mouth of the user with the flange portion 13 disposed between the lips and the teeth of the user and with the concave-fa'ce'of the flange l3 abutting the outside surfaces of the front and side teeth.

The thermoplastic blank sleev'e portions 18 are located inbetwe'en the upper and lower teeth in the re,

gions of the canine and first -pre-molar teeth, i.e.,' between severa l top and bottom teeth on each side of the mouth behind the front teeth. As the teeth are clenched onto the thermoplastic sleeve 18 they make an impression in the sleeve, such impression indenting the sleeve substantially to the substantially less plastic central body portion 16, or core, or tab of the retaining projection 15.-

' The 'c'e ntral'body portions 16 ofthe' projections 15 are dimensioned of the proper thickness to ensure that the spacing between the users teeth, as closed on the retainer bodies 16, is sufficient to permit breathing through the front teeth and breathing hole 14. As the thermoplastic sleeve-18 deforms toprovide the impression, it elongates to extend into'the region of adjacent teeth toward the front and rear of the mouth. In this manner, substantially increased tooth bearing area is obtained" for the composite retainingstructure. The elongation of the thermoplastic sleeve 18 is not sufficien'tito interfere with or otherwise cutoff the breathingopening-ML I The advantages of the customized retainer portion of the mouthpiece 11 are that the load bearing reactive forces exerted on the teeth by the retaining structure are spread out over more teeth. In addition, the forces are uniformly distributed over the teeth which bear on the retaining structure to provide a much-more comfortable grip especially when diving in cold water.

The thermoplastic sleeves -l8 are adapted to conventionalmouthpieces ILwhich are presently inuse. The userlm erelyacquires thessleeves ,1 8'and presses them into positionon the existing-retaining structures 15. .Jln analternative embodiment of the present invention, (s e e and 6 the retaining projections l5 areeliminated and the thermoplastic blank structures, l gwhi chmay be solid or which may include the rubber eoresnjb are affixed as bymolding or bonding at 21 to the flange 13. In another alternative embodiment (see no.5 the-flange l3 and retainingstructures are integrally molded as one piece of thermoplastic materialwhich is-bonded or otherwise affixed to the breathingtube .12 ,as ,by sealing flange 22. The mouthpiece of the present invention may be employed to advantage with any type, of underwater breathing apparatus such. as a regulator, snorkel, etc.

What is claimedis:

1. The method ofcustomizing the retaining portion of a mouthpiece of an underwater breathing apparatus 4 to the bite of the individual user comprising the steps of; j I

heating ablank of thermoplastic material as an individual portion of the retaining portion of the mouthpiece to a temperature sufficient to render "the blank thermoplastic; t placing the mouthpiece in the mouth of the user while at an elevated temperature compatible with use'within the mouth of the user and while in a thermoplastic state; biting down on the blank thermoplastic material while in the thermoplastic state to squeeze and compress the blank so as to cause the blank to flow and to form an impression of the users bite in the thermoplastic blank and allowingthe impressed blank to cool, whereby the retainer portion of the mouthpiece is customized to the bite of the user. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the blank and mouthpiece are initially separate members and including the step of affixing the blankmember of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece of the underwater breathing apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mouthpiece has atleast one retaining member projecting from the mouthpiece, and wherein the step of affixing the blank of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece comprises and'fot holding the upper and lowerteeth apart to facilitate steps of:

heating a blank of thermoplasticmaterial as a portion of the retaining portions of the mouthpiece toa temperature sufficient to render the blank thermoplastic; placing the mouthpiece in the mouth of the user while' at an elevated temperature compatible with 'use within the mouth of the user and while in a thermoplastic state;

'biting down on the blank of thermoplastic material while in the thermoplastic state to squeeze and compress the blank so as to cause the blank to flow and to form an impression of the users bite in the thermoplastic blank; and

allowing the impressed blank to cool, whereby the retainer portion of the mouthpiece is customized to the bite of the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the blank and the mouthpiece are initially separate members and including the step of affixing-the blank member of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece of the underwater breathing apparatus.

breathing through the breathing tube, the

6.. The method of claim 5 wherein the mouthpiece has at least one retaining member projecting from the mouthpiece, andwherein the step of affixing the blank of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece comprises fitting the blank over the retaining member.

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF CUSTOMIZING THE RETAINING PORTION OF A MOUNTHPIECE OF AN UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS TO THE BITE OF THE INDIVIDUAL USER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: HEATING A BLANK OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AS AN INDIVIDUAL PORTION OF THE RETAINING PORTION OF THE MOUTHPIECE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO RENDER THE BLANK THERMOPLASTIC, PLACING THE MOUTHPIECE IN THE MOUTH OF THE USER WHILE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE COMPATIBLE WITH USE WITHIN THE MOUTH OF THE USER AND WHILE IN A THERMOPLASTIC STATE, BITTING DOWN ON THE BLANK THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL WHILE IN THE THERMOPLASTIC STATE TO SQUEEZE AND COMPRESS THE BLANK SO AS TO CAUSE THE BLANK TO FLOW AND TO FORM AN IMPRESSION OF THE USERS BITE IN THE THERMOPLASTIC BLANK AND ALLOWING THE IMPRESSED BLAND TO COOL, WHEREBY THE RETAINER PORTION OF THE MOUTHPIECE IS CUSTOMIZED TO THE BIT OF THE USER.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the blank and mouthpiece are initially separate members and including the step of affixing the blank member of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece of the underwater breathing apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mouthpiece has at least one retaining member projecting from the mouthpiece, and wherein the step of affixing the blank of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece comprises fitting the blank over the retaining member.

4. The method of customizing the mouthpiece of an underwater breathing apparatus of the type having a pliable flange extending outwardly from the end of a breathing tube, such flange to be received between the lips and the frontal surface of the user''s teeth and having a pair of retaining portions extending outwardly from the flange on opposite sides of the breathing tube, such retaining portions being shaped and dimensioned for gripping in between the upper and lower teeth of the user for holding the mouthpiece in the user''s mouth and for holding the upper and lower teeth apart to facilitate breathing through the breathing tube, the steps of: heating a blank of thermoplastic material as a portion of the retaining portions of the mouthpiece to a temperature sufficient to render the blank thermoplastic; placing the mouthpiece in the mouth of the user while at an elevated temperature compatible with use within the mouth of the user and while in a thermoplastic state; biting down on the blank of thermoplastic material while in the thermoplastic state to squeeze and compress the blank so as to cause the blank to flow and to form an impression of the user''s bite in the thermoplastic blank; and allowing the impressed blank to cool, whereby the retainer portion of the mouthpiece is customized to the bite of the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the blank and the mouthpiece are initially separate members and including the step of affixing the blank member of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece of the underwater breathing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the mouthpiece has at least one retaining member projecting from the mouthpiece, and wherein the step of affixing the blank of thermoplastic material to the mouthpiece comprises fitting the blank over the retaining member.