DE29721589U1 - Anti-snoring device - Google Patents

Description

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TELEPHONE: 0711/78473*1 * FAX: 0711/7800996 KÖHLER SCHMID + P. RUPPMANNSTR. 27 D-70565 STUTTGART

KÖHLER SCHMID + PARTNER

PATENT ATTORNEYS

22 671 Sl/cs

Wilhelm Kowalleck
Vaihinger Str. 11
71735 Eberdingen

Device to prevent snoring

The invention relates to a device for preventing snoring.

The snoring problem is as old as humanity. Accordingly, various efforts have been made to eliminate it for a long time.

For example, balls are known that are sewn into the back of pajamas and nightgowns and that exert painful pressure on the user as soon as he or she lies on his or her back. In this way, the affected

The person who is snoring should be prevented from staying in the supine position that encourages snoring for long periods of time during sleep. Also in use are alarm devices that are connected to a device that measures the noise level in the bedroom in question and that are triggered as soon as the volume of the snoring noises detected exceeds a predetermined limit.

The devices described have the disadvantage that they can only prevent snoring by disturbing the user’s night’s sleep.

The present invention aims to remedy this disadvantage.

According to the invention, the stated object is achieved in that a device of the type mentioned at the beginning is provided with at least one blocking or throttling device for the breathing air flow, which is inserted into a breathing air flow associated with the user's mouth and is effective in the inhalation direction. The blocking or throttling device mentioned ensures that the user's mouth breathing is completely impossible, or at least hindered. Due to this circumstance, the user of the device according to the invention is forced to breathe in exclusively or at least primarily through the nose. Experience has shown that breathing in through the nose is far less common or in

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associated with snoring noises of a much lower intensity than mouth breathing. Practical testing of the device according to the invention has shown that its use can often be limited to individual phases that follow one another at different times. It has been observed that the user of the device switches his breathing to nasal breathing after a few nights of use and maintains this changed breathing technique for a considerable time after the device has been stopped. In any case, the blocking or throttling device according to the invention is effective in the inhalation direction. A blocking or throttling effect can in principle also be present in the exhalation direction. According to the invention, however, an embodiment of the device according to the invention with a blocking or throttling device that enables essentially free exhalation and whose use is therefore extremely comfortable is preferred.

In the interest of making the overall device as simple as possible, a further development of the invention provides that the blocking or throttling device for the flow of breathing air can be moved from breathing air flowing in the direction of inhalation into a blocking or throttling position and from breathing air flowing in the direction of exhalation into a release position. In the case of such a device, it is ensured automatically and therefore without additional technical measures that mouth breathing is only prevented or made more difficult when inhaling, but can occur freely when exhaling.

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The blocking or throttling device according to the invention is expediently designed in the form of a check valve, which has proven itself many times in practice.

In a preferred variant of the invention, it is provided that the blocking or throttling device for the respiratory air flow has at least one blocking or throttling body and at least one passage opening for the respiratory air flow delimited by a control edge or control surface assigned to the blocking or throttling body, wherein the blocking or throttling body can be moved towards the control edge or control surface into a blocking or throttling position when acted upon by respiratory air flowing in the inhalation direction and away from the control edge or control surface into a release position when acted upon by respiratory air flowing in the exhalation direction.

The invention preferably provides a valve flap as a permanently functional and reliable blocking or throttling body with little construction effort.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by a mouthpiece associated with the user's mouth with a breathing air passage opening into the user's mouth, whereby the blocking or throttling device for the breathing air flow is held on the mouthpiece. In this case, direct contact between the user's mouth

and the locking or throttling device according to the invention can be avoided. In addition, the mouthpiece can be ergonomically designed in the interest of optimal user comfort of the entire device, for example its shape can be adapted to the contour of the user's mouth or it can be made of a material that is pleasant for the user when in direct contact with the skin.

If the blocking or throttling device for the breathing air flow is detachably held on the mouthpiece, as is provided for in another variant of the device according to the invention, it can be easily removed from the mouthpiece, for example for cleaning purposes, and can be easily replaced with a functioning device if malfunctions occur.

The functionality of the device according to the invention requires in particular that the blocking or throttling device assumes a position in which it is connected to the breathing air flow. In a further development of the invention, maintaining the target position by the blocking or throttling device is made easier by the fact that the mouthpiece has a projection that lies between the user's lips in the position of use. The user can hold the mouthpiece by this projection. Alternatively or additionally, the blocking or throttling device for the breathing air flow can be fixed to the user's head by means of a holding device.

A further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that a mouth cover is provided which at least almost completely covers the user's mouth area and, apart from the passage opening of the blocking or throttling device for the flow of breathing air, essentially seals the user's mouth against inhalation of breathing air. The described mouth cover ensures that air which may generate snoring noises cannot be inhaled past the blocking or throttling device or can only be inhaled to a small extent.

In order to ensure that the mouth is sealed as effectively as possible against undesirable side air flows, the mouth cover in a further development of the invention consists of a flexible material that adapts to the contours of the user's mouth. The flexibility of the mouth cover also increases its comfort when worn.

The invention is explained in more detail below using schematic representations of an embodiment. They show:

Figure 1 shows a device for preventing snoring in a perspective exploded view of its individual parts and

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Figure 2 is a sectional view of the mouthpiece of the device according to Figure 1 with a cutting plane indicated by the line II-II in Figure 1.

According to Figure 1, the device shown for preventing snoring essentially comprises a mouth cover 1, a mouthpiece 2 to be attached thereto and a holding device in the form of a headband 3.

The mouth cover 1 is made of a flexible synthetic leather material and is coated with a skin-friendly textile fabric on the back facing away from the viewer. In its middle, the mouth cover 1 has a receiving opening 4 for the mouthpiece 2. On the side, the mouth cover 1 is provided with slots 5 through which the ends of the headband 3 are passed.

The mouthpiece 2, made of a physiologically harmless plastic, is tubular and comprises a nozzle 6, which expands radially towards a flange 7 at the end remote from the mouth cover 1. Inside, the mouthpiece 2 is penetrated by a breathing air passage 8 running in the axial direction.

According to Figure 2, a blocking device 9 for the breathing air flow is held in a releasably clamped manner in the breathing air passage 8 of the mouthpiece 2. The blocking device 9 comprises a blocking body in the form of a valve flap 10 and a two-layer valve sleeve 12, to which the valve flap 10 is pivotably attached in the direction of an arrow 11. An outer layer 13 is elastically deformable in the radial direction and, due to a certain radial oversize compared to the diameter of the breathing air passage 8, ensures an effective frictional connection in the axial direction between the valve sleeve 12 and the mouthpiece 2. An inner sleeve 14 of the valve sleeve 12 is made of rigid plastic and forms a control surface 15 assigned to the valve flap 10 at its end facing the flange 7 of the mouthpiece 2, which control surface delimits a passage opening 16 for the breathing air flow.

When in use, the mouthpiece 2 is inserted with its nozzle 6 into the correspondingly contoured receiving opening 4 on the mouth cover 1. The flange 7 of the mouthpiece 2 protrudes radially beyond the receiving opening 4 and thereby ensures effective axial support of the mouthpiece 2 on the mouth cover 1. The user must put the entire device on and fix it to the head using the headband 3. The headband 3 is elastic to adapt to different head diameters and its length can be adjusted in the conventional manner. In the position of use of the device shown

The device covers the mouth cover 1 over the user's mouth area. The user's nose remains completely free. The nozzle 6 of the mouthpiece 2 forms a connection that lies between the user's lips when the device is in use. The breathing air passage 8 of the mouthpiece 2 opens into the user's mouth.

When inhaling, the user initially tries to take in air not only through the nose but also through the mouth. However, under the effect of the air flowing in the direction of inhalation, the valve flap 10 is pressed against the control surface 15 of the valve sleeve 12 and the locking device 9 is thereby moved or held in the locking position. Since the mouth cover 1 fits tightly against the user's mouth area due to its flexibility, only a small amount of air can flow into the user's mouth over the edge of the mouth cover 1. The user is therefore forced to inhale exclusively, or at least primarily, through the nose.

Used air, on the other hand, can be exhaled through the nose as well as through the mouth. The valve flap 10 is lifted off the control surface 15 of the valve sleeve 12 under the effect of air flowing in the exhalation direction and pivoted in the direction of the arrow 11. The passage opening 16 of the blocking device 9 for the flow of breathing air is thereby released.

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-10-ben and the exhaled air can flow freely through the valve sleeve 12 or the mouthpiece 2.

For cleaning purposes, the device can be easily dismantled into its individual parts. The mouthpiece 2 can be removed from the receiving opening 4 on the mouth cover 1; the locking device 9 can be pushed out in its entirety from the breathing air passage 8 of the mouthpiece 2. The same procedure should be followed when replacing the individual parts of the device for repair purposes.

Claims (10)

EXPECTATIONS 1. Device for preventing snoring, characterized by at least one blocking (9) or throttling device for the respiratory air flow, which is connected to a respiratory air flow associated with the user's mouth and is effective in the inhalation direction. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking (9) or throttling device for the respiratory air flow can be transferred from respiratory air flowing in the inhalation direction into a blocking or throttling position and from respiratory air flowing in the exhalation direction into a release position. 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking (9) or throttling device for the respiratory air flow has at least one blocking or throttling body and at least one passage opening (16) for the respiratory air flow delimited by a control edge or control surface (15) assigned to the blocking or throttling body, wherein the blocking or throttling body is acted upon by respiratory air flowing in the inhalation direction in the direction of the control edge or control surface (15) into a blocking or throttling position and from - 12 - When acted upon by breathing air flowing in the exhalation direction, it can be moved away from the control edge or control surface (15) into a release position. 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a valve flap (10) is provided as the blocking or throttling body. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a mouthpiece (2) associated with the user's mouth with a breathing air passage (8) opening into the user's mouth, the blocking (9) or throttling device for the breathing air flow being held on the mouthpiece (2). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking (9) or throttling device for the breathing air flow is detachably held on the mouthpiece (2). 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mouthpiece (2) has an attachment (6) lying between the user's lips in the position of use. 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking (9) or throttling device for the breathing air flow is optionally controlled via the mouthpiece (2) by means of • « > «· **** • &Lgr; 4 ) · • I
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• - 13 - a holding device (3) can be fixed to the user’s head. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a mouth cover (1) is provided which at least almost completely covers the mouth area of the user and, apart from the passage opening (16) of the blocking (9) or throttling device for the respiratory air flow, essentially seals the mouth of the user against the inhalation of respiratory air. 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mouth cover (1) consists of a flexible material that adapts to the contour of the user's mouth area.