Dual-Layer Snoring Mouthpiece for Stable Tooth Molding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mouthpieces for reducing snoring often deform easily, fail to maintain their form, and provide a poor fit, limiting their effectiveness in opening the airway and reducing snoring.

Innovation Solution

A mouthpiece with a rigid shell layer and flexible mold layer, featuring adjustable assemblies and spacers, allows for deep tooth impressions and comfortable fit, maintaining a stable structure while allowing adjustment for personalized fit and air passage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a flexible material is used for the mouthpiece, then it can be molded by the teeth of the user, but it is easily deformed and has trouble maintaining its form

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemoldabilityVSAvoidform stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The mouthpiece uses a composite structure with an inner core made of rigid material (acrylic or polysulfone) and an outer layer made of flexible material (silicone rubber). This combination allows the mouthpiece to be molded by teeth while maintaining its form, as the rigid core provides structural stability while the flexible outer layer allows for molding and comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If the mouthpiece material is made rigid to maintain form, then it can maintain structure, but it cannot be heated and molded around user's teeth

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveform stabilityVSAvoidmoldability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The dual-layer composite structure allows selective application of properties: the rigid inner core maintains form and structure, while the flexible outer layer enables heating and molding. This resolves the contradiction by distributing different functional requirements to different material layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The mouthpiece is divided into two functional segments: an inner rigid core for structural integrity and an outer flexible layer for moldability. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Stability of the object's composition

If the mouthpiece structure is made rigid, then it maintains stable structure, but external components such as separators must be employed to help the device keep a desired form

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidcomponent complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The composite structure of rigid core and flexible outer layer eliminates the need for additional external separators or support components. The flexible layer conforms to the teeth and maintains the desired form through its material properties rather than requiring additional structural elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS20250325397A1Apparatus for reducing snoring

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 SNORE RELIEVER CO LLC

AI summary

A mouthpiece has an upper guard having a first mold layer and a first shell layer. The upper guard has an arcuate shape between a first end on a first side and a second end on a second side. The mouthpiece also has a lower guard having a second mold layer and a second shell layer. The lower guard has arcuate shape between a third end on a third side and a fourth end on a fourth side. Connectors couple the ends of the upper guard to the ends of the lower guard. The first and second mold layer are a flexible material and the first and second shell layer are a relatively rigid material.