Linear Mouthguard with Bendable Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mouthguards are ill-fitting and uncomfortable, particularly for individuals with wide jaws or dental appliances, and they hinder breathing and communication, while also being inefficient for shipping and storage due to their bulky packaging.
Innovation Solution
A mouthguard with a linear, initial configuration featuring a first and second trough region connected by a central element that can be bent into a curved shape to accommodate various mouth arches, allowing for improved fit, breathing, and storage efficiency, with softenable portions for comfort and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional tray-style mouthguards are used, then protection is provided, but they are ill-fitting and uncomfortable for individuals with wide jaws or varying arch configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The mouthguard is divided into a central element and multiple trough regions that can independently adapt to different parts of the dental arch. This segmentation allows each region to conform to specific tooth configurations while the central element provides structural connectivity, resolving the contradiction between universal protection and customized fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The mouthguard utilizes thermoplastic material properties that change with temperature. When heated, the material becomes more pliable and can be molded to various arch configurations. When cooled, it retains the custom shape. This parameter change enables a single device to adapt to multiple mouth configurations, resolving the fit-comfort contradiction.
2Reliability
If traditional tray-style mouthguards are used, then teeth are protected, but breathing and communication are hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The mouthguard design segments the coverage areas with trough regions positioned to protect specific tooth groups while leaving central areas open. This segmentation maintains protection where needed while creating pathways for breathing and speech, resolving the contradiction between reliable protection and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If traditional tray-style mouthguards are used, then protection is provided, but packaging is bulky and inefficient for shipping and storage
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of packaging the mouthguard in its expanded U-shape, the invention utilizes the material's memory property to allow it to be compressed into a linear configuration for packaging. The mouthguard is inverted from its functional expanded state to a compact linear state for storage, dramatically reducing packaging volume while maintaining protection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The mouthguard transitions between two dynamic states: an expanded U-shape for functional use and a compressed linear shape for storage. This dynamic capability allows the same structure to provide adequate protection when worn while occupying minimal space during shipping and storage, resolving the contradiction between protection and packaging efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mouthguard provides a comfortable, secure fit for diverse mouth shapes, allows natural breathing and speech, and is suitable for efficient packaging and display, addressing the limitations of traditional tray-style mouthguards.
Implementation Method 1
EVA's softening point is less than the temperature of boiling water. Therefore, such a mouthguard may be formed, or custom fit, to the wearer's mouth by placing the mouthguard in hot water until it becomes soft
Implementation Method 2
placing the mouthguard in hot water until it becomes soft
Data Source
AI summary
A mouthguard has an initial, substantially linear configuration and may be worn in a variety of applications including to protect a person's teeth when the person is engaged in a sports activity such as football, lacrosse, and other contact sports, as well as for concussion protection, user performance enhancement and so forth. The mouthguard includes a first end trough region generally shaped to cooperatively enclose one or more teeth on a first side of a mouth, a second end trough region generally shaped to cooperatively enclose one or more teeth on a second side of the mouth and a connection region spanning between the first end trough region and the second trough region. The connection may include a shaping element for reversibly forming a second, generally non-linear configuration.