Mouth Guard Aperture Segmentation for Breathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional mouth guards obstruct breathing and drinking due to their design, which is not conducive for athletic activities that require heavy breathing and fluid intake.
Innovation Solution
A mouth guard with spaced-apart molar receiving members, an inner wall for teeth, and an outer wall with a conduit allowing airflow and fluid passage, along with resilient deformation for impact absorption, enabling breathing and drinking while in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional mouth guard is used to protect teeth and prevent concussions, then dental and head protection is improved, but breathing through the mouth is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The mouth guard is segmented with a breathing aperture that divides the guard structure into regions that allow air passage while maintaining protective coverage over the teeth and jaw. This segmentation enables simultaneous protection and breathing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A breathing aperture is extracted or removed from the solid mouth guard structure, creating a passage that allows air flow. This extraction of space from the protective barrier enables breathing without compromising the overall protection provided by the remaining guard structure.
2Reliability
If a traditional mouth guard is used to protect teeth and prevent concussions, then dental and head protection is improved, but drinking is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The mouth guard structure is segmented to include a drinking aperture that creates separate pathways for liquid intake while maintaining protective coverage. This allows the guard to remain intact for protection while creating openings for drinking functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A drinking aperture is extracted from the mouth guard structure, creating a passage that allows liquid flow. This removal of material or space from the protective barrier enables drinking capability while the remaining structure maintains its protective function.
3Ease of operation
If a mouth guard with breathing and drinking apertures is used to enable airflow and fluid passage, then breathing and drinking capability is improved, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mouth guard employs local quality by concentrating the apertures in specific locations where they least compromise the overall structural integrity. The protective thickness and material properties are maintained in critical areas while allowing openings in regions where structural demands are lower.
Solution Approach 2:
The aperture placement and sizing exhibits asymmetry, with openings positioned and dimensioned to optimize both breathing/drinking functionality and structural strength. The asymmetric design allows strategic placement that balances functional requirements with structural integrity considerations.
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 mouth guard provides unobstructed airflow and fluid passage, maintaining stability and impact protection, allowing users to breathe and drink easily during athletic activities.
Implementation Method 1
resilient deformation for impact absorption
Data Source
AI summary
A mouth guard includes a pair of spaced-apart molar receiving members with an inner wall extending therebetween. The inner wall is configured for insertion between a user's lips and teeth. An outer wall is configured to confront an exterior surface of the user's lips. A conduit extends between the inner and outer walls and includes a passage formed therethrough. The passage extends through the inner wall between the molar receiving members and extends through the outer wall whereby a user may breathe or drink through the passage.