Abstract:
A deep breathing training device includes a band worn around the abdomen which carries a switch. The switch is connected to a human-perceptible indicator. When the wearer of the device takes a deep breath and expands their abdomen, the expansion of the belt activates the switch and causes the indicator to activate. Conversely, if the wearer merely expands their chest without expanding the abdomen, the band is not stretched and the indicator does not activate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    A. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to the medical arts and more particularly to a training device for assisting a person in performing deep breathing exercises. 
         [0003]    B. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    The medical benefits of deep breathing (also sometimes referred to as abdominal breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, and belly breathing) are widely reported in the popular and medical literature. For example, Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz report in their book  You: The Owners Manual, An Insider&#39;s Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger  (2005) that deep breathing helps transport nitric oxide, a very potent lung and blood vessel dilator that resides in your nasal passages, to your lungs thereby improving lung and blood vessel function. Taking deep breaths also helps your lungs go from 90 percent saturation of oxygen to 100 saturation of oxygen. Another benefit is that it helps improve the drainage of the lymphatic system. It further helps in stress relief and improves mental and physical performance in times of tension. Id. at pp. 165-166. A recent article in AARP magazine recommends deep breathing as a relaxation technique to take your mind off arthritis joint pain and thereby ease it. 
         [0005]    Drs. Roizen and Oz, and other experts, suggest that deep breathing exercises be conducted such that, as the lungs fill with air, the diaphragm should pull the chest cavity down and the abdomen should move away from the spine (i.e., expand) as the lungs are filled with air. The chest also widens slightly as you inhale. After you feel your lungs feel completely full, you slowly exhale to let all the air out, taking around seven seconds. If the exercise is done with one hand placed over the abdomen (as recommended by the authors), you can use your hand to both feel the expansion of the abdomen during the inhalation and to pull the abdomen toward the spine to force all the air out of the lungs at the end of the exhalation. The exercise can be done standing, sitting or lying down. 
         [0006]    The known prior art includes several patents related to measuring breathing performance, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,245,991; 5,165,393; 6,893,404; 5,311,875; and 6,740,046. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In a first aspect, a deep breathing training device is disclosed which includes a band sized and shaped for wearing by a person about the person&#39;s abdomen. The device further includes a human perceptible indicator, such as an audible indicator (e.g., buzzer), visual indicator (e.g. light) and/or a vibrating element. The device further includes a switch. The switch is carried by the band. The indicator is activated by the switch. Expansion of the abdomen against the band during a deep breathing exercise activates the switch and thereby activates the indicator. Consequently, when a person wears the device, if they take a deep breath but do not expand the abdomen, the indicator is not activated. However, if they take a deep breath and expand their abdomen during the inhalation (i.e., perform a proper abdominal breathing exercise), then the indicator is activated. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, a deep breathing training device is disclosed comprising a band sized and shaped for wearing by a person about the person&#39;s abdomen. The band has a front panel and rear panel. A human-perceptible indicator and a switch are carried by the band between the front panel and the rear panel. The indicator is activated by the switch when the front panel and rear panel are moved towards each other, due to expansion forces imparted to the band when the abdomen is expanded. 
         [0009]    In one possible embodiment, the device includes a housing having a first side facing the front panel and a second opposite side facing the rear panel. The indicator and switch are positioned within the housing. The housing can be made from any suitable material, including cardboard, plastic, wood or other. The housing is preferably constructed such that the first and second sides (walls) of the housing are free to move towards each other due to the compression of the elastic portion of the band. The action of the walls of the housing moving towards each other closes the switch, causing activation of the indicator. 
         [0010]    In still yet another aspect, a method is disclosed for training a person in deep breathing. The method includes the steps of placing a band about the person&#39;s abdomen, providing a human perceptible indicator and a switch with the band, and activating the switch and thereby activating the indicator due to expansion forces placed on the band during a deep breathing exercise. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment of both the method and the apparatus of the invention, the switch takes the form of a momentary switch which is spring biased to an open condition. The expansion forces on the band overcome the spring biasing of the momentary switch. This causes the switch to close, activating the indicator. 
         [0012]    In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a deep breathing training device in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a band which is sized and shaped and for wearing about the abdomen of a person using the device. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a more detailed view perspective view, partially in section, of one possible configuration of the indicator and switch which are carried by the band of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a person wearing the device of  FIG. 1  in a relaxed condition before inhaling. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows the person of  FIG. 3  taking a deep abdominal breath with the expansion of the abdomen causing the indicator to be activated to alert the person that the breath was properly carried out. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a more detailed view of one possible embodiment of the band, showing an adjustment feature in the band in greater detail. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a presently preferred embodiment of a deep breathing training device  10  is shown in a perspective view. The device  10  includes a bell-like band  12  which is sized and shaped for wearing by a person about the person&#39;s abdomen. To fit a variety of sizes, the band may have a circumference of say between 24 and 50 inches and a width of say 2 to 6 inches, although these dimensions are not critical. The band may be made from any suitable material, such as cloth, leather, or other material, including an elastic material. The use of elastic material, at least in part, in the band  12  allows the band to be stretched during expansion of the abdomen during a deep breathing exercise. As will be explained below in conjunction with  FIG. 2 , the band includes a region  18 , which may be located in the “front” of the band, i.e., adjacent to the front of the abdomen when the device is worn. The region  18  includes a front panel  20  and a rear panel  22 , between which are located a human perceptible indicator  14  such as light, buzzer, vibrating element, or combination thereof, and a switch  16 . The indicator  14  can also be separate from the band and connected to the band and switch by means of a wire. The indicator  14  is activated by the switch  16 . In particular, during use of the device, expansion of the abdomen against the band  10  during a deep (abdominal) breathing exercise stretches the band, which causes activation of the switch and thereby activation of the indicator. 
         [0020]    The ends of the band  12  preferably include an adjustment feature  40  (such as complimentary hook and loop-type fastener) to allow the band  12  to be worn by persons of various sizes. 
         [0021]    As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the indicator  14  and the switch  16  are carried by the band  10  and more particularly are sandwiched or positioned between the front and rear panels  20  and  22  of the portion  18  of the band  12 . A variety of possible mounting structures can be used to carry the indicator  14  and the switch  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the switch  16  and indicator  14  are positioned within a housing  26  having a wall  24  facing the front panel  20  and a second wall  28  facing the rear portion  22 . The wall  24  is attached to the front panel  20  by means of complimentary hook and loop fasteners  21  and  23  applied to the wall  24  and panel  20 , respectively. Similarly, the wall  28  is attached to the rear panel  22  by means of complimentary hook and loop fasteners  27  and  25  applied to the wall  28  and panel  22 , respectively. 
         [0022]    The housing  26  is constructed so that the walls  24  and  28  can move towards each other during expansion of the band  12 , indicated by the arrows  60 . This expansion action (due to expansion of the abdomen during deep breathing) causes the front and rear panels  20  and  22  of the portion  18  to move towards each other as indicated by the arrows  62 . This action, in turn, causes the momentary switch  16  to contact the wall  28 , moving the switch as indicated by arrow  64  and overcoming the spring force biasing the momentary switch  16  to the open position, thereby closing the switch  16  and activating the indicator  14 . 
         [0023]    The housing  26  can be made from any suitable material, such as wood, cardboard, plastic, etc. The housing can be in two pieces  26 A and  26 B, with piece  26 A simply placed on top of piece  26 B. The housing can also be a one-piece construction, e.g., in the form of a housing with a bellows construction to allow the walls  24  and  28  to move towards each other. In one possible configuration, an expansion spring  32  is provided in the housing  26  biasing the housing pieces  26 A and  26 B away from each other so as to only allow the momentary switch  16  to contact the wall  28  when sufficient expansion of the band  12  and movement of the walls  24  and  28  toward each other has occurred. The spring constant for the spring  32  will depend on such factors as the stretchiness of the band  12 , whether the entire band  12  is made from elastic material, the width of the band  12  in the region  18 , the amount of force required to overcome the biasing spring in the momentary switch  16 , and others, but persons skilled in the art will no doubt be able to come up with an appropriate spring. This spring  32  is not necessary, and in the embodiment of  FIG. 1  there is no spring  32 . The momentary switch  16  is sufficiently sensitive that only light pressure is required to activate the switch  16 . Such pressure is imparted to the switch  18  by the movement of the front and rear panels  20  and  22  towards each other (indicated by arrows  62 ) and the resulting movement of the walls  28  and  24  of the housing  26  towards each other, causing wall  28  to come into contact with switch  16 . 
         [0024]    The device of  FIG. 2  uses a 9-volt battery  31  as a power source for the indicator  14 . Item  29  in  FIG. 2  are spacers that space the combination of battery  31 , indicator  14  and switch  16  the necessary distance between the walls  24  and  28 . The spacers  29  also function as a support for the structure. One spacer  29  faces the wall  24  and other spacer  29  faces the wall  28  as shown in  FIG. 2 , with the switch  16  positioned on the exterior surface of one of the spacers  29 . A strap  33  secures the assembly  29 / 31 / 14 / 16  together. The indicator  14  is wired to the switch  16  and battery  31  such than when the switch  16  closes, power is supplied to the indicator  14  and the indicator is activated. The indicator  14  in the illustrated embodiment is a simple buzzer, but other possible indicators, such as LED light, vibrating element, etc. are of course possible. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show the device  10  in use. The user places the band  12  about their waist with the suspenders  13  worn in the usual fashion. The clips  15  of the suspenders  13  are positioned on either side of the front and rear panels  20  and  22  of the elastic section  18 , shown as location  50  in  FIG. 5 . The band at location  50  in  FIG. 5  can also be sewn or fastened at this point.  FIG. 3  shows the user in a relaxed condition, with the abdomen  70  in a relaxed state.  FIG. 4  shows the person using the device  10  when they have filled their lungs completely in the deep breathing exercise, with the abdomen  70  extended. This extension causes the indicator to be activated indicated at  72 , providing feedback to the user that the breathing exercise was properly carried out. Conversely, if they just expand their chest but with no expansion of the abdomen, then the band  12  would not be stretched and the indicator  14  would typically not be activated. Accordingly, the device  10  is useful to signal to the user that the abdominal breathing exercise was properly carried out with expansion of the abdomen. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a view of one possible construction of the band  12 . The band  12  is one piece and has a first end  12 A and a second end  12 B. The adjustment feature  40  is provided where the ends overlap the middle portion of the band. In this area, a region or strip of hook or loop fastener  44  is sewn to the band material  42  and a region or strip of complimentary hook or loop fastener  46  is sewn to the band ends  12 A and  12 B. These regions of hook and loop fastener allow the band to be fastened around the waist of users with different waistlines. The entire band  12  can be made out of a suitable material such as elastic, or cloth, with a height of say between 2 and 6 inches. 
         [0027]    In view of the above discussion and with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , it will be appreciated that I have disclosed a method for training a person in deep breathing, comprising the steps of: placing a band  12  about the person such that the band extends around the person&#39;s abdomen  70  ( FIG. 3 ); providing a human-perceptible indicator  14  and a switch  16  with the band (see  FIG. 2 ), and activating the switch and thereby activating the indicator due to expansion forces placed on the band during a deep breathing exercise, as shown in  FIG. 4  and as discussed above. In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the switch  16  is a momentary switch which is biased to an open condition. The expansion forces on the band during the deep breathing, as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 2 , overcome forces on the momentary switch  16  and cause the switch to be in a closed condition. 
         [0028]    Note further that the deep breathing training device can be sold or furnished to users either with or without the suspenders  13 . For example, if the two pieces of the band are sewn together at locations  50  in  FIG. 5 , the band  12  need not necessarily be used with a pair of suspenders. However, use of suspenders is optional to make sure the band  12  is placed at the correct location across the abdomen. 
         [0029]    While presently preferred embodiments have been described with considerable detail, it will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations from the specifics of the disclosed embodiments are of course possible without departure from the scope of the invention. For example, the details of the construction of the indicator and the switch, the housing, the band, and how the indicator and switch are coupled to band are considered representative of one possible configuration but other mechanical arrangements are of course possible. All questions concerning scope of the invention are to be made with reference to the appended claims.