A nasal dilator for preventing outer wall tissue of nasal passages of a nose from drawing in during breathing. There is a spring member for bridging a human nose, the spring member extending over the bridge and at least partly beyond the bridge on both sides of the bridge. A pad with an adhesive surface covers the spring member and extends around the spring member so that there is a perimeter of space formed between the spring member and the pad member. The spring is inset centrally in the pad. An adhesive between the spring member and the pad wholly connects the spring member on its entire engaging surface with the pad.

BACKGROUND 
This invention relates to dilators for the nose. In particular, the 
invention is concerned with a dilator to urge the nasal passages of the 
nose open during breathing. 
One known form of dilator used for this purpose is in the nature of a band 
for extension over the nose from one nasal passage, over the bridge of the 
nose, to the other nasal passage. This pad is formed of a flexible 
material which has sandwiched with it a resilient spring material. Both 
the flexible material and the spring are normally planar. When the pad is 
placed on the nose, it sticks to the skin of the nose, and the action of 
the spring causes the nasal passages to be urged open. 
In the Applicant's experience, the known dilator is not as effective as it 
could be. In particular, the nasal passages are not urged open as much or 
as little as they could usefully and safely be opened. Also, the currently 
known device consists of multiple components forming the pad in a sandwich 
relationship with the spring. Therefore, the fabrication of such a dilator 
arrangement is unduly complicated. 
There is a need to provide a pad system for a dilator for location over the 
nose which minimizes the disadvantages of known systems. 
SUMMARY 
By this invention there is provided a dilator which has advantages over 
known dilators. 
According to the invention, there is provided a nasal dilator for 
preventing outer wall tissue of nasal passages of a human nose from 
drawing in during breathing. The dilator includes an elongated resilient 
spring member for bridging a human nose, and there is also a flexible pad 
having a surface area and peripheral edge. The pad, which is made of a 
breathable material, engages the spring member, which is a polyflex 
material, and extends around the spring member. 
There is an adhesive between the spring member and the pad such that the 
spring member on one of its entire engaging surface wholly adheres with 
the pad. A surface perimeter area of the pad is formed between the outer 
edge of the spring member and the peripheral edge of the pad. The surface 
perimeter area includes an adhesive for adhering to skin of the nose. 
When the spring member is located over the bridge of the nose, the opposite 
flat surfaces of the spring member extend over the bridge of the nose and 
at least partly beyond the bridge of the nose. In this manner, the spring 
extends over the nasal passages on both sides of the bridge. 
In some embodiments, when in use on the nose, there are only the spring 
member, the adhesive pad, and the adhesive between the pad and the spring 
member. When in position on the nose, a flat surface of the spring member 
engages directly on the nose. In some other embodiments, there is also an 
adhesive on the surface area of the spring adjacent to the bridge of the 
nose, so the spring member adheres to the nose. 
When unattached to the nose, the spring member and pad, has a natural 
position contrary to a curvature formed by location of the spring member 
over the bridge of the nose and adjacent to the nasal passages. 
Preferably, the natural position is with a curvature contrary to the shape 
of the curvature formed from one nasal passage over the bridge to the 
second nasal passage. The contrary curvature acts to place an increased 
amount of spring action on the dilator so that the dilation action on the 
nasal passages is enhanced when in use. 
In one form of the invention, the dilator is located in a package before 
usage on the nose, and the interaction of the package on the dilator 
develops the contrary curvature. In another form of the invention, the pad 
is stretched prior to adhering to the spring, and that stretch acts to 
place the contrary curvature onto the dilator. 
The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying 
drawings.

DESCRIPTION 
A nasal dilator 10 prevents the outer wall tissue 11 of first and second 
nasal passages 12 of a human nose 14 from drawing in during breathing. 
SPRING 
The dilator 10 includes an elongated resilient spring 15 for bridging the 
human nose 14. The spring member 15 is formed of a synthetic resinous 
material. The spring member 15 has an outer edge 16 and opposite flat 
surfaces 17 and 18. The surface 17 extends over a bridge 19 of the nose 
14. 
The spring material 15 is formed of 0.010" clear polyester film. An acrylic 
adhesive carrier 20 having a thickness of 0.0015" liner for die cutting is 
provided on both sides. The adhesive is indicated by numerals 21 and 22. 
The film 15 is clear, durable, and has dimensional stability. It is 
resistant to mild acids, alkalies, and salt. Further, the film 15 is 
fungus, water and corrosion-resistant. 
PAD 
The dilator 10 includes a flexible adhesive pad 23 having a surface area 24 
and peripheral edge 25. The pad 23 engages the spring member 15 and 
extending around the spring member 15. 
The pad material 23 is preferably 9906T, 3M Elastic Nonwoven Tape from 3M 
Company, 3M Center, St. Paul, Minn. The product is a tan elastic 
polyurethane tape coated on one side with an acrylate adhesive 26. The 
tape is supplied on a paper liner 152 with the liner on the inside of the 
roll. 
The backing of the tape is nonwoven of tan-colored polyurethane fibers. The 
adhesive is a hypoallergenic, pressure-sensitive acrylate. The liner is a 
silicone-coated kraft paper. 
SPRING AND PAD 
The spring member 15 occupies about 25% to about 50% of the surface area 24 
of the pad 23. The spring member 15 is centrally located in the surface 
area 24 of the pad 23. 
The peripheral edge 25 of the pad 23 defines a narrow width 26 and a broad 
width 27. The narrow width 26 is substantially for location over the 
bridge 19 of the nose 14. The broad width 27 is substantially for location 
centrally over the nasal passages 12 of the nose 14. 
The spring member 15 defines a width 28. The width 28 of the spring member 
15 being about one-half to three-quarters of the width of narrow width 26 
of the pad 23. The pad 23 is an elongated element with rounded ends 29. 
The spring member 15 defines a length 31 and the pad 23 defines a length 
32. The spring member 15 is centrally located along the length 32 of the 
pad 23. The length 31 of the spring member 15 is between about one-half to 
three-quarters of the length 32 of the pad 23. 
The spring member 15 and the pad 23, respectively, include ends 33 and 34. 
The ends 33 of the spring member 15 are located inwardly from the ends 34 
of the pad member 23. 
ADHESIVE & LINER 
The adhesive 26 is located between the spring member 15 and the backing of 
the pad 23 such that the entire engaging surface 18 of the spring member 
15 wholly adheres with the pad 23. 
A surface perimeter area 30 of the pad 23 is formed between the outer edge 
16 of the spring member 15 and the peripheral edge 25 of the pad 23. The 
surface perimeter area 30 includes the adhesive 26 for adhering to skin of 
the nose 14. 
The surface area 17 of the spring 15 includes an adhesive carrier 20 for 
adhering to the skin of the nose 14. 
The adhesive system is preferably No. 1509, Double Coated Medical Tape on 
Liner from 3M Company, 3M Center, St. Paul, Minn. This product is a 
double-coated transparent polyethylene film, coated on both sides with a 
hypoallergenic, pressure-sensitive, acrylate adhesive, supplied on a paper 
liner. The double coated tape is wound with the liner on the outside of 
the roll. 
The carrier is transparent 3 mil polyethylene film; the adhesive is 
hypoallergenic, pressure-sensitive acrylate; and the liner is bleached 
Kraft-Glassine paper, silicone coated on both sides. 
USING THE DILATOR 
When the spring member 15 is located over the bridge 19 of the nose 14, the 
opposite flat surfaces 17 and 18 of the spring member 15 extend over the 
bridge 19 of the nose 14 and at least partly beyond the bridge 19 on both 
sides of the bridge 19. 
In use on the nose 14, there are only the spring member 15, and the 
adhesive pad 23. There is the adhesive 26 between the pad 23 and the 
spring member 15, and selectively, in one form of the invention there is 
also the adhesive carrier 20 on the surface 17 of the spring member 15. 
When the pad member 23 is located on the nose 14 of a wearer, the ends 33 
of the spring 15 are urged outwardly as indicated by arrows 35 to separate 
from the skin covering the nasal passages 11 of the wearer. The pad 23 is 
lifted in part from the nasal passages 12 in the vicinity of the ends 33 
of the spring member 15. When in position on the nose 14, a flat surface 
17 of the spring member 15 engages directly on the nose 14 through an 
adhesive 22. 
DILATOR PRIOR TO USAGE 
When unattached to the nose 14, the spring member 15 and pad 23 have a 
natural position contrary to a curvature formed by location of the spring 
member 15 over the bridge 19 of the nose 14 and adjacent to the nasal 
passages 12 and 13. The resilient spring member 15 and pad 23 preferably 
have a position with a curvature contrary to the shape of the curvature 
formed from one nasal passage 12 over the bridge 19 to the second nasal 
passage 13. The contrary curvature acts to place an increased amount of 
spring action on the dilator 10 so that the dilation action on the nasal 
passages 12 and 13 is enhanced when in use. The increased spring action is 
caused by the counter stress put into the spring member 15 prior to usage 
by the position of contrary curvature. 
The dilator 10 is located in a package 38 before usage on the nose. The 
interaction of the walls 141 and 40 of the package 38 on the dilator 10 
develops the contrary curvature. The shape of the package 38 is such that 
there is an effective curvature created by the surfaces 144 engaging the 
dilators 10 when packed. This curvature is a counter curvature 36 relative 
to the curvature when in use. The wall 141 is loaded by spring 142 to 
ensure the counter curvature. 
Alternatively or additionally, the pad 23 is stretched prior to adhering to 
the spring 15. The stretch 39 acts to place the contrary curvature 36 onto 
the dilator 10 as explained in relation to FIG. 6. As the pad material 23 
returns to its unstretched mode after the die-cut 46 it causes the spring 
15 which adhered to the pad to be pulled into the counter curvature 
position. 
MANUFACTURING THE DILATOR 
The method of manufacturing for the dilator 10 requires the resilient 
spring member 15 to be die cut and located as an island within the surface 
area 30 of the pad 23. 
The various materials: spring 15, pad 23, and adhesive 20, are provided, 
respectively, on rolls 41, 42 and 43 of material. 
The resilient spring 15 is formed of a ribbon material 44 which is die cut 
at 45 from ribbon material 44. 
The pad 23 is die cut at 46 from a second ribbon 47 of material. The 
release liner 152 removed from the pad 23 is removed as a ribbon to the 
waste liner roll 53. 
The ribbon of resilient material 44 and pad material 47 are adhesively 
joined together in a webbing operation. The adhesive material 43 in the 
form of a ribbon 48 is fed into a position at die 45 on one side of the 
ribbon material 44 so as to place an adhesive on the ribbon material 44 
for the spring. The adhesive system 20 is cut at die 45 to conform with 
the spring 15. 
Adhesive 26 on the one side of the pad ribbon material 47 sticks the spring 
ribbon material 44 to the pad ribbon material 47 at the die 46. 
Non-adhering materials, 49, and 51 removed from the respective die cuts 45 
and 46 are removed as ribbons of waste material. The material 49 is the 
unused ribbon material 44, namely the unused resilient material, and 
unused adhesive 48 which is die-cut 45. The material 51 is the spring 15, 
the pad 23, and the adhesive 20 which is die-cut 46. FIG. 6A illustrates 
the sandwiched components of the dilator at the die positions 45 and 46 
respectively. 
A liner 52 is also provided to cover the adhesive 26 of the pad 23 not 
covered by the spring 15. The liner is the leftover after the die-cut 45 
of the resilient adhesive combination. When in use, the liner 52 is 
removed to expose the adhesive surface 26 and spring 15. The liner 52 is 
formed as the paper backing for the two sided adhesive 21 and 22 on 
carrier 20. The liner 52 is formed as the base of the roll of material 43 
for the adhesive ribbon 48. 
In some cases, the adhesive ribbon material 48 affixed to the spring ribbon 
material 44 may be avoided. There may be only the adhesive pad material 47 
and the spring ribbon material 44 and a liner provided by a different 
ribbon material from roll 43. Thus only a paper type liner may be provided 
from roll 43. In such a situation there is no two sided coated tape. 
Multiple dilators 10 are formed in a nested series in the manufacturing 
process through dies 45 and 46. They are then cut and separated at die 54 
prior to packaging. 
GENERAL 
Many other forms of the invention exist, each differing from others in 
matters of detail only. 
For instance, in some uses of the dilator on the nose, there are may be 
elements in addition to the basic spring member, the adhesive pad, and the 
adhesive between the spring and the nose skin. Also, there are situations 
where the adhesive on the spring for engaging the nose is unnecessary. 
In other situations the position of curvature is one which means the pad is 
non-planar. Thus there could be situations where the curvature is 
generally along the shape of the nose, but not conforming to the nose. 
These situations could be, for instance, where a lesser degree of tension 
is needed to be placed on the nasal passages. 
Also, in other cases the dilators may be packaged in a tube. 
The invention is to be determined solely in terms of the following claims.