Abstract:
A mouth guard configured for attachment to a portion of a chin strap assembly. Rather than attaching to the facemask, the invention is configured to attach to a portion of the chin strap and preferably to attach to the molded chin cup that is now part of most chin strap assemblies. The mouth guard includes a stem extending forward from the portion intended to be clenched between the teeth. This stem is used to attach the mouth guard to a portion of the chin strap assembly. Preferably, the connection is made in two stages. First, the stem is attached to a separate lip guard. Second, the lip guard is attached to the chin cup (a portion of the chin strap assembly).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to the field of sports. More specifically, the invention comprises a mouth guard that is pivotally attached to a chin strap. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    Mouth guards are commonly used in sporting activities where jarring impacts may damage the teeth. The present invention is particularly suited for use in the sport of American football, though it has applications in other sports as well. 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a prior art mouth guard  10 . Planar pad  12  is designed to be clenched between the upper and lower teeth. The inner perimeter of planar pad  12  joins inner tooth covering  16 . Inner tooth covering  16  extends upward and behind the inward facing surfaces of the upper teeth. The outer perimeter of planar pad  12  joins outer tooth covering  14 . Outer tooth covering  14  extends upward and in front of the outward facing surfaces of the upper teeth. 
         [0009]    The term “planar” should not be understood as meaning perfectly planar. The “bite plane&#39; between a particular user&#39;s upper and lower teeth will often vary somewhat from the concept of an idealized plane. More sophisticated mouth guards may even be custom molded to match a particular user&#39;s bite plane. Thus, in some instances the surface denoted as planar pad  12  will assume a curved shape or even more complex shapes. 
         [0010]    The combination of the inner and outer tooth coverings hold the planar pad in position between the upper and lower teeth. Planar pad  12  cannot slide rearward in the mouth because outer tooth covering  14  arrests this motion when the inward facing surface of outer tooth covering  14  bears against the outward facing surfaces of the upper teeth. Planar pad  12  cannot slide forward because inner tooth covering  16  arrests this motion when the outward facing surface of inner tooth covering  16  bears against the inward facing surfaces of the upper teeth. 
         [0011]    Thus, the reader will perceive that prior art mouth guard  10  protects the wearer&#39;s teeth primarily by (1) providing a soft pad between the upper and lower teeth in order to prevent injuries resulting from tooth-against-tooth impacts; and (2) providing an impact-absorbing covering over the outward facing surfaces of the upper teeth. The example shown in  FIG. 1  is merely exemplary. Many other designs for mouth guards presently exist. Some even include a second molding intended to slip over the lower teeth, with a hinged joint connecting the upper and lower sections. 
         [0012]    Such mouth guards provide effective protection to the user. However, it is often not desirable to retain the mouth guard in the mouth during times when play is suspended. The mouth guard impairs breathing and—to an even greater extent—impairs clear speaking. As a result, many users remove the mouth guard when play is suspended. This creates the problem of where to store the mouth guard. 
         [0013]    In the case of American football, many users store a mouth guard such as shown in  FIG. 1  by jamming it into a portion of the face mask attached to the user&#39;s helmet.  FIG. 2  shows another prior solution to this problem. In the mouth guard of  FIG. 2 , strap  18  has been added to the forward portion of planar pad  12 . Strap  18  includes a narrowed tongue  24  at its distal end. The tongue ends in knob  22 . 
         [0014]    One or more slots  20  are provided through strap  18 . The strap is made of pliable material. Tongue  24  may be bent around an external object. Knob  22  is then forced through one of slots  20  in order to secure the mouth guard to the external object.  FIG. 3  shows this operation after it has been completed. The tongue has been bent around a portion of face mask  32 . Knob  22  has been forced through a selected slot  20 . Mouth guard  10  is thereby secured to facemask  32 . 
         [0015]    The attachment thus created may be quite strong. The user does not need to worry about losing the mouth guard because the mouth guard will stay attached to the facemask (and thus the helmet). This is typically true even when the helmet is knocked off the user&#39;s head. In that circumstance the user loses both the helmet and the mouth guard. It would of course be preferable to retain the mouth guard even if the helmet is lost, and this is a disadvantage inherent in the prior art designs. 
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows a mouth guard incorporating a fairly recent additional feature. Most prior art mouth guards rest entirely within the mouth and behind the lips. They afford little protection to the exterior surfaces of the mouth. In the mouth guard of  FIG. 4 , lip guard  26  has been added. Lip guard  26  is a soft, thin, and pliable device intended to lie over the exterior of the user&#39;s mouth when the mouth guard is held in the mouth. It protects the lips and prevents splits and cuts. 
         [0017]    Passage  28  is provided through lip guard  26  so that strap  18  may be fed through. This effectively joins the lip guard to the mouth guard. One or more vents  30  are typically provided through the lip guard so that the user can still breathe through the mouth with the lip guard in place. In some mouth guards, the lip guard may be molded as one integral piece with the mouth guard. 
         [0018]    Finally,  FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a representative helmet  34  used in American football. Face mask  32  is secured across the front opening of the helmet. The helmet is secured to the user by placing a chin strap under the user&#39;s chin. Chin traps used to be simple leather straps with an expanded section around the chin itself. They have now become more sophisticated. The version of  FIG. 5  shows a chin cup  40 . The chin cup is often a molded plastic piece including foam padding, and even a “gel” insert positioned to cover the point of the chin. 
         [0019]    Chin cup  40  is connected to the helmet using two or more straps. In the example shown, four straps are used. Two upper straps  36  secure the chin cup to the upper portion of the helmet while two lower chin straps  38  secure the chin cup to the lower portion of the helmet. The actual connection between a strap and the helmet is made by a snap-buckle  42 . Each snap-buckle includes a buckle allowing adjustment of the strap length connected to a female snap member. A male snap member is attached to a fixed position on the helmet itself. The attachment of the straps to the snap-buckles and the attachment of the snap-buckles to the helmet is well understood by those skilled in the art and—accordingly—will not be discussed in further detail. 
         [0020]    Helmets used in other sports, such as cricket, polo, lacrosse, and hockey, have many of the same elements found in the helmet of  FIG. 5 . Accordingly, although an American football helmet has been used for the illustration, the present invention is by no means limited to that sport. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  serves to illustrate the existence and location of various player protection hardware that may be used to retain a mouth guard when the mouth guard is not in the player&#39;s mouth. The present invention utilizes this existing hardware by attaching a mouth guard to the chin cup. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0022]    The present invention comprises a mouth guard configured for attachment to a portion of a chin strap assembly. The invention preferably includes teeth and lip protection features found in prior art mouth guards and can in fact include any type of desirable teeth or lip protection. Rather than attaching to the facemask, however, the invention is configured to attach to a portion of the chin strap and preferably to attach to the molded chin cup that is now part of most chin strap assemblies. 
         [0023]    A mouth guard made according to the present invention preferably includes a stem extending forward from the portion intended to be clenched between the teeth. This stem is used to attach the mouth guard to a portion of the chin strap assembly. Preferably, the connection is made in two stages. First, the stem is attached to a separate lip guard. Second, the lip guard is attached to the chin cup (a portion of the chin strap assembly). 
         [0024]    The connection between the chin cup and the lip guard is flexible, so that the assembly of the lip guard and the mouth guard is able to pivot out of the user&#39;s mouth. When removed from the user&#39;s mouth, the mouth guard and lip guard are suspended by the attachment to the chin cup. When the user needs the mouth guard in place, he or she pivots it upward and back into the mouth. 
         [0025]    The attachment between the mouth guard and the chin strap assembly is preferably able to “break away” in the event that the helmet and chin strap are knocked off the user&#39;s head. This “break away” feature allows the mouth guard to remain in the mouth despite the loss of the other equipment. The “break away” feature preferably also allows the mouth guard to be subsequently reattached to the chin strap assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view, showing a prior art mouth guard. 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, showing a prior art mouth guard incorporating a securing strap. 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, showing a prior art mouth guard attached by a strap to a facemask. 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view, showing a prior art mouth guard including a lip guard. 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view, showing a prior art football helmet incorporating a face mask, a chin cup, and four straps. 
           [0031]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view, showing a mouth guard and lip guard constructed according to the present invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view, showing the mouth guard and lip guard of  FIG. 6  attached to a chin cup. 
           [0033]      FIG. 8  is an elevation view, showing the mouth guard and lip guard of  FIG. 6  in an installed state. 
           [0034]      FIG. 9  is an elevation view, showing how the mouth guard and lip guard rotate out and away from the user&#39;s mouth when they are removed. 
           [0035]      FIG. 10  is an elevation view, showing the mouth guard and lip guard in the “stored” position. 
           [0036]      FIG. 11  is an elevation view, showing an alternate embodiment using an elastic hinge strap. 
           [0037]      FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment of the lip guard and mouth guard stem. 
           [0038]      FIG. 13  is an exploded perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment of the lip guard and mouth guard stem. 
           [0039]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view, showing the use of a mouth guard stem as a hinge strap. 
           [0040]      FIG. 15  is an elevation view, showing an embodiment of a lip guard configured for use with the present invention. 
           [0000]    
         
           
                 
               
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
             
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
               
                 
                     
                 
               
            
             
                 
                   10 
                   mouth guard 
                   12 
                   planar pad 
                 
                 
                   14 
                   outer tooth covering 
                   16 
                   inner tooth covering 
                 
                 
                   18 
                   strap 
                   20 
                   slot 
                 
                 
                   22 
                   knob 
                   24 
                   tongue 
                 
                 
                   26 
                   lip guard 
                   28 
                   passage 
                 
                 
                   30 
                   vent 
                   32 
                   facemask 
                 
                 
                   34 
                   helmet 
                   36 
                   upper strap 
                 
                 
                   38 
                   lower strap 
                   40 
                   chin cup 
                 
                 
                   42 
                   snap-buckle 
                   44 
                   strap anchor 
                 
                 
                   46 
                   hinge strap 
                   47 
                   elastic hinge strap 
                 
                 
                   48 
                   stem 
                   50 
                   interlock feature 
                 
                 
                   52 
                   stem opening 
                   54 
                   nose relief 
                 
                 
                   56 
                   slot 
                   60 
                   vent 
                 
                 
                   62 
                   hinge strap opening 
                   64 
                   chin 
                 
                 
                   66 
                   mouth 
                   70 
                   lower relief 
                 
                 
                   74 
                   stem receiver 
                   76 
                   covering flange 
                 
                 
                   78 
                   upper relief 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
            
           
         
       
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0041]    The present invention includes four main elements. These are: (1) a mouth guard, (2) a lip guard, (3) a separable connection between the mouth guard and the lip guard, and (4) a pivotal connection between the lip guard and a portion of a separate chin strap assembly. The four main elements are collectively referred to as a “mouth guard assembly,” They are illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  shows an exploded view of mouth guard  10  and lip guard  26 . The mouth guard preferably contains a planar pad and tooth coverings as for the prior art. In fact, teeth-protecting features found in virtually any prior art mouth guard could be added to mouth guard  10  as desired. 
         [0043]    Stem  48  protrudes forward from the mouth guard. The first end of the stem is connected to the mouth guard. The second end is free. Interlock feature  50  is formed proximate the second end. 
         [0044]    Lip guard  26  is preferably made of a thin and pliable material. It includes a generally domed shape, with the convex surface facing away from the mouth guard. Stem opening  52  passes through the lip guard. Stein opening  52 , stem  48 , and interlock feature  50  are designed to create a separable connection. One way of creating such a connection is to size stem opening  52  so that stem  48  passes freely through the stem opening but interlock feature  50  does not. Interlock feature  50  is sized so that the material surrounding stem opening  52  must be stretched in order to force the interlock feature through. Once the interlock feature is forced through, it is retained on the convex side of the lip guard by the restricted size of stem opening  52 . 
         [0045]    The portion of lip guard  26  surrounding stem opening  52  must be pliable and resilient to make the separable connection work. In any cases it will be preferable to mold the entire lip guard from a single type of material, and in those instances a suitably pliable material should be selected. 
         [0046]    Lip guard  26  may contain any of the conventional features included in prior art lip guards. One or more vents  60  may be provided so that the wearer can breathe through the lip guard while it remains in position over the lips. Covering flange  76  extends out from the perimeter of central protrusion  74 . This covering flange protects the perimeter of the mouth. 
         [0047]    Connection features are provided so that the lip guard can be connected to a portion of a chin strap assembly. In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the connection features are a pair of hinge strap openings  62 . Bulges on the end of the hinge straps snap into these holes, as will be shown and described. 
         [0048]      FIG. 7  shows the components of  FIG. 6  after they have been joined together and connected to a prior art chin cup. The reader will observe that interlock feature  50  on the second end of stem  48  has been forced through stem opening  52 . The stem opening has relaxed to a smaller state and thereby formed an interference with interlock feature  50 . If the mouth guard and the lip guard are pulled away from each other, the separable connection between the two will resist separation until interlock feature  50  is pulled back through stem opening  52 . 
         [0049]    In the example shown, the pivotal connection between lip guard  26  and chin cup  40  is made by a pair of hinge straps  46 . One hinge strap is located on the left side of the assembly and one is located on the right. The hinge straps are preferably made of a flexible and tough material. The connection between the hinge straps and the particular component can be made in a wide variety of ways. One approach is to mold a bulged portion on the end of each hinge strap. This bulged portion can be pressed through the hinge strap openings in the lip guard and the hinge strap openings in the chin cup to create a “snap” connection. One can also use rivets or any other suitable connection. In any event, it is desirable for the pivotal connection between the lip guard and the chin cup to be quite strong. 
         [0050]    The pivotal connection can be made using a single strap. However, the use of two straps separated by a distance is preferred since it stabilizes the pivoting motion as the mouth guard assembly is removed from the user&#39;s mouth. Chin cup  40  typically includes a hard plastic exterior and a soft padded interior facing the user&#39;s chin. Two upper straps  36  (left and right) and two lower straps  38  attach the chin cup to the helmet. Each pair of upper and lower straps passes into a slot  56  and is connected via a strap anchor  44 . As explained previously, the opposite ends of the upper and lower straps are attached to the helmet. 
         [0051]    In this particular example, it is desirable for the lip guard to closely abut the chin cup. In order to allow the two elements to sit in close proximity, upper relief  78  is provided in the chip cup (a cutaway that roughly follows the outline of the lip guard). The lip guard may also include a lower relief. 
         [0052]      FIGS. 8 through 11  illustrate the operation of the device. In  FIG. 8 , the profile of a user is shown in dashed lines. Chin cup  40  is secured over chin  64  by placing the helmet on the head and securing upper straps  36  and lower straps  38 . Mouth guard  10  is then placed in the user&#39;s mouth. Lip guard  26  covers the exterior of the mouth. The two hinge straps  46  bow outward as shown. This allows some variability in the distance between the location of the mouth guard and the chin cup. Stem  48  and interlock feature  50  protrude from the lip guard as shown. 
         [0053]      FIG. 8  shows the installed position. The user is protected against impacts in the position shown.  FIGS. 9 and 10  show the steps of removing the mouth guard. In FIG,  9 , the user has pulled the mouth guard free and the mouth guard and lip guard are pivoting outward and downward as shown. Hinge straps  46  flex to allow the pivoting motion. In fact, it is preferable for the hinge straps to bias the lip guard and mouth guard toward the position shown in  FIG. 10 . In that case the user needs only to open the mouth and the natural bias of the hinge straps tends to pull the mouth guard and lip guard away from the mouth. 
         [0054]      FIG. 10  shows the assembly in the fully removed state. The weight of lip guard  26  and mouth guard  10  cause the assembly to dangle from the attachment point of hinge strap  46 . The mouth guard and lip guard are well clear of the user&#39;s mouth. The user is able to freely talk, drink, and even eat. However, when the time comes to place the mouth guard back into the mouth, the user need only flip the mouth guard upward and allow it to rotate back into position. 
         [0055]    In the embodiment illustrated, fairly long hinge straps are used. Much shorter straps may be used in other embodiments. In that case the lip guard and mouth guard would sit much closer to the chin cup in the removed state. 
         [0056]    In some embodiments elastic hinge straps may be used. These tend to retract when the mouth guard is free of the mouth.  FIG. 11  shows an embodiment using elastic hinge straps  47 . The mouth guard and lip guard still dangle from the hinge strap, but the elastic, nature of the hinge strap causes the hinge strap to shorten once the mouth guard is out of the mouth. Many configurations are possible by selecting the amount of bow and the amount of elasticity in the hinge strap or straps. 
         [0057]    Returning now to  FIG. 7 , an additional operational feature of the invention will be explained. A helmet is secured to a user&#39;s head primarily by the engagement of the player&#39;s chin in chin cup  40 . When a blow dislodges the helmet, it is often as the result of the chin cup slipping off the chin. The helmet then moves upward with respect to the head and slides free of the head. When the helmet is knocked off, the chin straps and chin cup tend to go with the helmet. 
         [0058]    When a user loses a helmet, it is obviously desirable that the mouth guard remain in the user&#39;s mouth. If the mouth guard is firmly attached to the chin cup, it will likely be lost when the helmet is lost. This fact explains the desirability of the separable connection between mouth guard  10  and lip guard  26 . The mechanical interlock between interlock feature  50  and stem opening  52  can be defeated by the application of a pulling three. At least a component of the pulling force should be directed parallel to the orientation of stem  48  (and in a direction that urges lip guard  26  away from mouth guard  10 . This component of the pulling force is known as a “separation force.” 
         [0059]    The mechanical interlock should be designed such that the magnitude of the separation force is in the proper range. If the required separation force is too small, then the mouth guard will separate from the lip guard during normal operations. For example, in the configuration of  FIG. 10 , the mouth guard may fall free from the lip guard when it is inadvertently hit by a user&#39;s hand. Obviously, this is undesirable. If on the other hand, the magnitude of the separation force is too large, the mouth guard will not separate when the helmet is knocked off the player&#39;s head and the mouth guard will be pulled out of the player&#39;s mouth. 
         [0060]    The minimum appropriate value for the separation force is about 2 pounds (about 8 Newtons). At least this much force should be required by the mechanical interlock. The maximum appropriate value for the separation force is about 30 pounds (about 120 Newtons). The mouth guard and lip guard should separate if a force higher than this limit is encountered. Otherwise, a force sufficient to knock the helmet off the player&#39;s head may not cause the mouth guard and lip guard to separate. 
         [0061]    It is preferable to design the mechanical interlock so that—once separated—the separable joint can be easily reunited. Using the inventive design, a player who has his helmet knocked off will still be clenching the mouth guard between his teeth. He will then retrieve his helmet. The chin straps, chin cup, hinge straps, and lip guard will all likely still be attached to the helmet. The player then takes the mouth guard out of his mouth and reattaches it to the lip guard. In the context of the embodiment of  FIG. 7 , the player reattaches the two components by forcing interlock feature  50  back through stein opening  52 . 
         [0062]    Practical experimentation may be needed to further refine the separation force limits and it may be desirable in some embodiments to broaden the range, narrow the range, or alter the upper or lower limits. For instance, a lineman may wish to have a higher upper limit for the separation force. 
         [0063]      FIGS. 12 and 13  show some alternate embodiments for the mouth guard and lip guard. In the version of  FIG. 12 , the mechanical interlock is created using a horizontally-oriented interlock feature  50  and a vertically-oriented stem opening  52 . In order to unite the two components, the user rotates mouth guard  10  and slips interlock feature  50  through stem opening  52 . The width of interlock feature  50  is much greater than the width of stem opening  52 . However, the height of stem opening  52  is made the same as or larger than the width of interlock feature  50 . Thus, when the mouth guard is rotated 90 degrees, interlock feature  50  can pass through stem opening  52 . The interlock feature may also be given a crescent shape to assist in passing it through the stem opening. The embodiment for the lip guard shown in  FIG. 12  is given a simpler convex shape. Six vertical vents  60  are provided to allow air passage. 
         [0064]      FIG. 13  shows still another embodiment for the interlock features. Interlock feature  50  is a simple horizontal bar. Lip guard  26  includes a vertically-oriented stem opening  52 . In this version, interlock feature  50  is slightly wider than stem opening is tall. However, interlock feature  50  is made of pliable material. When the user rotates the mouth guard 90 degrees, the lateral ends of the interlock feature can deflect somewhat and allow the interlock feature to pass through the stem opening—thereby creating the desired mechanical interlock. The lip guard in the embodiment of  FIG. 13  includes two larger vents  60 . 
         [0065]      FIG. 14  shows still another embodiment. In this version, stem  48  passes through stem opening  52  and the second end of stem  48  attaches directly to chin cup  40 . The second end of the stem is provided with a round knob (as for  FIG. 2 ). The round knob compresses and snaps into a socket joint in the chin cup—labeled as stem receiver  74  in the view. The knob on the end of the stem still creates a separable attachment with stem opening  52 . However, in order to separate, the knob must first be pulled free from the chin cup. 
         [0066]      FIG. 15  shows a simple elevation view of a lip guard embodiment. The reader will observe that the upper portion of the lip guard is provided with nose relief  54 . The lower portion of the lip guard is provided with lower relief  70  a cutaway allowing the lip guard to sit more closely above the chin cup. The nose relief, the lower relief, and the shape of covering flange  76  are all optional features that may be changed in many ways. 
         [0067]    Although the preceding descriptions contain significant detail, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will know that many other variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should properly be determined with respect to the following claims rather than the examples given.