Patent Publication Number: US-6986354-B1

Title: Mouthguard

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to mouthguards and more particularly, but exclusively, to mouthguards used by sports participants. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Mouthguards have consisted of a number of types, including those constructed of thermoplastics material, which are heated (typically in hot water) and then applied to the user&#39;s mouth so that the mouthguard is moulded to fit the user&#39;s teeth and jaw. A more expensive type of mouthguard is that provided generally by dentists. The “custom fitted” dentist provided mouthguards are manufactured from an impression taken of the user&#39;s teeth and jaw. Plastics material is then formed in a mould generated from the impression. More recently, laminated pressure mouthguards have been made available. 
   The above discussed types of mouthguards fall short of providing the desired level of protection for the user. 
   OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
   It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   There is disclosed herein a mouthguard of generally “C-shaped” configuration so as to provide a front portion and two arms diverting rearwardly from the front portion, the mouthguard being of a “U-shaped” transverse cross-section so as to provide an inner and an outer flange joined by a base. 
   The mouthguard described herein has a first inventive feature which includes the base having a lower surface providing a lower occlusal table which is generally perpendicular to the inner flange. 
   A second inventive feature described herein includes the base having an upper occusual table which is inclined to the inner flange by an angle between 100 and 120 degrees. 
   A third inventive feature described herein includes a thickened portion of said outer flange being provided at said front part. 
   A fourth inventive feature described herein includes the base having a lower surface provided with a shield adjacent the outer flange extending substantially along each arm. 
   A fifth inventive feature described herein includes said base having an upper surface, with the forward portion thereof being raised relative to arm portions thereof. 
   A sixth inventive feature described herein includes the mouthguard being formed of a body having said “C-shaped” configuration, with said two arms having end extremities, said mouthguard further including a labial shield embedded in said front portion and extending therefrom through the two arms to adjacent the extremities thereof, said body and shield being formed of plastics material, with said shield being more rigid than said body. 
   Preferably the above mentioned shield is a single piece. 
   In a further preferred form said above mentioned shield includes a front part embedded in said front portion, and two rear parts separate to the front part, each rear part being located in a respective one of the arms. 
   A seventh inventive feature described herein includes said base being formed with deformable projections, which are plastically deformed to conform to the configuration of a user&#39;s teeth. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic front elevation of a mouthguard to generally enclose the upper teeth of a wearer; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic rear elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic part sectioned side elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic top plan view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic side elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic bottom plan view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic top perspective view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic rear perspective view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic top plan view of a shield to be embedded in the body of a mouthguard; 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic bottom plan view of the shield of  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic front plan view of the shield of  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic rear elevation of the shield of  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a schematic end elevation of the shield of  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a schematic front elevation of a mouthguard having a body within which the shield of  FIG. 9  is embedded; 
       FIG. 15  is a schematic rear elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 17  is a schematic side elevation of the mouthguard as illustrated in  FIG. 16 , sectioned along the lines  17 — 17 ; 
       FIG. 18  is a schematic side elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 19  is a schematic bottom plan view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 20  is a schematic perspective view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 21  is a schematic front elevation of a shield set to be embedded in a mouthguard; 
       FIG. 22  is a schematic top plan view of the set of  FIG. 22 ; 
       FIG. 23  is a schematic end elevation of the set of  FIG. 21 ; 
       FIG. 24  is a schematic front elevation of a mouthguard with the shield set of  FIG. 21  embedded therein; 
       FIG. 25  is a schematic rear elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 24 ; 
       FIG. 26  is a schematic top plan view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 24 ; 
       FIG. 27  is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the mouthguard as illustrated in  FIG. 26 , sectioned along the line  27 — 27 ; 
       FIG. 28  is a schematic side elevation of the mouthguard of  FIG. 24 ; 
       FIG. 29  is a schematic bottom plan view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 24 ; 
       FIG. 30  is a schematic perspective view of the mouthguard of  FIG. 24 ; and 
       FIG. 31  is a schematic perspective view of a still further mouthguard. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   In  FIGS. 1 to 8  of the accompanying drawings, there is schematically depicted a mouthguard  10 . The mouthguard  10  is of a “C-shaped” configuration so as to provide a front portion  11  from which there rearwardly diverges a pair of arms  12 . The mouthguard  10  in transverse cross-section is of a “U-shaped” configuration so as to provide an inner flange  13  joined to an outer flange  14  by means of a base  15 . 
   The upper edge of the flange  14  is provided with raised portions  16  and  17  arranged generally symmetrically relative to a plane passing through the line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 4 . In that regard it should be appreciated that the side elevation illustrated in  FIG. 3  is the mouthguard sectioned along the line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 4 . 
   The base  15  of the mouthguard  10  includes upper surfaces  18  extending along each arm  12 , with each surface  18  providing an occlusal table which is generally perpendicular to the flange  13 . The surfaces  18  are inclined to the internal surface  19  of the inner flange  13  by an angle between 100 and 120 degrees, preferable 110 degrees. 
   The base  15  is also provided with a pari of lower surfaces  20 , each surface  20  extending along an arm  12 , with each surface  20  providing a lower occlusal table. The surface  20  are inclined to the external surface  21  of the outer flange  14  by approximately 90 degrees. 
   Each arm  12  is also provided with a ridge  22  which acts as a shield. 
   The forward portion  11  is thickened so as to provide a labial shield  23  formed on the internal surface  24  of the outer flange  14 . The shield  23  extends to the trough  25  located in the forward portion  11  between the flanges  13  and  14 . The forward portion  11  is also provided with a raised or thickened incisal portion  26 . 
   Preferably, the forward portion  11  is also provided with a front shield  28  in the form of a ridge. 
   The mouthguard  10  is formed of thermoplastics material which when heated to approximately 40 degrees or above becomes plastically mouldable if bitten. To provide for the flow of plastics material when being formed, each of the arms  12  is provided with a trough  27  into which the plastics material can flow. 
   In  FIGS. 9 to 13  of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a labial shield  30  to be embedded in the body  31  of the mouthguard  32  ( FIGS. 14 to 20 ). 
   The shield  30  is of a “C-shaped” configuration so as to forward shield portion  33  with two rearwardly extending arms  34 . The arms  34  have extremities  35 . The shield  30  further has a pair of front arches  36 , with each arm  34  having a pair of arches  37 . 
   The body  31  is of a “C-shaped” configuration so as to provide a front body portion  38  from which there rearwardly diverges a pair of arms  39 . The body  31  is transverse cross-section is of a “U-shaped” configuration so as to provide an inner flange  40  joined to an outer flange  41  by means of a base  42 . Each of the arms  39  has an extremity  43 . 
   With the shield  30  embedded in the body  31  as illustrated in  FIGS. 14–20 , the shield portion  33  is embedded in the body portion  38  of the body  31 . The shield arms  34  extend within the body arm  39  so that their extremities  35  terminate just short of the arm extremities  43 . 
   In  FIGS. 21 ,  22  and  23  there is schematically depicted a labial shield  50  which comprises a set of shield members  51  and  52 . The shield  50  is embedded (as seen in  FIGS. 24 to 30 ) in a mouthguard body, such as the body  31  of the previous embodiment, with the shield  50  being an alternative to the shield  30 . The same reference numerals have been employed in  FIGS. 24 to 30 , as  FIGS. 14 to 20 . 
   In  FIG. 31  there is schematically depicted a mouthguard  56  including a mouthguard body  50 . The mouthguard body  50  is of a similar configuration to the previously described mouthguards. More particularly, the mouthguard body  50  has an inner flange  51  joined to an outer flange  52  by means of a base  53 . The base  53  includes a layer  54  of material that is plastically deformable. More particularly, the layer  54  has a plurality of projections  55  which are plastically deformable to conform to the configuration of the user&#39;s teeth. In this embodiment the projections  55  are hollow and cylindrical inform. Received between the flanges  51  and  52  and covering the base  53  is a mouldable layer  57  constructed as follows. Firstly, the interior of the body  50  has applied to it an EVA copolymer coating. To this there is applied a thicker layer of vinyl containing polydimethylsiloxane. When the person to wear the mouthguard bites on the vinyl material, a dental impression results. However, the projections  55  also deform to provide a physical “key” to bind the vinyl layer to the body  50 . In addition to, or as an alternative, the inner and outer flanges  52  and  52  may be provided with ridges  58  to again retain the vinyl layer in position. In this respect it should be appreciated that the vinyl layer may still be “peeled” from within the body  50  should the need arise. For example, when mouthguards are not professionally fitted there is a danger that the mouthguard will be applied to a person having a dental appliance. If the vinyl layer is not removable with respect to the body, considerable difficulty would be encountered in removing the mouthguard. 
   As an alternative or in addition to the various keying means such as the projections  50  and ridges  58 , the vinyl layer may be secured to the body  50  by means of an adhesive. The adhesive may be in liquid or tape form. 
   In manufacturing the mouthguard body  50 , internal surfaces of the mould may be acid etched in order to produce roughened surfaces (for example on the internal surfaces of the flanges  51  and  52 ) to aid in engaging and retaining the vinyl layer within the body  50 .