Patent ID: 12246242

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.

A person with unilateral facial paralysis (typically Bell's Palsy) may face difficulty when eating. More specifically, it may be difficult to avoid biting the cheek and lip when such an individual chews food. It may also be difficult to retain food and liquids within the mouth when such an individual lacks the necessary muscle tone or the ability to control muscles on one side of the face while chewing food, which often occurs when an individual has unilateral facial paralysis. The present disclosure provides a device that helps to retain food and liquids within the mouth. The device also may act as a cheek and lip guard to prevent biting the cheek and lip while an individual is chewing food.

Referring toFIG.1, a food retention tool or an eating assistance device10is illustrated. The eating assistance device10includes a mouth plate12, a user handle14, and a linking arm16. The mouth plate12may also be referred to as the curved plate. The user handle14may also be referred to as the handle. The linking arm16may also be referred to as the link, linking plate, or lip plate.

Referring toFIGS.1-5, the mouth plate12is illustrated in further detail. The mouth plate12is sized and configured to be disposed within an oral cavity18of a mouth20. More specifically, the mouth plate12is sized and configured to be disposed with a vestibule22of the oral cavity18along a lateral side of a mouth20such that a cheek24and adjacent teeth26are respectively disposed on opposing sides of the mouth plate12. The vestibule22is the space along the outside of the teeth26of the mouth20that is between the teeth26and the cheeks24and that is between the teeth26and the lips. An interior surface or side30of the mouth plate12is configured to follow an exterior contour32of the adjacent teeth26along a lateral side of the mouth20within the vestibule22. An exterior surface or side34of the mouth plate12is configured to follow an interior contour36of the cheek24along a lateral side of the mouth20within the vestibule22. Stated in other terms, it may be said that the mouth plate12is curved to follow the contour of the vestibule22or the outside of a mandibular arch along a lateral side of the mouth20. The mouth plate12may have a parabolic or any other suitable curved shape to adhere to the contour of the vestibule22along a lateral side of the mouth20. It is noted that the top teeth are not illustrated inFIG.4. However, it should be understood that the interior side30of the mouth plate12follows the exterior contour32of the adjacent teeth26and the exterior side34of the mouth plate12follows the interior contour36of the cheek24along the top teeth as well as along the bottom teeth.

The mouth plate12is also sized and configured to span a space or gap38between top and bottom teeth of the adjacent teeth26when the jaw41is opened to retain food items within the oral cavity18. The mouth plate12is also sized and configured to not span an upper end40and a lower end42of the vestibule22when the jaw41is closed. The space or gap38between the top and bottom teeth of the adjacent teeth26is also closed when the jaw41is closed. The mouth plate12may be shaped and sized to fit into the vestibule22when the jaw41is both opened and closed and to span the gap38between top and bottom teeth of the adjacent teeth26when the jaw41is opened in order to retain food items within the oral cavity18. For example (i) the mouth plate12may have a width, W1, that is sufficiently thin so that the mouth plate12may be disposed within the vestibule22between the cheek24and the adjacent teeth26, (ii) may have a height, H1, that is sufficiently tall to span the gap38between top and bottom teeth of the adjacent teeth26when the jaw41is opened, and (iii) may have a top edge44and a bottom edge46that are substantially parallel so as to not come into contact with the upper end40and the lower end42of the vestibule22, respectively, when the jaw41is closed. Substantially parallel may refer to any incremental value that is between exactly parallel and 15° from exactly parallel.

The mouth plate12may also span an entire half of the teeth26from the front teeth (e.g., the front incisors) to the back teeth (e.g., the back molars). Although illustrated along one side of the mouth, the mouth plate12may be disposed along either the left or right side of the mouth20. More specifically, the eating assistance device10may be symmetrical along a longitudinal plane or horizontal plane to facilitate ease of use on either side of the mouth20.

Opposing ends48of the mouth plate12taper from the top edge44and the bottom edge46. Stated in other terms, the opposing ends48of the mouth plate12are rounded or have fillets to eliminate sharp corners. An outer peripheral edge50of the mouth plate12is also rounded or has fillets to eliminate sharp corners. The outer peripheral edge50may include the top edge44, the bottom edge46, and the opposing ends48of the mouth plate12. The rounded ends and edges of the mouth plate12are included for safety purposes. More specifically, by including the rounded ends and edges, any sharp corners or edges that may cause lacerations are eliminated. The rounded ends and edges also help to facilitate inserting and removing the mouth plate12from the vestibule22.

Referring now toFIGS.1-4and6-7, the user handle14is illustrated in further detail. The user handle14may be utilized while inserting the mouth plate12into or extracting the mouth plate12from the vestibule22. More specifically, a user's hand may grab onto the user handle14to position the mouth plate12within the vestibule22and may hold onto to the user handle14to maintain the position of the mouth plate12within the vestibule22. The user handle14is connected to the mouth plate12. The user handle14extends from the mouth plate12and is configured to be disposed external to the oral cavity18and the vestibule22when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. More specifically, the user handle14is configured to be disposed on the exterior of the entire mouth20when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. The user handle14extends outward from the opening54to the oral cavity18(i.e., the opening to the mouth20defined by the lips). The user handle14may extend along the outside surface of the cheek24when the when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. The user handle14may partially extend laterally and rearward relative to the mouth20or to the user's face.

The user handle14may more specifically be connected to the mouth plate12via the linking arm16. The linking arm16may secure an end52of the user handle14to one of the ends48of the mouth plate12. The linking arm16may also orient the user handle14at an angle, θ, relative to the end48of the mouth plate12that ranges between 135° and 225°. The user handle14may also be thicker along a distal end53relative to a proximal end55that is adjacent to the mouth plate12and the linking arm12. Stated in other terms, the user handle14may taper in a direction that extends from the distal end53relative to a proximal end55.

The user handle14may also include has a tear-drop shaped cross-section56that tapers laterally toward the mouth plate12. The tear-drop shaped cross-section56may more specifically be defined along a section58of the user handle14that is proximal to the mouth plate12and linking arm16. The tear-drop shaped cross-section56provides additional space between the user handle14and user's face or cheek along top and bottom sides of the user handle14so that a user's finger59(e.g., index finger) and thumb60may be utilized to pinch the cheek24and/or lips62(SeeFIGS.6and7) along one side of the opening54to the oral cavity18. Please note that the cross-section cut line forFIG.7inFIG.4(i.e., line7-7) only pertains to the tear-drop shaped cross-section56. However, the lips62, finger59, and thumb60have been added toFIG.7for illustrative purposes. This helps to retain the mouth plate12in the vestibule22and to ensure the opening54to the oral cavity18along one side of the mouth20remains closed, which is desirable particularly when a user who has paralysis on one side of their face is chewing food. Pinching the cheek24and/or lips62along one side of the opening54to the oral cavity18prevents food from falling out of the oral cavity18and also prevents the user from biting their own cheek, which is can occur without notice when a user has paralysis on one side of their face. Therefore, the eating assistance device10may also function as a cheek guard.

Referring now toFIGS.1-4,6, and8, the linking arm16is illustrated in Further detail. The linking arm16secures the mouth plate12to the user handle14. The linking arm16also orients the user handle14such that the user handle14extends outward from the mouth20when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. The linking arm16is sized and configured to extend from the mouth plate12, through the opening54to the oral cavity18, and to the user handle14when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. Stated in other terms and in the reverse, the linking arm16is sized and configured to extend from an exterior of the oral cavity18, through the opening54to the oral cavity18, and into the oral cavity18when the mouth plate12is disposed within the oral cavity18, and more specifically when the mouth plate12is disposed the vestibule22.

The linking arm16is substantially flat and is sized such that the opening54to the oral cavity18or the lips62may be closed over the linking arm16. More specifically, an upper surface64and an opposing lower surface66of the liking arm16may each be substantially flat such that the opening54to the oral cavity18or the lips62may be closed over the linking arm16. Substantially flat may refer to a flat surface that has no deviations from a perfectly flat plane or has deviations from the perfectly flat plane that are less than a tolerance. For example, the upper surface64and the lower surface66may have an allowable tolerance of 2 millimeters (mm) or less, 1 mm or less, or 0.5 mm or less, 0.25 mm or less, etc. from corresponding perfectly flat planes.

The linking arm16has a cross-sectional shape68that tapers in a direction that extends from an end toward a center of the opening54to the oral cavity18or toward a center of the lips62when the mouth plate12is disposed within the oral cavity18and more specifically when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. More specifically, the linking arm16(i) may be thinner along an external edge70that is positioned toward a center of the opening54to the oral cavity18(or toward a center of the lips62) to allow the lips62to close or seal over the linking arm16to minimize the leakage of food and liquids from the oral cavity and (ii) may be thicker and rounded (or filleted) along an internal edge72that that is positioned in a corner of the opening54to oral cavity18(or a corner of the closed lips62) for comfort purposes. Please note that the cross-section cut line forFIG.8inFIG.4(i.e., line8-8) only pertains to the cross-sectional shape68. However, the lips62have been added toFIG.8for illustrative purposes.

The mouth plate12, user handle14, and linking arm16have vertical dimensions or heights, H1, H2, and H3respectively, that extend in a direction from a top to a bottom of the mouth20when the mouth plate12is disposed within the oral cavity18and more specifically when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22. The height of the linking arm, H3, is smaller than the height of the mouth plate, H1, and the height, H2, of the user handle14, and is sized such that the opening54to the oral cavity18or the lips62may be closed or sealed over the linking arm16. The height, H2, of the user handle14may also be smaller than the height of the mouth plate, H1.

The linking arm16defines an arc74that orients the user handle14at the angle, θ, relative to the end48of the mouth plate12. The curvature of an inner or internal edge76of the linking arm16, as seen from above, may be greater than the thickness of the cheek24, so that the user handle14will sit near the surface of the face when the eating assistance device10is being used. This allows a user's the fingers to both hold onto the user handle14and to hold the lips62shut against the upper surface64and the lower surface66of the linking arm16along one side of the mouth20in order retain food items within the oral cavity18. Also, curvature of an inner or internal edge76of the linking arm16, as seen from above, may be greater than the thickness of the cheek24, so that the cheek24may comfortably rest within a slot78defined by the internal edge76of the linking arm16. The slot78is configured to straddle the cheek24via the opening54to the oral cavity18when the mouth plate12is disposed within the vestibule22.

The eating assistance device10may be made from any material but is preferably made from a material that will not damage the teeth26or soft tissue within the mouth20. For example, the eating assistance device10may be made from a plastic material, such as a thermoplastic, thermoset plastic, or polymer. The material should be sufficiently rigid to maintain the shape of the eating assistance device10while being used but should be soft enough so as to not damage the teeth26or soft tissue within the mouth20. However, the material is not limited to plastic materials and the eating assistance device10may alternatively be made from any metallic material, including but not limited to stainless steel.

It should be understood that the designations of first, second, third, fourth, etc. for any component, state, or condition described herein may be rearranged in the claims so that they are in chronological order with respect to the claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that elements labelled upper, lower, top, bottom, left, right, etc. may be adjusted if the eating assistance device10is utilized on the other side of the mouth20than illustrated.

The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.