ANTISNORING DEVICE

• US 3,696,377 A
• Filed: 07/15/1970
• Issued: 10/03/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas P. Wall
• Original Assignee: Thomas P. Wall
• Inventors: Wall, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wannisky, William M.
• Application Number:
  US05/055,011
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/279,221 179/1,1VC,1.1C,1.1VC 116/114D
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00

Abstract

Vocal sounds of a sleeper above predetermined level sensed by a transducer initiate operation of a record player device for delivery of audible antisnoring or equivalent instructions to the sleeper at a level below that sufficient to reactuate the record player device through the transducer means, and a holding means maintains the record player device operative for a predetermined period following initial actuation and thereupon terminates such operation preparatory to succeeding reactuation by the same means.

Claims

1. An antisnoring device comprising transducer means adapted to be positioned and operated near a sleeping person to convert vocal sounds into electric signals, electrically actuatable delayed-deactuation switch means responsively connected to said transducer means to be actuated thereby in response to vocal sounds above predetermined level and thereafter to remain actuated for automatic deactuation after a predetermined period, a sound record playback mechanism connected to be rendered operable by actuation of said switch means and to remain operable while the switCh means remains actuated so as to reproduce prerecorded antisnoring message signals while said switch means is actuated, and speaker means responsively connected to the playback mechanism so as to deliver said message at a level which is audible privately to the sleeper but which at the transducer means is below the level necessary to reactuate the switch device.

2. An instruction device for sleepers comprising record player means including a record of instruction and including speaker means operable to deliver the recorded instruction audibly and privately to a sleeper, means operable in response to vocal sounds from the sleeper for turning on the record player so as to initiate delivery of such instruction to the sleeper, and means automatically operable for turning off the record player at a predetermined point thereafter and thereby for automatically conditioning the same to be turned on again thereafter in response to recurrence of such vocal sounds.

3. The device defined in claim 2, wherein the last-named means comprises a time-delay holding relay means which automatically deactuates itself at a predetermined time after actuation.

4. The method of curing sleeping persons of the snoring or sleep-talking habit comprising the steps of detecting the vocal sounds of a sleeper above predetermined level and utilizing such detected sounds to initiate delivery of audible instruction to the sleeper lasting for a predetermined duration and then terminating so as to end one cycle of self-instruction, and thereafter repeating such cycle recurringly for as long as the sleeper persists in emitting such vocal sounds.