Multi-laminar mouthguards
First Claim
1. A mouthguard comprising a main body having two individual parts, in which one of said two parts forms an upper trough portion and the other of said two parts forms a lower trough portion, and liner material of a lower durometer than the durometer of said two main body parts lines both troughs and also integrally joins the liner material lining said upper trough portion with the liner material lining said lower trough portion such that the liner material interlocks said two main body parts in juxtaposition to create an integral mouthguard unit wherein said one main body part juxtaposedly overlies said other main body part.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mouthguard that possesses a number of unique features including: a two part main body in which the two parts are exactly identical so that they can be fabricated by the same mold; the main body has internal pockets that provide for the placement of a lower durometer material within the main body, particularly the molar regions; the main body is constructed in two parts to provide for the inclusion of air/saliva ducts and the attachment of a separate attaching strap; the relative thicknesses of the liner material and the main body material can be varied in particular ways at the occlusal wall; the buccal wall has pocketry containing different durometer material; a bite locator is provided; and the liner forms a significant portion of the buccal wall as a smooth rounded edge.
237 Citations
28 Claims
- 1. A mouthguard comprising a main body having two individual parts, in which one of said two parts forms an upper trough portion and the other of said two parts forms a lower trough portion, and liner material of a lower durometer than the durometer of said two main body parts lines both troughs and also integrally joins the liner material lining said upper trough portion with the liner material lining said lower trough portion such that the liner material interlocks said two main body parts in juxtaposition to create an integral mouthguard unit wherein said one main body part juxtaposedly overlies said other main body part.
- 21. A mouthguard comprising two individual main body parts each of which forms a corresponding one of upper and lower troughs of the mouthguard, said two main body parts being juxtaposed in assembly relationship such that the particular main body part forming the upper trough overlies the particular main body part forming the lower trough, and a unitary piece of material acting to hold said main body parts in assembly relationship wherein the particular main body part forming the upper trough juxtaposedly overlies the particular main body part forming the lower trough, said unitary piece of material having a first fractional portion thereof disposed in at least a portion of said upper trough, a second fractional portion thereof disposed in at least a portion of said lower trough, and a third fractional portion thereof extending integrally between said first fractional portion and said second fractional portion.
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24. A mouthguard comprising a main body having internal pocketry at a labial region thereof and means defining an aperture extending from a labial exterior surface portion of the main body through the main body to said pocketry, including an attaching strap for the mouthguard, said attaching strap being a separate part having one end captured in said main body pocketry and extending from said one end through said aperture.
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25. A mouthguard comprising at least one trough for an arch, said trough comprising an occlusal wall and a buccal wall, said mouthguard comprising a main body forming a portion of said at least one trough including a portion of said occlusal wall and a portion of said buccal wall, said mouthguard comprising liner material lining at least a portion of said portion of said at least one trough formed by said main body including lining said portion of said occlusal wall and lining said portion of said buccal wall, said liner material also extending away from said occlusal wall beyond said portion of said buccal wall formed by said main body to form about one-fourth to one-third of the height of said buccal wall as a smooth rounded edge that is disposed beyond said buccal wall portion formed by said main body.
- 26. A mouthguard comprising a main body having an occlusal wall covered by liner material on both sides, the sum of the thicknesses of the occlusal wall and the liner material covering both sides of the occlusal wall in total being generally uniform over at least a portion of the mouthguard, said occlusal wall and said liner material having relative thicknesses such that in at least a portion of said mouthguard portion, the thickness of the liner material covering one side of the occlusal wall is greater than that of the liner material covering the other side of the occlusal wall, such greater thickness being caused by non-uniformity of said occlusal wall of said main body in said at least a portion of said mouthguard portion.
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28. A mouthguard adapted for insertion into a user'"'"'s mouth to receive an impression of the user'"'"'s upper and lower arches when so inserted and bitten on by the user, said mouthguard comprising an upper trough for the upper arch, a lower trough for the lower arch, occlusal wall means between said troughs, said lower trough being shallower than said upper trough, said lower trough comprising a buccal wall and a lingual wall both extending away from said occlusal wall means, but with said lingual wall being shorter than said buccal wall, said buccal wall in transverse view comprising a triangle integrally adjoining with said occlusal wall means and a lip integrally adjoining with and extending from a vertex of the triangle that is spaced from said occlusal wall means, said lingual wall in transverse view comprising another triangle integrally adjoining with said occlusal wall means and another lip integrally adjoining with and extending from a vertex of said another triangle that is spaced from said occlusal wall means, and tooth-impressionable liner material filling said lower trough to the level of said lips to present an exterior surface into which the teeth of the lower arch are adapted to be impressed, and said exterior surface of said liner material being rounded immediately adjacent said lip of said buccal wall and then extending generally straight across said lower trough to said lip of said lingual wall, that rounded portion of said exterior surface of said liner material that is immediately adjacent said buccal wall being disposed in underlying relation to a surface of said triangle of said buccal wall that extends obliquely from said lip of said buccal wall.
Specification