Nasal Dilator With Means To Direct Resilient Properties
A nasal dilator comprises a laminate of vertical layers that form a unitary, or single body, truss having horizontal regions adapted to engage outer wall tissues of first and second nasal passages and to traverse the bridge of a nose therebetween. When in use the dilator acts to stabilize and/or expand the nasal outer wall tissues and prevent said tissues from drawing inward during breathing. The dilator includes multiple parallel resilient members or a resilient member having a plurality of component spring fingers extending from a common center. The dilator may further include material separations, or discontinuity of shape of material, formed in at least one region of the truss and extending through at least one layer of the dilator.
1 . A nasal dilator consisting of:
a non-resilient engagement layer having an adhesive side for engaging skin of a user's nose and an opposite, non-adhesive side; and
a resilient member having a constant thickness, being flexible out-of-plane and inflexible in-plane, the resilient member secured to the engagement layer, the resilient member including multiple resilient spring fingers extending outward from a common center, at least two spring fingers extending into a first of two opposite end regions of the nasal dilator, at least one spring finger extending into a second of two opposite end regions,
wherein the non-resilient engagement layer is interposed between the resilient member and the skin of a user's nose, an entire outer flat surface of the resilient member thus exposed and visible when the nasal dilator is engaged thereon.
2 . The nasal dilator of claim 1 wherein the non-resilient engagement layer includes an indentation extending inward from at least one end edge of the dilator, the indentation positioned between inside long edges of two laterally adjacent spring fingers.
3 . The nasal dilator of claim 1 wherein a portion of the non-resilient engagement layer extends outboard the resilient member periphery beyond a terminal end of at least one spring finger.
4 . The nasal dilator of claim 1 wherein the non-resilient engagement layer is made from a plastic film material.
5 . The nasal dilator of claim 1 wherein from two to five spring fingers extend into said first of two opposite end regions of the nasal dilator, and at least two spring fingers extend into said second of two opposite end regions.
6 . The nasal dilator of claim 1 wherein at least one spring finger diverges laterally away from a longitudinal centerline of the dilator.
7 . A nasal dilator comprising:
a resilient member secured to at least one of a non resilient material layer, the at least one of a non resilient material layer substantially defining a periphery of the dilator extending outboard at least a portion of the resilient member; and
a first elongated opening extending vertically through the at least one of a non resilient material layer and the resilient member, the elongated opening further extending inward from a lateral end edge of the dilator and defining at least a portion of inside long edges of upper and lower laterally adjacent resilient member spring finger components, such that the at least one of a non resilient material layer and the resilient member have a common edge extending substantially along said inside long edges,
wherein the resilient member is fabricated from a plastic film having a single constant thickness, the plastic film further having tensile, flexural, or elastic modulus values so as to be substantially flexible out-of-plane and substantially rigid in-plane.
8 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 wherein the at least one of a non resilient material layer is a cover member or a base member.
9 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 wherein the at least one of a non resilient material layer is a base member interposed between the resilient member and skin surfaces of a nose engaged by the dilator, the base member made from a flexible plastic film.
10 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 wherein a portion of the non-resilient material layer extends beyond a terminal end of at least one spring finger.
11 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 wherein from two to five spring fingers extend into a first of two opposite end regions of the nasal dilator, and at least two spring fingers extend into a second of two opposite end regions thereof.
12 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 wherein at least one spring finger diverges laterally away from a longitudinal centerline of the dilator.
13 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 , further comprising a second elongated opening laterally adjacent and generally parallel to said first elongated opening, the second elongated opening separated from the first elongated opening by a spring finger component positioned laterally therebetween, such that the first and second elongated openings together with upper and lower resilient member long edges define three laterally adjacent spring finger components.
14 . The nasal dilator of claim 7 , further comprising a second elongated opening or slit extending inward from a terminal end of at least one of said upper or lower spring finger component, the second elongated opening or slit dividing the at least one spring finger component into two laterally adjacent portions.
15 . A nasal dilator comprising:
an oblong resilient member secured to at least one of a non resilient engagement material layer, the resilient member including elongated slits or openings extending inward from a terminal end edge thereof, the elongated slits or openings defining adjacent spring finger components extending outward from a common center into opposing end regions of the dilator;
wherein an upper spring finger component is positioned adjacent to one side of a longitudinal centerline of the dilator, a lower spring finger component is positioned adjacent to an opposite side of the longitudinal centerline across the centerline from said upper spring finger, and at least one middle spring finger component is positioned substantially along the longitudinal centerline, interposed between said upper and lower spring fingers.
16 . The nasal dilator of claim 15 wherein the non resilient engagement material layer extends outboard at least a portion of the resilient member periphery.
17 . The nasal dilator of claim 15 wherein the resilient member is narrower along at least a portion of an intermediate region of the dilator and wider along at least a portion of the end regions thereof.
18 . The nasal dilator of claim 15 wherein the at least one of a non resilient engagement material layer includes a cover member and a base member.
19 . The nasal dilator of claim 15 wherein the at least one of a non resilient material layer is a base member interposed between the resilient member and skin surfaces of a nose engaged by the dilator, the base member made from a flexible plastic film.
20 . The nasal dilator of claim 15 wherein upper, lower and middle spring fingers extend into one end region of the dilator, and upper and lower spring fingers extend into another end region of the dilator.