Nasal dilator with means to direct resilient properties

摘要

A nasal dilator of vertically laminated layers, each consisting of one or more components. The laminated layers form a unitary truss with end regions for engaging outer wall tissues of a user's nasal passages and for traversing the bridge of the nose. The dilator includes means to direct its resilient properties comprising material separations or shape discontinuities formed in at least one region of the truss and extending through at least one layer of the dilator. Said material separations or discontinuities may comprise an opening, relief cut, slit or notch, and may be configured to separate or vertically protrude from the dilator when it is in use. The separations transform the angle of focused delaminating spring biasing forces generated by the resilient layer from primarily peel forces into primarily shear forces, and further redistribute the transformed forces to tissue-engaging surface areas extending outward and beyond the separations.

主权项

1. A nasal dilator comprising a laminate of vertical layers including a resilient member secured to at least one of a base layer or cover layer;
the resilient member having a gradiently reduced width extending from a widest portion to a narrowest portion, the widest portion and the narrowest portion centered substantially along a longitudinal centerline of the dilator such that opposing portions of resilient member outer long edges define a progressively narrower width extending between the widest and narrowest portions, the at least one of a base layer or cover layer substantially defining a periphery of the dilator; the dilator further comprising, a shaped relief cut extending vertically through an entire thickness of the laminate, the relief cut located inboard peripheral edges of the resilient member substantially equidistant between a lateral centerline and a lateral end edge of the dilator substantially along the longitudinal centerline thereof, the relief cut contained wholly within said peripheral edges.