초록 ▼

Anti-snoring devices, more specifically to externally worn anti-snoring devices covering essentially a wearer's mouth and being adhesively attached to a wearers skin in the peri-oral area are described. The articles utilise an improved adhesive so as to facilitate easy application and removal of th

Anti-snoring devices, more specifically to externally worn anti-snoring devices covering essentially a wearer's mouth and being adhesively attached to a wearers skin in the peri-oral area are described. The articles utilise an improved adhesive so as to facilitate easy application and removal of the article from the wearer, whilst ensuring maintenance of the article in the desired position. In particular the adhesives provide attachment on greasy and oily skin.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An anti-snoring device (10) comprising: a flexible sheet of material, wherein said sheet further comprises a central mouth portion (16), a peripheral portion ( 18), a wearer facing side (12), and an ambient facing side ( 14), the peripheral portion being defined by two

The invention claimed is: 1. An anti-snoring device (10) comprising: a flexible sheet of material, wherein said sheet further comprises a central mouth portion (16), a peripheral portion ( 18), a wearer facing side (12), and an ambient facing side ( 14), the peripheral portion being defined by two opposing longitudinal edges joining ends of two opposing lateral edges, the central mouth portion being intermediate two opposing lengths of the sheet defined by the two opposing longitudinal edges and intermediate the two opposing lateral edges; and adhesive coated areas (20), wherein said adhesive coated areas (20) have a total surface area of less than 50% of the total area of said wearer facing side (12), wherein at least a portion of said mouth portion (16) is adhesive free; wherein said peripheral portion (18) is provided with a discontinuous application of adhesive on said wearer facing side ( 12), wherein said mouth portion is sufficiently rigid to keep a user's mouth closed, during sleep, after application of the anti-snoring device to the wearer's face, wherein said adhesive free portion of said mouth portion ( 16) has an area of at least 10% of the total surface area of said wearer facing side (12), a width of sheet, measured in the longitudinal direction, is in the range of 5 cm to 12 cm, the lateral edges are smooth lateral edges, and said adhesive is applied at least on an area of said peripheral portion corresponding to the user's perioral area above the superior lip and on an area of said peripheral portion corresponding to the user's perioral area below the inferior lip. 2. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 1, wherein said sheet comprises a breathable material, and the peripheral portion is further defined by an oval having two parallel edges joining ends of two opposing smoothly arcuate lateral edges. 3. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 1, wherein said sheet of material comprises a non-woven material. 4. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 1, wherein said peripheral portion (18) comprises said adhesive coated areas (20) and adhesive free areas (22), the adhesive coated areas being fabric areas provided with the adhesive and the adhesive free areas being fabric areas free of the adhesive and located longitudinally intermediate the fabric areas provided with the adhesive. 5. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 1, wherein said adhesive on said wearer facing side (12) is provided as parallel adhesive strips. 6. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 5, wherein said adhesive strips are horizontally oriented. 7. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 1, wherein said adhesive has a dry peel strength (PDI) and a greasy peel strength (PGI) and the ratio of PDI to PGI is from 1:1 to 1.0:0.2. 8. An anti-snoring device (10) of claim 1, wherein said adhesive is placed to permit applying the flexible sheet to a user's mouth area, adhesively attached to the user's perioral area; wherein said adhesive has dry peel strength (PDI) and a greasy peel strength (PGI); and, wherein the ratio of PDI to PGI is from 1:1 to 1.0:0.2, said adhesive able to adhere to the user's mouth area, after plural reapplications to the user's mouth area, sufficiently to keep the user's mouth closed, during sleep, after further reapplication of the antisnoring device to the wearer's face. 9. The antisnoring device (10) of claim 8, wherein the ratio of said dry peel strength (PDI) to said greasy peel strength (PGI) is from 1:1 to 1.0:0.3. 10. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 8, wherein said dry peel strength (PDI) ranges from 0.1 N/cm to 5.0 N/cm. 11. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 10, wherein said greasy peel strength (PGI) ranges from 0.1 N/cm to 5.0 N/cm. 12. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 8, wherein said adhesive is provided as a layer having a thickness, C, measured in millimeters (mm), wherein said adhesive has a viscous modulus at a temperature of 25째 C. (77째 F.), G"25 (100 rad/sec); and, wherein said viscous modulus G"25 (100 rad/sec) and said thickness, C, of said adhesive satisfy the equation: description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"G" 25 (100 rad/sec)≦[(7.00+C)횞3000] Pa.description="In-line Formulae" end="tail" 13. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 12, wherein said viscous modulus G"25 (100 rad/sec) and said thickness C satisfy the following equation: description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"G" 25 (100 rad/sec) ≦[(5.50+C)횞1700] Pa.description="In-line Formulae" end="tail" 14. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 12, wherein said adhesive has an elastic modulus at a temperature of 37째 C. (100째 F.), G'37 (1 rad/sec), and a viscous modulus at a temperature of 37째 C. (100째 F.), G"37 (1 rad/sec), wherein said G'37 (1 rad/sec) ranges from 500 Pa to 20000 Pa; wherein said G"37 (1 rad/sec) ranges from 100 Pa to 15000 Pa; and, wherein the ratio of G'37 (1 rad/sec)/G"37 (1 rad/sec) ranges from 1 to 30. 15. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 8, wherein said adhesive is a substantially water insoluble pressure sensitive adhesive comprising a polymer which forms a 3-dimensional matrix; and, wherein said adhesive comprises less than 10% by weight of said adhesive of hydrocolloid particles. 16. The anti-snoring device (10) of claim 15, wherein said adhesive further comprises: a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylics, sulphonated polymers, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrrolidines, polyethylene oxide, and mixtures thereof; and, a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, polyethylene glycols, sorbitol, water, and mixtures thereof.