Apparatus for reducing snoring

Abstract

A mouthpiece for reducing snoring is provided. The mouthpiece includes an upper guard configured to fit over the upper teeth of a user, a lower guard configured to fit over the lower teeth of the user, a spacer assembly provided between the upper guard or the lower guard to provide an air passage at a middle section of the mouthpiece, a first adjustable assembly attached to the left side of the upper guard and the left side of the lower guard, and a second adjustable assembly attached to the right side of the upper guard and the right side of the lower guard. The first adjustable assembly and the second adjustable assembly are operable to move the lower guard relative to the upper guard.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A mouthpiece comprising:
 an upper element having a first notch located between a left side and a middle section of said upper element, a second notch located in said middle section of said upper element, and a third notch located between said middle section and a right section of said upper element;   a lower element connected to said upper element, said lower element having a fourth notch located between a left side and a middle section of said lower element, a fifth notch located in said middle section of said lower element, and a sixth notch located between said middle section and a right side of said lower element;   a first adjustable assembly attached to said left side of said upper element and said left side of said lower element; and   a second adjustable assembly attached to said right side of said upper element and said right side of said lower element, wherein said first adjustable assembly and said second adjustable assembly move said lower element relative to said upper element.   
     
     
         22 . The mouthpiece of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a spacer assembly attached to at least one of said upper element and said lower element, and providing an air passage between said middle sections of said upper element and said lower element. 
 
     
     
         23 . The mouthpiece of  claim 22 , wherein said spacer assembly includes a first portion located between said first notch and said second notch and a second portion located between said second notch and said third notch. 
     
     
         24 . The mouthpiece of  claim 21 , wherein said first and said second adjustable assemblies each comprise:
 an upper block attached to said upper element, said upper block including an aperture;   a lower block attached to said lower element, said lower block including a threaded aperture; and   a screw inserted through said aperture of said upper block and fastened to said threaded aperture of said lower block.   
     
     
         25 . The mouthpiece of  claim 24 , wherein said lower block has a channel and said upper block fits inside said channel of said lower block. 
     
     
         26 . The mouthpiece of  claim 24 , wherein said first and said second adjustable assemblies each include a pointer indicating a position of a side of said screw in relation to a side of said lower block. 
     
     
         27 . The mouthpiece of  claim 24 , wherein said lower block includes ridges. 
     
     
         28 . The mouthpiece of  claim 23 , wherein said first portion of said spacer assembly includes a first raised portion attached to said upper element and said second portion of said spacer assembly includes a second raised portion attached to said upper element. 
     
     
         29 . The mouthpiece of  claim 28 , wherein said first and said second raised portions have a substantially V shape. 
     
     
         30 . The mouthpiece of  claim 21 , wherein said upper element includes a first raised strip for a user to bite upper teeth into, and said lower element includes a second raised strip for said user to bite lower teeth into. 
     
     
         31 . The mouthpiece of  claim 22 , wherein said upper and said lower elements and said spacer assembly are thermoplastic, and said first and said second adjustable assemblies are thermo-stable. 
     
     
         32 . A mouthpiece comprising:
 an upper element having a substantially arch shape, a first end, and a second end;   a lower element having a substantially arch shape, a first end, and a second end;   a pair of connectors located between said upper and said lower elements, said pair of connectors having a first connector connecting said first ends of said upper and said lower elements and a second connector connecting said second ends of said upper and said lower elements;   a spacer assembly attached to at least one of said upper said lower elements, and configured to provide an air passage between said upper and said lower elements, said spacer assembly including a first raised portion located substantially between a left side and a middle section of said upper element and a second raised portion located substantially between a right side and said middle section of said upper element;   a first adjustable assembly attached to said first ends of said upper and said lower elements proximate said first connector, said first adjustable assembly includes a first pointer; and   a second adjustable assembly attached to said second ends of said upper and said lower elements proximate said second connector, said second adjustable assembly includes a second pointer.   
     
     
         33 . The mouthpiece of  claim 32 , wherein said upper element includes a trough. 
     
     
         34 . The mouthpiece of  claim 33 , wherein said trough contains a raised strip. 
     
     
         35 . The mouthpiece of  claim 34 , wherein said raised strip is thermoplastic. 
     
     
         36 . The mouthpiece of  claim 33 , wherein said upper element further includes an inner wall and an outer wall, said inner wall having a substantially even height and said outer wall having a height gradually sloping up from said first and said second ends of said upper element towards a center of said arch of said upper element. 
     
     
         37 . The mouthpiece of  claim 32 , wherein said first and said second adjustable assemblies each comprise:
 a lower block attached to said lower element, said lower block having a channel and a threaded aperture;   an upper block attached to said upper element, said upper block having an aperture and said upper block fitting within said channel of said lower block; and   a screw inserted through said upper block aperture and fastened to said lower block threaded aperture.   
     
     
         38 . The mouthpiece of  claim 37 , wherein a height of said first and said second raised portions is equal to a height of said lower blocks of said first and said second adjustable assemblies. 
     
     
         39 . A method of assembling a snore reliever apparatus comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a mouthpiece having an upper element and a lower element connected by a pair of connectors and having a spacer assembly attached to a least one of said upper or said lower elements, said lower element having a pair of lower blocks attached thereto, each of said lower blocks containing a channel and a threaded aperture, said upper element having a pair of upper blocks attached thereto, each of said upper blocks containing an aperture;   folding said mouthpiece about said connectors;   inserting said upper block into said channel of said lower block;   inserting a fastener through each of said aperture of said pair of upper blocks; and   fastening said fastener to said threaded aperture of said pair of lower blocks.