Nasal dilator with cushion layer and variable spring rate

A normally planar nasal dilator for preventing the outer wall tissue of nasal passages of a nose from drawing in during breathing comprising:

• a top cover with a bottom surface and an adhesive on the bottom surface;
• a resilient member engaged with the bottom surface having a constant thickness over its length and longitudinal sides which converge from a mid-point of the member to respective ends of the band;
• and
• a cushion layer which peripherally extends past the edge of the resilient member, and adhesively engages the bottom surface of the top cover, and surrounds the edges of the resilient member so that the bottom surface of both the cushion layer and the resilient member form a contiguous surface, and adhesive on a bottom of the cushion layer which engages the skin on the nose.

A nasal dilator for preventing outer wall tissue of nasal passages of a nose from drawing in during breathing, the dilator having a longitudinal axis, opposing ends, a centerline midway between the ends which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a normally substantially planar state, the dilator comprising:

• a top cover which has an adhesive on a bottom surface thereof;
• an elongated resilient member engaged with the bottom surface, extending in a longitudinal direction of the dilator, and having a constant thickness and sides which converge from a center of the resilient member to respective ends thereof;
• and
• a cushion layer that has a thickness which is approximately equal to the thickness of the resilient member and has edges which are adjacent to the edges of the resilient member, so that the bottom surface of both the cushion layer and the resilient member form a contiguous surface, and
• an adhesive on a bottom surface of the cushion layer for engaging skin tissue on the nose to secure the dilator to the nose.

A nasal dilator for preventing the outer wall tissue of nasal passages of a nose from drawing in during breathing having a longitudinal axis, opposing ends, a centerline midway between the ends which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a normally substantially planar state, the dilator comprising:

• a top cover which has an adhesive on a bottom surface thereof;
• an elongated resilient member engaged with the bottom surface, extending in a longitudinal direction of the dilator, and having a constant thickness and sides which converge from a center of the resilient member to respective ends thereof;
• a cushion layer that has a thickness which is approximately equal to the thickness of the resilient member and has edges which are adjacent to the edges of the resilient member, so that the bottom surface of both the cushion layer and the resilient member form a contiguous surface, and including an adhesive on a bottom surface of the cushion layer for engaging skin tissue on the nose to secure the dilator to the nose;
• and
• a set of slits in an outer edge of the dilator, the slits being approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dilator and defining a boundary between an intermediate section and the ends of the dilator.

A nasal dilator capable of introducing separating stresses in nasal outer wall tissue comprising:

• a plurality of elongated resilient members each forming a long axis and defining spaced-apart ends which, when forced toward one another from an initial, relaxed position of the resilient member to substantially reduce direct spacing between the end surfaces by a force external to said resilient member, generate restoring forces in the resilient member tending to return the resilient member to its initial relaxed position;
• at least one of the resilient members having a constant thickness over its length and sides generally extending in the direction of the long axis which converge from a center of the resilient members to the ends thereof so that the plurality of resilient members collectively has a spring rate which continuously diminishes from the center to said ends;
• a cushion layer that has a thickness which is approximately equal to the thickness of the resilient members and has edges which are adjacent to the sides of the resilient members, so that a bottom surface of both the cushion layer and of the resilient members form a substantially contiguous surface, and
• an adhesive on a bottom surface of the cushion layer for engaging skin tissue on the nose sufficiently to remain engaged while the restoring forces are active.