Economical Nasal Dilator and Method of Manufacture

A method of fabricating a nasal dilator, comprising:

• a) die cutting a plurality of end region components and resilient members, the resilient members die cut laterally adjacent to each other, the resilient members and end region components configured to have a width such that a predetermined ratio of select resilient members align to select end region components substantially along a longitudinal centerline common to the resilient members and the end region components;
• c) aligning the select resilient members to the select end region components;
• and
• d) bonding at least end portions of the select resilient members to the select end region components.

A method of fabricating a nasal dilator, comprising:

• a) slitting a web of end region component material into a plurality of elongated strands;
• b) pairing and separating select, spaced apart strands from the plurality thereof, the paired strands forming a base of a fabrication matrix, the strand widths corresponding at least generally to respective end regions of the dilator, inside edges of each strand from the pair thereof defining, at least in part, inside lateral edges of the first and second end region components, respectively, of the nasal dilator;
• c) die cutting a plurality of resilient members from a resilient layer material web;
• d) forming a fabrication matrix by separating select resilient members from the resilient material web and bonding the select resilient members to the fabrication matrix base at predetermined spaced apart intervals;
• and
• e) forming die cuts extending vertically through the fabrication matrix and around end portions of at least some of the bonded resilient members, the die cuts forming the first and second end region components, the die cut end region components interconnected by the bonded resilient members, thus defining finished dilators.