Frenum lock
OwnerCharles W. Rectorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention is directed to a frenum lock, also know as a natural expression former, for use by morticians. The improvement of this invention is the increased thickness of the central area or the medial area of the frenum lock and the decreased thickness of the peripheral areas, i.e., spaced end or wing area, of the frenum lock. As a result, there is more rigidity in the medial area of the subject frenum lock and more flexibility in the peripheral areas or wing ends of the frenum lock. This makes it easier for the mortician to insert and to position the frenum lock between the lips and the gums of the cadaver for the cadaver to have a natural appearance.
Claims23
An improvement in an expression former for insertion between the lips and the teeth and gums of a corpse, comprising a thin plate of resilient, limitedly flexible, yet substantially inelastic material, having an inherent form-sustaining double curvature overall to fit the curvature of the dental arch, said plate further having a marginal shape defining a pair of wing ends and a medial connecting area, and a size and shape to extend along the gums beyond the lips at all points, spurs on said plate for engagement with the mouth musculature, an upper portion offset forwardly of a lower portion thereof at least in the medial area, and a substantially continuous wall connecting said offset portions thereof at least in the medial area, to define a transverse bite indentation ridge therebetween extending along the line of nonocclusion of the forward teeth;
- and wherein said improvement comprises:
- a. the medial connecting area being thicker than the wing ends for greater rigidity in the medial connecting area and for greater flexibility in the wing ends.
An improvement in an expression former for insertion in the mouth of a corpse, comprising a thin, flexible plate having spurs thereon for engagement with the mouth musculature, and further having transversely spaced end portions to extend beyond the corners of the mouth and a frontal section connecting said end portions, said plate being of substantially form-retentive material and having an inherent curvature at least transversely of the mouth to fit the curvature of the dental arch, said plate further having upper and lower portions of the shape and size to extend beyond the teeth between the gums and the lips, the upper portion being offset forwardly of the lower portion, and a connecting ridge between said upper and lower portions and extending transversely of the plate at least across said frontal section, said offset and ridge forming a bite indentation to accommodate nonocclusion of at least the forward teeth;
- wherein said improvement comprises:
- a. the medial connecting area being thicker than the wing ends for greater rigidity in the medial connecting area and for greater flexibility in the wing ends.
An improvement in an expression former for insertion in the mouth of a corpse;
- said expression former having a marginal shape and size to fit between the lips and the teeth and gums and having an inherent form-sustaining double curvature generally overall, yet being flexible for fitting dental arches of differing curvatures, and further having spurs for engaging and holding the mouth tissues;
- a bite indentation simulator in said former, comprising upper and lower portions of said former, one of said portions protruding forwardly of the other at least in the region of the forward teeth of said corpse to form an offset along a line extending transversely of the mouth simulating nonocclusion of the teeth, a ridge integrally connecting said upper and lower portions along said offset line;
- said former having a central portion and an end portion on each side of said central portion:
- wherein said improvement comprises:
- a. the medial connecting area being thicker than the wing ends for greater rigidity in the medial connecting area and for greater flexibility in the wing ends.
A method for permitting wider spreading of the end portions of an expression former upon insertion of the expression former into the mouth of a corpse and permitting greater adaptation of the dental former to the arch of the corpse wherein said expression former comprises a thin, flexible plate of resilient, limitedly flexible, yet substantially inelastic material, having an inherent form sustaining double curvature overall to fit the curvature of the dental arch, said plate further having a marginal shape defining a pair of wing ends and a medial connecting area, and a size and shape to extend along the gums beyond the lips at all points, spurs on said plate for engagement with the mouth musculature and wherein said method comprises:
- a. forming the medial connecting area to be thicker than the wing ends for greater rigidity in the medial connecting area and for greater flexibility in the wing ends.
A combination of a corpse and an improvement in an expression former and comprising:
- a. said corpse having lips and gums;
- b. said expression former being for insertion between said lips and said gums of said corpse and comprising a thin plate of resilient, limitedly flexible, yet substantially inelastic material, having an inherent form-sustaining double curvature overall to fit the curvature of the dental arch, said plate further having a marginal shape defining a pair of wing ends and a medial connecting area, and a size and shape to extend along the gums beyond the lips at all points, spurs on said plate for engagement with the mouth musculature, an upper portion offset forwardly of a lower portion thereof at least in the medial area, and a substantially continuous wall connecting said offset portions thereof at least in the medial area, to define a transverse bite indentation ridge therebetween extending along the line of nonocclusion of the forward teeth;
- and wherein said improvement comprises:
- c. the medial connecting area being thicker than the wing ends for greater rigidity in the medial connecting area and for greater flexibility in the wing ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.