Patent Application
20220110312
The invention described herein relates generally to intraoral game callers for calling turkeys, Elk, and predators wherein the game callers use diaphragm reeds to produce sound. The invention relates, more particularly, to mouthpieces to maintain an intraoral game caller against the roof of the mouth of a user.
Conventional intraoral animal or game callers use air blown past one or more reed members to produce sound. One common assembly involves a flat reed wedged between wood, cork, plastic, or metal with air being blown past that assembly to cause the reed to vibrate and thereby produce sound. The intraoral game caller assembly usually involves essentially U-shaped frames, situated one atop the other and sandwiching therebetween a reed. The intraoral game caller assembly is inserted inside the hunter's mouth and is situated near the upper palate, to facilitate the blowing of air past the diaphragm reed as breath exits the user's mouth. The intraoral game caller assembly may include a crescent shaped flap that contacts the user's palate to partially prevent the misdirection of breath between the palate and intraoral game caller, rather than beneath the intraoral game caller.
In order to use an intraoral game caller, the user seals the intraoral game caller against the roof of the mouth by pressing the tongue up against the intraoral game caller to force the intraoral game caller against the roof of the mouth. However, sealing difficulties arise due to variations in the roof of the mouth among users. In some cases, the roof of the mouth is narrow and high-arched, in other cases it is somewhat flat, and in yet other cases it is in between high-arched and flat. For users wearing a denture plate, there is difficulty in sealing due to the denture plate being hard and rigid, thus not having any flexibility to accommodate sealing. Moreover, if the user has a bump or the like in the roof of the mouth, the user must push harder with the tongue to create a seal. The use of cloth materials or elastomeric materials does not offer a satisfactory solution to the sealing difficulties. Also, the ability of users to slightly bend the caller to better conform the caller to the roof of the mouth also does not offer a satisfactory solution to the problem.
It is well known to employ diaphragms in intraoral game callers which are small enough to be held in a person's mouth for imitating the sounds made by wild game. Some persons have achieved proficiency in utilizing such intraoral game callers which is accomplished usually as the result of many hours of practice. For those persons who desire to use a diaphragm-type intraoral game caller and who would like to achieve some competence without many hours of experimentation, there has remained a need for improvement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,845 discloses a bird-calling device having a rigid base made somewhat in the form of a partial denture plate which is adapted to fit snugly in the roof of a user's mouth. The rigid base has protruding wires or the like so that it may be securely anchored to an upper tooth. The rigid base has a generally U-shaped configuration, with the open portion of the U being toward the front of the user's mouth when it is installed. Within the U-shaped recess is an internally facing narrow groove. A removable diaphragm assembly is sized to provide an air-tight fit within the central recess, with the diaphragm being positioned so that it is exposed to selective contact by the user's tongue. When the user expels air past the diaphragm, an imitation bird sound may be produced; and the sound may be varied by changing the position of the user's tongue, i.e., changing the contact between the diaphragm and the tongue. This device has not been satisfactory because the rigid base is not held in place satisfactorily on the roof of the mouth with a wire anchored to an upper tooth. There remains a need for improvement. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an intraoral game caller which can produce a high degree of realistic game calls without the need for tedious hours of training, practice, and experimentation.
This invention provides a mouthpiece for intraoral game callers. The mouthpiece has one or more teeth holding members constructed to cover and hold one or more teeth of a user, side portions extending from the teeth holding members, and a roof portion extending from the side portions. A retaining slot is formed in the roof portion for reversible insertion and removal of an intraoral game caller. The mouthpiece is made entirely of plastic or rubber and is flexible.
The teeth holding members are constructed to cover and hold tops and sides of the one or more teeth. The mouthpiece is a custom fit mouthpiece constructed to fit all the contours of the upper mouth of an individual user. The one or more teeth holding members anchor the roof portion against the roof of the mouth of the user so that the roof portion contacts, covers, and seals a portion of the roof of the user's mouth. The user's expired air is directed entirely across the intraoral game caller. When the user expels air past the intraoral game caller, an imitation game sound is produced, and the sound may be varied by changing the position of the user's tongue with respect to the intraoral game caller.
The retaining slot is constructed to allow insertion and removal of an intraoral game caller into or out of the retaining slot during use when the mouthpiece and retaining slot are positioned in the upper mouth of the user. The roof portion and retaining slot may be restricted to the front, middle, or rear area of the roof of the upper mouth of the user.
An advantage of this invention is a mouthpiece for an intraoral game caller, wherein the mouthpiece is customized to fit each user and is comfortable to wear for long periods of time because it is made of plastic or rubber and is flexible.
Another advantage is an open retaining slot wherein a user can exchange intraoral game calls quickly without have to remove the mouthpiece from the mouth.
Another advantage is a mouthpiece for an intraoral game caller that anchors the game caller to the roof of the mouth so that a user is free to move the tongue to produce sound without having to use the tongue to also keep the intraoral game caller adjacent to the roof of the mouth.
Another advantage is a mouthpiece that is simple to manufacture using common and readily available inexpensive dental materials.
While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying figures, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways.
The invention described herein relates generally to intraoral game caller devices for calling turkeys, Elk, and predators using diaphragm reeds to produce sound.
In use, the teeth portion 37 and 38 of the mouthpiece 30 are placed over the upper teeth of a user. The roof portion 36 and the side portions 34 and 35 are pushed upward and remain against the roof and sides of the user's mouth. The roof portion 36 and the side portions 34 and 35 contact, cover, and seal a portion of the roof of the user's mouth so that air exhaled from the lungs of the user passes across only the bottom side 52 of the game caller 50 and out the mouth of the user. In addition, the mouthpiece 30 is constructed so that the teeth portions 37 and 38 of the mouthpiece 30 anchor the roof portion 36 against the roof of the mouth of the user. The tongue of the user is not required to push the roof portion 36 against the roof of the mouth. This feature of the mouthpiece 30 eliminates the need for a user to practice, train, and experiment to keep the caller 50 against the roof of the user's mouth as the user exhales to create a bird call.
The foregoing description illustrates and describes the disclosure. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only the preferred embodiments but, it is to be understood that the preferred embodiments are capable of being formed in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and are capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the invention concepts as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. For example, the mouthpiece can be constructed so that the retaining slot and game caller are positioned at the front, middle, or rear of the roof of the mouth. The mouthpiece may be constructed to cover just one tooth, some of the teeth, or all the teeth of a user. The mouthpiece may be constructed to simulate a call for any type of bird, any type of mammal, or any type of predator, for example, a coyote. Any suitable type of plastic or rubber may be used to form the mouthpiece. Any type of reed or diaphragm may be used with the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece can be made from a 3D dental scan instead of a dental mold. The teeth portions of the mouthpiece can be formed by heating the mouthpiece, placing the mouthpiece in the upper mouth over the upper teeth, and biting down on the mouthpiece by methods known in the art.
The embodiments described herein above are further intended to explain the best modes known by applicant and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure in such, or other, embodiments and with the various modifications required by the particular applications or uses thereof. Accordingly, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Also, it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments. It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/089,051, filed Oct. 8, 2020, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63089051 | Oct 2020 | US |
