US20060178245A1

US20060178245A1 - Breathing exerciser and method of forming thereof

Info

Publication number: US20060178245A1
Application number: US11/340,252
Authority: US
Inventors: Alison Schiller; Robert Maute
Original assignee: Sage Dynamics LP
Current assignee: Sage Dynamics LP
Priority date: 2005-02-07
Filing date: 2006-01-26
Publication date: 2006-08-10

Abstract

Apparatus and method for a breathing exerciser for increasing breathing capacity and also optionally for increasing breathing rate control. A preferred embodiment comprises a tube-like structure, open at one end but closed at the other end. A reference breathing hole and resistance breathing holes through the side wall are present. The user places the open end of the tube at his lips, seals his lips around the open end, and breathes through the tube. As one or more holes are covered by the user's finger(s), the resistance to air flow and thus to breathing is changed.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/650,460, filed on Feb. 7, 2005, entitled Exerciser to Increase Breathing Ability, which application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for increasing the breathing capacity of people, and method of forming thereof, and also in some applications for improving the control of the rate of airflow during breathing.

BACKGROUND

Many people could benefit from having an increased breathing capacity. The ability to breathe a larger volume of air during inhalation and/or exhalation can be very important for people in some activities. Such people would include musicians playing wind instruments, band members, vocalists, choir members, athletes, hikers, skiers, swimmers, martial arts students, some people with medical breathing problems, people who would like to be more physically fit, people who work long hours in an office, and others. Within the world of musicians, all musicians who play wind instruments or sing would benefit from having a larger breath capacity. Breath capacity can be very important to wind instrument musicians and vocalists. In addition, breath capacity can be very important for athletes.
Many people could also benefit from improving the control of the rate of airflow during their breathing. The ability to control the rate of air flow during breathing (both exhaling and inhaling), in addition to the amount of breathing capacity, also can be very important to wind instrument musicians and vocalists as well as people in various other disciplines.
Currently only a few devices exist that help increase breathing capacity. Those that do are expensive, complex, difficult to use, often bulky, heavy, prone towards being unreliable, have moving parts, and are designed primarily for athletes. Additionally, we do not know of any prior devices that help one learn to control the rate of air intake or outlet during breathing. For many musicians, especially, having a substantially constant flow rate of air outlet during breathing can be important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented by preferred embodiments of the present invention that provide an inexpensive, simple, easy to use, small, lightweight, reliable, no moving parts, and designed for all applications exercise device that increases lung capacity and additionally allows the user to improve their control of the rate of air flow during inhaling and exhaling.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for increasing breathing capacity and also optionally increasing breathing rate control is disclosed. The apparatus consists of a tube like structure, open at one end but closed at the other end. A set of holes through the side wall are present. The user places the open end of the tube at his lips, seals his lips around the open end, and breathes through the tube. As one or more holes are covered by the user's finger(s), the resistance to air flow and thus to breathing is changed.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for increasing breathing capacity and also optionally increasing breathing rate control is disclosed. The apparatus consists of a tube like structure, open at one end but closed with a movable seal at the other end. A set of holes through the side wall are present. The user places the open end of the tube at his lips, seals his lips around the open end, and breathes in and out through the tube. As one or more holes are blocked off from the flow of air by the breather by moving the seal along the axis of the apparatus, the resistance to air flow and thus to breathing is changed.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a breathing exerciser comprises a cylinder body, a hollow central bore inside the cylinder body, a mouthpiece end of the cylinder body, wherein the mouthpiece end has an opening from outside the cylinder body to the central bore, a sealed end of the cylinder body opposite the mouthpiece end, wherein the central bore is closed at the sealed end, resistance breathing holes disposed on a first side of the cylinder body between the mouthpiece and sealed ends, and a reference breathing hole disposed on the cylinder body between the mouthpiece and sealed ends.
The use of a preferred embodiment of this apparatus exercises the user's lungs, which will increase the user's lung capacity over time with use. Musicians will be able to perform longer phrases in a single breath with improved tone, vibrato, and expressiveness. Athletes will strengthen their lungs to enhance performance and increase endurance.
Additionally, a preferred embodiment of the present invention makes an air movement sound during use that changes as the rate of air flow changes. By listening to the sound and breathing in such a way as to maintain the sound substantially constant, the user can learn to maintain a much more constant rate of air flow while exhaling, or while inhaling, or both.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter. It should be anticipated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed might be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 a-f shows different views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2 a-c show the labeling of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 shows an end view of a preferred embodiment having a moveable seal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The structure, making and using of the presently preferred embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 a-1 f, with the figures providing the following views: 1 a—right side, 1 b—top, 1 c—mouthpiece end, 1 d—left side, 1 e—closed end, and 1 f—bottom. The various views may be referred to collectively herein simply as FIG. 1. Breathing exerciser 100 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a thick walled cylinder 102 with a center bore 104. The cylinder has a closed end 106. Resistance breathing holes 108, 110, 112 and 114 exist in the cylinder wall and penetrate all the way through the wall from the outside completely through to the center bore 104. The user's lips form a seal around the open or mouthpiece end 116 of the apparatus, and the user then breathes through the breathing holes of the apparatus. The user can cover none, one, or more of holes 108, 110, 112 with the user's finger(s) while breathing. The more holes the user covers the more difficult the breathing is and the more exercise the user obtains. Beginners may want to cover none or a minimal number of holes. Advanced users may want to cover all three of holes 108, 110, 112. The reference hole or bottom hole 114 should always remain open to provide airflow.
The holes on the apparatus are arranged with three holes 108, 110, 112 on top for convenient covering of none, one, two or all three of the top breathing holes with the fingers of one hand. Normally the holes will be covered in order from the mouth towards the closed end, i.e., from 112 to 108, which will give an increasing resistance level to breathing as each additional hole is covered.
As shown in FIG. 2, the holes are labeled with labels 202 to aide an instructor, such as a band director, in directing their students in the use of apparatus 200. The labels may be disposed at an area 208 about 45 degrees off of vertical. The labels 202 by the holes also allow for clearer written instructions that come with the apparatus. Preferably, the labels 202 are made as part of the mold, not printed on, stuck on, or otherwise added later, for permanent retention so they will not peel off or wear off with time and use. The bottom side of the apparatus 200 may contain the product name 204 and the company name 206, in an area 210 on the bottom of the apparatus.
The breathing holes 108, 110, 112 are numbered and labeled on the device itself as “1”, “2”, and “3” from the mouthpiece end 116 towards the closed end 106, respectively. Having the labels 202 directly on the exerciser 200 makes instructions on using the apparatus easy to understand, be they written or verbal instructions. Preferably, the hole number labels are Times New Roman, font size 14; the product name label is Times New Roman, font size 12, bold; and the company name label is Times New Roman, font size 9, bold. Of course, the fonts for the various labels can be varied, or the labels may not be used, depending on the application.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the fourth breathing hole 114 penetrates the cylinder wall from the bottom of the apparatus to the center bore, instead of from the top as the other three holes do. The bottom hole 114 is placed so that that hole will remain open for all different levels of breathing resistance. One hole should remain open or no breathing path at all would exist. Normally the bottom hole 114 would always remain open. Having hole 114 on the bottom would make covering it difficult and unlikely for the user, thus ensuring that at least one breathing hole always remains open under normal use.
In a preferred embodiment, the size of each of the four breathing holes was designed specifically for the different breathing resistance levels desired. The breathing resistance levels were determined based on studies involving several professional musicians and music teachers. The sizes of the holes and their order contribute toward providing realistic, practical resistance levels that cover the range of breathing resistances needed from beginner to advanced users. The breathing hole sizes were designed to approximately double the breathing resistance for each additional breathing hole covered in order. The apparatus is designed to be used at the lowest resistance level, by beginners for example, with no holes covered, that is with all breathing holes open. The next resistance level is with hole number 1 covered by one of the user's fingers. This approximately doubles the breathing resistance from the no-holes-covered case. The next resistance level is with holes “1” and “2” covered. This again approximately doubles the breathing resistance from the previous resistance level, namely from the hole number “1” covered case. Likewise the next and the highest resistance level is with holes “1”, “2”, and “3” covered by the user's fingers, namely with all the top holes covered. The bottom hole generally is not designed to be covered.
The sizes of the four breathing holes were designed from the physics of flow. The physics of the flow situation is basically one of parallel flow paths. The flow situation was modeled using the theory of the equivalent resistance for a set of parallel resistors. The cross sectional area of each breathing hole is inversely proportional to the breathing resistance of each breathing hole. Each breathing hole essentially acts as a resistor in a parallel resistor network, with the value of the resistance being proportional to the reciprocal of the breathing hole's cross sectional area.
The equivalent electrical resistance Req for a set of four electrical resistors R1, R2, R3, and R4 in parallel is given by the following equation. $Rbreathing \propto \frac{1}{\frac{π D^{2}}{4}}$
The breathing resistance can be treated the same as the electrical resistance. The breathing resistance, Rbreathing, is related to the diameter of the breathing hole by the following equation. $\frac{1}{Req} = \frac{1}{R 1} + \frac{1}{R 2} + \frac{1}{R 3} + \frac{1}{R 4}$
We adjusted the diameter of the lower hole or reference breathing hole to a desired level appropriate for advanced lung capacity users (determined empirically by studies involving several professional musicians and music teachers). Knowing the diameter of the lower hole, knowing also that we wanted four resistance levels, and knowing that we wanted to change the breathing resistance level by approximately a factor of two for each hole covered in numerical order, we used the above theory to mathematically calculate the diameter of the top three holes or resistance breathing holes. The resulting hole diameters are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as, bottom hole: 3/32″, top hole 1: 11/64″, top hole 2: 7/64″, and top hole 3: 5/64″. Note that a different reference hole diameter could be used. Note also that a different number of breathing holes could have been used, as well as different criteria for determining the different breathing hole diameters. The above resistance theory could be used to calculate the appropriate resistance breathing hole diameters for these other situations. Use of theory to calculate the appropriate breathing-hole diameters is a beneficial facet to embodiments of this invention. While some dimension for the hole diameters could probably have been determined empirically by trial and error, such an approach would involve far more time and have been much more difficult, and may not have been feasible.
Note that the tolerance of the diameters of the breathing holes may be important in some applications. Tolerances of no more than 4 mils (±0.004 inches) from the diameters given in FIG. 1 are recommended. The breathing resistances generally are very sensitive to the diameters of the breathing holes.
Other preferred dimensions for the device shown in FIG. 1 are as follows. The cylinder preferably has an outer diameter of about ⅝ inch, and the cylinder bore preferably has diameter of about ⅜ inch and extends from the mouthpiece end to about ¾ inch from the sealed end. The cord mounting hole preferably has a diameter of about 3/32 inch, and is located at about ⅜ inch from the sealed end of the device. The distance from the sealed end to the reference breathing hole is preferably about 1 inch. The distance from the sealed end to the closest of the three resistance breathing holes is preferably about 1¼ inches, while the distance between adjacent resistance breathing holes is preferably about 11/16 inch. The preferred distances given with respect to the holes are to the centers of the holes. Reasons for selecting various dimensions are provided below, although of course these dimensions may be varied within the scope of the present invention.
The tolerance of cord mounting hole 118 is not especially important. The tolerance of the center bore hole, and even the shape of the center borehole, are not especially important. Generally, the cross sectional area of the center borehole simply needs to be much greater than that of the breathing holes' combined areas. The tolerance of the wall thickness is not especially important, as long as sufficient mechanical strength is present for practical use. The tolerance of the outer diameter of the cylinder is not critical.
The separation between the three resistance breathing holes on the top are selected with adequate separation such that an adult's fingers can cover all the holes (enough room between holes), yet are close enough together so that a child's smaller hand can also cover all the holes. The distances provided herein with respect to the hole locations are to the center of the holes. The tolerances of these separations are not especially critical.
The separation of the hole 112 closest to the mouthpiece from the mouthpiece 116 is selected such that the air blowing out of that hole upon exhaling through the apparatus will not blow on or in the nose of an adult or child and thus will not cause any possible unpleasant or irritating feeling from air blowing upon the user's nose.
The position of the bottom reference hole is selected such that it is unlikely to be accidentally covered by a user holding the apparatus during use. Most of the time the user will have their thumb on the bottom of the device with their fingers on top. Since the thumb will be located near the mouthpiece due to the need for the fingers to cover the top holes, having the bottom hole near the closed end of the apparatus and thus away from the mouth will ensure that the bottom hole will not be covered accidentally during use. Alternatively, the reference hole may be placed in other locations, such as on the same side as the resistance holes, or offset from them by an angle, such as 45 degrees. As yet another alternative, the reference hole could be formed through the closed end of the cylinder body.
The apparatus has a rounded edge on the mouthpiece to prevent a user from cutting himself, especially the tender tissues of the mouth. Also, the closed end is rounded to prevent injury from say cutting or scratching by any sharp edge. FIG. 1 shows rounding 120 at the mouthpiece and rounding 122 at the closed end. The amount of rounding at either end may be varied or the rounding may be eliminated.
The preferred outer diameter of the apparatus (⅝ inch) was chosen by a professional musician to be appropriate for both adults and children.
The distance that the center bore extends past the bottom hole is not of importance. It simply has to have a little distance to prevent any interference with air flow through the bottom hole, which is preferably about two bottom-hole diameters or more.
A thin neck loop may be attached to the apparatus to provide the user a means of attaching the apparatus around their neck. This neck loop allows the user to use, let go of, and quickly and easily regain access to the apparatus.
The neck loop may be made of 1/16 inch diameter soft elastic cord. Being elastic allows the user to easily put the neck loop over their head, without entanglement in or damage to hairdos, eyeglasses, ear-rings, and the like. Being soft, the cord does not scratch or easily damage the neck. The cord length may be about 35 inches, which provides a loop that is long enough for adults but not too long for children. Thus one neck loop has universal applicability, for ease in manufacturing.
The loop is mounted to the apparatus by the simple but effective method of providing a loop hole 118 through the closed end of the apparatus. This hole does not intersect the center bore. The hole diameter we use is 3/32 inch, but could be of other diameters. The hole is made horizontally, so that the cord hangs down from both sides when the apparatus is in use and the cord thus does not interfere or get in the way of using one's fingers to cover the breathing resistance holes. The cord is simply threaded through the mounting hole and tied, preferably in a knot that will not readily come undone, such as a square knot. The cord is heat cut before threading through the apparatus, so that the ends are seared and do not fray and will not unravel over time. The seared ends allow one end of the cord to be passed readily through the mounting hole, for ease of manufacturing. The seared ends also maintain a good appearance of the end of the cords over time since the cord ends do not fray.
The position of the loop mounting hole 118 is selected such that the cord is out of the way of both the user's fingers and mouth during use. Additionally, having the cord mounting-hole through the thickest portion of the apparatus ensures maximum strength and thus minimal chance of breakage of the apparatus even if an unusually large force is placed on the apparatus by the cord.
The preferred manufacturing method of the apparatus is by injection molding using a strong plastic. Preferably, we use polycarbonate. For aesthetic appeal one can add any of a variety of color additives to make the apparatus virtually any desired color. Our first product was a transparent blue color. Untinted polycarbonate is very clear. Polycarbonate is very strong. A variety of other plastics could be used. Machining the apparatus could also be done. Injection molding has the advantage of lower unit cost, but higher up front cost. Machining has the advantage of lower upfront costs, but the disadvantage of higher unit cost and lower uniformity of pieces.
The neck loop can be obtained precut by heat cutting from a cord manufacturer. The neck cord is threaded through the neck-loop hole of the apparatus and the cord tied in a loop. The diameter of the neck hole is designed relative to the cord diameter for easy threading of the neck loop through the apparatus during manufacturing. The cord of the neck loop is heat cut, so the ends of the cord is seared and do not fray or unravel.
Written instructions for the use of the apparatus may be provided to users. The apparatus along with written instructions may be inserted into a carrying and protective device of some kind. We use a 3 inch by 5½ inch dual-drawstring velveteen pouch from a manufacturer for our carrying case and protective device. The carrying case and contents can then be shipped to the user.
The entire apparatus was designed with ease of manufacturing and assembling in mind. The only assembly of the preferred embodiment after the plastic piece has been molded is threading the neck loop through the neck-hole of the apparatus, tying the loop, and inserting the plastic piece with neck loop into the carrying bag along with printed instructions. Thus assembly is fast and easy.
Advantages and features of preferred embodiments of the present invention include the following.
The preferred embodiment increases breathing capacity. The preferred embodiment increases breathing endurance. The preferred embodiment allows increased control of the rate of air inhaled and exhaled.
The preferred embodiment is simple. It consists of one piece of plastic, plus a neck loop. The preferred embodiment is reliable, because it has no moving parts. The preferred embodiment is inexpensive, because of its simple design.
The preferred embodiment is compact, slim and short. It is only four inches long and ⅝ inch thick. This enables easy carrying, and storing. The preferred embodiment is lightweight. This enables easy carrying, holding, and hanging around the neck.
The preferred embodiment has multiple resistance levels, to accommodate beginners through advanced users. The preferred embodiment has four resistance levels, which has been found in practice to be enough resistance levels to accommodate beginners through advanced users.
The preferred embodiment has a convenient carrying case. Our carrying case is a velveteen dual-drawstring bag of dimensions about 3 inches by 5 1/2 inches. The preferred embodiment has an attached neck-strap for easy access. The apparatus can be hung about the user's neck when not in use, and thereby remain readily and easily available when wanted. The cord that the neck loop is constructed from is of soft but strong elastic (stretchable) cord. The neck loop does not injure the neck of the user. The preferred embodiment stores easily in the user's pocket or band or choir binder, since it is so small and light.
The preferred embodiment has no pieces that extend or protrude beyond the smooth body of the apparatus. Any such an extension would be likely to catch on some external object and break off. Such an external extension also increases the likelihood of a user hitting himself or others with the extension and injuring himself or others. The lack of protruding elements also eliminates the possibility of the user injuring or hurting himself while holding the apparatus during use. Additionally the lack of any protruding elements will enable the insertion into and removal from any storage container or carrier to proceed without any catching of the apparatus in or on the storage container or carrier. The smooth design of the preferred embodiment prevents all these undesired possibilities.
The preferred embodiment has no moving pieces. The lack of moving pieces greatly increases the reliability of the device, especially after prolonged use and prolonged time of possession.
The preferred embodiment is rugged, made of tough polycarbonate. Of course many other types of plastic could be used. Materials other than a plastic could be used too, such as metal, PVC, glass, wood, etc. If plastic is used, the apparatus could be transparent, translucent, or opaque.
The preferred embodiment is easy to clean. It may be cleaned with warm water and soap. The smooth shape is designed to minimize locations where dirt and debris might accumulate, and also make removal of any dirt or debris easy. The large center bore makes cleaning the center bore easy. The carrier bag also reduces dirt, dust and debris accumulation on and in the apparatus.
The preferred embodiment is made from a plastics mold injection. Many other means, however, of constructing the apparatus exist.
The apparatus may be made in a variety of colors, or clear (transparent). The color does not affect the functionality, but will affect the aesthetic appeal of the product. Our initial product is a transparent blue.
The preferred embodiment has no mouthpiece that goes inside the mouth of the user beyond their lips, resulting in a simpler, easier to use, and easier to manufacture apparatus. The mouthpiece of the preferred embodiment has a mouthpiece that is placed between the lips and extends slightly back into the mouth.
The preferred embodiment is suited for a wide variety of applications in a wide variety of fields, unlike currently available devices that are designed mainly for one field of application, namely athletics.
The preferred embodiment may be useful for a person who is hyperventilating. The preferred embodiment could be worn substantially constantly, for use whenever desired. The preferred embodiment may have applications for certain medical conditions. The preferred embodiment has no unattached pieces to get lost or broken.
The preferred embodiment makes no undesirable sounds (squeaks or squawks). The preferred embodiment does make air movement sounds indicative of the rate of air flow, which allows the user to learn to control their flow rate of air when breathing. This feature can be important to musicians. The sounds allow better flow rate control during both exhaling and inhaling.
The breathing hole sizes in the preferred embodiment are very stable. They will not change with use, jarring, time, etc.
The preferred embodiment may be useful for people who work long periods of time in an office to help refresh and energize them. The preferred embodiment may be useful for people confined to wheelchairs or beds to have them exercise their lungs without standing or moving.
Possible variations for preferred embodiments include the following. The center bore as shown in FIG. 1 has a constant diameter, but it does not need to have a constant diameter. It could be tapered or have a variety of shapes. The shape of the apparatus could be other shapes than cylindrical. Stickers or printed labels could be used instead of the labels placed by the mold.
An external loop attachment could be used. A variety of attaching mechanisms could be used, such as a clip, a screw, or a rubber elastic band fitting tightly around the body of the apparatus. The cord could have its mounting hole at a different location, at a different angle, a different diameter, etc. The cord could be any of a variety of materials, such as string, leather, plastic, nylon, etc.
A mouthpiece that extends significantly inside the mouth or totally inside the mouth could be used. Either mouthpiece could be permanently attached or be an adapter. The breathing holes could have different orientations, diameters, and spacings. A different number of breathing holes could be used.
One of a large variety of different types of neck loops could be used. Different lengths of neck loops could be used. Different lengths of the apparatus could be used. A different carrying case or pouch or bag could be used. The apparatus could be manufactured without a neck loop. The apparatus could have a clip or other attachment enabling it to be attached to a pocket, a music stand, a shirt, etc.
An internal seal that is movable could be used to select the desired number of breathing holes available to the user. As shown in FIG. 3, breathing exerciser 300 has resistance breathing hole 302. Moveable seal 304 can be used to either open or close hole 302. The seal could be moved by a variety of means, such as by a rod with the seal on one end and the other end extending beyond the body of the device so the user could use his hand to push or pull the seal to the desired location. Alternatively, a screw could be mounted through the closed end and the screw turned from the outside by the user to move an internal seal to the desired position. The internal seal could be a rubber plug fitting tightly enough to prevent air flow past it but not so tight as to prevent movement. Other seal mechanisms exist, such as use of “O” rings, or the screw thread itself. In addition, the seal could be external, although internal is preferable.
The labeling of the breathing holes could be different, such as different locations, different orientations, different text such as letters instead of numbers, icons instead of text, etc.
The apparatus could have an attachment or a permanently affixed extension that would allow a mouthpiece of an actual musical instrument to be positioned in close proximity to the apparatus, so that the user could immediately switch from breathing through a preferred embodiment apparatus to breathing through their actual instrument mouthpiece. This may enable some musicians to learn to breath better with their actual instrument mouthpiece and thus with their actual instrument. An embodiment of this invention could be attached directly to the entire musical instrument itself.
The mouthpiece end of the apparatus could be formed such that it directly accepts the actual mouthpiece of a wind instrument. The fitting could be made permanently into the apparatus, or an adapter for the appropriate mouthpiece could be used so the user could gain the benefits of the apparatus but with the use of their actual musical instrument mouthpiece. The mouthpiece of the apparatus could be flared so that the user places his lips inside or around the mouthpiece.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Claims

1. An apparatus for exercising the lungs and improving a user's breathing capacity by breathing through the apparatus, or for the user learning to better control the flow rate of air when breathing by listening to the sound made by breathing through the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated body having walls and a hollow central bore that is sealed at one end;

a multitude of breathing holes penetrating the wall fully from the outside to the central bore, allowing access to the outside air;

the breathing holes positioned such that the user can control the number of holes that are used to breathe through by covering and blocking off from use for breathing none or some of the breathing holes, to change the resistance to breathing;

a mouthpiece for the user to form a seal using his lips and to breathe through in and out of the apparatus body; and

means of attaching a neck loop to the apparatus body.

2. An apparatus for exercising the lungs and improving a user's breathing capacity by breathing through the apparatus, or for the user learning to better control the flow rate of air when breathing by listening to the sound made by breathing through the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means whereby the user can block off none to some of the breathing holes to change the resistance to breathing;

a mouthpiece for the user to form a seal with his lips and to breathe through in and out of the apparatus body; and

means of attaching a neck loop to the apparatus body.

3. A breathing exerciser comprising:

a cylinder body;

a hollow central bore inside the cylinder body;

a mouthpiece end of the cylinder body, wherein the mouthpiece end has an opening from outside the cylinder body to the central bore;

a sealed end of the cylinder body opposite the mouthpiece end, wherein the central bore is closed at the sealed end;

resistance breathing holes disposed on a first side of the cylinder body between the mouthpiece and sealed ends; and

a reference breathing hole disposed on the cylinder body between the mouthpiece and sealed ends.

4. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, wherein the reference breathing hole is disposed on a second side of the cylinder body opposite the resistance breathing holes.

5. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, wherein there are three resistance breathing holes: a first resistance breathing hole relatively closest to the mouthpiece end, a third resistance breathing hole relatively closest to the sealed end, and a second resistance breathing hole disposed between the first and third resistance breathing holes.

6. The breathing exerciser of claim 5, wherein the reference breathing hole has a diameter of about 3/32″, the first resistance breathing hole has a diameter of about 11/64″, the second resistance breathing hole has a diameter of about 7/64″, and the third resistance breathing hole has a diameter of about 5/64″.

7. The breathing exerciser of claim 6, wherein a tolerance of the reference and resistance breathing holes is less than or equal to about 4 mils.

8. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, wherein the cylinder body has an outside diameter of about ⅝″, and an inside diameter of about ⅜″.

9. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, wherein the mouthpiece end and the sealed end have rounded edges.

10. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, further comprising a loop mounting hole adjacent the sealed end of the cylinder body, wherein the loop end does not contact the hollow central bore.

11. The breathing exerciser of claim 10, further comprising a neck loop looped through the loop mounting hole.

12. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, further comprising resistance labels disposed adjacent the resistance breathing holes.

13. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, further comprising moveable seals disposed adjacent the resistance breathing holes, wherein the moveable seals can be positioned such that the select ones of the resistance breathing holes are open or closed.

14. The breathing exerciser of claim 3, wherein the cylinder body is composed of polycarbonate.

15. A method of manufacturing a breathing exerciser, the method comprising:

forming a cylinder body;

forming a hollow central bore inside the cylinder body;

forming a mouthpiece end of the cylinder body, wherein the mouthpiece end has an opening from outside the cylinder body to the central bore;

forming a sealed end of the cylinder body opposite the mouthpiece end, wherein the central bore is closed at the sealed end;

forming resistance breathing holes disposed on a first side of the cylinder body between the mouthpiece and sealed ends; and

forming a reference breathing hole disposed on the cylinder body between the mouthpiece and sealed ends.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cylinder body is formed with injection molding.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bore, ends and holes are formed at the same time as the cylinder body.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the injection molding comprises injecting liquid polycarbonate into a mold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the cylinder body is formed by machining.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the bore, ends and holes are formed by machining.