Formable mouth guard with container

Abstract

A mouth protection system may include a formable mouth guard and a storage container. The mouth guard may include an elastic component and an inelastic component. The mouth guard may be heated, for instance, by allowing a working fluid to contact a reactant in a heating compartment. The elastic component may then become compressible in order to form to the anatomy of a wearer's mouth.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mouth protection system comprising:
 a formable mouth guard for insertion into a wearer's mouth, the mouth guard including an elastic component which may be heated to a compressible state at a temperature; and   a storage container including
 a case dimensioned to hold the mouth guard, and 
 a heating compartment comprising
 an internal area accommodating a reactant and 
 a fluid container housing a working fluid, 
 
   wherein breaching the fluid container causes the working fluid to be released from the fluid container into the internal area thereby contacting the reactant; and   wherein contact between the working fluid and the reactant causes an exothermic chemical reaction to heat an internal environment of said case to the temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The mouth protection system of  claim 1 , further comprising a support for holding the mouth guard in the case. 
     
     
         3 . The mouth protection system of  claim 2 , further comprising a top releasably secured to a top end of the case, and the support attached to the top. 
     
     
         4 . The mouth protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is substantially water and the reactant is substantially quicklime. 
     
     
         5 . The mouth protection system of  claim 1 , further comprising an activation lid operative to cause the fluid container to be breached. 
     
     
         6 . The mouth protection system of  claim 1 , further comprising a spike proximate the fluid container, and
 wherein applying a force on the case in the direction of the heating compartment cause movement of the spike resulting in the spike piercing the fluid container thereby releasing the working fluid.   
     
     
         7 . The mouth protection system of  claim 6 , further comprising a base support at a base end of the container, the base support operative to resist the force on the case. 
     
     
         8 . A method for protecting a wearer's mouth, the method comprising:
 providing a mouth protection system, which includes
 a formable mouth guard including an elastic component which may achieve a compressible state when heated to an elevated temperature, and 
 a storage container including a case dimensioned to hold the mouth guard, and a heating compartment including
 an internal area accommodating a reactant, and 
 a fluid container housing a working fluid; 
 
   causing an exothermic chemical reaction to heat an internal environment of the case by breaching the fluid container and causing the working fluid held in the fluid container to contact the reactant disposed in the internal area;   allowing heat from the exothermic chemical reaction to raise the elastic component to the elevated temperature;   inserting the mouth guard in its compressible state into a wearer's mouth; and   allowing the mouth guard to cool and conformingly position itself within the wearer's mouth.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , the mouth piece protection system further including a spike provided proximate the fluid container, and
 the step of causing an exothermic reaction further including applying a downward force on the case thereby moving the spike into the fluid container causing a breach of the fluid container.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , the mouth piece protection system further including an activation lid operative to cause the fluid container to be breached. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , the storage container further including a top removably securable to a top end of the case, and a support connected to the top as well as the mouth guard,
 And the step of inserting the mouth guard further including a user grasping the top and removing the mouth guard from the case by pulling the top away from the case.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the working liquid is substantially water and the reactant is substantially quicklime.