DISPENSER WITH DOSES' COUNTER

• US 20060289008A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Inventors: Rand, Paul Kenneth, Godfrey, James William, Brand, Peter John
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.150
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0068 Indicating or counting the number of dispensed doses or of remaining doses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0076 on a drum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0091 mechanically breath-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/06 Antiasthmatics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/08 Bronchodilators

Abstract

There is provided a dispenser suitable for dispensing medicament, particularly medicament for use in the treatment of respiratory disorders. The dispenser comprises a housing having a support; a container, locatable within said housing, having an outlet, wherein said container dispenses through said outlet in response to movement of the container relative to the housing; and an actuation indicator having an indexing mechanism actuatable by movement of the container relative to the housing. A couple mechanism is provided which couples the indexing mechanism to the container to compensate for any variation in pre-actuation positionings of the indexing mechanism and container.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising

a housing having a support;

a container, insertable within said housing, having an outlet, wherein said container dispenses through said outlet in response to movement of the container relative to the housing; and

an actuation indicator having an indexing mechanism actuatable by movement from a rest position of the container relative to the housing; and

a coupling mechanism which acts such as to couple the indexing mechanism to said rest position.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said coupling mechanism acts to position the indexing mechanism at a start index position when the container is at the rest position.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism acts to position the indexing mechanism at a zero position on insertion of the container into said housing.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism acts to position the indexing mechanism at a zero position in response to an initial movement of the container from the rest position.

6. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the indexing mechanism indexes actuation by means of a predetermined rotary movement of a first member driven by movement relative to a second member during actuation of the dispenser.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the second member remains stationary relative to the housing during actuation of the dispenser.

8. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the first member comprises a pinion carried by a shaft through the coupling mechanism and the second member comprises a rack.

9. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the first member comprises a yoke for engagement with the second member through the coupling mechanism.

10. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a friction drive mechanism.

11. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the container is an aerosol container.

12. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said container provides measured doses.

13. A dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said actuation indicator indicates the number of doses dispensed from or remaining in the container.

14. A dispenser according to claim 1, actuable in response to the inward breath of a user.

5. A dispenser comprising

a housing having a support;

a container, insertable within said housing, having an outlet, wherein said container dispenses through said outlet in response to movement of the container relative to the housing; and

an actuation indicator having an indexing mechanism actuatable from a start index position by movement of the container relative to the housing; and

a coupling mechanism which acts such as to couple the container to said start index position.