Dispensing apparatus
First Claim
1. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing defining a dispensing outlet, a perforate membrane having a front face exposed at the outlet and a rear face contacted in use by liquid to be dispensed, vibrating means connected to the housing and operable to vibrate the membrane to dispense droplets of the liquid through the membrane, liquid supply means connected to the housing and having an outlet valve, and delivery means operable at successive actuations of the delivery means to deliver a respective metered quantity of the liquid from the liquid supply means via the outlet valve into contact with the rear face of the membrane and means for operating the vibrating means for an operating period greater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be dispensed though the membrane whereby in use all of the dispensed liquid is consumed prior to the next successive actuation of the delivery means, such that the liquid is isolated from the ambient air between successive actuations of the delivery means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dispensing apparatus which defines an outlet through which a metered dose of liquid from a reservoir is dispersed as an atomized spray. A droplet of liquid is metered onto a perforate membrane which is vibrated by way of a piezoelectric transducer such that atomized droplets are dispensed through the holes formed in the membrane. At each actuation of a delivery device, which provides the metered quantity of liquid, the transducer is actuated so as to vibrate the membrane for a period greater than the dispensing period required for the droplet to be dispensed. The apparatus is particularly suitable for dispensing pharmaceutical preparations.
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Citations
31 Claims
- 1. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing defining a dispensing outlet, a perforate membrane having a front face exposed at the outlet and a rear face contacted in use by liquid to be dispensed, vibrating means connected to the housing and operable to vibrate the membrane to dispense droplets of the liquid through the membrane, liquid supply means connected to the housing and having an outlet valve, and delivery means operable at successive actuations of the delivery means to deliver a respective metered quantity of the liquid from the liquid supply means via the outlet valve into contact with the rear face of the membrane and means for operating the vibrating means for an operating period greater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be dispensed though the membrane whereby in use all of the dispensed liquid is consumed prior to the next successive actuation of the delivery means, such that the liquid is isolated from the ambient air between successive actuations of the delivery means.
- 13. A method of dispensing liquid as an atomised spray comprising the steps of delivering a metered quantity of liquid from a liquid supply means via an outlet valve into contact with a rear face of a perforate membrane vibrating the membrane such that liquid is dispensed through the membrane as an atomised spray, wherein the membrane is initially free from liquid and the liquid is isolated from the ambient air between successive deliveries of liquid and in that the membrane is vibrated for an operating period grater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be fully dispensed.
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14. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing defining a dispensing outlet, a perforate membrane having a front face exposed at the outlet and a rear face contacted in use by liquid to be dispensed, vibrating means connected to the housing and operable to vibrate the membrane to dispense droplets of the liquid through the membrane, liquid supply means connected to the housing and delivery means operable at successive actuations of the delivery means to deliver a respective metered quantity of the liquid from the liquid supply means into contact with the rear face of the membrane whereby in use a metered quantity of liquid is dispensible as an atomised spray at the outlet by operation of the vibrating means for an operating period greater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be dispensed through the membrane and wherein the liquid supply means comprises a plurality of cells each containing a metered volume of liquid and the delivery means comprises a dispensing station operable to release at each actuation thereof the contents of a respective cell.
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18. A dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a sealed liquid supply container; a delivery tube extending from said supply container and being in fluid communication with said supply container at a first end and having an outlet nozzle end at an opposite end; a liquid drop reception device which includes a liquid drop reception well for receiving a liquid drop delivered by said delivery tube and which liquid drop reception well is at least partly defined by a perforated membrane, and said nozzle outlet and membrane being positioned such that a liquid drop derived from said sealed liquid supply container is positioned between the nozzle outlet and said membrane with the liquid drop attached to the membrane; a housing structure that is configured so as to preclude environmental contact with the liquid except through perforations formed in said membrane, and the perforations in said membrane being dimensioned so as to create an atomized spray of liquid droplets upon vibration of said membrane. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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- 19. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing defining a dispensing outlet, a perforate membrane having a front face exposed to the outlet and a rear face contacted in use by liquid to be dispensed, vibrating means operable to vibrate the membrane to dispense droplets of the liquid through the membrane, liquid supply means supported by said housing and having an outlet valve, and delivery means operable at successive actuations of the delivery means to deliver a respective metered, single dose quantity of the liquid from a multi-dose supply liquid of the liquid supply means via the outlet valve into contact with the rear face of the membrane and said outlet valve of said liquid supply means and said delivery means being arranged so as to isolate the multi-dose supply of liquid of said liquid supply means from contact with contaminants between successive actuations of the liquid supply means, and said dispensing apparatus further comprising operating means for operating the vibrating means for an operating period greater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be dispensed through the membrane whereby in use all of the dispensed liquid is consumed prior to the next successive actuation of the delivery means, such that the liquid of said liquid supply means is isolated from contaminants and there is avoided any dispensed liquid remaining on said membrane between the end of an operating period and the next successive actuation of the delivery means.
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30. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing defining a dispensing outlet, a perforate membrane having a front face exposed to the outlet and a rear face contacted in use by liquid to be dispensed, vibrating means connected to the housing and operable to vibrate the membrane to dispense droplets of the liquid through the membrane, liquid supply means connected to the housing and having an outlet valve, and delivery means operable at successive actuations of the delivery means to deliver a respective metered quantity of the liquid form the liquid supply means via the outlet valve into contact with the rear face of the membrane, and means for operating the vibrating means for an operating period greater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be dispensed through the membrane whereby in use all of the dispensed liquid is consumed prior to the next successive actuation of the delivery means, such that there is avoided any exposure of liquid to ambient air following the dispensing operating period and prior to a next successive actuation of the delivery means.
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31. A method of dispensing liquid as an atomized spray comprising the steps of delivering a metered quantity of liquid from a liquid supply means via an outlet valve into contact with a rear face of a perforate membrane with any liquid remaining in said liquid supply means being sealed off by said outlet valve, vibrating the membrane such that liquid is dispensed through the membrane as an atomized spray, and in that the membrane is vibrated for an operating period greater than a dispensing period required for the metered quantity to be fully dispensed such that all of the metered quantity of liquid delivered to the perforate membrane via the outlet valve is consumed to avoid any exposure of liquid to ambient air following the operating period and prior to a next successive delivery of liquid from said liquid supply means to the rear face of the perforate membrane.
Specification