Dispenser for the optionally atomized discharge of an in particular liquid medium from a container

• US 6,382,465 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aptar Radolfzell GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ING Erich Pfeifer GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Greiner-Perth, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Willatt, Stephanie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/652,088
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 222/82, 222/162, 222/320, 222/326, 222/309, 222/282, 222/386.5, 222/83, 222/325, 222/83.5, D24/114, 604/208, 604/211
• US Class Current: 222/82
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/007 Syringe-type or piston-type sprayers or atomisers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/08 Inhaling devices inserted into the nose
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/02 Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/025 with stepwise advancement of the piston, e.g. for spraying a predetermined quantity of content

Abstract

A method of producing a flexible conduit whose dimensions and shape can easily be changed according to its use is described. The method includes producing elongate elements from an elastic flexible material, wherein the cross-section of the elongate elements each have at least one corrugation and extend so as to be rectilinear longitudinally. Each elongate element is fixed to at least one elongate holding element made of rigid pliable material so as to keep its shape after bending. Several sets of elongate elements are produced and are connected to each other along their adjacent longitudinal edges in order to form a flat enclosure whose dimensions correspond to those of the deployed flexible conduit. The flat enclosure is then deformed so as to close it and to obtain the required shape of the cross-section of the conduit, wherein the enclosure is kept in shape by the deformation of the elongate holding elements. Then, the adjacent ends of the shaped enclosure are connected.

Claims

1. Dispenser for discharging medium from a container for discharge operation in at least two partial strokes performed in an operating direction, thereby discharging with each of the two partial strokes a partial charge of the medium, comprising:

a discharge opening for the medium connected to the pump by a discharge channel,

an operating member for manually operating the pump by exerting a manual operation force,

guiding means for the operating member,

at least one path (22b) for the guiding means including first and second partial stroke paths,

the first partial stroke path allowing operation of a first one of said two partial strokes, the guiding means being guided along said first partial stroke path and interrupting the operation at a first partial stroke end position occupied by the operating member after said first one of said two partial strokes,

changeover means for automatically transferring said guiding means to said second partial stroke path allowing operation of the second one of said two partial strokes,

the changeover means including at least one spring, said spring being loaded during said first partial stroke,

at least one blocking means (27) being provided in each partial stroke path for preventing partial strokes of the operating member (14), before a predetermined level of said operating force is applied to the operating member (14) for performing one of said two partial strokes.

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the blocking means are projections (27) molded together with and projecting from a wall of the guide path.

3. Dispenser for discharging medium from a container for discharge operation in at least two partial strokes performed in an operating direction, thereby discharging with each of the strokes a partial charge of the medium, comprising:

a discharge opening for the medium connected to the pump by a discharge channel,

an operating member for manually operating the pump by exerting a manual operation force,

guiding means for the operating member,

at least one guide path (22b) for the guiding means including first and second partial stroke paths,

the first partial stroke path allowing operation of the first one of said two partial strokes while the guiding means being guided by said first partial stroke path and interrupting the operation at a first partial stroke end position occupied by the operating member after said first one of said two partial strokes,

changeover means for automatically transferring said guiding means along a changeover path to said second partial stroke path allowing operation of the second one of said two partial strokes,

the changeover means including at least one spring acting transversely to said operating direction, said spring being loaded during said first partial stroke.

4. Dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the spring is a blade spring made from plastic material.

5. Dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the blocking means are projections (27) molded from plastic material together with and projecting from a wall of the guide path.

6. Dispenser according to claim 3, wherein at least one blocking means (27) is provided in each partial path preventing partial operations of the operating member (14), before a predetermined level of said operating force is applied to the operating member (14) for performing the partial stroke.

7. Dispenser according to claim 3, further comprising preventing means (31) for preventing the changeover means from operating as long as the operating force necessary for performing the partial strokes acts on the operating member (14).

8. Dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the container (17) is placed in a casing (12) and between the casing (12) and the operating member (14) a relative movement takes place during each partial stroke, said relative movement being guided by guide paths being formed as sliding links.

9. Dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the sliding links comprise at least one sliding link path (22, 22a, 22b), in which a sliding member (21, 21a, 21b) is guided.

10. Dispenser according to claim 9, wherein a sleeve (13) is placed between the casing (12) and container (17), the sleeve (12) either having the connecting link paths (22, 22a, 22b) or the guiding means in form of a sliding block (21, 21a, 21b) guided therein, the sleeve being positioned in stable manner either with respect to the casing or the container (17).

11. Dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the sleeve (13), in the operating direction, is stable either respect to the casing (12) or the container (17) and is movable relative thereto in direction of the changeover operation.

12. Dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the sleeve (13) has at least one of said connecting link paths (22, 22a, 22b).

13. Dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the sleeve (13) is stable with respect to the housing (12) in the operating direction of the partial strokes of the operating member (14) and the sliding member (21, 21a, 21b) is constructed on the operating member (14).

14. Dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the sleeve is stable with respect to the container (17) in the operating direction of the two partial strokes and the sliding member (21, 21a, 21b) is constructed on the casing (12).

15. Dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the guide path (22b) and the changeover path each cooperate with a sliding member (21a, 21b), the guide path (21b) having a stepped path shape with the step interrupting the operation at the first partial stroke end position and the changeover path having a shape containing a movement space for the sliding member and a displacement space for a spring arm (23) which is slid transversely out of the movement during the first partial stroke and moves the sliding member transversely at the first partial stroke end position into a position for a following partial stroke.

16. Dispenser according to claim 15, wherein the spring arm (23) is constructed in such a way that it forms a retraction barrier for the sliding member (21a).

17. Dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the container is an ampoule (17) used as a cylinder of a thrust piston pump, which ampoule is sealed with a plug (18), the discharge opening (32) terminates at its side remote from the discharge opening in a cannula (20), which perforates the plug (18) during the first partial stroke, the plug (18) during each partial stroke is moved into the ampoule by a predetermined amount and a predetermined volume medium is displaced into the discharge channel.

18. Dispenser for discharging medium from a container for discharge operation in at least two partial strokes performed in an operating direction, thereby discharging with each of the two partial strokes a partial charge of the medium, comprising:

a discharge opening for the medium connected to the pump by a discharge channel,

an operating member for manually operating the pump by exerting a manual operation force,

guiding means for the operating member,

at least one guide path (22b) including first and second partial stroke paths,

the first partial stroke path allowing operation of the first one of said two partial strokes while the guiding means being guided by said first partial stroke path and interrupting the operation at a first partial stroke end position occupied by the operating member after said first one of said two partial strokes,

changeover means for automatically transferring said guiding means to said second partial path allowing operation of a second one of said two partial strokes,

the changeover means being situated in a changeover path including at least one spring being loaded during said first one of said two partial strokes.

19. Dispenser according to claim 18, wherein all the paths are in the form of slits for the guiding means, which are in the form of a path follower.

20. Dispenser for discharging medium from a container for discharge operation in at least two partial strokes performed in an operating direction thereby discharging with each of the two partial strokes a partial charge of the medium, comprising:

a discharge nozzle for the medium connected to the pump by a discharge channel,

an operating member for manually operating the pump by exerting a manual operation force thereon,

the operating member (14) being moveable into a casing (12) and having an operating surface (16) for a finger of the user,

a finger support (15) at the casing (12) for operating the dispenser,

a sleeve (13) having a guide slit (22b), in which a first sliding member (21b) is guided, and a changeover slit (22a), in a second sliding member (21, 21a, 21b) is guided,

the guide slit having generally a Z-shape and having at least first and a second substantially linear slit sections parallel to the operating direction, and in each of said linear slit sections a blocking projection (27) is projecting from a wall of the slit (22b), each blocking projection preventing start of a partial stroke unless a predetermined level of the operating force is applied to the operating member,

the first sliding member sliding, during the first one of the two partial strokes, in the first slit section,

the guide slit having an intermediate section between both of the linear slit sections defining a rest shoulder for the first sliding member (21b) in a first partial stroke end position (25) for interrupting -the operation after the first one of the two partial strokes,

the changeover slit (22a) containing a blade-like spring (23) being tensioned by the second sliding member (21a) during the first one of the two partial strokes,

both paths and the sliding members being so arranged that after the first one of the two partial strokes the spring (23), acting on the second sliding member (21a), moves the first sliding member (21b) in the intermediate section into the second slit section in which it is in a start position (30b) for a second one of the two partial strokes.