Indicating device

• US 7,568,481 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Original Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Inventors: Foley, Martin P., Grychowski, Jerry R., Scarrott, Peter Mycola, Schmidt, James Nick
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas; Steven O
• Application Number:
  US11/136,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.14, 128/200.18, 128/200.23, 128/203.15, 128/203.12, 128/203.23, 128/205.23, 222/32, 222/36, 222/162, 116307-309, 116311-315, 116/317, 116/318
• US Class Current: 128/205.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/002 with air flow regulating means
• 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 15/0068 Indicating or counting the number of dispensed doses or of remaining doses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0073 on a ring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0075 on a disc
• 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: G06M 1/041 for drum-type indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/283 with drums

Abstract

An indicating device for indicating the number of dosages of a substance that have been dispensed from or remain in a container includes a first indicator member incrementally moveable to a plurality of positions and a second indicator member operably connected to the first indicator member. The second indicator member is moveable in response to a predetermined number of movements of the first indicator member. One of the first and second indicator members includes numerical indicia and the other thereof includes color indicia.

Claims

1. A dispenser having an indicating device suitable for indicating the number of metered dosages that have been dispensed from or remain in a container, the dispenser comprising:

a container having a bottom, a top and a valve stem extending from said top;

a dispenser housing connected to said valve stem;

an indicator housing having a lower portion connected to said bottom of said container in a non-rotatable relationship, and an upper portion having an outer surface visible to a user, wherein static numerical indicia are applied to said outer surface in a non-rotatable relationship relative to said container; and

an indicator member moveably mounted in said indicator housing, wherein said indicator member is moveable relative to said numerical indicia, wherein said container is moveable relative to said dispenser housing along a longitudinal axis defined by said valve stem, and wherein said indicator member is rotatable about said longitudinal axis.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said numerical indicia are arranged in an at least a partially circumferential pattern around a top of said upper portion.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said upper portion comprises at least one viewing window positioned proximate said numerical indicia, wherein said indicator member is visible to the user through said viewing window.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said at least one viewing window provides an arcuate shaped viewing arrangement radially displaced from said circumferential pattern of numerical indicia.

5. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said circumferential pattern of numerical indicia extends less than 360 degrees around said outer surface of said upper portion.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a substantially cylindrical sidewall and a top wall defining said outer surface.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said sidewall surrounds and engages said container.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said indicator member comprises an indicator directed to said numerical indicia.

19. The indicating device of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower portions are moveable relative to each other along said longitudinal axis.

9. An indicating device suitable for indicating the number of metered dosages that have been dispensed from or remain in a container, said indicating device comprising:

a base member;

a cap member moveably connected to said base member, said cap member moveable relative to said base member along an axial path between at least a first and second position;

a resilient cantilevered member extending from one of said base member and said cap member; and

a biasing surface formed on the other of said base member and said cap member, wherein at least a portion of said resilient cantilevered member engages and is moveable along said biasing surface in a first direction as said cap member is moved from said first position to said second position, wherein said biasing surface biases said resilient cantilevered member to a flexed condition as said cap member is moved relative to said base member from said first position to said second position, and wherein said at least said portion of said resilient cantilevered member engages and is moveable along said biasing surface in a second direction opposite said first direction as said cap member is moved from said second position to said first position.

10. The indicating device of claim 9 wherein said cap member is moved towards said base member along said axial path as said cap member is moved between said first and second positions.

11. The indicating device of claim 9 wherein said resilient cantilevered member extends from said cap member and said biasing surface is formed on said base member.

12. The indicating device of claim 9 wherein said resilient cantilevered member extends in the direction of the axial movement of said cap member relative to said base member.

13. The indicating device of claim 12 wherein said biasing surface biases said at least said portion of said resilient cantilevered member in a flexed direction that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the axial movement as said cap member is moved relative to said base member from said first position to said second position.

14. The indicating device of claim 9 wherein said at least said portion of said resilient cantilevered member comprises an end portion thereof.

15. The indicating device of claim 9 wherein said biasing surface comprises a ramped surface that slopes away from said end portion of said resilient cantilevered member when said cap member is in said first position.

16. The indicating device of claim 9 wherein said base member has a cylindrical wall that is adapted to surround at least a portion of the container.

17. The indicating device of claim 9 further comprising an indicator member rotatably mounted to one of said cap member and said base member.

18. The indicating device of claim 17 wherein said indicator member is rotatably mounted to said cap member.

20. A dispenser having an indicating device suitable for indicating the number of metered dosages that have been dispensed from or remain in a container, the dispenser comprising:

a container having a bottom, a top and a valve stem extending from said top;

a dispenser housing connected to said valve stem;

an indicator housing connected to said bottom of said container and having an upper surface visible to a user, wherein said indicator housing is moveable with said container relative to said dispenser housing along a longitudinal axis, and wherein static numerical indicia are applied to said upper surface and are non-rotatable relative to said longitudinal axis; and

an indicator member rotatably mounted in said indicator housing about said longitudinal axis, wherein said indicator member is rotatable about said longitudinal axis relative to said static numerical indicia.

21. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said numerical indicia are arranged in an at least a partially circumferential pattern around said upper surface.

22. The dispenser of claim 21 wherein said upper surface comprises at least one viewing window positioned proximate said numerical indicia, wherein said indicator member is visible to the user through said viewing window.

23. The dispenser of claim 22 wherein said at least one viewing window provides an arcuate shaped viewing arrangement radially displaced from said circumferential pattern of numerical indicia.

24. dispenser of claim 20 wherein said indicator member comprises an indicator directed to said numerical indicia.

25. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said numerical indicia are arranged substantially within a plane formed substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.