Dispensing device

• US 7,650,883 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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:
  US11/724,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20070175474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.14, 128/200.23, 128/200.24, 128/203.12, 128/203.15, 128/203.21, 128/205.23, 222/32, 222/36, 222/38, 222/18, 604/58, 116/311, 116/312, 116/307, 116/317, 116/318
• US Class Current: 128/200.23
• 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 suitable for indicating the number of dosages of a substance that have been dispensed from or remain in a container. The indicating device includes an indicator member having an outwardly facing first surface with indicia visible to a user and an opposite inwardly facing surface having a plurality of teeth. The first surface further includes a groove. A cover is disposed over at least a portion of the first surface of the indicator member such that only a portion of the indicia are visible at any one time. The cover includes an inwardly extending projection disposed in the groove. The indicator member is rotatable relative to the cover with the projection being moveable in the groove as the indicator member is rotated relative to the cover. In another aspect, a rotatable member is rotatable relative to an outer cover. An intermediate member is moveable relative to the outer cover and the rotatable member so as to obscure at least a portion of the surface of the rotatable member that would be otherwise visible through the viewing window. At least one of the surfaces of the rotatable member and intermediate member have dosage indicia.

Claims

1. An indicating device used with a container containing a substance, said indicating device comprising:

an indicator member having an outwardly facing surface with indicia visible to a user and an opposite inwardly facing surface comprising a plurality of teeth, wherein said outwardly facing surface further comprises a groove; and

a cover disposed over at least a portion of said outwardly facing surface of said indicator member such that only a portion of said indicia are visible at any one time, said cover comprising an inwardly extending projection disposed in said groove, wherein said indicator member is rotatable relative to said cover with said projection being moveable in said groove as said indicator member is rotated relative to said cover.

2. The indicating device of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a viewing window, wherein said portion of said indicia are visible through said viewing window.

3. The indicating device of claim 1 wherein said indicia comprises alphanumerical indicia.

4. The indicating device of claim 1 wherein said indicia comprises color indicia.

5. The indicating device of claim 1 wherein said groove terminates at an end portion thereof, wherein said projection engages said end portion of said groove so as to prevent further relative movement between said cover and said indicator member.

6. The indicating device of claim 5 further comprising said container having a predetermined number of dosages of substance, wherein said projection engages said end portion of said groove simultaneously with the dispensing of a last of said predetermined number of dosages of substance.

7. The indicating device of claim 1 further comprising a drive member successively engaged with at some of said plurality of teeth of said indicator member, wherein said drive member successively rotates said indicator member a predetermined amount.

8. The indicating device of claim 1 comprising a non-return member successively engaged with said indicator member so as to permit only one-way rotation of said indicator member.

9. The indicating device of claim 8 wherein said non-return member is configured as said projection, and wherein said projection is successively engaged with a second plurality of teeth formed in said groove.

10. The indicating device of claim 1 wherein said projection is integrally molded with said cover.

11. An indicating device suitable for use with a container containing a substance, said indicating device comprising:

an outer cover having a viewing window;

a rotatable member rotatable relative to said outer cover, said rotatable member having a surface visible to a user through said viewing window during at least a portion of the life of the container; and

an intermediate member having at least a portion disposed between said outer cover and said rotatable member, said intermediate member moveable relative to said outer cover and said rotatable member so as to obscure at least a portion of said surface of said rotatable member that would be otherwise visible through said viewing window, said intermediate member having an outer surface visible to the user through said viewing window;

wherein at least one of said surface of said rotatable member and said outer surface of said intermediate member have dosage indicia.

12. The indicating device of claim 11 wherein said outer surface of said rotatable member comprises said dosage indicia.

13. The indicating device of claim 12 wherein said dosage indicia comprises alphanumeric indicia.

14. The indicating device of claim 12 wherein said dosage indicia comprises color indicia.

15. The indicating device of claim 12 wherein dosage indicia are first dosage indicia, and wherein said outer surface of said intermediate member comprises second dosage indicia.

16. The indicating device of claim 15 wherein said second dosage indicia comprises alphanumeric indicia.

17. The indicating device of claim 15 wherein said second dosage indicia comprises color indicia.

18. The indicating device of claim 11 wherein said intermediate member is positionable so as to completely obscure said surface of said rotatable member in said viewing window.

19. The indicating device of claim 11 wherein said rotatable member comprises a plurality of teeth, and further comprising a drive member successively engaged with at least some of said plurality of teeth of said rotatable member, wherein said drive member successively rotates said rotatable member a predetermined amount.

20. The indicating device of claim 19 comprising a non-return member successively engaged with said indicator member.

21. An indicating device suitable for use with a container containing a substance, said indicating device comprising:

an outer cover having at least one viewing window and an outer surface with first indicia disposed adjacent said viewing window;

a rotatable drive member rotatable relative to said outer cover; and

an intermediate member disposed between said outer cover and said rotatable drive member, said intermediate member moveable relative to said outer cover in response to a rotation of said rotatable drive member, said intermediate member having an outer surface with second indicia visible through said viewing window, wherein said second indicia are moveable relative to said first indicia as said intermediate member is moved relative to said outer cover.