Device for distributing a fluid product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9050426-B2
Application number	US-74463408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2008
Priority date	Dec 3, 2007
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

A fluid dispenser device including a body, a dispenser mechanism, and a dose counter. The counter includes a first rotary counter element provided with a first surface including a first indicator, such as digits, and provided with at least one first set of teeth, a second rotary counter element provided with a second surface including a second indicator, such as digits, and provided with at least one second set of teeth, and a movable actuator element. The first counter element includes at least one deformable finger displaceable between a non-deformed position and a deformed position, and that is adapted to co-operate, in its deformed position, with the second set of teeth of the second counter element, so as to cause the second counter element to turn. The body includes a cam that is adapted to deform the deformable finger towards its deformed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid dispenser device comprising: a body provided with a dispenser orifice; a plurality of individual reservoirs each containing a dose of powder; dispenser means for dispensing a dose of fluid on each actuation, said dispenser means including reservoir-opening means comprising a reservoir-perforator element that is stationary relative to the body, and reservoir displacement means for displacing a full reservoir against said perforator element, thereby opening it and releasing the dose of powder, said reservoir displacement means being controlled by the user inhaling; and a dose counter for indicating the number of doses that have been dispensed or that remain to be dispensed, and said counter comprises:
a first rotary counter element provided with a first surface including first indicator means, such as digits, and provided with at least one first set of teeth;
a second rotary counter element provided with a second surface including second indicator means, such as digits, and provided with at least one second set of teeth; and
a movable actuator element that is displaceable between a first position and a second position, said actuator element including a projection that is adapted to co-operate with said first set of teeth of said first counter element, so as to cause said first counter element to turn while said actuator element is being displaced from its first position to its second position, said actuator element being rotatably mounted on the body, turning in a first direction bringing the projection to push a tooth of said first set of teeth of the first counter element so as to cause said first counter element to turn, and turning in the opposite direction bringing the projection to slide over said tooth so as to engage in the following tooth without causing said first counter element to turn;
said first counter element including at least one deformable finger that is displaceable between a non-deformed position and a deformed position, and that is adapted to co-operate, in its deformed position, with said second set of teeth of said second counter element, so as to cause said second counter element to turn;
said body including a cam that is adapted to deform said at least one deformable finger toward its deformed position; and
said reservoir displacement means co-operating with said actuator element of the counter, such that when said reservoir displacement means displace a reservoir against or away from the perforator element, the actuator element causes said first counter element to turn,
wherein said second indicator means comprise digits that form the tens of the counter, said second indicator means comprising digits from 0 to 6 disposed over a peripheral portion of said second counter element,
wherein said second rotary counter element is formed as an angular ring section having two ends, wherein the two ends are no more than 90° apart from each other.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said first set of teeth of the first counter element comprises forty teeth, each actuation of the counter causing said first counter element to turn through an angle of 9.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said second set of teeth of said second counter element comprises at least seven teeth, and each time said cam deforms the deformable finger towards its deformed position, said second counter element is caused to turn through an angle of 9°.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said second surface of said second counter element is coplanar with, and radially inside, said first surface of said first counter element, said first and second counter elements being concentric.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said body includes a viewing window in which first and second indicator means are displayed simultaneously.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the counter includes abutment means that prevent any additional actuation after the last dose has been counted.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said projection is secured to a deformable branch of said actuator element.

8. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said actuator element includes a first gear that co-operates with a second gear that is secured to a movable member that is displaced when the user inhales.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said first indicator means comprise digits 0 to 9 that form the units of the counter.

10. A device according to claim 9 , wherein said first indicator means comprise four series of digits 0 to 9 that are distributed over the periphery of said first counter element.

11. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second indicator means are digits having a height that is greater than or equal to 2.5 millimeters (mm).

12. A device according to claim 11 , wherein the height of the digits is 2.8 mm.

13. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second indicator means are digits having a width that is greater than or equal to 1.5 mm.

14. A device according to claim 13 , wherein the width of the digits is 2.1 mm.

15. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said first rotary counter element includes four deformable fingers that are disposed regularly around a periphery of said first counter element.

16. A device according to claim 15 , wherein said first counter element is a first ring including a radially-outer periphery and a radially-inner periphery, said deformable fingers being disposed at 90° from one another on said radially-inner periphery, and co-operating with a cam that is disposed radially inside said first ring, such that when a deformable finger co operates with said cam, it is deformed radially outwards into its deformed position, so as to become engaged with said second set of teeth of said second counter element.

17. A device according to claim 1 , wherein first anti-return means are provided so as to prevent said first counter element from turning in the direction opposite to the direction imparted thereto by said actuator member.

18. A device according to claim 17 , wherein said first anti-return means include at least one flexible tab that co-operates with a set of teeth, in particular a second set of teeth, of said first indicator element.

19. A device according to claim 1 , wherein second anti-return means are provided so as to prevent said second counter element from turning in the direction opposite to the direction imparted thereto by said at least one deformable finger.

20. A device according to claim 19 , wherein said second anti-return means include at least one second flexible tab that co-operates with a set of teeth, in particular a first set of teeth, of said second indicator element.

Assignees

• Colomb Arnaud
• Aptar France Sas

Inventors

• Colomb Arnaud

Classifications

• A61M15/0008

  rotating by airflow · CPC title

• A61M2205/8281

  spring operated · CPC title

• A61M15/0045 Primary

  using multiple prepacked dosages on a same carrier, e.g. blisters · CPC title

• G06M1/045

  for dial, pointer, or similar type indicating means · CPC title

• A61M15/0026

  Hinged caps · CPC title