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US 2007/0181123 A1Published application
Dispensing device
AssigneePfizer Inc.
InventorPeter Houzego
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a disc-shaped carrier by outwardly rupturing a lidding foil by means of pressure on an opposite side surface, the device providing individual respective deaggregation flow paths for each pocket, split airstreams allowing improved entrainment of powder, a cam mechanism for outwardly rupturing the pockets, an indexing mechanism linked to the cam mechanism and a dose counter.
Claims53
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- a support for a carrier having a plurality of pockets containing respective doses of powder;
- and
- a mouthpiece through which to inhale an airstream carrying a dose of powder;
- the device further including:
- walls for defining individual respective first flow paths downstream of each respective pocket of a supported carrier wherein each individual respective first flow path is defined entirely by respective walls unique to that individual respective first flow path, is for connecting the corresponding respective pocket to the mouthpiece and is for deaggregating powder in the airstream.
2 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- a support for a carrier having a plurality of pockets containing respective doses of powder;
- and
- a mouthpiece through which to inhale an airstream carrying a dose of powder;
- the device further including:
- walls for defining individual respective first flow paths downstream of each pocket of a supported carrier for connecting the pockets to the mouthpiece and deaggregating powder in the airstream;
- and
- an arrangement for moving individually each pocket from a respective storage position to a respective discharge position, wherein each pocket, in the respective discharge position, forms an integral part of the individual respective first flow path.
4 more elements
A device for dispensing a dose of powder from a pocket of a carrier, the device including:
- a support for a carrier having a pocket containing a dose of powder;
- and
- a mouthpiece through which to inhale an airstream carrying a dose of powder;
- the device further including:
- walls defining first and second flow paths communicating with the mouthpiece, the first flow path communicating with the pocket of the supported carrier and the second flow path bypassing the pocket;
- wherein
- the walls defining the first flow path include, upstream of the pocket, a portion of relatively reduced cross-sectional area orientated so as to be directed towards the pocket and direct a relatively high velocity airstream into the pocket.
4 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a pair of carriers, the device including:
- a support for two disc shaped carriers, each disc shaped carrier having at least one substantially planar first side surface having an annular array of cavities in which respective pockets are formed and a respective first lidding sheet sealed to the first side surface for enclosing the cavities, wherein the supports are for rotatably supporting the carriers about a substantially common axis;
- a mouthpiece through which to inhale an airstream carrying powder from the carriers;
- a dispensing mechanism for releasing into the airstream the powder of a respective pocket of a supported carrier;
- and
- an indexing mechanism for rotating the carriers relative to the dispensing mechanism so as to enable powder to be released from different pockets.
2 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- a first support for a first carrier having first and second side surfaces opposite each other, an array of cavities in which respective pockets are formed and a first lidding sheet sealed to the first side surface;
- a first prodger member moveable towards and away from the second side surface of a supported first carrier between a retracted and an extended posit ion;
- a cam member adjacent to and moveable generally parallel with the second side surface of a supported carrier between a rest position and a primed position;
- wherein
- the cam member has a first cam surface for engaging with the first prodger member such that movement of the cam member from the rest position to the primed position moves the prodger member from the retracted position to the extended position so as to press on the second side surface of a supported first carrier and outwardly rupture the first lidding sheet of the supported first carrier.
2 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- a chassis;
- a first support mounted on the chassis for rotation about a central axis and for supporting a first carrier having cavities with respective pockets formed therein and arranged in a circular array centred on the central axis, the first support including an array of gear teeth centred on the central axis;
- a priming member mounted on the chassis for rotation about the central axis;
- and
- an intermittent-motion mounted on the chassis for interaction with the priming member and gear teeth of the first support such that rotation of the priming member from a first position to a second position causes rotation of the first support by a predetermined angle and rotation of the priming member back from the second position to the first position causes no rotation of the first support.
2 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- first and second supports rotatable about a central axis and for supporting respective first and second carriers having cavities with respective pockets formed therein and arranged in respective first and second circular arrays centred on the central axis;
- a changeover component located between the first and second supports, the first support having a first feature for engaging with the changeover component and the second support having a second feature for engaging with the changeover component;
- and
- an indexing mechanism arranged to rotate each of the first and second supports;
- wherein
- the indexing mechanism is arranged to rotate the first support until the first feature engages the changeover component such that the first support then moves the changeover component, the changeover component being arranged to then engage the second feature so as to rotate the second support to a position from which the indexing mechanism is arranged to rotate the second support.
3 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- an indexing mechanism for indexing the carrier between respective pockets;
- a first counter ring having an indication of unit counts on a first display surface, the first counter ring being rotatable about a counter axis;
- a second counter ring having an indication of tens counts on a second display surface, the second counter ring being rotatable about the counter axis;
- and
- an intermittent-motion mechanism for driving the second counter ring from the first counter ring and rotating the second counter ring between consecutive tens counts when the first counter ring rotates between two predetermined consecutive unit counts, the first counter ring being driven with the indexing mechanism.
2 more elements
A device for dispensing individual doses of powder from respective pockets of a carrier, the device including:
- an indexing mechanism for indexing the carrier between respective pockets;
- a first counter ring having an indication of unit counts on a first display surface, the first counter ring being rotatable about a counter axis;
- a second counter ring having an indication of tens counts on a second display surface, the second counter ring being rotatable about the counter axis;
- and
- a mechanism for rotating the second counter ring between consecutive tens counts when the first counter ring rotates between two predetermined consecutive unit counts, the first counter ring being driven with the indexing mechanism;
- wherein
- the first and second counter rings are positioned one with the other, with the first and second display surfaces adjacent each other.
4 more elements
A device according to any preceding claim housing at least one carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.