Inhalation device

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of inhalation devices for liquids. In particular, the invention relates to a liquid emission mechanism for an inhalation device, as well as a method of emitting a liquid from an inhalation device. The inhalation device comprises a housing (1), a reservoir (2) for storing a liquid, a pumping unit, said unit comprising a riser pipe (5), a hollow cylindrical part (3) having an interior space and being linearly moveable on the riser pipe (5), wherein the pumping chamber is fluidically connected with the reservoir (2), and a nozzle (6) which is connected liquid-tight to an downstream end portion (5B) of the riser pipe (5), and wherein said linear relative motion can be effected by a relative rotation around a rotational axis (R) of a rotatable part (1A) with respect to a counterpart (1B), such that said relative rotation is converted into said linear relative motion by means of a gear mechanism comprising at least one cam surface having a first section (9A) and a second section (9B), and wherein a means for the storage of potential energy (7) is provided. The device is characterized in that said cam surface has, between the first section and the second section (9A, 9B), a third section (9C) of constant height, such that, while said counterpart (1B) slides along said third section (9C), no linear relative motion occurs. A method for the generation of an aerosol comprises, upon rotation of the rotatable part (1B), a first, charging phase for filling the pumping chamber with liquid, and a second, discharging phase for emitting the atomized liquid from the nozzle (6), and is characterized in that between said two phases, a third, resting phase exists during which, despite further rotation, the volume of the pumping chamber remains constant.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.