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US 5,507,281 AGranted
Device for initiating a mechanical switching operation in synchronism with the breathing
AssigneeBoehringer Ingelheim GmbH
InventorsAndreas Kuhnel, Gerhard Poss, Jurgen Wittekind, Dieter Hochrainer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a device for initiating a mechanical switching operation in inhalers, in synchronism with the breathing, a membrane like transmitter element (47) is provided which cooperates with a release mechanism (45, 46, 50) on a switching device (13, 19c, 22).
Claims9
Device for use in an inhaler, comprising:
- a transmitter element responsive to a low pressure produced as a user breathes in a main air current having a flow path through the inhaler;
- a switching device comprising an actuating mechanism operatively connected to said transmitter element, said transmitter element comprising a flexible membrane clamped around its edges and disposed within the inhaler outside the flow path of the main air current so that one side of said membrane is exposed to ambient air and the other side of said membrane is acted upon by the low pressure produced as the user breathes in, said membrane defining one side of a membrane chamber;
- a membrane pot disposed within said membrane chamber;
- an actuating pin partially disposed within said membrane chamber, wherein said membrane moves onto said membrane pot in response to the low pressure so that said membrane pot presses on said actuating pin to thereby actuate said actuating mechanism;
- and
- a pump triggered by said switching device for generating a pulse of foreign air in synchronism with breathing of the user, said pump including releasable biasing means connected to said actuating mechanism for releasing the bias, said actuating mechanism operatively connected to said membrane pot and said actuating pin.
3 more elements
An inhaler, comprising:
- a housing having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a center portion;
- a mouth piece laterally secured to said first end portion;
- a metering device disposed within said first end portion for metering an active substance to be inhaled;
- a transmitter element disposed within said second end portion which responds to a low pressure produced as a user breathes in through the inhaler, and transmitter element comprising a flexible membrane having one side exposed to ambient air and the other side of said membrane acted upon by the low pressure produced as the user breathes in through the inhaler, said membrane defining one side of a membrane chamber, a membrane pot disposed within said membrane chamber, an actuating pin partially disposed within said membrane chamber, and an actuating mechanism, wherein said membrane moves onto said membrane pot in response to the low pressure so that said membrane pot presses on said actuating pin to thereby actuate said actuating mechanism;
- a pump disposed within said center portion for generating a pulse of foreign air in synchronism with breathing of the user, said pump including releasable biasing means connected to said actuating mechanism.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.