Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Patent
1997-06-04
1999-05-04
Weiss, John G.
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
12820023, A61M 1100
Patent
active
058992006
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for use with a pressurized dispensing container operable to dispense an aerosol spray. Such containers typically comprise a valve having an actuating stem through which product is dispensed under pressure when the stem is moved relative to the container. A dispensing apparatus is typically therefore provided to receive the stem in a socket defining a spray nozzle such that the apparatus constitutes an actuator, the container being displaceable in a reciprocating manner relative to the apparatus in use to cause actuation resulting in an aerosol spray being dispensed.
Such apparatus typically comprises a housing having a tubular body receiving the container and a tubular mouth piece projecting laterally from one end of the body to define an outlet through which spray is dispensed, the other end of the body being open such that the container is accessible for applying finger pressure to displace the container. A user presents to his mouth a lip portion of the mouth piece during oral inhalation, and it is therefore desirable for the lip portion to be kept free from contamination between uses by means of a removable cap which also serves to close the mouth piece against the ingress of debris.
It has been proposed for such caps to be retained captive relative to the housing by means of a flexible strap secured at one end to the housing in order to prevent loss of the cap and to prevent accidental swallowing of the cap, the strap being of sufficient length to allow the cap to be moved into close proximity with the lip portion, and the cap being received as a snap fit onto the lip portion so as to close the outlet.
A disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the surface area of the lip portion likely to be coming into contact with the user's mouth is only partially overlaid by the cap when secured to the mouth piece thereby leaving the lip portion susceptible to contamination by handling and storage prior to use.
According to the present invention there is disclosed a dispensing apparatus for use with a pressurized dispensing container operable to dispense an aerosol spray, the apparatus comprising a housing defining a tubular body receiving in use the container and a tubular mouth piece projecting laterally from the body, the mouth piece having a tubular lip portion defining an outlet through which the aerosol spray is inhalable in use, a removable cap engageable with the mouth piece in an engaged position to overlay the lip portion and close the outlet, and a strap connecting the cap to the body whereby the cap is held captive relative to the housing when disengaged from the mouth piece, wherein the cap comprises a tubular portion having an internal surface conformal with the external surface of the lip portion whereby movement of the cap into and out of the engaged position is accompanied by co-axial relative movement of the cap and the lip portion and wherein the strap is of at least sufficient length to accommodate the axial movement of the cap relative to the body.
An advantage of such an arrangement is that the cap in the engaged portion overlays entirely the surface area of the lip portion likely to be touched by the user's mouth in use thereby providing improved hygiene.
Preferably the strap comprises a web of plastic material having formed therein a plurality of transverse grooves defining fold lines about which the web is foldable in bellows formation to accommodate extension and retraction of the strap during the axial movement of the cap.
An advantage of such an arrangement is that the cap is securely retained relative to the body by the web which is substantially inextensible beyond its unfolded length, the web being foldable into a plicated form in which movement of the cap into the engaged position is accommodated.
Preferably the strap is secured to the body so as to extend tangentially relative to a tubular side wall of the body.
An advantage of this arrangement is that the strap and cap do not obstruct the end wall of the housing which can then b
REFERENCES:
patent: 3255928 (1966-06-01), Foster
patent: 4291688 (1981-09-01), Kistler
patent: 4509515 (1985-04-01), Altounyan et al.
Anderson Charles W.
Bespak plc
Weiss John G.
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