Blocking device

Abstract

The inhalation device for medically active liquids (F) for generation of an aerosol comprises a housing (1), a reservoir (2), a pumping device with a pumping chamber (3), and a nozzle (6), wherein the interior volume of the pumping chamber (3) is changeable by means of linear relative motion of the pumping chamber to the riser pipe (5). Said linear relative motion can be effected by a relative rotation of a rotatable part (1A) which is part of, or connected to, the housing (1) with respect to a second part (1B) of said housing (1), in that said relative rotation can be transferred by means of a gear mechanism into said relative translational motion. A means for the storage of potential energy (7) is provided which is chargeable by means of said relative rotation, and wherein said energy is releasable to said pumping device when released by activation of a release means. A blocking device is provided which is adapted to block activation of the release means and/or release of the means for the storage of potential energy (7) during rotation of the rotatable part (1A) and/or during loading of the means for the storage of potential energy (7). Also, a method for the prevention of undesired emission of medically active liquid or aerosol from an inhalation device is disclosed.

Claims

1. Inhalation device for medically active liquids for generation of an aerosol, comprising a housing, inside this housing a reservoir for storing a liquid, a pumping device with a pumping chamber for generation of a pressure inside said pumping chamber, wherein the pumping chamber is fluidically connected with the reservoir, a riser pipe which can be received with at least one reservoir-facing interior end in said pumping chamber, and a nozzle which is connected liquid-tight to an exterior end of the riser pipe, wherein the interior volume of the pumping chamber is changeable by means of linear relative motion of the pumping chamber to the riser pipe, and wherein said linear relative motion can be effected by a relative rotation of a rotatable part which is part of, or connected to, the housing with respect to a second part of said housing, such that said relative rotation is converted into said linear relative motion by means of a gear mechanism, and wherein a means for the storage of potential energy is provided which is chargeable by means of said relative rotation, and wherein said energy is releasable to said pumping device when released by activation of a release means, a blocking device which is adapted to block rotation of the rotatable part; wherein the blocking device is adapted to be moveable between a blocking position and a non-blocking position, and wherein the blocking device is adapted to (a) move into the blocking position upon rotating the rotatable part by a predefined rotation angle, and (b) move into the non-blocking position upon activating the release means; wherein the rotatable part has an axial recess configured to receive at least a part of the blocking device such that, when said blocking device is at least partially received in said recess, rotation of the rotatable part is blocked or nearly blocked, whereas when the blocking device is outside of said recess, the rotatable part is unblocked.

2. The inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking device is radially immobile.

3. The inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking position and the non-blocking position are axial positions.

4. The inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the blocking device, upon activation of the release means, is pushed from the blocking position to the non-blocking position by means of a catch which is fixed to and/or can move together with the pumping chamber.

5. The inhalation device according to claim 4, wherein said catch is configured (i) to fit in, and (ii) to axially move within said recess.

6. The inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential dimension of the recess is larger than that of the blocking device such as to allow a restricted further rotation of the rotatable part upon the receipt of the blocking device in the recess before rotation of the rotatable part is entirely blocked.

7. The inhalation device according to claim 6, wherein said restricted further rotation corresponds to a rotation angle of not more than about 10°.

8. Inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable part comprises two recesses, and wherein the two recesses are preferably positioned apart from each other by a rotation angle of about 180°.

9. Method for the prevention of undesired emission of medically active liquid or aerosol from an inhalation device, the inhalation device comprising a housing, inside this housing a reservoir for storing a liquid, a pumping device with a pumping chamber for generation of a pressure inside said pumping chamber, wherein the pumping chamber is fluidically connected with the reservoir, a riser pipe which can be received with at least one reservoir-facing interior end in said pumping chamber, and a nozzle which is connected liquid-tight to an exterior end of the riser pipe, wherein the interior volume of the pumping chamber is changeable by means of linear relative motion of the pumping chamber to the riser pipe, wherein said linear relative motion is effected by a relative rotation of a rotatable part which is part of or connected to the housing with respect to a second part of said housing, and wherein a means for the storage of potential energy is provided which is loaded by means of said relative rotation, and which releases said energy to said pumping mechanism when released by activating a release means, wherein (i) activating of the release means and/or release of the means for the storage of potential energy during rotating the rotatable part, or during loading of the means for the storage of potential energy, is blocked, and/or (ii) loading of the means for the storage of potential energy and/or rotating the rotatable part is blocked when the release means is activated; wherein for said blocking, a blocking device is provided; and wherein the rotatable part has an axial recess configured to receive at least a part of the blocking device such that, when said blocking device is at least partially received in said recess, rotation of the rotatable part is blocked or nearly blocked, whereas when the blocking device is outside of said recess, the rotatable part is unblocked.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the blocking device moves from a first position in which it blocks the rotation of the rotatable part to a second position in which it unblocks rotation of said rotatable part.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein, for activation of the release means and/or release of the means for the storage of potential energy, a catch is provided that slides along an axial recess which is formed in the rotatable part, pushing the blocking device from said first position to said second position.

12. Method according to claim 9, wherein, after rotating the rotatable part for a predefined angle, thus reloading the inhalation device for another dose, the blocking device moves back from the second position to the first position.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of some components of an inhalation device.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a side view of one embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIGS. 3-5 show different situations with regard to the position of the blocking device.

(4) In FIG. 1, a schematic cut view of an inhalation device is shown.

(5) The inhalation device comprises a housing 1, inside this housing 1 a reservoir 2 for storing a liquid F, and a pumping device with a pumping chamber 3 for generation of a pressure inside said pumping chamber 3. The pumping chamber 3 is fluidically connected with the reservoir 2. The device further comprises a riser pipe 5 which can be received with at least one reservoir-facing, interior end 5A in said pumping chamber 3, and a nozzle 6 which is connected liquid-tight to an exterior end 5B of the riser pipe 5. The interior volume of the pumping chamber 3 is changeable by means of linear relative motion of the pumping chamber to the riser pipe 5. Further, valves 4, 8 are present in order to keep liquid F from flowing contrary to the desired flow direction, i.e. towards nozzle 6. Along the break lines X, housing 1 is divided in a rotatable part 1A and a second part 1B.

(6) Said linear relative motion can be effected by a relative rotation of rotatable part 1A with respect to second part 1B. The relative rotation can be transferred by means of a gear mechanism (not shown) into said relative translational motion.

(7) Further, a means for the storage of potential energy 7 is provided which is chargeable by means of said relative rotation, and said energy is releasable to said pumping device when released by activation of a release means (not shown).

(8) In FIG. 2, a side view of some components of one embodiment of the invention is shown. For the sake of clarity, most components of the inhalation device which have are already been introduced are omitted.

(9) In this embodiment, rotatable part 1A is connected to a co-rotatable part 1A′ of the housing. Both parts 1A, 1A′ are connected in a way such that when the co-rotatable (or “according”) part 1A′ is rotated, rotatable part 1A rotates as well. Thus, from a constructional point of view, rotatable part 1A can be regarded as being a part of the housing 1. Schematically, the second part 1B is also depicted. The gap between the inner wall of second part 1B and rotatable part 1A indicates that the second part 1B is configured to not co-rotate with rotatable part 1A (and co-rotatable part 1A′).

(10) At the upstream side of the rotatable part 1A (top of the figure), blocking device 9 is depicted. Said blocking device 9 is radially immobile, but axially mobile (vertical direction in the figure). Thus, it cannot rotate together with rotatable part 1A around a rotation axis R. As shown in FIG. 2, in a first position, the blocking device 9 blocks rotation of the rotatable part 1A, while in a second position (not shown), blocking device 9 does not block said rotatable part 1A. In the depicted embodiment, both positions are axial positions.

(11) As can be seen, rotatable part 1A has an axial recess 11 configured to receive the radially immobile blocking device 9 such that, when said blocking device 9 is at least partially received in said recess 11, rotation of the rotatable part 1A is mechanically blocked, whereas when the blocking device 9 is outside of said recess 11, the rotatable part 1A is unblocked and can rotate relative to the second part 1B.

(12) Further, a catch 10 is present which can move together with the pumping chamber (not shown). It is recalled that an axial motion of the pumping chamber results in pressure generation. Thus, upon activation of the release means (not shown), blocking device 9 is pushed from the first position to the second position by said catch 10. Catch 10 is configured to fit in, and to axially move within, said recess 11.

(13) Also, the blocking device 9 is adapted to, after rotation of the rotatable part 1A for a predefined rotation angle (such as 180 degrees), automatically move back into the first position, thus blocking further rotation of the rotatable part 1A. For this purpose, a spring 12 is provided which forces the blocking device 9 downwards into recess 11 and against catch 10.

(14) According to the depicted embodiment, the rotatable part 1A comprises two recesses 11, one of which is hidden by the rotatable part 1A in the figure. Thus, the blocking device can, after a rotation of e.g. 180 degrees, “fall” (or be forced by a second spring) into said second recess 11 which houses another catch 10 (not visible).

(15) In FIGS. 3-5, different situations with regard to the position of the blocking device and the rotation angle are shown.

(16) In FIG. 3, blocking device 9 is, to a large extent, received by a first recess 11 of rotatable part 1A. A symmetrically arranged second recess, hidden behind the front side of rotatable part 1A, is drawn in dashed lines. Catch 10 and blocking device 9 are in a respective first position, wherein rotational movement (to the right and the left in the picture) of rotatable part 1A is almost entirely inhibited, since such motion is blocked by blocking device 9 due to its radial immobility.

(17) According to FIG. 4, catch 11 has pushed blocking device 10 out of recess 11 (dashed arrow). Now, both parts are in their respective second positions. However, although rotation of rotatable part 1A is possible, it has not started yet.

(18) In FIG. 5, rotatable part 1A has rotated around rotation axis R, together with catch 10 (dashed arrow). Blocking device 9 slides along the upper edge of rotatable part 1A. During rotation, catch 10 moves back from the second position towards the first position which will be reached, at the latest, when a full loading cycle (rotation of e.g. 180 degrees) is completed. Then, blocking device 9 can be received once again in a recess; in the depicted embodiment, this will be the second recess drawn in dashed lines.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(19) 1 housing 1A rotatable part 1A′ co-rotatable part 1B second part 2 reservoir 3 pumping chamber 4 valve 5 riser pipe 5A interior end 5B exterior end 6 nozzle 7 means for the storage of potential energy 8 valve 9 blocking device 10 catch 11 recess 12 spring F liquid X break lines R rotation axis