Inhalation device for the purpose of inhalation of a droplet mist

Abstract

An inhalation device having a reservoir for storing liquid before being discharged, and a discharge head for dispensing the liquid in droplet mist. The discharge head has a nozzle arrangement for generating the droplet mist and housing on which a discharge channel is provided for use as a respiration piece or for attachment of a separate respiration piece. A main axis of extent of the discharge channel encloses an angle of >0° with a central dispensing direction. In alignment with the central dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement, either an aperture is provided in the housing through which aperture the droplet mist emerges from the discharge head if it is not sucked into the discharge channel by respiration of the user, or a liquid buffer is provided for receiving the droplet mist if it is not sucked into the discharge channel by respiration of the user.

Claims

1. An inhalation device for the purpose of inhalation of a droplet mist by a user, comprising-: a base having a liquid reservoir for storing liquid before the liquid is discharged; a discharge head for dispensing the liquid in the form of a droplet mist, the discharge head having a nozzle arrangement for generating the droplet mist; a switching valve, wherein a delivery channel from the liquid reservoir to the nozzle arrangement is opened and closed via the switching valve; the discharge head being rotatable relative to the base about a main rotation axis, wherein the switching valve is opened and closed via rotation of the discharge head relative to the base about the mail rotation axis; the discharge head comprising an inner housing connected to the base, the nozzle arrangement being provided on the inner housing for dispensing the droplet mist in a dispensing direction at an angle to the main rotation axis; the discharge head comprising an outer housing placed onto the inner housing; the inner housing and the outer housing interacting with a form-fit engagement in respect of a rotation about the main rotation axis, such that a rotational movement of the outer housing relative to the base also directly effects a rotational movement of the inner housing relative to the base; and the outer housing has a portion forming a discharge channel, the portion being configured for use as a respiration piece or for attachment of a respiration piece, the discharge channel, when the outer housing is fitted to the inner housing, is arranged relative to the nozzle arrangement in such a way that the droplet mist dispensed from the nozzle arrangement is inhaled through the discharge channel, and the main rotation axis and a main axis of extent arranged centrally in the discharge channel are arranged in such a way that they do not intersect.

2. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoir has a central axis and a configuration rotationally symmetrical in relation to a central axis, and the central axis and the main axis of extent are arranged such that they do not intersect.

3. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main rotation axis and/or the central axis and the main axis of extent of the discharge channel enclose an angle of between 45° and 135°.

4. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main axis of extent of the discharge channel encloses an angle of between 15° and 120° with the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement.

5. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main rotation axis and the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement enclose an angle of between 75° and 105°.

6. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner housing and the outer housing have mutually interacting clamping regions on an inside of the outer housing and on an outside of the inner housing, in a region of which clamping regions the inner housing and the outer housing are pushed into each other and held with a force-fit engagement in order to produce an interference fit.

7. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of the outer housing comprises a channel connector provided externally on the outer housing and forming the discharge channel, and the main axis of extent of the discharge channel is at an angle with respect to the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement.

8. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the channel connector has a wall, the wall having an aperture therein disposed in alignment with the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement.

9. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 8, wherein in addition to the discharge channel, an inflow channel is provided in the outer housing, the inflow channel being spaced apart from the aperture, the inflow channel being configured such that air is sucked in through the inflow channel when the user breathes in through the discharge channel.

10. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid-receiving space for receiving liquid that settles internally on the outer housing after being dispensed through the nozzle arrangement.

11. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein: when the inhalation device is oriented in an intended orientation with the discharge head facing upward and the liquid reservoir facing downward, the liquid-receiving space is provided as a recessed receiving region such that, in the intended orientation, no liquid collected in the recessed receiving region runs out of the discharge head; and/or the liquid-receiving space is formed jointly by an inner wall of the outer housing and an outer wall of the inner housing; and/or the liquid-receiving space is configured as an annular space.

12. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of the outer housing comprises a channel connector, the channel connector forming the discharge channel, wherein the channel connector: terminates in a mouthpiece or in a breathing mask; or the inhalation device comprises a mouthpiece separate from the channel connector or a breathing mask for coupling to the channel connector.

13. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the liquid reservoir is configured as a pressure accumulator in which the liquid is kept at an overpressure; and/or the liquid reservoir is configured to receive at most 500 ml of liquid.

14. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle arrangement has a nozzle plate with a plurality of nozzle openings.

15. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for the purpose of opening and closing the switching valve, the discharge head is movable relative to the base in a superposed rotational and axial movement.

16. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a slotted guide, the slotted guide including a slot having the shape of a part of a helix, the slot being provided between the base and the discharge head.

17. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoir is filled with: a saline aqueous solution; or an aqueous solution in the form of a Ringer's solution or a buffered solution; or an aqueous solution with at least one of the following additives: carbohydrates; essential oils; menthol; and/or plant extracts; or an aqueous solution containing vitamins, trace elements, manganese or zinc; or an aqueous solution with at least one of the following additives: cinnamon oil; tea tree oil; sage oil; thyme oil; and/or lemon balm.

18. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main axis of extent of the discharge channel encloses an angle of >0° with the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement, and an aperture is provided in the outer housing of the discharge head in alignment with the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement, through which aperture the droplet mist in the form of a spray jet emerges from the discharge head if the spray jet is not sucked into the discharge channel by respiration of the user, wherein the aperture is adapted to the nozzle arrangement and to the spray jet generated by the nozzle arrangement in such a way that at least most of the spray jet emerges through the aperture.

19. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the nozzle arrangement is designed to generate the droplet mist in the form of the spray jet, the spray jet having a cross-sectional surface area intersecting the outer housing in a region of the aperture, the cross-sectional surface area occupying at least 30% of the area of the aperture, and/or the nozzle arrangement is designed to generate the droplet mist in the form of the spray jet having an angle of opening less than 30°.

20. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main axis of extent of the discharge channel encloses an angle of >0° with the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement, and the inhalation device comprises a liquid buffer disposed in alignment with the dispensing direction of the nozzle arrangement, the liquid buffer being configured for receiving the droplet mist if the droplet mist is not sucked into the discharge channel by respiration of the user.

21. The inhalation device as claimed in claim 20, wherein in addition to the discharge channel, an inflow channel is provided in the outer housing, the inflow channel being spaced apart from the liquid buffer and being configured such that air is sucked in through the inflow channel when the user breathes in through the discharge channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and aspects of the invention will become clear from the claims and from the following description of preferred illustrative embodiments of the invention, which are explained below with reference to the figures.

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an inhalation device according to the invention in an overall view and in a sectioned view.

(3) FIG. 3 shows the components of the inhalation device in an exploded view.

(4) FIGS. 4 and 5 show details of the discharge head.

(5) FIGS. 6A to 6C illustrate the way in which the inhalation device functions.

(6) FIG. 7 shows the spray jet of the inhalation device in relation to the aperture provided for the discharge in the outer housing of the discharge head.

(7) FIGS. 8A to 8C show alternative possibilities concerning the design of the respiration piece of the inhalation device.

(8) FIG. 9 shows an alternative configuration of the discharge head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an inhalation device 10 according to the invention, on the one hand in an overall view and on the other hand in a sectioned view. Referring also to FIG. 3, the inhalation device 10 has a base 12, and a discharge head 14 which is rotatable relative to the base 12 about a main rotation axis 6.

(10) The main constituent parts of the base 12 are a liquid reservoir 90 with an outlet-side switching valve 50, which can be opened by movement of a tappet 52 in the direction of the arrow 6A. The liquid reservoir 90 is designed in the manner of a squeeze bottle with rotational symmetry about a central axis 8. The base 12 furthermore comprises a base component 60 which is snap-fitted by locking means 62 onto the liquid reservoir 90 configured as the squeeze bottle.

(11) The discharge head 14 has, as its main constituent parts visible from the outside, an inner housing 30 and an outer housing 40, wherein the inner housing 30 is only partially covered by the outer housing 40. Provided inside the inner housing 30 are a plurality of structural parts 54, 55 for conveying liquid, and also a nozzle arrangement 56 which has a nozzle plate 57 made of silicon with a multiplicity of nozzle openings (not shown in detail).

(12) As will be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the dispensing direction 4 of the nozzle arrangement 56 encloses a right angle with the main rotation axis 6 of the inhalation device 10 and with the central axis 8 of the liquid reservoir.

(13) For the purpose of actuating the switching valve 50, a slotted guide 13 is provided, of which the slot, having the shape of part of a helix, can be seen from FIG. 3. A cam on the inner face of the inner housing 30 engages in this slot in such a way that a rotational movement of the discharge head 14 relative to the base 12 also directly effects an axial movement of the discharge head 14 relative to the base 12, such that, by means of an intermediate structural part 53, the tappet 52 can be pressed down by this rotational movement and the switching valve 50 can be opened.

(14) As will be seen from FIG. 1, the outer housing 40 has a channel connector 43 which is oriented in a main axis of extent 2 and forms a discharge channel 42 that is oriented eccentrically with respect to the main rotation axis 6. This discharge channel 42 serves for the inhalation, by means of the user sucking in at its distal end.

(15) Once the user has first of all initiated the discharge process using the described rotational movement, this inhalation takes place such that liquid from the liquid reservoir 90 flows through the liquid channel 51 as far as the nozzle arrangement 56 and is atomized there. The opening and closing of the switching valve preferably takes place by means of the user fixing the channel connector 43, or a respiration piece mounted thereon, with his mouth or part of his face and then rotating the liquid reservoir 90 about the main rotation axis 6.

(16) To ensure that the outer housing 40 and the inner housing 30 rotate jointly, they are connected to each other with form-fit engagement. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that a form-fit web 38B is provided on the inner housing 30 and interacts with a corresponding groove 48B on the outer housing 40.

(17) It is important to note that this specific configuration is just an example. In a configuration of outer housing 40 and inner housing 30 that also takes account of esthetic points of view, these housings are preferably configured overall in such a way as to achieve the desired rotationally fixed form-fit engagement.

(18) The function and special nature of the discharge head 14 are explained with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C. For this purpose, the discharge head 14 is shown in section along a horizontal plane at the level of the nozzle arrangement 56.

(19) FIG. 6A shows the starting state. The user places the channel connector 43 in his mouth or fixes it in some other way by means of a respiration piece attached thereto. The liquid reservoir 90 is then rotated as illustrated by the arrow 6B, such that the discharge head 14 and the base 12 approach each other axially on account of the slotted guide 13, and the discharge head 14 indirectly presses the tappet 52 down and thereby opens the switching valve 50. The liquid now flows along the liquid channel 51 as far as the nozzle arrangement 56 and is there converted, in the manner illustrated by FIG. 6B, into a spray mist of small droplets.

(20) As FIG. 6B shows, this spray mist can emerge directly from the discharge head 14 through an aperture 44 in alignment with the nozzle arrangement 56. Therefore, there is no relevant wetting of the inner faces of the discharge head.

(21) When the user now starts the inhalation process by sucking on the distal end of the channel connector 43, the situation illustrated in FIG. 6C is obtained. Most of the droplets of the droplet mist 100 are deflected and then flow in the direction of the main axis of extent 2 of the discharge channel 42. The deflection causes the droplets to burst, with the result that the mean droplet diameter decreases significantly. As is likewise illustrated by FIG. 6C, droplets that are too large and are unsuitable for the inhalation are deflected to a lesser extent, such that they do not enter the channel connector 43. During the inhalation process, the air required for refining the droplet mist 100 flows in through the aperture 44.

(22) As soon as the user ends the inhalation process, the situation according to FIG. 6B is obtained again. If the user breathes out through the inhalation device 10, the exhaled air flows through the aperture 44 and out of the outer housing 40 together with the spray jet.

(23) FIG. 7 illustrates that, regarding the undeflected spray jet, the cross-sectional surface area 100A thereof in the region of the aperture 44 considerably fills, preferably by more than 50%, the free section 44A formed by the aperture 44. Although not absolutely necessary, it is nevertheless considered advantageous to obtain such a high degree of filling, since this ensures that most of the inflowing air participates in the deflection of the droplet mist 100. Moreover, a comparatively small aperture 44 leads to a higher flow velocity of the inflowing air and therefore to improved atomization with smaller droplets.

(24) FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate possible configurations of the inhalation device 10 with a respiration piece.

(25) FIG. 8A corresponds to the configuration in the preceding figures. Here, provision is made that the channel connector 43 is used directly as a mouthpiece by the user, i.e. is intended to be enclosed by the lips during inhalation. FIG. 8B shows that it is instead also possible to use an insert in the form of a separate mouthpiece 70, for example in order thereby to permit hygienic use of the inhaler by several persons. As an alternative to the mouthpiece 70, it is also possible to use a separate breathing mask 72 in the manner seen from FIG. 8C.

(26) FIG. 9 shows an alternative configuration of the inhalation device 10. Here, the outer housing 40 has a slightly different form. Instead of an aperture 44 which connects directly to a surrounding atmosphere, use is here made of a sponge-like or porous liquid buffer 144. If the inhalation is interrupted after the start of the discharge process, in accordance with FIG. 6B, the spray jet is directed to this liquid buffer 144 and can be received there. After completion of the inhalation, the liquid can then evaporate from here. Since the liquid buffer in the illustrated configuration is not easily suitable for use as an inflow channel, the configuration in FIG. 9 is provided with a separate inflow channel 46.