CA1311170C - Inhalation device - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
INHALATION DEVICE

A device for dispensing an aerosol from an aerosol module containing aerosol under pressure wherein there is a cocking device for readying it for release of the pressurized aerosol, a sear for retaining the cocking device in a non-operative position following readying and a vane operable by inhalation on the part of a user to disable the sear to thus release the cocking device to effect expulsion of aerosol from the aerosol module.

Description

~31 1 170 INHAL~TION DFVICE

1 BACKGROUND OF TH~ ~NVFNTION
There are a number of devic~s for dispensing aerosols for nasal and/or oral inhalation. Such davice~ are now quite well known for administering medlcaments to patients suf~ering ~rom bronchial conditions such a3, or example, bronchial a~thma.
The mo~t ~igni~icant problem a6sociated with ~uch aerosol~ ha~ been the dif~iculty ~or many patients to coordinate the relea~e o~ the medicament wi~h the initiation o~ th~ inspiratory ef~ort. Many people, for xample, elderly patients and children, ~ind this ~ynchroniza~ion di~ficult. These problem~ are alleviated with the brea~h-actuated devices such as the ones di~closed in United States Patents 3,639,94g;

3,789,843; 3,826,413: and WO85/01880. Sometimes these devices are also referred to as inhalation-oriented aerosols or, more simply, "demand valves".
Simply, these d~vices eliminate the need for manual coordination by actuating automatically whPn the patiant inhales wlth hls llps in contact with the mouthplece. Only llght negative pressure is required to trip n simple mechanism which actuates the metering 7 ~

valve. The devic~ must then be ra~et before the mQtering valve may dischargQ again. The in6tant application iB conc~rned with a breath-actuat2d device of thia type, but embodie~ improvements over the devices in the aforesaid patent~ in that it is structured ko ~inimiz~ the occasions of accidental discharge and, yet, discharge can be ef~ected with minimum ef f ort .
A long-standing problem with breath-actuated o di6pen6er development has been the incompatability between the strong 6pring requ~red to o~ercome the internal aerosol valve ~pring ~or ef fecting di~charge, and the light pre~ure available to impaired individual~ to tr~ gger the dev~ ce. ~he ~uncture between the two a~orementioned element~ in the pa&t has been ~o tenuou~ that evsn tha sur~ace coe~icient of friction of material~ had to be considered. By the introduction o~ an intermediate sear element and other improv2ment~ t~ a~o~mpllsh gre~ter m~chan~cal advantage, this invention achieves a po~itive yet sensitive latching and the degree of integrity re~uired in medical dispensing devices.
SUMMARY OF T~ INVENTION
~8 herein illustrated, the device 1~ structured for u8e wi~h an aerosol module and comprl~e~ a hous~ng, a cradle dispo~ed in the hou~ing for rec~iving an ~ero801 module provided with a discharge 8t9m movable 1 3 1 1 ~ 7~

1 from a di~abllng po~ition to prevsnt discharge to an snabling position to pe~mit di~charge, the cradle being movable relative to the housing, a di~charge nozzle member mounted in the hou~ing in ~lignment with the di~charge ~tem with which the di6charge ~tem iB Qngaged ~uch that movement o~ the cradle relative to the n~zzle ef~ect~ movement o~ the ~tem ralativa to the module, a lever mounted in the housing operable to ef~ect movement o~ the cradle relative to the noz~le member ~

a direction to enable the stem, to thu~ di~harge a need~d amou~t of aerosol formulation, spring maa~
connacted to the laver bia~ing the lever in a direc~ion to anabl~ the tem and mean~ ~or con~traini~g movement of ~ald lever in said ~irection to enable ~he Bt8m~

15 compriBing a sear d1~posed ad~acent the distal end o~
the lev~r with which the di~tal end o~ the lever i~
engaged, a lakch ~ngagQd with the s2ar holding th~ ~aar in the lever engaged po~ition such that the ~tem i6 di~abled, ~nd mean~ ~or di~engaging the latch ~rom the sear such as to permit the ~pring to move the lever to a posi~tion to enable the discharge ~tem. The lever 1~
coupled to the cradl0 auch that pivotal movement o~ the lever will on the one hand move the cradle in a direction to di~able the stem and on khe other hand mova tha cr~dle in a direction to enable the stem.
There is cocking mean~ coupled to the lever operable to move the lever in opposikion to the spring meana to a 1 3 1 1 1 7~

l p~it~on t~ di~able tha ~tem and thera 1~ ~e~ns Por enabling tha cocking mean~ and ~or di~abling the cocking means. The latch i~ pivotally supported at one end and has at ~ts other end an arm accee~ible through an opening in th~ housing ~or manual d~splacement in a direction to disengag0 the latch Prom the 6ear in the event that the UBer han di~flculty in initiating relea6e by in~pirational ~ffort. The hou~ing has an opening ad~acent the nozzle member through which the aerosol e~ected by engaging the valve can be pro~ected. and th~re i5 a clo ure membr adapted to clo~e the di~charge opening ~nd means connecting the closure member to th~ spring to hold the latter di~tended and the lever in a position ~uch that the ~tem is di~abledO
~ he invention will now b~ d~cr~bed wlth re~erence to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 i6 a vertical section of a first embodiment of the device, showing the components thereo~ in their inoperative position;
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the device of Figure 2 ~howing the components thereof in a position preparatory to use;
Figure 3 la a vertlcal aection of the device of Figure 1 showing the components in their operatlve po~ition;
Figure 4 i~ a transvQrse ~ection taken on the 1 ine 4 -4 0~ Flgure l;
Figure3 5 to 7 are viewE~ aorre~ponding to P'~ gure~;
1 to 3 respectively o~ a ~econd embodiment;
F~gures ~a and 8b are re~pactively an elQvakion and a plan view of the yoke u~ed in the E~econd embodiment. Figure 8a ~howing al80 a portion o~ a strap attached thexeto t and Figures 9a and 9b are re~pectively a p~r~pective view and a crosa-Bection taken along line 9b-9b of Figure 9a of the sear used in the second embodlment.
Re~erring to ~igure~ 1 to 4 o~ the drawinys, the device 6hown therain comprise~ a housing lo deflning chamber~ 12 and 14. A clo~ure membar 16 i~ hinged at one end by a pin 18 to one ~ide o* the cha~ber 12, the clo~ure bQing provided at it~ Dpposlte end with a latch ~lement 20 intarengageable with a latch ele~ent 22 on tha housing.
A cradle me~ber 24 i~ mounted within the chamber 12 for vert~cal movement therQin. The cradle 24 ha~
~emi-circular side wall 2ç o~ a dimension and con~iguration corresponding substantially to the length and cro~ ~ection o~ the aerosol module A to be disposed in the chamber and a bottom wall 28 containing a circular opening 30 ~or ~upporting the module in an inverted po~ition wit~in th~ chamh~r with it~ 6tem 32 ~xtendlng through the bottom wall 28 inko tha chamber h~low the aradle. Desirably, the cradle 24 ha~ at it8 13~ 1 ~7~

upper end a capplng element 34 ~or ~ngagement with the bottom o~ the module to hold the module firmly engaged with the bottom 2~. ~he cradle 24 i~ movable vertically within the houslng 10 and there i~ means in the ~orm o~ a yoke-shaped lever 36 operative ln one po~ition to hold the cradle 24 in an elevated po~ition and in another position to hold it in a deprQ~ed po~ition.
In that portion o~ the housing 10 ~elow the cradle 24, there i5 mounted in a fixed po8ition a nozzle member 38 containing an opening 40. The nozzle memb~r 3~ ~ di6poeed in alignment with the st~ 32 for receiY~ng the stem 32. The opening 40 i~ connected by a pa~sage ~2 to a discharge opQning 44, the axia o~

which is ~oncentrically centered with respect to an opening 46 ~ormed ~n the lower part o~ the chamb~r 12 within which there iB di~posed an annular mouthpiece 48. Aa thu~ arranged, discharge from the aerosol module~ as will appear hereina~ter, i5 dlrected by the nozzle member 38 through the mouthpiece 48. Since the ~tem 32 remain~ stationary in the nozzle member 38 during operation, the de~irad disposal pattern i~
maintained at all times.
Di~charge of aero~ol from the module i~ effected 2 5 by moving thQ cradls 24 downwardly ralative ko khe nozzle membar 3B to di~placa the E~tem 32 in the module.
Ths aerosol modul~ ha~ a m~tering valva therein ~o that .. .. .... ..

1 displacQment of the ~tem 32 diepen~es a do Q 0~ the material contained by the module through the nozzlQ
element and directs it through the mouthpiece 48.
Af~er the dose has heen di~pen~ed no ~urther mat rial emerges ~rom the ~tem until the ~tem has bQen ~ir~t returned to its disabled position and th~n again put in its enabled po~itlon.
A~ herein illu~trated, the yoke-~haped lever 36, Figure 4 ~ iB provided with transveraely ~paced arms 50 o each provided with a respective trunion 52 pivotally ~upported in ~he oppo~ite ~ide walls 54 of the hou~ing ~or pivotal movement about a horizontal axis ~ntermediate it~ oppo~ite endsO At one end, the arm~
50 of the yoke ara pivotally conneoted by r~spectiva trun~onB 56 with the lowQr end of the c:radle. At the oppo~i~e end, the lever 3~ i~ connected by an arm 57 and ooupllng element 58 to the lower end 61.1 o~ a ten~ion spring 60 mounted within the chamber 14. The a~m 57 containa an opening 71 hav$ng oppositely diverging ~ides 73 through which the aoupling element 58 extend~. The upper end 61.2 of the spring 60 i~
connected to a pin 62 ~ixed between the walls o~ the ahamber 14.
Within ~he lower end o~ the chamber 14, there i8 mounted a ~ear 64 which 1~ rotatabla About a horlzontal axi~ parall el to the axi6 of rotation of ths lever 36.
The ~aar 64 extend~ a cross ths chamber 1~ ~rom one side wall 54 to the other and i6 mounted ~or pivs:tal moYement about the aforesaid hori~ontal axl3 by trunion~ 64.1 pivotally ~upported in the side wall~ 54.
Ths ~ear 64 iB provided in a central region thereo~
with a notch 66 of gerlerally right angular ~Qction ~or engagement with the di~tal ~nd portion ~8 o~ the lever 360 The distal end position 68 and the notch 66 are sized and positioned ~o tha~ the end portion 68 engages notch 66 immediately ad~acent the pivot axi~ to minimize the PorceR on the lever 3 6 when the ~lement~
axe angaged. 'rhe ~ear 64 i~ rotatabla about ~t~ axia between one po6ition in which it holdE3 th~ distal end portion 68 oî the lever 3~ d~pres~ed (Figur~ 1), in which po~ition the opposite end of the lever hold~ the cradle 24 ~levated and, hence, the ~tem 3~ fully extended, and another position to relea~e the di~tal end portion 68 o:e the lever 36 and allow the l~ver 36 to be ~levated by the ~pring to a horizontal po~ition (Figure 3), such a~ to lower the cradle to a po~ition 2 o to :eOrce the stem 3 2 into the module to causQ aero~ol discharge .
A latch member 70 having a pair o~ arms 70a i8 pivotally mounted at 72 to the side wall~ 54 for movement about a horizontal axis parallel to tha axi5 o~ the sear. The latch 70 i8 provided ad~acent it~
ax~ ally oppo~ite end~ with a pair oP abutments 74 each o:e which i~ intQrengag~able with a reE~pective arm 76 13~ 1 170 integral wlth the sear.
In the ino1pQrative posltion o~ the devlce, Figure 1, the lever 3 6 i~ held in the depre~ed pc)sition by a cock~ ng 6trap 78, one end o~ which is cosmected to the coupling 5~ to which tha ~pring ~0 iB attached and the other end o~ which ha~ connected to it a cap 80 which f it~3 over the end o~ the mouthpiece 4 8 . When the cap ~0 i~ f~tt~d to the mouthpiece, the ~trap by way of the coupling 58 hold~ the spring 60 extended and lthe lever 3 6 in the depre~ed positton with lt~ dl~tal end ~ngag~d with the s~ar 64. In thl~ position, thQ latch member 70 i8 2ngaged with the a~a 76. The latc:h member 70 ha~ connected to 1~ distal end an air vanQ
79 whlch, in the po~tion o the latch a~3 sh~
Figure 1, parallelB the wall 82 o~ the chan~er 14 and in thi~ parallel position, c~ver6 an opening 84 in the wall~ In th~ non-op~r~t~v~ po~ition o~ the da~ice, t~.e cap 80 i3 engaged with the mouthpiece 48, ~he air van~ ngaged with the wall 82 fiO as to cover the opening 84 and the linkage i~ held in the position 6hown in Figure 1 by the 6pring 60 so that the stem 32 iB ~ully extended., that iB, in the ~hut o:f~ position.
To ready the device îc~r use, the cap 80 is dl sengaged Prom the mouthplQce 48, Figure 2.
2 5 Di~2ngagQm~nk o~ the cap allow~ thQ ~trap 78 to ~r the di~tal end oP thQ arm 57 80 that the distal end o~
the lever 36 i~ held dapres~ed only by virtua o~ the fact that the lev0r 36 cannot move w~thout itB dl8tal 2nd positlon 68 rotating tha ~ear, and the ~sar aannot rotate becau~Q o~ the engagement o~ the ar~ 7 6 wlth ths abutmen~ 74 of the latch member 70. Wlth the cap 80 removQd, the device i5 r~ady ~or u~e. When the u~er inhaleB through the mouthpiece 48, thus lowerirlg the pre~ure ln ~he cha~ber 14, the air vane 79 ~wingf3 ~rom itB poeition o~ engagement with the wall 82 toward the left, a~ illustrated in Figure 3 . Movemerlt o~ the air vane 79 to th2 le~t di~engages khe abutmenk~ ~4 o~
the latch member 70 *rs:~m the arm 76, thus ~reeing the sear 64 to rotate. Th~ ~prlng 60 i~ thus able to pull th8 right hand ~nd o:f thQ lQvar 3~ upwardly. Sinae tha lever 36 i~ mounted fo:r pivotal movement with respect ~o the houeing by the trunion~ 52 thi~ cau~e~ thQ le~t hand end o~ lthe lever 36 to ~ove downwardly carry~ ng the cradle 24 with it, Downward moYement o~ tha cradl~ 24 dit3~31ac2~3 the ~tem 32 into the module which e~ eot:s di~charge of aeroso1 from th~ module through the nozzla and mouthpiace. When the asplration i~
discontinued, the air vane aE~5umee itB clo~:ed poE~ition under the lnf luence o~ gravity .
~ft~r inhalation ~hQ user grips the aap 80 and pull~ downwardly on lt against the force exerted via 2 5 the ~trap 78 by th2 ~pring 60 . The u3er i~ then able to r~-~3ngage the ~ap 8 0 on ths mouthplece 4 8 . 'rhe device i8 thu~3 re~3tored to the poE~ition ~hown in Figure 1. It will be ob~arved tha~ thls irl~rolved, intar alia, the restoration of the lever 36, sear 64 and the latch member 70 to the positions of Fi~ure 1, and the way in which thiE~ occura wlll now be described brie~ly.
AE; th~ cap and strap are pulled down the lever 3 6 pivot~3 about th~ trunion~ 52 in a clockwlse dir~ction as vi~wed in F~ gUrQs 1 ~o 3, and a point iR reachQd where the di~tal end portion 68 comes irlto contact with th~ notch 66 in the central region oî the sear 64n As downward movement s~f the cap and strap continueE; the engayement bei:ween the distal end portion 6~ and the notch 66 aause~ the sear 64 to pivot in a s::ounterolockwl~;e ~1~ rection. In the course o~ ~hiE3 countercloc:kwise pivot~rlg movs3meIIt the a~ns 76 ~3trika the undQrside~ o~ the respective latch member armB 70a and t;he latch m~mber 70 is thu~ caused to pi~rot counterc:lockwi6e through a small angle to allow the arms 7 6 to pa~;s . Onc:e the ar~ 7 6 are pa~t the respective abutments 74 the latch member 70 is free to ~all into the po~ition shown in Figure 1 under the inXluence of gravity, with the arms 76 aach engaged behind a respective abutment 74. At thi~ point the con~$guration shown in Figure 1 is attainsd.
The embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 9 i~ ~imilar in many ra~poct~ to the embodimQnt 6hown in Flgure~ 1 to 4, and will there~ora not he da~cribed in detail.
Elemant~ in the embodiment o~ Figures 5 to 9 which corr~spond broadly to ~lamQnt~: :Ln the embodiDIent of FigureE~ 1 to 4 are denoted by the ~ame re~ererlce numeral~ but with the addi tion oP 100 . ~ttentlon wll:l now be drawn to the mor~ ~ gnificant of the aspect~ in whlch the ~mbodimerlt o~ Flgure~ 5 to 9 di~er~ from the e~odimerlt o~ Figures 1 to 4.
Attention iB dlrected ~irstly to the con~truct:lon of the ~ear 164 . For conven~ ence this iB shown on an enlarged ~;cale in per~pectiYe in Flgure 9. It w:~ll be seen that each of the arm~ 176 has a protru~on 176a which extends approximately radially in a directls~n generally at right angle~ to the direction in which th~
main bo`dy o~ the arm 176 extend~. A~ can be ~:een in Figure 5, when the de~iae iB its inoperative po~3ition one o~ the~e pro1~ ion~ 176a bears again~t a ~lat æpring 200 which is o~ gerlerally ~-shape and whi~:h ~ ~
secur~d interm~diate it~ end~ to the bottom of the housing . The spring 2 00 extends about a pin 2 01 extendlng laterally from one o~ the ~ide walls 154 o~
the housingO Tha ~pring includes upwardly bent portions 200a and 200b locat~d on opposite sides of the pin which serve to position the ~pring relative to the pin. The exten~ion 200c of tha spring i~ inclined upwardly and i8 depressed by the protrusion 176a whan the el2ments are in t~e position ~hown in F1gurQ 5.
Accordingly, the ~lat sprin~ biasa~ ths ~ear ln tha clo~kwi~s direction. No ~econd ctrip spring nsad be 1 31 1 t 70 1 provided on the other side o~ the device, and thQ othar protrusion 176a i~ thera~ora, strlctly ~peaking, unnecessary. The protru~ions 176a ~erve ~lr~tly to prevent the ~ear from rotating too far countercloGkwise as viewed in Figures 5 to 7. In the absenc~ o~ the protru~ion~ the ~ear might rotate 80 far that the notch 16~ would not be in a po~ition to be engaged by the distal end portion 168 o~ the l~ver 136 during the procsdure o~ ra~toring the device to it~ initlal inoperative condit~on a~ter inhalation ~i.e. rastorlny lt to the c~nditlon shown in Figure 5). The pre~ence of the protru~ion$ 176a and the cloc~wi~a bias o~ the spring 200 ~cting on the protrusion 176~ e~sures that the notch 166 i~ in tha correct po~ition a~ter i~hala~ion ~or engag~ment by tha dl Btal end portion 1~8.
The protrusion 176a which engage~ the spring 200 ha~ a light force exerted thereon by the ~pring, and this provides an additional impetus to the sear to ensure its clockwise rot~tlon when inhalation takes place, over and above the force exarted on the notch 166 by the di~tal end portion 168 o~ the lever 136.
It will also be aeen from Figure 9 that on tha opposit~ 3ide o~ the arm 176 to the protru~ion 176a i~
a further protrusion 176b. As can be appreciated by considering, ~or example Figure 7, the protrusion~ 176b prevent sxaQ~iv2 rotation o~ the sear in a clocXwi~e 1 direction by abutting ~he bottom wall o~ the hou~ing.
One ~urther aapect o~ tha ~ear which ~hould be noted i~ that the regions of the ~ear immediately on either ~ide of th~ notch 166 ar~ provided with recesEPs 169. During the initial ~tage o~ raturnlng the d~vice after i~halation to the ~tate of Figure 5 rotation o~
the sear i~ a counterclockwi~e direction is accomplished by engagement between the di~tal end portion 168 of the lever 136 and the notch 166.
However, the final portion of thi~ counterclockwise rotation is accomplished by engagement between cam surface~ 20~ on the lever 136 and the recesse~ 169.
At ~his point it may be con~en$ent to note that the yoke 136 differ~ somewhat from the yoke 36 u~ed in the fir~t embodiment. In particular, the arm 57 is absent, ~o that thQre extends rearwardly fro~ th2 main portion o~ the lever 136 a pair of arms 202 which are not conneatad at their rearward enda. The upper portion o~ the strap has a section o~ reduc2d width and increased thickne~s 178a between the arm~ 2~2~ and sections o~ full width and increased section lmmed~ately above and below the arms. The section above the a~m~ ia concave and i8 received in a pair o~
convex r~ce~e~ 203, one ~ormed ln each o~ th~ arms 202. -Th~ U-~haped sprlng 200 ~erve~ a purpo~e in addition to ex4rting a ~orce on one o~ the protru~ions 1 176a. As can be sean in Figure~ 5 to 7 the upper poxtion o~ the ~pring bears on one o~ the arms 70a o~
the latch member 70. This help~ to en~ure thak a~tar the cap 180 has been removed ~ro~ the nozzle 48, a~
indicated ln ~igure 6, the latch membar 70 cannot b~come aac~dent~lly di~engaged ~rom th~ arm~ 76, and that disengagement will only take place when the user inhales. The presence o~ the spring 200 means that a ~light additlonal force ha~ to be exerted through 1o ~nhalation in order to dlsengage the latch member ~rom the arms 76, but thi~ additional force i~ ~light, provided the spring 200 i~ oho~en to be approprlately weak. Furthe~more, the effect o~ the spring 200 in requlring an additional force ifi more t~an counterbalanced by an lmprovement in the design o~ the air vane o~ th~ embodiment of Fi~ure~ 5 to 9, over and above the ~ir vane u~ed in the e~bodi~ent o~ Fi~ure~ 1 ~o 4. As can be ~en in Figur~ h~ air vane 179 is provided with side wall~ 17ga which extend for~ardly from the main portion o~ the alr vane and approximately perpendicular thereto. ~he side walls are each close to a respective side wall 154, and their presence helps to ensure that the ~uction force produced when a patient inhales i~ hlghly e~ect~ve ln produclng a ~orce on the air vane. Th~ main portion o~ tho air vane 179 ha~ a button 179b which, ln the po~itlon shown in Figure 5, i8 recaived in the opening 184. The main purpo e of thi~ i~ to provide ~ button which i~3 cl~arly iderlt:Lf iable to ~ user as be~ ng ~uch . It should bQ mentlonad at thi~ polnt that lf a user desires to do ~o he can, in~tead of operating the device au'comatically by inhalation, operate it by pressing the button 179b and thsreby causing the air vane 179 to mo~r~ inwardly as it would have done had the patient c:aused it to move by inhalation.
It ~hould be understood that the pre~ent disclo~ure iB for the pUrpOBe oï illustration only and include~ all modif ication~ or improvements which rall within thQ ~cope of the appended claims.

Claims (16)

1. A dispensing device for use with an aerosol module having a body portion and a discharge stem extending from said body portion and movable with respect to the body portion from a disabling position in which it prevents discharge of the contents of the module to an enabling position in which it permits discharge, the device comprising:
(a) a housing, (b) a cradle movably supported in the housing, said cradle having a recess therein for receiving the aerosol module in said recess, and an opening wherethrough the stem of a module when received in said device will protrude, (o) a discharge nozzle member mounted in the housing in spaced relationship to the cradle and having a stem receiving portion therein for receiving the protruding discharge stem of a module when a module is received in said dispensing device, (d) moving means within said housing for movement of said cradle toward and away from said discharge nozzle member, movement of the cradle toward the discharge nozzle member effecting movement relative to said module body portion of the stem to its enabling position when a module is received in said dispensing device, (e) said moving means comprising a lever of lenght movably mounted to said housing at a first position along said length and connected to said cradle at a second position along said length to effect movement of the cradle relative to the housing in response to movement of said lever relative to said housing, (f) spring means connected to the lever for biasing the lever in a direction to enable the stem, (g) restraining means for restraining movement of said lever in said enabling direction, said restraining means comprising sear means mounted on said housing for relative movement into engagement with said lever, and latch means mounted on said housing for relative movement into engagement with said sear means for maintaining said sear means in the lever-engaged position to prevent movement of the lever and thereby movement of the cradle to the stem enabling position, and (h) means for disengaging the latch means from the sear means so as to permit the spring means to move the lever to a position to enable the discharge stem when a module is received in the dispensing device.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the lever is pivotably mounted at said first position intermediate its ends to the housing for pivotal movement about an axis, and has said second position thereof pivotably connected to said cradle and an end thereof away from said cradle disposed for movement into engagement with the sear means.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the sear means is mounted adjacent to said lever for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of pivotal movement of the lever and said sear means includes a notch therein, and wherein said end of the lever engages the sear means in said notch immediately adjacent the pivotal axis of the sear means when said lever is pivoted in one direction relative to said housing, said engagement causing said sear means to rotate about its axis to a position enabling said latch means to engage said sear means.

4. A device according to claim 1, comprising cocking means coupled to the lever and operable to move the lever in opposition to the spring means to a position to disable the stem.

5. A device according to claim 4, comprising means for enabling the cocking means and for disabling the cocking means.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the housing has an opening in communication with said cradle opening and with said discharge nozzle member through which aerosol ejected by enabling the valve stern is projected, and wherein the enabling and disabling means comprises a closure adapted to releasably cover said opening, said closure being attached to the cocking means, said cocking means being coupled to said lever, said lever, being fixed in position when said closure covers said opening.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the cocking means is a flexible strap.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing has an opening therein, and the latch means has ends, said latch means being pivotably supported on said housing at one end and has at its other end an arm means accessible through said opening in the housing, said latch means being subject to manual displacement by a force applied through said opening to said arm means in a direction to disengage -the latch means from the sear means.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the latch means is pivotably supported on said housing at one end and has at its other end an air vane disposed within the housing, and the housing contains at least one opening, said air vane means covering said at least one opening when the latch means is engaged by the sear means and displaceable in a direction to disengage the sear means when a reduced pressure inside the housing as compared to outside is created.

10. A device according to claim 9, comprising additional spring means for biasing the latch means into its opening-covering position.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the sear means is pivotally mounted to the housing for pivotal movement between an operative, latch means engaging position and an inoperative position.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the sear means is mounted adjacent said lever, and said lever has a surface portion arranged to engage a cooperating surface portion of the sear means, said engagement urging the sear means to pivot in a given direction when said lever pivots, said latch means comprising a member having a surface portion positioned in the path of movement of said sear means, whereby said sear means is subject to movement into its latch-engaging position relative to said latch means under the influence of a force exerted on the lever.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the said cooperating surface portions are operative during disengagement of the latch means from the sear means to cause the sear means to pivot further in said given direction into its inoperative position.

14. A device according to claim 13, comprising auxiliary spring means for assisting the said further pivoting.

15. A device according to claim 12, which comprises cocking means coupled to the lever and operable to move the lever in opposition to the spring means to produce a position of said cradle to disable the stem, and wherein the said cooperating portions of the sear means and the lever are operative, upon such movement, to pivot the sear means in a direction opposite the said given direction to return said sear means to its latch-engaging position.

16. A device according to claim 11, wherein the sear means is provided with means preventing pivotal movement outside a predetermined range.