MXPA01003004A - Inhaler - Google Patents

Abstract

The actuation mechanism of a breath-actuated inhaler for delivery of a medicament by inhalation. The actuation mechanism includes a pre-loading mechanism is arranged to load the resilient loading element by manual depression of two contact members movable relative to the housing and disposed opposite one another on either side of the axis of a canister held in the housing. The actuation mechanism also includes a pivotably mounted trigger vane arranged to be moved by inhalation at the mouthpiece to cause operation of the actuation mechanism, wherein the trigger vane is mounted to pivot about an axis passing through the centre of mass of the trigger. The triggering mechanism comprises a knee joint having a locked position where the knee joint holds the resilient loading element against compression of the canister and a trigger responsive to the inhalation at the mouthpiece to break the knee joint into a broken position where the knee joint releases the resilient loading element to allow compression of the canister. Furthermore the trigger comprises a second knee joint connected to the first-mentioned knee joint and having a locked position where the second knee joint holds the first knee joint in its locked position and movable in response to inhalation at the mouthpiece to a broken position to break the first knee joint.

Description

INHALER FOR SUPPLYING A MEDICINE The present invention describes an inhaler for the delivery of a medicament by means of inhalation and in particular the actuation mechanism used in the inhaler used to operate the can or can to deliver a dose of medicament. The known inhalers maintain a can of medicament that is operable by means of compression to deliver a dose of medicament. Many known inhalers have been designed with a drive mechanism to automatically operate the can. The present invention has the interest of optimizing a drive mechanism. Some known actuation mechanisms are actuated by respiration, so that they operate in response to inhalation by the user. Typically, a breathing-powered inhaler includes a pre-loading mechanism for loading a resilient loading element with a driving force that is used to influence the compression of the can or can, in combination with an actuating mechanism arranged to maintain the load element resilient against compression of the REF. NO.127950 boat and with that the storage of the driving force. When a dose is required to be delivered, the actuation mechanism is released to allow compression of the can in response to inhalation of the user. A problem sometimes encountered, especially in those of advanced age, in young or weak users, is the difficulty in generating sufficient force to load the drive mechanism, for example the resilient load element, if a preload mechanism is provided. Clearly, the energy provided must be at least what is needed to power the boat and in fact the supply of a drive mechanism, it is intended that the additional energy must be applied as inevitably it is waste energy in any mechanism. The first aspect of the present invention is intended to assist in loading the pre-loading mechanism. One solution to this problem could be to provide a distributor where the force required to operate the canister is generated by an electric motor, but this suffers from a serious disadvantage since the inhaler stops operating when the power supply to the engine is finished. It is extremely undesirable in the distribution of medicines. According to the present invention, there is provided an inhaler for delivering a medicament for inhalation, comprising: A housing for housing a medicament canister having a cylindrical body in generally and a valve stem with the cylindrical shaft of the body in a In the predetermined direction, the body and valve stem are compressed together with the actuator to deliver a dose of medicament from the valve stem; a drive mechanism arranged to receive energy to compress the can by the manual squeezing of two of the contact members movable in relation to the housing and arranged opposite each other on both sides of the shaft of a can kept therein; accommodation. By providing opposing contact members with each other on both sides of the can axis, the inhaler can become much easier to load. The inhaler can be held in the palm of one hand and the two contact members held down by a finger and thumb which allows the force to be applied easily. The inhaler can be deposited on a surface such as a table with a contact member that touches the surface and the opposite contact member is lifted up to allow the user to apply force when tilting the inhaler and / or using both hands. Preferably, the distance between the extremities of the contact members before the constriction is less than the maximum length of the inhaler in a direction parallel to the axis of the can maintained in the housing or less than the total length of the canister including the can and the container. valve stem. Many known inhalers are arranged to load the outgoing load element by applying a force along the axis of the canister, in such a case there is a large distance between the parts which must move relatively, typically the length of the inhaler in a direction parallel to the axis of the can and is longer than the total length of the can. This prevents the application of force due to the difficulty of grasping both contact surfaces especially for a person who has relatively small hands. In contrast, the present invention allows movable parts to be very close together so they are more easily manipulated. The distance between the extremities of the buttons may be less than 95%, 90%, 85%, 80% or preferably 75% of the total length of the boat. Preferably, the total distance over which the two contact members move relative to each other is greater than the distance by which the body and the valve stem of the can are relatively compressed to drive the can. By providing the gear within the drive mechanism, the size of the force which must be applied to the contact members can be reduced as compared to a system that applies a force over the distance for which the can is compressed, because The energy that is required to be stored is the same in both cases. Desirably, the total distance, over which the two contact members move, is 2 times, 3 times, 5 times or preferably 8 to 10 times the compression distance of the can. A breathing-powered inhaler is typically stored in a state of charge in which the resilient charging element stores the driving force. It is therefore the intention of the second aspect of the invention to provide a drive mechanism which will withstand an accidental operation.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a breathing-powered inhaler is provided for delivering a medicament by means of inhalation, comprising: A housing defining a mouthpiece arranged to hold a can of medicament operable to deliver a dose of medication; a drive mechanism arranged to be operated to operate the canister and include a pivotably mounted trigger blade, arranged to move by inhalation in the nozzle to cause operation of the drive mechanism, wherein the drive blade is mounted for rotate around an axis that passes through the center of the trigger mass. Such an arrangement of the firing mechanism reduces the chance of an accidental firing due to a shock, for example if the inhaler falls off. Any force that is applied to the inhaler acts on the firing vane through the pivot, but in the present invention this does not cause any torque that tends to rotate the firing palette since the pivot is also the center of the mass. A convenient structure for the vane or blade of the trigger is that which is constituted by a portion of the vane that extends outward from the axis of the trigger vane to move by means of an air flow created by the inhalation in the nozzle and a counterweight portion disposed on the opposite side of the vane axis of the vane shot of the portion of the palette. While accidental firing is undesirable, it is critical that an inhaler powered by breathing never fail when the user inhales. This is particularly important when an emergency arises and where the supply of the medication can be critical when breathing or even more life of the user. The force provided by the inhalation is relatively small compared to the force required to operate the boat, so it is a difficult technical problem to devise a structure for the firing mechanism that safely holds the stored driving force without tending to fire. accidentally, while ensuring that the shot occurs when the inhalation actually occurs. The third aspect of the present invention has the purpose of knowing this design requirement. It is also desirable to provide a drive mechanism that reaches this balance with a large window of tolerance to manufacture the components of the drive mechanism. According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided an inhaler that is operated by respiration to deliver a medicament by means of inhalation, comprising: A housing having a nozzle arranged to hold a can or can that is activated for deliver a dose of medication from the mouthpiece by compression of the canister, and a drive mechanism for driving the canister, comprising: a pre-loading mechanism for loading a resilient loading element with a driving force, the resilient loading element is arranged when loaded to a deformation compression of the can , a firing mechanism comprises an articulated joint having a closed position where the articulated joint maintains the resilient loading element against compression of the can and a response of the inhalation shot at the nozzle to break the articulated joint into a broken position where the articulated joint releases the resilient load element to allow compression of the canister, wherein the actuator comprises a second articulated joint connected to the aforementioned first articulated joint and having a closed position where the second articulated joint maintains the first articulated joint in its closed position and is movable in response to inhalation at the nozzle for a broken position to break the first articulated joint. Such use of the two articulated joints connected together in a coupling relationship was found to fill the design requirement discussed above for firing assurance after inhalation while limiting the opportunity of an accidental firing. In particular, the first articulated joint is held securely against accidental firing by means of the second articulated joint in the closed state but the pair of the articulated joint responds positively to inhalation by the user to release the firing mechanism and actuate the firing mechanism. boat or can This effect can be carried out within relatively relaxed tolerances for the parts of the mechanism. This ensures that the inhaler delivers a dose or an inhalation, even when the parts are Form in an extra time. Preferably the second articulated joint has a majority of articulated connections, at least one of which is a pallet of the trigger movable by inhalation in the nozzle. This allows the firing mechanism to actively respond to inhalation. Desirably, the pre-loading mechanism further comprises a pivotable lever deflected by the resilient loading member to compress the cylinder through a portion attached to the can, the first articulated joint is connected to the lever to maintain the resilient deflection element. The use of a lever to compress the can allows a degree of pressure to be obtained between the compression force in the can, the resilient deflection element and the closing mechanism. This helps by allowing the forces within the preload mechanism to be controlled by the firing mechanism, thereby increasing the firing mechanism effect. Advantageously, the first articulated joint connected to the lever in a position farther from the pivot of the lever than the portion through which the lever is attached to the can.

Advantageously, the resilient loading member deflects the lever to a position farther from the pivot than the portion through which the lever is attached to the can. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES To allow a better understanding, an inhaler which includes the present invention will be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a front view of the inhaler held by a hand; Figure 2 is a side view of the inhaler; Figure 2A is a side view of the inhaler without a tight closure element; Figure 3 is a side view of the inhaler with a lower portion to the housing that is removed; Figure 4 is a side view of an upper portion of the inhaler housing with a can that is removed; Figure 5 is a side view of an alternative form of the collar for connecting the closure element to the can; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a side view of the arrangement of the canister assembly and the drive mechanism; Figure 8 is a rear and side view of the drive mechanism; Figure 9 is a rear view and on the opposite side of Figure 8 of the drive mechanism; Figure 10 is a front view of the arrangement for loading the drive mechanism; Figure 11 is a side view of an alternative form of button arrangement for loading the drive mechanism; Figure 12 is a view of certain parts of the front and side drive mechanism; Figure 1 * 3 to 16 are schematic views of the drive mechanism illustrating the respective states over a complete cycle of operation; and Figure 17 is a view of the electronic chronometer circuit. An inhaler 1 which includes the present invention is illustrated in figures 1 and 2, respectively showing the front view of the inhaler 1 held by a user's hand and a side view of the inhaler. The inhaler has a housing 2 comprising a portion 3 of the upper housing 4 and lower housing which are coupled together The portions of the upper and lower housings 3 and 4 have outer walls which are hollow to define a space for accommodating a medicament can or can 5 and an operating mechanism 6 operable to operate the can 5 to deliver a dose of medicament. The portion 3 of the upper housing has opposite side walls 7 joined by a flat front wall 8, a curved rear wall 9 and an upper wall 10. The portion 3 of the upper housing has opposite side walls 11 adjusted to level with the side walls 7 of the housing portion 3 and a curved rear wall 12 adjusted flush with the rear wall 9 of the upper housing portion 3. The rear walls 12 and 9 together form a curved surface comfortably received in the palm of the user's hand as illustrated in Figure 1. A nozzle 13 projecting from the lower housing portion 4 and which can be protected by a hinged lid 14 to the lower housing member 4 so that it can be opened as illustrated in Figure 2. The front of the member 4 of the lower housing between the side walls 11 is open to defining an opening in the outer surface of the housing 2 adjacent the nozzle 13 between the upper and lower housing portions 3 and 4. The opening 15 is closed by a closure element 16 adjusted flush with a front wall 8 of the portion 3 of the upper housing to form part of the outer wall of the housing 2. The upper and lower housing members are joined by a coupling 17 allowing the member 4 of the lower housing 4 to slide as illustrated in Figure 3. The can or can 5 fits into the upper housing portion 3 and can be slid off for replacement as illustrated in Figure 4. The can or can 5 comprises a body 18 in general and a valve stem 19 which are compressed together to release a medicament dose of the stem 19 of the valve 12. The canister is of a known type that includes a dosing chamber which captures a defined volume of drug from the bottle. body 18 of the can 5, such a volume of medicament is supplied as a metered dose of the valve stem 19 in the compression of the valve stem 19 in relation to the body 18.

The valve stem 19 deviates slightly outwards for the restoration of the can 5 after compression to fill the dosing chamber. The stem 19 of the valve is received in a nozzle block 20 which is arranged to direct a dose of medicament supplied from the valve stem 19 out of the inhaler 1 through the nozzle 13. The closure element 16 is connected to the can 5 by means of the collar 21 fitted around a recessed portion 22 of the can body 18. The neck 21 is permanently attached to the closure element 16 and can be integral with it. The neck 21 is restricted by the recessed portion 22 of the can 5 such that the closure element 16 is removed and replaced together with the can 5 as illustrated in the figure. The can 5 and the collar 21 have a relatively small degree of movement along the axis of the can 5. This allows the canister to be actuated by compression of the can body 18 towards the valve stem 19 when the shank 19 of the valve is fixed in relation to the inhaler 1 in the block 20 of the mouthpiece and the collar 21 is also fixed by means of the closure element 16 being fitted as part of the housing 2 of the inhaler 1.

Figures 5 and 6 respectively illustrate a side view and a view of the cross section and an alternative collar 23 for connecting the closure element 16 to the can 5. The collar 23 includes a cylindrical portion 24 held in the recessed portion 22 of the body 18 of the can by means of a projection 25 formed in the cylindrical portion 24 with a U-shaped cut-out 26. The cylindrical portion 24 has an extension 27 that extends beyond the end of the body 18 of the can to protect the stem 19 from the valve. The extension 27 is a reduced diameter in relation to the remainder of the cylindrical portion 24 of the collar 23. The collars 21 and 23 are both formed with a weak portion constituted by two break lines 28 placed on the opposite sides of the collar 21 or 23 and arranged to be broken or preferentially separated from the remainder of the collar 21 or 23 in the application of a force to separate the closure element 16 from the can 5. After the break lines 28 have been broken or at least deformed to allow the elimination of the pot 5, it is impossible to connect the collar 21 or 23 to a different boat. The outer surface of the closure element 16 carries an indication of the type of medicament in the canister 5 to which the closing element 16 is connected. The indication can be printed information, a shape or pattern engraved or marked or the color of the closure element 16. An entrance opening 29 is formed in the portion of the upper housing 3, in particular in its upper wall 10 and in the front wall 8. The outer walls of the housing defined by the upper and lower portions 3 and 4 and the closing element 16 are sealed together to define a closed space constituting an air flow path extending from the nozzle 13 through the housing 2 to the inlet opening 29. The inhalation in the nozzle 13 draws air through the inlet opening 29, through the air flow path around the can 5 and the driving mechanism 6 which fits into the housing 2 The drive mechanism 6 (described in detail below) has a trigger positioned in the portion 4 of the upper housing which, in response to a flow through the flow path. or air, triggers the drive mechanism 6 to operate the can 5. If a can without a closing element connected to this is inserted into the housing 2, then the exit or vent 15 will be left open as illustrated in Figure 2A. Consequently, when a user inhales in the nozzle 13, the resistance of the flow through the outlet or vent 15 will be much less than the resistance of the flow through the remainder of the air flow path above the outlet or vent 15 of the inlet opening 29. In this way, the outlet or vent 15 will discharge most of the flow through the nozzle, thereby reducing the flow in the rest of the airflow path in the housing portion. higher. The placement of the outlet or vent 15 in the air flow path within the housing 2 between the nozzle 13 and the trigger reduces the air flow through the trigger. The outlet or vent 15 is positioned and dimensioned so that the flow in the trigger is reduced below the threshold necessary to operate the trigger and therefore prevents the operation of the drive mechanism 6. To help ensure that the outlet or vent 15 of sufficient outlet to flow, the outlet or vent 15 is provided with a large opening area and therefore has a lower flow resistance than the inlet opening 29. The outlet or vent 15 is dimensioned so that the mechanism The actuation is not operated in a flow through the nozzle 13 at a level above the maximum expected inhalation, for example in an inhalation of at least 8 times a standard inhalation flow rate or rate. The trigger mechanism for the drive mechanism 6 is designed taking into consideration the flow generated by a standard inhalation selected by the designer. The inhalation mechanism 6 for driving the canister 5 to deliver a dose of medicament is illustrated in figures 7 to 9. The elements illustrated in figures 7 to 9 are accommodated in the housing 2 but are illustrated separately for clarity. The can 5 is held with its valve stem 19 in a block 20 'of the nozzle connected to the nozzle 13, both fixed in relation to the lower housing portion 4. A nozzle block 20' has a slightly different structural shape of the nozzle block 20 illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 but performs the same function. The body 18 of the canister 5 is supported by a guide block 30 fixed to the portion 3 of the upper housing having a curved inner surface which fits into the cylindrical surface 18 of the can body. allowing an axial movement of the can body 18 within the housing 2. The driving mechanism operates to compress the can body 18 relative to the valve stem 19 which holds the nozzle block 20 to release a dose of medicament. The drive mechanism structure 6 is as follows. The drive mechanism 6 includes a preload mechanism for loading a resilient load element in the form of a coiled load spring 31. The preload mechanism includes the load member consisting of a bar or shaft 32 encircled by the coils of the coil. loading spring 31. The bar or shaft extends and moves in a direction parallel to the cylindrical axis 80 of the body 18 of the can. The load member bar 32 has an elongated head 33. As illustrated in Figure 1 the two buttons 34a and 34b, constitute the contact members that are manually pressed, mounted opposite one another on the side walls 7 of the wall of the portion 3 of the upper housing 3 on either side of the axis 80 of the can 5 held in the housing 2. The buttons 34 are pressed manually in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis 80 of the can 5 which makes them easy to grasp and move with a finger and thumb, as can be seen in figure 1. The distance between the ends of the buttons 34 before pressing that illustrated in Figure 1 is less than the distance of the inhaler along the axis of the container (vertical in Figure 1) and is less than the total length of the can 5 that includes the body 18 and the stem 19. This improves the ergonomics and makes the inhaler easier to load compared to an inhaler that is loaded by the application of force along the length of the can. The buttons 34 are pressed to be flush with the housing 2. As a result of the gear inherent in the drive mechanism, the total distance of movement of both buttons is greater than the distance at which the body 18 and the valve stem 19 of the canister 5 are relatively compressed. The buttons 34 load the loading member 32 and the loading spring 31 through the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 10 comprising two torsion springs 35a and 35b fixed within the upper housing portion. The torsion springs 35a and 35b fit into the elongated head 33 of the load member 32 and one of the respective buttons 34 to convert the lateral force applied to the buttons 34 to a downward force along the axis of the bar and load member 32. An alternative means to convert the lateral force applied to the buttons 34 is illustrated in Figure 11. This consists of a double articulated joint 36 fixed at its upper end 37 to the portion of the upper housing 3, fixed at its lower end 38 to the elongated head 33. of the load member 32 and fixed in its joints or intermediate joints 39a and 39b to the respective buttons 34a and 34b. The preload mechanism further includes a lever 40 rotated in relation to the housing about a pivot 41. The lever 40 has a flat portion 42 that fits with the can or can connecting the can body 18 adjacent the pivot 41 with a pair of arms 43 and 44 extending therefrom. An arm 43 engages by means of the loading spring 31 so that the loading spring 31 when loaded, deflects the compression of the can through the lever 40 attached to the can 5 by means of the can engagement portion 42. As the loading spring 3 is farther from the pivot 41 than the can engagement portion 42, this provides a leverage between the load driving force and the force applied to the can 5. The arm 43 has a hole through which the bar or shaft extends 42 load member 32. The other arm 44 of lever 43 has a similar hole through which an additional bar 78 extends to prevent lateral movement of lever 40. The drive mechanism further includes a drive mechanism for maintaining the lever 40 against compression of the can under the deviation of the spring 31 and to release the lever 40 in response to inhalation in the nozzle. The drive mechanism is constructed as follows. The firing mechanism comprises the first joint or articulated joint 45 having two links 46 and 47 connected on a pivot to each other by a central pivot 50. The upper link 46 is connected on a pivot in both arms 43 and 44 of the lever 40 by means of a pivot 48. The lower link 47 is connected on a pivot to the upper housing portion 3 by means of a pivot 49.

Accordingly, the first articulated joint 45 has a closed position as shown in FIG. illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 where it holds the lever 40 against the compression of the can 5. In the closed position of the first joint or articulated joint 45, the central pivot 50 is substantially aligned with the pivots 48 and 49 at the ends of the links 46 and 47. As the first articulated joint 45 is connected to the lever at a position away from the pivot 41 after, the socket portion 42 of the can 42, this provides a mechanical force or gearing between the clamping force provided by the first articulated joint and the force applied to the can 5. This mechanical force or gearing increases the closing and firing action of the can. shooting mechanism. The firing mechanism further includes a second joint or articulated joint 51 comprising 2 links 52 and 53 connected by means of a central pivot 54. A link 57 of the second articulated joint 51 is connected on a pivot to the portion 3 of the upper housing by means of a pivot 55 and extending laterally so as to constitute a pallet of the trigger which is moved by means of an air flow thereon. The trigger vane 52 has a counterweight portion 79 (illustrated only in Figure 7) attached to the side opposite of the pivot 55 of the laterally extending surface. The counterweight balances the trigger vane so that its center of mass is positioned on the pivot shaft 55. The other link 53 of the second articulated joint 51 extends from the vane 52 of the trigger between the arms 43, 44 of the lever 40 to the upper link or link of the first articulated joint 45 where it is connected on a pivot by means of the pivot 56. Accordingly, the second joint or articulated joint 51 has a closed position illustrated in figures 7 to 9. In the closed position of the second articulated joint, the central pivot 54 is substantially aligned with the pivots 55 and 56 and at the ends of the links 52 and 53. The actuating mechanism 6 further includes a reset mechanism which is constructed as follows. The reset mechanism employs a closing element constituted by means of a third articulated joint 57 comprising an upper link 58 and a lower link 59 connected together on a pivot by means of a central pivot 60. The upper link 58 is connected on a pivot in the portion 3 of the upper housing by means of the pivot 49 in common with the first articulated joint 45. The lower pivot 59 is connected on a pivot to the load member bar 32 by means of a pivot 61. The third articulated joint 57 has a position closed as illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 where the bar holds a load member 32 in its loading position as illustrated in Figure 7. In the closed or secured position of the third articulated joint 57, the center pivot 60 is aligned with the pivots 48 and 61 at the ends of the links 58 and 59. The third articulated joint 57 is inclined in its closed position by means of a biased spring 67 connected to the upper housing portion 3. Therefore the third The articulated joint constitutes an assurance element which maintains the can in a compressed state through the spring 31 and the lever 40 after the complete movement of the lever 40 to compress the can 5. The mechanism or resetting further includes a release member 62 mounted on the load member bar 32 having an opening through which the bar 32 extends. The release member 62 moves in relation to the bar 32 between the limits defined by a pin 63 exiting the bar 32 which fits in a sliding guide 64 formed in the release member 62. A chronometer spring 65, the coils of which surround the bar 32, is connected between the arm 43 of the lever 40 and release member 62. Stopwatch spring 65 is in a relaxed state in Figure 7 and is provided to tilt release member 62 when loaded by means of movement of lever 40 to compress canister 5. A projection 66 extends from the release member 62 (as best seen in the partial view of Figure 12) to engage with the lower link 59 of the third articulated joint 57 when the release member 62 moves with the bar 32. Such fitting of the projection 56 with the third articulated joint 57 moves the third joint or junction 57 against the biased spring 67 to break the third articulated joint 67 thereby releasing the securing effect of the third. articulated joint 57. The bar 32 inclined upwards by means of an adjusting spring 68 acting between the bar 32 and the portion 3 of the upper housing for moving the bar 32 upwards after the breaking of the third articulated joint 57.

The downward movements of the release member 62 are damped by a damping element 69 consisting of a stator 70 fixed in the portion 3 of the upper housing and a rotor 71 rotating in a viscous fluid provided between a rotor 71 and the stator 70. The rotor 71 is operated by means of a toothed mechanical rack 72 connected to the release member 62. The operation of the drive mechanism 6 will be described with reference to figures 13 to 16 which illustrate various parts of the drive mechanism 6 in one embodiment. Schematic form for easy understanding. Figure 13 illustrates the neutral state in which the load member bar 32 is in its highest position, so that the loading spring 31 is relaxed. In this state, the first and second articulated joints 45 and 51 are both in their closed positions. The timing spring 65 and the reset spring 68 are relaxed. Upon pressing the buttons 34, the load member bar 32 moves downward to a second position illustrated in Fig. 14 by loading the loading spring 31 which therefore tilts the lever 40 toward the compression of the can 5. However, The first articulated joint 45 is in its closed position when it holds the lever 40 against the compression of the can 5. The first articulated joint 45 is held in its closed position by means of the second articulated joint 51 which is in its closed position. The movement of the downwardly loading member 32 also loads the reset spring 68 and brings the third articulated joint 57 to its closed position where it is held by the spring 67. In this state of charge illustrated in Figure 14, the inhaler 1 is easily loaded to discharge a dose of medication. Inhalation by the user in the nozzle 13 generates an air flow through the air flow path defined within the housing 2 of the opening 29 inwardly to the nozzle 13. This air flow acts on the vane 55 of the trigger of the second articulated joint 51 causing it to move up due to the pressure drop produced by the flow within the housing 2 to the position illustrated in figure 15 where the second articulated joint breaks. This breaks the first articulated joint 45 in its breaking position illustrated in Figure 15 which releases the lever 40 and allows to compress the can 5 under the inclination of the loading spring 31. During the compression of the cans, the bar or shaft 32 remains closed in position by means of the third articulated joint 57. This causes the can that is maintained in its compression state by means of the bar 32 acting through the spring 31 and the lever 40, the force of the spring 31 greatly exceeds the internal readjusting inclination of the can 5. However, the movement of the lever 40 loads the timing spring 65 which according to the inclination of the release member 62 ascendingly. The movement of the release member 62 is retarded by the damping action of the damping element 69. The projection 66 of the release element 62 engages the third articulated joint 67 after a certain period of time after the actuation of the can 5. This time is determined by the force of the timekeeper spring 65 and the damping properties of the damping element 69 is at least 100 ms or 200 ms and up to 1000 ms or 5000 ms to allow the full dose of the drug to be discharged from the can 5. Such a lace breaks the third articulated joint 57 in its breaking position as illustrated in Fig. 16. Subsequently, the reset spring 68 moves the bar 32 of the load member upwardly to a neutral position illustrated in Fig. 13. At the same time the bar 32 lifts the release member 62 which continues to damp through of the damping element 69 so that the readjustment movement is re-damped. The release of the bar 32 causes the spring 31 to raise the lever 40 which has two effects. First, it allows the boat to automatically reset. Second, it causes the first and second articulated joints 45 and 51 to straighten, returning to their closed position in the neutral position of the trigger mechanism illustrated in Figure 13. The loading spring 31 and the timing spring 65 are preloaded and they do not work against the resetting movement, so that the reset spring 68 only has to overcome the friction and the weight of the component. The buttons 34a and 34b project from the inhaler when the drive is in its relaxed state as shown in FIG. 1 and are pressed to a position at the same level with the side wall 8 of the storage portion 3. Accordingly, the distance between the tips of the buttons before pressing them is less than the maximum length of the inhaler 1 in the direction parallel to the axis 80 of the can 5 and less than the total length of the can 5 that includes the body 18 and the valve stem 19 . Also, the total distance over which the two buttons 34 move in relation to one or the other is greater than the distance by means of which the body 18 and the stem 19 of the canister valve 5 are relatively compressed. This is accomplished by means of the mechanical force obtained by the loading spring 31 which engages the lever 40 at a point farther from the pivot 41 than the fitting portion of the can 42. The current recommended flow in order to release correctly a medicine will depend on the way the medicine works, the position when it can be deposited in the mouth, the user's lungs and the way to distribute the medication. Some medications are inhaled as a fine mist and transported along the lungs whereas others are inhaled as a stream of liquid deposited in the person's mouth. These different types of medications require different types of inhalation and therefore different flows of inhalation and different user actions. It is possible to adapt to each a number of different inhalers to be used with a number of different types of medication by providing in each inhaler an outlet with a different shape and providing different closure element shapes which are adjusted with a single type of inhaler . For example, a different possible shape is illustrated by the dashed line in Figure 1. In this way the can with differently formed closure elements is used exclusively with the inhaler having a fitted outlet. Different forms can prevent a closure element from being adjusted in an inhaler of the inhaler having a tight outlet. Alternatively, the closure element may fail to close the outlet of an inhaler having a differently shaped outlet such that the remaining opening of an outlet to the flow sufficient to prevent operation of the drive mechanism.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method to implement the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property:

1. An inhaler for delivering medicament by inhalation, characterized in that it comprises: a housing for holding a medicament canister having a generally cylindrical body and a valve stem with the cylindrical body ee in a predetermined direction, the body and the valve stem being compress together to drive the actuator to deliver a dose of medicine from the valve stem; an actuating mechanism arranged to receive energy to compress the can by means of manually oppressing two of the movable contact members in relation to the housing and arranged opposite each other on both sides of the shaft of a can or can in the accommodation.

2. An inhaler according to claim 1, characterized in that, the distance between the extremities of the contact members before pressing is less than the maximum length of the inhaler in the direction parallel to the shafts of the can kept in the housing. An inhaler according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the ends of the contact members before being depressed is less than the total length of the canister including the body and the valve stem. An inhaler according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the total distance in which the two contact members move in relation to each other is greater than the distance by which the body and the valve stem of the boat are compressed in relation to the boat's trigger. 5. An inhaler according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact members are buttons protruding from the can before they are pressed. An inhaler according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the actuating mechanism comprises a pre-loading mechanism arranged to load a resilient load element with a force When oppressed by said contact members, the resilient load element, when loaded is arranged to influence the compression of the can, a drive mechanism arranged to keep the load element resilient against compression of the can and to supply the drive mechanism to allow the compression of the boat. 7. A breathing-powered inhaler for the delivery of a medicament by inhalation, characterized in that it comprises: a housing defining a mouthpiece arranged to hold a can of medicament operable to deliver a dose of medicament; a drive mechanism arranged to be operated to operate the canister and include a pivotably mounted trigger blade, arranged to move by inhalation in the nozzle to cause operation of the drive mechanism, wherein the drive blade is mounted for rotate around an axis that passes through the center of the mass of the actuator. 8. An inhaler according to claim 7, characterized in that, the palette of the The actuator is constituted by a portion of the vane extending externally of the axis of the vane of the actuator so that it moves by means of an air flow created by the inhalation in the nozzle and a portion of the counterweight disposed on the opposite side of the axis of the actuator. the shooting palette of the portion of the palette. 9. A breathing-powered inhaler for the delivery of a medicament by inhalation, characterized in that it comprises: a housing having a nozzle arranged to hold a can that is actuated to deliver a dose of medicament from the nozzle by means of the compression of the a canister, and a drive mechanism for driving the canister, comprising: a pre-loading mechanism for loading a resilient loading element with a driving force, the resilient loading element is arranged when it is loaded to a deflection compression or bias of the boat, a firing mechanism comprises an articulated joint having a closed position where the articulated joint keeps the load element resilient against compression of the can and a trigger response to inhalation in the nozzle to break the articulated joint into a cracked position where the articulated joint discharges the resilient loading element to allow compression of the canister, wherein the trigger comprises a second articulated joint connected to the first articulated joint aforementioned and having a closed position where the second articulated joint maintains the first articulated joint in its closed and movable position in response to inhalation at the nozzle for a broken position to break the first articulated joint. An inhaler according to claim 9, characterized in that the second articulated joint has a plurality of articulated connections, at least one of which is a pallet of the trigger movable by inhalation in the nozzle. An inhaler according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, the pre-loading mechanism further comprises a pivotable lever deflected by the resilient loading element to compress the cylinder through a portion attached to the can, the first joint articulated is connected by lever to keep the resilient bypass element. 12. An inhaler according to claim 11, characterized in that the first articulated joint connected to the lever in a position farther from the pivot of the lever than the portion through which the lever is attached to the can. 1

3. An inhaler according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the resilient load element deflects the lever in a position farther from the pivot than the portion through which the lever is attached to the can. An inhaler according to any of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the pivotal lever is coupled to the can by a contact portion of the can. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The mechanism of actuation of a respiratory activated inhaler for the delivery of a medicament by inhalation. The drive mechanism includes a pre-loading mechanism that is arranged to maintain the resilient load element by manually oppressing two movable contact members relative to the housing and positioned opposite each other on each side of the shafts of a canister. maintained in the accommodation. The drive mechanism also includes a pivotally mounted actuator paddle arranged to be moved by inhalation into the nozzle to cause operation of the actuating mechanism, wherein the actuator blade is mounted to rotate about an axis passing through the actuator. center of the mass of the trigger. The drive mechanism comprises an articulated joint having the closed position where the articulated joint maintains the resilient loading member against compression of the can and a nozzle-sensitive trigger to interrupt the articulated joint in an open position where the articulated joint releases the Resilient loading element to allow compression of the boat. In addition, the trigger comprises a second articulated joint connected to the aforementioned articulated joint and having a closed position where the second articulated joint holds the first articulated joint in its closed and movable position in response to inhalation at the nozzle to an open position to interrupt the first articulated joint.