WO2005005057B1

WO2005005057B1 - Device for enhancing the performance of dispensers

Info

Publication number: WO2005005057B1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/007688
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo Alberto Veronesi; Anna Maria Veronesi
Original assignee: Therapicon Srl; Paolo Alberto Veronesi; Anna Maria Veronesi
Priority date: 2003-07-10
Filing date: 2004-07-06
Publication date: 2005-03-03
Also published as: WO2005005057A8; ITMI20031405A1; WO2005005057A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manually operable device purposely designed to co-operate with a conventionally actuated dispenser discharging media, which by increasing the pression surface, enhances the force transmission and improves its pushing performance, thus ensuring the completeness of the pump actuating function and the delivered dose. More particularly, the operable device of the invention is advantageously co-operating with the adapter of a conventional dispenser spraying or, when necessary, discharging in larger droplets a fluid or a powder substance, more preferably a media containing one or more hygienic, cosmetic, pharmaceutical or medicinal active ingredients to be delivered either externally or into cavities of a mammalian body. The operating device is further intended to be easily manipulable, freely carried and/or single-handedly by old aged users or by persons with reduced manual capacity, in order to significantly increase the force transmission, but by applying the same manual pressure to a conventionally actuated pump of a dispenser discharging media.

Claims

20 AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 03 January 2005 (03.01.05); original claims 1-7 replaced by amended claims 1-9 (3 pages)] CLAIMS

1. A manually operable device moulded as one-piece element from plastic material of a suitable thickness characterized to be an oval or oblong shaped and flat-face plate (A), separate from a co-operating dispenser discharging media, consisting of : (A.1)an optimal size ratio of the flat-face plate having : (i) the shortest ellipsoidal coordinate not exceeding the 15 % of the outer circumference of a container discharging media, but in any case not exceeding 4 cm length; (ii) the longest ellipsoidal coordinate not exceeding 8 cm length; (iii) the size ratio between (ii) and (i) not exceeding 4. (A.2)a centric hole with or without a lateral connecting slot to insert laterally or centrally and to fit the head of a conventional nasal actuator for a pump installed on a dispenser discharging media; (A.3)symmetrical gripping patterns on the upper terminal portions of the longest ellipsoidal parts of the device of the invention.

2. The manually operable device, according to claim 1 , wherein (A.2) and (A.3) are necessarily placed on the same horizontal laminar plane of the oval or oblong flat-face plate, but without any design or gripping patterns limitations and embodiments.

3. The manually operable device, according to claim 1 , wherein the oval or oblong shape flat-face plate (A) is moulded as one-piece element together with an optional connecting body (B), being the latter either one-piece plastic band, optionally centrally divided in two guided travelling projections and with an axial stop system or a convex shaped surface or vertical plastic bands, covering from 3 % to 100 %, preferably from 30 % to 65 %, of the outer annular circumference of a co-operating dispenser for a discharging media.

4. The manually operable device, according to claim 1 , wherein the oval or oblong shape flat-face plate (A) is moulded as one-piece element together with a connecting body (B) and also with an optional annular ring or convex surface (C), so that the resulting device is more fittable around the circumference of a cooperating dispenser for a discharging media.

5. The manually operable device, according to claims from 1 to 4, which fully complies with the physical equation (F) = (P) x (S), wherein (F)=resulting force on a conventional nasal actuator of a discharging media, (P)=manually pushing force of the fingers, (S)=surface of the flat-face plate on which fingers are placed, which allows to achieve a directly proportional resulting force (F) by extending and optimizing the surface of contact between the used fingers and the co-operating flat-face plate of the device of the invention.

6. The manually operable device, according to the claims from 1 to 4, purposely designed to make utilizable a conventional nasal actuator of a cooperating dispenser for a discharging media even by handicapped users and by old aged persons having reduced manual capacity or with affected contraction force of the fingers.

7. The manually operable device, according to the claims from 1 to 4, characterized to be a long-term usable element, which can be easily installed, removed and reinstalled on any conventional nasal actuator of a co-operating dispenser for a discharging media.

8. The manually operable device, according to the claims from 1 to 4, characterized to be easily actuable single-handedly by conveniently using the forefinger and the medius or other two fingers, which are pressing with their complete surface onto the upper flat-face plate of the device of the invention, so that the 22 completeness of each actuating stroke of a conventional and manually operated pump of a co-operating dispenser for a discharging media is ensured.

9. The manually operable device, according to the claims from 1 to 4, characterized to suitably co-operate with any nasal actuator installed on a conventional and manually operated pump of a dispenser for a discharging media spraying, atomizing or discharging a fluid or powder media, said media containing one or more hygienic, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and medicinal preparations.