Patent ID: 9283338
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: A61M,G06M

Claim Text:
1. A dose counter for counting doses of medicament dispensed by or remaining in a metered-dose inhaler, the dose counter comprising: a rotatably mounted first gear wheel having a circular arrangement of ratchet teeth; a display coupled to the first gear wheel, the display having a visible array of dose counting indicia indexable in response to rotary motion of the first gear wheel; and an actuator mechanism having a first ratchet drive pawl for engaging the ratchet teeth of the first gear wheel in response to the dispensation of a medicament dose, wherein the actuator mechanism further comprises a second ratchet drive pawl for engaging the ratchet teeth of a second gear wheel that is coupled to the display, and wherein the actuator mechanism is configured such that, in use of the dose counter for counting a dispensed dose, a first ratchet tooth of the first gear wheel is engaged and rotatably driven by the first ratchet drive pawl and then a second ratchet tooth of the second gear wheel, which is coupled to the display, is engaged and rotatably driven by the second ratchet drive pawl, wherein the display comprises a flexible tape arranged between an indexing spool and a stock bobbin, wherein the first gear wheel and the second gear wheel are connected together by an axle, which serves as an indexing spool for the display, and wherein the first gear wheel and the second gear wheel are arranged at opposite ends of the axle so that either wheel can be used to drive the display.