Abstract:
A spray device including a casing and a spray bottle. A closing element is arranged in a nozzle. The closing element substantially fills the nozzle in order to minimize residual amounts of a drug in the nozzle. The overall purpose is to protect the spray device from contamination and evaporation. A method for manufacturing with as few parts as possible a spray device that by usually manual action causes the spray bottle to effect a pumping movement which triggers a spray dose through the nozzle. The device is intended to increase dose accuracy and facilitate the actual pumping.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a spray device with a nozzle closure, intended primarily for spraying a drug from a liquid container. The invention further relates to a method for spraying by means of the spray device and a method for manufacturing the device. 
       STATE OF THE ART 
       [0002]    A known spray device in common everyday use comprises a liquid container which is gripped with a thumb under the bottom of the liquid container and a finger on each side of a nozzle connected to the liquid container. By pressing the thumb against the bottom of the liquid container and applying an opposite grip to a pump activator at the nozzle end of the liquid container and thereby exerting a pressure in the axial direction of the liquid container, such a spray device may be caused to delivery a quantity of liquid, e.g. to deliver a specific dose of a drug to a nasal cavity. The spray device may then be difficult to handle, since the axial movement may cause unintentional movement of the nozzle within the nasal cavity, thereby possibly disturbing the dosage or rendering it ineffective. Moreover, the hand grip is troublesome because it involves at least three fingers, one at the bottom and two on the pump activator. For users with small or handicapped hands, e.g. rheumatics, it may be difficult or simply impossible to effect such a form of pumping movement. A person with thick fingers may find it difficult to place the nozzle far enough into the nasal cavity because of fingers possibly being in the way. Spray devices of this type thus have disadvantages. 
         [0003]    Devices for protection against contamination in spray devices are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,585 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,499. The embodiment according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,449 constitutes in its simplest form a relatively complicated device made of relatively large amounts of a number of different materials, with consequent environmental disadvantages. U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,585 takes the form of a structure comprising an elastomer (a plurality of different materials), which is inappropriate from the destruction point of view and hence from the environmental point of view. US 2004/0245291 is a publication referring to a dispenser with friction-loaded activation arms and nozzle in integral form. 
         [0004]    The dispenser lacks protection against contamination in the nozzle. Said inventions have large nozzles, which means that relatively large residual amounts of drug may remain in the nozzle after each use. A disadvantage of long nozzles and the consequently relatively large volumes in them is that the spray device may need “priming” before it is used, i.e. by a user effecting spraying into surrounding air to make sure that the drug really does fully emerge from the nozzle. Priming is also necessary, at least after a time, in the case of nozzles with no closure. Such a procedure contaminates the air in the surroundings, which is very disadvantageous, particularly where care staff effect this priming repeatedly, perhaps many times per day, and are thus regularly exposed to unnecessary inhalation of one or more active drugs. 
         [0005]    Spray devices have existed for decades and are used in very large numbers throughout the world, so seemingly small changes in a positive direction as regards both function and simplified production technology and reduced input of materials may be of very great significance. 
         [0006]    An object of the present invention is to offer solutions to the disadvantages described above of spray devices according to the state of the art. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    One aspect of the invention proposes a device with characteristics according to the attached claim  1 . 
         [0008]    A further aspect of the invention proposes a method with characteristics according to the attached independent method claim. 
         [0009]    A yet further aspect of the invention is indicated by the independent claim indicating a method for manufacturing the spray device. 
         [0010]    Further embodiments of the invention are presented in the dependent claims. 
         [0011]    Modern drugs are often active pharmaceutical substances and it is therefore important that no priming should be needed. The fact that no priming is needed with the present invention is a very important advantage of the invention. Priming involves a possibly empty nozzle and adjoining components being initially filled with liquid, which often entails activating the spray bottle a couple of times. This nearly always results in a spray cloud being atomised out into the surrounding air space, which may cause harm to staff exposed to it. 
         [0012]    A simple and reliable design proposed according to the present invention represents an improvement step which may be crucial to the existence of the present technology on the market and perhaps a final step for improvement relative to a previously totally dominant design which has considerable disadvantages for users because of involving an awkward grip on the bottom of the container, two fingers on the container&#39;s “shoulders” and the need for repeated priming with consequent incorrect dosage and contamination of surrounding air. 
         [0013]    The invention comprises a casing with an activation device for a spray bottle and with a short nozzle, with integral manufacture of the casing, the activation device and the nozzle. The short nozzle is provided with a space-filling insert to minimise the residual amount of fluid (liquid). The insert is also provided with a shutoff in the nozzle to prevent contamination. When fitted with a spray bottle, the spray device constitutes a precision spray which is easy to activate. Being made integrally with a short nozzle and activation arms which facilitate activation is particularly advantageous from the functional and manufacturing points of view. Improvements reducing the number of parts which have to be manufactured and fitted may be of very great significance where the number of units on the market exceeds several hundred million per annum. 
         [0014]    Known spray devices are provided with long nozzles, whereas the device according to the present invention has a short nozzle, thereby reducing the residual amount of a drug in liquid form which remains in the nozzle after use. The insert proposed according to the invention further reduces the residual amount of liquid. Short nozzle in this context may mean a maximum length in the axial direction of not more than 15 mm. 
         [0015]    The expression “spray bottle” hereinafter means a liquid container intended to accommodate a liquid drug, and an associated pump, when the liquid constituting the drug is at substantially atmospheric pressure. Spray bottle may also mean an aerosol bottle containing a liquid drug which is subjected to a considerably higher than atmospheric pressure by a propellant gas enclosed in the liquid container. Pumping hereinafter means a regular pumping movement to activate the pump so that it actively pumps the liquid to an outlet pipe for the spray bottle in a known manner. If the spray bottle is of aerosol type, pumping means triggering a valve to allow the liquid acted upon by the pressure in the bottle to move through said outlet pipe for the spray bottle. 
         [0016]    An object of the present invention is to provide a spray device which eliminates or reduces the disadvantages of previously known devices and can easily be used by anyone, particularly by persons who have difficulties in effecting activation of the spray bottle. 
         [0017]    Another object of the invention is to provide improved manual pumping/triggering of the spray bottle whereby forces are applied mainly perpendicular to the main direction of flow of the liquid and the axial direction of the nozzle, and the spray bottle is simpler to operate through being easier to handle, since the user can use the whole hand. 
         [0018]    In a preferred embodiment, the casing has areas on its outside wall which are formed as clamping surfaces to which the directional forces have to be applied. 
         [0019]    The invention is characterised by its simplicity and small number of parts. The present invention thus comprises a device for delivering a specified amount of liquid in spray form and comprises a casing, with accommodation for a spray bottle, and a nozzle through which a flow of the liquid passes in order to form an aerosol, and an activating device. The activating device, hereinafter called the activator, comprises the aforesaid clamping surfaces and at least one link arm extending between the lower portion of the clamping surfaces and provided with a “knee” which is adapted to moving axially towards the nozzle when in contact with the bottom of the spray bottle as a result of the application to the clamping surfaces of two forces (P) in opposite directions substantially perpendicular to the direction of the nozzle. 
         [0020]    In a preferred embodiment, the activator extends from the casing. As previously mentioned, the spray bottle introduced into the spray device comprises a container for a liquid and a pump/valve which transfers a specific volume of liquid under pressure from the spray bottle to the nozzle which is integrated with the upper portion of the spray device, i.e. integrated with the casing, whereby said volume of liquid converts to a cloud of aerosols leaving the nozzle. 
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment, the outlet from the casing is formed as a pipe, constituting the actual nozzle, in which there is a device for breaking up the liquid to form a finely divided spray, which pipe is further adapted to accommodating a cylindrical insert in an internally cylindrical space in which a piston can run freely. The piston is provided at its one end with a shutoff valvepiece, preferably conical in shape, which fits in a seat at the orifice of the nozzle. The cylindrical insert fits tightly against the tubular inside wall of the nozzle. 
         [0022]    At least one groove, preferably two or more, run(s) along the inside of the pipe in the axial direction of the nozzle. When the insert is placed within the nozzle and thereby fits to the tubular inside wall of the nozzle, said grooves become a corresponding number of ducts, which communicate with the outlet pipe of the spray bottle and with the orifice to the nozzle. The liquid which passes from the spray bottle via the ducts converts to drop form as it passes through the orifice. 
         [0023]    The insert has a movable piston which is acted upon by the liquid pressure on its upper portion so that the orifice to the nozzle is freed, as a result of the liquid from the ducts exerting a downward pressure on the piston so that the latter moves away from the orifice, thereby moving the shutoff cone away from the orifice, which thus opens. In the absence of liquid pressure, the piston is urged by springs towards the orifice, which is then closed by the shutoff cone. 
         [0024]    In another embodiment, the insert comprises a movable piston whose conical surface closes the outlet of the spray bottle and which is suspended resiliently by springs which act upon a surface on the inside of the very topmost portion of the nozzle. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]      FIGS. 1   a - 1   c  depict the spray device from all directions and  FIG. 1   d  depicts it in cross-section with a spray bottle fitted. 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  depicts the casing and the nozzle with the activating device before the fitting of a spray bottle. 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  depicts a variant of the casing. 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  depicts the nozzle with the insert and piston at their uppermost position, closing the orifice. 
           [0029]      FIG. 5  depicts the nozzle with the insert and piston at their lowermost position, freeing the orifice for spraying. 
           [0030]      FIG. 6  depicts a variant of the nozzle with the insert and piston at their uppermost position, closing the orifice. 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  depicts the nozzle variant according to  FIG. 6  with the insert and piston at their lowermost position, freeing the orifice for spraying. 
           [0032]      FIG. 8  depicts a cross-section of the nozzle at the section A-A in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 9  depicts the same as  FIG. 8  but at the section B-B in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 10  depicts the nozzle with a valvepiece which closes the pump&#39;s orifice with a conical seal. 
           [0035]      FIG. 11  depicts the same nozzle as in  FIG. 10  but with the valvepiece lifted by the liquid pressure from the spray bottle and therefore in an open position. 
           [0036]      FIG. 12  depicts a cross-section according to section A-A in  FIG. 10  showing the path of the liquid at one point. For the sake of clarity, the path of the liquid via the other three alternatives is not depicted. 
           [0037]      FIG. 13  depicts a nozzle with a fixed insert, which constitutes a simplified variant of a spray nozzle in cases where no barrier to contamination is deemed desirable. 
           [0038]      FIG. 14  depicts a variant insert valvepiece in the nozzle with the valvepiece in closed position. 
           [0039]      FIG. 15  depicts a same variant as  FIG. 14  with the valvepiece in open position. 
           [0040]      FIG. 16  depicts part of the outward appearance of the valvepiece. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0041]    A number of embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings. 
         [0042]    The spray device in  FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  and  2  comprises a casing  1  made of plastic, e.g. polypropene, and is provided with a hollow space  3  for accommodating and containing a spray bottle  2 , and an outlet  5  in the form of a nozzle via which a dose preferably of liquid is sprayed.  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   c  depict the casing  1  before the spray bottle  2 , in this case in the form of a liquid container  4  with a pump  6 , is fitted, and  FIG. 1   d  depicts the spray device ready for use. 
         [0043]    In the preferred embodiment in  FIG. 2 , the casing is usually a tubular circular section which is slightly conical, with the cone&#39;s centreline coinciding with the nozzle&#39;s centreline. The casing thus has a broad bottom portion and a narrower top portion, at the outlet. The casing comprises integrally, from the top downwards, the nozzle  5 , the casing  1  and the link arms  8   a  and  8   b . At least one clamping surface  7  (see  FIG. 1   a ) is formed in the wall at the lower portion of the casing. In a preferred embodiment, however, the casing  1  is provided with a slit  9  and with two opposite clamping surfaces  7  which extend upwards for a distance on the casing and are designed for manual pressure in a safe and grip-friendly manner. The spray device also comprises the link arms  8   a  and  8   b . The clamping surfaces  7  fit together with the link arms  8   a  and  8   b  to form what is called the activator intended to activate a dose from the spray bottle  2  when the latter is fitted in the casing  1 . 
         [0044]    The nozzle  5  starts from the casing and has an orifice  11  in the form of an aperture in the foremost portion of the nozzle. The nozzle is preferably integral with the casing  1 . On the inside of the casing there is a tubular seat  12  to which in this example the pump  6  with an associated liquid container  4  is fitted. The activator is preferably provided with link arms  8   a  and  8   b  which are equal in length and each integral with the casing  1  and also comprises the pair of clamping surfaces  7 . When the spray bottle  2  is fitted, the link arms  8   a  and  8   b  are first snapped together with a snap lock  18   a ,  18   b , after which they are turned in at a material thinning  13  on the respective side. The link arms thus form an angle with one another and thereby further lock the spray bottle  2  securely at its bottom  14  so that it cannot fall out of the casing  1 . The spray device is then ready for action. 
         [0045]      FIG. 1   d  depicts the spray device as a whole in the form of a cross-section with the spray bottle  2  comprising a liquid container  4 , preferably a bottle, and a manually activated pump  6  which is fastened to the bottle and delivers a specified dose when it is activated. The spray bottle  2  is fitted in the casing  1  in the hollow space  3 . The pump  6  comprises a pump body, not depicted, and a tubular portion  20  (also called the outlet pipe) which is introduced into the lower/inner portion of the nozzle  5  in a recess in the form of the seat  12 . The nozzle  5 , through which the intended dose of a liquid is sprayed when the tubular portion  20  is pressed into the pump  6 , extends outwards from the casing  1  in an axial direction. In practice, this means that the liquid container  4  is pushed upwards by the activator, thereby pressing the tubular portion  20  into the pump device, when a force P presses the clamping surfaces  7  together towards one another. 
         [0046]    If the spray bottle  2  takes the form of an aerosol container, the intended dose of a liquid is sprayed when the tubular portion  20  is pressed against a trigger for a valve (not depicted) in the aerosol container in order to release liquid which is under pressure in the container. In practice this means that the spray bottle  2  is pushed upwards by the activator whereby the tubular portion  20  presses in the valve&#39;s trigger, when a force P presses the clamping surfaces  7  together towards one another, whereby a mist jet of the liquid in the spray bottle is created at the orifice  11 . The variant with a spray bottle in the form of an aerosol container in combination with a valve is not depicted in the drawings but may be exemplified by the drawings already presented, where the aerosol container is comparable with ref.  4  and the aerosol container&#39;s valve with trigger is comparable with ref.  6 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 2  depicts the casing  1  with the link arms  8   a  and  8   b  turned outwards.  FIG. 1   b  depicts the casing  1  fitted with the snap locks  18   a  and  18   b  locked together and forming a “knee”, but without having the spray bottle  2  inserted in the casing. 
         [0048]    To effect spraying of a specified dose, the force P is applied to the opposite clamping surfaces  7 , with the result that the “knee” formed by the link arms bends further upwards and thereby lifts the liquid container  4 , this movement being considerably facilitated by the slit  9  in the walls of the casing. This lifting movement activates the pump  6 , which thereupon pushes the intended amount of liquid out through the nozzle, in which an atomising device breaks up the liquid to form an aerosol. In the case of an aerosol bottle, it is not the pump but the trigger of the valve which is activated. 
         [0049]    Alternative embodiments are feasible, e.g. an ellipsoidal or spherical shape of casing or a clamping surface  7  on one side opposite to a fixed portion. Another example is making the casing in the form of a framelike strip which is of approximately the same width as the link arms  8   a  and  8   b  and may be said to constitute a continuation of them round the spray bottle  2  and with the nozzle uppermost, i.e. a more open embodiment of the casing according to this aspect of the invention. This embodiment displays the contents of the spray bottle  2  and providing the latter with a graduation scale makes it possible to count the number of doses. 
         [0050]    The casing  1  may alternatively be provided with a wall which has a frame structure or mesh structure. Such a embodiment of the casing affords the advantage that the spray bottle housed by the casing is readily identifiable by a user, who will therefore easily be able to check which type of drug or the like is contained in the casing. This advantage may of course also be achieved by using transparent plastic for the casing  1 . 
         [0051]    A simultaneously sealing and space-filling element of the nozzle  5  is constituted by an insert comprising a piston  24  and a sleeve  25  in  FIG. 4 . As previously mentioned, the nozzle is provided with inside walls of a cylindrical form. Assembly involves the sleeve  25  being pushed into the nozzle from inside and fitting tightly to the inside walls of the nozzle. The sleeve  25  is not pushed right up to a surface formed internally in the forward part of the nozzle but is caused to leave a space between the sleeve  25  and the nozzle&#39;s forward inside wall by at least one spacer  28 . The piston  24  is movable and runs in a cylindrical space in the sleeve  25  whereby the piston  24  in a fitted state closes the nozzle&#39;s orifice  11  by means of a valvepiece  27 . The piston  24  has a similar valvepiece  27 ′ at its lower end, which means that the piston  24  can be fitted with either end towards the orifice  11 . The valvepiece  27 ′, which points towards the spray bottle  2  and bears against the bottom of the sleeve  25 , has the property of constituting a resilient component and serves at the same time as a distance stop for the piston  24 , the downward movement of which is therefore limited by this stop provided by the valvepiece  27 ′.  FIG. 5  depicts the piston  24  at its lower position in which it is acted upon by the pump pressure on its upper end and therefore frees the orifice  11  for spraying. 
         [0052]    At least one groove  29 , preferably two or more grooves  29 , run(s) along the cylindrical walls which constitute the inside of the nozzle, in the axial direction of the nozzle. When the insert, in the form of the sleeve  25  and the piston  24 , is fitted in the nozzle  5  and is thus adjacent to the nozzle&#39;s tubular inside wall, said grooves  29  become a corresponding number of ducts. These ducts  29  (the same reference notation as the grooves) communicate with the outlet pipe  20  of the spray bottle and with the orifice  11  of the nozzle  5 . Communication between the ducts  29  and the orifice  11  is effected by the spacer or spacers  28  being so configured as to provide communication between the ducts  29  and the orifice  11  via at least one formed outlet duct  30 . Liquid which passes from the spray bottle  2  via the ducts  29  converts to drop form as it passes through the orifice  11 . The outlet duct/ducts  30  may be given a desired shape in order to create a desired propagation pattern for the aerosol formed outside the orifice  11  by a mist jet of the liquid, which is created in the orifice. 
         [0053]    A variant with a simultaneously resilient and sealing device is depicted in  FIGS. 14 to 16 . In this embodiment, the valvepiece  27  is provided with a bent-downwards flange with a bent-downwards annular lip  34  which bears on the upper end of the sleeve  27 . Liquid pressure from the spray bottle  2  pushes the valvepiece  27  downwards as depicted in  FIG. 15 , whereby the nozzle&#39;s orifice  11  is freed and can communicate with the ducts  29 . For the sake of clarity, the spacers  28  appear in  FIGS. 14 and 15  in merely chain-dotted form. The annular lip  34  on the flange constitutes both a sealing and a resilient element. 
         [0054]      FIGS. 6 and 7  depict a variant where the lower valvepiece  27 ′ has its lower portion replaced by a spacer pin  18 . Resilient elements  26   a  and  26   b  in the lower portion of the piston  24  cause the latter to spring back when the liquid pressure on the top of the piston decreases. The resilient elements take the form of any desired type of springs, e.g. leaf springs, coil springs or any kind of elastic elements. The springs are preferably made of plastic material. 
         [0055]    To achieve an effective propagation pattern for the mist jet, the path of the liquid is arranged according to the cross-sectional depiction A-A in  FIG. 8 . Like the other drawings,  FIG. 8  depicts in an axial direction the ducts  29  which, as previously mentioned, may take the form of one or more ducts to allow liquid from the spray bottle  2  to run past the sleeve  25  on its way towards the orifice  11  of the nozzle  5 .  FIG. 9  depicts a embodiment of how liquid passes the underside of the sleeve  25  (forming part of the insert) via a transverse duct  32  on its way out to the ducts  29 . The transverse duct  32  thus constitutes the duct which provides communication for liquid from the spray bottle  2  to the ducts  29 , so the positions and number of the transverse ducts  32  have to be adapted to the positions and number of the ducts  29 . 
         [0056]      FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  depict a variant of an insert in the nozzle  5  where in this case the insert lacks a feature corresponding to the sleeve  25  and has instead a piston  35  which runs in the cylinder formed by the cylindrical inside walls of the nozzle  5 . According to this embodiment, springs  36   a  and  36   b  are disposed between the upper portion of the piston and the forward inside wall of the nozzle  5 , i.e. at the orifice  11 . In this example the piston  35  has a cone  35   a  which seals against the spray bottle&#39;s outlet pipe, and when no spraying is activated the springs  36   a  and  36   b  urge the piston  25  towards the outlet pipe  20 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 12  depict a variant of the cross-section A-A in  FIG. 4  where the spacers  28  are configured to cause rotation of the liquid before it reaches the orifice  11 . The spacers  28  hold the ducts  32  open to allow liquid to pass. 
         [0058]      FIG. 13  depicts a embodiment with a fixed insert in the form of a non-movable piston  38 . In this case one end surface of the piston  38  is in a fixed position relative to the nozzle&#39;s forward inside wall, i.e. at the orifice. Here again, spacers  28  are disposed between the piston  38  and the nozzle&#39;s inside wall so that the piston  38  cannot close the orifice. In this case the purpose of the piston  38  is to fill the inside space of the nozzle within the inside walls of the nozzle  5 , in order thereby to provide the least possible space for liquid in the outer portion of the nozzle  5  and simultaneously provide a bearing surface for the liquid during spraying in order to effect an advantageous whirling. This embodiment represents a simplified variant of a spray nozzle in cases where no barrier to contamination is deemed necessary/desirable but where the residual amount of liquid in the nozzle is nevertheless minimised by the fact that the insert in the form of the piston  38  substantially fills the space between the inside walls of the nozzle  5 . 
       Definition 
       [0059]    Cylindrical space means any cylinder according to mathematical definition.