Abstract:
An adapter for use over a canister of compressed gas having an actuating valve stem is provided. The adapter redirects gas flow from the valve stem to a cavity from which the gas may be inhaled. The design of the adapter is such that the gas from the canister is transferred to the nose of a user while minimizing the amount of gas that escapes into the atmosphere prior to inhalation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This invention is related to and claims priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/913,192 filed on Apr. 20, 2007 entitled Inhaler Adapter, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With the increase in interest in outdoor activities and health, and a coincidental decrease in air quality, a market has developed for pure oxygen. Breathing pure oxygen has time-established health benefits, as evidenced by its widespread use in hospitals, and is a proven way to increase alertness and athletic performance. 
         [0003]    Heretofore, however, pure oxygen is typically administered to a user via a heavy, high-pressure tank and a face mask. The user wheels the high-pressure tank around and is encumbered thereby. If a patient requires constant oxygen, high pressure tanks are necessary in order to administer the thousands of daily breaths a patient consumes. However, in the case of an athlete or health enthusiast desiring only a few breaths as a supplement, a heavy tank is neither necessary nor desired. 
         [0004]    Hence, a demand is growing for economical, portable bottles of oxygen. One such product is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,523 to Sundhar, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety. An economical container for a dispensable gas product is a standard aerosol can, such as that shown in  FIG. 1 . The standard can  10  includes a valve mechanism  12  that opens, releasing compressed gas, when the valve stem  14  is pressed downward or to the side. Typically, an atomizing cap is placed over the top of the can  10  and has an atomizing nozzle that fits over the valve stem  14 . The cap is usually snap-fit over a lip  16  at the top edge of the can  10 . The nozzle (not shown) directs the stream of gas in a desired direction. However, standard atomizing caps for aerosol cans are not designed to transfer gas from the can to the lungs of a consumer. 
         [0005]    Moreover, most oxygen products on the market today use a mouthpiece as the breathing apparatus to inhale oxygen. This might be the easiest (and cheapest) application to incorporate into a product, but breathing through the mouth is not the most efficient way to reap the health benefits of an inhaled gas. Inhaling a gas, such as oxygen, through the mouth results in a large percentage of the gas entering the stomach instead of the lungs. Since the human stomach does not absorb gas, the gas is wasted. This is evidenced in medical applications where a patient is given either a nasal inhalation tube or a mask that covers the nose and the instruction to breathe through the nose. 
         [0006]    It would be desirable to provide an adapter that fits over a standard compressed gas can (like an aerosol can) that is shaped to allow a user to easily inhale the contents of the can through the nose. It is also desired to provide such an adapter that minimizes the amount of gas that escapes to the atmosphere prior to being inhaled. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a design for an adapter useable on a can of compressed gas for activating the valve mechanism on the can and transferring the contents of the can to the airways of a user. The adapter is designed for both user comfort and to minimize the amount of gas that escapes to the atmosphere prior to entering the airways of the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a can of compressed gas of the prior art; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of adapter of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  taken along section lines  4 - 4 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an embodiment of adapter of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; and, 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6  taken along section lines  7 - 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to the figures and first to  FIGS. 2-4 , there is shown one embodiment of an adapter  20  of the present invention. The adapter  20  generally includes a sidewall  22  and a top  24 . The sidewall  22  is generally cylindrical and sized to fit over the end of a can of compressed gas, an example  10  of which is shown in  FIG. 1 . The sidewall  22  may include one or more projections  26  extending inwardly from an inside surface  28  of the sidewall  22  to form a snap-fit over the lip  16  of the can  10 . 
         [0016]    The top  24  includes an upper surface  30  and an actuator  32 . The actuator  32  is a lever used to actuate the valve stem  14  of a can  10 . The actuator  32  includes a push button  34  that pivots downwardly around a connector  36  that connects the actuator  32  to the rest of the adapter  20 . The push button  34  has a nozzle  40  that is sized and located to fit over a valve stem  14  when the adapter  20  is snap-fit onto a can  10 . 
         [0017]    A cavity  50  is formed in the sidewall  22  and the top  24 . The cavity  50  is sized and shaped to receive a user&#39;s nose and includes a hole  52  that leads to an interior  42  of the adapter  20 . The nozzle  40  is shaped to redirect an upward stream of gas emitted from a can  10  through the hole  52  and into the cavity  50  where it can be inhaled by a user. The cavity  50  is preferably shaped to minimize the amount of gas that escapes into the atmosphere before being inhaled by the user. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 5-7  show an embodiment  60  of the adapter of the present invention. Adapter  60  is similar to adapter  20  except that a different cavity design is provided to minimize the escape of gas to the atmosphere prior to inhalation. As such, the adapter  60  generally includes a sidewall  62  and a top  64 . The sidewall  62  is generally cylindrical and sized to fit over the end of a can of compressed gas, an example  10  of which is shown in  FIG. 1 . The sidewall  62  may include one or more projections  66  extending inwardly from an inside surface  68  of the sidewall  62  to form a snap-fit over the lip  16  of the can  10 . 
         [0019]    The top  64  includes an upper surface  70  and an actuator  72 . The actuator  72  is a lever used to actuate the valve stem  14  of a can  10 . The actuator  72  includes a push button  74  that pivots downwardly around a connector  76  that connects the actuator  72  to the rest of the adapter  60 . The push button  74  has a nozzle  80  that is sized and located to fit over a valve stem  14  when the adapter  60  is snap-fit onto a can  10 . 
         [0020]    A cavity  90  is formed in the sidewall  62  and the top  64 . The cavity  90  is sized and shaped to receive a user&#39;s nose and includes a hole  92  that leads to an interior  82  of the adapter  60 . The nozzle  80  is shaped to redirect an upward stream of gas emitted from a can  10  through the hole  92  and into the cavity  90  where it can be inhaled by a user. The cavity  90  is preferably shaped to minimize the amount of gas that escapes into the atmosphere before being inhaled by the user. As such, the sidewall  62  extends upward to form a substantially enclosed cavity  90  with an open top over a user can place his or her nose. Hence, the user&#39;s nose completely encloses the cavity  90 , thereby ensuring that substantially all of the gas gets inhaled by the user. A small recess  92  in the sidewall  62  may be provided to allow room for the user&#39;s septum. 
         [0021]    Both of the embodiments  20  and  60  have tops that are flat. This is preferable for purposes of stacking and if a liquid container is to be attached to an opposite end of the can  10 . In this case, the adapter serves a second function of a platform for setting the beverage/gas combination canister down on a flat surface. Furthermore, it is preferable, though not required, that the embodiments  20  and  60  be of unitary construction, for economical manufacturing purposes. 
         [0022]    Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.