Patent Publication Number: US-2015068522-A1

Title: Nebulizer mouthpiece

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to medical equipment, more particularly to a nebulizer mouthpiece. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional nebulizer mouthpiece  1  is used with a container  2  and a pipe  3 . Liquid-form medicine is stored inside the container  2 , and is transported from the container  2  through the conventional nebulizer mouthpiece  1  and into a user&#39;s mouth as mist-form by pressured gas released through the pipe  3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the conventional nebulizer mouthpiece  1  includes a T-shaped connecting tube  101 , a mouth-receiving piece  102 , and a bellows tube  103 . The container  2 , the mouth-receiving piece  102  and the bellows tube  103  are respectively connected to the three tube sections  105 ,  106 ,  104  of the connecting tube  101 . The connecting tube  101  and the bellows tube  103  are standard products, and the inner diameter of the section  104  for connecting the bellows tube  103  is 20 millimeters. 
     Since the bellows tube  103  is corrugated, since the smallest inner diameter of the bellows tube  103  is smaller than that of the sections  104 ,  106  and since the mouth-receiving piece  102  is tapered away from the section  106 , once the connecting tube  101 , the mouth-receiving portion  102  and the bellows tube  103  are connected together, the inner annular surface of the conventional nebulizer mouthpiece  1  in a horizontal direction initially goes through a repeated increasing/decreasing change in the bellows tube  103 , then increases from the bellows tube  103  to the section  104  and then decreases in mouth-receiving piece  102  thus leading to the following drawbacks. 
     a) The inner diameter of the section  104  is 20 millimeters, so when the medicine is transported from the container  2  through the section  105  into the conventional nebulizer mouthpiece  1  under high pressure, the mist-form medicine will impact the top side of the section  104  and even condense into liquid form and flow back into the container  2 , thereby reducing the amount of mist-form medicine inhaled by a user and affecting its dose and effect. 
     b) Due to the inconsistently changing inner diameter of the conventional nebulizer mouthpiece  1  in the horizontal direction (i.e. , from small to large to small) not only might the mist-form medicine be trapped and turned into liquid form, but unbalanced and disturbing air flow may also be created. 
     c) The length of the bellows tube  103  is too long and easily interferes with nearby objects and people, causing discomfort and inconvenience. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a nebular mouthpiece that can eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a nebulizer mouthpiece including a hollow main body and a connecting tube. The main body is formed into a one-piece element, and includes an annular wall. The annular wall defines an inner space and has a middle section, an outlet section, and a storage section. The outlet section is connected to an end of the middle section. The storage section is connected to another end of the middle section. The middle section has an inner diameter that is not smaller than 30 millimeters. 
     The connecting tube is adapted for interconnecting the middle section of the main body and a liquid container, and surrounds a central axis. A distance between the central axis and a distal end of the storage section is not greater than three times the inner diameter. Liquid received in the liquid container is turned into mist and introduced into the inner space through the connecting tube. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a conventional nebulizer mouthpiece adapted to be used with a container and a pipe; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic view of the conventional nebulizer mouthpiece; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an assembly of a preferred embodiment of a nebulizer mouthpiece according to the present invention, a liquid container and a pipe; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a preferred embodiment of a nebulizer mouthpiece  100  according to the present invention is adapted to be used with a liquid container  200  and a pipe  300 . The nebulizer mouthpiece  100  includes a hollow main body  10  and a connecting tube  20 . 
     The main body  10  is formed into a one-piece element, and includes an annular wall  11 . The annular wall  11  defines an inner space  12 , and has a middle section  13 , an outlet section  14 , a storage section  15 , a connecting section  16  and a guide section  17 . The outlet section  14  is connected to an end of the middle section  13  by the connecting section  16  which is curved in a longitudinal direction of the main body  10 , and the guide section  17  which is generally frustoconical and tapers from the middle section  13  toward the outlet section  14 . The storage section  15  is connected to another end of the middle section  13 . The middle section  13  is aligned with the connecting tube  20 , has a smooth inner surface and an inner diameter (d1) that is not smaller than 30 millimeters. The outlet section  14  has an internal diameter (d2) that is smaller than the inner diameter (d1) of the middle section  13 . The storage section  15  has a smooth inner surface facing the inner space  12  and an interior diameter (d3) greater than the inner diameter (d1) of the middle section  13 . 
     The connecting tube  20  is adapted for interconnecting the middle section  13  of the main body  10  and the liquid container  200  and surrounds a central axis (L). A distance (D) between the central axis (L) and a distal end of the storage section  15  is not greater than three times the inner diameter (d1) of the middle section  13 . Liquid received in the liquid container  200  is turned into mist and introduced into the inner space  12  through the connecting tube  20 . In this embodiment, the distance (D) is 62.5 millimeters, and the main body  10  and the connecting tube  20  are integrally formed into one piece. When the liquid container  200  contains liquid-form medicine, the pipe  300  uses pressurized gas to turn the liquid-form medicine into mist-form, which is then transported through the connecting tube  20  into the middle section  13  of the nebulizer mouthpiece  100 , and flows toward the connecting and guide sections  16 ,  17  and out into a user&#39;s mouth through the outlet section  14 . 
     The advantages of this invention can be summarized as follows.
         a) Since the inner diameter (dl) of the middle section is not smaller than  30  millimeters, when the mist-form medicine is guided into the middle section  13 , direct impact against the middle section  13  is reduced due to the greater distance available, preventing the mist form medicine from returning to its liquid form and ensuring the effective amount of the medicine inhaled by the user.   b) Since the inner surfaces of the middle section  13  and the storage section  15  are smooth, and since the transition of inner diameter of the connecting section  16  and the guide section  17  toward the outlet section  14  is also smooth, the flow of the mist-form medicine runs smoother (i.e., not blocked by nor caught between any dead angle created by abrupt depressions or protrusions) into the user&#39;s mouth.   c) By ensuring that the distance (D) between the central axis (L) of the connecting tube  20  and the distal end of the storage section  15  to be not greater than three times the inner diameter (dl) of the middle section  13 , not only does the storage section  15  still have enough space for the mist-form medicine to move around, but the length of the storage section  15  is also shorter, preventing it from interfering with nearby objects and minimizing discomfort.       

     It is worth mentioning that even though the main body  10  is a one-piece structure that is simple and easy to manufacture, it allows the mist-form medicine to be guided even more smoothly than the prior art, which enhances the effectiveness of the dose inhaled. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.