Abstract:
A manually-actuated device for the deliver of a volume of liquid which includes an outlet through which liquid is in use delivered and a cover member which is movably disposed relative to the housing between a first position in which the cover member at least partly covers the outlet and a second position in which the cover member acts as a lever which in use is acted upon by a user to actuate the delivery device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a manually-actuated delivery device for the delivery of a volume of liquid, in particular a liquid containing medicament. 
     WO-92/20455 discloses one example of such a delivery device which takes the form of a nasal inhaler for the delivery of a volume of liquid containing medicament as a spray into a nasal cavity. This delivery device includes a nosepiece, in the form of an elongate tubular section, for insertion into one of the nasal cavities, through the distal end of which the spray is delivered, and is configured to be manually actuated on the application of a force axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     Whilst such a delivery device is capable of delivering a metered volume of liquid, the use of that delivery device as a nasal inhaler can prove troublesome as the axial application of the manual actuation force tends to cause axial movement of the nosepiece within the nasal cavity which leads to inefficient delivery of the liquid. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved manually-actuated delivery device where the force for manual actuation is applied substantially orthogonally to the axis of the delivered liquid. With this configuration, when the delivery device is embodied as a nasal inhaler, the problem of the nosepiece being inadvertently withdrawn from the nasal cavity is obviated. 
     It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a delivery device which prevents further actuation after a predetermined number of actuations. In this way, a user is prevented from using the delivery device when empty. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a manually-actuated delivery device for the delivery of a volume of liquid, comprising: 
     a housing which includes an outlet ( 27 ) through which liquid is in use delivered; and 
     a cover member ( 39 ) which is movably disposed relative to the housing between a first position in which the cover member ( 39 ) at least partly covers the outlet ( 27 ) and a second position in which the cover member ( 39 ) acts as a lever which in use is acted upon by a user to actuate the delivery device, characterised in that the force applied by the user to the lever is substantially orthogonal to the axis of the delivered liquid. 
     Preferably, the cover member is, in the first position thereof, configured completely to cover the outlet. 
     Preferably, the cover member is rotatably mounted to the housing. 
     Preferably, the delivery device further comprises a liquid delivery assembly which includes a liquid delivery unit which is configured to be actuated to deliver a volume of liquid to the outlet on actuation of the delivery device. 
     More preferably, the liquid delivery unit comprises a container for containing liquid and a pump for delivering a volume of liquid from the container to the outlet. 
     Still more preferably, the pump comprises a body and a tubular element which is movable relative to the body and through which a volume of liquid is in use delivered on movement thereof relative to the body. 
     Preferably, the delivery device further comprises a coupling member which is movably disposed to the housing and configured to be engaged by the cover member in the second position thereof and cause actuation of the liquid delivery unit when the cover member is acted upon by the user. 
     More preferably, the liquid delivery assembly is movably disposed to the housing such as to cause actuation of the liquid delivery unit when moved between first and second positions and the coupling member is configured to move the liquid delivery assembly between the first and second positions when the cover member is acted upon by the user. 
     Sill more preferably, the liquid delivery assembly includes at least one projection and the coupling member includes at least one arm which is configured in use to engage the at least one projection to move the liquid delivery assembly between the first and second positions. 
     Yet more preferably, the liquid delivery assembly is slideably disposed to the housing. 
     Preferably, the coupling member is rotatably mounted to the housing. 
     More preferably, the axes of rotation of the cover member and the coupling member are parallel. 
     Still more preferably, the axes of rotation of the cover member and the coupling member are co-axial. 
     Preferably, the liquid delivery assembly further includes a carrier unit to which the liquid delivery unit is attached. 
     Preferably, the liquid delivery unit includes a component which is moved on actuation thereof; and an indicator for providing an indication as to the number of actuations of the delivery unit, which indicator includes a rotatable member which is configured to be rotated by actuation of the delivery unit; wherein the rotatable member includes one of a resiliently-biased element or a locking surface and the component includes the other of the resiliently-biased element or locking surface, which resiliently-biased element and locking surface are configured such that the component is locked in position so as to prevent further actuation of the delivery unit once the delivery unit has been actuated a predeterminable number of times. 
     In one embodiment the rotatable member is configured to be rotated on each actuation of the delivery unit. 
     Preferably, the component is configured so as to move substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable member. 
     Preferably, the component is reciprocally movable. 
     Preferably, the rotatable member includes the resiliently-biased element and the component includes the locking surface. 
     Preferably, the locking surface is provided by an opening. 
     More preferably, the opening is a through opening. 
     Preferably, the rotatable member is disposed about the component. 
     More preferably, the rotatable member is disposed about an outer surface of the component. 
     Still more preferably, the outer surface of the component is cylindrical and the rotatable member is circular. 
     The present invention also extends to inhalation devices incorporating the above-described delivery devices. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described hereinbelow by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate respectively front and rear perspective views of a delivery device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 3 to  5  illustrate side views of the delivery device; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded front perspective view of the delivery device; 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an exploded rear perspective view of the delivery device; 
     FIG. 8 illustrates in enlarged scale a fragmentary side view of the dose indicator of the delivery device; 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate vertical sectional views (along sections I—I and II—II in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively) of the delivery device in the closed configuration; 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate vertical sectional views (along sections I—I and II—II in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively) of the delivery device in the open, but non-actuated configuration; and 
     FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate vertical sectional views (along sections I—I and II—II in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively) of the delivery device in the open and actuated configuration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The delivery device comprises a main body part  1 , in this embodiment a generally cylindrical tubular section, which includes first and second open ends  3 ,  5 , and first and second end body parts  7 ,  9  which are attached to the main body part  1  so as to enclose the open ends  3 ,  5  thereof and define an enclosed housing. In this embodiment the main body part  1  and the first and second end body parts  7 ,  9  are formed of a plastics material and joined by a plastics weld, for example, as achieved by ultrasonic welding. 
     The main body part  1  includes a first lateral opening  11 , in this embodiment of substantially square shape, at the first end  3 , one side of which first lateral opening  11  is open at the first end  3  and the adjacent sides of which extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main body part  1 . The main body part  1  further includes first and second lugs  15 ,  17  which are located at respective ones of the longitudinally-extending sides of the first lateral opening  11  and extend outwardly and upwardly of the first end  3 . Each of the first and second lugs  15 ,  17  includes a part-cylindrical bearing surface  15   a ,  17   a  for hingeably supporting a yoke member  51  as will be described further hereinbelow. The main body part  1  still further includes a second lateral opening  22  adjacent the second end  5  which acts as a window for viewing a dose indicator  95  as will be described further hereinbelow. The main body part  1  yet further includes on the inner surface thereof a plurality of longitudinally-extending elongate slots  23  for receiving correspondingly-configured ribs  83  on a carrier unit  63  disposed therewithin as will be described further hereinbelow. The main body part  1  yet still further includes on the inner surface thereof a radially-directed flange  24  which acts as an abutment for the upper edge of a ring element  97  of the dose indicator  95 . 
     The first body part  7  comprises a substantially planar wall member  25  which is of the same dimension as the first end  3  of the main body part  1  so as to close the same when attached thereto and a tubular section  26  which extends outwardly from the plane of the wall member  25  so as to provide a nosepiece and includes a spray orifice and outlet  27  at the distal end thereof through which a spray of liquid is in use ejected. In this embodiment the tubular section  26  is slightly inwardly tapered away from the wall member  25  and includes a rounded distal end so as to provide for ease of insertion into a nasal cavity and comfort of fit when so inserted. The first end body part  7  further includes first and second lugs  29 ,  31  which extend outwardly from the periphery of the wall member  25  in such a configuration as to mate with the respective ones of the first and second lugs  15 ,  17  on the main body part  1 . Each of the first and second lugs  29 ,  31  includes a part-bearing surface  29   a ,  31   a  in this embodiment part-cylindrical in section, which part-bearing surfaces  29   a ,  31   a  together with the respective part-bearing surfaces  15   a ,  17   a  provided by the lugs  15 ,  17  on the main body part  1  define first and second bearings which provide a hinge axis. 
     The second end body part  9  comprises a substantially planar wall member  36  which is of the same dimension as the second end  5  of the main body part  1  and an upwardly-directed flange  37  which extends around the periphery of the wall member  36  by which the second end body part  9  is attached to the second end  5  of the main body part  1  so as to close the same. The second end body part  9  further includes a resilient element  38  which is disposed adjacent the inner surface of the upwardly-directed flange  37  thereof and extends upwardly and forwardly from the upper, inner surface of the wall member  36  thereof in one sense, in this embodiment in the counter-clockwise sense when viewed from above. 
     The delivery device further comprises a cover member  39  for covering the tubular section  26  which provides the nosepiece. The cover member  39  comprises first and second side wall members  40 ,  41 , in this embodiment of generally triangular shape, which are configured to be disposed adjacent opposed sides of the tubular section  26  in the closed position of the cover member  39 , and an interconnecting wall member  43  which interconnects the first and second side wall members  40 ,  41 . The side wall members  40 ,  41  each include an opposed projection  45 ,  47  on the inwardly-directed surface thereof about which the cover member  39  is hingeable. The opposed projections  45 ,  47  are disposed such as to be located in the first and second bearings provided by the part-bearing surfaces  15   a ,  17   a  defined by the lugs  15 ,  17  on the main body part  1  and the part-bearing surfaces  29   a ,  31   a  defined by the lugs  29 ,  31  on the first end body part  7 . 
     The delivery device further comprises a yoke member  51  which is pivotally mounted relative to the main body part  1 . The yoke member  51  comprises a body part  53  which extends through the first lateral opening  11  in the main body part  1  and includes a surface  54  at the first lateral opening  11  which acts as a bearing surface and first and second laterally-spaced arms  55 ,  57  which are disposed in the main body part  1  and each include a bearing surface  55   a ,  57   a  at an upper surface thereof. The body part  53  further includes first and second oppositely-directed projections  59 ,  61  which are disposed such as to be located respectively in the first and second bearings provided by the part-bearing surfaces  15   a ,  17   a  defined by the lugs  15 ,  17  on the main body part  1  and the part-bearing surfaces  29   a ,  31   a  defined by the lugs  29 ,  31  on the first end body part  7 . 
     The delivery device yet further comprises a carrier unit  63  which is slideably disposed in the main body part  1  and a liquid dispensing unit  65  which is attached to the carrier unit  63  such as to be slideably disposed concomitantly therewith. 
     The liquid dispensing unit  65  comprises a container  67 , in this embodiment a bottle, which defines a chamber containing liquid, in this embodiment a liquid containing medicament, and a manually-actuated pump  69  which is attached, for example, by crimping, to the container  67  and when actuated delivers a metered volume of liquid. The pump  69  comprises a body  70  and a tubular delivery element  71  which extends from the body  70  and through which a metered volume of liquid is ejected when depressed into the body  70 . 
     The carrier unit  63  comprises a first tubular section  73  in which the container  67  and a major part of the body  70  of the pump  69  is located and a second tubular section  75  connected to one, the upper, end of the first tubular section  73  through which extends the tubular delivery element  71  of the pump  69 . 
     The first tubular section  73  includes a plurality of inwardly-directed resilient projections  77  which are configured to engage the body  70  of the pump  69  and lock the liquid delivery unit  65  in position in relation to the carrier unit  63 . The first tubular section  73  further includes an outwardly-directed radial flange  79  at the other, lower, end thereof and a resilient element  81  which extends upwardly and forwardly from the upper surface of the flange  79  in the one sense, that is, the counter-clockwise sense when viewed from above. The first tubular section  73  still further includes a plurality of ribs  83  on the outer surface thereof which are located in the respective slots  23  at the inner surface of the main body part  1  and act to guide the travel of the carrier unit  63  in the main body part  1  and prevent relative rotation of the same. The first tubular section  73  yet further includes a lateral opening  85  adjacent the other, lower end thereof. 
     The second tubular section  75  includes first and second oppositely-directed projections  87 ,  89  at one, the upper, end thereof. Each of the first and second projections  87 ,  89  includes a part-cylindrical bearing surface  87   a ,  89   a  at the lower surface thereof which in use is engaged by the respective bearing surfaces  55   a ,  57   a  on the first and second arms  55 ,  57  of the yoke member  51 . 
     The delivery device yet further comprises a dose indicator  95  for providing an indication as to the usage of the delivery device. In this embodiment the dose indicator  95  comprises a ring element  97  of rectangular section which is located about the outer surface of the first tubular section  73  of the carrier unit  63  such that the upper edge thereof abuts the radially-directed flange  24  on the inner surface of the main body part  1  and is configured such as to be rotatable thereabout in the one sense, that is, the counter-clockwise sense when viewed from above. With this configuration, a part of the outer surface of the ring element  97  is visible through the second lateral opening  22  in the main body part  1 . In this embodiment the outer surface of the ring element  97  includes numerals of decreasing value for indicating the number of times the delivery device may still be actuated. In another embodiment the outer surface of the ring element  97  could be provided with numerals of increasing value for indicating the number of times the delivery device has already been actuated. Alternatively, or additionally, the ring element  97  may have a circumferential band of changing width along its length, such that the width visible is representative of the number of doses delivered or remaining. Colour changes may also be used to indicate the number of doses delivered or remaining. Such colour changes may also be applied in conjunction with the indications described hereinabove. For instance, by using numerals of different colour, or, by using a band, the colour of which changes along its length. The dose indicator  95  includes a plurality of teeth  99  disposed about the lower edge of the ring element  97  by which the dose indicator  95  is rotated about the first tubular section  73  of the carrier unit  63  through engagement with the distal end of the resilient element  81  on the carrier unit  63  on actuation of the delivery device. Each of the teeth  99  includes a first, driving surface  99   a  which faces in the other sense, that is, the counter-clockwise sense when viewed from below, and a second, guiding surface  99   b  which includes a component which faces in the one, opposite, clockwise sense. The dose indicator  95  further includes a resilient element  101  which extends inwardly and forwardly from the ring element  97  in the sense of rotation thereof, that is, the one, counter-clockwise sense when viewed from above. The resilient element  101  is configured normally to contact the outer surface of the first tubular section  73  of the carrier unit  63 , but, as will be described further hereinbelow, to locate in the lateral opening  85  in the first tubular section  73  of the carrier unit  63  when the delivery device has been actuated a predetermined number of times so as to lock the carrier unit  63  in a fixed position and thereby prevent further use of the delivery device when the accuracy of the metered dose could not be ensured because of the small volume of liquid remaining in the container  67  of the liquid delivery unit  65 . 
     The delivery device yet still further comprises a tubular feed element  103  which is attached to the tubular delivery element  71  of the pump  69  and disposed in the tubular section  26  of the first end body part  7  so as to provide a communication path between the pump  69  and the spray orifice  27  in the tubular section  26  through which a spray of a metered volume of liquid is ejected on each actuation of the delivery device. 
     In use, a user takes the delivery device in one hand and lifts the cover member  39  so as to rotate the same from the closed position (as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10) to the open position (as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12) in which the tubular section  26  providing the nosepiece is exposed for insertion into a nasal cavity. In this open position, the part of the interconnecting member  43  of the cover member  39  which is adjacent the projections  45 ,  47  which define the hinge axis contacts the exposed bearing surface  54  on the body part  53  of the yoke member  51  and the delivery device is ready for use. The user then inserts the nosepiece provided by the tubular section  26  into a nasal cavity and actuates the delivery device by applying a force to the cover member  39  which now acts as a lever when rotated further in the same sense as in which the cover member  39  was opened. In applying a force to the cover member  39  further to rotate the same, the yoke member  51 , through engagement between the part of the interconnecting member  43  of the cover member  39  adjacent the projections  45 ,  47  and the bearing surface  54  of the body part  53  thereof, is rotated such that the arms  55 ,  57  thereof are moved upwardly. This rotation, through engagement of the arms  55 ,  57  of the yoke member  51  and the bearing surfaces  87   a ,  89   a  on the projections  87 ,  89  on the second tubular section  75  of the carrier unit  63 , causes the carrier unit  63  to be slid axially upwardly within the main body part  1 . This sliding movement of the carrier unit  63 , in which the liquid delivery unit  65  is mounted, causes the tubular delivery element  71  of the pump  69  of the liquid delivery unit  65  to be moved into the body  70  thereof and thereby force a volume of liquid through the spray orifice  27  and into the nasal cavity as a spray; the tubular delivery element  71  being of fixed position in relation to the main body part  1  in which the carrier unit  63  slides. With this actuation of the delivery device the ring element  97  of the dose indicator  95  is rotated by engagement of the distal end of the resilient element  81  on the carrier unit  63  against the driving surface  99   a  of one of the teeth  99  on the lower edge of the ring element  97 . This advancement of the ring element  97  causes a lower number to be visible through the second lateral opening  22  in the main body part  1 , which number is in this embodiment representative of the number of doses remaining. After actuation of the delivery device the user then releases the actuation force applied to the cover member  39  and the carrier unit  63  is forced to slide axially downwardly, through the force of an internal resilient element in the pump  69 , within the main body part  1  such as to return to the original position. At the same time, the yoke member  51  is also rotated back to the original position through the engagement of the projections  87 ,  89  on the second tubular section  75  of the carrier unit  63  and the arms  57 ,  59  on the yoke member  51 . Further, this sliding movement of the carrier unit  63  causes the resilient element  81  thereon to disengage from the driving surface  99   a  of the one tooth  99 ; back-rotation of the ring element  97  of the dose indicator  95  being prevented by the resilient element  38  on the second end body part  9  which continuously engages the lower edge of ring element  97  such that the distal end of the resilient element  38  is always located adjacent the driving surface  99   a  of one of the teeth  99 . The user then returns the cover member  39  to the closed position such that the spray orifice  27  in the tubular section  26  providing the nosepiece is enclosed and the delivery device is ready for further use. This operation of the delivery device can be repeated until the delivery device has been actuated a predetermined number of times, at which point the ring element  97  of the dose indicator  95  will have been rotated through such an angle that the resilient element  101  thereon is axially aligned with the opening  85  in the first tubular section  73  of the carrier unit  63  and on further actuation of the delivery device the resilient element  101  will locate in the opening  85  and lock the carrier unit  63  in a fixed position, in this embodiment the actuated position, to prevent further use of the delivery device. 
     Finally, it will be understood that the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiment and can be modified in many different ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.