Patent ID: 8474448

Claim:
A metered dose inhaler comprising: an aerosol canister including a canister body, a valve stem extending from the canister body, and a spring urging the valve stem, the valve stem being depressed to release contents of the aerosol canister; a housing body, provided with a holder holding the valve stem of the aerosol canister, to house the aerosol canister; a dose counter including at least one display member rotatably supported inside the housing body, and a control lever supported inside the housing body to rotate the display member; and a control cap including at least one junction member capable of engaging the control lever, and a cap portion, formed as a shell surrounding the circumferential wall of the canister body so as to cover the canister body, and extending from an end of the canister body that is opposite to the valve stem and toward the valve stem, the aerosol canister being supported in the housing body to enable the canister body to be depressed against an urging force of the spring, the canister body of the aerosol canister including an engaging part to engage the control lever, the control lever being movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a predetermined position between a tip of the valve stem and the engaging part, and the second position being a depressed position of the control lever engaging the engaging part of the canister body, the control cap co-operating with the canister body to be depressed from an initial position, and co-operating with the canister body to return to the initial position from a depressed position by the spring of the aerosol canister, the engaging part of the canister body engaging the control lever to move the control lever from the first position to the second position, when the canister body is depressed with the control cap, the junction member of the control cap engaging with the control lever so as to bias the control lever to move from the second position to the first position when returning to the initial position, and the control lever rotating the display member when moving from the first position to the second position, or when returning to the first position from the second position.