US2410798A - Inhaler - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1946;

H. L. APFELBAUM INHALER Filed April 26,. 1943 INVENroR. Hur/a LAplbaz/m ATTORNEY l Patented Nov. 12, 1946 UNITED STATE INHALER Huna L. Apfelbaum, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Victor Metal' Products Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 2s, 1943, serial No. 484,561

(ci. 12s-200) .6 Claims. l

This invention relates to inhalers and particularly to the type which 'is adapted to be molded throughout of suitable synthetic plastic material.

The invention contemplates the provision of a simple inhaler provided with a valve at each end and adapted to be easily manipulated, without removing any of the parts, to open both valves simultaneously and thereby to establish communication between the interior` of the inhaler and the outside air.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a holder for medicament slidable in the interior of the inhaler and provided with opposed valves, one of which projects beyond the inhaler casing in the operative or open position thereof, and the other of which so projects in the inoperative or closed position thereof, the projecting valves forming the means by which the holder may be manipulated.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an inhaler having only three separable and moldable parts comprising a two-part casing and a holder for medicament together with cooperating valve parts thereon, and in which inhaler the casing parts need be separated only when the medicament therein is to be renewed, the inhaler being otherwise operable without such separation.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an inhaler adapted to be opened for use and closed by one hand oi the user.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the inhaler taken on the line I--I of Fig. 2, showing the inhaler in its closed or sealed inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation and partial section'of the inhaler in its open or operative position, showing the medicament in place in the holder therefor.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a foreshortened perspective view of the medicament holder, the middle part of the holder being broken away for convenience of illustration.

In the embodiment of the invention shownby Way of example, the inhaler casing consists of two preferably but not necessarily molded parts I0 and I I, the part llLbeing in the nature of a cap and having an axial opening I2 in the end thereof, which opening is preferably used as a discharge or outlet opening for the medicated vapor accumulating in the casing. An internally threaded enlargement I3 is provided at the lower end of the cap for the reception of the correspondingly externally threaded upper end I4 of the casing part II. `To prevent leakage of vapor between the parts, a washer or gasket I5 of any suitable compressible material such as cork, rubber, felt or the like is seated on the interior shoulder I6 of the enlargement I3. At the lower end of thepart Il is made an axial ,opening which is preferably the inlet opening-for outside air into the casing. Said opening has an enlarged outer portion I'I and a constricted inner portion I8 for the purposes soon to appear. l y Slidably mounted in the interior of the casing is the medicament holder I9. Said holder is also adapted to be molded of synthetic plastic and is in the general shape of an elongated O, being provided with the teat-like axially arranged opposed and projecting valve stems 2D and 2 I. The medicament is inserted into or removed from the central space 22 of the holder when the cap I0 is removed, and may be carried by any suitable known device intended for lthat purpose such as the elongated cartridge 23 (Fig. 3) or a wad of absorbent cotton. The upper valve stem 20 is preferably tapered and molded integrally with the top of the holder and has an annular recess Vor indent in the lower part thereof filled by a hollow resilient washer or gasket 24 of rubber, cork, felt or the like arranged to enter thevdischarge port or opening I2 and to be pressed into contact with the wall of said opening when the holder is in its uppermost or valve port closing position to prevent leakage of vapor.

The lower valve stem 2I may be detachably or permanently secured as desired to thel lower end of the holder, but in Ithe form shown, it isscrewed thereto and terminates at itsv lower end in an enlargement such as the head 25 adapted to fit into the enlarged part I'I of the adjacentinlet opening. For adequately sealing the inlet openf ing when the inhaler is not in use, a hollow washer or gasket 2,6 in the form of a ilanged eyelet is provided. The flange of the washer, 26 contacts with the top of the Wall surrounding the enlarged part II of the inlet opening and the cylindrical part of the washer engages the wall of the portion I8 of the opening when the holder is in its port closing position. There, the holder is at its uppermost limiting positionin the casing,vbut the lower party of the holdergis in Suffie cient upward spaced relation to the bottomfoffthe casing part H to carry the inlet valve stem into its closed position, (Figs. l and 2) and the upper end of the valve stem 2B projects a substantial distance outwardly beyond the casing for access thereto by a linger or the thumb of the user.

To move the, holder into theopenor extreme lowermost position of Fig. 3, the user may gra-sp the casing in one hand and need merelypress axially on the valve stem with the thumb or finger of the same hand thereby sliding the holder downwardly and opening both valves simulta" neously, the valve 2 I, 25 in this position projecting downwardly below the casing.V the userinhales the vapor from the opening l2, airv entering the opening Il, i8 passes through the space 2'! -around the bottom of the holder to the spaces 28, 29 between the edges of the holdersidesiil, 3| and the casing, then through the medicament 23 Ito become charged with vapor and then passes outnthroughthe opening-I2. To again close the va}ve-ports,-the thumb ora nger of thehand which-holds the inhale-r may be used Vto push the valve 12h25 axially, thereby to move the holder upwardly.

The lower-endfof the holder which connects the si'des3l), 3| andwhich carries thevalve stem 2l, 'is suitably vshaped-to'engage the innerjwall-of the casing part l Iv atl a 'point spaced'aibove Vthe bottom of saidwall-when the holderV is in its lowermostposition,` thereby insuring that a, suilicient space `2l is'vprovided above the inlet valve for the entranceiofairlinto the casing through the open-valve.y The' upper partofthe holder wh-ich connects the *sides V3ll and v3l and which --carries the valve stemv `20 may be similarly shaped, said connectingparts ofthe holder preferably serving asA stops to--limit and Ydene the extreme positionsvv of the-holder in thegcasing.

Theouter surfaces of the holder* sidesil andY 3l are shaped preferably to ntand ,conform to the inner wallsgof the casing morder to provide sufficient 'frictional engagement therebetween to maintainthe holderk in theextreme or limiting positions into which itis caused to slide'without danger of accidental movement therefrom. :However, if it is desired .toadditionaily insure against such accidental Aor undesired movement, the middle vparts of said holder Kas 32, -33'-may be made of slightly larger diameter than theremainder thereof, and'slightly larger than the diameters of the inner casing surface so that as the holder is originally inserted intothe casing, the sides and-3 l thereof areA somewhat compressed together, as is possible by-'reason of their spacing, length andconsequent resiliency. The springaction so secured serves to cause the sidesltoresist anymovementoi the holder other than deliberate movement thereof. y Y

It is unnecessary to remove the-holder from-the casing when the member;23 is to be removedfor replaced. `When thecasing part l0 is removed, theupperhalf ofthe holder is exposed together with the upper half Vof saidimember-23, whereby themedicatedhmember when in the form of aV cartridge may easily' be extracted from the-space 22 by tilting it out ofthe holder. The-removal of A-a-cotton -wadf offers Vno dilhculties. Thecartridgeis also dropped into place readily-by tiltn inginto-the-space 22. *Should it become necessary to-remove'thef holder forany reason, thevalve 2 l 25v may 'first beunscrewedfrom the holder whereupon theholder is easily lifted outof the lower casing partto which iti is-nonnally `sl-idably i vattached. 'i i v'lusinai'fed embodiment of the invention without From the above, it will be seen that I have provided an inhaler having a slidable holder capable of easy manipulation with one hand without disturbing the casing, .that the inhaler is adapted to be molded of plastic material and is provided with opposed valves accessible from the outside and operating simultaneously and effectively to permit and prevent the discharge of vapor as desired. t

Various modifications may be made in the ildeparting from the spirit thereof as deiined by the appended claims.

-I claim:

l. In aninhaler, a casing having an inlet opening at one end thereof and an outlet opening at the other end thereof, a. hollow elongated member frictionally fitted into and slidable within the casing and having a pair of imperfol'ate side walls arranged in transverse spaced relation ,to each otherpavalvestem at -eachend of saidV member, one of saidfste-ms passing through the inlet opening andthe otherthrough the outlet opening, said stems'fsea-ling the'openings in one position of the member and unsealing the openings in another position ofthe member, the member 'having an unobstructed space therein betweenthe side walls andbetween the stems-toehold medicament inserted thereinto by a movement substantially parallel to said side walls. K

2. -In an inhaler, a casing liavingfanupper caplike hollow part and a' lower hollow part,the upper part' having an upper end providedwith' a valvereceiving opening therein, the. lower part having a lower endprovided' with a. valve-receiving opening therein, saidiupperpart being open and internally' threaded at its lower end,- saidr lower part being open and externallythreadedfatfitsupper end for the detachably screwed and. sealed connection thereof-tosaid upper part,4 a', flattened annularmem'ber elongated inra directionr axially yof the casing and slidably mountedwithin'the casing and engaging the inner surfaces ofthe casing parts and guided by saidsurfaces. said surfaces .being of uniform diameter, said membefb'eing of lesser width asmeasured in aselected direction than the diameter of said inner surfaces. to arrangepart of said member in inward spaced relation `to said inner surfaces, and avalvejstem projecting outwardly from each end ofthe member, the stem at one endbeing arranged coaXially of the 'opening in said upper part and having an enlargement thereon to seal and unseal the last F mentioned opening, the stem at the other end also having an enlargement, atleast. one of the stems projecting through its cooperating valve-receiving opening beyond the casing in all positions of the member in the assembled casing, said'stems, valve-receiving openings and enlargements being of lesser' diameters than the diameter ofsaid inner surfaces. l

3. In an inhaler, a combined medicament :holder and valve .means comprising ya pair of .similar transversely spaced apart and elongated sides providing an unobstructed space therebetween for the 'insertionof medicament thereinto by a movement in ai transverse direction, a connecting portion joining each pair of the adjacent ends of said sides, and a Valve stem projecting axially-'from eachconnecting portion, one of` thestems-'being enlarged diametrica-lly adjacentf the connecting portion from which itvproj ects 'and' the'Y other stem being enlarged "diametricallyat the 'end thereof remote fromithe connecting portion'fromswhiclr it 5 projects, the inner ends of said stems terminating at the holder. o

4. In an inhaler, a. casing having an air inlet opening and a vapor outlet opening, and a generally O-shaped combined medicament holder and valve means for said openings slidably mounted within the casing and comprising a pair of transversely spaced sides each frictionally engaging the inner surface of the casing, a connecting portion integrally joining each pair of the adjacent ends of said sides, and a pair of valve stems each entering one of the respective openings and each projecting from one of the respective connecting portions.

5. In an inhaler, a. casing having an air inlet opening and a Vapor outlet opening, and a. generally O-shaped combined medicament holder and valve means for said openings slidably mounted Within the casing, said combined holder and valve means including a pair of valve stems each entering one of the respective openings and projecting from opposite ends of the holder, one o-f the stems being diametrically enlarged at the outer end thereof and the other stem being diametrically enlarged at the inner end thereof.

6. In an inhaler, a slidable combined medicament holder and valve means of generally O- shaped form including a, pair of axially opposed valve stems projecting outwardly from the ends of the holder, one of said stems having an enlargement at the inner end thereof, and the other of said stems having an enlargement at the outer end thereof.

HUNA L. APFELBAUM.

Images