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CN-122003681-A - Counter and device for dispensing nebulizable pharmaceutical substance

CN122003681ACN 122003681 ACN122003681 ACN 122003681ACN-122003681-A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a counter for counting dispensing actions in a device for dispensing a sprayable pharmaceutical substance, the counter (6) having a counter housing with an upper and a lower housing part (11, 20), a counter wheel (24) with a cylindrical wheel wall (27) and an inner flange (28) merging into the wheel wall (27), in order to provide an improved counter it is suggested that the flange (28) overlaps with an edge (72) of a ring gear of a planetary gear, that the wheel wall (27) extends radially to the outside of the edge (72), that the wheel wall (27) overlaps with a tooth area of the ring gear in the direction of a vertical axis (x), that an angled gap (73) is provided between a circumferential lower surface area of the flange (28), an inner circumferential surface of the wheel wall (27) and the edge area, and that the wheel wall (27) extends beyond the flange (28) in the vertical direction on both sides. The present disclosure also relates to a device for dispensing a nebulizable drug substance with such a counter.

Inventors

  • Alfred Funschuchman

Assignees

  • 艾尔弗雷德·冯舒克曼

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20240904
Priority Date
20231013

Claims (12)

  1. 1. A counter for counting the dispensing actions in a device for dispensing a nebulizable pharmaceutical substance, the counter comprising a counter housing having an upper and a lower housing part (11, 20), a counter wheel (24) with a cylindrical wheel wall (27) and an inner flange (28) incorporated into the wheel wall (27), the wheel wall (27) having a readable marking on its outer side, the counter further comprising a sun gear (36), a planetary gear (29) and a hub part (44) with a spring arm (43) for stepwise driving the sun gear (36), the hub part (44) providing a central opening for receiving a valve tube (4) of a cartridge (3) of the device (1), the hub part being received on a support (8) of the device (1), the planetary gear (29) having a handle (32), the handle (32) being rotatably received in the flange (28), the hub part (44) being held vertically displaceable between a start position (45) and an end position (45) of the counter, the hub part (44) being displaceable along the vertical axis (36) from the start position of the drive part (20), having an insert housing wall (47) with an upper first outer surface (58), an upper tooth area providing a gear ring (37) and an upper circumferential edge (72), the planetary gear (29) being in engagement with the sun gear (36) and the gear ring (37), characterized in that the flange (28) overlaps the edge (72), that the wheel wall (27) extends radially outside the edge (72), that the wheel wall (27) overlaps the tooth area in the direction of the vertical axis (x), that an angled gap (73) is provided between the circumferential lower surface area of the flange (28), the inner circumferential surface of the wheel wall (27) and the edge (72), and that the wheel wall (27) extends beyond the flange (28) in the vertical direction on both sides.
  2. 2. Counter according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper housing part (11) has a window (14) for achieving visibility of the logo, which window overlaps the tooth area in the direction of the vertical axis (x).
  3. 3. A counter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower housing part (20) is configured cup-shaped in a sectional view along a vertical axis (x) with a circumferentially extending outwardly protruding receiving flange (63).
  4. 4. A counter according to claim 3, wherein the lower surface of the upper housing part (11) abuts the receiving flange (63) at more than half its circumference.
  5. 5. A counter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in a cross-sectional view the insert part (45) has a step formation with an upper first outer surface (58) and a lower second outer surface (59), both of which face radially outwards, the step formation further having a step surface (60) as a transition between the first and second outer surfaces (58, 59), the step surface (60) extending transversely to the first and second outer surfaces (58, 59).
  6. 6. The counter of claim 5, wherein the first outer surface (58) extends over a larger diameter than the second outer surface (59).
  7. 7. A counter according to any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the step surface (60) radially overlaps the receiving flange (63).
  8. 8. The counter of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the first outer surface (58) has one or more radially outwardly extending formations (64, 65).
  9. 9. The counter according to claim 8, wherein the extended formations (64, 65) are configured as ribs.
  10. 10. Counter according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that in a sectional view the extension formations (64, 65) are formed starting from the first outer surface (58) below the tooth area and widening radially outwards by means of an inclined first section (66) merging into a second section (67) parallel to the vertical axis (x).
  11. 11. Counter according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein a receiving space (71) is provided between the first outer surface (58), the inner surface of the circumferential housing part wall (17) and the extended formations (64, 65).
  12. 12. Device for dispensing a sprayable pharmaceutical substance, the device having a housing (2), a cartridge (3) containing the substance, the cartridge (3) having a valve tube (4), the device further having a counter (6) according to any of claims 1 to 11 for counting dispensing actions for the substance, the housing (2) having a support (8) with a flow channel (9) for receiving the valve tube (4) and enabling dispensing of the substance.

Description

Counter and device for dispensing nebulizable pharmaceutical substance Technical Field The present disclosure relates first of all to a counter for counting dispensing actions in a device for dispensing a sprayable pharmaceutical substance, the counter comprising a counter housing having an upper housing part and a lower housing part, a counter wheel having a cylindrical wheel wall and an inner flange part merging to the wheel wall, the wheel wall having a readable marking on its outer side, the counter further comprising a sun gear, a planetary gear and a hub part having an elastic arm for stepwise driving the sun gear, the hub part providing a central opening for a valve tube of a cartridge of the device and being received on a support of the device, the planetary gear having a stem rotatably received in the flange part, the hub part being held movable in the housing along a vertical axis between an actuated position and a starting position of the counter, the elastic arm driving the sun gear upon movement from the starting position to the actuated position, the counter further comprising an insert part in the lower housing part having an insert housing wall with an upper outer surface, an upper toothed region providing an upper tooth region and a peripheral rim engaging the sun gear and the peripheral rim. The present disclosure also relates to a device for dispensing a nebulizable drug substance, the device having a housing, a cartridge containing the substance, the cartridge having a valve tube, and a counter as described previously. Background Counters and devices with corresponding counters are known in various embodiments. They are often mass produced and therefore require reasonable manufacturability and assemblability. Furthermore, since the device with such a counter is a medical device, the counter needs to be highly reliable and safe to function over the expected lifetime. Moreover, this is as immune as possible from the geographical areas or climatic conditions in which the user may reside or encounter. The function of the counter is to indicate to the user how many dispensing actions have been performed or how many remain. Therefore, a good readability of the corresponding identification (in particular of the number) is also a requirement. In the counter known from US 7 827 984 B2, the counter wheel runs on the upper edge of the insert part. Any particles that might enter between the counter wheel and the upper edge from the outside might easily enter further into the gear area. This may lead to a malfunction. Furthermore, the space available for the counter wheel in the vertical direction is relatively small. US 2019/0 201 641 A1 discloses a counter with a counter wheel having a relatively large extension in the vertical direction. However, the gear is located outside the counter wheel and is not enclosed within the counter housing. In use, the counter is disposed between the cartridge and the support of the device housing. Typically, the device housing is a standard housing and is not changeable, so it is often necessary to maintain the external dimensions of the counter. Starting from the prior art given in US 7 827 984 B2, the technical problem to be solved is to disclose a counter and a device with such a counter, which is more effective against malfunctions during the service life and has a greater utility. Disclosure of Invention In the case of a counter, this technical problem is solved by the features combined in claim 1, wherein the emphasis is placed on the flange portion overlapping the rim, the wheel wall extending radially outside the rim, the wheel wall overlapping the tooth area in the direction of the vertical axis, an angled gap being provided between the circumferentially closed lower surface area of the flange, the inner circumferential closing surface of the wheel wall and the upper circumferential rim, and the wheel wall extending beyond the flange portion in the vertical direction on both sides. The technical problem is solved by the features of claim 12 in terms of a device. The overlapping of the flange portion with the rim in combination with the overlapping extension of the wheel wall with the tooth area provides an angled gap that opens downwardly. Any particles that might come from the outside up to the gap cannot or hardly enter the gap. Even if this happens, the angled design of the gap provides a further barrier to further entry. The overlapping extension of the wheel wall with the tooth area provides a gap on the one hand, while enabling a wider surface in the vertical direction for the sign. The user can obtain better readability. The counter housing providing the outer surface consists essentially of an upper housing part and a lower housing part. According to a possible further embodiment, the lower housing part can be configured cup-shaped in a sectional view along a vertical axis, with a circumferentially extending, outwardly projecting receiving flange.