Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 BACKGROU~D OF T~IE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to inhala-tion
-tubes for aerosol containers, and more parti.cularly to an inhal-
ation tube for inhaling medicinal products which is functional
both from a hygienic and aesthetic point of view,
As is ~nown, for many years aerosol containers con-
taining medicinal spray products of every type and na-ture have
been available. The product is sprayed through an inhala-tion
tube which is manufac-tured in a variety of different shapes and
conformations, the purpose of the tube being to deliver the
sprayed product as a mist (aerosoll or as a wet jet (spray) into
the mouth, nose, ear or other appropriate parts of the human
body~
- Such inhalation tubes are referred to as inhalers and
are generally provided with a closure cover for the tube opening
through which the product is sprayed, so as to protect the in-
ternal orifice of the valve, thereby preventing foreign matter
from entering the tube, which is also promoted by the fact that
the inner walls of the inhalation tu~e are generally sprayed with
solvents and basic product after every use.
It should be readily understood that the cleanliness
of an inhaler is not only a matter of aesthetics, but is also
required for hygienic specifications, which must be scrupulously
met,
It should also be understood that, for example, in
the case of an asthmatic product, the presence in the inhaler o~
any foreign ma-tter is completely counter-productive to an
effective cure~
An objec-t of the present invention is to obviate, or
at least substan-tially reduce, the above men-tioned disadvantages
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by providing an inhal.a-tion tube for an aerosol container which
permits those parts which come into contact with the sprayed
product to be closed o:EE when not in use, thereby ensuring abso--
lutely hygienic conditions
Another object of the invention is to provide an in-
halation tube which can be moved between open and closed positions
~ithout the need for addi-tional closure means separa-te from the
inhalation tube.
A further object of the invention is to provide an
inhalation tube with c]..osing and opening means which result in
a structurally simple arrangement and which, in addition, does
not give rise to any problems in operation.
A further object of the present inven-tion is to pro~
vide an inhalation tube which, because of its particular struct-
ure, is able to provide the amplest of guarantees for safety
and reliability in use,
A further object of the present invention is to pro-
~ide an inhalation tube which is readily constructed from ele~
ments and materials normally available cn the market to enable
it to he competitive from an economic point of view.
According to the invention, an inhalation tube for an
aerosol container comprising a tubular body for de-tachable fit-
ting to an aerosol container, is characterised in that a cap is
mounted on said tubular body for rotation thereabout, that a
delivery mouth-piece is mounted so as to be movable with respect
to said tubular body and said cap, the tubular body and the cap
each presenting an opening of subs-tantially of the same dimen-
sions, and that the mouth-piece is arranged for movement by
actuating means in such a manner that by rotation of the cap to
bring said openings into register, -the mouth-piece is moved to an
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extracted position hy said ac-tuating means and, by rotation of
the cap to bring said openings out o~ register, the mouth-piece
i5 moved to a retractecl closed ofE, wholly within the tubular
body.
~hese and other features and advantages o-E khe
invention will be readily understood from the detailed descrip-
tion of some preferred em~odiments, given by way of example and
not intended in a limiting sense, of an inhalation tube with an
extractable and retractable mouth-piece with reference to the
accompanying drawings, ~herein: .
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view o~ the first embodi-
ment of the inhalation tu~e with the mouth-piece in a retracted
position,
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the inhalation
tube of Figure 1 with the mouth~piece in an extracted position,
Figure 3 shows the first embodiment sectioned-through
the hinging pin of -the mouth-piece,
Figure 4 is a secti.onal view taken along the line IV-
IV of Figure 2,
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the second
emhodiment of inhalation tube with the mouth-piece in a retracted
position,
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment
shown in Figure 5 with the mouth-piece in an extracted position,
Figure 7 is a sectional view of the emhodiment shown
in Figure 5, taken through the hinging pin of the mouth-piece,
Figure 8 is a sec-tional view taken along the line
VIII-VIII of Figure 6,
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the third embodi-
ment of inhalation tu~e with the mouth-piece in a retracted
position,
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Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the embodimen-t
shown in Figure 9 with the mouth~piece in an extracted position,
Figure 11 is a sectional view taken along -the line
XI-XI of Figure 9,
Figure 12 is a sectional view of Figure 10 taken along
the line XII-XII showing all the inhalation tube wi-th the mouth-
piece in an extractea position, and
Figure 13 is a front elevational view of the various
em~odiments of inhalation tube.
With reference to the above mentioned figures, there
is illustrated an inhalation tube with opening and closing of an
extractable and retractable portion, which is shown in three
different embodiments, substantially similar to one another.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4 the first embodiment of
inhalation tube comprises a tu~ular body 1 of an elongated sub-
stantially cylindrical shape, defining at its upper portion a
first opening 2, extending along a peripherical segment.
From the internal upper wall of the body 1 a hollow
shank 3 extends in a su~stantially axial direction and is pro-
vided with a delivery orifice 4 (see Figure 4), said hollow shank
being detackably fitted on the protruding stem of a valve 5 of
an aerosol container 6, which can contain any one of the products
normally availa~le on the market including non-medicamentous
substances.
At the first ahove mentioned opening 2 a delivery
mouth-piece 7 of a suita~le shape is provided.
The delivery mouth-piece 7 is h.inged to allow its piv-
otal movement about a pin 8 secured to the internal wall of
said tubular body 1.
3 n In accordance with the invention, the delivery mouth-
piece 7 at the region hinged to the pin 8 is provided with a
1 resilient strip 9. which acts hy reaction against the internal
wall of the tubular ~ody 1 to tend to rotate the mouth-piece 7
to an outward position in a manner ~hich will be described here-
ina~ter.
Associated ~ith the tubular body 1 is a cap 10 which
is mounted for rotation about the axis of the body 1 and is pro-
vided with a second opening 11 adapted to be brought into reg-
ister with the first opening 2 in o:rder to permit the extraction
of the mouth-piece 7.
~0 In more detail, it can be seen that ~y rotating the
cap 10, once the second opening 11 comes into register with the
first opening 2, the mouth-piece 7, is urged by the resilient
strip 9, which acts like a spring, to rotate it outwardly to
assume the position shown in Figure 2 It is to be noted that
the mouth-piece 7, on the side opposite to its hinge axis has
a stop projection, adapted to a~ut the internal wall of the cap
1~ to ensure the correct extracted position of the mouth-piece
7.
To retract the mouth-piece 7 all that is necessary is
to rotate the cap 10 counterclockwise, so that! by rotating about
the pin 8 and overcoming the spring reaction of the resilient
strip q, it retracts into the tubular body 1. When retraction
has ~een completed, the firs-t opening 2 is closed by the internal
wall of the cap 10, thus preventing extraction of the mouth-piece
and also preventing the infiltration thereinto of any substance
which could contaminate the mouth-piece,
~ eferring to Figures 5 to 8 showing the second embodi-
ment of inhalation tube, those elements which corresponcl to ele-
ments of the first embodiment are given the same reference numbers.
In this embodimen-t the mouth-piece 7 is not provided with a
resilient strip but instead its rotation is obtained by a camming
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means 20 coupled -to the cap 10 and passing -through a cu-tout
21 provided in the upper portion OL the tubular body 1. Thus,
when the cap 10 is rotated to bring the openings 2 and 11 in-to
register, the camming means 20 first acts on the rear por-tion
of the mouth-piece 7 and extraction of the latter is completed
by the action of the adjacent side edge of the opening
11 .
~ s shown in the figures, the CUtOIlt 21, which is suit-
ably shaped as a circular segment Cshown chain-dotted in Figures
5 and 6) acts as a stop at its opposite radial sides For the
retracted (Figure 5~ and -the extracted positions (Figure 6) of
the mouth-piece 7. Retraction of the mouth-piece 7 is effected
by the action of the other side edge of the opening 11 upon
counterclockwise rotation of the cap 10.
Referring to Figures 9 to 13 in the third embodiment
of inhalation tu~e the mouth-piece 7 is not hinged to the
tu~ular body 1~ but is supported therein in such a ~ay that it
can ~e moved in a radial direction with respect to the axis ~f
the tubular body 1, this movement being guided by engagement of
the mouth-piece 7 with the hollow shank 3 via a slot 30. The
extraction movement is effec-ted by an elastic element 31 which
is supported at its opposite ends by the walls of the mouth-piece
7 and engages said hollow shank 3.
In more detail, when the cap 10 is rotated to bring
the first and second openings 2, 11 in register, the mouth-piece
7 is urged outwardly by the elastic element 31 until its stop
projections 32 abut -the internal walls of tubular body 1 to cor-
rectly position the mouth-piece 7 in its extracted position and,
of course, to prevent it falling out of tubular body 1, which is
very undesirable. For extraction, all that is necessary is to
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1 rotate the cap 10 so that, taking advan-tage of the particular
rounded shape o~ the sides of the mouth-piece 7, a ra~ial pushing
action is exerted on the mouth-piece 7, which moves the latter
inwardly to overcome the spring bias action exerted by the
elas-tic element 31,
From the above, it will be appreciated that for all
the descri~ed embodiments both the extraction and the retrac-tion
of the delivery mouth-piece 7 is achieved in a very simple manner
merely by appropriate rotation o~ the cap 10~
Furthermore, the rotation of cap 10, in addition to
controlling the retracted ana extracted position of the mouth-
piece 7 into -the tubular body 1, also ensures that in the re-
tracted position of the mouth-piece 7, any communcation with
the exterior of the tubular body 1 is prevented, thus giving the
highest guarantees of safety and hygiene.
It will also be appreciated that the embodiments de-
scribed a~ove achieve the objects discussed hereinbefore. Thus,
for example, no separate elements are necessary to close the in-
halation tube, since the closing means, as already mentioned,
are incorporated in the cap 10.
Of course, the invention can be su~jected to many mod-
ifications and changes within its scope. Many alterations can be
made thereto and all de-tails can be substituted for other tech-
nically equivalent elements without departing from -the scope of
the inveniton.
Practically, the materials used, provided that are
suitable to the specific use, as well as the dimensions and shapes
can be adapted to meet any particular requirement.
