Medicament inhaler and counting mechanism

Abstract

The present invention provides an inhaler for a medicament, which has a simple and compact structure. The present invention is an inhaler 100 which peels off a backing paper from one or more blister strips slowly in conjunction with the operation of a blister opening device, and sequentially supplies a single-use dose of a powdered medicament to a space which can be inhaled through an inhalation port 41. The inhaler 100 has a counting mechanism for prompting the number of remaining doses of a medicament individually packaged by a blister strip in conjunction with the operation of the blister opening device. The counting mechanism includes a counting dial 50 which is formed with a helical rack gear 52a on the back side, and on the front side, information indicating the number of remaining doses of a medicament is sequentially arranged along the helical rack gear 52a, and a pinion 60 which is fitted into the rack gear 52a, and rotates in a fixed direction in conjunction with the operation of the blister opening device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an inhaler for inhaling a powder medicine individually packed in a blister strip. If specifically explained, the present application is provided with a counting mechanism for prompting a user with the number of residual uses of the medicine. BACKGROUND

[0002] An inhaler for a patient to inhale a medicine for suppressing inflammation of a bronchus or promoting expansion of a bronchus (Patent Documents 1 to 4, etc.) is known from the past. This inhaler for a medicine is to directly administer a powder medicine to an inflammation site, i.e., a bronchus and a lung, by using the inhalation force of the patient himself / herself, and thus even a small amount of the medicine can be concentratedly applied to the site, and has an advantage that the occurrence of side effects can be suppressed and the manifestation of effects becomes fast.

[0003] In a general inhalation device, one or a plurality of blister strips are housed in a state of being wound in a spiral shape. As shown in Figure 5 A strip-shaped blister strip 200 in which a medicine is enclosed is configured by adhering an elongated base sheet 210 to the inner face of a backing paper 220 to each other. And, on this base sheet 210, a plurality of blisters 211, which become spaces in which the medicine is enclosed, are formed at fixed intervals in the length direction thereof. In each blister 211, only a required medicine in an amount suitable for one administration is put in, and at the time of administration, the backing paper 220 is slowly peeled from the base sheet 210 to expose the medicine in the appropriate amount. Further, the blister strip 200 in the inhaler encloses a medicine for treatment of a respiratory disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, or chest infection. Further, the medicine can be any known medicine. In particular, Patent Document 2 discloses an inhaler capable of taking out medicines from two blister strips respectively and mixing them in a collecting tube.

[0004] Further, Patent Documents 2 to 4 disclose a counting mechanism for prompting the number of residual medicines. The counting mechanism is linked to a lid for opening and closing an inhalation port and a peeling mechanism for peeling the backing paper from the blister strip. Specifically, if the lid of the inhalation port is opened, the backing paper is partially peeled from the blister strip by the peeling mechanism, and a one-use amount of the medicine is taken out from the blister strip. Then, at the same time, the number of residual medicines prompted by the counting mechanism is decreased by one.

[0005] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0006] PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-512147

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-502287

[0009] Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-526562

[0010] Patent Literature 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-113260 SUMMARY

[0011] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0012] However, the counting mechanism disclosed in Patent Literature 3, for example, indicates the units and the tens with separate dials. That is, when the dial indicating the units rotates one revolution, the dial indicating the tens is caused to rotate only by a predetermined angle, and the number indicating the tens is incremented by one. However, if the remaining number of two digits is indicated with two dials, there is a problem in that the structure of the counting mechanism is complicated, and the miniaturization of the inhaler is hindered. Also, there is a problem in that if any of the dial indicating the units and the dial indicating the tens is defective, the correct remaining number cannot be indicated. In particular, although the inhaler is an apparatus that handles a fine powder medicine, if the number of dials and gears constituting the counting mechanism increases, there is a concern that a defective condition in which fine particles of the medicine are caught between the dials and the gears, and the counting mechanism does not function properly, occurs.

[0013] In view of this, as shown in Patent Literature 4, for example, in order to simplify the structure of the counting mechanism, the remaining number of two or more digits can be marked near the outer periphery of one dial. However, in this case, the more the remaining number to be marked increases, the larger the diameter of the dial becomes, and as a result, there is a problem in that the size of the inhaler as a whole becomes large, and the design of the inhaler is greatly restricted.

[0014] Therefore, the main object of the present application is to provide a counting mechanism of simple and compact structure.

[0015] TECHNICAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0016] The present inventors have conducted intensive research on solutions to the problems of the prior art, and as a result, have obtained the following insight: by marking information indicating the remaining number of the medicine or the like in a spiral manner on a disc-shaped dial, even one dial having a small diameter can indicate a plurality of remaining numbers. Also, it was conceived that by providing a mechanism that rotates the dial in response to the operation of a blister unsealing device including an inhalation port cover, a lever, or the like, a simple and compact counting mechanism can be realized, and thus the present application was completed. If explained specifically, the present application has the following structure.

[0017] The first aspect of the present application relates to an inhaler of a powder medicine. The inhaler of the present application is provided with a blister opening device that opens a blister by peeling a backing paper from a blister strip. The blister opening device can be linked to the opening and closing operation of a suction port cover that opens and closes a suction port, for example, and can be linked to the raising and lowering operation of a lever provided independently of the suction port cover. In this way, the inhaler peels the backing paper from one or more blister strips slowly by means of the blister opening device, and sequentially supplies a single-use dose of the powder medicine to a space that can be inhaled through the suction port. That is, the inhaler of the present application can take out a single-use dose of the medicine from one blister strip, or can take out medicines from two or more blister strips and mix them to become a single-use dose. Furthermore, the inhaler of the present application is provided with a counting mechanism for prompting the remaining number of medicines individually packaged by the blister strip in conjunction with the operation of the blister opening device. Moreover, the "remaining number" can be expressed in a decreasing manner toward 0, or can be expressed in an increasing manner from 0. Even in the increasing manner, since the number of medicines is of course limited and the maximum number is determined, it is possible to inform the user of the maximum number in advance, thereby prompting the user of the remaining number of medicines. Furthermore, when the remaining number of blisters is zero, it is possible to set the counting dial to be unable to be further rotated, or to stop the drive system.

[0018] The counting mechanism of the inhaler is provided with a counting dial and a pinion. The counting dial is disc-shaped, and a helical rack gear is formed on the back surface side thereof, and information indicating the remaining number of medicines is helically arranged on the front surface side along the rack gear. Moreover, the "information indicating the remaining number of medicines" is information that is prompted by a known marking method such as printing or engraving, as long as it is marked on the front surface of the counting dial. The pinion is engaged with the rack gear, and rotates in a fixed direction in conjunction with the operation of the blister opening device. Although the rotation axis of the pinion is fixed and the position of the pinion does not move, the counting dial moves by the rotation of the pinion. Thus, among the information indicating the remaining number of medicines marked on the counting dial, the information that comes to a specific position (for example, directly above the rotation axis of the pinion) is the actual remaining number. In this way, in the present application, a plurality of numbers and the like are helically arranged and marked on the counting dial, so even in the case where the remaining number of two or more digits is prompted, for example, it is possible to integrate the numbers and the like into one counting dial with a smaller diameter and mark them in advance. Thus, it is not necessary to provide two counting dials or a larger-diameter dial in order to prompt the remaining number of two or more digits as in the related art, so it is possible to achieve the simplification and compactness of the structure of the counting mechanism.

[0019] The inhaler of the present application preferably has a window portion in its housing for visually confirming one of the information indicating the number of remaining medicaments among the information indicated on the counting scale. Thus, the number of remaining medicaments can be prompted by a form that is easily understood by the user.

[0020] In the inhaler of the present application, the counting mechanism preferably further includes a slide that restricts the moving direction of the counting scale to a fixed direction when the pinion rotates. By restricting the moving direction of the counting scale by providing the slide, the number of remaining medicaments can be stably prompted, and the blank space prepared in advance for the movement of the counting scale can be minimized.

[0021] The second aspect of the present application relates to a counting mechanism. The counting mechanism of the second aspect of the present application can be widely used as a device for prompting the number of uses not only as a counting mechanism for an inhaler. If specifically described, the counting mechanism includes: a counting scale formed with a helical rack gear on the back side, and a helical array of information indicating the number of uses on the front side along the rack gear; and a pinion that is fitted into the rack gear and rotates in a fixed direction in conjunction with the use operation.

[0022] Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to the present application, a counting mechanism of simple and compact structure can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the inhaler of the present application from the front side.

[0025] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inhaler of FIG. 1 with the mouthpiece cover and the top cover removed. Figure 1 FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inhaler of FIG. 1 with the mouthpiece cover and the top cover removed.

[0026] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of the internal configuration centered on the counting mechanism for an embodiment of the inhaler of the present application.

[0027] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing the configuration of an embodiment of the counting mechanism of the present application.

[0028] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 FIG. 6 is a view showing the outline of the blister strip housed in the inhaler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following describes specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the manner described below, but also includes appropriate modifications that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0030] Figure 1 This illustrates one embodiment of the inhaler 100 of the present invention. Figure 1 The inhaler 100 shown has two bubble strips 200 inside its housing 20 (see reference). Figure 5 In this inhaler 100, if the inhalation port cover 10 installed on the housing 20 is opened, the inhalation port for the medication is exposed. Furthermore, the opening and closing action of the inhalation port cover 10 is linked to a peeling mechanism inside the housing 20. Thus, in this embodiment, the inhalation port cover 10 and the peeling mechanism constitute a blister opening device. When the inhalation port cover 10 is opened, the peeling mechanism partially peels off the backing paper 220 of the two blister strips 200, and the powdered medication taken from the blister 211 of the substrate sheet 210 is supplied to the collection tube and mixed within it. This mixed medication can then be inhaled through the inhalation port. Such a peeling mechanism linked to the inhalation port cover 10 is already known to the public, as shown in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4, and various peeling mechanisms known to the public at the time of application may also be appropriately employed in the inhaler 100 of the present invention. Therefore, in this application specification, detailed illustrations and descriptions of the peeling mechanism for the blister strips 200 are omitted.

[0031] And, as Figure 1 As shown, the outer casing 20 is constructed by combining a top cover 21 and a bottom cover 22, forming a space for housing the blister pack 200 and other internal mechanisms. The top cover 21 is a cover member covering the front side of the inhaler 100, and a window 21a extending through the cover in the thickness direction is formed in a portion thereon. The user can visually confirm the remaining amount of medication indicated by the counting mechanism housed inside the outer casing 20 through the window 21a of the top cover 21. Figure 1 In the example shown, the remaining amount of medication is indicated as "30". The counting mechanism is linked to the aforementioned inhalation cap 10 or the peeling mechanism; if the inhalation cap 10, which is in the closed state, is opened, the remaining amount indicated by the counting mechanism decreases by one (or increases). The feature of the present invention is that it has such a counting mechanism for indicating the remaining amount of medication, etc. Therefore, the specific contents of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to this counting mechanism.

[0032] Figure 2 Indicates from Figure 1 The inhaler 100 shown is in the state with the inhalation port cover 10 and the top cover 21 removed. Figure 2As shown in the figure, a housing 30 mainly accommodating two blister strips 200 and a peeling mechanism of the blister strips 200 is provided inside the case 20, and a mouthpiece 40 having a suction port 41 communicating with a manifold 42 is provided on the suction side of the housing 30. Further, the housing 30 is a structure in which an upper cover 31 on the top cover 21 side and a lower cover 32 on the bottom cover 22 side are combined. In the inhaler 100 of the present application, the mouthpiece 40 in which the suction port 41 is formed is exposed by opening the suction port cover 10. The user can inhale the two kinds of medicaments mixed in the manifold 42 through the suction port 41 by inhaling in a state of holding the mouthpiece 40. Further, the mouthpiece 40 and the manifold 42 can be separate parts or one part.

[0033] Next, as shown in the figure, Figures 2 to 4 The inhaler 100 has a counting mechanism for prompting the user of the number of remaining medicaments. The counting mechanism is linked with the opening and closing of the suction port cover 10, and is configured to decrease (or increase) the number of remaining medicaments by moving the suction port cover 10 from the closed state to the open state. Figure 3 (a) is a perspective view of the front side indicating a state in which the suction port cover 10 and the case 20 are removed from the inhaler 100, Figure 3 (a) is a perspective view of the back side of the same state. Figure 3 (a) mainly indicates the counting mechanism, Figure 3 (b) indicates a linkage mechanism for linking the operation of the counting mechanism and the suction port cover 10. Further, Figure 4 In order to easily understand the operation of each element constituting the counting mechanism, each element is schematically extracted. Figure 4 (a) mainly indicates the front side of the counting mechanism, and in Figure 4 (b), the back side of the counting mechanism is mainly indicated in perspective.

[0034] As shown in the figures, the counting mechanism has a counting scale 50 and a pinion 60 as main constituent elements. Further, the counting mechanism has a slide 70 as a preferred element. In the present embodiment, the elements 50, 60, and 70 constituting the counting mechanism are disposed on the upper cover 31 side of the housing 30, specifically, between the upper cover 31 of the housing 30 and the top cover 21 of the case 20.

[0035] The counting scale 50 is a disc-shaped member in which information indicating the number of remaining medicaments 51a is spirally arranged on the front side 51 in the form of numbers, letters, figures, colors, or symbols, and a helical rack gear 52a is formed on the back side 52 in a manner corresponding to the arrangement of the information. In the present embodiment, the counting scale 50 is disposed on the upper cover 31 side of the housing 30, specifically, between the upper cover 31 of the housing 30 and the top cover 21 of the case 20. Figure 4In the illustrated example, the maximum number of uses of the medicament is "30", and the number "0" (zero) is marked near the center of the front face 51 of the counting scale 50, and the numbers marked with "0" to "30" are arranged in a spiral shape extending from there toward the outer periphery. In this case, the maximum number of uses of the medicament is initially prompted to the user by the counting mechanism, and the number of remaining uses of the medicament prompted by the counting mechanism is decreased toward "0" each time the suction port cover 10 is opened and closed. Further, the number "30" corresponding to the maximum number of uses can also be marked near the center of the counting scale 50 in advance, and the numbers marked with "30" to "0" can be arranged in a spiral shape extending from there toward the outer periphery. In this case, the number of remaining uses is increased from "0" toward "30". Further, a spiral-shaped rack gear 52a corresponding to the series of numbers is formed on the back face 52 of the counting scale 50. Specifically, in the case where the numbers are connected by an imaginary line in ascending or descending order, the spiral-shaped rack gear 52a identical to the spiral of the imaginary line is formed directly below the imaginary line.

[0036] The pinion 60 is a small-diameter circular gear formed on the back face 52 of the counting scale 50 and engaged with the rack gear 52a. The pinion 60 is linked to the suction port cover 10 by a linkage mechanism described later, and rotates in the fixing direction in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the suction port cover 10. In this way, by the engagement of the pinion 60 with the spiral-shaped rack gear 52a, the rotational motion of the pinion 60 is converted into linear motion along the spiral-shaped rack gear 52a. The pinion 60 itself is fixed in position within the inhaler 100 and rotates in the fixing direction with the rotational axis as the center, but the position of the rotational axis does not change due to the rotation. On the other hand, in conjunction with the rotation of the fixed pinion 60, the position of the counting scale 50 changes along the rack gear 52a. The direction of change in the position of the counting scale 50 is preferably limited by the slide 70.

[0037] The slide 70 is an element for limiting the direction of movement of the counting scale 50 to the fixing direction. In the present embodiment, the slide 70 is provided on the upper cover 31 of the housing 30. The slide 70 is provided at a position abutting against the outer periphery of the counting scale 50. Therefore, if the counting scale 50 starts to move in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion 60, the counting scale 50 slides along the slide 70 while slowly moving in the direction in which the slide 70 extends. The direction in which the slide 70 extends can be appropriately designed in consideration of the space before and after the movement of the counting scale 50.

[0038] As shown in (a) of FIG. 6, the position of the window portion 21a formed in the top cover 21 of the housing 20 is fixed. For example, as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, the window portion 21a is formed in the top cover 21 so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the center of the counting scale 50. In this case, the window portion 21a is formed so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the center of the counting scale 50, and the counting scale 50 is moved in the direction in which the slide 70 extends while sliding along the slide 70. Therefore, the window portion 21a is moved in the direction in which the counting scale 50 moves, and the position of the window portion 21a is changed in conjunction with the movement of the counting scale 50. Figure 4 (a) of FIG. 6, the position of the window portion 21a formed in the top cover 21 of the housing 20 is fixed. For example, as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, the window portion 21a is formed in the top cover 21 so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the center of the counting scale 50. In this case, the window portion 21a is formed so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the center of the counting scale 50, and the counting scale 50 is moved in the direction in which the slide 70 extends while sliding along the slide 70. Therefore, the window portion 21a is moved in the direction in which the counting scale 50 moves, and the position of the window portion 21a is changed in conjunction with the movement of the counting scale 50. Figure 4As shown, the window 21a is preferably positioned directly above the pinion 60. However, the window 21a can be positioned directly above the pinion 60 as long as it overlaps with the counting dial 50 before and after its movement, and overlaps with the imaginary spiral line connecting the remaining quantity 51a of the medicine marked on the counting dial 50. Thus, since the position of the window 21a remains unchanged, if the counting dial 50 moves in a fixed direction along with the rotation of the pinion 60, the number of remaining quantities 51a that can be visually confirmed through the window 21a will change. Specifically, from... Figure 4 (a) to Figure 4 (b) Schematic representation of the relative positional relationships of the counting dial 50, pinion 60, slide 70, and window 21a as the counting dial 50 moves. From these figures, we can see that as the counting dial 50 rotates along the slide 70 and moves in a fixed direction, the number of remaining reagents 51a, which can be visually confirmed through the window 21a, decreases one by one.

[0039] Next, refer to Figure 3 The linkage mechanism that links the inlet cover 10 to the aforementioned counting mechanism is described in detail. Furthermore, Figure 3 The linkage mechanism shown also serves to link the peeling mechanism of the two blister strips with the inlet cap 10. This linkage mechanism is configured to include a hub gear 81, a ratchet gear 82, two indexing wheels 83a and 83b, two base drums 84a and 84b, four idler gears 85a to 85d, and a relay gear 86.

[0040] First, such as Figure 3(b) shows that when the intake cover 10 is switched from a closed state to an open state, the intake cover 10 rotates about its pivot point in the direction indicated by the arrow. The pivot point of the intake cover 10 engages with a hub gear 81 located near the center of the lower cover 32 side of the housing 30. If the intake cover 10 is rotated at a fixed angle, the hub gear 81 also rotates at the same angle in the same direction as the intake cover 10. This hub gear 81 engages with a ratchet gear 82, which in turn engages with two idler gears (a first idler gear 85a and a third idler gear 85c). The ratchet gear 82 is configured to transmit the rotational motion of the hub gear 81 in a fixed direction to the first and third idler gears 85a and 85c, but for rotational motion in the opposite direction, it idles without transmitting motion to the two idler gears 85a and 85c. Specifically, when the state of the intake cover 10 is changed from closed to open, the rotational motion of the hub gear 81 is transmitted to the first and third inertial gears 85a and 85c through the ratchet gear 82. When the state of the intake cover 10 is changed from open to closed, the rotational motion of the hub gear 81 is not transmitted to the two inertial gears 85a and 85c.

[0041] The ratchet gear 82, which engages with the hub gear 81, is first connected to the first indexing gear 83a via a first idler gear 85a. That is, rotational motion is transmitted in the order of ratchet gear 82, first idler gear 85a, and first indexing gear 83a. Therefore, while the first idler gear 85a rotates in the opposite direction to the hub gear 81, the first indexing gear 83a rotates in the same direction as the hub gear 81. Furthermore, the first idler gear 85a is connected to the second indexing gear 83b via a second idler gear 85b. That is, rotational motion is transmitted in the order of ratchet gear 82, first idler gear 85a, second idler gear 85b, and second indexing gear 83b. Therefore, while the second idler gear 85b rotates in the same direction as the hub gear 81, the first idler gear 85a and the second indexing gear 83b rotate in the opposite direction to the hub gear 81. In this way, the two indexing wheels 83a and 83b are linked to the action of opening the inlet cover 10 and rotate in opposite directions.

[0042] The indexing rollers 83a and 83b are responsible for peeling the backing paper 220 from the blister pack 200. The rotation axis of each indexing roller 83a and 83b is located near the beginning of the backing paper 220 (or base sheet 210) of the blister pack 200, which is engaged within the housing 30. The rotation of the indexing rollers 83a and 83b applies a pulling force to the blister pack 200 to separate the backing paper 220 from the base sheet 210. The peeling mechanism is configured such that the backing paper 220 is peeled from both blister packs 200 almost simultaneously by the two indexing rollers 83a and 83b, thereby mixing the medication taken from the blister packs 200 within the collecting tube 42.

[0043] On the other hand, the ratchet gear 82, which engages with the hub gear 81, is also connected to the first base drum 84a via a third idler gear 85c. That is, rotational motion is transmitted in the order of ratchet gear 82, third idler gear 85c, and first base drum 84a. Therefore, while the third idler gear 85c rotates in the opposite direction to the hub gear 81, the first base drum 84a rotates in the same direction as the hub gear 81. Furthermore, the third idler gear 85c is connected to the second base drum 84b via a fourth idler gear 85d. That is, rotational motion is transmitted in the order of ratchet gear 82, third idler gear 85c, fourth idler gear 85d, and second base drum 84b. Therefore, while the fourth idler gear 85d rotates in the same direction as the hub gear 81, the third idler gear 85c and the second base drum 84b rotate in the opposite direction to the hub gear 81. In this way, the two base rollers 84a and 84b are linked to the action of opening the suction port cover 10 and rotate in opposite directions.

[0044] The base rolls 84a and 84b are responsible for pulling the blister strip 200 sequentially toward the indexing rollers 83a and 83b. The rotation shafts of each base roll 84a and 84b are engaged within the housing 30 near the end of the blister strip 200. Before use, the elongated blister strip 200 is wound around the rotation shafts of each base roll 84a and 84b. Then, in conjunction with opening the suction inlet cover 10, the base rolls 84a and 84b rotate, thereby feeding the blister strip 200 toward the indexing rollers 83a and 83b. In the peeling mechanism, the beginning of the blister strip 220 is pre-mounted near the rotation shaft of the indexing rollers 83a and 83b, and the end of the blister strip 200 is pre-mounted near the rotation shaft of the base rolls 84a and 84b, thereby applying a fixed tension from the beginning to the end without slack.

[0045] And, as Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the rotation axis of the second base roll 84b extends through the thickness direction from the lower cover 32 to the upper cover 31 of the housing 30. Furthermore, the rotation axis of the second base roll 84b is coupled to the center of the relay gear 86 provided on the upper cover 31 side of the housing 30, and also functions as the rotation axis of this relay gear 86. Moreover, this relay gear 86 engages with the pinion 60 constituting the aforementioned counting mechanism. Therefore, if the second base roll 84b rotates along with the opening of the inhalation port cover 10, rotational motion is sequentially transmitted to the relay gear 86, the pinion 60, and the counting dial 50 in conjunction with this. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, although the second base roll 84b is connected to the relay gear 86, the first base roll 84a can also be connected to the relay gear 86. Thus, in the inhaler 100 of this embodiment, the inhalation port cover 10 is configured to be linked to the counting mechanism and the peeling mechanism via a linkage mechanism. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by opening the inlet cover 10 once, the remaining count on the counting dial 50, which can be visually confirmed through the window 21a, is adjusted to decrease (or increase) by one. This can be easily achieved by appropriately adjusting the size of the gear or the interval of the remaining count marked on the counting dial 50.

[0046] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above illustrate an example where the inhalation cap 10 is linked to the peeling mechanism and these components constitute a blister opening device, the blister opening device of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a lever that can be manually raised or lowered may be pre-installed independently of the inhalation cap 10, and this lever may be linked to the peeling mechanism. In this case, it is not necessary to link the inhalation cap 10 to the peeling mechanism. The method of use is that after lowering the lever and actuating the peeling mechanism, the inhalation cap 10 can be opened to become a state where the medication can be inhaled, or the lever can be lowered and the peeling mechanism actuated after opening the inhalation cap 10 to become a state where the medication can be inhaled. Moreover, the components linked to the peeling mechanism are not limited to the inhalation cap 10 and the lever; push-button or handle-type components may also be used.

[0047] The above description, in order to illustrate the content of this invention, refers to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 The embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes modifications and improvements that are obvious to those skilled in the art based on the matters described in this application specification.

[0048] Industrial availability

[0049] This invention relates to inhalers for powdered pharmaceutical preparations or their counting mechanisms. Therefore, this invention is applicable, for example, in the pharmaceutical industry.

[0050] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0051] 10: Inhalation port cover

[0052] 20: Outer shell

[0053] 21: Top Cover

[0054] 21a: Window

[0055] 22: Bottom cover

[0056] 30: Shell

[0057] 31: Top Cover

[0058] 32: Bottom cover

[0059] 40: Mouthpiece

[0060] 41: Suction port

[0061] 42: Manifold

[0062] 50: Counting dial

[0063] 51: Front

[0064] 51a: Residual number

[0065] 52: Back

[0066] 52a: Rack and pinion gear

[0067] 60: Small gear

[0068] 70: Slide

[0069] 81: Hub gear

[0070] 82: Ratchet gear

[0071] 83a, 83b: Indexing wheel

[0072] 84a, 84b: Base roll

[0073] 85a~85d: Inert gears

[0074] 86: Relay Gear

[0075] 100: Inhaler

[0076] 200: Blister strip

[0077] 210: Base plate

[0078] 211: Blister

[0079] 220: Base paper

Claims

1. An inhaler, characterized in that, This device is used to slowly peel off the backing paper from one or more blister packs using a blister opener, thereby sequentially supplying a single-use dose of powdered medication into a space that can be inhaled through an inhalation port. The inhaler has a counting mechanism that is linked to the action of the blister pack opening device to indicate the remaining quantity of the medication, individually packaged via the blister pack. The counting mechanism includes: A counting dial has a helical rack and pinion formed on its back side, and information indicating the remaining quantity of the medicine is spirally arranged along the rack and pinion on its front side; and The pinion gear is engaged with the rack and pinion gear and rotates in a fixed direction in conjunction with the action of the blister opening device.

2. The inhaler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing of the inhaler has: A window is provided for visually confirming, from the outside of the housing, one of the pieces of information marked on the counting dial indicating the remaining quantity of the drug.

3. The inhaler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The counting mechanism further includes: A slide rail that restricts the movement of the counting dial to a fixed direction when the pinion rotates.

4. A counting mechanism, characterized in that, include: A counting dial has a helical rack and pinion formed on its back side, and information indicating the number of uses is spirally arranged along the rack and pinion on its front side; and The pinion is engaged with the rack and pinion and rotates in a fixed direction in conjunction with its operation.

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