Inhalation device

Abstract

To provide an inhaler device provided with medicament carriers containing individual pockets or blisters of powdered medicament covered by a lidding sheet such as lidding foil.SOLUTION: An inhaler device (701) provides a common actuator (710) for controlling movement of indexing systems (712, 714) for advancing / indexing a dose, and provides opening systems (790, 791) for opening a dose such that progression of the opening systems (790, 791) is disproportional to progression of the indexing systems (712, 714) during movement of the common actuator (710).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 66

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inhalation device, and more particularly to a device provided with a drug carrier for accommodating individual pockets or blisters of a powder drug covered with a lid sheet such as a lid foil.

Background Art

[0002] Delivering a drug in aerosol form to the airway using an inhalation device is a known and effective method for treating diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aerosol can be in the form of a liquid or a powder.

[0003] Dry powder devices often aerosolize and deliver dry powder drugs using the patient's inhalation air stream. One advantage is that the user does not need to coordinate another action with inhalation, such as depressing a canister or pressing a button to release a propellant.

[0004] Various different types of dry powder inhalers are known.

[0005] A first group of devices holds the powder drug in a storage container and meters the dose before delivery. These devices often have poor dose metering accuracy and may be difficult to protect the bulk powder from moisture.

[0006] Also known are pre-metered dry powder devices, which perform accurate dose metering as part of the manufacturing process and each dose is independently protected from moisture.

[0007] The individual doses used in pre-metered devices are typically held in either gelatin capsules or foil blisters. Capsule-based inhalation devices can be simple and low-cost, but typically the patient needs to load the capsule into the inhaler before each use. Also, capsules are not particularly effective for environmental protection. This generally requires the use of a secondary foil-based packaging, increasing the number and complexity of steps in the order of use.

[0008] Blister packaging tends to be more environmentally friendly due to the use of aluminum foil in its structure. Blister packs can also be more convenient for users, as they can contain enough product for several uses, ideally enough for a month.

[0009] Since most current asthma or COPD medications are used once or twice a day, inhalers should be designed to hold doses for 30 or 60 doses. To allow these doses to be packaged in a conveniently sized device, blisters can be configured in disc or elongated strip form. Each blister must be opened before inhalation, and when the patient inhales the powder, the powder is carried from the device into the patient's lungs by the inhaled airflow. Before and after each inhalation, or between inhalations, the pack should be separated by a blister, and any empty blister should be replaced with an unused one.

[0010] Various methods for opening blister packs and extracting the contents are known from prior art.

[0011] Patent Document 1 discloses an inhalation device that uses a disc-shaped blister pack. The dosage is arranged in a circular pattern, and each disc contains eight blisters. A plunger is used to puncture each blister, allowing the medicine inside the blister to be inhaled. A separate indexing mechanism rotates the disc to move unused blisters into place.

[0012] While mechanically simple, the challenge with this device is that, in order to reduce the size of the device and simplify its operation, the number of doses is limited to eight. To configure a disk-based device to accommodate 30 or 60 doses while remaining of an acceptable size would require a change in pocket shape or a significantly more complex device with either multiple disks or dose cavities formed by (for example) concentric or spiral patterns.

[0013] This problem can be partially addressed by providing a similar device having a blister in the form of an elongated strip. The elongated strip can be coiled within the suction device to minimize the required packaging space. Separate indexing and perforating mechanisms can be provided, or a single operating lever can be provided to first index the blister strip and then perforate the blister to prepare it for suction.

[0014] A drawback applicable to blister stripping devices as described above is that the blister-perforating action tends to involve a perforating element that occupies and partially occupies the blister. As a result, perforable blisters typically need to be two or three times the volume of the required dose in order to provide space for the perforator and allow the drug to move freely and be drawn into the airflow.

[0015] An alternative method involves using blister strips with peelable lids, where the inhaler sequentially peels off the lid of each blister before each inhalation. Such inhaler mechanisms are typically more complex because they require management of both the used base sheet / foil and the used lid sheet or lid foil. However, since the blister does not require a perforator and the lid is completely removed, the blister only needs to be large enough to contain the powdered medication. Therefore, smaller blisters can be used for a given dose size.

[0016] Patent Document 2 discloses a well-known peelable stripping device. This device houses a coil of sealed blister, a coil of used base sheets, and a separate coil of used lid sheets. The base and lid sheets are separated at an opening station, where the lid is peeled from the base as the strip is indexed. Thus, all three coils move simultaneously. The main stripping drive is a drum incorporating a recess that engages with the blister of the base sheet, while the base and lid sheet coils are also driven to ensure that the used strip is reliably coiled after use. The used base sheet / foil is loosely wound, while the used lid sheet is tightly wound to maintain the tension necessary to reliably separate it from the base sheet.

[0017] Patent Document 3 discloses a modification of this apparatus, incorporating two blister strips that are indexed and opened in the same manner. The two strips are arranged so that when opened, two unused blisters are placed on either side of a single air passage manifold. Thus, the contents of both blisters can be inhaled simultaneously. A potential advantage of this method is that two separate drugs or combinations of drugs can be contained in separate blisters while still being inhaled together.

[0018] One serious misuse that can occur with peelable strip devices is that blister opening occurs when the strip is indexed, rather than through a separate action as in most perforated blister devices. Typically, user input in such devices is directly linked to a set of components that simultaneously index and peel the strip, presenting the opened blister pocket to the air passage in which the user inhales. As a result, the blister may open when the operating mechanism is only partially moved. This is particularly problematic in devices where the operating mechanism is driven by the device's mouthpiece cover rather than a separate operating lever. If a patient opens the cover to, for example, inspect or clean the mouthpiece, the blister may be partially or completely opened, and the contents of the blister may be exposed to ambient moisture. The user may then return the mouthpiece cover to the closed position without realizing the potential deterioration of the now-exposed formulation. If the cover is then fully opened and inhaled, there is a risk of inhaling an infectious dose. Even if the user does not realize that the blister has been opened prematurely and does not use the relevant dose, that dose is still wasted.

[0019] This problem can be mitigated by providing an inhaler with a respiratory action mechanism that allows the blister strip to be opened by the operation of a lever or mouthpiece cover, but so that individual blisters are opened only when the user inhales. For example, Patent Document 4 discloses a device having a strip comprising a base sheet and a lid sheet that are permanently sealed to each other, and a further tear sheet that is locally bonded to the lid sheet above each blister cavity and can tear a portion of the lid sheet away from the rest of the blister. When the device is operated, the blister strip is opened, but no tension is applied to the lid tear sheet until the exhalation-activated trigger releases a spring that drives the lid tear sheet winding mechanism. Although effective, including a respiratory action mechanism significantly complicates the inhaler, and the configuration of the tear strip is not standard in the manufacture of blister strips.

[0020] As discussed in Patent Document 5, one alternative approach is to provide a delay activation mechanism, i.e., a mechanism that does not activate the indexing and opening mechanisms during the first movement of the mouthpiece cover. By delaying activation, the risk of accidental activation is reduced. However, there is still a risk that the device may partially activate if the cover does not open completely.

[0021] Therefore, there is a need for an improved inhalation device suitable for use with one or more pharmaceutical carriers, which has a simple means that allows a patient to move an activation lever or cover without accidentally opening a blister and exposing the drug. Ideally, the lever or cover should be reversibly movable over most of its travel, and the point at which the blister is opened should be near the end of the activation movement and clearly distinguishable by the patient.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0022]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0023] An object of the present invention is to provide an inhalation device that alleviates or overcomes some or all of the above problems while being ideally suitable for use with a conventional pharmaceutical carrier such as a standard blister strip.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0024] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inhaler device as defined in claim 1 of the claims. Any further optional features are described in the relevant dependent claims.

[0025] A further aspect of the present invention provides an inhaler device as defined in claim 31 of the claims. Any further optional features are described in the relevant dependent claims.

[0026] The present invention disconnects or at least partially separates the dispensing operation and the peeling operation during use of the inhaler device. For example, this makes it possible for the dispensing and the peeling to start at different times, and / or delays one or more specific points in one or more peeling operations (such as points at which one or more doses are considered to be damaged, such as points at which one or more dose pockets start to be opened) to a more desired point in the operation of the device, without necessarily delaying one or more dispensing operations similarly.

[0027] Using user input to the device, such as opening and closing a cap or operating a lever / button, the dispensing of one or more pharmaceutical carriers is first started, and then the peeling of one or more lid sheets / foils from one or more individual blisters is started to present the formulation to the air passage.

[0028] Thus, the present invention makes it possible for the user to open the device at a desired "commitment" point without starting the peeling of one or more lid sheets / foils or at least without exposing the blister pockets of the formulation. This means reducing the chance of wasting doses and also reducing the chance of inhaling a degraded formulation.

[0029] The detection point will generally be located at or near the end of the actuator's movement, for example, at or close to the end of the mouthpiece opening motion. However, it may be provided at any point after the indexing motion has started. For example, the action of peeling and opening individual blisters of drug carriers may coincide with or overlap with a part of the indexing motion.

[0030] A device is known that uses a series of geared components to deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from two separate blister strips.

[0031] A simple mechanical solution when designing this type of strip-based device is to connect the user input (usually either a lever / button or the device's cap) directly to a set of components that simultaneously index and peel off blister strips. Individual doses or blisters within one or more blister strips are then peeled off and presented to a single / common airway for the user to inhale.

[0032] One common drawback of this system is that partially opening the cap (or partially pressing down the lever / button) partially advances the dosage, partially or completely opening the associated blister pocket. Subsequently, the release or return of the actuator may return the blister to the "unopened" position or leave it in the position it reached, without informing the user of the deterioration of the currently exposed formulation.

[0033] This problem can be solved by storing energy in a spring and releasing it at the end of the cap opening or lever operation to simultaneously index and peel the strip. However, this requires a very strong spring, especially since the force required to index the strip will potentially change if the strip gets stuck in the device. This increases the force required for input, negatively impacting the user's "feel" or feedback while using the device.

[0034] Another known solution is to delay the start of the (indexing and separation) operation until partway through the cap release / actuation sequence. However, this reduces the range of motion over which the user can input the necessary energy into the system (the user must input all the necessary energy in a single part of the cap release or lever operation), which creates similar challenges to those of the strong spring engagement described above.

[0035] In the system according to the present invention, relevant parts of the peeling operation, such as the part or stage of the operation that exposes a ready-to-inhale dose, can be delayed relative to the start of the indexing operation. More generally, at least a portion of the peeling operation can be delayed relative to the equivalent portion of the indexing operation. For example, the start of peeling can be delayed relative to the start of indexing, and / or the point at which the peeling operation has progressed 30% can be delayed relative to the point at which the indexing operation has progressed 30%. The point at which the dose is exposed can be delayed to the latest possible moment between cap opening or the operation of an alternative actuator.

[0036] In conventional systems, indexing and delamination can only be achieved simultaneously. The delamination and indexing operations are mechanically linked, and their progression is substantially balanced, making it impossible to delay one relative to the other, as described above. Separating or separating the two operations could result in the indexing and delamination components / system moving unbalanced from a single actuator. Therefore, the benefit of delaying the delamination operation can be combined with a smoother user experience and improved feedback, because the indexing of the device can still occur throughout the entire operation of the actuator.

[0037] Considerable development work was required to provide a solution to the challenge of delaying at least part of the "peeling" action that opens or exposes the inhalation dose, thereby separating or detaching it from the indexing of the inhalation device. This solution can be broadly categorized into one of two main methods: either adjusting the tension of the lid sheet at the pre-peeling stage to a level below the tension required for peeling—i.e., eliminating or reducing tension to a certain extent—or maintaining the pre-peeling position relative to the drug carrier by using a movable "peeling beak."

[0038] <Adjusting the tension of the lid sheet> This involves initially digging out the drug carrier under the position occupied by the air passage during inhalation, and the peeling front (i.e., the position where the lid sheet or foil is removed from the drug carrier) substantially moves with the next unopened blister of the drug carrier. For example, the peeled lid sheet may be folded over one or more unopened blisters within the drug carrier during the initial digging. The lid sheet winding system can then be operated, or enabled to be operated, to apply tension to a specific point during the operation of the actuator, peeling the lid sheet under the air passage and exposing the opened blister to the air passage.

[0039] In this embodiment, since there is nothing to actively maintain the position of the pre-detachment (detachment separation line), tension should not be applied to the lid sheet during the indexing operation, or the tension on the lid sheet should be released or "retracted" to ensure that detachment does not occur until the desired moment.

[0040] <Moving detachment beak> This option involves the use of a specific component (for each drug carrier) that moves substantially with the drug carrier, and this component keeps the peeling prong substantially stationary relative to the drug carrier during extraction. The moving / movable peeling prong then moves relative to the drug carrier at a desired point, allowing the peeling / opening of a desired number of blisters / pockets. For example, the peeling prong may be released, and the tension of the lid sheet may pull the peeling prong back, thus allowing peeling to occur.

[0041] In some cases, the inclusion of a moving detachment beak can create related challenges that may require attention. The space through which the detachment beak must pass may result in a gap between the newly detached blister and the airway. This can be resolved in various ways, including, but not limited to, the movement of part or all of the airway or the movement of the drug carrier.

[0042] • Movement of part or all of the air passage - The air passage can move into the gap between the air passage and the drug carrier (which was previously occupied or passed through by the detachable beak), and this can be achieved in many ways, including: ··Connecting the detachable beak portion and the air passage portion - The movable detachable beak portion component may include a portion of the air passage (e.g., an extra portion of the air passage or the entire air passage) that moves (e.g., rotates or translates) with the detachable beak portion, or may be attached to a portion of the air passage and be able to fill gaps previously occupied or passed through by the detachable beak portion. • Separation of the moving airway - A portion of the airway (e.g., an extra portion of the airway or the entire airway) can move toward the drug carrier (e.g., by rotation or translation, or other more complex movement) after the dissection beak has performed / enabled / enabled dissection, closing the gap previously occupied or passed through by the dissection beak.

[0043] • Movement of the drug carrier - The drug carrier can move toward the air passage (e.g., by parallel movement) after / during the rotation of the detachment beak, for example by an indexing component or another component, and close the gap previously occupied or passed through by the detachment beak.

[0044] The movement of the detaching beak and the movement of the indexing components can be linked by a single component or mechanism, or driven simultaneously.

[0045] Both the option of delamination below the intake position of the air passage and the option of using a movable delamination beak generally require that the lid sheet winding system be able to substantially move the delamination front together with the drug carrier.

[0046] One way to achieve this is to position the lid sheet winding system at a location where the distance between the winding system (during peeling) and the starting and ending positions of the peeling pre-section is substantially the same. For example, the winding system may be located on (or near) the perpendicular bisector of the movement of the peeling pre-section. Similarly, this effect can be achieved by positioning the lid sheet winding system at a location where the distance between the winding system and the starting position of the peeling pre-section (at the start of peeling) is greater than the distance between the winding system and the ending position of the peeling pre-section (at the end of peeling). For example, the winding system may be located across a line perpendicular to both the lines drawn through the starting and ending positions of the peeling pre-section and the lines drawn through the ending position of the peeling pre-section (i.e., on the opposite side from the starting position of the peeling pre-section), thus only needing to operate in one direction (i.e., winding the lid sheet / foil).

[0047] An alternative approach is to configure the lid sheet winding system so that several lid sheets, for example, one index length of a lid sheet (the length of a lid sheet / foil related to a single index step or dosage), can be "released." This means that when a delamination event occurs, it is necessary to wind up an extra length of lid sheet, for example, a total length equal to two index lengths. Conventional winding systems are unidirectional and do not anticipate the need to release tension and / or travel in the opposite direction. Providing this functionality can be achieved in various ways. Some examples are given below.

[0048] <Spring tension> If a movable peeling beak is provided, a spring element can be incorporated into the drive system of the winding system. The system then allows several lid sheets to be automatically released from the indexing system under sufficient tension. This forced release generates excess spring potential energy, which then causes the extra winding required during peeling. Spring biasing can be provided in various ways, including, for example, the following: • Spring-type winding drum or other winding system (such as a coil spring incorporated into the winding drum or hub) • Spring-loaded compound gears or other spring-loaded elements located elsewhere in the drivetrain • A lid sheet material that can elastically deform and store energy, or • Spring-induced tension in the lid sheet, for example, One or more spring-type tensioners acting on the lid sheet. A winding system that springs up from the detachable beak, for example, a winding drum attached to a spring-loaded arm.

[0049] By combining the spring-induced tension of the lid sheet with the active movement of the tension component, the system can reduce the maximum force acting on one or more lid sheets / springs.

[0050] In known systems, the inclusion of springs in the drive system of the winding mechanism was simply to compensate for the expansion of the winding drum's diameter as used sheets are wound up during use. Springs had not previously been considered as a means of moving the winding system in the opposite direction during indexing.

[0051] <Control tension> This method involves actively controlling (e.g., reducing or releasing) a sufficient amount of tension on the cover sheet so that the pre-detachment section moves substantially with the required amount of chemical carrier, thereby avoiding substantial or undesirable detachment. Several methods can be used to achieve this, including moving the winding system, reversing the winding system, releasing the tensioner, and keeping the strip and pre-detachment section substantially stationary during indexing.

[0052] • Movement of the winding system - The winding system (usually the winding drum) is moved, for example, by moving the winding system parallel to the peeling front by a factor of 1, allowing a sufficient amount of the lid sheet to be released or moved so that the peeling front moves by the same distance.

[0053] • Reversing the winding system - releasing the clutch or similar mechanism, for example, disengaging the ratchet set of the winding system, or actively reversing the winding system by the required amount (for example, attaching the winding drum to a ratchet wheel that rotates at the appropriate angle to allow the cover sheet to slacken sufficiently, and then rotating it in the opposite direction during peeling).

[0054] • Tensioner release - removing or moving the tension member from the cover sheet tension path, releasing a certain distance (e.g., 1 division distance) of the sheet, allowing the sheet to be partially or completely straightened to the extent that the peeling front portion can move substantially with the strip.

[0055] • Keeping the strip and peel-off front substantially stationary during indexing - Indexing is performed without moving the strip or peel-off front, for example, by rotating the strip by the required distance on the indexing wheel while simultaneously moving the indexing wheel the same distance toward the winding system, thereby effectively keeping the strip and peel-off front stationary.

[0056] Another advantage of separating indexing and stripping is that it allows part of the device's operation, such as indexing one or both wheels in a double stripping device, to be performed during cap closing (or another similar reversal motion of the actuator). The required user input can then be distributed over a larger range of motion, i.e., across one or more parts of the actuator's operation, further reducing the required force and allowing for smoother operation.

[0057] An inhalation device according to a first embodiment comprises an operating mechanism having an indexing system, an opening system, and a common actuator for the indexing system and the opening system, wherein the indexing system advances a drug carrier, the drug carrier comprises a base having a plurality of drug pockets or blisters and a peelable lid sheet such as a lid foil covering the blisters, the opening system opens the blister by peeling the lid sheet from the drug carrier, the common actuator is movable between a first position and a second position via an intermediate position, and the advance of the opening system is disproportionate to the advance of the indexing system while the common actuator is moving.

[0058] During use, the movement of a common actuator through a single defined range of motion causes the indexing system to move or advance sufficiently to advance the drug carrier by a single dose, and the opening system to move or advance sufficiently to completely remove the lid sheet from the corresponding length of the drug carrier; however, the movement of the opening system and the indexing system are not balanced. In other words, the rate ratio or proportion of total movement / total advance of the opening system and the indexing system is not constant during the operation of the inhalation device.

[0059] Movement of the common actuator through a first range of motion allows the indexing system to operate, and movement of the common actuator through a second range of motion allows the opening system to operate, and the indexing system can be separated from the opening system (e.g., separated or detached) so that the first range of motion is not the same as the second range of motion. By separating the opening system and the indexing system, one can move largely independently of the other, as in the prior art, and these movements do not need to be balanced.

[0060] A predetermined movement of a common actuator allows both the indexing system and the opening system to operate, and the movement speed of the opening system relative to the movement speed of the actuator can be changed during the predetermined movement of the actuator.

[0061] Alternatively, a predetermined movement of a common actuator causes the indexing system to move, advancing one dose of the drug, and the opening system to move through a first operational phase in which peeling occurs without exposing the drug in the blister, and a second operational phase in which the peeling exposes the drug in the blister, thereby providing a dose of the drug ready for inhalation. The second operational phase of the peeling system can be delayed until the operation of the indexing system is 30% complete. Some peeling of the lid sheet may occur early in the operation of the device, but the critical portion of the operation in which the sheet is peeled over the edge of the blister pocket to actually expose the drug is delayed until later in the operation.

[0062] The second or critical operational stage of the opening system may be delayed until the aforementioned operation of the identification system is 50% complete, or until it is 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, or 100% complete.

[0063] The dosage of a drug can be defined as the dose delivered by an inhaler according to a specific administration plan. This may include the contents of a single blister, a pair of blisters, or more, as needed.

[0064] The defined movement could be, for example, a movement from a first position to a second position, or a movement from a second position to a first position and then back to the second position.

[0065] The indexing system can advance by any movement of the common actuator from the first position, for example, any movement away from the first position, and the opening system can be activated only by movement of the common actuator beyond an intermediate position.

[0066] The forward movement of the indexing system can be reversed by the reversing movement of the actuator from a position between the first position and the intermediate position back to the first position. This helps to avoid the dose partially advancing and / or being exposed while the inhalation device is operating incorrectly or incompletely. The actuator can move to a point, for example, a point where the dose is peeled or exposed, and then return to its initial position without partially advancing or exposing the dose. Thus, the next "correct" or complete operation of the inhalation device is not impaired by incorrect or incomplete operation. This is particularly relevant when indexing begins immediately upon the movement of the actuator.

[0067] Furthermore, the indexing system can be advanced by moving the actuator between the second position and the first position, that is, in the direction of movement from the second position toward the first position.

[0068] The suction device may further include a central hub driven by a common actuator.

[0069] The intake device may further include a gear linkage mechanism or a cam system such as a cam plate to transmit drive from the central hub to the indexing system.

[0070] The operating mechanism may further include a trigger component, the movement of which activates the opening system. The trigger component may be a linearly moving component such as a push rod or slider, which releases a spring-biased component within the opening system.

[0071] The trigger component can be moved by moving beyond the intermediate position of the common actuator.

[0072] The operating mechanism may further include a cam that controls the opening system.

[0073] The operating mechanism may further include a lid sheet winding component that receives the used lid sheet peeled off from the drug carrier, and a drive system between the common actuator and the lid sheet winding component. The drive system may include a central hub.

[0074] The operating mechanism may include means for adjusting the tension generated in the lid sheet as the indexing system moves forward. The system may be active (e.g., driven) or passive, and may minimize the tension in the lid sheet when the device is left unattended or stored with the actuator in a first position.

[0075] A torsion spring can be provided between two rotating components located on a common center of a drive system. For example, a torsion spring can be provided between two stacked gears in a geared drive system. The two rotating components may be located within a central logic hub, or within further drive elements in the drive system, or may form a spring-loaded idler.

[0076] During the forward movement of the indexing system, the tension of the used lid sheet charges the torsion spring. This allows for passive tension adjustment of the lid sheet.

[0077] Before or during the forward movement of the indexing system, the drive system can actively move, for example, rotate the lid sheet winding component to adjust the tension of the lid sheet, for example, to reduce the tension of the lid sheet or to create slack in the lid sheet.

[0078] During the advancement of the identification system, at least a portion of the detached lid sheet, for example, a lid sheet that has become loose due to active tension adjustment, can be folded back over the unopened portion of the drug carrier.

[0079] The inhalation device may further include a peeling nozzle component that regulates the separation of the lid sheet from the drug carrier. The peeling nozzle component can, in particular, resist peeling / separation of the lid sheet at a location on the drug carrier adjacent to the peeling nozzle during use.

[0080] The detachable beak components are movable during or before the indexing system advances. For example, the detachable beak can move together with the components of the indexing system during indexing.

[0081] The detachable beak component can follow a path that substantially coincides with the drug carrier's path, or a path that is offset from the drug carrier's path.

[0082] The detachable beak component can selectively engage with components of the indexing system, such as a mobile indexing device like an indexing wheel.

[0083] The detachment beak component may be equipped with a claw or ratchet that selectively engages with the component of the indexing system.

[0084] The identification system may include means for identifying a first drug carrier and a second drug carrier, each of which comprises a base having a plurality of drug pockets or blisters and a peelable lid sheet covering the blisters. Means for advancing three or more drug carriers may be provided.

[0085] The opening system can be configured to peel the lid sheet from each of the first and second drug carriers, and the movement of the common actuator from the first position can activate the indexing system to advance the first drug carrier, and the opening system can activate to peel the lid sheet from the blister of the second drug carrier by movement of the common actuator beyond an intermediate position.

[0086] The identification system may include separate first and second identification devices for identifying the first and second drug carriers.

[0087] The indexing system can advance the first indexing device and the second indexing device in an unbalanced manner, that is, the advance of the first indexing device is unbalanced with the advance of the second indexing device.

[0088] An inhalation device is provided, comprising an indexing system having a first indexing device and a second indexing device for advancing a first drug carrier and a second drug carrier, and an operating mechanism having a common actuator for the first indexing device and the second indexing device, wherein the common actuator is movable between a first position and a second position via an intermediate position, and the advance of the first indexing device is unbalanced with respect to the advance of the second indexing device. Advancement can be performed during or after the movement of the common actuator, for example, advancement can be driven by releasing a spring force after the movement of the actuator is complete.

[0089] The first indexing device and the second indexing device do not necessarily have to move forward simultaneously while the common actuator is moving; in other words, their movements may be mutually exclusive.

[0090] Movement of a common actuator through a first range of motion causes the first indexing device to operate, and movement of a common actuator through a second range of motion causes the second indexing device to operate, thereby separating the first indexing device from the second indexing device, so that the first range of motion is not the same as the second range of motion.

[0091] When the common actuator moves from the second position to the first position, the indexing system can advance one of the first indexing device and the second indexing device.

[0092] At least one, or possibly both, of the first indexing device and the second indexing device may be equipped with indexing wheels.

[0093] The indexing system can alternatively be equipped with a single indexing device, and the indexing device can be equipped with indexing wheels.

[0094] The indexing wheel or each indexing wheel may be rotatable and have cavities that advance the drug carrier in the form of a blister strip and receive the individual blisters of the blister strip.

[0095] The opening system can be configured to simultaneously peel off and open the blisters on the first drug carrier and the second drug carrier, respectively.

[0096] The intermediate position of the common actuator may be closer to the second position of the common actuator than to the first position of the common actuator. For example, the intermediate position may be within the last 45%, 35%, 25%, 20%, or 15% of the total movement between the first and second positions of the common actuator, or within the entire range of movement.

[0097] The intermediate position of the common actuator may be close to the second position of the common actuator, for example, within 0-10% of the movement of the common actuator and / or within 10° of the actuator's arc-shaped movement.

[0098] The operating mechanism may comprise one or more gears having intermittent driving surfaces and / or locking surfaces. This allows elements of the operating system (e.g., lid sheet winding components, individual indexing devices, movable peeling nozzles, etc.) to be intermittently driven and / or locked during use.

[0099] The indexing system may be equipped with locking means that selectively prevent the movement of one or more components of the indexing system, such as one or more indexing devices / indexing wheels.

[0100] The locking mechanism may provide a Geneva lock by comprising one or more gears having a locking surface, and / or by comprising one or more claws.

[0101] The common actuator may be equipped with a mouthpiece cover, the first position of which can be the fully closed position of the mouthpiece cover, i.e., the position in which the mouthpiece cover completely covers the mouthpiece of the inhaler. The second position of which can be the fully open position of the mouthpiece cover, i.e., the position in which the mouthpiece cover does not completely cover the mouthpiece of the device.

[0102] Alternatively, the actuator may comprise a separate lever, button, or other actuator, and the first and / or second positions may be defined stopping positions of the actuator.

[0103] The inhalation device may further include a movable air passage component, either as an integrated movable air passage or as part of a divided air passage comprising a stationary air passage component and a movable air passage component. The movable air passage component provides a peeling nozzle component that regulates the separation of the lid sheet from the drug carrier.

[0104] The movable air passage component may follow a path that does not substantially coincide with the path of the drug carrier, or a path that is simply offset from the path of the drug carrier. For example, the movable air passage component may follow a substantially straight path. The drug carrier may follow, for example, a curved path or a circular path.

[0105] The present invention is used in a device for housing one or more drug carriers, and allows for the mechanically advantageous release of the drug to be inhaled by the user while minimizing the risk of accidental exposure of the drug to the environment due to unintended detachment.

[0106] To the extent that it is feasible, any essential or preferred configuration defined with respect to any one aspect of the present invention can be applied to any further aspect. Thus, the present invention may comprise various alternative configurations to the configurations defined above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0107] [Figure 1] This is an internal perspective view of an inhalation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram is similar to Figure 1, but some of the components have been removed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the device. [Figure 4] The first component of the inhalation device is shown, located at the central hub. [Figure 5] The second component of the inhalation device is shown, located at the central hub. [Figure 6] The second component of the inhalation device is shown, located at the central hub. [Figure 7] This shows a gear component that connects the central hub to the first drive system assembly of the intake device. [Figure 8] The first drive system assembly is shown. [Figure 9] This shows a gear component that connects the central hub to the second drive system assembly of the intake device. [Figure 10] The second drive system assembly is shown. [Figure 11] This shows a gear component that connects the central hub to the third drive system assembly of the intake device. [Figure 12] This is a front view of the third drive system assembly. [Figure 13] The components of the third drive system assembly are shown. [Figure 14] The components of the third drive system assembly are shown. [Figure 15] This is a rear view of the third drive system assembly. [Figure 16] Figure 1 is a rear view of the overall mechanism of the inhalation device. [Figure 17] The operation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 is illustrated. [Figure 18] The operation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 is illustrated. [Figure 19] The operation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 is illustrated. [Figure 20] The operation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 is illustrated. [Figure 21] The operation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 is illustrated. [Figure 22] The operation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 is illustrated. [Figure 23] This is a front view of the mechanism illustrating the paths of the blister strip, lid foil, and base foil. [Figure 23A] This is a detailed view of the area marked "A" in Figure 23. [Figure 24] An example of an alternative peeling mechanism is shown. [Figure 25] Figure 24 is an exploded view of an inhaler according to a second embodiment of the present invention, incorporating the alternative peeling mechanism. [Figure 26] Figure 25 is a front view of the inhaler mechanism. [Figure 27] Figure 25 is a rear view of the inhaler mechanism. [Figure 28] Figure 25 shows the components of the detachment actuator from the inhaler. [Figure 29] Figure 25 shows the components of the detachment actuator from the inhaler. [Figure 30] Figure 25 shows the ratchet components from the inhaler. [Figure 31] This is a rear exploded view of an inhaler according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32] Figure 31 is a front perspective view of the inhaler mechanism. [Figure 33] Figure 31 is a rear perspective view of the inhaler mechanism. [Figure 34] Figure 33 is a detailed rear view of the mechanism. [Figure 35] Figure 31 is a rear view of the mounting plate from the inhaler. [Figure 36] This is a front exploded view of an inhaler according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 37] Figure 36 is a perspective view of the components of the inhaler. [Figure 38] Figure 36 is a perspective view of the components of the inhaler. [Figure 39] Figure 36 is a perspective view of the components of the inhaler. [Figure 40] Figure 36 is a perspective view of the components of the inhaler. [Figure 41] Figure 36 is a front view of the assembled mechanism of the inhaler. [Figure 42] Figure 36 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 43] Figure 36 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 44] Figure 36 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 45] Figure 36 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 46] Figure 36 shows the gear mechanism at the rear of the inhaler. [Figure 47] This is an exploded view of an inhaler according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 48] This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the inhaler in Figure 47 in the first configuration. [Figure 49] Figure 47 is a rear view of the cam plate from the inhaler. [Figure 50] This is a further cross-sectional view of the inhaler in Figure 47 in the first configuration. [Figure 51] This is a front view of the inhaler in the second configuration, as shown in Figure 47. [Figure 52] Figure 47 shows the pathway taken by the pair of blister strips passing through the inhaler. [Figure 53] Figure 47 shows the gear mechanism at the rear of the inhaler. [Figure 54] Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 55] Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 56] Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 57] Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 58] Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 59]Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 60] Figure 47 shows the operation of the inhaler. [Figure 61] This is an exploded view of an inhaler according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 62] Figure 61 is a front view of the assembled inhaler. [Figure 63] Figure 62 is a rear view of the inhaler. [Figure 64] Figure 62 is a first rear cross-sectional view of the inhaler. [Figure 65] Figure 62 is a further rear view of the inhaler. [Figure 66] This is an exploded view of an inhaler according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 67] Figure 66 is a perspective view of the input gear from the inhaler. [Figure 68] This is a top view of the drive gear from Figure 67. [Figure 69] Figure 66 is a front view of a part of the mechanism of the inhaler. [Figure 70] This shows the movement of part of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 71] This shows the movement of part of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 72] This shows the movement of part of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 73] This shows the movement of part of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 74] This shows the movement of part of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 75] This shows the movement of part of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 76] This shows the movement of further parts of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 77] This shows the movement of further parts of the mechanism while the mouthpiece cover is opening. [Figure 78] Figure 66 shows the drive mechanism of the inhaler. [Figure 79] Figure 66 shows the strip management mechanism of the inhaler. [Figure 80] This is an exploded view of an inhaler according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 81] Figure 80 is a perspective view of the indexing device from the inhaler. [Figure 82] Figure 80 is a perspective view of the first portion of the detachable nozzle from the inhaler. [Figure 83] Figure 80 is a perspective view of the second portion of the detachable nozzle from the inhaler. [Figure 84] Figure 80 shows the operation of the locking mechanism of the inhaler. [Figure 85] Figure 80 shows the operation of the locking mechanism of the inhaler. [Figure 86] Figure 80 is a front view of the front plate from the inhaler. [Figure 87] Figure 80 is a perspective view of the input ratchet from the inhaler. [Figure 88] Figure 80 shows the opening of the mouthpiece of the inhaler. [Figure 89] Figure 80 shows the opening of the mouthpiece of the inhaler. [Figure 90] This is a rear exploded view of an inhaler according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 91] Figure 90 is a perspective view of the hub gear from the inhaler. [Figure 92] Figure 90 is a perspective view of the components of the air passage from the inhaler. [Figure 93] Figure 90 is a perspective view of the mouthpiece cover from the inhaler. [Figure 94] This shows the movement of the mouthpiece while the mouthpiece cover is open. [Figure 95] This shows the movement of the mouthpiece while the mouthpiece cover is closed. [Figure 96] Figure 90 shows the drive mechanism of the inhaler. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0108] Possible embodiments of the present invention are described below in further detail, merely as examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0109] Figure 1 shows the interior of an inhalation device 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The inhalation device 2 is configured to use an elongated blister strip of drug. The elongated blister strip of drug comprises a base sheet / foil that defines individual blister pockets of drug, and a lid sheet in the form of a lid foil. The lid sheet in the form of a lid foil is peeled off from the base foil to open the pockets and expose the drug to be inhaled.

[0110] The intermediate chassis 4 defines the internal chambers and pathways of the device for receiving and guiding the blister strip, and the rear chassis 6 provides mounting posts for various rotating components 12, 14, 22, 24, and 30 within the device. The air passage manifold 8 is configured to allow interface with the mouthpiece and is received in an opening at the top of the intermediate chassis 4, and a movable mouthpiece cover 10 (only the rear half is shown for clarity) is also provided.

[0111] The first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14 each provide recesses 13 and 15, respectively, which receive the blister pockets of two separate blister strips as the first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14 rotate, and advance the blister pockets into place under the opening 16 of the air passage manifold 8. Multiple unopened blister strips are stored together, coiled up, in a storage chamber 18 defined by the intermediate chassis 4. From here, the first blister strip of two blister strips is fed clockwise around the first indexing wheel 12 through the first passage 20 in the intermediate chassis 4, after which the base foil engages with the first spool wheel 22. Similarly, the second blister strip is fed counterclockwise around the second indexing wheel 14 through the second passage 26 from the storage chamber 18, after which the base foil is attached to the second spool wheel 24.

[0112] During use, the lid foils from the first and second blister strips are separated from the base foil at the first and second indexing wheels 12 and 14, respectively. The first and second spool wheels 22 and 24 rotate together with the first and second indexing wheels 12 and 14 to coil the used base foil. The two lid foils pass on both sides of a tension balancer 28, which is attached to the intermediate chassis 4 at a pivot 29, before engaging with a common winding drum 30. When it is necessary to peel and open the blisters in the first and second blister strips, tension is generated in the lid foils by the rotation of the winding drum 30. Since both lid foils are wound on the same drum 30, a slight imbalance in the tension between the first and second lid foils may occur. However, the greater tension applied to the lid foil along both sides of the tension balancer 28 causes the tension balancer 28 to act as a bias towards the other foil around the pivot 29. This effectively shortens the path leading to the high-tension foil and lengthens the path leading to the low-tension foil until the tensions of the two lid foils are balanced. In this way, the tension of the lid foils can be maintained within an acceptable tension range.

[0113] Figure 2 is a similar diagram of the interior of the suction device, with the intermediate chassis 4 and air passage manifold 8 removed to expose the gear mechanism between the various components of the suction device 2. When in use, the mouthpiece cover 10 opens and closes as indicated by arrows 32 and 34, activating the mechanism and driving the indexing wheels 12, 14, spool wheels 22, 24 and winding drum 30 in a predetermined sequence to index and unwind the suction volume. This sequence is controlled by a central logic hub 36, which is mounted on a spindle 38 extending from the rear chassis 6 and is driven directly by the movement of the mouthpiece cover 10.

[0114] The central logic hub 36 is mounted concentrically to three drive gears 40, 42, and 44, which selectively engage with and surround the central logic hub 36. The winding drum drive gear 40 can be seen as a gear mechanism that engages with the base of the winding drum 30, and the first indexing wheel drive gear 42 can be seen as a gear mechanism that engages with the first indexing wheel 12 and the first spool wheel 22. Although not clearly visible in Figure 2, a second indexing wheel drive gear 44 is also provided to engage with gear mechanisms on the second indexing wheel 14 and the second spool wheel 24.

[0115] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the suction device 2 of Figure 1, showing the components that make up the central logic hub 36. The two main components of the central logic hub 36 are the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 which engages with the first indexing wheel drive gear 42 and the second indexing wheel drive gear 44, and the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 which engages with the winding drum drive gear 40 and the winding drum ratchet wheel 50. The winding drum ratchet wheel 50, together with the winding drum 30 and the winding drum drive gear 40, forms the winding drum drive system 60. Figure 3 also shows the components that make up the first indexing wheel drive system 52 and the second indexing wheel drive system 54, which will be described in more detail later. A torsion spring 56 is positioned between the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and the separation drive ratchet wheel 48 within the central logic hub 36, and a slider 58 is provided to selectively resist the rotation of either the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 or the separation drive ratchet wheel 48.

[0116] The rear chassis 6 is also provided with a channel 62 for receiving the slider 58 and a roughly crescent-shaped opening 64. The inner protrusion 66 and outer protrusion 68 formed on the mouthpiece cover 10 extend through the opening 64. The opening 64 also receives the projection at the rear of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48, so that these components can be driven by the rotational movement of the mouthpiece cover 10. More specifically, when the mouthpiece cover is opened (moving clockwise from the position shown in Figure 1), the inner protrusion 66 engages with the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and drives it clockwise, while when the mouthpiece cover 10 is closed, the outer protrusion 68 engages with the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 and drives it counterclockwise.

[0117] The slider 58 allows one of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and the detachment drive ratchet wheel 48 to be "locked," while the rotation of the mouthpiece cover 10 rotates the other. This creates a biasing force in the torsion spring 56, which can then be released by moving the slider 58 to release the previously locked component.

[0118] The rear chassis 6 also provides a first ratchet pawl 72 and a second ratchet pawl 74 for selectively engaging the first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14, respectively.

[0119] Figure 4 shows the rear of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 from the central logic hub 36. The wheel 46 comprises a substantially circular plate 76 having a ring-shaped boss 78 extending from its rear surface. A recess 80 is provided on the rear surface of the plate 76 within the flange 78 to receive the arm of the torsion spring 56. Two circumferential ratchet pawls 82 and two axial ratchet pawls 84 are provided around the circumference of the plate 76. The circumferential ratchet pawls 82 and the axial ratchet pawls 84 are oriented to provide driving force in opposite directions of rotation. Figure 4 also shows a projection 86 extending from the end of the boss 78 and a recess 88 formed on the outer circumference of the boss 78. The projection 86 engages with an inner protrusion 66 of the mouthpiece cover, and the recess 88 receives the slider 58 to lock the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 against rotation.

[0120] Figures 5 and 6 show the peel-drive ratchet wheel 48 in more detail. Figure 5 provides a rear view showing a substantially circular plate 90, which has a large cutout 92 on one side and a substantially crescent-shaped slot 94 and two smaller cutouts 96 on the other side. A projection 98 extends from the rear surface of the plate close to the edge of the slot 94 and engages with an outward projection 68 formed on the mouthpiece cover 10. Figure 6 is a front view of the peel-drive ratchet wheel 48. Four radial ratchet pawls 100 are provided around the outer circumference of a ring-shaped boss 102 extending from the front of the plate 90. Two of the radial ratchet pawls 100 are located in the area where the large cutout 92 of the wheel 48 is located, and the other two correspond to the positions of the smaller cutouts 96, so that the plate 90 does not obstruct the movement of the ratchet pawls 100. The outer circumference of the plate 90 is provided with a pair of notches 106, along with small toothed portions 104.

[0121] The inner diameter of the ring-shaped boss 102 is large enough to accommodate the boss 78 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 when the central logic hub 36 is assembled. When assembled, the projection 86 extending from the end of the boss 78 on the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 passes through the slot 94 and extends from the rear surface of the plate 90 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 to the same extent as the projection 98 that is directly formed on the plate 90 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48.

[0122] Figure 7 shows the rear view of the first indexing wheel drive gear 42. The rear view of the drive gear 42 shows an internal cavity 110, and four radially extending notches 112 are provided around the inner circumferential wall 114 of the cavity 110. The diameter of the cavity 110 is sufficient to accommodate the substantially circular plate 76 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 shown in Figure 4, and the circumferential ratchet pawls 82 are received in two of the four notches 112.

[0123] Figure 8 shows the assembly along with the remainder of the first indexing wheel drive system 52. The engagement of the circumferential ratchet pawl 82 with the notch 112 transmits the drive from the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 to the first indexing wheel drive gear 42 only in a counterclockwise direction 116 (Figure 8 is a rear view of the assembly). During the clockwise movement of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, which occurs when the mouthpiece opens due to the engagement of the projection 86 with the inner protrusion 66 of the mouthpiece cover, the circumferential ratchet pawl 82 can flex from the notch 112, and the notch 112 allows relative rotation between the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and the first indexing wheel drive gear 42. A boss 118 provided on the rear surface of the first indexing wheel 12 provides a notch 122 that engages with the first ratchet pawl 72 on the rear chassis 6 to resist rotation of the first indexing wheel 12 in the corresponding direction. Therefore, the first indexing wheel drive system 52 drives the first indexing wheel 12 and the first spool wheel 22 only while the mouthpiece cover is closed.

[0124] Figure 9 shows the ring-shaped second indexing wheel drive gear 44 in more detail. The front surface of the drive gear 44 is provided with four inclined recesses or notches 124, which engage with the axial ratchet pawls 84 provided on the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 when the boss 78 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 is received within the ring. The inner diameter 120 of the indexing wheel drive gear 44 is the same as the inner diameter of the ring-shaped boss 102 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48, and receives the boss 78 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46.

[0125] Figure 10 is a front view of the second indexing wheel drive system 54 incorporating the assembly of the second indexing wheel drive gear 44 and the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 described above. The axial ratchet pawl 84 is shown engaged with two of the notches 124, and the clockwise drive 126 from the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 is transmitted to the second indexing wheel drive gear 44. As described above, the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 is driven clockwise 126 when a projection 86 on the rear surface of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 engages with an inward projection 66 of the mouthpiece cover while the mouthpiece cover 10 is opening. Therefore, when the mouthpiece 10 is opened, the second indexing wheel 14 and the second spool wheel 24 are driven together. In contrast, the counterclockwise rotation of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 causes the axial ratchet pawl 84 to flex from the notch 124, which allows relative rotation between the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and the second indexing wheel drive gear 44.

[0126] Figure 11 shows the ring-shaped winding drum drive gear 40 in more detail. The inner circumferential wall 132 of the drive gear 40 is provided with a number of notches 130 that function as ratchet teeth. The opening defined by the inner circumferential wall 132 has a diameter 136, which is sized to receive the boss 102 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48.

[0127] Figure 12 is a front view of the winding drum drive system 60. The boss 102 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 is inserted from behind the winding drum drive gear 40, and the radial ratchet pawl 100 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 engages with the notch 130 to transmit the clockwise rotation 138 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 to the winding drum drive gear 40. The winding drum drive gear 40 engages with gear teeth 140 provided around the base of the winding drum 30 to transmit rotation to the winding drum 30. A pair 142 of the holding mechanism on one side of the winding drum 30 holds the free ends of the pair of cover foils, and when in use, the counterclockwise rotation 144 of the winding drum 30 applies tension to the cover foils, winding them around the body of the winding drum 30.

[0128] The plate 90 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 is supported against the rear surface of the winding drum drive gear 40, and the roughly circular contour of the plate 90 can be seen between the teeth of the winding drum drive gear 40. Part of the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 is also visible behind the winding drum 30 in the front view of Figure 12.

[0129] Figure 13 is a rear view of the winding drum 30. The gear teeth 140 around the base of the winding drum 30 are clearly visible along with the ring of the ratchet teeth 146 provided on the rear surface. When in use, the ratchet teeth 146 engage with a pair of ratchet pawls 148, which are provided on both sides of the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 and extend from the front of the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 as shown in Figure 14. The gear teeth 150 are provided on the outer edge of the winding drum ratchet wheel 50, close to the inwardly curved portion 152.

[0130] Figure 15 is a rear view of the winding drum drive system 60. In this rear view, the winding drum The ratchet pawl 148 and gear teeth 150 on the ratchet wheel 50 are on the winding drum 30 The upper ratchet teeth 146 and the toothed portion 104 on the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 respectively This shows the engagement. The gear teeth 150 remain engaged with the toothed portion 104, and peeling off. The drive ratchet wheel 48 rotates clockwise 138 times, and the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 This is transmitted to the ratchet pawl 148 and the ratchet. It will be understood that the power will be transmitted to the winding drum 30 via the teeth 146. When the gear teeth 150 reach the end of the toothed portion 104, the retractable drum ratchet wheel The inwardly curved portion 152 of the 50 receives the curved outer edge of the peel-off drive ratchet wheel 48. A Geneva-style locking mechanism is provided to hold the retractable drum ratchet wheel 50 against further rotation. As mentioned above, the ratchet pawl 148 bends beyond the ratchet teeth 146 and separates. The winding drum is driven by a drive ratchet wheel 48 and a winding drum drive gear 40. This allows for further counterclockwise rotation of the ram 30 144. However, the ratchet pawl 148 is The ratchet teeth 146 engage, and while the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 is stationary The winding drum 30 can resist any clockwise rotation.

[0131] Figure 16 is a rear view of the entire mechanism of the suction device 2, which includes a central logic hub 36, a winding drum drive system 60, a first indexing wheel drive system 52, and a second indexing wheel drive system 54. The rear view also shows a notch 134 in the boss 128 on the rear surface of the second indexing wheel 14, similar to the boss 118 and notch 122 on the rear surface of the first indexing wheel 12. The notch 134 of the second indexing wheel 14 is configured to engage with a second ratchet pawl 74 provided on the rear chassis 6, similar to how the notch 122 of the first indexing wheel 12 engages with the first ratchet pawl 72. However, it resists rotation in the opposite direction.

[0132] The mouthpiece cover 10 is also shown in a cross-sectional view and includes an inner projection 66 and an outer projection 68 formed on the mouthpiece cover 10. The inner projection 66 is shown in contact with a projection 86 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, which extends through a substantially crescent-shaped slot 94 in the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48. The outer projection 68 is shown in contact with a projection 98 on the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48. The slider 58 is also shown, along with a tab 154 provided on the indistinct front surface of the slider 58, which is shown by a dashed line. The tab 154 engages with either a recess 88 (not shown) of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 or a similar recess 156 provided on the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 to selectively lock one or the other component against rotation.

[0133] As shown in Figure 16, the mouthpiece cover 10 is fully open, and the dose has just been inhaled from the inhalation device 2. The operation of the device 2 from this position will be explained in the following diagrams.

[0134] Figure 17 shows the initial stage of the mouthpiece cover closing. The mouthpiece 10 is rotated approximately 45° in the direction of the arrow 32. The outer protrusion 68 engages with the projection 98 on the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48, directly driving the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 and rotating it in the same direction 158 as the mouthpiece cover 10, which is counterclockwise when the inhalation device 2 is viewed from the front. None of the other components rotate from the positions shown in Figure 16. The ratchet pawl 100 allows the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 to rotate counterclockwise within the winding drum drive gear 40. The curved outer edge of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 travels beyond the inner curved portion 152 of the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 until just after the point shown in Figure 17, as the gear teeth 150 on the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 approach engagement with the toothed portion 104 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48. The tab 154 of the slider 58 engages with the recess 88 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, preventing the rotation of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, thereby preventing either the indexing wheels 12 or 14 from indexing. The torsion spring 56 is energized by the relative rotation between the separation drive ratchet wheel 48 and the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46.

[0135] Figure 18 shows the next step in operation. As the mouthpiece cover 10 continues to close 32, a further counterclockwise rotation 158 occurs in the peel-off drive ratchet wheel 48, causing the toothed portion 104 to engage with the gear teeth 150 on the winding drum ratchet wheel 50. This causes the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 and the associated winding drum 30 to rotate 160 degrees clockwise (when viewed from the front), thereby reducing the tension on both cover foils as the mouthpiece cover 10 closes. The tab 154 still prevents the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 from rotating, but here it is close to the edge of the recess 156 provided in the peel-off drive ratchet wheel 48. There is also a radial projection 153 on the peel-off drive ratchet wheel 48 that is close to the radially inner end of the slider 58.

[0136] Figure 19 shows the mouthpiece cover 10 in the fully closed position. As the mouthpiece cover 10 continues to move 32, the winding drum 30 rotates further clockwise 160, further reducing the tension on the lid foil and loosening the lid foil between the winding drum 30 and the first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14.

[0137] The peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 also rotates further and passes the locking point, where the radial projection 153 and inclined surface provided in the recess 88 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 and the recess 156 provided in the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 guide / bias the slider 58 radially outward, causing the tab 154 to move from the recess 88 into the recess 156. The indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, which is now free, is driven by a torsion spring to "catch up" with the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 by rotating counterclockwise until the projection 86 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 contacts the inner projection 66 of the mouthpiece cover 10. As described above in relation to Figure 8, this counterclockwise rotation 116 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 is transmitted via the first indexing wheel drive system 52 to advance or index the first indexing wheel 12 by one recess 13 or one dose in a clockwise direction 162, and similarly drive the first spool wheel 22 to wind up the base foil. The pair of notches 106 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 are positioned to align with the ratchet pawls 72, 74 on the rear chassis 6, allowing the ratchet pawls 72, 74 to flex so that the first ratchet pawl 72 does not obstruct the rotation of the first indexing wheel.

[0138] The indexing operation also applies tension to the first used lid foil, but this only helps to wind up the slack created by the clockwise rotation 160 of the winding drum 30. As a result, the lid foil does not detach from the blister strip, but instead folds back onto the unopened blister strip in the space provided between the first indexing wheel 12 and the opening section 16 of the air passage manifold 8. This is illustrated in detail in Figure 23A.

[0139] Figure 20 shows the initial stage in which the mouthpiece cover 10 opens. As the mouthpiece cover 10 moves open 34, the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 rotates clockwise 126 via the engagement of the inner protrusion 66 of the mouthpiece cover 10 with the projection 86 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46. As described above in Figures 9 and 10, this clockwise rotation 126 drives the second indexing wheel 14 and the second spool wheel 24, both of which rotate counterclockwise 164 to begin the second blister strip forward / indexing. The peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 remains locked to rotation and the winding drum 30 does not drive, and the notch 106 continues to allow the movement of the ratchet pawls 72, 74, so that the second ratchet pawl 74 does not obstruct the counterclockwise rotation 164 of the second indexing wheel 14.

[0140] Figure 21 illustrates the further opening of the mouthpiece cover 34, the resulting further clockwise rotation 126 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, and the resulting counterclockwise rotation 164 of the second indexing wheel 14 and the second spool wheel 24. Here, the second indexing wheel 14 has advanced or indexed by one recess 15 or one dose from the position shown in Figure 19. As before, the slack in the lid foil while the mouthpiece is closing prevents the lid foil from separating from the second blister strip during indexing. The tab 154 is close to the recess 88 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 in Figure 21, and any further movement would bias the tab 154 from the recess 156 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 to the recess 88 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46.

[0141] In Figure 22, the mouthpiece cover moves 34 through / over a further fixing point to the fully open position of the mouthpiece cover. The final clockwise rotation 126 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 allows the tab 154 to move radially inward from the recess 156 of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 to the recess 88 of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46. This frees the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48, which rotates 138 clockwise under the drive of the torsion spring 56, and this rotation is transmitted to both the winding drum ratchet wheel 50 and the winding drum 30.

[0142] The sudden rotation 144b of the winding drum applies tension to both lid foils simultaneously, exposing the next inhalation dose in each blister strip. As described above in relation to Figures 12-15, the counterclockwise rotation 144b of the winding drum 30 is greater than the counterclockwise rotation 144a of the winding drum ratchet wheel 50. This allows the winding drum 30 to release tension on the lid foil when the mouthpiece closes after dose administration, while effectively peeling the lid foil from the next dose when the mouthpiece opens. Additionally, the sudden rotation of the peel-drive ratchet wheel 48 causes the notch 106 to move and become misaligned with the ratchet pawls 72, 74 on the rear chassis 6, effectively locking the first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14 against rotation.

[0143] Once the user inhales the exposed dose, the inhaler returns to the configuration shown and described in Figure 16.

[0144] Figure 23 is a schematic front view of part of the inhalation mechanism, illustrating the paths of the first blister strip 166 and the second blister strip 168 through the inhalation device 2. As explained in relation to Figure 19, since the mouthpiece cover 10 of the inhaler is completely closed, the winding drum 30 rotates clockwise 160° to actively release the tension of the separated first lid foil 170 and the second lid foil 172. However, the clockwise rotation 162° of the first indexing wheel 12 causes the base foil 174 of the first blister strip 166 to advance, and the first lid foil 170 is dragged around the first indexing wheel. As previously mentioned, the clockwise rotation 160° of the winding drum 30 creates slack in each lid foil 170, 172 equivalent to one indexing distance, so even when the first indexing wheel 12 moves forward / indexes, there is little to no tension in the first lid foil 170.

[0145] At this stage, the second indexing wheel 14 is not rotating, so the second lid foil 172 remains slack. In this way, any excess tension 176 that may be generated in the first lid foil 170 by the rapid movement of the first indexing wheel 12 can be absorbed by the movement 178 of the tension balancer 28 toward the second lid foil 172. Thus, the tension balancer 28 can act as a further means of releasing or managing tension, so that even if the first indexing wheel 12 has already advanced / indexed to this position, the tension in both lid foils 170, 172 is kept to a minimum with the mouthpiece cover 10 closed.

[0146] Figure 23A is an enlarged view of the portion labeled "A" in Figure 23. The first blister strip 166 is shown passing around the first indexing wheel 12, illustrating the first filled blister pocket 180, the second filled blister pocket 182, and an empty blister pocket 184. The second filled blister pocket 182 advances to a position below the opening section 16 of the air passage manifold 8. The first lid foil 174 is folded over 186 onto the second filled blister pocket 182 in the space between the first indexing wheel 12 and the air passage manifold 8. When tension 188 is applied to the lid foils 170, 172 by the counterclockwise rotation 144b of the winding drum 30, the first lid foil 170 is pulled around a static peeling beak or end stop 190 provided on the intermediate chassis 4 and peeled away from the second filled blister pocket 182.

[0147] From the above explanation, it will be understood that the operation of the mechanism of the inhalation device 2 involves several distinct actions resulting from a single action of the mechanism (movement of the mouthpiece cover 10), and these actions encompass a number of determinants. Problems that may arise when some determinants are exceeded while others remain unreached include, for example, the following: • Over-storage and under-storage of springs • Forced desynchronization of the device • Failure to remove the blister pack, or failure to properly present the inhaled formulation. • Inaccurate dosage measurement • Excessive tension in the components that leads to failure.

[0148] Therefore, it is beneficial for such actions to be linked or connected to one another, and they are no longer separable; these challenges must be avoided by ensuring sufficient synchronization.

[0149] The aforementioned inhalation device 2 uses a "catch-up" mechanism. When the mouthpiece cover 10 opens, the mouthpiece cover 10 drives the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, which rotates by the opening angle and then releases the slider 58. The slider 58 rotates with the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 released until peeling is complete. While the mouthpiece cover 10 closes, the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 is driven backward until it resets the slider 58. This releases the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, which rotates backward until the first indexing wheel 12 indexes.

[0150] The ratchet / pawl connects the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 to both the first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14, and connects both indexing wheels 12 and 14 to the rear chassis 6, and connects the winding drum 30 to the winding drum ratchet wheel 50. The suction device 2 aims to ensure that all of these ratchet reset points are “slave” to the fixed point where the slider 58 is released.

[0151] At the point where the mouthpiece opens, the slider 58 is forced down or radially pushed inward by the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 onto the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 by the inclined surfaces provided on the recesses 88, 156. This reduces the final rotation of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 when the slider 58 is released and the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 is rotatable. This final rotation provides a window for resetting the ratchet, specifically a window for resetting the ratchet related to the movement of the second indexing wheel 14 and the movement of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 relative to the first indexing wheel drive gear 42. Since these occur in the final part of the movement of the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46, they are linked to the movement of the peeling drive ratchet wheel 48 and cannot be operated separately.

[0152] During the return stroke, when the mouthpiece cover 10 closes, a locking point is created when the release drive ratchet wheel 48 rotates enough to push the slider 58 back from engagement with the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46. This, along with the associated ratchet pawl reset, causes the indexing drive ratchet wheel 46 to rotate and index to the first indexing wheel 12. Thus, this indexing is linked to the locking point, and neither can operate independently.

[0153] Without deviating from the overall concept of the invention, various modifications to the described inhalation device Further is possible. For example, the rotation of the first indexing wheel 12 and the second indexing wheel 14 is As described above, the indexing wheel 12 is not operated by the first claw 72 and the second claw 74, but by the first indexing wheel 12 and a curved Geneva locking surface provided on the second indexing wheel 14, and a peeling drive ratchet wheel By interacting with the curved Geneva locking surface provided on the ring 48, selective prevention is achieved. It is possible.

[0154] The peeling of the lid sheet / foil can also be achieved by alternative means. For example, the indexing wheel can be positioned to move linearly while rotating and indexing the strip, effectively rolling the indexing wheel along the strip for one blister pocket, and then the rotation of the indexing wheel can be locked, allowing the axis of the indexing wheel to be retracted to its original position. This would allow the lid foil winding system to peel the lid foil as the indexing wheel is retracted. Alternatively, a moving peeling beak could be provided that rotates with either the first indexing wheel 12 or the second indexing wheel 14 during indexing, and then released to allow the lid foil to be peeled. Both of these arrangements essentially provide a moving peeling pre-position, thereby avoiding the need to actively retract and slacken the tension on the lid foil and then reapply tension to perform the peeling operation. This potentially allows for a less complex overall mechanism.

[0155] Figure 24 shows an example of a movable peeling beak configuration. Briefly, this figure shows one side of the mechanism of an alternative suction device, where a single indexing wheel 214 is visible. The illustrated mechanism also includes a central input hub gear 236, a used cover sheet or foil winding drum / hub 230, and a spool wheel 224 for receiving used base / base foil.

[0156] A movable peeling beak component 290 is provided around the indexing wheel 214. The movable peeling beak component 290 defines the peeling front and includes a ratchet pawl 292, which is configured to engage with ratchet teeth 296, which are provided on or in relation to the indexing wheel 214. A pin 294 is provided on the ratchet pawl 292, and a spring-type peeling actuator (not shown) can disengage the ratchet pawl 292 from the ratchet teeth 296 as needed.

[0157] A storage hub 218 for storing unused blister strips is also shown. The storage hub 218 comprises a front gear or inner gear 218A and a rear gear or outer gear 218B, with a torsion spring positioned between these gears. The inner gear 218A is driven by the rotation of the input hub gear 236 as shown, and this drive is transmitted directly to the indexing wheel 214 and the spool wheel 224 to advance the blister strip. The winding drum / hub 230 engages with the outer gear 218B instead. As the movable peeling beak 290 rotates with the indexing wheel 214, the tension generated in the lid foil rotates the winding drum / hub 230 relative to the winding direction, driving the outer gear 218B in the opposite direction to the inner gear 218A and energizing the torsion spring in the storage hub 218.

[0158] When opening a dose, a peeling actuator (not shown) engages with a pin 294, releasing a ratchet pawl 292 from the ratchet teeth 296. This frees the movable peeling nozzle component 290, which rotates relative to the indexing wheel 214. The stored torsion spring then drives the rear / outer gear 218B to wind up the lid foil, peeling and opening the dose while the indexing wheel 214 is held stationary.

[0159] The movable detachable beak component 290 also includes an extra portion of the air passage (not shown) that provides a passage between the detached dose / blister on the indexing wheel 214 and the mouthpiece of the inhaler.

[0160] The mechanism shown in Figure 24 is shown assembled to the rear plate 206 of the inhaler and constitutes the left side of the complete mechanism. The input hub gear 236 is surrounded by a rear ratchet ring 240 connected to the mouthpiece cover (not shown) through the rear plate 206, so that the mechanism is driven only in the direction of the arrow 234. This drive occurs when moving the mouthpiece from the closed position to the open position.

[0161] Figure 25 is an exploded view of the complete inhaler 202 incorporating the movable dislodgement beak component 290. The rear plate 206 is omitted from the exploded view, but the remaining components discussed in Figure 24 are shown, along with the torsion spring 256 located between the front gear 218A and rear gear 218B of the storage hub 218. The mouthpiece and air passage manifold 208, the mouthpiece cover 210, and the linearly moving dislodgement actuator 258 are also shown.

[0162] Figure 25 also shows the equivalent components that make up the right side of the mechanism. The right side of the mechanism is driven by the front input hub gear 236', which is surrounded by the front ratchet ring 240'. The indexing wheel on the right side is denoted 212, the spool wheel on the right side is denoted 222, and the other components are denoted by the same reference numerals as the components on the left side and distinguished by prime symbols. The left and right halves of the mechanism are generally similar, except that an additional gear 228 is provided toward the rear of the assembly, forming part of the right-side housing hub 218'.

[0163] In short, this second embodiment of the inhaler according to the present invention comprises a movable mouthpiece cover connected to a central hub, the central hub comprising a pair of unidirectional ratchet wheels, each associated with a separate gear system. This allows a first indexing wheel to advance when the mouthpiece cover is closed, and a second indexing wheel to advance when the mouthpiece cover is opened. The central hub also incorporates a cam track that controls the movement of a spring-loaded release actuator. When the mouthpiece cover is opened beyond an intermediate or fixed position, the release actuator is released as described above, freeing the pair of release nozzle components, and is reset when the mouthpiece is closed. The release actuator is constrained to linear motion.

[0164] Since the right side of the mechanism moves forward first after dose inhalation, the components on the right side will hereafter be referred to as the first indexing wheel 212, the first spool wheel 222, etc.

[0165] Figure 26 is a front view of the assembled mechanism. As shown, the mouthpiece cover is closed after dose inhalation. The front ratchet ring 240' rotates the front input gear 236' in the direction of the arrow 232 as the mouthpiece closes, advancing the right side of the mechanism and rotating the first indexing wheel 212 by one step / dose, and rotating the first dissecting beak component 290' to the position shown.

[0166] While the mouthpiece cover 210 is closed, the input gear 236' directly drives the inner gear 218A' of the storage hub 218', which is transmitted to the first indexing wheel 212 (via an additional gear 228 - see Figure 27) and the first spool wheel 222 to advance the blister strip. The first winding drum / hub 230' engages with the outer gear 218B'. As the moving peeling beak 290' rotates with the indexing wheel 214, the tension generated in the lid sheet / wheel rotates the winding drum / hub 230 relative to the winding direction, driving the outer gear 218B' in the opposite direction to the inner gear 218A' and energizing the torsion spring 256' in the first storage hub 218. Furthermore, the peeling actuator cam track 241 provided on the front ratchet ring 240' moves the peeling actuator 258 vertically downward to the illustrated position against the force of the biasing spring, so that the first peeling beak 290' is not disengaged from the first indexing wheel during rotation.

[0167] When the mouthpiece cover 210 opens, the front ratchet ring 240' rotates in the direction of the arrow 234. This flexes the ratchet pawl 250', preventing power from being transmitted to the mechanism while the mouthpiece is opening.

[0168] Figure 27 is a rear view of the assembled mechanism. The rear view of the components shown in Figure 25 is visible, along with the additional gear 228 engaged with the first indexing wheel 212. The additional gear 228 is directly connected to the inner wheel 218A' of the first storage hub 218', and when the mouthpiece cover closes, the additional gear 228 rotates, directly driving the first indexing wheel 212 as shown in Figure 26. When the mouthpiece cover opens, the rear ratchet ring 240 rotates in direction 234, driving the second indexing wheel 214, the second spool wheel 224, etc., as shown in Figure 25. The ratchet pawl 250 flexes, allowing the rear ratchet ring 240 to rotate in direction 234 without moving the mechanism forward while the mouthpiece is closed. The additional gear 228 is not engaged with the rear input gear 236 and is therefore not driven by any movement of the rear ratchet ring 240.

[0169] Therefore, it will be understood that the two unidirectional ratchet rings 240, 240' drive different halves of the mechanism when opening and closing the mouthpiece. In particular, the first indexing wheel 212 is driven only while the mouthpiece 210 is closed, and the second indexing wheel 214 is driven only while the mouthpiece is open.

[0170] Figures 28 and 29 show the peel actuator 258 in isolation. The front view of Figure 28 shows a pin 260 at the lower end of the peel actuator 258 that engages with the cam track 241 in the front ratchet ring 240'. Figure 29 shows a pair of prongs 262 on the rear of the peel actuator 258. When in use, the prongs 262 simultaneously engage with the pins 294 of the ratchet pawls 292 of both peeling beaks 290, 290', releasing the peeling beaks 290, 290', allowing the winding drum / hub 230, 230' to rotate, pulling the lid foil from each of the two blister strips and exposing the suction volume.

[0171] Figure 30 shows the rear side of the front ratchet ring 240' and provides details of the cam track 241 that guides the pin 260 of the peel actuator 258. The path of the pin 260 through the cam track is illustrated by an arrow. When a dose is released from the inhaler, the outer track 242 biases the pin 260 inward relative to the front ratchet ring 240' while rotation 232 occurs by closing the mouthpiece cover 210. This moves the peel actuator 258 downward against the force of the spring until the mouthpiece cover 210 is fully closed. While the mouthpiece cover 210 is opening 234, the pin 260 is instead restrained by the inner track 244, which holds the peel actuator 258 in a retracted position. An elastic divider 246 is provided between the outer track 242 and the inner track 244 to provide the outer wall of the inner track 244. The partition plate 246 flexes as the pin 260 approaches the left end (in the figure) of the cam track 241 while the mouthpiece cover is closed, allowing the pin 260 to move from the outer track 242 to the inner track 244. This is the position shown in the front view of Figure 26. The partition plate 246 then returns to the position shown in Figure 30, after which it prevents the pin 260 from returning to the outer track 242 while the mouthpiece cover is opened.

[0172] When the mouthpiece cover 210 is fully open, the pin 260 reaches the right end (in the figure) of the cam track 241 and can then move into the straight section 248 of the cam track 241, which is positioned substantially perpendicular to the inhaler body in the fully open position. This creates a locking point immediately after the second indexing wheel 214 has advanced one step / dose, at which point the release actuator 258 moves freely vertically under the force of its spring, releasing the release nozzles 290, 290' and removing the cover for the patient's inhalation dose.

[0173] Further embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in Figures 31 to 35. This embodiment features a single double-height indexing wheel that accepts two blister strips, although it is evident that this mechanism can be provided for a single blister strip if desired. A one-way ratchet wheel drives the indexing system when the mouthpiece cover is opened. A spring-loaded free-moving part, having a torsion spring and a structure similar to the storage hub 218 described in Figure 24, is provided in the drive system between the mouthpiece cover and the lid sheet winding component and includes a movable peeling beak component similar to that described above. When the indexing wheel and the peeling beak component rotate beyond a fixed point corresponding to an intermediate position while the mouthpiece cover is open, a cam track provided on the inhaler chassis engages with a pin on the ratchet pawl of the movable peeling beak component, freeing the movable peeling beak component.

[0174] Figure 31 is an exploded view of this third embodiment. This exploded view is a rear view and therefore shows the rear of the various components of the suction device 302 located within the outer housing.

[0175] This mechanism is formed from several geared components and is held in place by an intermediate chassis 304 and a rear plate 306.

[0176] Two blister strips 366, 368 are also shown side by side, with individual pockets of medication within each strip positioned side by side in recesses within the indexing device 312 in the form of double-height indexing wheels positioned toward the top of the inhaler. A movable peeling nozzle component 390 is also provided.

[0177] Also shown are a spool wheel 322 for advancing and receiving used base sheets / foils of blister strips 366, 368, and a winding drum 330 for receiving used lid sheets / foils. The spring-loaded free-moving section 318 is formed from a front gear 318A and a rear gear 318B, together with a first free-moving gear 352 and a second free-moving gear 354, with a torsion spring 356 positioned between the front gear 318A and the rear gear 318B.

[0178] The rear ratchet component 340 connects to the mouthpiece cover 310 and fits into the rear cavity of the central input hub gear 336, driving the input hub gear 336 in only one direction.

[0179] Figure 32 shows the assembly of the mechanism within the inhalation device 302. The input hub gear 336 is driven clockwise 334 when the mouthpiece cover 310 is opened, directly driving the indexing wheel 312 and the first and second idler gears 352 and 354. The first idler gear 352 transmits power to the spool wheel 322, and the second idler gear 354 transmits power to the front gear 318A of the spring-loaded idler section.

[0180] Figure 33 is a rear view of the intake mechanism. It can be seen that the movable detachable beak component 390 surrounds a portion of the indexing wheel 312 and occupies the space between the indexing wheel 312 and the mouthpiece and air passage manifold 308. The rear gear 318B of the spring-loaded free section 318 is shown to engage with the winding hub 330, and the torsion spring 356 can accommodate the required rotational difference between the winding hub 330 and other components in the mechanism.

[0181] You can see the engagement of the rear ratchet component 340 with the input hub gear 336, and it will be understood that the ratchet component 340 drives the hub gear 336 when it rotates in the direction of the arrow 334 while the mouthpiece cover is opening, but can rotate relative to the hub gear 336 when it rotates in the opposite direction when the mouthpiece cover 310 is closing.

[0182] Furthermore, it will be understood that the clockwise rotation 334 of the input hub gear 336 (when viewed from the front of the inhaler) caused by the opening of the mouthpiece is transmitted to the counterclockwise rotation 364 of the indexing wheel 312, as shown in the figure. A hook or claw 392 can also be seen at the rear of the detachable beak component 390, with a pin 394 raised from the rest of the claw 392.

[0183] Figure 34 is a rear plan view of the indexing wheel 312 and the movable peeling beak component 390 from the mechanism shown in Figure 33. The claw 392 on the peeling beak component 390 is shown engaged with one of a series of radially inwardly extending ratchet teeth 316 provided on the rear side of the indexing wheel 312, and the peeling beak 390 rotates with the indexing wheel 312 in the direction of the arrow 364 while the cap is opening. As the indexing wheel 312 and the peeling beak component 390 rotate together, the peeling fronts of the blister strips 366, 368 move with the indexing wheel. This generates tension in the lid sheet / foil, causing the winding hub 330 to rotate in the opposite direction and energizing the torsion spring 356 in the spring-loaded free section 318.

[0184] Figure 35 shows the rear plate 306 and the cam track 358 provided on the rear plate 306, which acts as a delamination actuator. As the delamination beak 390 rotates in direction 364 with the indexing wheel 312, the pin 394 of the claw 392 passes through the cam track 358 as indicated by arrows 344 and 348. The arc indicated by arrow 344 corresponds to the rotation required to advance the indexing wheel 312 by less than 1 dose / 1 step. As the mouthpiece cover 310 rotates further beyond this fixed point, the second inclined portion 348 of the cam track 358 guides the pin 394 so that the claw 392 on the delamination beak component 390 moves radially inward as indicated by arrow 378 in Figure 34. As the indexing wheel 312 continues to rotate counterclockwise 364 when the pawl 392 retracts, the ratchet teeth 316 that were previously engaged on the indexing wheel 312 move beyond the pawl 392. This frees the delamination beak component 390, which rotates clockwise relative to the indexing wheel 312, with the pin passing through the cam track 358 and returning. The charged torsion spring 356 in the spring-loaded free section 318 then rotates the winding hub 330 to wind up the cover foil, delaminating the volume as the delamination beak component 390 rotates.

[0185] As the front gear 318A and rear gear 318B rotate in opposite directions during the indexing operation, the torsion spring 356 is charged enough to drive the winding hub 330 by two steps or by the amount corresponding to the dose. This ensures that the winding hub unwinds the "released" lid sheet (necessary to allow movement of the peeling beak component 390) and peels and opens the new dose.

[0186] The claw 392 on the peeling mouthpiece component 390 automatically engages with the next ratchet tooth 316 of the indexing wheel during this movement. The rear plate 306 also provides a claw 372 that engages with the axial ratchet tooth 320 on the rear of the indexing wheel 312 to prevent the indexing wheel 312 from rotating in the opposite direction while the dose is being peeled and to provide resistance to the ratchet component 340 when the mouthpiece is closed in preparation for the next use.

[0187] Figures 36-46 show another embodiment of the present invention. In this fourth embodiment, Geneva locking And by using an intermittent gear mechanism, the desired timing can be achieved, and the mouthpiece can The bar opens, rotating the pair of concentric timing gear wheels, and the pair of indexing wheels It operates continuously. The cam drive is spring-loaded with a torsion spring to provide bistability, The rotation from the mouthpiece cover is transmitted to the timing gear wheel, and this rotation drives the inhaler chassis Move forward along the internal cam track. The mouthpiece cover opens to the intermediate or fixed position. Then, the cam track "flips" the drive element, activating the pushrod. This push rod moves linearly, and the moving detachment beak component is similar to that described above. The ratchet pawl located on the axle is released. This "reversal" disengages the regulating gear wheel. It is removed. When the mouthpiece cover is closed, the cam follower is completely reset, and the timing gear The wheel re-engages. Meanwhile, the one-way ratchet indexes while the cam follower is disengaged. This prevents the wheels from rotating in the opposite direction. One of the indexing wheel pairs has an additional cam track. A mechanism is provided to reset the push rod while the mouthpiece is open. The drive from the bar is via the spring-biased storage hub, similar to the spring-biased storage hub 218 in Figure 24. This is then transmitted to the lid sheet winding component.

[0188] Figure 36 is an exploded view of the inhaler 402 with the outermost housing / body components omitted. The intermediate chassis 404 is shown together with the front plate 405 and the rear plate 406. Various geared components are assembled between the rear plate 406 and the intermediate chassis 404, as indicated by the recess 407 shown in the rear plate 406, to form separate left-side and right-side drive systems.

[0189] For clarity, only the components constituting the right-side drive system are labeled in Figure 36. Briefly, these comprise a spring-loaded freewheel 418 that serves as a storage hub for the unused portion of the blister strip 466, a first freewheel gear 452 and spool wheel 422 that advance the blister strip and coil the used base sheet, and a winding drum 430 that receives the used lid sheet / foil. The spring-loaded freewheel 418 is formed from a front gear 418A and a rear gear 418B, similar to the equivalent components 218, 318 in the second and third embodiments, with a torsion spring 456 positioned between the front gear 418A and the rear gear 418B. Also shown are a front indexing output gear 412A and a rear indexing output gear 412B that form part of the first indexing device 412.

[0190] A first indexing wheel 412C having pockets for receiving individual blisters of the blister strip 466, and a first indexing drive gear 412D constitute the remainder of the first indexing device 412, shown in the front of the exploded view. When assembled, the rear indexing output gear 412B is received within the front indexing output gear 412A, but is freely related to the front indexing output gear 412A. The front indexing output gear 412A is firmly connected to the first indexing wheel 412C, and the first indexing drive gear 412D is firmly connected to a pin 413 extending from the first indexing wheel 412C.

[0191] The similar arrangement on the left side of the inhaler 402 engages with the second blister strip 368. This constitutes a second indexing device 414. As shown in Figure 36, one difference is that While the second indexing drive gear 414D is a simple toothed gear, the first indexing drive The gear 412D is to provide a Geneva lock, as will be described later. The second movable part 454 is This is also related to the second indexing drive gear 414D.

[0192] A first movable detaching beak component 490 is positioned around the first indexing wheel 412C. The detaching beak component 490 includes a ratchet pawl 492 that selectively engages with a recess 416 on the front surface of the first indexing wheel 412C. When assembled, the front surface of the detaching beak component 490 is substantially flush with the front surface of the front plate 405.

[0193] A central input hub gear 436 is provided in front of the front plate 405. The central hub gear 436 is driven by a cam follower 480, which is moved by an arm 440 connected to the mouthpiece cover 410. A curved cam track 461 is provided within the front plate 405 to control the movement of the cam follower 480 relative to the arm 440 and to resist the force of a stabilizing spring 482 provided between the cam follower 480 and a further portion of the arm 440, as will be described later.

[0194] Further guide grooves 459 within the front plate 405 receive a peeling actuator 458 in the form of a pushrod and restrain the peeling actuator 458 to move linearly. The peeling actuator 458 has a drive pin 460 at its lower end and a pair of tip sections 462 at its upper end. The tip sections 462 are positioned just above the front surface of the front plate 405 of the assembled inhaler 402 so that each tip section 462 can engage with a ratchet pawl 492 of the peeling beak component 490 when the peeling actuator 458 moves vertically. The peeling actuator 458 also has a guide pin 463 that engages with a substantially circular cam track 441 located on the rear surface of the hub gear 436.

[0195] Figure 37 is a rear view of the central hub gear 436, which can be considered to have a front half and a rear half, each in the form of a substantially circular plate. Around the circumference of the front half, there are pairs of four teeth 416 spaced at 90-degree intervals, and around the circumference of the rear half, there are groups of four triplets 420 spaced at 90-degree intervals. Thus, each half of the hub gear 436 provides four isolated gear portions 416, 420 separated by smooth radial portions 417, 421. The groups of gear teeth 416, 420 on the front half and rear half are offset from each other in the circumferential direction.

[0196] Furthermore, a substantially circular cam track 441 is provided above the rear of the central hub gear 436. The cam track 441 forms a closed loop, and each of the four quarters has a linearly inclined portion 442, a constant radius portion 444, and a linearly radially outward extending portion 448. Each radially outward extending portion 448 is located between the offset groups 416, 420 of teeth on the front and rear portions of the central hub gear 436.

[0197] Figure 38 shows details of the cam follower 480. It is provided with a pair of teeth 484 that engage with a group of three teeth 420 on the rear half of the hub gear 436. It is also provided with a pin 486 that engages with the curved cam track 461 and a recess 485 that engages with the separation actuator 458.

[0198] Figures 39 and 40 show the first indexing drive gear 412D and the second free-moving part 45, respectively. 4 is shown. The first indexing drive gear 412D has six isolation gear teeth 473, and isolation gear Tooth 473 engages with a pair of gear teeth 416 provided on the front half of the hub gear 436, and the first It is separated by the inwardly curved portion 472 around the circumference of the indexing drive gear 412D. The radius of each curved portion 472 matches the radius of the smooth portion 417 of the hub gear 436. When the teeth 416 and 473 of the components are engaged, the rotation of the central hub gear 436 The first indexing drive gear 412D will be moved forward, but the curved sections 417 and 472 When engaged, the first indexing drive gear 412D is held against rotation. Therefore, the drive gear 412D provides Geneva locking with the hub gear 436.

[0199] The second idler gear 454 comprises a front gear wheel and a rear gear wheel separated by a reduced diameter central portion, shown from the rear in Figure 40. The rear gear wheel has a pair of three gear teeth 475 that engage with a group of three teeth 420 located on the rear of the central hub, and three inwardly curved portions 474, each having a radius equal to the curved portion 421 of the central hub gear 436. The front gear wheel is a standard gear 476 having teeth that engage with the second indexing drive gear 414D. Thus, the second idler gear 454 provides the first indexing drive gear 414D with intermittent drive and locking functions similar to those provided by the first indexing drive gear 412D.

[0200] Figure 41 is a front view of the assembled mechanism. As shown, the first indexing drive wheel 412D, i.e., the first indexing device, is held against rotation by the central drive hub. The front gear 476 of the second idler gear 454 is positioned raised on the central hub gear 436 and engages with the second indexing drive wheel 414D, while the rear gear wheel (not shown) engages with the rear half of the central hub gear 436. The reduced diameter central portion of the second idler gear 454 creates a gap between the front and rear gears, so that no part of the second idler gear 454 engages with the front half of the central hub gear 436.

[0201] The peeling actuator 458 is located at the top of the guide groove 459, with its tip 462 sandwiched between the first indexing drive wheel 412D and the second indexing drive wheel 414D, and the first movable peeling beak component 490 and the second movable peeling beak component 490'. The cam follower 480 and spring 482 are assembled with the arm 440, and when the mouthpiece cover opens, the arm 440 moves in a clockwise direction 434, causing the cam follower 480 to move along the curved cam track 461. This movement is illustrated in the following diagram, where the hidden parts of the mechanism are shown by dashed lines.

[0202] Figure 42 shows the mechanism with the mouthpiece cover slightly open from the position shown in Figure 41. The arm 440 rotates clockwise 434, causing the central hub gear 436 to rotate due to the engagement of a pair of teeth 484 on the cam follower 480 with a group of three teeth 420 on the rear half of the central hub gear 436. During this rotation, the path of the guide pin 463 of the peeling actuator 458 along the angle-inclined portion 442 of the substantially circular cam track 441 is shown, resulting in the peeling actuator 458 moving downward and away from the top of the guide groove 459. The gear teeth 473 of the first indexing drive wheel 412D engage with the pair of teeth 416 on the hub gear 436, and further rotation drives the first indexing device 412.

[0203] Figure 43 shows the mechanism after further rotation. The guide pin 486 of the cam follower 480 moves through the inner portion 461A of the curved cam track 461 as shown, continuing to drive the hub gear 436. As a result of this rotation, the first indexing drive wheel 412D moves forward by one step. The set of three teeth 420 on the front half of the hub gear 436 moves in and out of engagement with the pair of teeth 475 on the second free portion 454, rotating the second free portion 454 and driving the second indexing drive wheel 414D, and thus the second indexing device 414, by one step. The first peeling beak component 490 and the second peeling beak component 490' rotate together with the respective indexing devices 412, 414 as described above, to provide a moving peeling front during use.

[0204] By spacing the tooth groups 416 and 420 on the central hub gear 436, it is ensured that the second indexing drive wheel 414D advances only after the first indexing drive wheel 412D has advanced one step. The separation actuator 458 is maintained in the retracted position during rotation by the guide pin 463 of the separation actuator 458 engaging with the constant radius portion 444 of the substantially circular cam track 441.

[0205] As shown in FIG. 43, both the first indexing drive wheel 412D and the second indexing drive wheel 414D have advanced one step from the positions shown in FIG. 42. Both the first indexing drive wheel 412D and the respective inwardly curved portions 472, 474 of the second floating portion 454 are held against rotation by engaging the curved outer surface of the hub gear 436. The pin 463 of the separation actuator 458 abuts against the radially extending portion 448 of the substantially circular guide track 441 and resists further rotation of the hub gear 436.

[0206] When the mouthpiece is fully opened, the arm 440 rotates further from the position shown in FIG. 43, and thus the cam follower 480 and the central hub gear 436 move relative to each other. As shown in FIG. 44, the inclined portion 461B of the curved guide track 461 biases the guide pin 486 of the cam follower 480 radially outward during this movement. Thereby, the cam follower 480 reverses from the first stable state, as shown in FIGS. 41 to 43, to the second stable state in which the tooth pair 484 is disengaged from the three-tooth group 420 on the rear half of the central hub gear 436. This reversing action enables the cam follower to move beyond the hub gear 436, and also the recess 485 engages with the drive pin 460 of the separation actuator 458 and biases the drive pin 460 vertically to the top of the guide groove 459. Thereby, the ratchet claws 492 of each separation nozzle component 490 are released, and both the advanced doses of the drug ready for inhalation are separated. Therefore, the position shown in FIG. 43 can be considered as a fixed point, and the separation operation is performed beyond the fixed point.

[0207] Figure 45 shows the state where the mouse piece cover 410 moves 432 to close and the mechanism is reset. During this period, the cam follower 480 is driven by the movement of the arm 440. The guide pin 486 of the cam follower 480 passes along the outer portion 461C of the curved guide track 461, avoiding any reverse drive of the central hub gear 436. The stabilizing spring 482 helps to maintain the cam follower 480 in the second disengaged state during this movement.

[0208] As shown in Figure 45, a pair of teeth 484 on the cam follower is close to three different groups of teeth 420 on the rear half of the central hub gear 436. When the arm 440 moves further when the mouse piece cover 410 is completely closed, the guide pin 486 of the cam follower 480 will move through the final straight portion 461D of the curved guide track 461. This serves to return the cam follower 480 to the first state and engage the tooth pair 484 with the three groups of teeth 420 on the rear half of the central hub gear 436. In this way, the mechanism is returned to the position shown in Figure 41 and is ready for the next operation.

[0209] Figure 46 shows the gear device at the rear of the inhalation device 402, that is, a view seen from the rear of the device with the rear plate 406 removed. The first indexing device 412 is engaged with the first take-up drum 430 and the first spring-loaded floating part 418. The first floating gear 452 is also engaged with the first spring-loaded floating part 418 and the first spool wheel 422 to complete the first drive system on one side of the inhalation device 401. A second separate drive system incorporating the second indexing device 414 is also provided. Arrows indicating the movement of the drive system are added in Figure 46. For clarity, part of all the movements / drives is illustrated in each of the first drive system and the second drive system, and the dashed arrows indicate the engagement and movement of the unclear components.

[0210] As described above, the first indexing drive gear 412D is driven by the rotation of the central hub gear 436 while the mouthpiece cover 410 is open. This causes the front indexing output gear 412A to rotate, and this rotation drives the front gear 418A of the spring-loaded freewheel 418 as shown in the figure. The front gear 418A of the spring-loaded freewheel 418 engages with the first freewheel 452, and the first freewheel 452 engages with the first spool wheel 422 to drive and coil the used base sheet. It will be understood that the second drive system operates similarly with respect to the second indexing device 414 and the second spool wheel 422'.

[0211] As the first indexing device 412 and the second indexing device 414 move forward, the moving peeling beak components 490, 490' strain the used lid sheet, causing the first winding drum 430 and the second winding drum 430' to rotate. As shown in the second drive system, the second winding drum 430' engages with the rear indexing output gear 414B of the second indexing device, and the rear indexing output gear 414B acts as a free-transmission drive for the second spring-loaded free-moving part 418' to the rear gear 418B'. The reverse rotation of the front gear 418A' and the rear gear 418B' causes energy to accumulate in the torsion spring 456 during indexing. This energy is released when the peeling actuator 458 releases the peeling beak components 490, 490', and is sufficient to rotate the second winding drum 430' to peel off the dose.

[0212] Figures 47 to 60 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention in which both the indexing and peeling operations are controlled by a cam plate. A cam track provided on the cam plate engages with pins on a pair of indexing wheels, and pins provided on the cam plate engage with cam tracks on a pair of movable peeling beak components associated with the indexing wheels. A torsion spring is provided between the movable peeling beak components and the indexing wheels. The movable peeling beak is initially held against rotation while the indexing wheels are advanced by the cam plate during the movement of the mouthpiece cover, and is released only when the mouthpiece cover opens beyond an intermediate position or a fixed point. In the fifth embodiment, no ratchet components are used anywhere.

[0213] Figure 47 is an exploded view of the internal components of the inhaler 501 according to the fifth embodiment. Similar to the previous embodiment, the intermediate chassis 504 and the front plate 505 are provided as part of the body of the inhaler 501, and the first indexing wheel 512 and the second indexing wheel 514 are provided as indexing devices for the first blister strip 566 and the second blister strip 568, respectively. Each of the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514 comprises fixed front gears 518A, 518A' and rear gears 518B, 518B' that are rotatable relative to the front gears 518A, 518A'. A torsion spring 556 is connected between the rear gears 518B, 518B' and the rest of the indexing devices 512, 514. As described in other embodiments, movable peeling beak components 590 and 590' are provided surrounding the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514, respectively, to change the position of the peeling front.

[0214] The rear side of the intermediate chassis 504 shows various geared components that constitute the first geared drive system and the second geared drive system. Only the components that constitute the first drive system, namely the first spool wheel 522, the first winding drum 530, the first free section 552, and the second free section 554, are shown. Each geared component of the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514 extends beyond the rear of the intermediate chassis 504 and engages with the first geared drive system and the second geared drive system, respectively. The fronts of the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514 extend through cutouts in the front plate 505, and the fronts of the respective movable peeling beak components 590, 590' are located in front of the front plate 505 and exposed to the cam plate 536. The hub component 538 connects the cam plate 536 to a movable mouthpiece cover (not shown).

[0215] Figure 48 is a cross-sectional view through a convoluted cam track 541 provided on the cam plate 536, illustrating the engagement of the cam plate 536 with the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514. A first ring of six pins 553 is provided around the front edge of the first indexing device 512, and a second ring of six pins 563 is provided around the front edge of the second indexing device 514. In the configuration shown in Figure 48, the mouthpiece cover of the intake device 501 is fully closed, and the cam plate is moving in a nearly counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 532. Three of each group of six pins 553, 563 engage with the cam track 541, holding both the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514 against rotation.

[0216] Figure 49 shows the path 543 that the pin 563 of the second indexing device 514 takes through the cam track 541 during use of the inhalation device 501. The solid arrows show the path taken while the cam plate 536 moves from the position shown in Figure 48 during the opening of the mouthpiece cover 534. This serves to drive the second indexing device 514 while the mouthpiece cover is opening. The dashed arrows show the path taken by the same pin 563 when the mouthpiece cover is closing 532, holding the second indexing device 514 against rotation. Each pair of arrows relates to a single opening and closing of the mouthpiece cover.

[0217] Furthermore, the rear surface of the cam plate 536 is provided with a drive pin 540 that engages with one of six slots 542 provided on the front surface of the first indexing device 512, thereby driving the rotation of the first indexing device 512 while the mouthpiece cover is closed 532. In addition, a pair of detachment beak pins 562 are provided to control the movement of the movable detachment beak components 590, 590' during use of the inhalation device 501.

[0218] Figure 50 is a further cross-sectional view of a device similar to that in Figure 48, passing through a plane intersecting the six slots 542 of the first indexing device 512. The first and second peeling beak cam tracks 551 and 561 within the first and second movable peeling beak components 590 and 590', respectively, are also shown. Cross-sections of the drive pin 540 and the peeling beak pin 562 can also be seen.

[0219] The first movable detachment beak component 590 and the second movable detachment beak component 590' rotate freely relative to the first and second indexing devices, and are not provided with engaging latches or ratchet pawls. Instead, their movement is controlled by the detachment beak pin 562 engaging with either the first or second detachment beak cam track 551. The meshing gear teeth 596 provided on each of the movable detachment beak components 590 and 590' ensure that their movement is coupled, and the detachment beak pin 562 controls the movement of both detachment beak components 590 and 590' by engaging with either the detachment beak cam track 551 or 561.

[0220] For example, as shown in Figure 50, one delamination beak pin 562 is disengaged from the first delamination beak cam track 551, but the movement of both delamination beak components 590, 590' is still controlled by the engagement of the other delamination beak pin 562 with the second delamination beak cam track 561. In fact, at most positions on the cam plate 536, one or both of the delamination beak pins 562 are engaged with the delamination beak cam tracks 551, 561 in such a way that they drive the delamination beak components 590, 590' or hold them against rotation. The exception is when the movable delamination beak components 590, 590' rotate freely as indicated by arrows 593 and 594, allowing for a certain amount of delamination, and when the delamination beak pin 562 is in the marked operating position 592.

[0221] Figure 51 shows the position of the cam plate 536 when the mouthpiece cover is in the fully open position. Since the detachment beak pin 562 is in the operating position 592 shown in Figure 50, the movable detachment beak components 590, 590' rotate freely as described above. The complex cam track 541 of the cam plate 536 is shown with dashed lines, as are the various configurations of the first indexing device 512 and the second indexing device 514, which are obscured behind the cam plate 536. The drive pin 540 is positioned at one end of the six slots 542 on the front of the first indexing device 512, so that when the cam plate 536 moves in the direction of the arrow 532 while the mouthpiece cover is closing, the drive pin 540 moves into the slot 542 first, and then the first indexing device 512 moves forward.

[0222] Figure 52 shows the paths of two blister strips 566, 568 passing through the suction device. The first blister strip 566 travels around the first indexing device 512, then the used base sheet is wound up by the first spool wheel 522, the used lid sheet is wound up by the first winding drum 530, and it first passes around the peeling beak in the first movable peeling beak component 590. The second blister strip 568 follows a similar path around the second indexing device 514, the second spool wheel 524, the second movable peeling beak component 590', and the winding drum 530'.

[0223] Figure 53 shows the gears at the rear of the suction device. In the first drive system, the front gear 518A of the first indexing device 512 drives the first spool wheel 522 via the first free section 552. As the front gear 518A rotates with the first indexing device 512, the first spool wheel 522 is driven when the first indexing device is advanced by the cam plate 536. The first winding drum 530 is driven by the rear gear 518B of the first indexing device 512 via the second free section 554. The torsion spring 556 between the front gear 518A and the rear gear 518B controls the peeling operation by allowing movement of the peeling front, in response to changes in the tension of the lid sheet during operation, as described in the above embodiments.

[0224] A second pair of free-moving parts 554' is provided between the rear gear 518B' of the second indexing device 514 and the second winding drum 530', and a second similar drive system is provided for the second indexing device 514.

[0225] Figures 54 to 60 illustrate the movement of various components. Figure 54 shows the inhaler 501 immediately after the dose has been released. The cam plate 536 is connected to the hub component 538 by a pin 537 offset from the rotation axis of the hub component 538. The mouthpiece cover (not shown) is fully open at this point, and the first dissecting beak component 590 and the second dissecting beak component 590' are in an outwardly rotated position. The remaining Figures 55 to 60 show the movement of the cam plate 536 as the central hub component 538 rotates between the opening 532 and closing 534 of the mouthpiece cover.

[0226] In the initial stage of closing the mouthpiece cover, from Figure 54 to Figure 55, the delamination beak components 590 and 590' begin to rotate inward, and this rotation continues as the first indexing device 512 advances from Figure 55 to Figure 56. In the final stage of closing the mouthpiece cover to the position shown in Figure 57, as the delamination beak pin 562 moves through the bottom of the cam track 561 in the second delamination beak 590', the tension generated in the cover sheet by the charged torsion spring 556 biases the delamination beak components 590 and 590', causing them to rotate slightly outward in the direction of arrows 593 and 594 in Figure 50.

[0227] As shown in FIGS. 58 and 59, subsequently, when the mouthpiece cover opens and the hub component 538 rotates as shown at 534, the second dispensing device 514 advances. At the position shown in FIG. 59, both dispensing devices 512, 514 and both moving separation mouthpiece components 590, 590' are held in place by the cam plate 536. As shown in FIG. 60, during the final opening movement, the complex cam track 541 in the cam plate 536 continues to hold the dispensing devices 512, 514 stationary, while the separation mouthpiece pin 562 moves to the operating position 592 shown in FIG. 50, allowing outward rotation of the separation mouthpiece components 590, 590'.

[0228] It will be appreciated that the separation mouthpiece components 590, 590' move first after the operation of the inhalation device 501, such that the separation front always precedes the next dose to be separated from the inhalation device. Then, when the separation mouthpiece pin 562 is in the operating position 592 within the cam tracks 551, 561 of the first separation mouthpiece component 590 and the second separation mouthpiece component 590', the separation action does not occur until a set point.

[0229] Figures 61 to 65 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, in which the indexing and peeling operations are controlled by an intermittent ring gear with a cam track. This embodiment also constitutes a split air passage, half of which can reciprocate vertically (and also function as a movable peeling beak), while the other half remains stationary. A torsion spring is provided between the winding drum drive gear and the winding drum. When the intermittent ring gear is turned (via a pawl-capped input wheel that drives an input ratchet wheel), the first indexing wheel rotates, thereby indexing the first strip. Simultaneously, the moving half of the air passage / moving peeling beak also moves in parallel to maintain the position of the peeling front relative to the strip. This causes the corresponding winding drum to be pulled against the torsion spring, releasing the cover sheet and allowing the peeling front to move. If the intermittent ring gear continues to turn, then the second indexing wheel and the second winding drum rotate, peeling the second strip. The second winding drum is linked to the first winding drum, thereby further energizing the torsion spring of the second winding drum. The cam track then releases the moving air passage / moving peeling beak, allowing the moving air passage / moving peeling beak to be pulled back by the tension of the first lid sheet, which causes the first strip to peel off. When the cap is closed again, the ratchet drive gear is reset. The position of the pin on the moving air passage / moving peeling beak prevents the intermittent ring gear, and thus the input ratchet wheel, from rotating backward.

[0230] Figure 61 is an exploded view of the inhaler 601 according to the sixth embodiment. As part of the body of the inhaler 601, an intermediate chassis 604, a front plate 605, and a rear chassis 606 are provided. A first indexing wheel 612 and a second indexing wheel 614 are provided at the rear of the intermediate chassis 604 and extend through the intermediate chassis 604 as indexing devices for a first blister strip and a second blister strip (not shown). A first spool wheel 622 and a second spool wheel 624, a first winding drum 630 and a second winding drum 630', and a first free part 652 and a second free part 654 are also provided. Drive gears 618 and 618' are provided for the first winding drum 630 and the second winding drum 630', respectively, and each drive gear 618 and 618' is rotatable relative to the respective winding drums 630 and 630'. Torsion springs (not shown) are connected between each drive gear 618, 618' and each winding drum 630, 630'.

[0231] The mouthpiece and air passage manifold 608 is located in front of the intermediate chassis 604 and includes a divided air passage, the divided air passage having a first half 690 that can reciprocate vertically during use and a second half 691 that remains stationary.

[0232] A ring gear / cam plate 636 is provided as a means of controlling / driving the movement of all components of the intake device 601, which can therefore be considered a central logic hub. Inwardly extending gear teeth 616 on the ring gear drive the indexing devices 612, 614, the spool wheels 622, 624, and the winding drums 630, 630'. A cam track 651 is also provided, which engages a pin 662 with the first half of the air passage 690 to control the vertical movement of the first half of the air passage 690.

[0233] The one-way ratchet component 640 connects to the mouthpiece cover (not shown) and fits into the cavity at the rear of the central input hub gear 638, driving the input hub gear 638 in only one direction. The hub gear 638 then engages with the rear of the ring gear / cam plate 636, transmitting the movement of the mouthpiece cover to the ring gear / cam plate 636.

[0234] Figure 62 is a front view of the assembled components. The first storage chamber 619 and the second storage chamber 620 are located at the lower end of the intermediate chassis 604 and house a first peelable blister strip and a second peelable blister strip (not shown) of a chemical (not shown). Each blister strip is fed from storage chambers 619 and 620 onto indexing devices 612 and 614, the lid sheet is then sent to winding drums 630 and 630' through air passage halves 690 and 691, and the base sheet is coiled around spool wheels 622 and 624.

[0235] The vertical movement of the first half 690 of the air passage is indicated by arrows 642 and 648. As will be more fully explained with reference to later drawings, the first indexing device 612 and the second indexing device 614 rotate sequentially in the directions shown during use. When the first indexing device 612 moves forward, the first half 690 of the divided air passage moves upward 642, and the peeling front moves in the same direction as the blister strip, delaying the peeling operation. When it then moves downward 648, it peels the lid sheet from the base sheet and serves to peel off the drug dose. Thus, the linear movement of the first half 690 of the divided air passage provides a moving peeling beak component 690 to regulate the peeling operation, as in other embodiments.

[0236] The rear view in Figure 63 shows the interaction between the ratchet component 640, the central input hub gear 638, and the ring gear / cam plate 636. It is clear that the rotational drive in the direction of the arrow 634, which will occur when the mouthpiece cover opens, will be transmitted to the ring gear / cam plate 636, but the drive in the opposite direction 632, which occurs when the mouthpiece cover closes, will not be transmitted.

[0237] Figure 64 is a first cross-sectional view of the suction device as seen from the rear. This cross-sectional view extends inward. The gear teeth 616 pass through the components that these teeth 616 engage with, namely the first free Section 652, the drive gear 618' of the second winding drum 630', and the second indexing device It passes through 614 and . As shown in Figure 64, each of these components has a curved surface 672, 6 73 and 674 engage with the smooth portion 617 of the ring gear / cam plate 636 for Geneva locking. It provides and holds each component against rotation. The first movable part 652 is the first index The device 612 engages with the first spool wheel 622, and the second free part 654 engages with the second split The second spool wheel 624 engages with the second winding drum drive gear 6 18' is engaged with the first winding drum drive gear 618. Thus described. The Geneva locking mechanism holds all these components against rotation, as shown in Figure 64.

[0238] Figure 65 is again a further cross-sectional view from the rear of the intake device 601, passing through the cam track 651 in the ring gear / cam plate 636 and through the pin 662 of the first half 690 of the split air passage.

[0239] The operation of the inhalation device will be explained with reference to both Figures 64 and 65.

[0240] As the ring gear / cam plate 636 rotates in the direction of the arrow 634, while the mouthpiece cover opens, the inwardly extending teeth 616 first engage with the first free portion 652, driving the first indexing device 612 and the first spool wheel 622 to rotate. The cam track 651 simultaneously guides the pin 662 to move as indicated by the arrow 642, thereby moving the first half 690 of the split air passage vertically upward during rotation. Thus, the first indexing device 512 advances the dose, while the upward movement of the split air passage 690 adjusts the pre-separation position so that the dose is not separated. This creates tension in the lid sheet of the first blister strip, and energy is stored in the torsion spring provided between them as the first winding drum 630 rotates relative to the drive gear 618, releasing the required length of the lid strip.

[0241] As the first indexing device 612 moves forward one step / dose, the curved surface 672 of the first free portion 652 re-engages with the smooth portion 617 of the ring gear / cam plate 636, holding the first indexing device stationary while the ring gear / cam plate 636 continues to rotate 634. Further inwardly extending teeth 616 then engage first with the second indexing device 514, and then with the drive gear 618' of the second winding drum 630', to advance these components and index and peel off the second blister strip while the mouthpiece cover continues to open. The split air passage 690 is maintained in the raised position as the pin 662 moves through the portion of the cam track 651 indicated by arrow 644 while the second indexing device 614 moves forward. The interlocking between the drive gear 618' of the second winding drum 630' and the drive gear 618 of the first winding drum 630 further energizes the torsion spring of the first winding drum 630.

[0242] As both indexing devices advance by one step / one dose, the curved surfaces 672, 673, and 674 re-engage with the smooth portion 617 of the ring gear / cam plate 636, holding both indexing devices 612 and 614 against rotation. The pin 662 is then in the working position or locking point 692 within the cam track. At this point, the cam track 651 and working position 692 will rotate to a position that provides downward movement of the split air passage 690 as indicated by the movement of the pin 662 in the direction of the arrow 648. The torsion spring in the first winding drum 630 pulls downward the first lid sheet and the split air passage portion 690, peeling the dose from the first blister strip. Thus, when the cap is fully opened, the inhaled dose is exposed from both strips, but the second strip is peeled only after the opening operation is half complete, and the first strip is peeled only after a defined locking point near the end of the opening operation.

[0243] Even after the mouthpiece cover is closed, the ratchet component 640 drives the mechanism. No. The engagement of pin 662 with cam track 651 and the Geneva locking described above are as follows: This helps ensure that the next operation is performed without the components rotating in the opposite direction.

[0244] Figures 66 to 79 illustrate a seventh embodiment of the inhaler 701 according to the present invention. For example, the inhaler 701 in Figure 66 separates the actions of indexing and peeling, and operates similarly to the Geneva mechanism. A geared system configured to control indexing and separation is used, and the first This allows the indexing system and the second indexing system to advance independently.

[0245] As shown in the exploded view of Figure 66, the inhaler 701 is provided with an intermediate chassis 704, a front plate 705, and a rear chassis 706 as part of its main body. The rear components of the intermediate chassis 704 include a movable air passage 708 and a movable peeling nozzle 790 and a movable peeling nozzle 790', forming an indexing and peeling control mechanism involving the movement of the air passage 708 driven by the peeling nozzle mechanism, and thus tightly coupled to the peeling function of the inhaler 701. The front components of the intermediate chassis 704 are responsible for managing the blister strip.

[0246] The mechanism of the inhaler 701 is driven by the movement of the mouthpiece cover 710, which is connected to a one-way ratchet component 740 located in a recess on the rear side of the hub gear 738. The hub gear 738 drives a first input gear 736, which in turn drives a second input gear 736'. The first input gear 736 and the second input gear 736' intermittently drive a first indexing device 712 and a second indexing device 714, and a first delamination beak component 790 and a second delamination beak component 790', respectively. Each of the first indexing device 712 and the second indexing device 714 comprises indexing gears 712A and 714A, and indexing drums 712B and 714B, which are assembled around their respective delamination beak components 790 and 790'. The inhaler 701 also includes a first slave beak component 791 and a second slave beak component 791' which interact with the first detachable beak component 790 and the second detachable beak component 790', as described later.

[0247] The remaining components are substantially the same as those described in the previous embodiment. The used base foil is provided with a first spool wheel 722 and a second spool wheel 724, and the used lid sheet / foil of the blister strip pair is provided with a first winding drum 730 and a second winding drum 730', which are connected to drive gears 718 and 718', respectively, via torsion springs 756 and 756'.

[0248] Figure 67 shows the first input gear 736 in more detail. The boss 772 has a toothed portion 773 that extends from the front of the input gear 736 and extends along the entire height of the boss 772. A cutout 774 is adjacent to one end of the toothed portion 773, and the cutout 774 extends halfway downward from the free end of the boss 772. The ring of second gear teeth 716 is located at the rear of the first input gear 736, opposite the boss 772, and engages with the hub gear 738 in use. This can be seen in the top view of Figure 68, where the cutout 774 is again shown.

[0249] Figure 69 shows a portion of the mechanism, including a first input gear 736 and a second input gear 736', a movable air passage 708, and a first peeling beak component 790 and a second peeling beak component 790'. The configuration of the second input gear 736' is similar to that of the first input gear 736, except that it lacks the ring 716 on the second gear teeth and is therefore driven only by engagement with the first input gear 736. The second input gear 736' also has a slightly longer cutout 774', whose width is only half the height of the boss on the second input gear 736'.

[0250] Both the first delamination beak component 790 and the second delamination beak component 790' have toothed input portions 775, 775', which engage with the toothed portions 773, 773' of the first input gear 736 and the second input gear 736', which are located near the ends of the bosses 772, 772'. Small recesses 776, 776' are provided on the outer edges of each delamination beak component 790, 790' on both sides of the toothed input portions 775, 775', and drive pins 762, 762' are provided that engage with a slot 751 located at the rear of the air passage 708. The arrows indicate the rotation direction of the components in use. Note that the first tooth 773A in the toothed portion on the first input gear 736 is engraved to improve the efficiency of the initial engagement when the first input gear 736 first begins to drive the first detachable beak component 790. Although not labeled, the first tooth 773A' on the second input gear is similarly engraved for the same reason.

[0251] Figures 70-75 show the forward movement of the mechanism shown in Figure 69 during use. When the mouthpiece cover 710 is opened, both the first input gear 736 and the second input gear 736' move forward simultaneously in opposite directions, as shown in Figure 70. This rotation causes the toothed portion 773 of the first input gear 736 to first engage with the toothed input portion 775 of the first delamination beak component 790, transmitting rotational drive as shown in Figure 71. The first delamination beak component 790 rotates until the corresponding toothed portions 773, 775 are at the end, at which point the recess 776 engages with the outer surface of the boss 772, as shown. During this rotation, the drive pin 762 drives the air passage 708 downward, as shown, to maintain the position of the delamination front relative to the blister strip.

[0252] When the first detachable beak component 790 advances as described above, then the mouthpiece cover - 710 moves continuously, then the toothed portion 773' of the second input gear 736' The toothed input portion 775' of the second peeling beak component 790' engages with the toothed input portion 775' of the second peeling beak component The component element 790' moves forward by further opening movement in this manner, while the recess 776 is the boss A Geneva retaining surface is provided that engages with the outer surface of 772, and as shown in Figure 73, the first peeling beak structure The component 790 is held in place against further rotation.

[0253] Figure 74 shows that the second detachment beak component 790' thus advances to the ends of the corresponding toothed portions 773', 775'. The second drive pin 762' engages with the slot 751 of the air passage 708, connecting both detachment beak components 790, 790' via the movable mouthpiece 708. Further rotation from the position shown in Figure 74, which can be considered the determinant point of the mechanism, causes the cutouts 774, 774' of the first input gear 736 and the second input gear 736' to move above the first detachment beak component 790 and the second detachment beak component 790'. The cutouts 774, 774' then provide space for the outer circumference of each detachment beak component 790, 790' to rotate through the bosses 772, 772' of the respective input gears 736, 736'. As will be described later, as this mechanism moves forward, a spring bias is also generated through the blister strip, which drives the first peeling beak component 790 and the second peeling beak component 790' to rotate and return to their initial positions. As shown in Figure 75, the air passage 708 also moves vertically upward. This release performs a peeling action, opening the drug dose from each of the blister strip pairs.

[0254] Figure 74 also shows the detachment beaks 790A, 790A' of the first detachment beak component 790 and the second detachment beak component 790', which are adjacent to the drive pins 762, 762'. The first slave beak component 791 and the second slave beak component 791' (not shown) are driven by the detachment beaks 790A, 790A' during rotation and are now located above the drive pins 762, 762'. This makes it possible to provide a larger physical detachment beak without interfering with the rear of the mouthpiece 708 which provides the drive pins 762, 762' or the slot 751.

[0255] As described above in relation to Figure 66, the first indexing gear 712A and the first indexing hub 712B are assembled around the first delamination beak component 790, and the second indexing gear 712A and the indexing hub 714B are assembled around the first delamination beak component 790. Therefore, the first indexing gear 712A and the second indexing gear 714A are located behind the first delamination beak component 790 and the second delamination beak component 790' in the assembly shown in Figures 69-75.

[0256] Figures 76 and 77 correspond to the mechanism positions shown in Figures 74 and 75, respectively, with the first indexing gear 712A and the second indexing gear 714A shown by dashed lines. Both indexing gears 712A and 714A have similar configurations and will be described only once with reference to the first indexing gear 712A. Four toothed drive portions 777 are provided around the first indexing gear 712A, each of which is similar to the toothed input portion 775 of the first detachment beak component 790. Between the toothed drive portions 777 are locking recesses 778 similar to the recesses 776 of the first detachment beak component 790.

[0257] The first indexing gear 712A and the second indexing gear 714A are initially advanced by the first input gear 736 and the second input gear 736', together with the first delamination beak component 790 and the second delamination beak component 790', as described in relation to Figures 70-73. However, since the first indexing gear 712A and the second indexing gear 714A are located behind the first delamination beak component 790 and the second delamination beak component 790', their periphery engages with the lower parts of the bosses 772 and 772' below the cutouts 774 and 774'. Thus, the bosses 722 and 722' remain engaged with the recesses 778 and 778' of the first indexing gear 712A and the second indexing gear 714A, holding them against rotation toward the open end of the mouthpiece. In other words, once the dosage is determined, the first indexing device 712 and the second indexing device 714 are kept stationary while the peeling operation is being performed.

[0258] The mechanism described provides the vibration or reciprocating motion of the first detachment beak component 790 and the second detachment beak component 790', and the intermittent rotation of the first indexer 712 and the second indexer 714 from a common drive. The movement of the components and the movement of the moving air passage 708 can be reliably synchronized. The first indexer 712 and the second indexer 714 advance 1 / 4 turn at a time, corresponding to four provided dose pockets that receive the drug pockets of the blister strips.

[0259] Similar functionality can be achieved using a pin-Zeneva mechanism, and both halves of the entire mechanism are, It has a single pin that drives the stack of two Geneva wheels, and the Geneva wheels have opposing beaks. It has an open region for one of the layers that allows movement (detached beak layer). However, as described By using gear drives such as those described above, the variation in the force profile is reduced, and the force is weaker. This avoids the need for unsupported pins that could be vulnerable to snapping.

[0260] The mechanism identifies a first side and drives the air passage 708 downward together with the detachment front, then identifies a second side which moves the detachment front to the opening of the mouthpiece 708, and then releases both. As the detachment beak components 790, 790' rotate back to their original positions, they are connected via the air passage 708. This ensures simultaneous movement and drives the air passage 708 to a position along the exposed drug pocket of each blister strip.

[0261] The input drive to the mechanism is illustrated in the rear view of Figure 78. The ratchet component 740 is shown as being received in the central recess of the hub gear 738 and is positioned to drive the hub gear 738 during the rotation 734 that occurs when the mouthpiece cover (not shown) opens, but not during the closing 732. The hub gear 738 is shown engaged with the ring 716 of the second gear teeth on the first input gear 736, and the first indexing gear 712A is labeled together with the first detachment beak component 790, which is largely hidden from the rear by the first indexing gear 712A. As already described, the entire indexing and detachment operation is completed while the mouthpiece cover 710 is opening, so there is no need to transmit the motion during the closing 732 of the mouthpiece cover 710 to the mechanism of the inhaler 701. The check ratchet interacts with the gear system to ensure that the drive gear unit is not driven backward when the ratchet component 740 rotates within the hub gear 738 while the mouthpiece cover is closed.

[0262] Figure 79 shows the components of the inhaler 701 involved in strip management. The diagram in Figure 79 is a front view of the intermediate chassis 704 of Figure 78, seen from the opposite side. The first output gear 752 and the second output gear 754 are connected to the first indexing hub 712B and the second indexing hub 714B, and transmit rotational drive from the first indexing device 712 and the second indexing device 714 to the first spool wheel 722 and the second spool wheel 724, and to the drive gears 718 and 718' of the first winding drum 730 and the second winding drum 730'.

[0263] Similar to other embodiments, the first spool wheel 722 and the second spool wheel 724 simply receive and wind the used base sheets / foils of the first and second blister strips, while the first winding drum 730 and the second winding drum 730' receive the used lid foils / sheets. Torsion springs 756, 756', located between the drive gears 718, 718' and the winding drums 730, 730', operate as in previous embodiments, first accumulating spring energy while enabling the movement of the lid foils together with the indexing devices 712, 714 and the beak components 790, 790', and then driving the peeling operation to compensate for the increase in diameter of the used lid foils / sheets as the blister strips are used. The first winding drum 730 and the second winding drum 730' are linked to rotate in opposite directions to the corresponding indexing devices 712, 714, which further energizes the torsion springs 756, 756' during indexing. This provides sufficient tension for the lid sheet / foil to retract beyond the peeling front when the peeling beak components 790, 790' are released, opening the next dose on the strip.

[0264] The inhaler 701 according to the seventh embodiment offers greater flexibility in configuration in terms of layout, timing, arrangement, force, torque, and displacement. Because the moving air passage moves linearly rather than rotationally, it does not move along the same path as the blister during use (or is offset from the blister strip). This means that during the peeling operation, the moving air passage 708 and the first indexing wheel 712 and / or the second indexing wheel 714 are only in close proximity to each other at the ends of their respective strokes, thus reducing the likelihood of the lid foil being caught between them.

[0265] Unlike the inhaler 601 of the sixth embodiment, there are no separate moving parts that would require a clearance gap between them, and there is only a single moving air passage 708. Therefore, a simpler piston-type seal can be used between the air passage 708 and the mouthpiece of the inhaler 701.

[0266] Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 80 to 89. Here again, the inhaler 801 of the eighth embodiment provides configuration freedom with respect to layout, timing, arrangement, force, torque, displacement, etc., and functions using a mouthpiece cover, which rotates a hub gear against a spring (extension or torsion) via a ratchet drive to complete the indexing operation. The configuration on the chassis releases the ratchet from the hub gear, and the spring returns the ratchet to its starting position. In this way, a 120° unidirectional movement of the mouthpiece cover is converted into a reciprocating motion of the mechanism input.

[0267] The exploded view of Figure 80 shows the components of the inhaler 801. Many of the components are similar to those described in the previous embodiment and include a first spool wheel 822 and a second spool wheel 824, a first indexing device 812 and a second indexing device 814, and a first winding hub 830 and a second winding hub 830' having drive gears 818 and 818', respectively. A first idler gear 852 and a second idler gear 854 are provided to connect some of these components within a gear mechanism that manages the strip. Although not shown in Figure 80, torsion springs are provided between each of the first winding hub 830 and the second winding hub 830' and their respective drive gears 818 and 818' to provide the spring-loaded hubs described above.

[0268] The mechanism of the inhaler 801 is driven via the mouthpiece cover 810, which is directly coupled to a ratchet component 840 in the hub gear 838. The hub gear 838 permanently engages with a first input gear 836 extending through the front plate 805, and drives the first input gear 836. The first input gear 836 engages with a second input gear 836', and drives the second input gear 836'.

[0269] The first input gear 836 and the second input gear 836' drive the first delamination beak component 890 and the second delamination beak component 890'. The delamination beak components 890 and 890' of the mechanism are formed from two parts; the first delamination beak component 890 comprises a front part 890A and a rear part 890B assembled from both sides of the intermediate chassis 804. Similarly, the second delamination beak component 890' comprises a front part 890A' and a rear part 890B' assembled from both sides of the intermediate chassis 804. A locking arm 866 with a projection 868 is also provided behind the rear plate of the inhaler 801.

[0270] Figures 81-83 are detailed views of the first indexing device 812 and the front part 890A and rear part 890B of the first delamination beak 890. One end of the first indexing device 812 shown in Figure 81 is provided with a recess 897 to receive a ratchet tooth 896 provided on the surface of the front part 890A of the first delamination beak component, as shown in Figure 82. The front part 890A of the first delamination beak component also provides a drive slot 851 and a recess 899 to receive a tab 898 provided on the rear part 890B of the delamination beak component, as shown in Figure 83, during assembly. The second indexing device 814 and the front part 890A' and rear part 890B' of the second delamination beak component 890' have an equivalent configuration.

[0271] The forward movement of the mechanism while the mouthpiece is opening is illustrated in the front views of Figures 84 and 85. The rotational directions of the first input gear 836 and the second input gear 836' are shown.

[0272] Figure 84 shows the initial stage in which the mouthpiece cover is open, on the rear surface of the first input gear 836. A drive pin 862 provided therein is connected to the drive slot 851 of the first detachable beak component 890 They are engaged. The first detachable beak component 890 is engaged with the first detachable beak component 890. Rotation is initially prevented by a Geneva-style locking between the input gear 836 and the boss 872 on the rear. It is then stopped and rotated to the position shown in Figure 85 by the cutout 874 on one side of the boss 872. This becomes possible. The ratchet teeth 896 of the first detachable beak component 890 are first The first indexing device engages with the recess 897 of the indexing device and drives together with the first peeling beak. The first blister strip is then advanced. Description of the first detachable beak component 890. During the movement, the second detachable beak component 890' is positioned on the rear of the second input gear 836'. It is held in a stationary state by engaging with the outer surface of the provided boss 872'.

[0273] Once the rotation of the first delamination beak component 890 is complete, it is held in place again by engaging with the outer surface of the boss 872, as shown in Figure 85. Next, the drive pin 862' on the rear surface of the second input gear 836' engages with the drive slot 851' to drive the second delamination beak component 890' to rotate in a similar manner through the notch 874' in the boss 872' of the second input gear. The second indexing device 814 is driven during this movement, as described above for the first indexing device 812, to advance the second blister strip. The staggered positioning of the drive pins 862, 862' and the notches 874, 874' ensures that the two strips are indexed sequentially rather than simultaneously.

[0274] Figure 85 also shows a slot 855 on one side of the first input gear 836, which mounts one end of a tension spring (not shown). The other end of the tension spring is connected to a mounting point 857 on the front plate 805 shown in Figure 86. The front plate 805 also includes a pair of cam slots 861, which receive projections 850 provided on the arms of the ratchet component 840, as shown in Figure 87. One end 861A of each cam slot is angled so that the projections 850 are biased inward toward the rotating end 834 of the ratchet component 840 while the cap is open. This allows the hub gear 838 to rotate over the ratchet component 840 and be reset to its original position, driven by tension springs and other spring forces in the system, for example, from the spring-loaded winding drums 830, 830'. The first and second detachment beak components 890 and 890' also rotate to return to their initial positions during this reset operation, but the ratchet teeth 896 and recesses 897 ensure that this counter-drive is not transmitted to the first and second indexing devices 812 and 814. Thus, the detachment operation is achieved when the mouthpiece reaches a fixed point (corresponding to the inclined end 861A of the cam slot 861) while opening. It will be understood that the ratchet component 840 does not transmit drive during rotation 832 when the mouthpiece cover 810 closes.

[0275] Figures 88 and 89 illustrate the locking mechanism, which ensures that the first indexing device 812 and the second indexing device 814 remain in the forward position during the detachment operation. The locking mechanism is shown from the rear of the inhaler 801, with most of the rear plate 806 omitted for clarity. A locking arm 866 is connected to the mouthpiece cover cover 808 and rotates with the mouthpiece cover cover. When the mouthpiece cover rotates to the open position 834, the locking arm also rotates. Towards the end of this opening movement, a protrusion 886 on the locking arm 866 (see Figure 80) engages with a latch component 819, driving the latch component 819 downward into locking recesses 820, 820' provided at the rear ends of the first indexing device 812 and the second indexing device 814, as shown in Figure 89. The first indexing device 812 and the second indexing device 814 are released again when the mouthpiece cover is closed.

[0276] Figure 89 also shows the engagement of the first indexing device 812 with the drive gear 818 with respect to the first indexing device 830, and the engagement of the first indexing device 812 with the first spool wheel 822 via the first free section 852. The second side of the mechanism is similarly arranged and driven via the second indexing device 814. As in other embodiments, the first spring-loaded winding drum 830 and the second spring-loaded winding drum 830' are driven by the cover foil in opposite directions to their respective drive gears 818, 818' during indexing.

[0277] Figures 90-96 illustrate another inhaler 901 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. Inhaler The 901 uses a mouthpiece cover to rotate the hub gear via a ratchet component. This converts the reciprocating motion of the cover into a unidirectional drive of the input drive mechanism. (Hub gear drive) This allows for two indexing devices, and thus two blisters, through a geared Geneva-style mechanism. The strips move intermittently and continuously in a non-simultaneous motion, and the geared Geneva-style mechanism is indexed by the wheels. It is driven to position it. The detachable beak is an integrated single linear air passage, and is divided Controlled using a desmodromic cam, the split desmodromic cam is the first stream The movement of the top prevents peeling. This prevents the lid foil of the second strip from overlapping. cormorant.

[0278] Figure 90 is a rear exploded view of the inhaler 901 of the ninth embodiment, with some components omitted. A ratchet component 940 is provided to transmit power from the mouthpiece cover (not shown) to the hub gear 936 through the rear plate 906 of the inhaler body. A ring gear 938 is also provided at the rear of the rear plate 906.

[0279] The first indexing device 912 and the second indexing device 914, the spool wheels 922, 924, and the idler gears 952, 954 are located between the rear plate 606 and the intermediate chassis 904, together with the first winding drum 930 and the second winding drum 930' (and associated input gears 918, 918'). As in other embodiments, torsion springs (not shown) are provided to form spring-loaded winding drums 930, 930', providing the aforementioned benefits. The movable peeling beak component 990 is shown in front of the intermediate chassis 904 and includes a drive pin 962, which extends through a slot in the intermediate chassis to restrain the peeling beak component 990 in linear motion.

[0280] Figure 91 is a front perspective view of the hub gear 936. The hub gear 936 comprises a front drive gear 936A, a central cam plate 936B, and a rear intermittent drive gear 936C, effectively providing the central logic hub of the inhaler 901 and advancing the various components of the inhaler 901 in a predetermined order. The ratchet component 940 is received in a recess on the rear side of the hub gear 936, and the hub gear 936 is driven in the direction of the arrow 934 while the mouthpiece cover moves open. During this rotation, the cam track 951 on the edge of the cam plate 936B engages with the drive pin 962 of the delamination beak component 990, driving the delamination beak component 990 vertically upward. The same drive pin 962 engages with the lower part of the cam track 951, and when the delamination beak component is in the lowered position, it resists the hub gear rotating in the reverse direction while the mouthpiece cover is closed.

[0281] Figure 92 shows a movable air passage 908, which, in combination with the movable dissecting beak component 990, moves together with the movable dissecting beak component 990 during use of the inhaler 901. The air passage 908 is equipped with an additional drive pin 963, which extends in the opposite direction to the drive pin 962 of the dissecting beak component 990 and, during use, engages with an additional cam track 961 provided on the inner surface of the mouthpiece cover 910 shown in Figure 93. The additional cam track 961 includes an expansion region 961A, in which the additional drive pin 963 is received when the mouthpiece cover 910 is in the closed position.

[0282] Figures 94 and 95 further illustrate the movement of the detachable beak component 990 and the air passage 908 during the movement of the mouthpiece cover 910. Figure 94 shows a point in the opening movement 934, where, as previously described, the detachable beak component 990 (and the connected air passage 908) is moved vertically upward by the cam track 951 on the hub gear 936. As the mouthpiece cover 910 rotates further 934 while opening, an additional drive pin 963 in an additional cam track 961 moves as shown. This drives the air passage 908 to move additionally upward, and the air passage 908 is held in the raised position when the mouthpiece cover 910 is fully open.

[0283] Figure 95 shows that the mouthpiece cover 910 is in the fully open position and is in the fixed position of the inhalation device 901. From this position, a further drive pin 963 moves as shown during the rotation 932 while the mouthpiece cover 910 is closing. The air passage 908 and the detachment beak component 990 perform the detachment action by initially moving freely vertically downward under the spring biasing force provided by the spring-loaded winding drums 930, 930' which are energized by the rotation of the hub gear 936 while opening. The detachment beak component 990 is then held in the lower position, locking the hub gear against counter-rotation through the engagement of the cam track 551 of the hub gear with the drive pin 962 of the detachment beak component 990.

[0284] Figure 96 is a rear view of the gear mechanism of the inhaler 901. The ratchet component 940 is shown, and the drive direction 934 is shown while the mouthpiece cover is open.

[0285] The toothed portion 916 of the intermittent drive gear 936C moves the first indexing device 912 (first idle First, the drive gear 952 is advanced, followed by the second indexing device 914. It is clear that the first indexing device 912 and the second indexing device 914 move forward. When not in operation, these are the smooth portion 917 and the first free portion 95 of the intermittent drive gear 936C. It is held stationary by a Geneva-type locking mechanism between the 2 or the second indexing device 914. This is similar to the operation described in the sixth embodiment in Figure 64. (Ring gear) 938 (see Figure 90) is from the first indexing device 912 and the second indexing device 914 via the gear teeth provided inside the ring gear 938, the first spool wheel 922 and The drive is transmitted to the second spool wheel 924. The ring gear 938 rotates 10 times with each operation. It is calculated as one-half rotation, and therefore, as a dose counter, or, through further development, It can be used as a unit wheel for a complex dose counter mechanism. First winding The drive gears 918, 918' of hub 930 and the second winding hub 930' are front drive teeth. It is constantly driven via the gear 936A and the second idler gear 954. This allows the mouthpiece The scabbard 910 provides the necessary tension to the cover wheel / seat at the open end and separates before the fixing point. Prepare the system and extend the tasks performed by the user to the entire opening process.

[0286] The aforementioned movements of the air passage 908 and the peeling nozzle component 990 occur as the first indexing device 912 moves forward, preventing the peeling of the first blister strip before the second blister strip is in the indexing position. This causes the lid foil / sheet of the second blister strip to overlap (which is released from the second winding drum 930' prior to this movement and returned to the base foil / sheet), and then recovered when indexed.

[0287] The configuration of the cam tracks 951 and 961 ensures that the air passage 908 moves in sync with the movement of the first blister strip and is held in a forward position until the second blister strip is indexed to a predetermined position, after which a simultaneous peeling operation takes place at the fixed point shown in Figure 95.

[0288] The embodiments described above generally enable complex timing and sequencing with a small number of components and provide an inhaler that is resistant to / tolerant of user misuse without requiring an exhalation-actuated mechanism. The use of ratchets within the mechanism is largely avoided to minimize complex or confounding ratchet-actuated problems that may often prevent the device from recovering from deviations from the expected usage sequence, and simultaneous identification of two drug strips (if used) is avoided. Using fixed points incorporated into the mechanism helps address over-compliance issues.

[0289] While the various embodiments described above offer their own individual configurations and advantages, it should be understood that they all achieve the same overall objective: to address the unbalanced progress of the opening and indexing systems during the movement of a common actuator in a single device.

Claims

1. Inhalation device (701), An indexing system comprising a first indexing device (712) and a second indexing device (714) for advancing a first drug carrier (166) and a second drug carrier (168), An opening system that, after the identification system has advanced the first drug carrier or the second drug carrier, peels off the lid sheet from the first drug carrier or the second drug carrier to open the blister, The common actuator (710) of the first indexing device (712) and the second indexing device (714), It is equipped with an operating mechanism having, The common actuator (710) is movable between a first position and a second position via an intermediate position. The movement of the first indexing device (712) is unbalanced with the movement of the second indexing device (714), and although the first indexing device (712) and the second indexing device (714) are operated with each movement of the common actuator (710), the movement of the first indexing device (712) is not simultaneous with the movement of the second indexing device (714). The movement of the common actuator (710) through the first range of motion causes the first indexing device (712) to operate. The movement of the common actuator (710) through the second range of motion causes the second indexing device (714) to operate. A suction device (701) in which the first indexing device (712) is separated from the second indexing device (714) and the first range of motion is not the same as the second range of motion.

2. The inhalation device (701) according to claim 1, wherein the opening system (730, 730') is configured to simultaneously peel off and open the blister (184) on each of the first drug carrier (166) and the second drug carrier (168).

3. The suction device (701) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the intermediate position of the common actuator (710) is closer to the second position of the common actuator (710) than to the first position of the common actuator (710), for example, the intermediate position of the common actuator (710) is close to the second position of the common actuator (710).

4. The suction device (701) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indexing system (736, 712) comprises locking means, for example, one or more gears having a locking surface and / or one or more claws, for selectively preventing movement of one or more components of the indexing system (736, 712).

5. The suction device (701) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a movable air passage component (708).

6. The inhalation device (701) according to claim 5, wherein the movable air passage component (908) provides a peeling beak component (990) for adjusting the separation of the lid sheet (170) from the drug carrier.

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