Dual Inhaler

Abstract

A two piece nasal inhaler comprising an integral case with a cover hingedly joined and an insert for said case with two nostril shaped protuberances mounted on a housing with a channel extending through the protuberances and communicating with said housing. An air passage is provided to permit the flow of air through the housing and up through the protuberances.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Various types of nasal inhalers have been provided to permit the inhalation of such medicaments as benzedrine, ephedrine, menthol, camphor or other compounds which cause the mucous membranes to constrict so as to relieve the nasal passages. The result is to clear the head and reduce the feeling of congestion. Many of the inhalers allow for inhalation in only one nostril. Others, are large or bulky and not convenient for carrying in a purse or pocket.

A desirable inhalator would provide for inhalation of both nostrils simultaneously or each nostril individually. In addition, the inhalator should be compact, and of a convenient shape and dimension. Desirably, the inhaler should be simply contructed, of as few parts as possible, and allow for repeated regeneration of the inhalant in the inhaler. In addition, the inhaler should be sturdy, so as to permit repeated use or abuse without breaking or deterioration. Furthermore, a convenient passage for the flow of air must be provided, through the absorbent containing the medicament, so that the medication is easily drawn up into the nasal passages.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,198,193 and 3,255,750 are indicative of inhalers which have been described in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A two piece apparatus is provided as a nasal inhaler comprising a case with a cover integrally attached by a hinge to the case and a housing insert having two protuberances shaped for convenient nostril insertion communicating with a compartment superimposed over a medicament absorbent. An air passage is provided to the compartment so as to allow the flow of air through the absorbent and up through the protuberances.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prospective view of the inhaler with the top closed and the ogive shaped protuberances shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a prospective view of the inhaler with the top open with a hand and nostrils in phantom.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the inhaler.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inhaler with only a portion of the cover shown.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view along the plane of line 5--5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane of line 6--6 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

The inhaler of this invention is a compact two part apparatus of rugged construction which can be easily and economically molded, so as to provide smooth tight fitting parts.

The inhaler 10 will be carried in the closed position as a small compact container, approximately the size of a cigarette lighter. The cover 12 has four peripheral walls, two narrow side walls 14 and two wide side walls 16, each having a rhomboid shape with a slight taper. The upper top wall 18 will be substantially rectangular. Because of the tapered walls, the size of the upper wall will be smaller than the opening at the bottom of the cover 12. A casing 20 has narrow side walls 22 and wide side walls 24. The relationship in size of the cover 12 and the casing 14 is that the edges of the cover and the compartment housing come together when the inhaler is closed to form a substantially smooth juncture at the joining surfaces 26 and 28. That is, the outer dimensions of the bottom of the cover 12 and the top of the case 20 are substantially the same.

It is convenient that the case 20 be of a heavier wall construction than the cover 12. In this way, the apparatus is lighter, less material is required, and a convenient lock is provided, which will be described subsequently.

The cover 12 and case 20 are molded as a single unit having an integral hinge 30. The hinge has a narrow plastic film 32 connecting two triangular ribs 34 which are integrally molded with rear side walls 14a and 22a of the cover 12 and case 20 respectively.

An insert 36 is provided for insertion into the case 20. The insert has spaced end walls 38 and 40 and side walls 42 and 44 of rhomboid shape which fit snuggly into the case 20, engaging the inner walls. The walls have an upper step 46 of enhanced thickness to provide a shoulder 48. The shoulder 48 rests on the upper surface 50 of the case 20. The thickness of the cover walls 14 and 16 are such, that with the width of the shoulder 48, the total thickness equals the thickness of the walls of the case 20. In this manner, the friction between the sides of the cover 12 and the step 46 of the insert 36 provides locking, whereby the cover remains in the closed position as indicated in FIG. 1. However, the smooth surface of the plastic, provides only slight resistance to opening, so that the walls disengageably engage.

The insert 36 has a flat platform 52 with an air opening 54. Integrally molded with the platform 52 are ogive protuberances 56 and 58. The ogived shaped projections are hollow and have apertures 60 and 62 at their uppermost ends. The ogive protuberances are so shaped so as to conveniently fit either into one or both nostrils simultaneously without distorting the nostrils.

The ogive protuberance 56, which is distant from the hinge 30 is spaced somewhat removed from the outer edge 64. This is necessary to permit the cover 12 to move over the ogive protuberance when closing, without encountering the ogive protuberance. In order to provide the desired spacing between the ogive protuberances 56 and 58, the ogive protuberance 58 is more proximately spaced to the inner edge 66. The ogive protuberance 56 and 58 communicate with the compartment 68 which is divided into three rooms 70, 72, and 74 by partition walls 76 and 78. The walls provide added strength to the insert 36. In addition, the room 72 serves as an air chamber so that air may flow through aperture 54 downwardly through room 72 into the wadding 80 which is maintained in the bottom of the casing 20. The insert 36 only extends a portion of the way into the casing 20, so as to provide an area in which the cotton wadding 80 or other absorbent material may be kept. In addition, the vapors of the medicament are maintained in the rooms 70 and 74 which communicate with the hollow areas 82 and 84 of protuberances 56 and 58 respectively. When, the protuberances are inserted in the nostril, there is already available for immediate inhalation the vapors present in the rooms and 70 and 74 and the hollow areas 82 and 84. The vapor, of course, will also extend into the area enclosed by the cover 12. The cover prevents the continued evaporation of the medicament, confining the medicament to the area enclosed by the cover and minimizing the loss to the atmosphere.

Since the protuberances are asymmetrically situated on the top surface 52, a locating marker 86 is provided so as to identify the outer side wall of the insert 36. Alternatively, a small protuberance could be provided to enhance the holding of the cover in the closed position.

In making the inhaler, two mold dies are used, one to form the casing with the integral cover and the other to form the insert. The dies are shaped so as to provide parts having a close fit, and to allow for ease of assembly of the casing and insert. The casing is molded from polypropylene or other suitable plastic which provides the flexible integral hinge. Molding grade isotactic polypropylene is readily available and can be obtained containing a wide variety of dyes and stabilizers, so as to be molded to an attractive durable object.

Conveniently, the compartment housing in its longest dimension will be about 2 inches. That is, the top and bottom portion will each have a height of about 1 inch. The housing will be about 1 1/2 inches wide at its longest dimension. The narrow width will be approximately one-half inch. That is, the dimensions of the rectangle at the outer edges of the cover and compartment housing will be about 1/2 inch by 1 1/2.

The insert will extend downward into the casing about one-half inch with about a 1/8 inch high shoulder. The protuberances will have a height of about five-eighths inch with approximately a 1/4 inch diameter of the flat surface at the top expanding to about 7/16 inch diameter at the surface of the compartment housing. These dimensions, of course, could be varied widely, depending on the size of the inhaler desired, but are found to provide an inhaler which fits conveniently in the hand, in the nostrils, and is conveniently carried, being similar in overall size to a cigarette lighter.

The inhaler of the subject invention provides a small compact convenient apparatus which can be economically manufactured on a mass scale. The device is attractive, small enough to be carried in a pocket or purse, prevents leakage or loss of the medicament, and permits the easy replenishment of the medicament.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A nasal inhaler comprising:

a casing of isotatic polypropylene having upper and lower members;

each of said upper and lower members having a bottom and peripheral side and end walls;

said lower and upper members being integrally joined by an integrally molded hinge member along one of the end walls of said members;

an insert removably seated in said casing having side and end walls supporting an upper platform;

said insert walls resiliently frictionally engaging the complementary walls of said lower member;

adjacent said platform, shoulders extending only a portion of the width of said lower member walls and resting thereon;

said platform having two hollow ogive projections asymmetrically situated, so that the ogive projection closer to said hinge is adjacent the edge of said platform, while the other ogive projection is removed from the edge opposite said hinge member of said platform, wherein the tops of the ogive projections are below the arc formed by the outer edge of said upper member when rotated about said hinge, and said platform has an aperture intermediate said ogive projections;

said ogive projections being perforated at the top.

2. An inhaler according to claim 1, wherein said shoulders extend substantially completely around said insert, said walls of said lower member are thicker than said walls of said upper member, the thickness being substantially equal to the width of said walls and said shoulders.

3. A nasal inhaler according to claim 1, having a locating mark on the end side opposite the end adjacent the hinge.

4. A nasal inhaler according to claim 1, wherein said casing has two walls parallel said end walls and situated intermediate said end walls so as to form three compartments, wherein the perforations of said ogive projections and said aperture each communicate with one of said compartments.