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Last Updated: March 28, 2024

Claims for Patent: 8,113,199


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Summary for Patent: 8,113,199
Title:Counter for use with a medicament dispenser
Abstract: There is provided a dose counter for use with a medicament dispenser. The dose counter comprises a first count wheel arranged to rotate about a first axis of rotation, the first count wheel including a set of primary drive teeth arranged annularly thereon for drivable rotation of the first count wheel about the first axis of rotation; a second count wheel arranged to rotate about the first axis of rotation, the second count wheel including a set of secondary drive teeth arranged annularly thereon; and a kick wheel arranged to rotate about a second axis of rotation offset from the first axis of rotation, the kick wheel including a set of kick teeth arranged annularly thereon and in meshed relationship with the set of secondary drive teeth of the second count wheel such that rotary motion of the kick wheel results in rotary motion of the second count wheel. The first count wheel further includes a fixed index tooth arranged for intermittent meshing with the kick teeth of the kick wheel such that rotary motion of the kick wheel results from rotary motion of the first count wheel only when the intermittent meshing occurs.
Inventor(s): Augustyn; Stephen Edward (Milton Keynes, GB), Harvey; Stephen James (Ware, GB)
Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Greenford, Middlesex, GB)
Application Number:10/597,551
Patent Litigation and PTAB cases: See patent lawsuits and PTAB cases for patent 8,113,199
Patent Claims: 1. A dose counter for use with a medicament dispenser, said dose counter comprising a first count wheel arranged to rotate about a first axis of rotation, said first count wheel including count indicia and a set of primary drive teeth arranged annularly thereon for drivable rotation of the first count wheel about said first axis of rotation; a second count wheel arranged to rotate about the first axis of rotation, said second count wheel including count indicia and a set of secondary drive teeth arranged annularly thereon, and said second count wheel is arranged concentric to the first count wheel such that the respective count indicia are arranged concentrically; a kick wheel arranged to rotate about a second axis of rotation offset from the first axis of rotation, said kick wheel including a set of kick teeth arranged annularly thereon and in meshed relationship with the set of secondary drive teeth of the second count wheel such that rotary motion of the kick wheel results in rotary motion of the second count wheel; and, a drive wheel which is constantly in meshed relationship with the primary drive teeth of the first count wheel and which is adapted in use to couple with an operating mechanism of a medicament dispenser such that actuation of the operating mechanism will cause the drive wheel to rotate and to drive rotation of the first count wheel; wherein said first count wheel further includes a fixed index tooth arranged for intermittent meshing with the kick teeth of the kick wheel such that rotary motion of the kick wheel results from rotary motion of the first count wheel only when said intermittent meshing occurs; wherein the dose counter has a display region through which the count indicia of the first and second count wheels are rotatable; wherein the second count wheel comprises a shutter which is movable to a shuttering position in which it shutters the display region; wherein the dose counter is configured and arranged to display a count sequence in the display region with the count indicia and to cause the shutter to move to its shuttering position at the end of the count sequence; and wherein the dose counter is configured and arranged so that drive transmission from the first count wheel to the second count wheel through the kick wheel is disengaged when the shutter is in the shuttering position to keep the shutter in the shuttering position when the drive wheel drives further rotation of the first count wheel.

2. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the count indicia of the first count wheel are on a face which has the form of a ring and the second count wheel is disposed within the ring.

3. The dose counter of claim 2, wherein the first count wheel is a ring.

4. The dose counter of claim 2, wherein the count indicia of the second count wheel are on a face which is received in the inner ring void of the face of the first count wheel.

5. The dose counter of claim 4, wherein the shutter is formed by the face of the second count wheel.

6. The dose counter of claim 5, wherein the shutter extends outwardly from the face to overlie the count indicia of the first count wheel.

7. The dose counter of claim 4, wherein the face of the second count wheel further forms a ratchet for interacting with pawls to prevent reverse movement of the second count wheel.

8. The dose counter of claim 7, wherein the ratchet is a resilient finger forming an outer peripheral segment of the face.

9. The dose counter of claim 8 further having a housing on which the pawls are disposed.

10. The dose counter of claim 7 further having a housing on which the pawls are disposed.

11. The dose counter of claim 4, wherein the first count wheel has a circular form.

12. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the drive wheel is arranged to rotate about a third axis of rotation offset from the first and second axes and wherein the first, second and third axes are essentially parallel.

13. The dose counter of claim 1 adapted for use with a medicament dispenser as an insert thereto and having a base plate on which the count wheels, kick wheel and drive wheel are rotatably mounted.

14. The dose counter of claim 13 having a bezel mounted to the base plate to cover the count wheels, the kick wheel and the drive wheel.

15. The dose counter of claim 14, wherein the bezel has a viewing window for viewing the count sequence.

16. The dose counter of claim 12, wherein the first count wheel has a ring member having inner and outer surfaces on which the index tooth and primary drive teeth are respectively provided, wherein the second count wheel is nested in the ring member such that the secondary drive teeth face the inner surface of the ring member and wherein the kick wheel is located between the inner surface of the ring member and the secondary drive teeth.

17. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the second axis of rotation is spaced from the first axis of rotation at a spacing such that the path of rotation defined by the kick teeth of the kick wheel is enclosed by the path of rotation defined by the primary drive teeth of the first count wheel.

18. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the index tooth is fixed at a point at or about the circumference of the first count wheel and rotation of the first count wheel is arranged to bring the index tooth into meshed relationship with the kick teeth of the kick wheel at a particular point of the rotary cycle of the first count wheel such that meshing occurs once during each complete rotation of the first count wheel.

19. The dose counter of claim 1 adapted for use with a medicament dispenser as an insert thereto.

20. The dose counter of claim 1 having a housing which includes a viewing window through which the count sequence may be viewed.

21. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the second count wheel is integrally formed with the shutter.

22. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the shutter overlies count indicia of the first count wheel.

23. The dose counter of claim 1, configured and arranged such that meshing of the kick teeth with the index tooth and/or the secondary drive teeth is unable to occur when the shutter is in its shuttering position.

24. The dose counter of claim 23, wherein a gap is provided in the set of kick teeth or the secondary drive teeth to disable meshing when the shutter is in its shuttering position.

25. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the shutter is a protrusion of the second count wheel which protrudes in a radial direction with respect to the first axis of rotation.

26. The dose counter of claim 24, wherein the gap is provided in the secondary drive teeth.

27. The dose counter of claim 1, wherein the index tooth is the only index tooth of the first count wheel.

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