Claims
- 1. The device for dispensing a substance onto a surface to be treated and/or into an organ presenting an entrance (50), the device comprising:a dispenser member (1) having a dispenser orifice (31), said dispenser member being associated with a reservoir (2) containing the substance to be dispensed and being movable between a rest position and a dispensing position; actuator means (5, 6, 11, 17) for moving said dispenser member (1) towards its dispensing position to dispense a dose of the substance; and distance-gauging means (20) movable between a rest position in which said distance-gauging means (20) prevents actuation of said dispenser member (1), and an in-use position in which said distance-gauging means (20) cooperates with the surface to be treated and/or the organ presenting an entrance (50) such that the dispenser orifice (31) is situated at a predetermined fixed distance from said surface to be treated and/or from said organ presenting an entrance (50), wherein the act of moving said distance-gauging means (20) from its in-use position to its rest position, after actuation of the dispenser member (1), causes said dispenser member (1) to be returned from its dispensing position to its rest position.
- 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator means comprise resilient means (11) acting on the dispenser member (1) while it is in the rest position, urging it towards the dispensing position in which it dispenses a measured quantity of the substance, locking means (5, 6) for locking said resilient means to hold the dispenser member in its rest position, and trigger means (5, 17) actuatable by a user to release said locking means and thereby bring the dispenser member towards its dispensing position.
- 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said distance-gauging means 20) include re-cocking means (28) which, when sad stance-gauging means 20) is returned from the in-use position to the rest position, act on the dispenser member (1) to return it to its rest position against the force of the resilient means (11), after which said resilient means (11) is locked by said locking means (5, 6).
- 4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said distance-gauging means (20) is implemented in the form of a sheath (20) including a cap (21), said cap (21), in the rest position, closing the dispenser orifice (31) of the dispenser member (1) and said sheath (20), in the rest position, covering said trigger means (5), thereby preventing the device from being actuated.
- 5. The device according to claim 3, wherein said distance-gauge means (20) is permanently connected to said device, movement of said distance-gauging means (20) between the rest position and the in-use position being constituted by a translation movement parallel to the central axis of the device and a rotation movement about an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the device, said re-cocking means (28) acting during said translation movement while the distance-gauging means (20) is being returned to the rest position.
- 6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said device comprises a body (9), said distance-gauging means (20) including two arms (22) connected to the body (9) of the device, said arms (22) sliding in two grooves (25) provided in said body (9), said two arms (22) also being capable of pivoting through about 90° about an axis of rotation extending transversely to the central axis of the device level with the top ends of the two grooves (25).
- 7. The device according to claim 1, including a nozzle (30) upstream from said dispenser orifice (31), thereby defining the spatial configuration with which the dose of substance is sprayed.
- 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the surface to be treated and/or the organ presenting an entrance (50) is a portion of the human body.
- 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser member (1) is a pump.
- 10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser member (1) is a metering valve.
- 11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the resilient means (11) is implemented in the form of a spring.
- 12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser device is a powder dispenser.
- 13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said distance-gauging means (20) is adapted to press against the body of the patient in the vicinity of said surface to be treated (50).
- 14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing device is a liquid dispenser, the surface to be treated (50) is an eye, and said distance-gauging means (20) is adapted to press beneath or around the eye (50).
- 15. The device according to claim 1, wherein said distance-gauging means (20) is adapted to press on or around the mouth (50) of the user, the substance being dispensed inside said distance-gauging means (20), the length of said distance-gauging means (20) being selected in such a manner that only finely-divided particles of substance reach the mouth (50), with larger particles falling under the effect of their own weight inside said distance-gauging means (20) before reaching the mouth.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
97/00541 |
Jan 1997 |
FR |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a §371 application of PCT/FR98/00087 filed Jan. 19, 1998.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/FR98/00087 |
|
WO |
00 |
10/4/1999 |
10/4/1999 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO98/31412 |
7/23/1998 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4296317 |
Kraus |
Oct 1981 |
|
5588564 |
Hutson et al. |
Dec 1996 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2682305 |
Apr 1993 |
FR |
2 000 555 |
Jan 1979 |
GB |