Importance

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Abstract

Upon inhalation of air from the interior of a housing, a flexible diaphragm-type valve exposed to the ambient air surrounding the housing is moved inwardly due to the difference in ambient air pressure to that in the housing to expose the interior of the housing to the ambient air which is then drawn into the housing. Upon movement of the valve, it strikes a lever connected to a toggle linkage arrangement, causing the lever to pivot to break the toggle linkage, enabling a coil spring to extend and move downwardly a medicant-containing bottle relative to the valve stem of an aerosol valve. The valve stem is urged upwardly relative to a nozzle and moved into the interior of the bottle dispensing a metered dose of the medicant to be mixed with the inhaled air, which is inhaled by the user until the valve automatically closes by extension of the valve stem relative to the nozzle. The bottle is moved upwardly by a pushbutton to reset the toggle linkage actuation means and hold the bottle relative to the nozzle with its valve stem extended. Upward movement of the bottle cocks and resets the toggle linkage to a locked position precluding downward movement of the bottle until the inhalation cycle is repeated.

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First Claim