The present invention relates to a dispenser, particularly though not exclusively for dispensing aerosol or powder borne medicaments to be inhaled.

Conventionally such a dispenser comprises:

• a pressurised medicament container having a vessel, a dispensing valve at a valve end of the container and a dispensing spout at the valve end and

• a container accommodating body having:

• a mouthpiece with a dispersed medicament inhalation orifice,

• an air passage in the mouthpiece to the orifice,

• a receptacle for at least the valve end of the container, the receptacle being sized for sliding fit of the container,

• a spout receptor fixed below the container receptacle for receiving

medicament from the spout,

• a nozzle open from the spout receptor and opening into the air passage for projecting the received medicament towards the orifice and

• air inlet means into the body and the air passage allowing a user to draw air therethrough on inhalation of a dispensed dose of medicament.

The dispensing valve is normally a metered dose valve arranged at an inner end of the spout for releasing a metered dose of medicament on movement of the spout inwards of the container. In use, the container is arranged with its valve spout down so that on release of it after depression for dispensing a dose, the liquid contents is at the valve end of the container and refill its dose metering chamber.

Usually the mouthpiece will be provided with a removable cap. This is easily lost allowing foreign bodies into the mouthpiece.

Conventionally the air inlet has been via the receptacle along the container. I believe that this air inlet results in the conventional dispenser being larger than it need be. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved, inhalable medicament dispenser, normally for dispensing a metered dose.

According to the invention there is provided an inhalable medicament dispenser of the type defined wherein:

• the receptacle is sized for sliding fit of the container (as opposed to fit

allowing inhalation air flow) and

• the air inlet means into the body (other than clearance between the container and the container receptacle) is below a top of the receptacle in a use, valve- down, orientation of the dispenser.

Due to the air inlet means being below the top of the receptacle, the body does not need an air tract previously provided alongside the container. Thus the dispenser can be compact.

Normally the valve will be a metered dose valve.

In one alternative, the receptacle is open to the air passage at the spout receptor and the air inlet means opens at least partially into the receptacle inwards of the position occupied by the container.

In another alternative, the receptacle is closed from the air passage at the spout receptor and the air inlet means opens into the air passage. The air inlet means can be at least one aperture in the body, in which case, preferably, a plurality of small apertures are provided, the apertures individually being of less than 12.5mm ² . Larger apertures can be provided, particularly where each aperture is provided with a filter. Whilst such filters could be provided at the inner end of the mouthpiece remote from its orifice, they are better provided at the side of the mouthpiece in the interests of providing compactness in the region of the nozzle.

In other embodiments, the air inlet means is provided as porosity in the material of the body or a part thereof. The entire body can be of porous material. Alternatively, the porosity can be provided in the mouthpiece alone, that is with a porous mouthpiece clipped to the rest of the body.

Preferably the mouthpiece tapers out to an orifice of the mouthpiece from the nozzle.

Whilst it is expected to be possible to form the entire body from porous plastics material by sintering in a mould, it is appreciated that it may be necessary to form at least the spout receptor and the nozzle as a conventional injection moulding and insert this into the sintering mould. Alternatively the spout receptor could be assembled into the body once moulded . For support of the container, without the body extending appreciably along the container, the source may be formed with fingers extending from the housing partially along the container.

Preferably the body is narrow at the stem-block/nozzle end, with the mouthpiece tapering out from the nozzle with a continuously increasing cross-section, whereby foreign bodies accidentally entering the mouthpiece cannot become trapped in it.

To help understanding of the invention, five specific embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side vi ew of an inhalable medicament dispenser in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view of anothe r dispenser in accordance with the invention;

Figure 3 is a similar view of a third dispenser in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 is a similar view of a fourth dispenser in accordance with the invention; and Figure 5 is a similar view of a fifth dispenser in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, an inhalable medicament dispenser 1 has a pressurised medicament container 2 with a vessel 21 and a dispensing spout 22. Internally of a swaged-on collar 23, the container has a dispensing valve - not shown. A body 3 of the dispenser has a receptacle formation 31 receiving a valve end 24 of the container. The container 21 is movable within the receptacle 31. The body includes a spout receptor 32 sized to receive the distal end of the dispensing spout 22. The spout receptor has a passage 33 leading to a nozzle 34 from which medicament sprays when the container is depressed towards the stem block. Normally the valve will be a metered dose valve, which is known in itself.

Extending away from the nozzle is an outwardly tapering, hollow mouthpiece 35, with an orifice 36 at its distal end 37 and through which the medicament can be inhaled.

To allow a flow of air to be inhaled with the medicament, which will be most effective if inhaled into the lungs, the mouthpiece 35 and indeed the greater part of the body 3 is formed of porous plastic material. The spout receptor is expected to be a moulding of denser plastics material.

Airflow is partially directly through the porous sidewall 38 of the mouthpiece into an air passage 39 within it. Some air also flows through the sidewalls 40 of the receptor, below the valve end of the container and thence through a bottom wall 41 of the receptacle.

The arrangement enables the receptacle walls to be kept close to the container, allowing the entire dispenser to be compact. Further the tapered shape of the mouthpiece discourages foreign bodies from becoming lodged in it.

Turning to Figure 2, the dispenser 101 thereshown has a two part body 103. The main part 1031 is an injection moulding of regular, non-porous plastics material, including the container receptacle 131, stem passage 133 and spray nozzle 134. It has a mouthpiece rim 1351. A mouthpiece 135 with a complementary rim 1352 of porous plastics material is clipped to the body at the rims.

On inhalation, the user releases a dose by depressing the container 121 and breathes in air through the sidewall 1353 of the mouthpiece, which air passes into the mouthpiece air passage 139 mixing there with the dispensed dose of medicament.

It should be noted that the bottom wall 141 of the container receptacle is both imperforate and non-porous. In this embodiment all air flow is through the side walls of the mouthpiece.

Turning on again to Figure 3, the dispenser 201 has a body 203 essentially similar to that of Figure 1 , except that it is moulded of regular, non-porous plastics material. It incorporates a stem passage 233 and a spray nozzle 234 in common with the body 103. To allow in air, it also has apertures 251 in both sides of its mouthpiece 235. Into each of these is clipped a filter 252. These comprise a block of non-woven fibrous material with a peripheral moulding of plastics material complementary to the apertures 251. Again on inhalation, the user breathes in through the filters.

The inhaler of Figure 4 essentially uses small diameter apertures in place of the porosity of the body/mouthpiece material of the above embodiments. These apertures 345 are mostly in the side wall 338 of the mouthpiece 335 and allow air to be drawn into the air passage 339. A few of the apertures - one as shown in Figure 4 - are provided in the otherwise closed end 346 of the air passage 339 close to the spout receptor. In this embodiment, in common with those of Figure 2 and 3, there is no provision for air flow through the bottom wall 341 of the container receptacle. Turning to Figure 5, the inhaler shown there does provide for inhalation air flow through the bottom wall 441 , via an aperture 451 in it. The container receptacle 431 is castellated with a series of container stabilising fingers 452. The gaps 453 between them extend down below the pressed-in extent of the valve end 424 of the container. They provide for air inlet into the space 454 between the container and the bottom wall, via which and the aperture 451, air can be inhaled to and from the air passage 439.

It should be noted that in all the above embodiments, the spout receptor is a bore in the bottom wall of the container receptacle. This, in contrast to a conventional self-standing stem block, contributes to the compactness of the inhalers described above. Nevertheless, where as in the embodiment of Figure 5 the air inlet is above the bottom wall, or above its level, a conventional stem block can be used.