US 12,329,205 B2
Mouthpiece assembly for an inhalation device including a replaceable substrate component, and a replaceable substrate component therefor
David Lawson, Liverpool (GB); Gethin Griffith, Liverpool (GB); and Mark Dignum, Liverpool (GB)
Assigned to Ventus Medical Limited, Liverpool (GB)
Appl. No. 16/961,040
Filed by VENTUS MEDICAL Limited, Liverpool (GB)
PCT Filed Jan. 10, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/050515
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 9, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/137982, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 18, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1800500 (GB), filed on Nov. 1, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0352242 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. A24F 40/485 (2020.01); A24F 40/10 (2020.01); A24F 40/42 (2020.01); A24F 40/46 (2020.01); A24F 42/60 (2020.01)
CPC A24F 40/485 (2020.01) [A24F 40/10 (2020.01); A24F 40/42 (2020.01); A24F 40/46 (2020.01); A24F 42/60 (2020.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mouthpiece assembly for an inhalation device, said mouthpiece assembly comprising: a mouthpiece and a substrate component;
said mouthpiece having a first air inlet disposed proximate a first end thereof, and an air outlet disposed proximate a second end thereof axially remote from said first end, said first air inlet and said air outlet being in fluid communication with one another within an interior of said mouthpiece such that fluid flow within said mouthpiece tends to occur along a substantially longitudinal axis thereof, said mouthpiece having a cavity region defined internally thereof and which receives and locates the substrate component within said mouthpiece such that said substrate component interacts with said fluid flow when occurring;
said substrate component comprising a cover including a first substantially planar surface in which at least one elongated longitudinal slot is provided, and a planar substrate fixedly mounted underneath the cover and having a substrate region to which has been applied an electrically resistive heater element, wherein said at least one elongated longitudinal slot at least partially coincides with said substrate region so as to expose said substrate region;
wherein said cavity region is at least partially defined by a plurality of formations provided in the interior of said mouthpiece, at least one of said formations at least partially defining an end wall of said cavity region against which one end of said substrate component abuts when completely received with said cavity region; and
wherein when the substrate component is completely received in the cavity region, said first substantially planar surface of said cover cooperates with a corresponding interior surface of said cavity region such that together said at least one elongated longitudinal slot, said corresponding interior surface of said cavity region, and that part of said substrate region which is exposed by said elongated longitudinal slot define at least one conduit interiorly of said substrate component, such that all fluid flow occurring within the mouthpiece enters said at least one conduit before exiting the mouthpiece assembly.