the drawing shows a dispenser 11 in an only partly represented medium container 12 , which can store a medium to be discharged . the medium to be discharged can be in the form of liquids , which can have different viscosities and which can range from highly viscous to very thin liquids , such as alcohol - based solutions . in addition , the media to be stored usually contain a pharmaceutical substance . the discharge means 13 is inserted in the medium container opening 12 a . the discharge means 13 , which in the represented embodiment is a plunger pump , is sealingly mounted by means of the sealing ring 30 on the opening 12 a ( e . g . an atomizer nozzle ) and is held firmly on the medium container 12 by the fixing screw 31 . in the manner shown in the embodiment , the discharge means 13 can e . g . be a plunger pump , which with a suction hose 32 sucks medium from the lowest point of the medium container 12 and delivers the medium through the riser 33 to the discharge opening . the discharge means 13 is operated by operating the operating element 14 . for this purpose the operating element 14 carries contact surfaces 17 , where the user can apply his fingers and a discharge stroke of the plunger pump can be brought about by pressing down the operating element 14 towards the medium container 12 . the thumb can e . g . act on the underside of the medium container for producing the corresponding opposing force . during each discharge stroke there is a discharge of medium through the discharge opening 19 . for this purpose the operating element 14 is constructed in such a way that it acts by means of the riser 33 on the plunger of the plunger pump serving as the discharge means 13 . the operating element can be displaced by the plunger height of lift relative to the discharge means and therefore relative to the medium container . in order to bring about a reliable relative position between the operating element 14 and medium container 12 , it is also possible to provide a radial guide between the fixing screw 31 or medium container 12 and the operating element 14 . this can in particular be created in that the fixing screw 31 has a non - circular outer contour and the shape of the operating element 14 is adapted thereto . however , it is also possible to provide guide rails , guide grooves and guide surfaces . it is also possible for the fixing screw 31 to be part of a housing surrounding the medium container 12 or for it to be shaped as part thereof . to protect the discharge opening 19 against dirtying when the dispenser 11 is not in use and also to secure the dispenser against undesired operation during non - use , a protective cap 18 can be placed on the operating element 14 and covers the discharge opening 19 . the operating element has a detecting device 20 , which is used to indicate operations of the operating element 14 which have taken place . the detecting device 20 comprises the switching element 26 , which is located on the side of the operating element 4 and the switching surface 27 formed on the fixing screw side . as soon as the switching element 26 engages with the switching surface 27 , a counting signal is generated , which is transmitted to the counting mechanism 21 . as a function of the number of detected counting signals , a numerical value is determined at the counting mechanism 21 . in the simplest case the numerical value can be the total number of operations of the operating element . however , it can also be the number of operations which have taken place within a given time , e . g . within an hour or a day . alternatively or additionally the numerical value can be the number of still remaining operations leading to a discharge of medium . this is e . g . of interest if the medium container contains a precisely dosed medium quantity and the user wishes to know how often a dose can be administered before the container is completely emptied . the detecting device 20 with its switching element 26 and switching surface 27 consequently forms a sensor for the performance of a complete operation of the operating element 14 . on the operating element 14 is also provided an idle path switch 24 , which detects an operation of the operating element 14 in the vicinity of the idle path , i . e . without discharging medium . this idle path switch 24 , which can be in the form of a push - button switch , transmits a corresponding switching signal at the start of any operation of the operating element 14 . as a result of a switching signal of the idle path switch 24 the display element 22 can be controlled and in particular switched on . in addition , a protective cap switch 25 , which can also be a push - button switch , is positioned outside the movement path of the container 12 and the fixing screw 31 on the operating element 14 . it is possible to detect by means of the protective cap switch 25 , it is possible to detect whether the protective cap 18 is placed on the discharge means 11 , particularly on the operating element 14 . for operating the protective cap switch 25 can in particular be used a latch 18 a of the protective cap 18 projecting into the interior of the operating element 14 and which serves to maintain the cap 18 on the element 14 . the switching state of the protective cap switch then represents the two states “ protective cap fitted ” and “ protective cap not fitted ”. a corresponding signal is supplied to the display element 22 . the display element 22 can in particular comprise a lcd display 23 , a small colour screen and control electronics , which can also be called an evaluating unit 40 . the control electronics and the counting mechanism 21 are preferably constructed as a common electronic component . the lcd display 23 can also be directly fitted to said electronic component . the energy supply of the display element and the counting mechanism 21 is provided through the energy storage means 16 , e . g . a battery or button cell . for receiving the counting mechanism 21 , the display control , including evaluating unit 40 , and the display element 22 , a chamber 28 is provided on the operating element 14 and is closed by means of the lid 29 . the display element 22 , e . g . the lcd screen , forms the corresponding termination of an opening in the chamber 28 towards the user or observer . the lid 29 can be placed both detachably , non - detachably and in sealing manner or in non - hermetically terminating manner on the operating element 14 . the operation of the device according to the invention will now be described . if the protective cap 18 is removed from the operating element 14 , there is change to the switching state of the protective cap switch 25 . the change to the switching state of the protective cap switch 25 is detected as a signal in the evaluating unit 40 and counting mechanism 21 and the display element 22 is activated . on the lcd screen 23 is then displayed a counting signal , e . g . the number of operations to the operating element 14 which have already taken place . if there is no operation of the operating element 14 , then the display is switched off again for specific , predetermined time , e . g . approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute . a renewed switching on of the display can take place in that there is a slight operation of the operating element 14 and consequently a switching of the idle path switch 24 . this also leads to an activation of the screen , at least for a given time period . on operating the operating element 14 , which only activates the idle path switch 24 , no medium is discharged from the discharge opening 19 . if the user operates the operating element 14 , when medium is discharged from the discharge opening 19 and for which purpose the operating element constructed in this area as an applicator is introduced with the discharge opening 19 at the application location , e . g . into the nose or mouth , the operating element 14 is moved relative to the fixing screw 31 until the switching element 26 engages with the switching surface 27 . as a result an electric counting signal is generated and supplied to the counting mechanism 21 . due to the counting signal the counting mechanism now knows that a further operation of the dispenser 11 has taken place . a corresponding change as a result of the determined count value , which has now changed , is henceforth displayed . the display is extinguished either at the end of a preset time , e . g . a time interval of 30 seconds to 1 minute , or if the protective cap 18 is again placed on the operating element 14 and consequently there is again a change to the switching state of the protective cap switch 25 . however , there can also be a certain overtravel following the fitting of the protective cap 18 and as a result the display of the lcd display element 23 can appear for a preset time following the fitting of the cap 18 . it can e . g . be a time period of less than 1 minute , e . g . 10 to 30 seconds . the individual time intervals for switching off ( transition of the display to the “ non - activatable ” state ) can also take place in parallel and it is possible for the actual switching off to take place with the termination of the last finishing interval and for switching off to take place with the end of the first finishing interval .
a device for detecting the operation of a dispenser includes a medium container for storing a dischargeable medium , a discharge mechanism operated by a relative movement between an operating element and the medium container , the operating element containing a detecting device for detecting operations which have taken place and for generating an electric counting signal in response thereto , the operating element also containing a display element for displaying a numerical value determined in the counting mechanism as a function of the number of counting signals which have occurred and the display element only being activated for a period of time .