Apparatus for producing a personal care product

• US 10,399,715 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ana Lucia Schmidt Lourenco Rodrigues
• Original Assignee: Ana Lucia Schmidt Lourenco Rodrigues
• Inventors: Rodrigues, Ana Lucia Schmidt Lourenco
• Primary Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US15/431,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20170158362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 53396, 53428, 53467, 53471, 53237, 532661, 53267, 53281, 53283, 532845, 532846, 141 9, 141 11, 141 69, 141100, 141105, 2221451, 2221457, 2221458
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/005 for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/21 Mixing of ingredients for cosmetic or perfume compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/8442 using a computer for controlling information and converting it in a formula and a set of operation instructions, e.g. on the point of sale
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/846 using stored recipes for determining the composition of the mixture to be produced, i.e. for determining the amounts of the basic components to be dispensed from the component receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/848 using data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the dispensing and mixing operations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/85 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles or mixing tools that can be indexed into different working positions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2209 Controlling the mixing process as a whole, i.e. involving a complete monitoring and controlling of the mixing process during the whole mixing cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/30 by volumetric measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/001 with flow cut-off means, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/12 movable towards or away from container or wrapper during filling or depositing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/06 and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/18 causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/16 Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2842 Securing closures on containers in general B65B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof

Abstract

An embodiment apparatus for producing a personal care product includes a cabinet, a command keyboard, a bottling dispensing station, a plurality of main containers for storing base liquids, and a plurality of secondary containers for storing additive substances. A main valve structure has a first flow mouth for connecting to the main containers by first tubing, and is connected to a first entrance of a dosing valve. A secondary valve structure has a second flow mouth for connecting to the secondary containers by second tubing, and is connected to a second entrance of the dosing valve. The dosing valve has an output for coupling to a bottle for transferring at least one base liquid and at least one additive substance to the bottle. The apparatus also includes a mixing station, a closing station and a sealing station for the bottle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a personal care product, the apparatus comprising:

a cabinet;

an externally-accessible command keyboard;

an externally-accessible bottling dispensing station;

a plurality of main compartments for storing containers of base liquids;

a plurality of secondary compartments for storing containers of additive substances;

a main valve structure having a first flow mouth for connecting to the main compartments by first tubing, wherein the main valve structure is connected to a first entrance of a dosing valve;

a secondary valve structure having a second flow mouth for connecting to the secondary compartments by second tubing, wherein the secondary valve structure is connected to a second entrance of the dosing valve;

the dosing valve, having an output for coupling to a bottle for transferring at least one base liquid and at least one additive substance to the bottle;

a mixing station for mixing the at least one base liquid and the at least one additive substance;

a closing station for closing the bottle; and

a sealing station for sealing the bottle prior to dispensing the bottle to a user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bottle-feeding station storing multiple bottles having multiple volumes selectable by a user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the dosing valve for controlling an amount of the at least one base liquid and an amount of the at least one additive substance dispensed to the bottle based on at least a volume of the bottle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is coupled to the dosing valve for further controlling a ratio of the at least one base liquid to the at least one additive substance dispensed to the bottle based on a user-personalized formula derived from a prescription of the user or from a user-personalized recipe previously stored in the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dosing valve comprises a retractable nozzle projectable into the bottle during bottling, and retractable from the bottle after bottling.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main compartments and the secondary compartments are equipped with alarm devices for alerting in response to fluid of one or more of the containers in the compartments being close to needing replacement.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a command keyboard for entering a formula comprising a previously programmed recipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the command keyboard comprising:

a first sub-panel with keys for selecting the base liquids; and

a second sub-panel with keys for selecting recipes representing addition of selected additive substances to a selected base liquid for producing the personal care product.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the base liquids is water, and wherein the additive substances comprise materials selected from the group consisting of:

scents, vitamins, oils, dyes, and combinations thereof.

10. An apparatus for producing a personal care product, the apparatus comprising:

a cabinet;

an externally-accessible command keyboard;

at least one main container storing a base liquid disposed in the cabinet;

a plurality of secondary containers storing additive substances disposed in the cabinet;

a bottling station disposed in the cabinet;

a valve structure disposed in the cabinet for transferring the base liquid and at least one of the additive substances to a bottle at the bottling station, the valve structure comprising flexible tubing coupling the at least one main container and the plurality of secondary containers to the bottling station;

a mixing station for mixing the base liquid and the at least one additive substance in the bottle; and

an externally-accessible bottling dispensing station.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a bottle-feeding station storing multiple bottles having multiple volumes selectable by a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the valve structure for controlling an amount of the base liquid and an amount of the at least one additive substance dispensed to the bottle based on at least a volume of the bottle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is coupled to the valve structure for further controlling a ratio of the base liquid to the at least one additive substance dispensed to the bottle based on a user-personalized formula derived from a prescription of a user or from a user-personalized recipe previously stored in the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed for a user to enter a formula comprising a previously programmed recipe via the command keyboard.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed for a user to select a recipe via the command keyboard, the recipe representing addition of selected additive substances to the base liquid for producing the personal care product.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the valve structure comprises a retractable nozzle projectable into the bottle during bottling, and retractable from the bottle after bottling.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the main container and the secondary containers are equipped with alarm devices for alerting in response to fluid of one or more of the main container or secondary containers being close to needing replacement.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base liquid is water, and wherein the additive substances comprise materials selected from the group consisting of:

scents, vitamins, oils, dyes, and combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of main containers storing a plurality of based liquids, including the main container storing the base liquid.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a main compartment for storing the main container; and

a plurality of secondary compartments for storing the secondary containers.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a closing station for closing the bottle; and

a sealing station for sealing the bottle prior to dispensing the bottle to a user.