Hair colorant dispensing system
First Claim
1. A system for mixing hair colorant, the system comprising a single hair colorant dispenser, comprising:
- a high-precision scale for weighing hair colorant combinates as they are added to a colorant combination;
a series of computer-controlled flow control mechanisms for releasing hair colorant combinates as directed by a first computing device; and
a machine-readable label printer for outputting printed labels including a recipe to create hair colorant at the direction of the first computing device;
a machine-readable language scanner for scanning a machine-readable label incorporating the recipe at the direction of the first computing device;
the first computing device, including a processor and memory, forreceiving a reorder request for the selected hair colorant,directing the machine-readable label printer to output a machine-readable label including the recipe to create a selected hair colorant;
directing the machine-readable language scanner to read the recipe on the machine-readable label;
operating the series of flow control mechanisms in response to data from the high-precision scale to accurately measure an amount of each of the hair colorant combinates while disengaging and engaging at least one of the series of flow control mechanisms to release at least one of the hair colorant combinates in an amount directed by the recipe printed on the machine-readable label to create the selected hair colorant.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a system for enabling dynamic mixture of hair colorant for individuals within a local retail establishment or salon. The system utilizes a dynamically-updatable database of hair colorant mixtures, based upon input data regarding natural hair color and current state to generate a suitable mixture. The same system and database can be used for subsequent refill orders from a remote manufacturing site. The remote manufacturing system operates in much the same way, but at a larger scale, and can be used for subsequent refill orders submitted online. Whichever system is used, the same user and colorant mixtures will be generated, and any updates or changes to the colorant mixture will appear on any system reliant upon the same database of colorant combinate instructions.
36 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A system for mixing hair colorant, the system comprising a single hair colorant dispenser, comprising:
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a high-precision scale for weighing hair colorant combinates as they are added to a colorant combination; a series of computer-controlled flow control mechanisms for releasing hair colorant combinates as directed by a first computing device; and a machine-readable label printer for outputting printed labels including a recipe to create hair colorant at the direction of the first computing device; a machine-readable language scanner for scanning a machine-readable label incorporating the recipe at the direction of the first computing device; the first computing device, including a processor and memory, for receiving a reorder request for the selected hair colorant, directing the machine-readable label printer to output a machine-readable label including the recipe to create a selected hair colorant; directing the machine-readable language scanner to read the recipe on the machine-readable label; operating the series of flow control mechanisms in response to data from the high-precision scale to accurately measure an amount of each of the hair colorant combinates while disengaging and engaging at least one of the series of flow control mechanisms to release at least one of the hair colorant combinates in an amount directed by the recipe printed on the machine-readable label to create the selected hair colorant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus comprising non-volatile memory storing a program having instructions which when executed by a processor will cause the processor to:
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generate a machine-readable label including a recipe for a selected hair colorant; scan the machine-readable label incorporating the recipe for the selected hair colorant; and operate a series of flow control mechanisms in response to data from a high-precision scale to accurately measure an amount of each of a series of hair colorant combinates while disengage and engage at least one of the series of flow control mechanisms to release at least one of the series of hair colorant combinates in an amount directed by the recipe printed on the machine-readable label for the selected hair colorant. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification