Uniform metering system for spray applications

• US 20030127542A1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SUNLESS Incorporated (Sunless Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Mystic Tan Incorporated (Sunless Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Cooper, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,004,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/548
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/057 Spray nozzles; Generating atomised liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/1418 for supplying several liquids or other fluent materials in selected proportions to a single spray outlet controlling ratio of two or more flows of fluid G05D11/02
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/55 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/32 the fed liquid or other fluent material being under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/035 to several spraying apparatus B05B9/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/047 supply being effected by follower in container, e.g. membrane or floating piston , or by deformation of container B05B9/0838 takes precedence

Abstract

A metering system includes a pumping device having one or more cylinders, each cylinder having a piston therein that is moved by an automated drive system to produce uniform or proportional flow to a single spray nozzle or a plurality of nozzles. The cylinders are mounted between a common base and a common metering plate. Movement of the metering plate relative to the base causes the pistons to slide within the cylinders to provide pulse-free fluid pumping. A rinsing cylinder or dual-action cylinder can also be included to provide delivery of a rinsing agent or multiple liquids to one or more of the spray nozzles simultaneously or in sequence.

Claims

1. A dispensing device for more uniformly coating human skin with one or more liquid products, comprising:

a first set of spray nozzles;

a second set of spray nozzles;

a first pumping mechanism that pumps liquid product through the first set of spray nozzles for application to coat human skin; and

a second pumping mechanism that pumps liquid product through the second set of spray nozzles for application to coat human skin.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second sets of spray nozzles each include a plurality of individual spray nozzles.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms further pumps a cleaning liquid through the first and second sets of spray nozzles following liquid product application to the human skin.

4. The device of claim 1 further including a third pumping mechanism that pumps a supplemental liquid through at least one of the first and second sets of spray nozzles.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the supplemental liquid is pumped to at least one of the first and second sets of spray nozzles simultaneously with the liquid product.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the supplemental liquid is pumped to at least one of the first and second sets of spray nozzles subsequent to the liquid product.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein the supplemental liquid is a cleaning solution.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein the liquid product is a sunless tanning solution and the supplemental liquid is an accelerator for the sunless tanning solution.

9. The device of claim 4 wherein the liquid product is a sunless tanning solution and the supplemental liquid is a lotion.

10. The device of claim 4 wherein each of the first, second and third pumping mechanisms comprises a piston pump actuated by a drive mechanism.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the drive mechanism comprises a screw-type drive.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the piston pump for the first pumping mechanism and the piston pump for any other included pumping mechanism have different volumes.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the piston pump for the first pumping mechanism and the piston pump for the second pumping mechanism have different volumes.

14. The device of claim 1 further including:

a wash nozzle; and

a pumping mechanism that pumps a cleaning liquid through the wash nozzle.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the pumping mechanism for the cleaning liquid comprises at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms and wherein that at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms pumps liquid product in a first half-cycle of pumping operation and pumps the cleaning liquid in a second half-cycle of pumping operation.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms further pumps the cleaning liquid through a corresponding at least one of the first and second sets of nozzles in the second half-cycle of pumping operation.

17. The device of claim 14 further including a source of diluent, with the sourced diluent added to the pumped cleaning liquid.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the liquid product is a sunless tanning solution.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second pumping mechanisms comprises a piston pump actuated by a drive mechanism.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the drive mechanism comprises a screw-type drive.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the piston pump for the first pumping mechanism has a first volume and the piston pump for the second pumping mechanism has a second, different, volume.

22. The device of claim 1 further including an enclosure within which the first and second sets of spray nozzles are mounted, the enclosure being sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of a human body, the first and second sets of spray nozzles positioned to coat the skin of the received portion of the human body.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the enclosure is sized and shaped to receive an entire human body, the first and second sets of spray nozzles positioned to coat the skin of the entire human body in a substantially uniform manner.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the enclosure is a sunless tanning booth and at least one set of spray nozzles applies a sunless tanning solution.

25. The device of claim 1 wherein the first pumping mechanism and second pumping mechanism pump different liquid products.

26. The device of claim 1 wherein the first pumping mechanism and second pumping mechanism are operated simultaneously.

27. A pumping device for uniformly delivering fluids, comprising:

a first cylinder having a first piston slidably received therein;

a second cylinder having a second piston slidably received therein; and

a drive system adapted to cause simultaneous axial movement of said first and second pistons within said first and second cylinders, respectively, such axial movement during a first half-cycle of piston operation causing a first fluid to be drawn into the first cylinder and a second fluid to be pumped from the second cylinder and the axial movement during a second half-cycle of piston operation causing the first fluid to be pumped from the first cylinder and the second fluid to be drawn into the second cylinder.

28. The device of claim 27 further including:

a first spraying device connected to receive the first fluid pumped from the first cylinder; and

a second spraying device connected to receive the second fluid pumped from the second cylinder.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein each of the first and second spraying devices comprise a set of spray nozzles.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the set of spray nozzles includes a plurality of individual nozzles.

31. The device of claim 27 further including a spraying device connected to receive the first fluid pumped from the first cylinder during the first half-cycle and the connected to receive the second fluid pumped from the second cylinder during the second half-cycle.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein the first fluid comprises an application liquid and the second fluid comprises a cleaning fluid.

33. The device of claim 31 wherein spraying device comprises a set of spray nozzles.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein the set of spray nozzles includes a plurality of individual nozzles.

35. The device of claim 27 wherein the first and second pistons have different volumes.

36. The device of claim 27 further including a source of diluent, with the sourced diluent added to one of the first or second fluids after being pumped.

37. The device of claim 27 wherein the simultaneous axial movement of the first and second pistons is in the same direction during each half-cycle.

38. The device of claim 27 wherein the drive system comprises:

a base plate to which each of the first and second cylinders are mounted;

a metering plate to which each of the first and second pistons are attached through corresponding piston rods;

a drive mechanism for reciprocally moving the metering plate relative to the base plate.

39. The device of claim 38 wherein the drive mechanism comprises a screw-type drive interconnecting the base plate and metering plate.

40. A pumping device for uniformly delivering fluids, comprising:

a cylinder having a piston slidably received therein, the piston defining a first and second chamber within the cylinder; and

a drive system adapted to cause axial movement of said piston within said cylinder, such axial movement during a first half-cycle of piston operation causing a first fluid to be drawn into the first chamber of the cylinder and a second fluid to be pumped from the second chamber of the cylinder and the axial movement during a second half-cycle of piston operation causing the first fluid to be pumped from the first chamber of the cylinder and the second fluid to be drawn into the second chamber of the cylinder.

41. The device of claim 40 further including:

a first spraying device connected to receive the first fluid pumped from the first chamber of the cylinder; and

a second spraying device connected to receive the second fluid pumped from the second chamber of the cylinder.

42. The device of claim 41 wherein each of the first and second spraying devices comprise a set of spray nozzles.

43. The device of claim 42 wherein the set of spray nozzles includes a plurality of individual nozzles.

44. The device of claim 41 wherein the first fluid comprises an application liquid and the second fluid comprises a cleaning fluid.

45. The device of claim 40 further including a source of diluent, with the sourced diluent added to one of the first or second fluids after being pumped.

46. The device of claim 40 wherein the drive system comprises:

a base plate to which the cylinder is mounted;

a metering plate to which the piston is attached through a corresponding piston rod;

a drive mechanism for reciprocally moving the metering plate relative to the base plate.

47. The device of claim 46 wherein the drive mechanism comprises a screw-type drive interconnecting the base plate and metering plate.

48. The device of claim 40 further including a spraying device connected to receive the first fluid pumped from the first chamber of the cylinder during the first half-cycle and the connected to receive the second fluid pumped from the second chamber of the cylinder during the second half-cycle.

49. The device of claim 48 wherein the first fluid comprises an application liquid and the second fluid comprises a cleaning fluid.

50. The device of claim 48 wherein spraying device comprises a set of spray nozzles.

51. The device of claim 50 wherein the set of spray nozzles includes a plurality of individual nozzles.

52. A dispensing device for coating human skin with one or more fluid products, comprising:

a set of spray nozzles;

a first pumping mechanism that pumps fluid product through the set of spray nozzles for application to coat human skin; and

a second pumping mechanism that pumps fluid product through the set of spray nozzles for application to coat human skin.

53. The device of claim 52 wherein the set of spray nozzles includes a plurality of individual spray nozzles.

54. The device of claim 52 wherein at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms further pumps cleaning fluid through the set of spray nozzles following fluid product application to the human skin.

55. The device of claim 52 further including an additional pumping mechanism that pumps a supplemental fluid through the set of spray nozzles.

56. The device of claim 55 wherein the supplemental fluid is pumped to the set of spray nozzles simultaneously with the fluid product.

57. The device of claim 55 wherein the supplemental fluid is pumped to the set of spray nozzles subsequent to the fluid product.

58. The device of claim 55 wherein the supplemental fluid cleans the set of nozzles.

59. The device of claim 55 wherein the fluid product is a sunless tanning solution and the supplemental fluid is an accelerator for the sunless tanning solution.

60. The device of claim 55 wherein the fluid product is a sunless tanning solution and the supplemental fluid is a lotion.

61. The device of claim 55 wherein the additional pumping mechanism comprises one of the first and second pumping mechanisms and wherein that one of the first and second pumping mechanisms pumps fluid product in a first half-cycle of pumping operation and pumps the supplemental fluid in a second half-cycle of pumping operation.

62. The device of claim 52 wherein the fluid product pumped by the first pumping mechanism and the fluid product pumped by the second pumping mechanism are the same fluid product.

63. The device of claim 52 wherein the fluid product pumped by the first pumping mechanism is pumped to the set of nozzles before the fluid product pumped by the second pumping mechanism is pumped to the set of nozzles.

64. The device of claim 52 further including:

a wash nozzle; and

a pumping mechanism that draws a cleaning fluid and pumps the drawn cleaning liquid through the wash nozzle.

65. The device of claim 64 wherein the pumping mechanism for the cleaning fluid comprises at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms and wherein that at least one of the first and second pumping mechanisms pumps fluid product in a first half-cycle of pumping operation and pumps the cleaning fluid in a second half-cycle of pumping operation.

66. The device of claim 52 wherein the fluid products include a sunless tanning solution.

67. The device of claim 52 further including an enclosure within which the set of spray nozzles is mounted, the enclosure being sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of a human body, the set of spray nozzles positioned to coat the skin of the received portion of the human body.

68. The device of claim 67 wherein the enclosure is sized and shaped to receive an entire human body, the set of spray nozzles positioned to coat the skin of the entire human body.

69. The device of claim 68 wherein the enclosure is a sunless tanning booth and the set of spray nozzles applies a sunless tanning solution.