Method and apparatus for blending and dispensing liquid compositions

• US 6,715,642 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael K., Engel, Steven P., Leverett, Jesse C., Desai, Prakash
• Primary Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US10/153,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20030062385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/2, 222/132, 222/389, 222/386, 222/83, 222/333, 222/63
• US Class Current: 222/63
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2034/005 with a cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/058 Means for mixing different substances prior to application
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/04 Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/21 Mixing of ingredients for cosmetic or perfume compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/24 Mixing of ingredients for cleaning 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 35/71791 using ink jet heads or cartridges, e.g. of the thermal bubble jet or piezoelectric type

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a multi-chambered dispenser for blending and dispensing a customized liquid product such as a liquid cosmetic foundation. The dispenser includes a device for selecting a customized liquid formula; a plurality of cartridges separately containing pre-mix compositions for the customized liquid product; at least one ink jet head in fluid communication with the cartridges; a central processing unit for processing the customized liquid formula and activating the ink jet head; whereby the ink jet head dispenses the pre-mix compositions in accordance with the customized liquid formula to provide a customized liquid product.

Claims

1. A liquid composition blending and dispensing system comprising:

a device for selecting a customized liquid composition, wherein said customized liquid composition is selected from the group consisting of;

cosmetics, vitamins, minerals, sunscreens, lotions, creams, fragrances, and household cleaners;

a plurality of cartridges, each containing a pre-mix composition;

at least one ink jet head in fluid communication with at least one of said cartridges;

a central processing unit for processing said customized liquid composition and activating said ink jet head;

whereby said ink jet head dispenses said pre-mix compositions in accordance with said customized liquid composition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said customized liquid composition is a cosmetic formula.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said customized liquid composition is a liquid foundation.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispenser is a handheld device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of cartridges are four cartridges, each of said four cartridges contains a different pre-mix composition, said pre-mix compositions includes:

white liquid foundation, mixed white and black liquid foundation, mixed white and red liquid foundation, and mixed white and yellow liquid foundations.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of cartridges are pressurized.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one ink jet head is a plurality of ink jet heads, said plurality of ink jet heads are arranged in an interlaced array to dispense said pre-mix composition in a blended configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of flow paths, wherein said flow paths are in fluid communication with said cartridges and said ink jet head.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one ink jet head are a plurality of ink jet heads, each of said ink jet heads being fluid connected to at least two cartridges.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a dispensing port.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said ink jet head is a piezoelectric ink jet head that includes a piezo crystal.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said ink jet head is a solenoid ink jet head that includes a solenoid valve.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said ink jet head includes an orifice, said orifice having a diameter of about 0.007 inches to about 0.008 inches.

14. A hand-held ink jet dispenser for dispensing a customized liquid foundation comprising:

a plurality of cartridges containing red, yellow, white, and black pre-mix foundations or any combination thereof;

at least one ink jet head in fluid communication with each of said cartridges, wherein said ink jet head includes a plurality of momentum transferring devices;

a central processing unit in communication with said ink jet head and having at least one stored liquid foundation formula, wherein said central processing unit activates said momentum transferring devices in accordance with said liquid foundation formula to dispense a customized liquid foundation product.

15. The dispenser of claim 14 further comprising a computer plug-in for receiving customized formulas from a remote computer.

16. The dispenser of claim 14 further comprising an infrared receptor for receiving formula information from a personal data assistant.

17. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein said plurality of momentum transferring devices include a piezo crystal and solenoid valve.

18. A method of dispensing liquid compositions using ink jet heads comprising:

providing a central processing unit, a plurality of cartridges containing a plurality of different cosmetic ingredients, at least one ink jet head, and a device for selecting a custom cosmetic formula containing one or more of said cosmetic ingredients;

selecting a custom cosmetic formula including one or more of said cosmetic ingredients via the selecting device;

activating the ink jet head with the central processing unit to dispense the cosmetic ingredients from the cartridges in accordance with said selected custom cosmetic formula.