Automated cosmetics dispenser for point of sale cosmetics products

• US 6,935,386 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fluid Management Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fluid Management Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, William A., Obrecht, Anton, Leider, Marty, Khoo, Christopher, Cleveland, James R., Hanawalt, Ryan, Mumford, Jeffrey, Rummelhart, Donald A., Amsler, Thomas J., Ford, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US10/696,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20050092772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141/18, 141/9, 141/100, 141/104, 141/98, 222/144, 222/144.5, 222/145.1, 222/145.2
• US Class Current: 141/18
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/00 Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms
• 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 33/846 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 35/20 Measuring; Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71 Feed mechanisms with proportioning B01F35/80
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/712 for feeding fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7176 using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7179 using sprayers, nozzles or jets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/18 for washing or drying persons

Abstract

An improved cosmetics dispensing system that includes a controller, a plurality of mutating pumps, a plurality of reservoirs of cosmetics ingredients, a plurality of nozzles, a manifold for concentrically supporting the nozzles, a turntable rotatably connected beneath the manifold wherein the turntable includes a through opening for permitting the passage of fluid from one of the nozzles through the turntable, a motor for rotating the turntable, and wherein the controller is linked to each of the mutating pumps and the motor and each pump is in fluid communication with one of the reservoirs and vice versa and each pump is connected to one of the nozzles and vice versa. The system is computer operated whereby the turntable can rotate in either of the clockwise or counterclockwise directions and the turntable is equipped with a container holder that can accommodate containers of varying sizes. An improved method of dispensing ingredients for a cosmetic application at a point of sale is also disclosed which avoids coating an interior wall of the container with tints or colorants which are difficult to mix into the final solution once they engage the container wall or next surface.

Claims

1. A cosmetics dispensing system comprising:

a controller,

a plurality of pumps,

a plurality of reservoirs of cosmetics ingredients,

a plurality of nozzles,

a manifold for concentrically supporting the nozzles,

a turntable rotatably mounted beneath the manifold, the turntable including a through opening for permitting the passage of fluid from one of the nozzles therethrough,

a motor for rotating the turntable,

the controller linked to the plurality of pumps and the motor,

each pump being in fluid communication with one of the reservoirs and vice versa, each pump being connected to one of the nozzles and vice versa.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is also linked to one of a keyboard or touch screen for inputting a cosmetics formula to be dispensed.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller activates the motor to rotate the turntable so that the through opening is aligned beneath one of the nozzles and then activates the pump connected to said nozzle to dispense fluid from the reservoir connected to said pump through said nozzle and said through opening to a container disposed therebelow.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the turntable comprises a top side facing the manifold and an underside which is connected to a container holder for holding said container with an opening of said container disposed beneath the through opening.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the container holder comprises two downwardly extending partially cylindrical and concentric walls, each wall comprising a radially inwardly extending lip for gripping a container neck, the walls being defined by two different radii for accommodating containers of two different sizes.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a drip cutter disposed on the turntable at the through opening.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the drip cutter comprises a wire that extends across the through opening, the wire engaging a drip as the turntable is rotated away from one nozzle towards another nozzle.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the drip cutter comprises two wires that extend across the through opening on opposite sides thereof so one of the wires engages the drip as the turntable is rotated in one direction and the other wire engages the drip as the turntable is rotated in an opposite direction.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the wire is heated by passing current through the wire.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein both wires are heated by passing current through both wires.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the drip cutter is an air knife.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein each nozzle comprises a check valve.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein each pump is a nutating pump comprising a check valve.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein each pump is a nutating pump and wherein the controller communicates a signal to each nutating pump to perform a partial reverse stroke or a partial suck back stroke after a dispense to limit dripping from the nozzles.

15. A method of dispensing a cosmetic preparation into a container at a point of sale, the method comprising:

providing a container comprising an open top and mounting the container to an underside of the turntable and beneath the through hole of the turntable of the dispensing system of claim 1;

inputting a container size and a formula to the controller;

rotating the turntable until the through opening is disposed below a nozzle connected to a pump that is connected to a reservoir containing a first base suspension and activating said pump to add a correct amount of the first base suspension to the container;

rotating the turntable until the through opening is disposed below a nozzle connected to a pump that is connected to a reservoir containing a suspension comprising one or more colorants and activating said pump to add a correct amount of the suspension comprising one or more colorants to the container and on top of the first base suspension and repeating for all suspensions comprising colorants to be added according to the formula;

rotating the turntable until the through opening is disposed below a nozzle connected to a pump that is connected to a reservoir containing a second base suspension and adding the second base suspension to the container;

removing the container and closing the open top of the container with a lid.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising printing a label for the container with a name of the inputted formula thereon.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the container comprises a neck portion that terminates at the open top, and the method further comprises inserting a bushing down into the neck of the container to prevent the suspensions from splashing upward into the neck or dripping onto the neck during the adding of said suspensions.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the reservoirs are flexible bags.

26. A method of dispensing a cosmetic preparation into a container at a point of sale, the method comprising:

providing a container comprising an open top and placing the container under the turntable and beneath the through hole of the turntable of the dispensing system of claim 1;

inputting a container size and a formula to the controller;

rotating the turntable until the through opening is disposed below a nozzle connected to a pump that is connected to a reservoir containing a first ingredient and activating said pump to add a correct amount of the first ingredient to the container;

rotating the turntable until the through opening is disposed below a nozzle connected to a pump that is connected to a reservoir containing a second ingredient and activating said pump to add a correct amount of the second ingredient to the container and repeating for all other ingredients according to the formula;

removing the container and closing the open top of the container with a lid.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising printing a label for the container with a name of the inputted formula thereon.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the container comprises a neck portion that terminates at the open top, and the method further comprises inserting a bushing down into the neck of the container to prevent the suspensions from splashing upward into the neck or dripping onto the neck during the adding of said suspensions.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein at least some of the reservoirs are flexible bags.

18. A cosmetics dispensing system comprising:

a controller,

an input terminal linked to the controller for inputting a cosmetics formula,

a plurality of nutating pumps,

a plurality of reservoirs of cosmetics ingredients,

a plurality of nozzles,

a manifold for concentrically supporting the nozzles,

a turntable rotatably mounted beneath the manifold, the turntable including a through opening for permitting the passage of fluid from one of the nozzles therethrough, the turntable comprising a top side facing the manifold and an underside which is connected to a container holder for holding said container with an opening of said container disposed beneath the through opening.

a drip cutter mounted on the turntable and which extends at least partially across the through opening,

a motor for rotating the turntable,

the controller linked to the plurality of nutating pumps and the motor,

each pump being in fluid communication with one of the reservoirs and vice versa, each pump being connected to one of the nozzles and vice versa,

wherein the controller activates the motor to rotate the turntable so that the through opening is aligned beneath one of the nozzles and then activates the pump connected to said nozzle to dispense fluid from the reservoir connected to said pump through said nozzle and said through opening to the container disposed therebelow.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the container holder comprises two downwardly extending partially cylindrical and concentric walls, each wall comprising a radially inwardly extending lip for gripping a container neck, the walls being defined by two different radii for accommodating containers of two different sizes.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the drip cutter comprises a wire that extends across the through opening, the wire engaging a drip as the turntable is rotated away from one nozzle towards another nozzle, the wire being connected to a current source for heating the wire.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the drip cutter comprises two wires that extend across the through opening on opposite sides thereof so one of the wires engages the drip as the turntable is rotated in one direction and the other wire engages the drip as the turntable is rotated in an opposite direction, both wires being connected to a current source for heating said wires.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller communicates a signal to each nutating pump to perform a partial reverse stroke or a partial suck back stroke after a dispense to limit dripping from the nozzles.

23. The system of claim 18 further comprising a printer for printing a name of the inputted formula on a label to be attached to the container.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein at least some of the reservoirs are flexible bags.