Method and apparatus for dispensing fluid compositions

• US 8,224,481 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bylsma, Richard B., Baarman, David W., Marshall, Mark G., Becker, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/355,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 700/239, 222/129.4, 222/134, 222/135, 222/145.5, 222/145.6
• US Class Current: 700/239
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/058 Means for mixing different substances prior to application
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/00 Containers or accessories specially adapted for handling liquid toiletry or cosmetic substances, e.g. perfumes
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/04 Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/24 Casings for two or more cosmetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/003 Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media hand-held massage devices with liquid delivery A61H7/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14236 Screw, impeller or centrifugal type pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/21 Mixing of ingredients for cosmetic or perfume compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2202 Mixing compositions or mixers in the medical or veterinary field
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held
• 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 35/20 Measuring; Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2112 Level of material in a container or the position or shape of the upper surface of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2205 Controlling the mixing process from a remote server, e.g. by sending commands using radio, telephone, internet, local network, GPS or other means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/833 Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/883 using flow rate controls for feeding the substances
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 11/001 of similar working principle
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2/14 : with toothed rotary pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2220/24 : for metering throughflow
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/90 : Remote control, e.g. wireless, via LAN, by radio, or by a wired connection from a central computer

Abstract

A miniaturized fluid dispensing system for dispensing customized fluids. The dispenser may include first and second reservoirs containing constituent fluids; a drive motor; at least two pump assemblies commonly driven by the drive motor and in communication with the first and second reservoirs; first and second valve assembly in communication with the first and second pump assemblies; and a control system for selectively controlling the valve assemblies to blend and discharge a composition from the constituent fluids. The system may include a dispensing header to house the valves and to define ‘discharge’ and ‘recirculation’ flow paths for each constituent fluid. The present invention also provides a method for dispensing a fluid regimen (e.g. a plurality of compositions) by periodically blending and discharging varying compositions over time.

Claims

1. A handheld fluid dispensing system comprising:

a first and second fluid reservoir configured to contain a first and second constituent, respectively;

a first and second pump, said first and second pump in communication with said first and second fluid reservoir, respectively;

a drive motor, said first and second pump commonly driven by said drive motor;

a control system, said control system coupled to said drive motor;

a first and second valve assembly, said first and second valve assembly in communication with said first and second pump, respectively, each of said first and second valve assemblies including a valve chamber in communication with an inlet port via an inlet channel, an outlet port via an outlet channel, and a recirculation port via a recirculation channel;

a first and second moving valve member disposed in said first and second valve chamber, respectively, and responsive to said control system for directing a constituent between said inlet channel and one of said outlet and recirculation channels, wherein said control system selectively actuates said first and second moving valve members for dispensing a composition containing desired proportions of said first and second constituents; and

a handheld enclosure, wherein said first and second fluid reservoirs, said first and second pumps, said drive motor, said control system, said first and second valve assemblies and said first and second moving valve members are supportably received within said handheld enclosure.

2. The fluid dispenser of claim 1, wherein said control system is adapted to dispense a plurality of compositions in accordance with a predetermined regimen having varying proportions of said first and second constituents.

3. The fluid dispensing system of claim 1, wherein said first moving valve member includes at least one of a rotary valve, gate valve and flipper valve.

4. The fluid dispenser of claim 1, further including a header in fluid communication with said first and second valve assembly outlet ports.

5. The fluid dispenser of claim 1, wherein said control system includes a microprocessor, said microprocessor programmable by at least one user for selecting a desired dispensed composition.

6. The fluid dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a computer plug-in for receiving customized formulas from a remote computer.

7. The fluid dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable power supply and inductor configured to receive AC electrical power from an external inductive power supply.

8. The fluid dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a transducer coupled to said control system and including a photosensor and LED for metering at least one of said first and second pump assemblies.

9. A handheld fluid dispensing system comprising:

a drive motor;

a header;

a plurality of fluid reservoirs;

a plurality of pump assemblies commonly driven by said drive motor, wherein a first and a second of said pump assemblies are in communication with a first and a second of said fluid reservoirs, respectively;

a plurality of valve assemblies each including an inlet channel in communication with a first portion of one of said pump assemblies, outlet channel in communication with said header, recirculation channel in communication with a second portion of said one of said pump assemblies, and including a magnetic moving member for directing fluid from said input channel to one of said output channel and said recirculation channel;

a control system coupled to said drive motor and said first and second valve assemblies, wherein said control system activates said drive motor and said first and second valve assemblies in accordance with a formulation to generate a fluid composition; and

a handheld enclosure, wherein said drive motor, said plurality of fluid reservoirs, said plurality of pump assemblies, said plurality of valve assemblies and said control system are supportably received within said handheld enclosure.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein said control system includes a memory for storing a plurality of formulations.

11. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein said control system includes a microprocessor, said microprocessor programmable by at least one user for selecting at least one of said plurality of formulations.

12. The dispenser of claim 9 further comprising a computer plug-in for receiving customized formulations from a remote computer.

13. The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said magnetic moving member includes at least one of a rotary valve, gate valve and flipper valve.

14. The dispenser of claim 9 further comprising a rechargeable power supply and inductor configured to receive AC electrical power from an external inductive power supply.

15. The dispenser of claim 9 further comprising a transducer coupled to said control system and including a photosensor and LED for metering said pump assembly.

16. A method of providing a regimen of customized fluid, the regimen including a plurality of compositions to be dispensed over time, comprising the steps of:

providing a handheld fluid dispenser including a control system, a plurality of fluid reservoirs containing constituent fluids, a drive motor, and a plurality of valve assemblies;

providing a regimen defining a plurality of composition formulas to define the plurality of compositions to be dispensed over time, the plurality of composition formulas including varying proportions of one or more of the constituent fluids; and

activating the drive motor and valve assemblies with the control system to dispense the plurality of compositions from the fluid reservoirs over time in accordance with the regimen.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of receiving a regimen from a remote computer.

18. The method of claim 16, furthering comprising the step of receiving user-supplied data for formulating a regimen.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of communicating fluid reservoir information to a remote computer for ordering a fluid reservoir containing a desired constituent fluid in response to at least one of the plurality of fluid reservoirs achieving a fluid volume below a predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of communicating fluid reservoir information to a remote computer for ordering a desired fluid in response to at least one of the plurality of fluid reservoirs achieving a fluid volume below a predetermined value.

21. A method of providing a customized fluid, comprising the steps of:

providing a handheld fluid dispenser including a drive motor, a control system, a plurality of valve assemblies, a plurality of fluid reservoirs each containing a constituent, and a handheld enclosure;

generating a flow of a first constituent from a first of the fluid reservoirs;

generating a flow of a second constituent from a second of the fluid reservoirs;

directing the flow of a first constituent to a first of the valve assemblies, the first of the valve assemblies configured to selectively discharge or recirculate the flow of a first constituent; and

directing the flow of a second constituent to a second of the valve assemblies, the second of the valve assemblies configured to selectively discharge or recirculate the flow of a second constituent;

wherein the first and second of the valve assemblies are responsive to the control system for dispensing a fluid containing desired proportions of the first and second constituents.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing a means for metering the flow of at least one of the first constituent and the second constituent.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of providing a means for metering the flow of at least one of the first constituent and the second constituent further includes the steps of:

providing an LED, photosensor, drive gear, and drive gear teeth;

positioning the drive gear between the opposing LED and the photosensor;

directing light from the LED between adjacent drive gear teeth to the photosensor;

detecting light from the LED with the photosensor for determining radial movement of the drive gear.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

actuating a first of the valve assemblies for discharge of a first constituent for a first period;

actuating a second of the valve assemblies for intermittent discharge of a second constituent for a second period and during the discharge of a first constituent;

wherein the first period is greater than the second period for grossly mixing the first and the second constituent fluids.