Device and method for determination of safe tanning time

• US 9,963,271 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Medic Era AB
• Original Assignee: New Medic Era AB
• Inventors: Richter, Martina
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malevic, Djura
• Application Number:
  US14/391,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20150083934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 2504731, 2504741, 2064591
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/34 Coverings or external coatings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/62; for bottles or jars B65D23/08; wrappers B65D65/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/005 with integral sealing means B65D41/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/70 for materials not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/429 applied to measurement of ultraviolet light using counting tubes G01T
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/50 using change in colour of an indicator, e.g. actinometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a container for sunscreen agent in which the sunscreen agent has a specific predetermined sun-protection factor, comprising a sealing device (2) by which the container (1) can be closed to make its opening (8) completely sealed, the container (1) being provided with at least one sun sensor (3) arranged to indicate the current UV intensity by changing its hue depending on the UV intensity of the radiation striking the sensor (3), said container further comprising a color-reference range (4) for comparative reading of the hue of the sensor to enable the determination of UV intensity, and time indicator (50) for determining the period of time during which a person of a specific skin type can expose his or her skin to solar radiation at said determined UV intensity without sunburn arising, provided said person has applied the sunscreen agent from the container to the skin, said sun sensor (3) being arranged as an integral part of the container (1) and being positioned such that it is completely covered by the sealing device (2) when the sealing device (2) is sealed.

Claims

1. A container for sunscreen agent in which the sunscreen agent has a predetermined sun-protection factor, comprising:

a sealing device configured to close the container and completely seal an orifice of the container;

at least one sun sensor comprising a layer of photochromic ink, wherein the sun sensor is an integral part of the container and is positioned to be completely covered by the sealing device when the sealing device closes the container and completely seals the orifice of the container, wherein the sealing device is configured to be removed from the container such that the layer of photochromic ink of the sun sensor is uncovered, and the sun sensor is configured to indicate a current UV intensity by changing its hue depending on UV intensity of radiation striking the at least one sun sensor when the sealing device is removed from the container;

a color-reference range configured for comparative reading of the hue of the sensor to enable a determination of UV intensity, wherein the color-reference range is positioned such that it is completely covered by the sealing device when the sealing device closes the container and completely seals the orifice of the container; and

a time indicator configured for determining a period of time during which a person of a specific skin type can expose his or her skin to solar radiation at the determined UV intensity without sunburn arising, provided the person has applied the sunscreen agent from the container to the skin.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an elongate strip extending parallel to the color-reference range.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned at a top portion of the container such that it, when the container stands upright on a horizontal flat surface, is oriented substantially in an upward direction.

4. A method for determining safe tanning time, the method comprising:

providing a container according to claim 1;

removing the sealing device such that the sun sensor is uncovered;

exposing the sun sensor to UV radiation such that the sun sensor changes its hue;

comparing the hue of the sun sensor to the color-reference range to determine current UV intensity;

determining a skin type using a skin-type table; and

determining a safe tanning time by reading a sun matrix including the time indicator, based upon the current UV intensity and the skin type.

5. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a sun matrix comprising the time indicator, a plurality of values of the specific skin type, and a plurality of values of the current UV intensity;

wherein the time indicator includes a plurality of time intervals each corresponding to a period of time during which a person of a specific skin type can expose his or her skin to solar radiation at a specific UV intensity without sunburn arising, wherein each of the plurality of time intervals corresponds to one of the plurality of values of the specific skin type and one of the plurality of values of the current UV intensity.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sun matrix comprises a plurality of values of the specific skin type and a plurality of values of the current UV intensity, and wherein the time indicator includes a plurality of time intervals each corresponding to a period of time during which a person of a specific skin type can expose his or her skin to solar radiation at a specific UV intensity without sunburn arising, wherein each of the plurality of time intervals corresponds to one of the plurality of values of the specific skin type and one of the plurality of values of the current UV intensity.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a bottle, and wherein the sealing device is a cap that tightly seals a top portion of the bottle.

8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the at least one sun sensor is positioned at the top portion of the bottle such that it, when the bottle stands upright on a horizontal flat surface, is oriented substantially in an upward direction.

9. A container for sunscreen agent in which the sunscreen agent has a predetermined sun-protection factor, comprising:

a sealing device configured to close the container and completely seal an orifice of the container, and configured to be removed from the container;

at least one sun sensor configured as an integral part of the container and positioned to be completely covered by the sealing device when the sealing device closes the container and completely seals the orifice of the container, wherein the at least one sun sensor comprises a photochromic indicator configured, when the sealing device is removed from the container such that the sun sensor is uncovered, to indicate a current UV intensity of radiation striking the at least one sun sensor by reacting to exposure to the radiation to switch to a hue corresponding to the current UV intensity;

a color-reference range configured for comparative reading of the hue of the sun sensor to enable a determination of UV intensity; and

a time indicator configured for determining a period of time during which a person of a specific skin type can expose his or her skin to solar radiation at the determined UV intensity without sunburn arising, provided the person has applied the sunscreen agent from the container to the skin.