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US 5,862,947 AGranted
Hair dye color selection system and method
AssigneeBristol-Myers Squibb Company
InventorsThomas F. Wiegner, Jack Massoni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for mixing and dispensing oxygen sensitive hair dye consists of concentrates in a sealed air-tight system using preferably 3-8 dye concentrates in collapsible bags having an oxygen barrier. The dye concentrates, along with oxygen activating liquids, are sufficient to produce an infinite number of hair dye formulations, thereby avoiding buying and stocking many bottles of specific color dyes. For formulating the dye mixtures, exact charges, i.e., volumes measured to within 1 ml, are raised from the bags and discharged. Each bag is removably connected, in an air-tight seal, to a separate precision lift pump whose piston lift excursion may be selectively set to determine the volume of the dye charge.
Claims49
A system for the dispensing of oxygen sensitive hair dye concentrates, without the use of an inert gas comprising:
- (a) a plurality of containers, each container containing an oxygen sensitive hair dye concentrate and being collapsible by atmospheric pressure as its contained dye concentrate is removed, each container having a container wall oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching the dye therein, each container having a first fastener forming an orifice;
- and
- (b) a plurality of precision pumps, each pump having an oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching dye therein, each pump having an outlet conduit means to dispense dye from the pump, volume selection means to select a volume of a dye charge to be removed from a container by the pump, and a second fastener forming an inlet orifice of the pump;
- wherein
- (c) each first fastener is removably connected to a respective second fastener in an air-tight connection.
2 more elements
A system for the mixing and dispensing of hair dyes including:
- (a) a plurality of collapsible containers having walls which are flexible and collapsible by atmospheric pressure, the walls being substantially impervious to oxygen, each container containing an oxygen degradable hair dye and having an opening associated with a first fastener member;
- and
- (b) a base, and mounted on the base a plurality of precision lift pumps, each lift pump having:
- oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching dye therein, an inlet orifice associated with a second fastener member, the second fastener being removably connected to the first fastener member, a cylinder member, a piston member slidable within the cylinder member in a lifting stroke in one direction and a discharge stroke in the opposite direction, means to selectively set the length of the piston's stroke, and conduit means connected to the cylinder to convey and discharge charges of dye;
- wherein:
- (c) each lift pump is removably connected to a container with its piston operative to lift a charge of dye from its connected container on the lifting stroke and to discharge the charge on the discharge stroke.
3 more elements
A system for the mixing and dispensing of hair dye formulations including:
- (a) a first group of a plurality of collapsible containers whose walls are substantially impervious to oxygen and collapsible by atmospheric pressure, each container of the first group containing an oxygen degradable hair dye concentrate and having a first fastener member forming an orifice;
- (b) a second group of containers containing non-oxygen degradable liquids to be added to a hair dye concentrate to produce a hair dye formulation, each container of the second group of containers having a first fastener forming an orifice;
- (c) a base, and mounted on the base a first group and a second group of precision lift pumps, each lift pump of the first group having oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching dye concentrate therein, each lift pump having a pump inlet opening associated with a second fastener member, a cylinder member, a piston member slidable within the cylinder member in a lifting stroke in one direction and a discharge stroke in the opposite direction;
- means to selectively determine the quantity of the charge by setting the extent of the lifting stroke, and conduit means connected to the cylinder to convey discharged dye;
- wherein
- (d) each cylinder is removably connected to a container by removably fastening a first fastener means to a second fastener means and each lift pump is adapted to lift a charge of liquid from its connected container on the lifting stroke and discharge the charge on the discharge stroke.
3 more elements
A system for the dispensing of oxygen sensitive hair dye concentrates, without the use of an inert gas comprising:
- (a) a plurality of containers, each container containing an oxygen sensitive hair dye concentrate and being collapsible by atmospheric pressure as its contained dye concentrate is removed, each container having a container wall oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching the dye therein, each container having a neck portion forming an orifice;
- and
- (b) a plurality of precision pumps, each pump having an oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching dye therein, each pump having an outlet conduit means to dispense dye, volume selection means to select a volume of a dye charge to be removed from a container by the pump, and a tubular portion forming an inlet orifice of the pump;
- wherein
- (c) one of the neck portion or the tubular portion has a plurality of protrusions thereon and the other of the neck portion or tubular portion has indentations therein, and the protrusions are removably locked into the indentations to removably join a container and a pump.
2 more elements
A system for the mixing and dispensing of oxygen sensitive hair dyes without the use of an inert gas including:
- (a) a plurality of collapsible containers whose walls are substantially impervious to oxygen, each container containing an oxygen degradable hair dye and having a neck portion forming an orifice, the neck portion having a wall with a plurality of protrusions or indentations thereon;
- (b) a base, and mounted on the base a plurality of lift pumps, each lift pump having oxygen barrier means to prevent oxygen from reaching dye therein, each lift pump having a pump inlet with a tubular portion forming an inlet orifice and having a wall with a plurality of indentations when the neck portion has protrusions, or protrusions when the neck portion has indentations;
- a cylinder member, a piston member which is slidable within the cylinder member in a lifting stroke in one direction and a discharge stroke in the opposite direction;
- means to selectively set the extent of the lifting stroke;
- and conduit means connected to the cylinder to convey and discharge a discharged charge of dye;
- (c) wherein, the neck portion and tubular portion are removably fastened by insertion of the protrusions into the indentations, the piston lifts a charge of dye from its connected dye bag on the lifting stroke and discharges the charge on the discharge stroke.
3 more elements
A system for producing and dispensing hair dye formulations, without the use of inert gas, including:
- (a) a plurality of collapsible containers substantially impervious to oxygen and collapsible by atmospheric pressure;
- (b) an oxygen degradable liquid hair dye concentrate in each collapsible container the dye concentrate in one collapsible container differing from the dye concentrates in the other collapsible containers;
- (c) at least one container containing an alkalyzer liquid which when added to a hair dye concentrate from said plurality of collapsible containers produces a hair dye formulation;
- (d) a plurality of precision pumps, each pump connected to one of said containers for drawing liquid therefrom;
- (e) control means to control the quantity of liquid drawn by each precision pump and to select the amount of hair dye concentrate to be 65-85%, and alkalyzer liquid to be 35-15%, of the hair dye formulation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.