Patent Application
20060005850
The present invention relates generally to systems for automatically coating the human body or selected parts thereof with predetermined fluids. More particularly, the invention relates to an automated self-tanning system.
The application of various fluids to all or selected parts of the human body has been known literally for centuries. However, despite the long standing and wide spread practice of coating the human body with various fluids, there has never been a successful way of automatically coating the human body. Therefore, prior to the present invention, it has been necessary to apply fluids to the body manually.
Manual application of fluids to the human body results in numerous disadvantages. First, it is almost impossible to uniformly coat the human body with fluids using manual application techniques. This is true even in the case of fluids that are provided in aerosol or spray form because such fluids must be rubbed in after application. Second, the application of fluids to certain parts of the human body, for example, the back, require the availability of an assistant in order that proper manual application can be attempted.
The foregoing difficulties are particularly apparent in the case of artificial tanning processes. Artificial tanning has been known for more than 40 years, with artificial tanning products appearing on the U.S. market as early as 1959. The two key types of tanning processes are by colorants and bronzers.
Tanning by colorants is based on the color reaction which occurs between components of the skin and the colorant. The most commonly used chemical for artificial tanning is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). It is widely used in commercial artificial tanning products, and is recognized as safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). DHA reacts solely with the stratum corneum. It interacts with amines, peptides and free amino acids to generate a Maillard reaction. The resulting products are cyclic and linear polymers that have a yellow or brown color.
Two common bronzers are juglone and lawsone. Both are naphthoquinones. When applied to skin, lawsone produces an orange hue andjuglone produces a greenish-brown tan. They are sometimes used in combination with DHA to modify the color or hue of the tan or to intensify the color.
Numerous forms of artificial tanning products are now on the market. They include:
These products are mixtures of a chemically-active skin colorant or a bronzer with combinations of the following:
Users of these products often experience significant problems associated with the current methods for applying artificial tanning formations to skin. These problems include the following.
If not properly dried, the formulation will streak or form blotches with time. The net result is a very non-uniform tan, with light or dark streaks or blotches.
Certain parts of the body will stain more intensely when the formulation is spread manually. This differential staining is due to enhance absorption of certain skin tissue and the tendency of certain tissue to retain more formulation. The result is that as the formulation is being spread manually, certain tissue absorb or trap more formulation (e.g., the wrinkles in the elbows and knees and the dense tissue in the palms).
In spite of all of these problems, artificial tanning is becoming increasingly popular. It is apparent that a need exists for a superior application system which solves the foregoing problems.
There is also a need for a superior applications system for many other applications, including but not limited to:
There are specific and significant problems with the manual coating of each of these products. The artificial tanning application provides a good illustration of the types of problems normally encountered when manually coating these products. Artificial tanning is also one of the most demanding applications in that uniformity of the coating is critical to assure uniform tanning.
The present invention comprises a system for automatically coating the human body, including a method of and apparatus for uniformly and rapidly coating all or selected parts of the human body. The system includes apparatus which atomizes (also referred to as aerosolization, nebulization, mist generation, fog generation or spray generation) a chemical composition and deposits it uniformly over all or selected parts of the human body. It is not necessary for the individual receiving the treatment nor anyone else to manually apply any of the formulation. Also, a containment system is provided which restrains and collects residue from the application process. The system can optionally recycle the materials used.
There are several major advantages resulting from the use of the invention:
The invention may be practiced utilizing a unitary construction including both a coating chamber and apparatus for coating a person situated within the coating chamber. A door provides ingress to and egress from the coating chamber which is provided with vertically disposed arrays of spray discharging nozzles situated at spaced apart points around the periphery of the chamber. A blower circulates air through the coating chamber to effect drying following the coating procedure and to aid in containment of excess spray. An air compressor supplies liquid for coating and compressed air for spraying the coating liquid to the nozzles situated within the coating chamber.
U.S. patent documents
Foreign patent documents
Other publications
A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with accompanied Drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the Drawings, and particularly to
The first component of such a system is the chemical composition. The suitability of a composition for coating is strongly influenced by its viscosity, with the preferred viscosity being close to that of water (1 centipoise). Compositions with viscosities in the 1 to 10 centipoise range generally atomize well, and viscosities in the 10 to 100 range can be atomized, but the resulting spray is not as fine. Higher viscosities can be atomized, and will work, but the spray is not as fine. Most currently marketed compositions of the aforementioned applications can be made suitable for atomization either as is or with appropriate dilution.
By way of example, a more detailed description of functional compositions for use in practice of the invention will be based on artificial tanning compositions. Six such compositions are given in Compositions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Individuals skilled in this art can create other compositions.
By way of example, a suitable commercial moisturizer would include Vaseline Brand Intensive Care Aloe and Naturals lotion (Chesebrough-Ponds, Greenwich, Conn.), and a suitable commercial bath product would include Vaseline Brand Intensive Care Foaming Creme Bath (Chesebrough-Ponds, Greenwich, Conn.). The bronzer is a combination of FD&C dyes that yield a golden brown color.
By way of example, a suitable commercial moisturizer would include Vaseline Brand Intensive Care aloe and Naturals lotion (Chesebrough-Ponds, Greenwich, Conn.), and a suitable commercial bath product would include Vaseline Brand Intensive Care Foaming Creme Bath (Chesebrough-Ponds, Greenwich, Conn.). The bronzer is a combination of FD&C dyes that yield a golden brown color.
By way of example, suitable commercial preparations include Coppertone® Oil-Free Sunless Tanner (Schering-Plough, Memphis, Tenn.), Neutrogena® Glow Sunless Tanning Lotion for Face and Body (Neutrogena, Los Angeles, Calif.), and Kroger® Sunless Tanning Cream (Kroger, Cincinnati, Ohio).
Compositions 1, 2 and 3 are greatly simplified versions of the formulations now on the market or reported in the past. This simplification is possible due to the use of the present invention for applying compositions to skin. These simplified compositions have several advantages over more complex formulations, including:
Compositions 4 and 5 illustrate how a commercial formulation not particularly well suited for atomization can be diluted, effectively atomized and uniformly coated on human skin. Similar dilutions of products representing the other aforementioned applications can be effectively atomized and coated on human skin.
There is no pH adjustment required for these compositions, although the pH can be adjusted to alter the hue of the resulting tan and to alter the dihydroxyacetone stability. The optimal tanning occurs with DHA at a pH of below 6.0, preferably with the solution at pH 3.0 to 4.0. Unbuffered DHA has a pH of about 5.5. The pH on the surface of human skin is also about 5.5. Nonetheless, these formulations can be used over a wide pH range, and buffers or pH adjusters can be added.
A preferred colorant is DHA. DHA is available from Rona (Hawthorne, N.Y.). It is effective, safe, and approved by the FDA for this application. The preferred DHA concentration is 0.5% to 20%, with a more preferred range of 3.0% to 15.0%, and a most preferred range of 5% to 12%.
Numerous other colorants can also be used. Those agents include, but are not limited to:
Various dyes and UV blocking agents can be covalently linked to the colorant or can be mixed into the composition with the colorant.
Bronzers can also be used in combination with or as an alternative to DHA. Bronzers which can be used include, but are not limited to, lawsone and juglone. Combinations of DHA and bronzers can also be used, and can be used to modify the resulting color (hue) and intensity of the tan. The preferred range for lawsone, juglone, and FD&C dyes is 0.5% to 10.0% with the more preferred range of 1.0% to 5.0%.
Composition 6 is an example of a formulation containing only bronzers (no DHA). The preferred range of FD&C dyes in commercially formulated liquid form (e.g., food coloring by Adams Extract Co., Austin, Tex.) is 1 to 50%, with a more preferred range of 4 to 12%. Ethoxydiglycol is added to enhance the penetration of the dyes into the skin, to reduce transfer to clothing, and to assist in the stabilization of the formulation. The preferred ethoxydiglycol range is 1 to 20%, with a more preferred range of 2 to 10%.
Alcohol can be added to the composition to accelerate the rate of drying. Denatured ethanol (USP grade, commodity chemical) works well in this capacity. The preferred range for alcohol concentration is from 1.0% to 50.0%, with a more preferred range from 10.0% to 30.0%, and a most preferred concentration of 20.0%.
Other potential additives include:
It typically requires about 100 ml of a 5.0% DHA composition to obtain a medium to dark tan over an entire adult body (about 2 square meters of skin). A single application of about 250 ml of a 9% dihydroxyacetone composition over an entire adult human body will result in a very dark tan. The exact amount of dihydroxyacetone required depends on the skin type and intensity of tan desired. The tan can last for about 2 to 7 days, but usually lasts for 3 to 4 days. Multiple applications will darken the tan.
The second component of the invention is the atomization of the composition. The required atomization can be obtained by a host of ways, most of which involve passing the composition through an orifice under pressure. Methods now used to atomize solutions include the use of the following systems:
These forms of atomization are the basis for most methods of producing atomized sprays, including misting and nebulization.
Using a single airless sprayer with a tip orifice of 0.6 mm, with a circular spray pattern of 12 inches at 12 inches from the tip, and with a flow rate of approximately 400 ml/min. the entire body (excluding the bottom of the feet) of an average-sized person can be coated with solution in 5 to 15 seconds. In practice, the underside of the feet usually get slightly tanned also from exposure to small quantities of residual artificial tanning composition on the floor of application area. The use of a single airless sprayer to apply a composition to human skin is illustrated in
For a person to be coated as illustrated in
The issue of what to wear during coating is usually of great concern to the person being coated. In the case of coating with artificial tanning solution, the selection of what to wear is a matter of preference for the person being coated. The subject can be coated nude, with underwear, with a bikini or a bathing suit, or with some form of pasties covering their private parts.
The third component of the invention is containment of the spray. Containment is illustrated in
Containment of the spray is very important for several reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to:
This type containment facilitates the use of this invention in enclosed areas such as stores or medical facilities.
Control of air and spray flow is very important to the quality of the skin coating. It is highly preferable to have an exhaust fan drawing the spray towards the person being coated, and the residual composition out of the booth. In
The fan 18 should have a flow of 10 to 5000 cubic feet per minute per square foot of opening, preferably 50 to 1000 cubic feet per minute per square foot, and most preferably 100 to 400 cubic feet per minute per square foot. At flow rates of below 100 cubic feet per minute per square foot, the air movement is sufficient to guide the atomized spray through the containment area. At flow rates of 100 to 400 cubic feet per minute per square foot, the atomized spray is being actively drawn through the containment area and the application and drying process is enhanced. At rates above 400 cubic feet per minute per square foot, the atomized spray is being accelerated and the exhaust flow plays a much more prominent role in the application process. The flow rate of the air through the containment area is therefore a major parameter which can be varied to modify the characteristics of the coating of the artificial tanning composition to the skin. The drying time for the composition deposited on skin is also effected by flow rate, with drying time decreasing as flow rates increase. At rates above 100 cubic feet per minute per square foot, the drying time (to the point of no transfer to other surfaces upon contact) is less than 5 minutes.
At any flow rate above 10 cubic feet per minute per square foot, the residual atomized spray is completely removed from the containment area within one second. This rapid removal is important to minimize the time the person being tanned is exposed to spray and has the potential to inhale this spray. In the absence of this air flow, the residual spray lingers in the area for several minutes, and traces can be detected hours later. This vigorous flow also protects any individuals or operators near the atomizing orifices from back spray.
The final element of this invention is recovery, or filtering, of residual composition. This feature greatly enhances the utility of the invention because it allows the system to be self-contained in an indoor environment and promotes a more environmentally friendly process. Without a recovery system, there is a potential for the exhausted residue to stain anything it contacts. Also, there could be an accumulation of residue with time. One configuration of the recovery system is shown in
Additional features adding to the utility of the invention are shown in
In
In an open environment, such as a beach or a park, a modified version of configuration illustrated in
The coating chamber 32 includes a door 34 which affords ingress to and egress from the coating chamber. The coating chamber 32 is further provided with a plurality of spray columns 32. As is best shown in
The spray columns 36 are preferably supported for pivotal movement through predetermined arcs under the action of a pneumatic cylinder 38. In this manner the predetermined material is discharged from the spray columns 36 in such a way as to assure uniform coating of the predetermined material on a person situated within the spray chamber 32. The pneumatic cylinder 38 is connected to the pivoting mechanism of each of the spray columns 36 through a plurality of links 40.
Referring again to
The predetermined material which is to be coated onto a person situated within the coating chamber 32 is preferably provided in the form of a liquid which is received in a reservoir 60. The interior of the reservoir 60 is pressurized by compressed air which is received from an air compressor 62 through an air tank 64. Compressed air from the air compressor 62 in the tank 64 is also directed to an air tank 66 and to a manifold 68. The air tank 66 provides compressed air for operating the pneumatic cylinder (
Ideally, all of the liquid from the reservoir 60 which is discharged from the spray columns 36 would be received on the body of the person within the coating chamber 32. In actual practice, it is not possible to obtain 100% efficiency in the coating procedure. Excess liquid which is discharged from the spray columns moves downwardly under the action of gravity onto a drain ramp 72. A drain pump 74 receives the excess liquid through a suction pipe 76 and delivers it to an appropriate drain.
Referring to
Preferred Formula:
The preferred formula is a combination of water, dihydroxyacetone, bronzer, moisturizer, surfactant, and penetration enhancer. The formula is:
*By way of example, a suitable bronzer would be a combination of the following food dyes provided by Adams Extract Company, Austin Texas: 4 parts red, 2 parts yellow, 1 part green, and 3 parts purple.
**By way of example, a suitable commercial moisturizer lotion includes Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion (Aloe Vera Triple Action Formula, Chesebrough-Ponds, Greenwich, CT).
***By way of example, a suitable commercial bath product includes Vaseline Intensive Care Foaming Crème Bath (Chesebrough-Ponds, Greenwich, CT).
Foot Shields:
Uniformity of air flow is very important to assure that the mist continues to be applied uniformly over the body even after the pressurized spray stops. Air flow parameters are, in the downward motion:
Warming of Air:
A twenty year old female of type III skin tanned by this process. She first applied a heart shaped sticker on her right arm. She covered her hair with a nylon mesh hair net and applied barrier cream over the palms of her hands. She tanned in the coating chamber. The formula above was coated for 7 seconds. About 300 grams of solution was applied during such time. There was a subsequent 7 second period in which the mist was circulated in the booth. The residual mist was removed from the booth and the subject dried for about 45 seconds. The subject then removed any excess lotion with a towel. The final result was that the subject was 1 to 2 shades darker after tanning. This difference was especially apparent when comparing the area under the sticker with the area with no sticker. The initial color was mainly from the bronzer, and is a deep brown color. Color was much more intense the next day, when the color was at least two shades darker than before taning. After the subject showered, the intensity was dropped to about 1 shade darker than prior to tanning. This color, which was mainly from the dihydroxyacetone, was golden-brown. The color persisted about 1 shade darker for 3-4 days, and noticeable color was present for 7 days.
A forty seven year old male with type II skin tanned by this process. He first applied a heart shaped sticker on his right arm. He covered his hair with a nylon mesh hair net and applied barrier cream over the palms of his hands and the bottoms of his feet. He tanned in the coating chamber. The formula above was coated for 7 seconds. About 300 grams of solution was applied during time. There was a subsequent 7 second period in which the mist was circulated in the booth. The residual mist was removed from the booth and the subject dried for about 45 seconds. The subject then removed any excess lotion with a towel. The final result was that the subject was about 1 shade darker after tanning. This difference was especially apparent when comparing the area under the sticker with the area with no sticker. The initial color was mainly from the bronzer, and is a deep brown color. Color was much more intense the next day, when the color was one to two shades darker than before tanning. After the subject showered, the intensity was dropped to about 1 shade darker than prior to tanning. This color, which was mainly from the dihydroxyacetone, was golden-brown. The subject repeated the tanning process again later the second day. This time, the initial tan from the combination of previous tan and new bronzer was about 2 shades darker than before. Even after showering the next day, the tan was about two shades darker than prior to initially tanning. The color persisted about 2 shade darker for 3-4 days, and noticeable color was present for 10 days.
A 24 year old female with type II skin tanned as described in examples 1 and 2 for five consecutive days. The results were a highly uniform, very dark tan. Her skin color was about 3 shades darker by the end of the week. The color was golden brown. The color remained 2 to 3 shades darker for about 4 days, and some color (about 1 shade) was observed after 7 days.
Hair is Not Turned Orange:
Although preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the Drawings and described in the Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous modifications and rearrangements of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/946,764, filed Oct. 8, 1997, currently pending.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10224155 | Aug 2002 | US |
| Child | 11227821 | Sep 2005 | US |
| Parent | 09976382 | Oct 2001 | US |
| Child | 10224155 | Aug 2002 | US |
| Parent | 09874466 | Jun 2001 | US |
| Child | 09976382 | Oct 2001 | US |
| Parent | 09751752 | Dec 2000 | US |
| Child | 09874466 | Jun 2001 | US |
| Parent | 09294689 | Apr 1999 | US |
| Child | 09751752 | Dec 2000 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 08946764 | Oct 1997 | US |
| Child | 09294689 | Apr 1999 | US |
