Cabin for automatically dispensing sunscreen, tanning lotion and a shower

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cabin enabling the automatic and efficient dispensing of sunscreen, tanning lotion and a shower for the entire body. The cabin comprises: a base (1); an inner platform (2) for accommodating the user inside the chamber; walls (3) with a compartment; at least one box (5) with a hatch for storing belongings; a lower surface (6) with guides for the sliding door (4); an upper surface (7); right (8) and left (9) columns to secure the structure; a vertical fluid tank (10); a cover (11) for securing the vertical tank (10); an upper nozzle head (12) for dispensing water; at least four nozzle heads (13) for dispensing cream, with a diffuser system made up of a hollow diffuser cylinder (17), through which the cream passes, the upper portion thereof being equipped with an opening for the incorporation of a spray tube (18) connected to the vertical tank (10) for the sucked fluid, a first non-return valve (19) between the spray tube and the opening in the hollow diffuser cylinder (17), and a second valve (20) in the spray tube (18); a selector panel (14); a motor (15); and a user detection sensor (16).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] AUTOMATIC SUNSCREEN, TANNING LOTION AND SHOWER DISPENSING CABIN

[0003] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention discloses a booth that allows for the automatic and efficient dispensing of sunscreen, tanning lotion, and shower gel to the entire body. The device evenly distributes the lotion over the user's skin surface in just a few seconds. The booth of the invention is currently cylindrical, although this is not a limiting factor as it can have other shapes such as parallelepipeds, cubes, etc.

[0005] TECHNICAL SECTOR

[0006] Body dispensing booths. Dispensing chambers for creams and lotions. Dispensing booths for tanning lotion and sunscreen.

[0007] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Sunscreen lotions are currently applied by individual users, typically from a bottle or squeezable tube, in drops onto the skin or palm of the hand, and then spread over other parts of the body. This generally results in very uneven application, often missing certain hard-to-reach areas of skin, and requires the unnecessary dispensing of multiple portions of the lotion during the application process. Furthermore, it is often applied at the beach, and users are exposed to sand sticking to their hands or other parts of the body where the lotion is applied, drying out the skin. This causes considerable annoyance and discomfort.

[0009] The manual application of fluids to the human body has numerous disadvantages. As noted earlier, it is nearly impossible to evenly coat the human body with fluids using manual application techniques. This is true even for fluids provided as aerosols or sprays because such fluids must be rubbed in after application. Secondly, applying fluids to specific parts of the body, such as the back, requires an assistant to assist with proper manual application.

[0010] Currently, there are commercial tanning establishments that offer a variety of controlled means of obtaining a tan without sun exposure. These include light tanning booths and booths for the spray application of sunless tanning solutions. These tanning booths are available in commercial establishments where one must pay an employee before being allowed to use the booth. Due to the danger of handover in a late-stage tanning booth, control systems such as the use of tanning cards or tanning coins have been developed, which are necessary to operate the booth. Examples of sunless spray tanning booths can be seen in patents US5922333 and US5363347, which illustrate a tanning booth with two slots: one for payment and one for security. The payment slot is said to accept coins or bills. However, the booth is not activated by the insertion of coins or bills.Due to the inherent dangers of overuse of a tanning booth, the booth can only be activated after inserting a "security" card that monitors the user's use of the booth.

[0011] US patent 5664593 discloses an apparatus for applying tanning lotion that includes a liquid-tight enclosure, generally cylindrical in shape. The upper wall portions are sloped inward to form a central neck enclosure. A door in the side walls of the enclosure is spring-loaded into the closed position. Lotion misting orifices are arranged around the inside of the enclosure and are fed from a lotion distribution tube, which in turn is fed from at least one atomizing nozzle. A pump pumps the liquid lotion from a supply dispenser to the atomizing nozzles. As the lotion is pumped through the atomizing nozzle, it forms into mist droplets that communicate with the distribution tube and then with the mist outlets in the chamber. The droplets come into contact with the person's body in the chamber and are thus applied to the skin.A recirculation pump is provided to remove the misted droplets and recirculate them to the distribution tube via a propeller fan. Any lotion that condenses within the impeller is collected in a used lotion recovery tank. The pump and the motor that drives the pump and the impeller fan are operated by a token control located outside the cabinet.

[0012] Patent application PCT / ES2021 / 070756 discloses a chamber for dispensing sunscreen, tanning lotion, and full-body shower gel, comprising a base with a slight incline of at least 2% for water drainage; an interior platform for accommodating the user within the chamber; walls with a compartment for a sliding door; a sliding door; at least one storage box with a hatch; a lower toroidal support with guides for the sliding door; an upper toroidal support with a guide hook for the sliding door; columns on the right and left sides for securing the structure; a vertical storage tank; a lid for securing the vertical tank with a hinge and locking system; at least one upper nozzle head for water dispensing; and at least four nozzle heads for dispensing cream.and a selector panel with four options to select water, soapy water, tanning cream, or sunscreen. The problem presented in the previous application is in the dosing of the body creams and lotions, since the dosing is not uniform, resulting in significant product loss when the dosing nozzles are activated. This is because the diffuser design does not take into account the high viscosity of these creams, which is fundamental to the realization of the invention.

[0013] The present invention satisfactorily solves problems encountered in the art, as it allows for the automated and efficient dispensing of tanning lotion to the entire body. The device evenly distributes the lotion over the user's skin surface in a few seconds. The term "tanning lotion" is intended to include emollient forms of conventional tanning lotion and widely used sunscreens. The latter prevent sunburn and tanning of the skin, with the resulting damage to skin cells, leading not only to painful burns and, in some cases, blistering, but often to long-term adverse effects on the skin, including skin cancer.

[0014] The present invention is an improvement on the prior art, since it allows the user to quickly, hygienically, easily and conveniently dispense protective creams and tanning lotions uniformly and comprehensively by having a dosing system that ensures that a viscous fluid moves through each of the body cream diffusion nozzles by means of a diffusion cylinder and a spray tube with two non-return valves, with the advantage that the system avoids forcing the fluid through an additional inlet at the time of injection, which would avoid pressure losses of the product in the process.

[0015] It is an object of the present invention to provide an outdoor self-service spray booth for the application of tanning lotion in an outdoor environment, such as by the pool; and in remote locations, such as on the beach.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a spray booth for the application of tanning / sunscreen lotions, which allows the user to select from a variety of lotions offered.

[0017] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] To complement the description being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of its practical embodiment, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0019] Figure 1.- The figure shows a view of the cabin of the invention with the door open, allowing the various elements it contains to be seen, where a base (1); an interior platform (2) for the user to sit inside the chamber; walls (3) with a compartment; at least one box (5) with a door for storing belongings; a lower surface (6) with guides for the sliding door (4) and with a semi-spherical finish; an upper surface (7) with a semi-spherical top; right (8) and left (9) columns with semi-spherical tops to secure the structure; a vertical fluid reservoir (10); a lid (11) to secure the vertical reservoir (10); an upper nozzle head (12) for the water outlet; at least four nozzle heads (13) for the cream outlet; a selector panel (14); a motor (15); and a user detection sensor (16) can be observed.

[0020] Figure 2 shows a view of the cabin of the invention where the door (4) is seen in the closed position. Figure 3 shows an internal view of a hollow diffuser cylinder (17) through which the cream will pass, forced by a piston with an opening at its top to include a spray tube (18) connected to the vertical reservoir (10) of the fluid drawn in when the piston retracts, a first non-return valve (19) between the spray tube and the opening of the hollow diffuser cylinder (17), and a second valve (20) in the spray tube (18).

[0021] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present invention discloses a booth for dispensing sunscreen, tanning lotion, shower gel, or similar products, which allows for uniform application over the entire body automatically and efficiently. The booth of the invention consists of a cylindrical structure, although this is not a limiting factor as it can have other shapes such as parallelepipeds, cubes, etc.

[0023] The booth for dispensing protective cream, tanning lotion, shower or similar comprises a base (1) with a slight slope of at least 2% for water drainage and an interior platform (2) for the accommodation of the user inside the booth, in addition to walls (3) with compartment.

[0024] The cabin has a sliding door (4) that slides on two guide cylinders located respectively on the upper surface (7) and below the lower surface (6) of the cabin. The sliding door (4) is operated by a motor (15) located on the outside of the cabin.

[0025] The cabin also has at least one box (5) with a door for storing belongings and with right (8) and left (9) columns with a semi-spherical top to secure the structure.

[0026] The cabin includes a vertical fluid storage tank (10), where the various compartments for cream, lotion, etc. are located, and a lid (11) to secure the vertical tank (10) with a hinged locking system.

[0027] The cabin includes a water dosing system that has means for water inlet from the external supply and at least one upper nozzle head (12) for water outlet and a dosing system for protective cream, tanning lotion and shower, which is made up of at least four nozzles (13) for the different creams and / or lotions

[0028] For uniform dosing without pressure loss of a product with such a high viscosity as body creams, each nozzle (13) has a hollow diffuser cylinder (17) with an inner diameter of at least 18 mm and a 0.5 mm opening through which the fluid is forced by a piston. The fluid enters the cylinder (17) through an opening at its top via a spray tube (18) that connects to the vertical reservoir (10) for the fluid drawn in as the piston retracts. To ensure the fluid follows the specified pattern, two non-return valves are installed: a first non-return valve (19) between the spray tube and the opening of the hollow diffuser cylinder (17) to prevent air from entering the diffuser cylinder (17) as the piston retracts, and a second valve (20) in the spray tube (18) to prevent the cream from flowing back into the spray tube (18) as the piston advances.The advantage of this system is that it avoids forcing the fluid through an additional inlet at the time of injection, which would prevent pressure losses of the product in the process and maintain a uniform dosage.

[0029] Thus, the operating sequence of the diffuser is as follows:

[0030] 1. At the moment of injection, the piston will advance, displacing the cream to the right. This will block the non-return valve (20), while the check valve (19) will remain open, forcing the fluid through the opening.

[0031] 2. After injection, the piston will retract, drawing the cream to the right. This will block the non-return valve (19), leaving the valve (20) open, so that the cream will be forced into the chamber through the spray cylinder (17).

[0032] The cabin has a timer to control the usage time for opening and closing the door (4), it also has a user detection sensor (12) when inside the cabin, it also has a sound alarm to warn the user of the operating time.

[0033] The cabin is equipped with a programmable logic controller (PLC) and its corresponding Arduino board. This PLC controls the selector panel (14) for selecting different operations, the motor (15) for controlling the sliding door (4), the water inlet and diffusion system, the body cream diffusion system, the payment dispenser module, the timer, and the user detection sensor (12). The PLC is powered by battery or directly from the electrical grid.

[0034] For the operation of the cabin there is a motor (15) that allows the sliding door (4) to be operated and the rest of the functionalities of the cabin, which includes a dispensing and payment module that allows when the customer pays for their service to dispense selected items such as caps, gloves, bags, etc.

[0035] The door (4) slides on two guide cylinders located respectively on the upper surface (7) and below the lower surface (6). The lower guide is positioned at ground level, so as not to obstruct passage, and is located along the entire travel of the door (4), while the upper guide is only present along the travel of the door (4) when it is closed, so as not to obstruct passage for people taller than the height at which it will be positioned.

[0036] To facilitate the correct sliding between the door (4) and the guides, there are wheels at the bottom of the door that will move inside the guide.

[0037] The motor (15) includes a protective housing to prevent the entry of water and other potentially damaging substances. It is worth noting that the motor (15) was initially designed for metal-on-metal sliding, so when the wheels are added to the bottom of the door (4), a pushing force of only 50N is required. This would imply a motor with a rated power of approximately 20W and a rated rotation speed of around 125rpm.

[0038] The dispensing booth allows the emission of at least water, soapy water, protective cream and lotion, and also has means for electrical input, means for electrical connections between the different elements, means for water input and at least one water pump and drain.

[0039] The motor (15) is powered directly from the mains and includes a power adapter. The cabin has a timer to control the operating time for opening and closing the door (4), and a user detection sensor (16) that activates when the user is inside. It also has an audible alarm to alert the user of the operating time.

[0040] To enter and use the cabin, the user pays a fee at the payment kiosk. Optionally, they can purchase items such as hats, bags, etc. After paying, the door (4) opens automatically. When the user is detected by the sensor (16), the door (4) closes, and the user has at least 3 minutes to choose from the following options: water only, soapy water, protective cream, or protective lotion. The user selects the desired option using the selector panel (14). After at least 3 minutes, an audible alarm sounds to indicate the end of the process. The user must then choose to open the door (4). Upon exiting, the door (4) closes automatically and is cleaned internally with soapy water jets.

[0041] The cabin can incorporate different types of tanning lotion or sunscreen so that the user can also choose the most suitable lotion according to their skin type.

[0042] The booth can also be connected to a cleaning solution supply via the water pump, allowing the cleaning solution to be sprayed through the nozzles onto the ceiling, walls, and floor after applying the measured dose of sunscreen. To accommodate sun lotions, sunblocks, and cleaning solutions of varying viscosities, the nozzle opening is adjustable, ensuring proper spraying regardless of the viscosity.

[0043] The cabin structure is metallic and preferably made of aluminum. The circular platform (2) will preferably be made of non-slip aluminum.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 29 January 2025 (29.01.2025) 1- An automatic dispensing cabin for sunscreen, tanning lotion, and shower, characterized in that it comprises a base (1) with a slight incline of at least 2% for water drainage; an interior platform (2) for accommodating the user within the chamber; walls (3) enclosing the cabin structure; a sliding door (4) sliding on two guide cylinders located respectively on the upper surface (7) and below the lower surface (6) of the cabin and operated by a motor (15) arranged on the outside of the cabin; at least one box (5) with a hatch for storing belongings; columns on the right (8) and left (9) sides for securing the structure; a vertical fluid reservoir (10); and a lid (11) for securing the vertical reservoir (10) with hinges and a key system;a water inlet and dosing system having water inlet means from the external supply and at least one upper nozzle head (12) for water outlet; a protective cream, tanning lotion and shower dosing system including at least four nozzle heads (13) for cream outlet, wherein each of the nozzles (13) includes a hollow diffuser cylinder (17) through which the cream is forced by a piston with an opening at its top to include a spray tube (18) connected to the vertical reservoir (10) of the fluid drawn in by the piston's retraction, a first non-return valve (19) between the spray tube and the opening of the hollow diffuser cylinder (17) and a second valve (20) in the spray tube (18);a selector panel (14) with connection means for selecting operations, wherein the selector panel (14) comprises at least four options for selecting between water, soapy water, tanning cream, or sunscreen; a motor (15) that allows the sliding door (4) to be operated; a timer for controlling the usage time for opening and closing the door (4); a user detection sensor (16); a programmable logic controller with its respective Arduino board, wherein said programmable logic controller allows control of the selector panel (14) for selecting the different operations, the motor (15) for controlling the sliding door (4), the water inlet and dosing system, the body cream diffusion system, the payment dispenser module, the timer, the user detection sensor (16); and means for electrical input, water inlet, and at least one water pump and drain. 2- Automatic dosing cabin for sunscreen, tanning lotion and shower according to claim 1 characterized in that the hollow diffuser cylinder (17) is at least 18mm in inner diameter with an opening of 0.5mm. 3- Automatic dispensing booth for sunscreen, tanning lotion and shower according to claim 1 characterized in that it has a dispensing and payment module that allows the selector panel (14) to be operated. 4- Automatic dosing cabin for sunscreen, tanning lotion and shower according to claim 1, characterized in that the cabin has a sound alarm to alert the user of the operating time. 5- Automatic dosing cabin for sunscreen, tanning lotion and shower according to claim 1 characterized in that the cabin can be connected to a supply of cleaning solution and a water emission pump, to spray the ceiling, walls and floor with the cleaning solution. 6- Automatic dosing cabin for sunscreen, tanning lotion and shower according to claim 1, characterized in that the cabin structure is made of aluminum.

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