AU2008202894B2

AU2008202894B2 - Depilatory wax dispenser

Info

Publication number: AU2008202894B2
Application number: AU2008202894A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Bayly; Lloyd FENN; Ben Taleentyre; Dean West
Original assignee: MANCINE COSMETICS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: MANCINE COSMETICS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-07-03
Filing date: 2008-07-01
Publication date: 2013-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 2028-07-01
Also published as: AU2008202894A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a container 2 for containing depilatory wax, into a system 1 for dispensing wax from the container 2. The system includes 5 apparatus 3 for receiving the container 2 including a primary zone 4 within which the container can be compressed by compression means including a movable member 13. The apparatus 3 also includes heating means preferably in the form of an electrical heating element 23 to liquefy the wax.

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: DEPILATORY WAX DISPENSER Applicant: Mancine Cosmetics Pty Ltd The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 a007 TC 2 Depilatory Wax Dispenser This invention relates to a system for dispensing a substance, and a container for containing depilatory wax. The system is particularly suitable for 5 use with substances that are relatively solid or at least highly viscous at room temperature, and reduce in viscosity becoming more fluid when heated. One such heat sensitive substance is wax and it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this application. It ought to be appreciated however that the invention may be suitable for other substances 10 such as chocolate. One use for wax is in the personal care industry as means for removing dermal hair. In that use a bulk quantity of the wax is heated in a container to a temperature of approximately 60* at which it reaches a workable consistency. 15 A portion of the workable wax is removed from the container generally by a spatula and applied to the dermal hair. The wax is allowed to cool so as to adhere to the hair and is then removed taking with it the hair which is separated from the skin. 20 The container is generally open toped so that the user can easily dip the spatula into the container to obtain the workable wax. However this allows any hair or other skin-bourn contaminants located on the spatula to be transferred to the bulk volume and thereby contaminate the bulk volume. Furthermore the open top container allows for removed wax, including the removed hair, to be 25 returned to the container resulting in further contamination of the bulk volume. It is not uncommon for the bulk volume of wax to be utilised by a plurality of different users, particularly in a commercial salon, and as such the open top contain allows for cross contamination between users. 30 When the user dips the spatula into the bulk volume it is often desirable to confirm that the volume of the portion on the spatula is sufficient for the size of the application. This generally involves the user taking an excessive volume and then removing some of the workable wax from the spatula, by either V:\shrn ~bad\JPrvsinlBRF DeplItory Wax Dspen r - 2 n08. doc 3 scraping some off into the container or allowing it to drip off the spatula. In either case it can be messy and the workable wax will be allowed to cool from its optimal temperature before it is applied to the hair. This may affect the ability of the wax to adhere to the hair. It also requires the wax to be heated 5 beyond the optimal temperature which is inefficient. The alternative is for the user to place the excessive volume of workable wax on the hair which would again be inefficient. It would be desirable to provide a system for dispensing a substance 10 that reduced the likelihood of contamination of the bulk volume and/or dispensed the substance in a controlled manner. According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a system for dispensing a substance including a container containing a bulk volume of the substance and an apparatus for receiving the container, the container having 15 an outlet being the only opening to the container for the substance to be dispensed there through, and a valve means for controlling dispensing of the substance through the outlet, the valve being biased towards a closed condition to inhibit the substance being dispensed through the outlet, the apparatus including heating means being operable to heat the substance, 20 compression means being operable to pressurise the substance urging the valve means to adopt an open condition and force the substance through the outlet, thereby dispensing the substance. It is preferred that the valve means include a flexible membrane having at least one slit formed in the membrane whereby the slit opens when the 25 substance is pressurised. The valve is preferably formed separately from the container and further includes a collar which attaches the membrane to the container. The collar is preferably formed separately from the membrane. It is preferred that the collar is attached to the container adjacent the outlet by way of a snap fit. 30 It is also preferred that the a system include a cap that in a closed condition obstructs the substance from being dispensed through the outlet, the cap is movable to an open condition so as to no longer obstruct the outlet, 4 whereby the cap engages the collar when obstructing the outlet. It is preferred that the cap and collar be formed so as to allow the cap to releasebly engage the collar, preferably by way of a snap fit. It is further preferred that the container includes a wall which defines a 5 space that is occupied by the bulk volume of substance, wherein the compression means reduces the volume of the space to pressurise the substance. It is preferred that the apparatus includes a primary zone which receives the container, whereby the compression means reduces the volume of the 10 primary zone to pressurise the substance. The compression means preferably includes a pair of members which engage the container, at least one of the members is movable relative to the other member so as to pressurise the substance. It is most preferred that both members are movable towards each other to pressurise the substance. 15 It is further preferred that the compression means includes an actuator assembly for moving the or each movable member. The actuator preferably includes a powered drive means which drives a cam attached to the or each movable member so that rotational movement of the cam causes substantially linear movement of the or each movable member. The cam is preferably 20 attached to the or each movable member via a bell crank. It is also preferred that the heating means includes at least one heating element associated with at least one of said pair of members. It is further preferred that the or each heating element is located within the respective member so that the heating element heats the member to heat the substance. 25 It is further preferred that the system include control means for controlling the operation of heating means and or compression means. The control means may include an electric control means for controlling the operation of the heating means and or the compression means. The control means preferably includes a temperature selector for selecting the temperature of the substance 30 dispensed through the outlet. The controller preferably includes a sensor for sensing the temperature of the substance adjacent the outlet. The controller 5 sensing the temperature of the substance adjacent the outlet. The controller may also include a volume selector for selecting the volume of substance dispensed through the outlet. The controller includes a switch that when in an active condition operates the compression means to dispense the substance. 5 It is further preferred that the apparatus includes an implement that when located in a receipt position adjacent the outlet receives the substance dispensed through the outlet, wherein the switch adopts the active condition when the implement is located in the receipt position. The apparatus preferably includes a secondary zone for retaining a 10 further container containing a bulk volume of substance. The secondary zone preferably includes preheating means to preheat the substance in the further container. According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a container which contains depilatory wax for use in a system as herein before 15 defined, the container including: - a wall which defines a space that is occupied by the depilatory wax, the wall being collapsible so as to pressurize the wax. - an outlet for the wax to be dispensed therethrough when pressurized the outlet providing the only opening to the 20 container, and a valve means for controlling dispensing that is biased towards a closed condition in which condition the substance is obstructed from dispensing through the outlet, whereby the valve means adopts an open condition when the substance is pressurised. 25 It is further preferred that the valve means includes a flexible membrane having at least one slit formed in the membrane whereby the slit opens when the substance is pressurised. It is further preferred that the valve is formed separately from the 30 container and further includes a collar which attaches the membrane to the container.

6 It is further preferred that the collar is formed separately from the membrane. 5 It is further preferred that the collar is attached to the container adjacent the outlet by way of a snap fit. It is further preferred the container include a cap that in a closed condition obstructs the substance from being dispensed through the outlet, the cap is movable to an open condition so as to no longer obstruct the outlet, 10 whereby the cap engages the collar when obstructing the outlet. It is further preferred that the cap and collar are formed so as to allow the cap to releasably engage the collar by way of a snap fit. 15 It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention in greater detail by reference to the accompanying drawings showing an example embodiment of the invention. The particularity of the drawings and the related detailed description is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the broad definition of the invention as provided by the claims. 20 Figure 1 is an isometric conceptual illustration of the system. Figure 2 is an isometric illustration of the system with the outer shell removed to reveal compression means of the apparatus in a start condition. 25 Figure 3 is a front elevation view of the system from figure 2 illustrating the actuator. Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through A-A of the system from figure 30 3 showing the compression means in the start condition. V :\haron\brd\Provisonals\BRF Depilatory Wax Dpensor - 26junoOB doc 7 Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through A-A of the system from figure 3 showing the compression means in the finish condition. Figure 6 is a front elevation view of the container of the system. 5 Figure 7 is a magnified view of the outlet and cap of detail A from figure 6. The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in figure 1 shows, in summary, a system 1 for dispensing a substance including a container 2 10 and an apparatus 3 for receiving the container 2. The system 1 is particularly suitable for use with substances that are relatively solid or at least highly viscous at room temperature, which reduces in viscosity thus becoming more fluid when heated. One such heat sensitive substance is wax and for the purpose of this description the substance dispensed from the system will be 15 wax. It should be appreciated that the system 1 may be suitable for use with other substances. The apparatus includes a primary zone 4 which receives the container 2 of wax, and can be accessed through an opening 5 in the upper surface of the 20 apparatus housing 6. The apparatus includes a compression means and a heating means (see Figure 2) which are operable to facilitate dispensing of the wax from the container 2 located in the primary zone 4. The compression means and heating means will be further described later in the specification, however it should be noted from figure 1 that the apparatus 3 includes control 25 means 7 for controlling the operation of the heating and compression means. The control means 7 illustrated includes a temperature selector 8 for selecting an operating temperature of the heating means. The temperature selector 8 may interact with a sensor (not shown) to sense the temperature of the wax being dispensed, or rely on the user selecting a temperature setting having 30 regard to the viscosity of the wax being dispensed. The control means 7 illustrated also includes a volume selector 9 which interacts with the compression means to dispense a selected volume of wax. The preferred form of volume selector 9 illustrated includes a dial 9 which may be rotated to adjust V:\ rnbrad\Proviwnls\BRF Depiatory Wa Dispenr - 260jun08.doc 8 the volume selected. The dial 9 may also act as a switch so whereby depressing the dial causes operation of the compression means to dispense the wax in accordance with the volume selected. The features of the control means are clearly preferred and may vary. 5 The apparatus illustrated in figure 1 also includes a secondary zone 10 for retaining a further container 11 of wax. The secondary zone is accessible through a further opening 12 in the upper surface of the housing. The secondary zone includes a preheating means (not shown) to preheat the wax 10 in the further container 11 so as to reduce the time required to heat the wax when the further container 11 is moved to the primary zone 4. The temperature selector 8 preferably controls the temperature in the secondary zone 10. In a preferred application the temperature selector 8 controls to temperature in the secondary zone 10 so as to melt the wax in approximately 15 to 20 minutes. 15 Naturally the selector 8 should not overheat the container 2 or cause the container 2 to melt. Clearly the invention is not limited to this preferred application, so that the requirements of the system may vary depending upon the substance. 20 Referring now to figure 2, which illustrates the apparatus 3 with the outer shell of the apparatus housing 6 removed to reveal elements of the compression mean. Figure 2 illustrates a movable member 13 which engages one side of the container 2. The movable member 13 is connected by an arm 14 to a bell crank 15, which is in turn connected to an actuator 16 which can 25 be seen more clearly in figure 3. The actuator 16 illustrated includes a motor 17 which drives a cam 18 which can be more easily seen in figure 4. The bell crank 15 engages the cam 18 by a cam follower 19 so that rotation of the cam 18 causes rotation of the bell crank 15 about its fulcrum 20. This results in movement of the movable member 13 towards a fixed member 21 of the 30 apparatus 3, as can be seen in figure 5. It can be noticed from figures 4 and 5 that the arm 18 connecting the movable member 13 with the bell crank 15 is slightly above a mid height of the V:\ sn ad\Pr snals\RF Oepdatory Wax Osponsr - 261ne08 doc 9 container 2. This encourages the compression means to collapse a portion of the container 2 remote from the container outlet 22 first. This reduces the likelihood of wax being caught in the container 2 remote from the outlet 22 as the movable member 13 approaches the position illustrated in figure 5. 5 The apparatus includes heating means for heating the wax. The heating means may take any form however the preferred form of heating means illustrated in figure 2 includes an electrical heating element 23 located within the movable member 13. The location of the heating element 23 may vary, for 10 example the heating element 23 may be located between the container 2 and the movable member 13. The fixed member 21 may also include a heating element (not shown), for example located adjacent the outlet 22 and or between the primary and secondary zones to heat one or both zones. 15 It can be appreciated from figure 4 or 5 that the container 2 includes a wall 24 which defines a space 25 for containing a bulk volume of the wax. The wall 24 of the container 2 is preferably relatively thin to enable it to deform. The container 2 may be formed from any suitable material however Polyethylene (PE) has been found to be most appropriate. 20 Referring now to figure 6 which illustrates the a lifting tab 26 at an upper end of the container 2 for facilitating locating the container 2 in the primary 4 or secondary zone 10. The outlet 22 is located at an opposing end of the container 2 and is illustrated in greater detail in figure 7. The outlet 22 is 25 controlled by a valve means which is biased towards a closed condition. The preferred valve means illustrated includes a flexible membrane 22 retained adjacent the outlet 22 by a collar 28. The preferred form of membrane illustrated in figure 7 includes a slit 29. The slit 29 create a number of flaps 30,31 that are naturally biased towards a closed conditions shown in figure 7. 30 When the wax is pressurised by operation of the compression means the flaps 30,31 are urged towards an open condition allowing the wax to pass through the outlet 22. The collar 28 illustrated in figure 7 is shown snap fitting onto the V:\shrnbrad\Prvsnals\RF Dopdatory Wax Dis - 2jo08 doc 10 container wall 24 adjacent the outlet 22. The collar 28 may be attached to the container in some other way. The container 2 may also include a cap 32 as illustrated in figure 7. The 5 cap 32 when attached to the collar 28 reduces the likelihood that wax will unintentionally exit the outlet 22, particularly when the container is in transit. The snap attachment of the cap 32 illustrated is merely optional and may be replaced by a screw or friction fit. The preferred embodiment of the system as herein before described 10 and illustrated may be varied. As an example the control means may include a switch that interacts with a users spatula located adjacent the outlet 22, so that the compression means is only operable when the users spatula is in position to receive the dispensed wax. Furthermore the actuator 16 may be replaced by a manual actuator. Other variations are clearly possible without departing from 15 the spirit or ambit of the invention as defined in the following claims. V:\haronbrad\Provunonials\8RF Depilatory Wax Dispenser - 2junoG8 doc

Claims

1. A system for dispensing a substance including a container containing a bulk volume of the substance and an apparatus for receiving the container, the container having an outlet being the only opening to the container for the 5 substance to be dispensed there through, and a valve means for controlling dispensing of the substance through the outlet, the valve being biased towards a closed condition to inhibit the substance being dispensed through the outlet, the apparatus including heating means being operable to heat the substance, compression means being operable to pressurise the substance urging the 10 valve means to adopt an open condition and force the substance through the outlet, thereby dispensing the substance.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the valve means includes a flexible membrane having at least one slit formed in the membrane whereby the slit opens when the substance is pressurised. 15

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the valve is formed separately from the container and further includes a collar which attaches the membrane to the container.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the collar is formed separately from the membrane. 20

5. A system according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the collar is attached to the container adjacent the outlet by way of a snap fit.

6. A system according to any one of claims 3 to 5 including a cap that in a closed condition obstructs the substance from being dispensed through the outlet, the cap is movable to an open condition so as to no longer obstruct the 25 outlet, whereby the cap engages the collar when obstructing the outlet.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the cap and collar are formed so as to allow the cap to releasably engage the collar by way of a snap fit. 12

8. A system according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein the container includes a wall which defines a space that is occupied by the bulk volume of substance, wherein the compression means reduces the volume of the space to pressurise the substance. 5

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the apparatus includes a primary zone which receives the container, whereby the compression means reduces the volume of the primary zone to pressurise the substance.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the compression means includes 10 a pair of members which engage the container, at least one of the members is movable relative towards the other member so as to pressurise the substance.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein both members are movable towards each other to pressurise the substance.

12. A system according to claim 10 or 11 wherein the compression means 15 includes an actuator assembly for moving the or each movable member.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein the actuator includes a powered drive means which drives a cam attached to the or each movable member so that rotational movement of the cam causes substantially linear movement of the or each movable member. 20

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the cam is attached to the or each movable member via a bell crank.

15. A system according to claim 10 or 11 wherein the heating means includes at least one heating element associated with at least one of said pair of members. 25

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein the or each heating element is located within the respective member so that the heating element heats the member to heat the substance. 13

17. A system according to any one of the preceding claims including control means for controlling the operation of heating means and or compression means.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein the control means includes 5 electric control means for controlling the operation of the heating means and or the compression means.

19. A system according to any one of claims 17 or 18 wherein the control means includes a temperature selector for selecting the temperature of the substance dispensed through the outlet. 10

20. A system according to claim 19 wherein the controller includes a sensor for sensing the temperature of the substance adjacent the outlet.

21. A system according to any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein the controller includes a volume selector for selecting the volume of substance dispensed through the outlet. 15

22. A system according to any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein the controller includes a switch that when in an active condition operates the compression means to dispense the substance.

23. A system according to claim 22 including an implement that when located in a receipt position adjacent the outlet receives the substance 20 dispensed through the outlet, wherein the switch adopts the active condition when the implement is located in the receipt position.

24. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the apparatus includes a secondary zone for retaining a further container containing a bulk volume of substance.

25 25. A system according to claim 24 wherein the secondary zone includes preheating means to preheat the substance in the further container. 14

26. A container which contains depilatory wax for use in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 26, the container including: a wall which defines a space that is occupied by the depilatory wax, the wall being collapsible so as to pressurize the wax. 5 an outlet for the wax to be dispensed therethrough when pressurized the outlet providing the only opening to the container, and a valve means for controlling dispensing of wax through the outlet, the valve means is biased towards a closed condition in which condition the substance is obstructed from dispensing through the outlet, whereby the valve means adopts an open 10 condition when the substance is pressurised.

27. A container according to claim 26 wherein the valve means includes a flexible membrane having at least one slit formed in the membrane whereby the slit opens when the substance is pressurised.

28. A container according to claim 27 wherein the valve is formed 15 separately from the container and further includes a collar which attaches the membrane to the container.

29. A container according to claim 28 wherein the collar is formed separately from the membrane.

30. A container according to claim 28 or 29 wherein the collar is attached to 20 the container adjacent the outlet by way of a snap fit.

31. A container according to any one of claims 28 to 30 including a cap that in a closed condition obstructs the substance from being dispensed through the outlet, the cap is movable to an open condition so as to no longer obstruct the outlet, whereby the cap engages the collar when obstructing the outlet. 25

32. A container according to claim 31 wherein the cap and collar are formed so as to allow the cap to releasably engage the collar by way of a snap fit.