EP0864139A1

EP0864139A1 - Automatic dispenser for means for personal care

Info

Publication number: EP0864139A1
Application number: EP96937584A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frits Johan Huisman
Original assignee: Air Delight Holding BV
Current assignee: Air Delight Holding BV
Priority date: 1995-11-16
Filing date: 1996-11-15
Publication date: 1998-09-16
Also published as: BR9611728A; JP2000500593A; IL124489A0; WO1997018538A1; CA2237980A1; AU7508896A; CN1207816A; NL1001664C2

Abstract

A release-vending machine for personal care products like soap, perfumes, eaux de toilettes and the like contains at least one register suitable for keeping a collection of units of such like care products, and an externally operated release-control, which is guide-connected with the register and releases a unit from the register after activating, and also a product take-out unit which is receive-connected with the register and externally accessible and in which the unit that has been released from the register comes available. The vending machine is equipped with sprays and at least a feed connected sampling holder which contains said care product in aerosol-form. The release-control contains a selection means for the selection made in dependence by activating the release-control, releasing a unit from the register or release of a previously determined quantum of the care product from the sampling holder for external spread by means of the spray.

Description

Automatic dispenser for means for personal care

The invention refers to a release-vending machine for personal care products, like soap, perfumes, eaux de toilettes and the like.

In itself vending release-vending machines are universally known. These are applied for sale of candy, cigarettes, condoms, as well as for foods like croquettes, ba i and the like. Generally such release-vending machines contain at least one register, suitable to keep a collection of units of the product to sell; in this case of the personal care products in question, as well as a release-control which can be operated externally, and is guide-connected with the register and after activation releases an unit from the register and furthermore a product-take out unit, which is receive-connected with the register and which is externally accessible and in which the unit that has been released from the register comes available.

The application of release-vending machines for personal care products, like soap, perfumes, eaux de toilettes and the like never became popular, because as a rule suchlike products of luxury require personal contact between a vendor and the person interested in the product . For the persons interested often want to have a personal advice, or at least experience the characteristic properties of the product concerned before passing on to purchase of the product .

With the invention it is intended to open a totally new market channel for the sales of personal care products, by which personal contact between a vendor and the purchaser is not longer necessary, nevertheless while securing all the advantages which can be attained by such direct contact in respect of getting acquainted with the characteristic properties of the product to purchase. This is accomplished with the release-vending machine according to the invention, as this vending machine has been equipped with sprays and at least a feed- connected sampling holder connected thereto, which contains said care product in aerosol-form, and that the release-control contains a selection means for, depending on the selection made, activating the release-control for releasing a unit from the register or releasing a previously determined quantum of the care product from the sampling holder for external dispersion by means of the sprays. In this way the person who is intending to pass on to purchase a perfume, eaux de toilette, soap or something like that, is able to acquaint oneself with the character of the product one is willing to buy, by first acquiring a quantum of the care product which is contained in the sampling holder.

An important advantage of the release-vending machine according to the invention is, that in this way it is also possible to use the purchased sample as an interim refreshment of a scent already used earlier in the day, respective as a first application without passing on to further purchase a product unit from the register. Besides it is supposed that in this way the turnover in the concerned personal care products will be stimulated, and also that in a simple manner sales data can be registered for evaluation and if necessary adaptation of the product scale to sell with the release-vending machine.

This latter aspect of the release-vending machine according to the invention will especially be reached in case there is more than one register, and that in use each register as such, with regard to a previously determined property of the care product, is filled uniformly with units of such care products, and further that each register includes a sampling holder filled with a substance of aerosol, which characterizes the previously determined property of the care product .

Preferably the release-vending machine is provided with an internally placed feed module, which is free of external connections and which serves to energize the vending machine . In this way the vending machine is appropriated to be installed on any place, without making demands on the availability of power by means of electricity or otherwise. Market groups to which sales normally lend themselves hardly, can be opened in this way, as it is not necessary to make demands to the availability of external power.

It is preferred that the release-vending machine contains a pay unit and that the feed module includes a switch unit for switching on the vending machine in dependence on operation of the pay unit, and after a previously determined course of time following on switching on the vending machine, switching it off again. In this way the period that may pass between consecutive services of the vending machine will be expanded as much as possible, so that the expenses for feeding this market channel can remain restricted.

For the selection of a unit of a product or to release a certain quantum of the care product in the form of aerosol, it is possible to customarily provide for push buttons or comparable operating mechanisms. However, it is preferred that the concerning selection means is formed by the pay unit . By input of the necessary pecuniary equivalent in the pay unit the selection can be executed. The release-vending machine according to the invention will be illustrated further on basis of the drawing, in which: fig. 1 shows a side view in section of the release- vending machine according to the invention, and fig. 2 shows a front view in section of the release-vending machine according to the invention.

The release-vending machine has a housing 1, in which the registers 2, 3 and 4 are provided, and in which the personal care products to sell, like soap, perfumes, eaux de toilettes, can have been accommodated in units. For each register 2, 3, 4 the machine also includes a sampling bottle 5, 6, 7, each bottle containing a substance in the form of aerosol, which is characteristic for the property or properties of the care products which have been provided in the respective registers 2 , 3 , 4. Further the release-vending machine has been equipped with a pay unit 8 and push buttons 17, 18, with which a selection can be made or a product unit from register 2, 3, 4 will be gotten, or a quantum of aerosol from the sampling holders 5, 6, 7. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the selection can be made entirely with the pay unit 8 by input of the right pecuniary equivalent of the required selection. The selection of the type of product that will be bought from the release-vending machine 1, can be made with push buttons 9, 10, 11, which buttons are used for selecting the required product group, in which case uniform properties with respect to the characteristic properties of the care product in respective register 5 and sampling holder 9, register 6 and sampling holder 10 and register 7 and sampling holder 11 are provided. After selection and release of a product from a register 2, 3, 4 this comes available in a product release unit 12, which is externally accessible for taking out the concerning unit from the release-vending machine 1. In case selection with push buttons 17, 18 has led to a choice for external dispersion of the aerosol which is provided in the sampling holders 5, 6, 7, operation of the release-control or buttons 9, 10, 11 leads to dispersion of the sprays 13, 14 or 15 in a previously determined quantum. For that purpose the sampling holders 5, 6, 7 have been connected with suitable lines to the sprays 13 , 14, 15. Further an internally placed feed module 16 has been accommodated in the release-vending machine, which is free of external connection and which is used for energizing the vending machine 1. Further a switch unit (not shown) has been connected with the feed module 16 for switching on the release-vending machine 1 in dependence of the attendance of the pay unit 8 and for switching off the vending machine after a previously determined course of time following on switching on the machine.

Naturally it is possible to extend the release- vending machine in a simple way with more registers and additionally placed sampling holders and also to supply alternative release-controls and selection supplies than the shown push buttons 9, 10, 11 (as a release-control) and push buttons 17, 18 (as a selection means) in order to realize the required functions without deviating from the scope of invention as defined by the appended claims .

Claims

1. Release-vending machine for personal care products, like soap, perfumes, eaux de toilette and the like, containing at least one register (2, 3, 4) , suitable for containing a collection of units of said care products, and an externally operated release-control (8, 9, 10, 11) , which is guide-connected with the register (2, 3, 4) and after activating releases an unit from the register, and also a produc -take out unit (12) , which is receive-connected with the register (2, 3, 4) and externally accessible and in which the unit which has been released from the register comes available, characterized in that the machine comprises sprays (13, 14, 15) and at least a feed-connected sampling holder (5, 6, 7) connected thereto which contains said care product in aerosol form, and that the release-control (8, 9, 10, 11) contains a selection means (8, 17, 18) to release an unit from the register (2, 3, 4) depending on the selection made by activating the release-control (9, 10, 11) , or to release a previously determined quantum of the care product from the sampling holder (5, 6, 7) for external dispersion by means of the sprays (13, 14, 15) .

2. Release-vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that there is more than one register, and that in use each register (2, 3, 4) as such, with regard to a previously determined property of the care product is filled uniformly with units of said care products, and further that per register (2, 3, 4) a sampling holder (5, 6, 7) iε available, which is filled with a substance of aerosol which characterizes the previously determined property of the care product.

3. Release-vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that this comprises an internally placed feed module (16) which is free of external connections and which is used for energizing the vending machine.

4. Release-vending machine according to claim 3, characterized in that this comprises a pay unit (8) and that the feed module (16) includes a switch unit for switching on the vending machine in dependence of the attendance of the pay unit (8) , and for switching off the vending machine after a previously determined course of time following on switching on the vending machine.

5. Release-vending machine according to claim 1 and 4, characterized in that the selection means is formed by the pay unit (8) .

6. Release-vending machine according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the selection means is formed by push buttons (17, 18) .