WO2001082738A2

WO2001082738A2 - Methods and system for cleansing a dry hair

Info

Publication number: WO2001082738A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/012506
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy N. Cannon
Original assignee: Cannon Timothy N
Priority date: 2000-04-27
Filing date: 2001-04-16
Publication date: 2001-11-08
Also published as: AU2001253608A1; WO2001082738A3

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided to permit a subject to be cleansed using a mixture of a cleansing material and water without the need for pre-wetting the subject prior to applying the mixture. The mixture includes a cleansing material and combined with water. Moreover, the mixture is dispensed from a container housing the mixture as a foam or lather. Furthermore, the mixture is heated prior to the application of the mixture onto the dry subject.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR CLEANSING A DRY SUBJECT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and a system for cleansing a dry subject by applying an appropriate cleansing mixture directly onto a dry subject without the need for pre-wetting the subject.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Individuals typically wash their hair by first wetting it and then applying shampoo, the shampoo is massaged into the scalp, and finally the shampoo is rinsed from the hair. This process entails using a significant amount of water and, since the shampoo is not

optimally mixed with the water, the shampoo is wasted as well.

Moreover, in a hair salon setting the number of available sinks needed to wash the

hair of clientele is limited, while the usage of water is extensive. Therefore, the ability to more judiciously use the available sinks and, the ability to conserve water are major

concerns for a hair salon. Also, certain individuals, such as military personnel, campers, hikers, travelers, and the like, often find it difficult to economically and efficiently bathe due to the shortage of water and the necessity of pre-wetting one's body or hair prior to applying shampoo or a cleaning mixture. The ability to economically and efficiently limit water usage for these individuals is a paramount concern.

Further, certain professions, such as hair stylists, stand all day and are regularly required to bend over at the waist to wash their clients. Therefore, eliminating the need to pre-wet a client when washing his/her hair would significantly reduce the strain on a hair stylist's back and, correspondingly reduce occupational injuries associated with the

profession.

Moreover, physically impaired individuals often rely on care givers to provide personal hygiene, this includes not only bathing the individuals but washing their hair

as well. These tasks can be challenging to even the most skilled care giver in any setting because of factors such as the physical size of the individuals and the structure or location of any available sinks or basins, which are required to wash the individuals.

Further, washing basins must be filled to pre-wet an individual's hair when transporting an individual to a sink is not a practical option. The pre-wetting water must then be emptied and fresh water obtained a second time to provide for a second rinse once the hair has been lathered with shampoo. Additional, trips to obtain water are necessary to bathe the individual requiring a significant amount of effort on the part of the care giver

to properly bathe a physically challenged individual.

In addition to washing the hair or body of humans, pets and animals often present challenges when a washing is required. Animals are washed in a variety of settings such as pet stores, pet boutiques, veterinarian facilities, homes, farms, and the like. The availability of water and the location of the water often presents problems in the above mentioned settings when washing an animal. Furthermore, the animals require pre- wetting before the cleansing mixture is applied and massaged onto the animal, this wastes

significant amounts of water and is often met with strong resistance from the animal who is not interested in being wet. Therefore, a less offensive, more time saving and water conserving process is desirable when washing animals in any setting.

Finally, there are discernable aesthetic benefits which are lost by pre-wetting an individual's hair prior to applying shampoo. Some of these lost benefits include reduced lather, which does not work well into the hair, reduced hair body, reduced cleansing of the hair, and an increased quantity of hair coloring required to tone after tinting the hair root area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide methods and systems

wherein a cleansing mixture may be applied to a dry subject without the need for pre- wetting the subject.

Additional objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set

forth in the description that follows and, in part, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examining or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the

invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, methods and a system are provided for applying a cleansing mixture to a dry subject without the need for pre-wetting the subject..

A method of using a sprayer to apply a cleansing mixture without pre-wetting a subject is provided, comprising providing a mixture of a cleansing material and water, and storing the mixture in a container which includes a sprayer. Further, the sprayer is used to dispense the mixture on a subject wherein no water is used on the subject prior

to application of the mixture.

Moreover, a system used to apply a cleansing mixture without pre-wetting a subject is provided, comprising a container, a mixture of a cleansing material and water,

and a sprayer attached to the container wherein the mixture resides. The mixture is dispensed as a lather when the sprayer is activated and applied to a subject without the need for pre-wetting the subject.

Finally, a method of washing a subject with a cleansing mixture without pre- wetting the subject is provided, comprising providing a non-alcohol based cleansing mixture which includes a body cleansing solution and water. The mixture is dispensed for application on a subject without pre-wetting the subject and massaged onto the subject. Lastly, the mixture is removed from the subject.

Still other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment, which is by way of illustration, one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will

be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without

departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and not restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, incorporated in and forming part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with their descriptions, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: Fig. 1 depicts a flow diagram of a method for using a sprayer of the present invention;

Fig. 2 depicts a sprayer of the present invention; Fig. 3 depicts a bottle warmer of the present invention; Fig. 4 depicts a block diagram of a system for applying a cleansing mixture; Fig. 5 depicts a flow diagram using a cleansing mixture of the present invention.

Reference will now be made to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate the same element throughout the views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The preferred embodiment of the present invention is implemented using a TOLCO foaming sprayer and an IDEAL MEDICAL PRODUCT'S bottle warmer.

Fig. 1 depicts a flow diagram of a method for using a sprayer. Initially, a mixture

of cleansing material and water is established in step 30. Optimally, there is 1 to 2 parts cleansing material (step 10) for every 8 parts water (step 20). Although as one skilled in the art will appreciate, the percentage of cleansing material and water which comprise the mixture may deviate from the above described amounts without detracting from the efficacy of the present invention. The mixture is stored in a container in step 40, preferably this container is a standard spray bottle such as the one depicted in Fig. 2. Moreover, the bottle is preferably of a size which would permit the bottle to reside in a bottle warmer such as the one depicted in Fig. 3.

The container includes a foam sprayer, which is capable of dispensing the mixture as a foam or lather from the container. Next, the foam or lather mixture is applied to the body or hair of a dry subject in step 60. In the case where the lather is applied to the hair of a subject, the mixture is directly applied to the dry hair of the subject. Further, a

subject capable of sitting upright may have the mixture applied while he/she is in the upright position (step 70).

Typically, an individual receiving a hair wash will sit in a stylist's chair in the upright position, where his/her hair is combed or brushed to loosen any styling aid. Preferably, one and a half ounces of shampoo is combined with eight ounces of water and stored in a bottle, the bottle having a foaming sprayer attached. Although as one skilled in the art will appreciate, shampoo need not be exclusively used, as other combinations such as a dual shampoo and conditioner or a regular conditioner may be used. The bottle, with the shampoo and water mixture, is then heated to a temperature of between 90°- 125°

F. The mixture is dispensed (as a lather) from the bottle either into the hand of the stylist or directly onto the crown area of the individual receiving a hair wash. The individual's hair is dry, and not pre-wetted in any fashion, prior to applying the mixture. If the individual's hair is longer than average, more mixture should be applied to the occipital area. The scalp is then massaged thoroughly and the client is then leaned forward or backward into a sink for rinsing. Individuals, who are not mobile, may benefit from the above described method in a similar fashion, however, rinsing is achieved by placing a pan or portable sink under

the individual's head prior to rinsing. Moreover, a body wash may be used to cleanse the skin of individuals and, rather, than rinsing with water a damp cloth may be used to wipe the mixture from the skin of the individual receiving a bathe from a care giver. In the case of a body wash, one to two parts body wash is mixed with eight parts water to create the mixture, which is dispensed from a bottle using a foam sprayer. Further, the mixture

is dispensed either into the hands of a care giver or directly onto the dry skin of the individual receiving the bathe. Furthermore, a significant amount of water is conserved by applying a shampoo- water mixture directly to dry hair without pre-wetting the hair. For instance, a one gallon

(128 oz.) mixture would optimally require 108.8 oz. of water and 19.2 oz. of shampoo. This one gallon mixture will shampoo 80 people on average and, it will completely eliminate the need for pre-wetting these people prior to applying the mixture. Pre-wetting hair prior to applying shampoo, typically requires 2 or more gallons of water, therefore, the above disclosed method would on average save 160 gallons of water or more for every 80 people receiving a hair wash. For a hair salon, nursing facility, and hospital this

amount of water conservation can be significant.

Moreover, color enhancing shampoos are maximized when mixed with water and heated, as described above, prior to applying to an individual's dry hair. These mixtures produce superior results when color refreshing an individual's hair, after tinting the root area. The lather and moisture help balance the porosity, while some color enhancing shampoos also help adjust tonal values. In fact, generally hair needs to be shampooed twice after rinsing the tint during a color service. However, with the mixture of the present invention, shampooing is needed only once after rinsing during a color service. And, since there is already shampoo in the mixture, the hair and scalp will rinse cleaner

and easier. The mixture of the present invention also prepares hair for a permanent wave chemical service.

Fig. 2 depicts a sprayer of the present invention. A mixture 80 including 1 to 2 parts shampoo or body cleansing material is combined with 8 parts water and stored in a container 90. The mixture 80 is dispensed from the container 90 using a foaming sprayer 100 which ejects the mixture 80 from an opening 105 on the sprayer 100 in the form of a lather. Once, a lather mixture is acquired it is then directly applied to a dry subject without the need to pre-wet the subject. Preferably, the sprayer of Fig. 2 is a TOLCO BIG BLASTER Trigger Sprayer No. 640, although any foaming sprayer will suffice and would be readily available to one skilled in the art.

Although Fig. 2 depicts a bottle with a foaming sprayer attached, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the foaming sprayer could just as easily be attached to a hose and, the container could be a large tub of the mixture of the present invention. Moreover, the tub could be attached to wheels and could have multiple hoses attached to it and drawing the mixture from it. The mixture could be expelled using any standard mechanical pump readily available and known to those skilled in the art. In this

way, a single container could service an entire salon, nursing home, hospital, veterinarian hospital, pet store, and the like. The single container would also provide concurrent access to the mixture to more than one user. Further, electrical or battery power could heat the mixture in the single container prior to using the mixture on a subject. Furthermore, a sprayer may also include a pump which dispenses the mixture for application on a subject. In addition, a sprayer and a pump may be combined into one dispensing device and put in fluid connection with a container housing the mixture. In

this way, the mixture may be dispensed by using a traditional sprayer or by using a pump dispenser. A pump dispenser may be of particular value when washing animals since the noise level associated with a pump dispensing the mixture would be far less intrusive than that associated with a traditional sprayer.

Moreover, the ability to attach a hose to a large container housing the mixture would be of particular utility when washing animals. For example, livestock could be washed in stalls or in open fields with such a container-hose device, with the initial cleansing material directly applied to the dry animal. A switching valve on the hose attached to the container could provide water access for rinsing the animal after the cleansing material is scrubbed into the animal, therefore, eliminating the need to acquire a second hose for rinsing the animal. In this way, the container could be internally partitioned with one partition including the mixture and a second partition including regular rinsing water. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, such a partitioned device

with hose attachments would equally be useful in any of the following settings salons,

nursing homes, hospitals, pet stores, veterinarian facilities, and the like. Further, a single container is not necessary, rather, a container housing a cleansing agent and a container housing water could be connected such that the two are mixed j ust prior to dispensing the resulting mixture onto a subject.

Furthermore, the hose may be in fluid communication with more than one

container permitting multiple products such as conditioner, water, shampoo, and the like to be dispensed on demand by depressing a button of activating a switch attached to the end of the hose. In this way, a single hose could provide all the necessary fluids needed by a stylist, pet groomer, and care giver without the need to physically change the locations of the subjects.

Fig. 3 depicts a bottle warmer of the present invention. A bottle warmer 1 10 includes a receptacle 120 wherein a bottle is placed and heated inside the warmer 1 10. Warmers are well known in the art and are readily available, preferably the warmer 1 10

of the present invention is an IDEAL MEDICAL PRODUCT'S warmer.

A bottle or container housing the mixture of the present invention is preferably heated to a temperature of between 90°- 125° F. Heating the mixture provides benefits including increased comfort for the individual receiving the mixture, ease of application for the individual applying the mixture, increased color enhancing abilities, and the like. Furthermore, as one skilled in the art will appreciate although a single receptacle is depicted in Fig. 3, a single bottle warmer can include multiple receptacles for multiple bottles.

Moreover, a bottle warmer is not required to heat the mixture of the present

invention, the mixture may be heated in a variety of alternative ways such as using hot water prior to combining the water with a cleansing material to form the mixture, using

an insulated container wrap which can heat the mixture inside the container using battery or electrical power, and the like. Also, the body cleansing agent mixed with water could

chemically provide a reaction which would warm the resulting mixture prior to dispensing the mixture. Further, once the mixture is heated, the heat may be maintained using an insulated covering for the container where the mixture resides. Fig. 4 depicts a block diagram of a system for applying a cleansing mixture. The system includes a mixture 140 having water 150 and a body cleansing material 160, a container 145, a sprayer 130, installation 180, and a warmer 170. The cleansing material 160 is combined in 1 to 2 parts for every 8 parts of water 150 to form the mixture 140 which is housed in the container 145. Further, the mixture 140 may be dispensed from the container 145 using a sprayer 130.

Preferably, the mixture 140 is heated using a warmer 170 and the warmth of the mixture 140 maintained using an insulated covering 180 which surrounds the container 145. Moreover, the sprayer 130 dispenses the mixture as a lather and, the lather is

applied to a dry subject without the need for pre-wetting the subject.

Fig. 5 depicts a flow diagram using a cleansing mixture of the present invention. Initially, a non-alcohol based cleansing mixture is provided (step 190) and stored in a container wherein the container includes a sprayer (200). The sprayer need not be directly part of the container, it only needs to be in fluid communication with the container so as to be operative to dispense the mixture housed in the container. Further, the mixture is heated (step 210) and, when the sprayer is activated the mixture is dispensed (step 220) as a lather (step 230). Once the mixture is acquired, it is massaged onto a dry subject (step 240), thereafter, the mixture is removed from the subject (step 250) by using a cloth to wipe the mixture off the subject (step 260) or by rinsing the mixture off the subject with water (step 270).

Further, a small screen (similar to the screen on an everyday sink faucet) placed on the end of a foaming sprayer yields a much richer lather than using a traditional foaming sprayer only. Heating the mixture, prior to dispensing the mixture, also increases the foam yields.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teaching.

Accordingly, this invention is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications, and

variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the amended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method of using a sprayer to apply a cleansing mixture without pre-wetting a

surface of a subject comprising:

providing a mixture of body cleansing material and water;

storing the mixture in a container;

providing a sprayer in fluid communication with the container; and

dispensing the mixture using the sprayer for application onto a surface of a

subject wherein no water is used on the surface prior to application of the

mixture.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

heating the mixture prior to dispensing the mixture for application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mixture is heated to a temperature between

90°-125° F.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mixture is heated using a bottle warmer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the water used to form the mixture is between 90°-

125° F.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the temperature of the mixture using an insulated container.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture includes one to two parts body

cleansing material to eight parts water.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sprayer is a foaming sprayer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the subject is sitting upright when the mixture

is applied.

11. A system used to apply a cleansing mixture without pre-wetting a surface of a

subject, comprising:

a container;

a mixture of body cleansing material and water; and a sprayer in fluid communication with the container wherein the mixture resides,

the mixture dispensed as a lather when the sprayer is activated, and applied to a

subject without the need for pre-wetting the subject.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a warmer used to heat the mixture before it is applied on the subject.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mixture is heated to a temperature between

90°-125° F.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the water used to form the mixture is between

90°-125° F.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

an insulated covering surrounding the container so as to maintain the temperature

of the mixture.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sprayer is a foaming sprayer.

17. A method of washing a subject with a cleansing mixture without pre-wetting the

subject, comprising:

providing a non-alcohol based body cleansing mixture which includes a cleansing

solution and water;

dispensing the mixture for application on a surface of a subject without pre-

wetting the surface prior to applying the mixture;

massaging the mixture onto the surface; and

removing the mixture from the surface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the mixture is dispensed in a lather using a

foaming sprayer.

19. The method of claim 17. further comprising:

heating the mixture prior to massaging the mixture onto the surface.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the removing of the mixture step includes at

least one of: wiping the mixture off the surface using a cloth; and rinsing the mixture off the surface with water.