Manual hair dye apparatus and method for using the same

Abstract

A system for manual storage and mixing of hair dye components to provide an operator the ability to create a hair dye mixture wherein the operator selects desired color from the color pallet, enters the required amount of finished dye, and the activator strength is selected. The operator is instructed to place an empty batch container on the scale. The system prompts the operator for the first dye color and an LED adjacent to the corresponding drawer is illuminated. The operator manually adds the amount indicated on the display panel while the scale monitors the added quantity and provides feedback for an extremely accurate dispense. After returning the bottle or tube to the designated storage bin, the operator presses ‘next’, and the next LED is illuminated along with the required amount of the next ingredient. Bar code readers can also be used to control the solution and process.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for manual storage and mixing of hair dye components to provide an operator the ability to create a hair dye mixture, the system comprising:
 a control system having at least a memory, input controls, and a display, the memory having the capacity to store and/or storing at least one hair dye mixture formulated from the mixing of one or more hair dye components and/or dye blending materials;   a plurality of storage bins, each bin holding at least one hair dye component tube;   a scale connected to the control system, the control system monitoring a weight of the scale and providing information on changes thereto;   a blending station housing at least one reservoir of a dye blending material, the reservoir connected to the pumping channel controlled by the computer control system to eject the dye blending material out of a nozzle, the nozzle being adjacent the scale; and   the computer control system upon receiving an input for a creation of a hair dye mixture displaying a formulation of the hair dye mixture indicating the hair dye component(s) and amount(s) needed to create the hair dye mixture.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of illumination indicators separately positioned on each storage bin and controlled for activation by the control system and wherein the control system upon receiving an input for a creation of a hair dye mixture, sending control signals to illuminate one or more indicators of storage bins 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the control system sends a control signal to illuminate an indicator of a storage bin for a manual addition of a hair dye component stored in the storage bin that is subsequent in the formulation of the hair dye mixture when the control system receives an input indicating that a previous colorant has been added to the bowl. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage bins are hollowed tubes having one end secured to a shelving structure and an opened end sized for a hand of the operator to retrieve the colorant tubes. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the illumination indicators are positioned about the opened end of the tubes. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage bins are received in the shelving structure for manual opening of the bins, each storage bin, of the plurality of storage bins having internal capacity for receiving and storing at least one hair dye component tube. 
     
     
         7 . A system for manual storage and mixing of hair dye components to provide an operator the ability to create a hair dye mixture, the system comprising:
 a control system having at least a memory, input controls, and a display, the memory having the capacity to store and/or storing at least one hair dye mixture formulated from the mixing of one or more hair dye components and/or dye blending materials;   a plurality of storage bins, each bin holding at least one hair dye component tube, and a plurality of illumination indicators separately positioned on each storage bin and controlled for activation by the computer control system;   a scale connected to the control system, the control system monitoring a weight of the scale and providing information on changes thereto;   a blending station housing at least one reservoir of a dye blending material, the reservoir connected to the pumping channel controlled by the computer control system to eject the dye blending material out of a nozzle, the nozzle being adjacent the scale, and wherein   the control system upon receiving an input for a creation of a hair dye mixture sending control signals to illuminate one or more indicators of storage bins and displaying a formulation of the hair dye mixture indicating the hair dye component(s) and amount(s) needed to create the hair dye mixture.   
     
     
         8 . The control system of  claim 7  further comprising an electronic locking mechanism positioned at each storage bin to keep the storage bins locked, wherein the control system upon receiving the input for the creation of the hair dye mixture sending a signal to unlock one or more locking mechanisms. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the control system sends a control signal to illuminate an indicator of a storage bin for a manual addition of a hair dye component stored in the storage bin that is subsequent in the formulation of the hair dye mixture when the control system receives an input indicating that a previous hair dye component has been added to the bowl. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of storage bins are received in the shelving structure for manual opening of the bins, each storage bin, of the plurality of storage bins having internal capacity for receiving and storing at least one colorant tube. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising a bar code scanner and wherein the hair dye component tubes each include bar code labels, and wherein upon scanning a hair dye component tube with the bar code scanner, the control system checks the hair dye component tube against the hair dye component(s) in the formulation to ensure accurate re-creation of the hair dye mixture. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising a bar code scanner and wherein the hair dye component tubes each include bar code labels, and wherein upon scanning a hair dye component tube with the bar code scanner, the control system sending control signals to illuminate one or more indicators of storage bins identifying the correct storage bin to store the scanned hair dye component tube.