PROVIDING USER-SELECTED FRAGRANCE BLENDS

Abstract

A method according to the invention for providing a user-selected fragrance blend (FB) by a fragrance dispensing apparatus (1) comprises querying to select, via a user interface (14), a fragrance reservoir (CS1-CS3) containing several aroma-compounds (F1-F5) belonging to a common scent family, and querying to select, via the user interface (14), at least one other fragrance reservoir (CS1-CS3) containing at least one aroma-compound (F1-F5) belonging to another scent family, until aroma-compounds (F1-F5) belonging to all levels of a scent pyramid have been selected, extracting the aroma-compounds (F1-F5) from the selected fragrance reservoirs (CS1-CS3), and dispensing the extracted aroma-compounds (F1-F5) as a fragrance blend (FB). A fragrance dispensing apparatus (1) according to the invention is adapted to perform the method according to the invention. The invention is particularly advantageous for operation by an end user of the fragrance blend.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user-selected fragrance blend by a fragrance dispensing apparatus, the method comprising: querying to select, via a user interface, a fragrance reservoir containing several aroma-compounds belonging to a common scent family, and querying to select, via the user interface, at least one other fragrance reservoir containing at least one aroma-compound belonging to another scent family, until aroma-compounds belonging to all levels of a scent pyramid have been selected, extracting the aroma-compounds from the selected fragrance reservoirs, and dispensing the extracted aroma-compounds as a fragrance blend.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising querying to select a fragrance reservoir containing several aroma-compounds belonging to a common first scent family and a fragrance reservoir containing several aroma-compounds belonging to a common second scent family.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one fragrance reservoir contains several aroma-compounds belonging to a common scent family and to at least two levels of the scent pyramid.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the scent families comprise at least two scent families of a group comprising a fresh scent family, a fruity scent family, a floral scent family, an oriental scent family, and a woody scent family.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one fragrance reservoir contains several aroma-compounds belonging to all levels of notes.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising: querying to select, via the user interface, an amount of the aroma-compounds from different fragrance reservoirs, and adding the aroma-compounds to the fragrance blend in accordance to the selected amount.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising: querying to select, via the user interface, a type of the fragrance blend, and adding an amount of solvent to the fragrance blend in accordance to the selected type.

8. A fragrance dispensing apparatus for dispensing a user-selected fragrance blend, comprising: several fragrance reservoirs containing aroma-compounds, an identification means for identifying the aroma-compounds stored in the fragrance reservoirs, a user interface for selecting at least two fragrance reservoirs containing aroma-compounds to be blended into the fragrance blend, at least one extraction means for extracting the aroma-compounds from the selected fragrance reservoirs, and a fragrance dispenser for dispensing the fragrance blend comprising the extracted aroma-compounds, wherein at least one first fragrance reservoir contains several aroma-compounds belonging to a common first scent family, at least one second fragrance reservoir contains at least one aroma-compound belonging to a common second scent family, and the user interface is adapted to query a user to select fragrance reservoirs such that the fragrance blend comprises aroma-compounds belonging to all groups of a scent pyramid.

9. The fragrance dispensing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fragrance reservoirs are disposably insertable into the fragrance dispensing apparatus.

10. The fragrance dispensing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein several fragrance reservoirs are positioned in a common disposable cartridge.

Description

[0075] The above described features and advantages of the invention as well as their kind of implementation will now be schematically described in more detail by at least one embodiment in the context of one or more FIGURES of the attached drawing.

[0076] FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a fragrance dispensing apparatus 1. The fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 comprises a seat 2 for a cartridge CR. The cartridge CR exemplarily comprises three fragrance reservoirs in form of capsules CS1, CS2, CS3. A first capsule CS1 contains a stock solution comprising at least two aroma-compounds F1, F2 of a first scent family (and no aroma-compound from another scent family). A second capsule CS2 contains a stock solution comprising at least two aroma-compounds F3, F4 of a second scent family (and no aroma-compound from another scent family). A third capsule CS3 contains a stock solution comprising at least one aroma-compound F5 of a third scent family (and no aroma-compound from another scent family). For example, the aroma-compounds F1 and F2 may belong to citrus fruity notes of the fruity scent family and are top notes with respect to the scent pyramid. The aroma-compounds F3 and F4 may belong to floral and/or soft floral notes of the floral scent family and are middle notes with respect to the scent pyramid. The aroma-compound F5 may belong to a woody or an oriental note and belongs to a base note with respect to the scent pyramid. Alternatively, the aroma-compounds F1 and F2 may belong to a citrus fruity note and a fruity note, respectively, of the fruity scent family and are thus a top note and a middle note, respectively. Also alternatively, the aroma-compounds F3 and F4 may belong to an aromatic note and a green note, respectively, of the fresh scent family and are thus a top note and a middle note, respectively.

[0077] The fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 may comprise further capsules (not shown) comprising aroma-compounds belonging to other scent families, e.g. the fresh scent family, and/or belonging to the same scent families, e.g. other aroma-compounds belonging to the fruity, floral, oriental and/or woody scent families. The further capsules may be part of the same cartridge CR or of an additional cartridge (not shown).

[0078] The fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 further comprises one extraction means 3 for selectively extracting contents from the respective capsules CS1 to CS3 and one extraction means 4 for extracting a solvent S (e.g. an ethanol/water mix) from a solvent tank 5. While the cartridge CR is removable by a user, the solvent tank 5 is fixedly positioned in the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1. The capsules CS1 to CS3 and/or the solvent tank 5 may be equipped with a level sensor (not shown).

[0079] The outlets of the capsules CS1 to CS3 are each connected to the extraction means 3 via respective coupling means 6 or connectors, e.g. in form of one-way valves. The extraction means 3 can selectively extract the contents from the respective capsules CS1 to CS3.

[0080] To automatically identify the capsules CS1 to CS3 and their respective aroma-compounds F1 to F5, the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 comprises an identification means in form of an optical or radio frequency reader 7 that reads a respective code or tag of the cartridge CR. The queried information may include the kind of aroma-compound(s) F1 to F5, amount of the ingredients, dilution, etc. contained in the capsules CS1 to CS3. Alternatively or additionally, a code or tag may be associated with each of the capsules CS1 to CS3.

[0081] The extraction means 3 comprises dosage valves 8 that are connected to a respective coupling means 6. The dosage valves 8 enable extracting a very precise amount of aroma-compounds F1 to F5. The dosage valves 8 are connected to a flow meter 9 which, in turn, is connected to a pump 10. The pump 10 is connected to a blending chamber 11. The blending chamber 11 is also connected to the solvent tank 5 via the extraction means 4. While the extraction means 4 may have a generally similar setup (e.g. comprising a dosage valve 8, a flow meter 9, and a pump 10) as the extraction means 3, it may have a larger flow-rate than the extraction means 3. Also, there may not be a coupling means 6 between the solvent tank 5 and the extraction means 4.

[0082] The blending chamber 11 is used to blend the aroma-compounds F1 to F5 extracted from the capsules CS1 to CS3 and possibly the solvent S extracted from the solvent tank 5 to create a fragrance blend FB. The blending chamber 11 may be a static chamber, a continuous chamber, a bubbling chamber, a mixing chamber (e.g. a close-clearance mixer), etc.

[0083] Further, the blending chamber 11 is connected to a fragrance dispenser 12 for dispensing the blended fragrance mixture FB from the blending chamber 11 into a fragrance bottle B. The fragrance dispenser 12 may comprise a dosage valve 8, a pump 10, and/or a flow meter (not shown). Alternatively or additionally, the fragrance dispenser 12 may comprise a fragrance spraying device (not shown), e.g. a spray nozzle.

[0084] An output side of the extraction means 3 is also connected to a test strip dispenser 13 via an optional dosage valve 8 for dispensing the content of at least one capsule CS1 to CS3 onto a substrate in form of a test strip (not shown) and providing the test strip. A pump and/or a flow meter (not shown) may also be present between the extraction means 3 and the test strip dispenser 13. Thus, corresponding aroma-compounds F1 to F5 are directly applied to the test strip. The fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 is adapted to selectively extract the content of the capsules CS1 to CS3 towards the blending chamber 11 or the test strip dispenser 13. Alternatively or additionally to the test strip dispenser 13, a spray nozzle may be used. Alternatively to the test strip dispenser 13, the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 may comprise a heatable open test tube (not shown) that contains a substrate for the aroma-compounds F1 to F5 dispensed from the extraction means 3. To this effect, a 3/2-way valve (not shown) or such may be used.

[0085] The fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 further comprises a user interface 14 for selecting capsules CS1 to CS3 until aroma-compounds F1 to F5 belonging to all levels of a scent pyramid have been selected.

[0086] Additionally, the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 comprises a communication module 15, e.g. for communicating a need to replace the cartridge CR or to fill up the solvent tank 5.

[0087] Moreover, the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 comprises a control device 16 (e.g. a control module comprising a microcontroller, an ASIC, a FPGA etc.) to operate or use the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1, e.g. some or all of its electrically controllable components 3 to 4, 5 (its level sensor), 6 to 14. For example, by activating the reader 7, the control device 16 identifies the available aroma-compounds F1 to F5 and may calculate their remaining amount. Also, the control device 16 has information about the available solvent S and its amount. The control device 16 may thus present available selections/choices in the user interface 14.

[0088] In one possible embodiment, if a user wants to receive a fragrance blend FB, the user is informed by the user interface 14 about the available scent families, notes, their levels and/or the respective aroma-compounds F1 to F5. The user may then select a scent family, note or aroma-compound F1 to F5. If the user has selected a certain scent family, the user interface 14 may show the corresponding capsules CS1 to CS3 and their aroma-compounds F1 to F5. If there is more than one capsule CS1 to CS3 available for the selected scent family, the user interface 14 may ask the user to select one of these capsules CS1 to CS3. After having selected one scent family, one corresponding capsule CS1 to CS3 and one corresponding aroma-compound F1 to F5, respectively, the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 automatically determines for which scent levels of a scent pyramid no aroma-compounds F1 to F5 have been selected yet. The user is then shownby the user interface 14capsules CS1 to CS3 (and their aroma-compounds F1 to F5, notes and/or levels) that comprise such missing aroma-compounds F1 to F5. Then, the user may be asked to select one of these capsules CS1 to CS3. If there is still a scent level missing, this step may be repeated until the selected capsules CS1 to CS3 comprise aroma-compounds F1 to F5 of all levels of the scent pyramid. The user interface 14 may ask the user to add the content of further capsules CS1 to CS3, if so desired.

[0089] Additionally, the user interface 14 may query the user for the desired amount (e.g. 25 ml) and/or type (e.g. perfume) of the fragrance blend FB.

[0090] The control device 16 opens the respective coupling means 6 and operates the respective dosing valve(s) 8 of the extraction means 3 to extract the selected amount or quantity from the respective capsules CS1 to CS3, e.g. one after another. In one embodiment, the relative amount extracted from the respective capsules CS1 to CS3 is automatically determined by the fragrance dispensing apparatus 1, e.g. on the basis of experimentally determined ratios. Such ratios may be stored in a lookup table. In one variant, the user interface 14 may allow the user to alter the automatically determined relative amount. This gives the advantage that a user may easily emphasize certain scent families, notes and/or aroma-compounds F1 to F5. It is also a variant that a user may freely input a desired (absolute or relative) amount of the contents of the different capsules CS1 to CS3 and thus their aroma-compounds F1 to F5. The pump 10 of the extraction means 3 then pumps the corresponding contents of the different capsules CS1 to CS3 into the blending chamber 11.

[0091] Similarly, the control device 16 commands the extraction means 4 to extract a certain quantity of the solvent S into the blending chamber 11. The quantity of the solvent S is determined by the control device 16 on basis of the selected type of fragrance blend FB. The quantities of the capsules' CS1 to CS3 content and the solvent S are measurable by the flow meter(s) 9. The control device 16 may also operate the blending chamber 11, if possible. Moreover, the control device 16 operates the fragrance dispenser 12 to dispense the ready fragrance blend FB, e.g. into a bottle B or onto a test strip etc.

[0092] The fragrance dispensing apparatus 1 may be a self-cleaning device.

[0093] Of course, the invention is not restricted to the described embodiments.

[0094] For example, the user interface 14 may generally show descriptions of capsules CS1 to CS3 (e.g. their scent families, notes, aroma-compounds F1 to F5, information regarding the aroma-compounds F1 to F5 etc.). The user interface 14 may also show general information regarding scent families, scent pyramids, aroma-compounds F1 to F5 and so on, e.g. in form of an interactive database or lexicon.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0095] 1 fragrance dispensing apparatus [0096] 2 seat [0097] 3 extraction means [0098] 4 extraction means [0099] 5 solvent tank [0100] 6 coupling means [0101] 7 reader [0102] 8 dosage valve [0103] 9 flow meter [0104] 10 pump [0105] 11 blending chamber [0106] 12 fragrance dispenser [0107] 13 test strip dispenser [0108] 14 user interface [0109] 15 communication module [0110] 16 control device [0111] B bottle [0112] CR cartridge [0113] CS1-CS3 capsules [0114] FB fragrance blend [0115] F1-F5 aroma-compound [0116] S solvent