Electrostatic atomizer for liquids

Abstract

An electrostatic atomizer for liquids, in particular cosmetics, is proposed, at least comprising a housing, an electrical energy source, an activation mechanism, control electronics, a high-voltage source, a liquid tank, a delivery device and atomizer nozzles, the control electronics and the high-voltage source being arranged in an interior space of the housing. It is provided that the control electronics either comprise at least one sensor or comprise at least one transmitting and/or receiving module or comprise at least one sensor and at least one transmitting and/or receiving module.

Claims

1. A handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer, comprising: a housing having a grip portion and having an interior space in which an electrical energy source, an activation mechanism, control electronics, a voltage source, and atomizer nozzles are arranged; a liquid tank containing a cosmetic liquid; and a memory in the form of an RFID marking on the liquid tank, which is read by and written to the control electronics, wherein the memory is situated on the liquid tank and is physically separate from, but immediately adjacent to the control electronics located within the housing, and wherein the memory is located proximate and below the atomizer nozzles in a use state of the handheld atomizer, wherein the control electronics comprise at least one first sensor that detects an amount of the cosmetic liquid taken from the liquid tank, wherein the control electronics comprise second sensors and at least one transmitting and/or receiving module, wherein the second sensors of the control electronics each detect a movement of the atomizer in space, whereby the control electronics detect, store and analyze changes in movement sequences of the handheld atomizer, wherein the control electronics detect and store use data of the handheld wherein the at least one transmitting and/or receiving module provides user specific data about an individual user to the atomizer, and atomizer from the individual user and the user specific data about the individual user, so that the handheld atomizer dispenses the cosmetic liquid based on the use data of the handheld atomizer for the individual and the user specific data about the individual user.

2. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics further comprise at least one sensor that detects an intensity and/or a wavelength of incident light.

3. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics further comprise at least one sensor that detects an air temperature and/or a humidity of air in an area surrounding the atomizer.

4. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical energy source is a chargeable electrical store, and wherein the handheld atomizer further comprises at least one charging device for charging the electrical energy source, wherein the charging device has a standardized connection.

5. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electrical energy source is a chargeable electrical store, wherein the handheld atomizer further comprises at least one charging device for charging the electrical energy source, wherein the charging device is an electromagnetic coil of an inductive charging device, and wherein the electromagnetic coil is arranged within the housing, either on a head portion or on the grip portion.

6. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claim in claim 4, wherein the charging device has a USB connection.

7. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics comprise a number of sensors that detect a temperature and/or a humidity of air in an area surrounding the handheld atomizer, and that detect an intensity and/or a wavelength of incident light.

8. A method for operating the handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics transfer sensor data from at least one of the at least one sensor via at least one of the at least one transmitting and/or receiving module to an external device, and wherein the external device performs at least one of processing the data, displaying the data, and transmitting the data.

9. A method for operating the handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics obtain sensor data of at least one of the first and second sensors via at least one of at least one transmitting and/or receiving module from an external device, and wherein the control electronics performs at least one of processing the data, displaying the data, and transmitting the data.

10. A method for operating the handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics transfer data concerning operating state data and/or device parameter data via at least one of the at least one transmitting and/or receiving module to an external device, and wherein the external device performs at least one of processing the data, displaying the data, and transmitting the data.

11. A method for operating the handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control electronics obtain data via at least one of the at least one transmitting and/or receiving module from an external device, and the control electronics process and/or display transmit the data to provide operating states or device parameters.

12. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the control electronics further comprise at least one sensor that detects a voltage and/or a current intensity of the voltage source.

13. The handheld electrostatic cosmetic atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitting and/or receiving module is connectable via a radio link to a cell phone or tablet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of a drawing, from which further features that are essential to the present invention and advantages of the present invention emerge.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an atomizer according to the present invention in a greatly simplified schematic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) The electrostatic atomizer 1 comprises a housing 2 with an interior space 10, in which housing 2 an electrical energy source 3, an activation mechanism 4, control electronics 5, a high-voltage source 6, a liquid tank 7, a delivery device 8 and atomizer nozzles 9, 9a, 9b are arranged.

(4) In the exemplary embodiment shown, the control electronics 5 comprise sensors 11, 11a, 11b and a transmitting and/or receiving module 12.

(5) Sensors 11, 11a, 11b may be intended or designed to allow the voltage and/or the current intensity and/or the wavelength of incident light or the temperature and/or the humidity of the air in the surrounding area 13 of the atomizer 1 to be detected. In this way, correspondingly determined data can, for example, influence a delivery output of the delivery device 8, and consequently also a spraying result of the atomizer 1.

(6) Sensors 11, 11a, 11b may also be intended or designed to determine or to detect distances between atomizer nozzles 9, 9a, 9b and an object to be sprayed (not shown) by field analysis.

(7) Sensors 11, 11a, 11b may also be intended or designed to allow an area of a sprayed object to be determined or detected.

(8) Furthermore, sensors 11, 11a, 11b may be intended or designed to allow optical analyses of an object to be sprayed to be carried out.

(9) Sensors 11, 11a, 11b may also be provided or appropriately designed to allow repeated uses, for example, multiple uses, to be detected and/or for them to be prevented.

(10) Sensors 11, 11a, 11b may also be intended or designed to allow an alignment of the atomizer nozzles 9, 9a, 9b with regard to an object to be sprayed to be determined, for example by comparison of the respective potentials of the atomizer nozzles 9, 9a, 9b.

(11) The transmitting and/or receiving module 12 may, for example, be intended to be connected via a radio link to a cell phone or tablet (not represented). It may also be provided, for example, that data of a user, for example, bodyweight, body size, are transferred from a cell phone or tablet to the atomizer 1, and correspondingly adapted spraying operations are carried out. Such spraying operations may then be carried out individually, and, for example, also only concern individual parts of a user's body.

(12) By means of corresponding monitoring of the spraying activity of the atomizer with regard to chosen requirements by sensor elements 11, 11a, 11b or the transmitting and/or receiving module 12, an established spraying result can possibly be corrected. In particular, the time and the sprayed amount of liquid may be monitored here, and possibly further spraying operations carried out. A monitoring or checking of spraying operations may also be performed on the basis of image data, which are, for example, transmitted from a smartphone or tablet to the atomizer 1.

(13) In the exemplary embodiment shown, the atomizer 1 comprises an electrical energy source 3, which is chargeable. For this purpose, the atomizer 1 comprises a charging device 14, which is arranged in a grip region 16 of the atomizer within or in an interior space 10 of the housing 2.

(14) The transmitting/receiving module 12 can be used to establish a connection via a radio link 17a, for example, WLAN or Bluetooth, to an external device, for example, a smartphone 18, or via a radio link 17b to an external sensor 19. A simultaneous connection to a number of devices, in particular, sensors 19, is also conceivable.

(15) The data of the internal sensors 11a and 11b and/or of the external sensors 19 and/or of the smartphone 18 may then be processed in the smartphone 18 in an app 20 and instructions and recommendations for the user may be output, for example, on the screen. A remote control of the atomizer 1 from the smartphone 18 is also conceivable.

(16) There is furthermore the possibility that the smartphone 18 is also connected directly via a radio link 17c to a sensor, and the data of the latter are evaluated and for example UV values are passed on to the app 20, and consequently to the atomizer 1.

(17) What is more, it is provided that data are transferred via a radio link 17d to an external computing center, for example, a cloud 21, in order to store user profiles or perform statistical evaluations.

(18) In the context of the present invention, an electrostatic atomization may also be understood as meaning an electrohydrodynamic atomization.

(19) In the context of the present invention, a liquid should be understood as meaning any kind of liquid. In the context of the present invention, the liquid may be a cosmetic, also liquid paint or lacquer or the like.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

(20) 1 Atomizer 2 Housing 3 Electrical energy source 4 Activation mechanism (button or switch) 5 Control electronics 6 High-voltage source 7 Liquid tank 8 Delivery device 9 Atomizer nozzle 9a Atomizer nozzle 9b Atomizer nozzle 10 Interior space 11 Sensor 11a Sensor 11b Sensor 12 Transmitting and/or receiving module 13 Surrounding area (of the atomizer) 14 Charging device 15 Head portion 16 Grip portion 17a Radio link smartphoneatomizer 17b Radio link sensoratomizer 17c Radio link smartphonesensor 17d Radiolink smartphonecloud 18 Smartphone 19 Sensor 20 App 21 Cloud/Internet