Tanning booth

Abstract

A booth ( 2 ) for accommodating a person, the booth ( 2 ) defining a booth volume ( 4 ) and comprising: a base portion ( 6 ) and a top portion ( 8 ); flow means ( 18 ) for causing a downward airflow within the booth ( 2 ); projecting means ( 22 ) for projecting product into at least some of the booth volume ( 4 ) within the booth ( 2 ) and, in use, onto a body of a person positioned in the booth ( 2 ); and control means ( 90 ) for controlling the projection of the product.

1 . A booth for accommodating a person, the booth defining a booth volume and comprising: 
 a base portion and a top portion;    flow means for causing a downward airflow within the booth;    projecting means for projecting product into at least some of the booth volume within the booth and, in use, onto a body of a person positioned in the booth; and    control means for controlling the projection of the product.    
     
     
         2 . A booth according to  claim 1  wherein the control means controls the projection of the product according to parameters of the body of the person.  
     
     
         3 . A booth according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein the control means comprises a sensor for sensing a parameter of the body.  
     
     
         4 . A booth according to  claim 3  wherein the sensor senses the height of the body.  
     
     
         5 . A booth according to  claim 3  or  claim 4  wherein the sensor comprises an infra-red sensor.  
     
     
         6 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising movement means for effecting movement of the projecting means.  
     
     
         7 . A booth according to  claim 6  wherein operation of the movement means is controlled by the control means.  
     
     
         8 . A booth according to  claim 6  or  claim 7  wherein the movement means effects vertical movement of the projecting means.  
     
     
         9 . A booth according to  claim 8  wherein the movement means comprises at least one slider unit moveable vertically between two positions, the slider unit supporting the projecting means.  
     
     
         10 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the projecting means comprises at least one nozzle to project the product.  
     
     
         11 . A booth according to any one of  claims 1  to  9  wherein the projecting means comprises a plurality of nozzles adapted to project the product.  
     
     
         12 . A booth according to  claim 10  or  claim 11  farther comprising adjustment means for adjusting the attitude of the nozzles.  
     
     
         13 . A booth according to  claim 12  wherein operation of the adjustment means is controlled by the control means.  
     
     
         14 . A booth according to any one of  claims 10  to  13  wherein the projection means comprises a nozzle support defining a substantially arcuate shape, the nozzles being positioned to spray the product into an area defined by the nozzle support.  
     
     
         15 . A booth according to any preceding claim wherein the projecting means comprises one or more spray guns which are directed to spray product horizontally and/or at an angle to the horizontal (whether upwardly or downwardly) and/or some combination of these.  
     
     
         16 . A booth according to any one of  claims 1  to  9  wherein the projecting means comprises one or more slider units supporting an arcuate spray arm comprising a plurality of spray guns.  
     
     
         17 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a fluid delivery system for delivering the product into the booth via the projecting means.  
     
     
         18 . A booth according to  claim 17  wherein the booth delivery system forms part of a recirculating fluid circuit which includes the projecting means.  
     
     
         19 . A booth according to  claim 17  or  claim 18  wherein the fluid is contained within a fluid container.  
     
     
         20 . A booth according to any one of  claims 17  to  19  wherein the fluid delivery system delivers air to the projection means at a predetermined air pressure.  
     
     
         21 . A booth according to  claim 20  wherein the predetermined air pressure is variable.  
     
     
         22 . A booth according to any one of  claims 17  to  21  wherein the fluid delivery system delivers product in the form of a fluid to the projection means.  
     
     
         23 . A booth according to  claim 22  wherein the fluid delivery system delivers product to the projection means at a predetermined pressure.  
     
     
         24 . A booth according to  claim 23  wherein the predetermined pressure is variable.  
     
     
         25 . A booth according to any one of  claims 17  to  24  wherein operation of the fluid delivery system is controlled by the control means.  
     
     
         26 . A booth according to any one of  claims 17  to  25  further comprising pressure means for controlling the fluid pressure.  
     
     
         27 . A booth according to  claim 26  wherein the pressure means comprises a fluid pump.  
     
     
         28 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising recirculating means for recirculating the air within the booth.  
     
     
         29 . A booth according to  claim 28  wherein the operation of the recirculating means is controlled by the control means.  
     
     
         30 . A booth according to  claim 28  or  claim 29  wherein the recirculating means comprises a fan.  
     
     
         31 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a filter.  
     
     
         32 . A booth according to  claim 31  wherein the filter comprises a plurality of filters forming a filtration system.  
     
     
         33 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the product comprises a cosmetic product.  
     
     
         34 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cosmetic product is a sunless tanning product.  
     
     
         35 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the flow means comprises a first plenum of positive pressure located in the top portion of the booth, and a second plenum of negative pressure located in the base of the booth.  
     
     
         36 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the downward air flow occupies a predetermined volume within the booth.  
     
     
         37 . A booth according to  claim 36  wherein the predetermined volume comprises a portion of the booth volume.  
     
     
         38 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising temperature means for controlling the temperature of the air.  
     
     
         39 . A booth according to  claim 38  wherein the temperature means heats the air.  
     
     
         40 . A booth according to  claim 38  wherein the temperature means cools the air.  
     
     
         41 . A booth according to any one of  claims 35  to  40  wherein the first and second plenums are connected to a duct, and the air recirculating means is located within the duct.  
     
     
         42 . A booth according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the projecting means comprises a remotely operable tool.  
     
     
         43 . A control system for a booth according to any one of the preceding claims, for projecting a product into a booth volume within the booth, the control system comprising operating means to operate the projecting means in selected regions of the booth volume.  
     
     
         44 . A control system according to claim  437  wherein the system is operable on the projecting means to project specified amounts of the product in selected regions of the booth volume, the specified amounts varying from zero to maximum flow of the product from the projecting means.  
     
     
         45 . A control system according to  claim 43  or  44  wherein the projecting means is movable along a path within the booth, and the control system operates the projecting means as it moves along the path in accordance with predetermined instructions.  
     
     
         46 . A control system according to any one of  claims 43  to  45  wherein the operating means operates the recirculation means.  
     
     
         47 . A method of applying a product to a human body using a booth, the booth defining a booth volume and comprising: 
 a base portion and a top portion;    flow means for causing a downward air flow within the booth; and    projecting means for projecting a product into at least some of the booth volume within the booth and, in use, onto a body of a person positioned in the booth, and control means for controlling the projection of the product.    defining a booth volume and comprising the steps of:    sensing the height of a human body accommodated in the booth;    estimating one or more other parameters of the body based on the height;    projecting a product into the booth and therefore onto the body;    controlling the projection of product into predetermined zones in the booth in accordance with the height of the body.    
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 47  wherein the step of projecting a product into the booth comprises spraying the product via the projecting means into the booth.  
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 47  or  claim 48  wherein the booth further comprises a fluid delivery system for delivering air and product to the projection means, and the step of controlling the projection of product into predetermined zones within the booth in accordance with the height of the body comprises one or more of the following steps: 
 controlling the pressure at which product is delivered to the projecting means;    controlling the pressure at which air is delivered to the projecting means.    
     
     
         50 . A method according to any one of  claims 47  to  49  wherein the step of controlling the amount of product projected into predetermined zones further comprises the step of causing the projecting means to move vertically within the booth, and controlling the speed at which the projecting means move.  
     
     
         51 . A method according to any one of  claims 47  to  50  wherein the step of controlling the amount of product projected further comprises the step of controlling the air speed of the downward air flow within the booth.  
     
     
         52 . A method for applying a product to a human body using a booth as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  42 .  
     
     
         53 . A computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of the method according to any one of  claims 47  to  51  when said booth is run on a computer.  
     
     
         54 . A booth substantially as herein before described with reference to and/or as shown in any one or more of the figures in the accompanying drawings.  
     
     
         55 . A method substantially as herein before described with reference to and/or as shown in anyone or more of the figures in the accompanying drawings.