Bottled water distribution method and bottle return apparatus
View Patent ↗Method and apparatus for bottled beverage distribution. Apparatus includes bin, means for receiving bottles, sensor and receipt dispenser. Method of selling includes providing an inventory, assigning identification indicia, assigning first and second purchase prices and positioning apparatus for receiving, storing and dispensing receipt. Method of distributing includes delivering to a first location water bottles, positioning at a second location a receiving, storing and receipt dispensing apparatus, and retrieving empty bottles from the apparatus. Method of distributing includes creating an account, assigning a first amount charged for each bottle sold, assigning a second amount deducted from the first amount for each bottle received, delivering bottles and positioning a receiving, storing and receipt dispensing apparatus. Method of distributing includes delivering inventory of drinking water, transferring ownership of the inventory, invoicing for each bottle delivered and retrieving empty drinking water bottles from bottle return apparatus.
1. A drinking water bottle return apparatus comprising:
a bin having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of predetermined size and at least one door that is movable between a closed position and an open position that allows access to the interior space for removal of drinking water bottles of predetermined size from the interior space;
at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls in said bin allowing direct communication therethrough between air in the interior space of said bin and air outside of the apparatus,
a receiving chute through which a drinking water bottle of predetermined size can pass from outside of the apparatus into the interior space of said bin, said receiving chute being adapted and positioned such that when the bin is empty a bottle of predetermined size completing travel through said receiving chute falls by gravity directly into the bin without obstruction and intact until stopped by the bottom of said bin, whereat the empty bottle of predetermined size remains intact in said bin;
a sensor adapted and positioned to detect a drinking water bottle of predetermined size received into the interior space of said bin; and
a receipt dispenser operatively connected to said sensor for dispensing a receipt in response to the detection by said sensor of a drinking water bottle of predetermined size received into the interior space of said bin, wherein an empty drinking water bottle of predetermined size received from outside of the apparatus into the interior space of said bin when said bin is empty falls by gravity without obstruction and intact until stopped by the bottom of said bin and is detected by said sensor, which causes said receipt dispenser to dispense a receipt for the drinking water bottle of predetermined size.
2. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the receiving chute is of a size and shape that not more than one of the drinking water bottles of predetermined size can pass simultaneously there through.
3. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the receiving chute is generally cylindrical.
4. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each drinking water bottle of predetermined size in the plurality of drinking water bottles of predetermined size has a diameter and a length and wherein the diameter of the generally cylindrical receiving chute is greater than the diameter of the drinking water bottle of predetermined size and less than the length of the drinking water bottle of predetermined size.
5. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the length of the receiving chute is at least ⅓ the length of the drinking water bottle of predetermined size.
6. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a closure flap movable between a closed position preventing passage of a drinking water bottle of predetermined size through the receiving chute and an open position allowing passage of a drinking water bottle of predetermined size through the receiving chute.
7. A bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the diameter of the generally cylindrical receiving chute is less than the length of the bottle of predetermined size.
8. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the diameter of said generally cylindrical receiving chute is at least ten inches.
9. A bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the area defined by at least one circulation opening of the at least two circulation openings is less than the area defined by the receiving chute.
10. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said receiving chute extends into the interior space of said bin.
11. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor is adapted and positioned to detect a drinking water bottle of predetermined size passing through said receiving chute from outside of said bin into the interior space of said bin.
12. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor is adapted and positioned to detect a drinking water bottle of predetermined size as the drinking water bottle of predetermined size falls by gravity in the interior space of said bin after having passed completely through said receiving chute.
13. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor is a mechanical sensor.
14. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor is an electro optical sensor.
15. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor is a device capable of detecting the presence of an RFID tag.
16. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said bin comprises four generally rectangular vertically extending side walls, a generally rectangular top and a generally rectangular bottom.
17. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim comprising two opposing doors in a so-called French door configuration.
18. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts imprinted with a universal product code corresponding to a full drinking water bottle of the type of drinking water bottle received into the interior space of said bin.
19. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said receipt dispenser is a device capable of encoding information onto an RFID tag.
20. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts having product identification indicia thereon corresponding to drinking water bottles deposited in the apparatus.
21. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts having product identification indicia on each side thereof.
22. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts having an RFID tag.
23. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said receipt dispenser is also a printer.
24. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said receiving chute is positioned higher in the vertical direction than said receipt dispenser.
25. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one door, said receipt dispenser and said receiving chute are accessible from the same side of said bin.
26. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one door, said receipt dispenser, said receiving chute and at least one circulation opening of said at least two circulation openings are accessible from the same side of said bin.
27. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom of said bin is a surface upon which said bin rests.
28. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one door of said bin is spaced from the bottom of said bin.
29. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said top and said side walls are comprised of a material that blocks at least a portion of ultraviolet light from the interior space of said bin.
30. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is of a size and shape so as to allow transport thereof on a standard pallet.
31. A drinking water bottle return apparatus comprising:
a bin having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of predetermined size and at least one door that is movable between a closed position and an open position that allows access to the interior space for removal of drinking water bottles of predetermined size from the interior space;
at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls in said bin allowing direct communication therethrough between air in the interior space of said bin and air outside of the apparatus;
a receiving tray rotatably mounted such that the receiving tray is movable about an axis between an open position in which a drinking water bottle of predetermined size can be placed in the receiving tray from outside of the apparatus but cannot enter into the interior space of said bin and a closed position in which a drinking water bottle of predetermined size placed in the receiving tray while in the open position falls by gravity into the interior space of said bin when the receiving tray is moved from the open position to the closed position, said receiving tray being adapted and positioned such that when the bin is empty a bottle of predetermined size falling by gravity into said bin when the receiving tray is moved from the open position to the closed position falls by gravity directly into the bin without obstruction and intact until stopped by the bottom of said bin, whereat the empty bottle of predetermined size remains intact in said bin;
a sensor adapted and positioned to detect a drinking water bottle of predetermined size received into the interior space of said bin; and
a receipt dispenser operatively connected to said sensor for dispensing a receipt in response to the detection by said sensor of a drinking water bottle of predetermined size received into the interior space of said bin, wherein an empty drinking water bottle of predetermined size received from outside of the apparatus into the interior space of said bin when said bin is empty falls by gravity without obstruction and intact until stopped by the bottom of said bin and is detected by said sensor, which causes said receipt dispenser to dispense a receipt for the drinking water bottle of predetermined size.
32. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said sensor is adapted and positioned to detect a drinking water bottle of predetermined size as the drinking water bottle of predetermined size falls by gravity in the interior space of said bin after having fallen from said receiving tray.
33. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said sensor is a mechanical sensor.
34. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said sensor is an electro optical sensor.
35. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said sensor is a device capable of detecting the presence of an RFID tag.
36. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said bin comprises four generally rectangular vertically extending side walls, a generally rectangular top and a generally rectangular bottom.
37. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 comprising two opposing doors in a so-called French door configuration.
38. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts imprinted with a universal product code corresponding to a full drinking water bottle of the type of drinking water bottle received into the interior space of said bin.
39. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said receipt dispenser is a device capable of encoding information onto an RFID tag.
40. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts having product identification indicia thereon corresponding to drinking water bottles deposited in the apparatus.
41. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 40 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts having product identification indicia on each side thereof.
42. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 40 wherein said receipt dispenser dispenses receipts having an RFID tag.
43. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said receipt dispenser is also a printer.
44. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said receiving tray is positioned higher in the vertical direction than said receipt dispenser.
45. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said at least one door, said receipt dispenser and said receiving tray are accessible from the same side of said bin.
46. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said at least one door, said receipt dispenser, said receiving tray and at least one circulation opening of said at least two circulation openings are accessible from the same side of said bin.
47. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 , wherein the bottom of said bin is a surface upon which said bin rests.
48. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 , wherein said at least one door of said bin is spaced from the bottom of said bin.
49. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 31 further comprising a locking mechanism of the at least one door.
50. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 36 wherein said top and said side walls are comprised of a material that blocks at least a portion of ultraviolet light from the interior space of said bin.
51. A drinking water bottle return apparatus as defined in claim 50 , wherein the apparatus is of a size and shape so as to allow transport thereof on a standard pallet.