Method and system of providing a product in a refillable container and a refillable container

• US 20040020723A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Olson, Keith E., Anderson, Bryan M., Outlaw, Tina O., Schuman, Allan L.
• Application Number:
  US10/434,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020723A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 186/52
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/24 Mixing of ingredients for cleaning compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/846 using stored recipes for determining the composition of the mixture to be produced, i.e. for determining the amounts of the basic components to be dispensed from the component receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/848 using data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the dispensing and mixing operations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/20 Measuring; Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/06 Arrangements on packages concerning bar-codes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/02 for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/346 by reading a code
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for creating ready-to-use products from a concentrated form of the products for sale at a retail price is disclosed. The apparatus to create the ready-to-use products generally comprises a source of one or more concentrated products. These concentrated products are delivered to a point of use which typically may be a small, consumer-sized container. The apparatus dilutes the concentrated product to an appropriate level. The final, ready-to-use product can be a wide variety of cleaning products. The method provides for a larger profit to the retailer than normally available from the sale of pre-filled cleaning products.

Claims

11. A refillable container adapted to be initially sold at a commercial establishment and subsequently be refilled at a commercial establishment, comprising:

a refillable container; and

an identifier associated with said refillable container, said identifier having a first condition indicative of said refillable container and a second condition indicative of refilling of said container.

12. A refillable container as in claim 11 wherein said identifier comprises:

a first scannable code associated with said refillable container indicative of said first condition; and

a second scannable code associated with said refillable container indicative of said second condition.

13. A refillable container as in claim 12 wherein said first scannable code is superimposed over said second scannable code.

14. A refillable container as in claim 12 wherein said first scannable code is on a removable label associated with said refillable container.

15. A refillable container as in claim 14 wherein said removable label is a coupon.

16. A refillable container as in claim 14 wherein said removable label is superimposed over said second scannable code.

17. A refillable container as in claim 14 wherein said second scannable code is on said refillable container.

18. A refillable container as in claim 14 wherein said second scannable code is on a non-removable label associated with said refillable container.

19. A refillable container as in claim 12 wherein said first scannable code and said second scannable code are universal product codes.

20. A refillable container as in claim 12 wherein said first scannable code is also indicative of an initial filling of said container.

21. A refillable container as in claim 11 wherein said identifier comprises a readable object.

22. A refillable container as in claim 21 wherein said readable object has an initial condition representing said first condition and is modifiable to have a subsequent condition representing said second condition.

23. A refillable container as in claim 22 wherein said readable object associated with said refillable container is also indicative of an initial filling of said container.

24. A refillable container as in claim 22 wherein said readable object is also writable.

25. A refillable container as in claim 24 wherein said readable object is a smart chip.

26. A refillable container as in claim 25 wherein said smart chip is also capable of holding information related to the date on which said refillable container is filled.

27. A system for providing a product in a refillable container at a commercial establishment, comprising:

a refillable container having an identifier associated with said refillable container, said identifier having a first condition indicative of said refillable container and a second condition indicative of refilling of said container;

a dispenser adapted to receive said refillable container and being capable of filling said refillable container with said product;

a reader capable of reading said identifier;

said system being configured such that said reader reads said identifier in said first condition when said refillable container is initially provided with said product and reads said identifier in said second condition when said refillable container is provided having been refilled with said product.

1. A method of providing a retail product in a container to a consumer from a retail store operated by a retailer, said retail product being a liquid constructible from a concentrate, said retail product being an alternative to a pre-filled product sold at a retail store at a pre-filled price, comprising the steps of:

supplying said concentrate to said retail store;

obtaining water locally with respect to said retail store;

filling said container at said retail store with said retail product using a combination of said concentrate and said water;

selling said retail product to said consumer at a retail price; and

providing said retailer with a portion of said retail price, said portion of said retail price being larger than a portion of said pre-filled price available to said retailer for sales of said pre-filled product.

2. A method as in claim 1 which further comprises the additional step of conditioning said water, accomplished between said obtaining step and said filling step.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said filling step is accomplished by said consumer.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein said filling step is accomplished at a retail kiosk in said retail store.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein said concentrate is a liquid concentrate.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein said retail product is a liquid product.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein said liquid product is a cleaning product.

8. A method as in claim 4 which further comprises the additional step of providing promotional material to said consumer during said filling step and from said retail kiosk.

9. A method as in claim 3 which further comprises the additional step of providing promotional material to said consumer while said filling step is being accomplished.

10. A method of claim 1 wherein said retail product is sold at a retail price which is below said pre-filled price.

28. A system as in claim 27 wherein said identifier comprises:

a first scannable code associated with said refillable container indicative of said refillable container, and

a second scannable code associated with said refillable container indicative of refilling of said refillable container.

29. A system as in claim 28 wherein said first scannable code is superimposed over said second scannable code.

30. A system as in claim 28 wherein said first scannable code is on a removable label associated with said refillable container.

31. A system as in claim 30 wherein said removable label is a coupon.

32. A system as in claim 30 wherein said removable label is superimposed over said second scannable code.

33. A system as in claim 30 wherein said second scannable code is on said refillable container.

34. A system as in claim 30 wherein said second scannable code is on a nonremovable label associated with said refillable container.

35. A system as in claim 28 wherein said first scannable code and said second scannable code are universal product codes.

36. A system as in claim 28 wherein said first scannable code is also indicative of an initial filling of said container.

37. A system as in claim 27 wherein said identifier is a readable object having an initial state being representative of said first condition and a subsequent state being representative of said second condition.

38. A system as in claim 37 wherein said readable object is capable of holding information related to whether said refillable container has been previously filled with said product.

39. A system as in claim 37 wherein said readable object is modified from being representative of said first condition to being representative of said second condition.

40. A system as in claim 38 further comprising a writer adapted to write information to said readable object.

41. A system as in claim 40 wherein said readable object is modified from said first condition to said second condition by writing information to said readable object.

42. A system as in claim 40 wherein said information comprises data related a time of filling said container.

43. A system as in claim 42 wherein said writer is associated with said dispenser and wherein said data is written to said readable object in conjunction with said filling of said refillable container with said product.

44. A system as in claim 43 wherein said readable object is modified from said first condition to said second condition by said writer in conjunction with said filling of said refillable container dependent at least in part on said data is indicative of said refillable container having been filled in the past.

45. A system as in claim 37 wherein said readable object associated with said refillable container is also indicative of an initial filling of said container.

39-1. A system as in claim 38 wherein said readable object is a smart chip.

46. A method of providing a product in a refillable container at a commercial establishment, comprising the steps of:

providing said refillable container having an identifier associated with said refillable container having a first condition indicative of said refillable container and a second condition indicative of refilling of said refillable container;

initially filling said refillable container with said product;

reading said identifier being representative of said first condition and determining a price for said refillable container containing said product as a function of said first condition of said identifier;

refilling said refillable container with said product;

reading said identifier being representative of said second condition and determining a price for said refillable container containing said product as a function of said second condition of said identifier.

47. A method as in claim 46 wherein said identifier is a scannable code.

49. A method as in claim 46 wherein said first scannable code is superimposed over said second scannable code.

50. A method as in claim 46 wherein said first scannable code is on a removable label associated with said refillable container.

51. A method as in claim 50 wherein said removable label is a coupon.

52. A method as in claim 50 wherein said removable label is superimposed over said second scannable code.

53. A method as in claim 52 further comprises the step of removing said removable label in connection with a first sale of said refillable container following scanning said first scannable code.

54. A method as in claim 47 wherein said second scannable code is on said refillable container.

55. A method as in claim 47 wherein said second scannable code is on a non-removable label associated with said refillable container.

56. A method as in claim 47 wherein said first scannable code and said second scannable code are universal product codes.

57. A method as in claim 47 wherein said first scannable code is also indicative of an initial filling of said container.

58. A method as in claim 46 wherein said identifier is a readable object having an initial state being representative of said first condition and a subsequent state being representative of said second condition.

59. A method as in claim 58 further comprising the step of modifying said readable object from being representative of said first condition to being representative of said second condition.

60. A method as in claim 59 wherein said readable object is a smart chip.

61. A method as in claim 58 further comprising the step of writing information to said readable object.

62. A method as in claim 61 wherein said readable object is modified from said first condition to said second condition by writing information to said readable object.

63. A method as in claim 61 wherein said information comprises data related to a time of filling said container.

64. A method as in claim 63 wherein said data is written to said readable object in conjunction with at least one of said filling step and said refilling step.

65. A method as in claim 61 wherein said readable object is modified from said first condition to said second condition in conjunction with said filling step dependent at least in part on said data being indicative of said refillable container having been filled in the past.

66. A method as in claim 58 wherein said readable object associated with said refillable container is also indicative of an initial filling of said container.