Public access information destruction system performing pay-per-use shredding
First Claim
1. An apparatus for shredding material for use in public facilities on a pay-per-use basis, comprising:
- a shredder, with an inlet and an outlet, shredding material fed into the shredder inlet;
a controller selectively operating the shredder; and
a payment receipt mechanism receiving a payment from a user;
wherein the controller determines validity of the received payment and when validated, operating the shredder.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pay-per-use shredding system for public use for destroying documents and media containing private or personal information. The system includes a shredder, a feed chute for receiving material and an outlet feeding the material to the shredder inlet, and a storage bin below the shredder outlet to receive shredded materials. A portal provides a line of sight to the interior of the storage bin for user visual confirmation of destruction. The system further includes a payment receipt mechanism, such as a keypad, a card receptor, or a bill or coin receptor. A controller acts to validate and/or authenticate payment at the receipt mechanism and to determine a shred time period. The controller operates the shredder for the shred time period, such as in response to a start instruction from the user via a start button. A display is decremented to show the remaining shred time to the user.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for shredding material for use in public facilities on a pay-per-use basis, comprising:
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a shredder, with an inlet and an outlet, shredding material fed into the shredder inlet;
a controller selectively operating the shredder; and
a payment receipt mechanism receiving a payment from a user;
wherein the controller determines validity of the received payment and when validated, operating the shredder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A public-access shredding system, comprising:
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a cabinet with a front panel and an internal shelf;
a feed chute in the front panel with an opening for receiving material for shredding;
a storage bin formed in a lower portion of the cabinet, the storage bin comprising a visual confirmation window of substantially transparent material providing a visual path through the front panel of the cabinet to the storage bin;
a shredder disposed between the feed chute and the storage bin; and
a control board in the cabinet, the control board comprising a processor and logic operating to run the shredder for a timed shredding session in response to receipt of a payment. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for shredding material for use in public facilities on a pay-per-use basis, comprising:
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a shredder, with an inlet and an outlet, shredding material fed into the shredder inlet;
a controller selectively operating the shredder;
a payment receipt mechanism receiving a payment from a user;
a storage bin positioned to receive in an inner compartment the material fed into and shredded by the shredder output from the shredder outlet, wherein the storage bin comprises a portal of substantially transparent material with a line of sight to the inner compartment from a location exterior to the storage bin visually exposing at least a portion of the inner compartment of the storage bin;
wherein the controller determines validity of the received payment and when validated, operating the shredder. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification