EXCLUSIVITY SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100030376A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: San Jamar, Inc. (Carlisle Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Colman Group Inc (Carlisle Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Omdoll, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 16/00 Unwinding, paying-out webs reel-to-reel type web winding and unwinding mechanisms B65H18/103, B65H18/145
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 16/005 Dispensers, i.e. machines for unwinding only parts of web roll
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/30 Numbers, e.g. of windings or rotations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/11 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/12 Network
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/13 Data carrier, e.g. chip, transponder, magnetic strip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/66 in which the articles are dispensed by cutting from a mass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/18 for washing or drying persons
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for ensuring a controlled supply source of web material 34 to be dispensed through at least one dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24. The method involves providing at least one dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 to a web material provider 26 or 28 at reduced or no charge, providing exhausting means 14, 16 or 18 to the web material provider 26 or 28 for periodically activating at least one dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 in return for consideration 40, transferring at least one dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 from the web material provider 26 or 28 to an end user 32 at reduced or no charge to the end user 32, wherein the web material provider 26 or 28 provides web material 34 to be dispensed from at least one dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 to the end user 32 in return for consideration and transferring the exhausting means 14, 16 or 18 to the end user 32 for periodically activating at least one dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 in return for consideration 40 from the end user 32 which consideration is built into the consideration the end user gives to the product provider 26 or 28 so that the additional consideration for the activation means is transparent to the end user 32. The system comprises a dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 for dispensing web material 34, a credit carrying device 14, 16 or 18 for storing a predetermined number of credits 36 corresponding to a predetermined amount of web material 34 to be dispensed by a dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24, wherein the credit carrying device 14, 16 or 18 interacts with the dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 to provide credit information to the dispenser 2, 4, 6 or 24 corresponding to at least a portion of the credits 36 on the credit carrying device 14, 16 or 18, a reading device 42 interacting with the credit carrying device 14, 16 or 18 for reading at least a portion of the credit information 36 stored on the credit carrying device 14, 16 or 18 and an activation device 44, in communication with the reading device 42, selectively activating the dispenser in response to credit information received from the credit carrying device 14, 16 or 18.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring a controlled supply source of web material to be dispensed through at least one dispenser comprising the steps of:

Providing at least one dispenser to an end user at reduced or no charge to the end user;

Providing exhausting activation means to said end user for periodically activating said at least one dispenser; and

Providing web material to said end user in return for consideration to be dispensed from said at least one dispenser.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of interfacing said activation means with said dispenser.

3. A method for ensuring a controlled supply source of web material to be dispensed through at least one dispenser comprising the steps of:

Providing at least one dispenser to a web material provider at reduced or no charge;

Providing exhausting means to said web material provider for periodically activating said at least one dispenser in return for consideration;

Transferring said at least one dispenser from said web material provider to an end user at reduced or no charge to the end user;

Said web material provider providing web material to be dispensed from said at least one dispenser to said end user in return for consideration; and

Transferring exhausting means to said end user for periodically activating said at least one dispenser in return for consideration from the end user built into the consideration the end user gives to said product provider so that the additional consideration for the activation means is transparent to the end user.

4. A method for dispensing web material comprising:

Providing a dispenser for dispensing web material;

Providing a credit carrying device for storing a predetermined number of credits, wherein each said credit corresponds to a predetermined amount of web material to be dispensed by a dispenser;

Interfacing said credit carrying device with a reader connected to said dispenser for decrementing one or more said credits from said credit carrying device;

Activating said dispenser to dispense a predetermined amount of web material corresponding to the number of credits decremented from said credit carrying device and read by said reader; and

Selectively, incrementally dispensing said predetermined amount of web material from said dispenser.

5. A dispensing system comprising:

A dispenser for dispensing web material;

A credit carrying device for storing a predetermined number of credits, said credits corresponding to a predetermined amount of web material to be dispensed by a dispenser, wherein said credit carrying device interacts with said dispenser to provide credit information to said dispenser corresponding to at least a portion of the credits on said credit carrying device;

A reading device interacting with said credit carrying device for reading at least a portion of the credit information stored on said credit carrying device; and

An activation device, in communication with said reading device, selectively activating said dispenser in response to credit information received from said credit carrying device, wherein said activation device enables a motor to selectively incrementally feed a predetermined amount of web material through said dispenser corresponding at least in part to said received credit information.

6. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device interacts with said reading device magnetically.

7. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device interacts with said reading device electrically.

8. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device interacts with said reading device optically.

9. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device interacts remotely with said reading device.

10. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device is a memory storage device.

11. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device is a fob.

12. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device is a coin.

13. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device includes a magnetic strip.

14. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device interacts with said dispenser over a network.

15. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit information corresponds to a predetermined length of web material to be dispensed.

16. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit information corresponds to a predetermined number of rolls of web material to be dispensed.

17. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit information corresponds to a predetermined amount of time during which web material is to be dispensed.

18. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device is reusable.

19. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein said credit carrying device is disposable.

20. A dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein credit information on said credit carrying device is encrypted.