APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WATER BOTTLE RETURN

• US 20120068585A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyr Fluid Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Zephyr Fluid Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Wind, Patrick E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/211
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/02 for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets A47F10/06 takes precedence; hand-carts B62B; baskets B65D
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0609 by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers

Abstract

An apparatus and method for receiving a recyclable product is disclosed herein. In one embodiment the apparatus includes: an enclosed structure defining an interior cavity; a bottle return mechanism for determining when a bottle has been received within the interior cavity; and a mechanism coupled to the bottle return mechanism, the mechanism being configured to provide an output when the bottle return mechanism has determined that a bottle has been inserted into the interior cavity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving recyclable product, comprising:

an enclosed structure defining an interior cavity;

a bottle return mechanism for determining when a bottle has been received within the interior cavity, comprising;

an elongated cylinder providing a passage into the interior cavity, the elongated cylinder having an inlet opening proximate to an exterior of the enclosed structure and an outlet opening proximate to the interior cavity;

a first plurality of actuating arms located in the passage, wherein the first plurality of actuating arms are pivotally secured to the elongated cylinder for movement between a first position wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of actuating arms is positioned away from a surface of the elongated cylinder and a second position wherein the distal end of each of the plurality of actuating arms is moved towards the surface of the elongated cylinder, the first plurality of actuating arms being located a first distance from the inlet opening; and

a second plurality of actuating arms located in the passage, wherein the second plurality of actuating arms are pivotally secured to the elongated cylinder for movement between a first position wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of actuating arms is positioned away from a surface of the elongated cylinder and a second position wherein the distal end of each of the plurality of actuating arms is moved towards the surface of the elongated cylinder, the second plurality of actuating arms being located a second distance from the inlet opening, the second distance being greater than the first distance; and

a mechanism coupled to be bottle return mechanism, the mechanism being configured to provide an output when the first plurality of actuating arms and the second plurality of actuating arms have been simultaneously moved to the second position and thereafter back to the first position.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are spring biased into the first position and wherein the bottle is a 5 gallon or 3 gallon water bottle.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms further comprise a ball bearing rotatably secured proximate to the distal end.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are received within a slotted opening in the surface of the elongated cylinder.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the slotted opening defines a limit of travel of each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms as they are moved towards the first position and wherein the bottle is a 5 gallon or 3 gallon water bottle.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the surface of the elongated opening further comprises a plurality of guide rails for guiding the bottle therein and wherein the bottle is a 5 gallon or 3 gallon water bottle.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are located proximate to a sensor that will provide a signal indicative of the position of the actuating arm relative to the surface of the elongated cylinder.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the output of the mechanism is a receipt.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the enclosed structure is formed from a plurality of straps arranged in an interlocking fashion.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a buffering bar pivotally secured to a portion of the enclosure, wherein the buffering bar is located proximate to the outlet opening of the elongated cylinder such that a bottle exiting therefrom contacts the buffering bar in order to slow down a dropping velocity of the bottle.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the bottle is a 5 gallon water bottle.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are spring biased into the first position and wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms further comprise a ball bearing rotatably secured proximate to the distal end.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are spring biased into the first position and wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are located proximate to a sensor that will provide a signal indicative of the position of the actuating arm relative to the surface of the elongated cylinder.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the output of the mechanism is only provided when the sensor of at least one of the first plurality of actuating arms and the sensor at least one of the second plurality of actuating arms indicates that the at least one of the first plurality of actuating arms and the at least one of the second plurality of actuating arms are simultaneously positioned in the second position.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the output of the mechanism is a receipt.

16. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms are received within a slotted opening in the surface of the elongated cylinder and wherein the slotted opening defines a limit of travel of each of the first plurality of actuating arms and each of the second plurality of actuating arms as they are moved towards the first position and wherein the bottle is a 5 gallon water bottle and wherein each of the first plurality of actuating arms are configured such that once the bottle has traveled past the actuating arms and they return to the first position, the bottle cannot be removed from the elongated cylinder through the inlet opening.

17. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a dispensing rack is secured to the enclosed structure and wherein the water bottle is a 5 gallon or 3 gallon water bottle and the dispensing rack further comprises a plurality of shelves each being spaced to receive and support a plurality of water bottles.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein a width of the shelves is substantially similar to a width of the enclosure.

19. An apparatus for receiving recyclable product, comprising:

an enclosed structure defining an interior cavity; and

a bottle return mechanism for determining when a bottle has been received within the interior cavity, the bottle return mechanism comprising;

an elongated cylinder providing a passage into the interior cavity, the elongated cylinder having an inlet opening proximate to an exterior of the enclosed structure and an outlet opening proximate to the interior cavity; and

a flexible member located proximate to the inlet opening of the elongated cylinder, the flexible member being configured to be deflected inwardly towards a surface of the elongated cylinder from a first position wherein a distal end of the flexible member is positioned in the inlet opening, wherein the flexible member is biased towards the first position and is configured to cover a portion of the inlet opening when it is in the first position such that the distal end will prevent a bottle completely inserted into the elongated cylinder through the inlet opening in a first direction from being subsequently removed from the elongated cylinder in a direction opposite to the first direction.

20. A method for recycling a water bottle, comprising:

inserting the water bottle into a bottle return mechanism of an enclosed structure, the bottle return mechanism being configured to determine when a bottle has been received within the enclosed structure;

providing a first signal to another mechanism when a first plurality of actuating arms located in an elongated cylinder providing a passage into the enclosed structure are moved from a first position wherein a distal end of each of the first plurality of actuating arms is positioned away from a surface of the elongated cylinder to a second position wherein the distal end of each of the first plurality of actuating arms is moved towards the surface of the elongated cylinder;

providing a second signal to the another mechanism when a second plurality of actuating arms located in the elongated cylinder are moved from a first position wherein a distal end of each of the second plurality of actuating arms is positioned away from the surface of the elongated cylinder to a second position wherein the distal end of each of the second plurality of actuating arms are moved towards the surface of the elongated cylinder, the elongated cylinder having an inlet opening proximate to an exterior of the enclosed structure and an outlet opening proximate to an interior cavity of the enclosed structure, the first plurality of actuating arms being located a first distance from the inlet opening and the second plurality of actuating arms are located a second distance from the inlet opening, the second distance being greater than the first distance; and

providing an output from the another mechanism when the first signal and the second signal have been simultaneously received by the another mechanism.