Carpet Cleaning Machine Rental Kiosk

• US 20120130535A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rug Doctor
• Original Assignee: Rug Doctor
• Inventors: Kropp, David A., Wall, Timothy J., Shin, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,483,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/20 for washing or drying articles, e.g. clothes, motor cars
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/005 Details or accessories

Abstract

A self-service kiosk enables customers to conduct rental transactions for carpet cleaning machines without the need of assistance from store personnel. The kiosk comprises a housing having several stalls or bays that hold and display carpet cleaning machines and carpet cleaning accessories for rental. The kiosk controls whether such carpet cleaning machines and carpet cleaning accessories can be removed from or returned to the kiosk. The kiosk also optionally includes a control panel for conducting a rental transaction. The self-service kiosk may also include automatic dispensing of cleaning products purchased by the customer at the kiosk. Still further, the self-serve kiosk may include shelving for holding cleaning products that can be purchased separately at a checkout counter.

Claims

1. A self-service carpet cleaning machine rental kiosk comprising:

a plurality of storage stalls, at least some of the storage stalls being each configured and adapted to contain at least one carpet cleaning machine, at least one of the storage stalls comprising at least one retaining mechanism that is configured and adapted to selectively prevent and allow the removal of a carpet cleaning machine from the kiosk;

a control system, the control system comprising at least one user input device that is configured and adapted to receive rental data from a customer, the control system being operatively connected to the retaining mechanism in a manner such that the control system can activate the retaining mechanism to allow a carpet cleaning machine to be removed from the at least one of the storage stalls;

at least one detection device, the detection device being adapted and configured to detect when a carpet cleaning machine has been removed from a stall of the kiosk, the detection device also being operatively connected to the control system in a manner such that the control system is responsive to whether a carpet cleaning machine has been removed from the at least one of the storage stalls of the kiosk; and

a communication system operatively connected to the control system, the communication system being adapted and configured to communicate with a remote processing system.

2. A kiosk in accordance with claim 1 comprising a control panel that is operatively connected to the control system, the control panel being configured and adapted to serve as an interface between the customer and the control system for inputting the rental data into the kiosk.

3. A kiosk in accordance with claim 1 wherein the kiosk comprises at least one retaining mechanism that is controlled by the control system and that is configured and adapted to prevent unauthorized removal of a carpet cleaning machine from the kiosk and, alternatively, to permit removal of a carpet cleaning machine from the kiosk.

4. A kiosk in accordance with claim 3 wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a gate that is hinged to swing in a manner selectively opening and closing one of the machine storage stalls, the gate allowing removal of a carpet cleaning machine from said stall when the gate is opened, the gate preventing the removal of a cleaning machine from said stall when the gate is closed, the retaining mechanism also comprising a lock operated by the control system in a manner such that the control system can selectively secure the gate closed.

5. A kiosk in accordance with claim 4 wherein the control system is configured and adapted to operate the lock of the retaining mechanism in a manner such that the gate initially is closed and cannot be opened and thereafter can be opened, following which the control system operates lock of the retaining mechanism to secure the gate closed only after the control system determines via the detection device that a carpet cleaning machine has been removed from said storage stall of the kiosk.

6. A kiosk in accordance with claim 1 wherein the detection device is operatively connected to the control system in a manner such that the control system is responsive to whether a carpet cleaning machine has been placed into the at least one of the storage stalls of the kiosk after such a carpet cleaning machine was removed from the at least one of the storage stalls.

7. A kiosk in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the storage stalls is configured and adapted to contain a plurality of carpet cleaning machine accessories, said storage stall constituting an accessories storage stall, the kiosk comprising a plurality of accessory detection devices that are each adapted and configured to detect when a respective one of the carpet cleaning machine accessories has been removed from the accessories storage stall of the kiosk, the accessory detection devices also being operatively connected to the control system in a manner such that the control system is responsive to whether a carpet cleaning machine accessory has been removed from the accessories storage stall.

8. A method of leasing carpet cleaning machines, the method comprising:

providing a kiosk, the kiosk comprising a control system, a communication system, at least one storage stall, at least one carpet cleaning machine, and at least one retaining mechanism, the control system comprising at least one user input device that is configured and adapted to receive rental data from a customer, the retaining mechanism being configured and adapted to selectively prevent and allow the removal of the carpet cleaning machine from the storage stall;

permitting a customer to enter rental data into the kiosk using the input device;

using the control system to activate the retaining mechanism in a manner such that the retaining mechanism allows the removal of the carpet cleaning machine from the storage stall of the kiosk in response to the entered rental data;

permitting the customer to enter return data into the kiosk using the input device;

using the control system to activate the retaining mechanism in a manner such that the retaining mechanism initially allows the customer to return the carpet cleaning machine to the stall and thereafter prevents the removal of the carpet cleaning machine from the stall in response to the return data; and

transmitting data that is dependent upon the rental data to a remote processing system via the communication system.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a gate that is hinged to swing in a manner selectively opening and closing the storage stall, the gate allows removal of the carpet cleaning machine from said stall when the stall is opened and prevents the removal of a cleaning machine from said stall when the gate is closed, the retaining mechanism also comprises a lock operated by the control system in a manner such that the control system can selectively secure the gate closed, the kiosk further comprises a detection device that is capable of detecting when the carpet cleaning machine has been removed from or placed into the stall of the kiosk, and wherein the control system activates the lock to secure the gate closed in a manner that is dependent upon the detection device detecting that the carpet cleaning machine has been removed from or placed into the stall of the kiosk.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the kiosk comprises display shelving and the method comprises displaying non-reusable products for sale on the display shelving.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the communication system is operated to communicate with the remote processing system periodically.

12. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising leasing the customer a carpet cleaning machine accessory using the kiosk.

13. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the kiosk comprises a control panel that is operatively connected to the control system and the method comprises using the control panel as an interface between the customer and the control system for inputting the rental data into the kiosk.

14. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the kiosk comprises a plurality of stalls and a plurality of carpet cleaning machines, and the retaining mechanism selectively prevents and allows the removal of only one of the carpet cleaning machines from only one of the storage stalls.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein the kiosk comprises a plurality of retaining mechanisms that each selectively prevent and allow the removal of a respective one of the carpet cleaning machines from a respective one of the storage stalls.