Container redemption method and apparatus

• US 4,558,212 A
• Filed: 01/17/1983
• Issued: 12/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Can & Bottle Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Can & Bottle Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hampson, Alfred A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/458,350
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/464, 235/467, 235/385, 209/523, 209/524, 209/592
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/18 using a single stationary weighing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0609 by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the selective sorting, separating and redemption-handling of redeemable food containers, such as beverage containers. The apparatus includes a weighing station to determine that received containers are empty, and a reading station for reading coded markings (indicia) on containers to determine information such as: authorized redeemability, product brand, and product distribution source. A digital computer monitors data acquired from "reading" operations, controls redemption processing and generates "management" records which are usable by customers to obtain redemption refunds, and by the store (associated with the apparatus) to facilitate accounting with the appropriate distributors, according to product brands.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the selective redemption-processing of authorized, redeemable beverage containers, and the like, of the type bearing externally readable, redemption-significant, coded indicia including a general UPC-type indicia on the side of the container and region specific indicia on an end of the container comprising

means defining an intake station for receiving such containers and for delivering the same downstream in the apparatus,

automated reading means disposed adjacent and downstream from said intake station for accepting delivered containers, and for reading, and deriving information from, such indicia, said reading means including first and second reading structure for reading, respectively, the UPC-type indicia and the region specific indicia, and

programmed intelligence means operatively connected to said reading means for acquiring and interpreting such derived information, operable, with respect to each accepted container, in response to the acquisition of related derived information which reflects authorized container redeemability, to effect a redemption-cycle operating procedure whereby the associated container is retained for further handling, and management control data is generated regarding such retained container, and in response to the acquisition of related derived information which reflects non-authorized container redeemability, to effect a rejection-cycle operating procedure whereby the associated container is rejected from further redemption handling.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes, downstream from said intake station, means for weighing each delivered container to determine if the same has a weight greater than a preselected maximum weight, and ejection means operatively associated with said weighing means for ejecting from the apparatus any container having a weight exceeding said preselected weight.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second reading structure includes a pair of readers disposed for reading region specific indicia appearing on either end of a container.

3. A method for the automatic, selective redemption-processing of authorized, redeemable beverage containers, and the like, of the type bearing externally readable, redemption-significant, coded indicia, including a general UPC-type indicia on the side of the container and region specific indicia on an end of the container, said method comprising

scanning the side surface of each such container which is presented for redemption to read, and derive information from, such UCP-type indicia,

scanning the ends of each such container which is presented for redemption to read and derive information from such region specific indicia,

from said scanning, generating an electrical signal having characteristics uniquely related to such derived information,

coupling each such signal to a programmed digital computer,

employing the computer, with respect to each such coupled signal, to interpret the same with respect to authorized container redeemability as reflected by the signal, and

as a consequence of said interpreting, retaining for further processing all containers whose indicia effect an indication of authorized container redeemability, and rejecting all other containers.

4. The method of claim 3 which further comprises weighing each received container to determine whether the same exceeds a preselected maximum weight, and ejecting from processing all containers having weights exceeding such preselected weight.