G07F 7/06
Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate
Official title: by returnable containers {, i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value}, e.g. bottles
G07F7/06 (Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate) appears on 776 US grants and 774 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in G07F- Granted patents
- 776
- Published applications
- 774
- Assignees
- 373
- Inventors
- 1,354
- Latest grant
- 6 Oct 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 3 | 0 |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 |
| 1978 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | 5 | 0 |
| 1980 | 3 | 0 |
| 1981 | 10 | 0 |
| 1982 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983 | 6 | 0 |
| 1984 | 14 | 0 |
| 1985 | 20 | 0 |
| 1986 | 13 | 0 |
| 1987 | 13 | 0 |
| 1988 | 9 | 0 |
| 1989 | 16 | 0 |
| 1990 | 12 | 0 |
| 1991 | 13 | 0 |
| 1992 | 15 | 0 |
| 1993 | 18 | 0 |
| 1994 | 17 | 0 |
| 1995 | 17 | 0 |
| 1996 | 15 | 0 |
| 1997 | 9 | 0 |
| 1998 | 6 | 0 |
| 1999 | 16 | 0 |
| 2000 | 13 | 0 |
| 2001 | 10 | 6 |
| 2002 | 10 | 17 |
| 2003 | 10 | 11 |
| 2004 | 15 | 23 |
| 2005 | 6 | 15 |
| 2006 | 2 | 30 |
| 2007 | 7 | 30 |
| 2008 | 7 | 33 |
| 2009 | 16 | 27 |
| 2010 | 15 | 19 |
| 2011 | 15 | 27 |
| 2012 | 27 | 40 |
| 2013 | 30 | 33 |
| 2014 | 13 | 39 |
| 2015 | 20 | 22 |
| 2016 | 23 | 44 |
| 2017 | 21 | 41 |
| 2018 | 24 | 24 |
| 2019 | 36 | 37 |
| 2020 | 28 | 48 |
| 2021 | 29 | 31 |
| 2022 | 27 | 44 |
| 2023 | 24 | 45 |
| 2024 | 38 | 41 |
| 2025 | 34 | 30 |
| 2026 | 20 | 17 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
Recent patents
- Application for device evaluation and other processes associated with device recycling6 Oct 2026US 12,755,254 B2ecoATM, LLC
- Systems and methods for vending and/or purchasing mobile phones and other electronic devices6 Oct 2026US 12,755,598 B2ecoATM, LLC
- Refill station for a dispenser can with a scale for determining a weight information of the dispenser can at a receiving device22 Sep 2026US 12,743,921 B2WüRth International AG
- Application for device evaluation and other processes associated with device recycling1 Sep 2026US 12,725,131 B2ecoATM, LLC
- Kiosks for evaluating and purchasing used electronic devices and related technology1 Sep 2026US 12,725,200 B2ecoATM, LLC
- Identifying electronic devices using temporally changing information10 Sep 2026US 2026/0268724 A1ecoATM, LLC
- Cloud-integrated autonomous commercial waste compaction system with pop/pos multi cycle access control16 Jul 2026US 2026/0202814 A1Goco Construction Waste Management, Inc
- Waste management equipment monitoring, diagnostic, and predictive maintenance system16 Jul 2026US 2026/0203725 A1Goco Constructioon Waste Management, Inc
- Systems and methods for recycling consumer electronic devices16 Jul 2026US 2026/0203728 A1ecoATM, LLC
- Automatic sorting and collection apparatus for target collection objects2 Jul 2026US 2026/0183800 A1Inobus, INC.
Most cited
By later US patents
- Personal scanner/computer for displaying shopping lists and scanning barcodes to aid shoppers521US 5,424,524 A1995
- Automated pharmaceutical management and dispensing system470US 6,219,587 B1NextRx Corporation · 2001
- Automated vending machine system for recorded goods442US 5,445,295 A1995
- Computer controlled rental and sale system and method for a supermarket and the like295US 4,866,661 A1989
- Apparatus and method for storing and retrieving articles286US 4,519,522 APhoto Vending Corporation · 1985