Method for providing vendable items of entertainment
OwnerMelanee A. Davisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for dispensing new and/or used items of entertainment of the audio and/or visual and electronic type to travelers or other persons who encounter periods of waiting or delay, and the purchased item is accompanied by means that enable the purchaser to return the item for a monetary rebate or credit toward future item purchases. The present invention thereby provides travelers and others who wait with an economical means of entertaining themselves during periods of waiting and enables the purchaser to avoid having to keep and carry a weighty article or dispose of an otherwise expensive item of entertainment.
Claims28
A method for providing to persons who experience periods of delay or waiting returnable items of entertainment, comprising:
- providing dispensing apparatus structured to selectively dispense at least one item of entertainment with pre-addressed, postage-paid return indicia;
- purchasing a said item of entertainment from said dispensing apparatus;
- depositing said item of entertainment for return following use of said item of entertainment;
- and
- processing a refund or credit in response to the return of said item of entertainment.
A dispensing apparatus for providing items of entertainment and related articles in venues where delays or waiting is experienced, comprising:
- a housing sized for retaining a selected inventory of vendable items of entertainment and related articles;
- a display element for viewing at least a portion of said selected inventory of vendable items retained within said housing;
- a control panel for use in selecting a said item of entertainment for vending from said housing;
- at least one payment acceptance device;
- and
- a delivery port for receiving a selected item of entertainment vended from said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.