Apparatus, system, and method for dispensing, receiving, cleaning and/or filling a container
AssigneeEvive Station, LLC
InventorThomas L. Petrini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vending machine comprising multiple subsystems typically including container receiving, container cleaning, container storage, container filling, container vending, a computer system, and a user interface A vending machine for dispensing, receiving, cleaning and/or filling containers comprising container receiving means for receiving a first container; container cleaning means for cleaning the first container; container dispensing means for dispensing the first container; and container filling means for filling the first container or a second container.
Claims18
A vending machine for dispensing, receiving, cleaning and/or filling a beverage container having an opening on one end thereof and an attachable lid, the vending machine comprising:
- a first wash chamber for receiving the beverage container, the first wash chamber being configured for receiving the beverage container in an opening-side-up orientation, wherein the first wash chamber is configured to be rotatable inverting the beverage container received therein to an upside down orientation;
- a second wash chamber for receiving the attachable lid;
- a first container cleaning jet that is configured for cleaning the beverage container's interior while the beverage container is in the first upside down orientation in the first wash chamber;
- a second container cleaning jet that is configured for cleaning the beverage container's exterior while the beverage container is in the first upside down orientation in the first wash chamber;
- wherein the first and second container cleaning jets spray water and/or disinfecting solution;
- and
- a container filling means for filling the beverage container with a beverage.
A system for dispensing, receiving, cleaning and/or filling a beverage container having an opening on one end thereof and an attachable lid, the system comprising:
- a vending machine comprising a first wash chamber for receiving the beverage container, the first wash chamber being configured for receiving the beverage container in an opening-side-up orientation, wherein the first wash chamber is configured to be rotatable inverting the beverage container received therein to an upside down orientation;
- a second wash chamber for receiving the attachable lid;
- a first container cleaning jet that is configured for cleaning the beverage container's interior while the beverage container is in the upside down orientation in the first wash chamber;
- a second container cleaning jet that is configured for cleaning the container's exterior while the beverage container is in the first upside down orientation in the first wash chamber;
- wherein the first and second container cleaning jets spray water and/or disinfecting solution;
- computer control means for controlling the first and second container cleaning jets and a user interface;
- wherein the user interface including a display screen for presenting audio and/or visual media to a user;
- and
- a container filling means for filling the beverage container with a beverage.
A method for dispensing, receiving, cleaning and/or filling a beverage container, the method comprising the steps of
- (a) identifying the beverage container;
- (b) receiving the beverage container from a user into a first wash chamber with the beverage container in an opening-side-up orientation;
- (c) receiving the attachable lid from the user into a second wash chamber;
- (d) inverting the beverage container into an upside down orientation by rotating the first wash chamber;
- (e) cleaning the beverage container and the attachable lid;
- (f) dispensing the beverage container, and
- further comprising a playing of audio and/or visual media during at least one of the steps (a) through (f).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.