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Method and apparatus for bottled beverage distribution. Apparatus includes bin, means for receiving bottles, sensor and receipt dispenser. Method of selling includes providing an inventory, assigning identification indicia, assigning first and second purchase prices and positioning apparatus for rec

Method and apparatus for bottled beverage distribution. Apparatus includes bin, means for receiving bottles, sensor and receipt dispenser. Method of selling includes providing an inventory, assigning identification indicia, assigning first and second purchase prices and positioning apparatus for receiving, storing and dispensing receipt. Method of distributing includes delivering to a first location water bottles, positioning at a second location a receiving, storing and receipt dispensing apparatus, and retrieving empty bottles from the apparatus. Method of distributing includes creating an account, assigning a first amount charged for each bottle sold, assigning a second amount deducted from the first amount for each bottle received, delivering bottles and positioning a receiving, storing and receipt dispensing apparatus. Method of distributing includes delivering inventory of drinking water, transferring ownership of the inventory, invoicing for each bottle delivered and retrieving empty drinking water bottles from bottle return apparatus.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of selling bottled drinking water of a type used with a water cooler device comprising: providing an inventory of bottled drinking water for sale, each bottle of drinking water in the inventory of bottled drinking water being of a type used with a water cooler device;assigning product id

1. A method of selling bottled drinking water of a type used with a water cooler device comprising: providing an inventory of bottled drinking water for sale, each bottle of drinking water in the inventory of bottled drinking water being of a type used with a water cooler device;assigning product identification indicia to each bottle of drinking water in the inventory;assigning a first purchase price to each bottle of drinking water in the inventory that will be charged to a purchaser of a bottle of drinking water from the inventory that does not return an empty drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device;assigning a second purchase price to each bottle of drinking water in the inventory that will be charged to a purchaser of a bottle of drinking water from the inventory that does return an empty drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device the second purchase price being less than the first purchase price;receiving an empty drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device into an apparatus having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device and at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls allowing direct communication between air in the interior space of the apparatus and air outside of the apparatus, the interior space of the apparatus being free of machinery capable of destroying drinking water bottles deposited therein and being free of containers capable of storing drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device that are deposited into the apparatus such that drinking water bottles deposited into the apparatus are retained in the apparatus by the bottom and the plurality of walls of the apparatus;automatically dispensing from the apparatus a receipt having thereon the assigned product identification indicia for each empty drinking water bottle of a type used with water cooler devices deposited in the apparatus;receiving from a purchaser of a bottle of drinking water from the inventory a receipt dispensed from the apparatus bearing the assigned product identification indicia; andcharging the second purchase price to the purchaser of a bottle of drinking water from the inventory of bottled drinking water from whom a receipt bearing the assigned product identification indicia is received,wherein a purchaser of a bottle of drinking water of a type used with a water cooler device from the inventory of bottled drinking water can deposit in the apparatus an empty drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device and receive a receipt from the apparatus without assistance from a seller of such bottle of drinking water of a type used with a water cooler device and then present the receipt bearing the assigned product identification indicia upon purchase of a full bottle of drinking water of a type used with a water cooler device and be charged the second purchase price. 2. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is located at a store in which water cooler devices are available for sale. 3. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein the product identification indicia is a universal product code. 4. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein the product identification indicia is a stock keeping unit number. 5. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein the product identification indicia assigned to each bottle of drinking water in the inventory is encoded on an RFID tag on each such bottle. 6. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 5 further comprising reading product identification indicia encoded on an RFID tag. 7. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein a seller of bottled drinking water from the inventory of bottled drinking water does not own the inventory of bottled drinking water. 8. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein a seller of bottled drinking water from the inventory of bottled drinking water does not own the apparatus. 9. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein a seller of bottled drinking water from the inventory of bottled drinking water owns the inventory of bottled drinking water. 10. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein a seller of bottled drinking water from the inventory of bottled drinking water owns the apparatus. 11. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 1 wherein: the inventory contains drinking water in bottles having more than one size;different product identification indicia is assigned to each size of bottle in the inventory; andthe apparatus is capable of receiving and storing intact each size of bottle in the inventory without damaging such bottle and dispensing in response to each bottle deposited in the apparatus a receipt having thereon product identification indicia assigned to each size of bottle in the inventory. 12. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 11 wherein the product identification indicia assigned to each bottle of drinking water in the inventory is encoded on an RFID tag on each such bottle. 13. A method of selling bottled drinking water as defined in claim 11 wherein: the first purchase price assigned to a size of drinking water bottle in the inventory differs from the first purchase price assigned to a different size of drinking water bottle in the inventory; andthe second purchase price assigned to a size of drinking water bottle in the inventory differs from the second purchase price assigned to a different size of drinking water bottle in the inventory. 14. A method of distributing bottled drinking water of a type used with a water cooler device comprising: at a predetermined time, delivering to a predetermined location a plurality of full drinking water bottles for display and sale at the predetermined location, each full drinking water bottle in the plurality of full drinking water bottles being of a type used with a water cooler device;receiving an empty drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device into an apparatus having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device and at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls allowing direct communication between air in the interior space of the apparatus and air outside of the apparatus, the interior space of the apparatus being free of machinery capable of destroying drinking water bottles deposited therein and being free of containers capable of storing drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device that are deposited into the apparatus such that drinking water bottles deposited into the apparatus are retained in the apparatus by the bottom and the plurality of walls of the apparatus;automatically dispensing from the apparatus a receipt having thereon product identification indicia assigned to each bottle of drinking water in the plurality of full drinking water bottles delivered to the predetermined location;at a time that is later than the predetermined time, retrieving from the apparatus empty bottles of a type used with a water cooler device that are contained in the apparatus; andat a time that is later than the predetermined time, delivering to the predetermined location an additional plurality of full drinking water bottles for display and sale at the predetermined location, each full drinking water bottle in the additional plurality of full drinking water bottles being of a type used with a water cooler device;wherein a customer can purchase a bottle of drinking water from the plurality of full drinking water bottles at the predetermined location and after consuming all drinking water in such drinking water bottle the customer can deposit the empty drinking water bottle into the apparatus and receive a receipt evidencing such deposit. 15. A method of distributing bottled drinking water as defined in claim 14 wherein each plurality of full drinking water bottles delivered to the predetermined location is delivered on consignment. 16. A method of distributing bottled drinking water as defined in claim 14 wherein the predetermined location is inside a store and the apparatus is located outside of the same store. 17. A method of distributing bottled drinking water as defined in claim 14 wherein the predetermined location is inside a store and the apparatus is located inside of the same store. 18. A method of distributing bottled drinking water as defined in claim 14 wherein the predetermined location is a location at which water cooler devices compatible with the drinking water bottles in the plurality of full drinking water bottles are also offered for sale. 19. A method of distributing bottled drinking water as defined in claim 14 wherein the plurality of full drinking water bottles includes drinking water bottles having a three gallon capacity. 20. A method of distributing bottled drinking water as defined in claim 14 wherein the plurality of full drinking water bottles includes drinking water bottles having a five gallon capacity. 21. A method of distributing bottled drinking water in a type of bottle used with a water cooler device comprising: creating an account for a store operator that will sell drinking water bottled in a type of bottle used with a water cooler device;assigning a first amount that will be charged to such account for each bottle of chinking water in the type of bottle used with a water cooler device that is sold by the store operator;assigning a second amount that will be deducted from the first amount for each empty bottle of drinking water in the type of bottle used with a water cooler device that is received from the store operator;at a predetermined time, delivering to the store operator a plurality of full drinking water bottles in the type of bottle used with a water cooler device for display and sale by the store operator;receiving at a location of the store operator empty drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device into an apparatus having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device and at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls allowing direct communication between air in the interior space of the apparatus and air outside of the apparatus, the apparatus being free of machinery capable of destroying drinking water bottles deposited therein and free of containers capable of storing drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device that are deposited into the apparatus such that drinking water bottles deposited into the apparatus are retained in the apparatus by the bottom and the plurality of walls of the apparatus;automatically dispensing from the apparatus a receipt having thereon product identification indicia assigned to each bottle of drinking water in the plurality of full drinking water bottles delivered to the store operator;at a time later than the predetermined time, retrieving from the apparatus at the location of the store operator empty bottles of the type used with a water cooler device that have been deposited in the apparatus and determining the number of full drinking water bottles of the type of bottle used with a water cooler device that have been sold by the store operator since the predetermined time; andat a time that is later than the predetermined time, invoicing the store operator an amount equal to the first amount multiplied by the number of drinking water bottles of the type of bottle used with a water cooler device that have been sold by the store operator since the predetermined time minus the second amount multiplied by the number of empty bottles of the type used with a water cooler device retrieved from the apparatus,wherein a store operator can sell bottled drinking water in a predetermined type of bottle used with a water cooler device at a store and collect empty bottles of the type used with a water cooler device without managing deposit amounts and without the need to use a store employee to receive empty bottles returned to the store. 22. A method of distributing bottled drinking water used with a water cooler device comprising: at a predetermined time, delivering an inventory of full drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device to a retailer for display and sale at a predetermined location;transferring ownership of the inventory of full drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device to the retailer at the time that the inventory is delivered;invoicing the retailer a predetermined amount for each full drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device delivered to the retailer;receiving at a location of the retailer empty drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device into an apparatus having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device and at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls allowing direct communication between air in the interior space of the apparatus and air outside of the apparatus, the apparatus being free of machinery capable of destroying drinking water bottles deposited therein and free of containers capable of storing drinking water bottles of a type used with a water cooler device that are deposited into the apparatus such that drinking water bottles deposited into the apparatus are retained in the apparatus by the bottom and the plurality of walls of the apparatus;automatically dispensing from the apparatus a receipt having thereon product identification indicia assigned to each bottle of drinking water in the inventory of full drinking water bottles delivered to the retailer; andat a time later than the predetermined time, retrieving from the apparatus at a location of the retailer empty bottles of the type used with a water cooler device that have been deposited in the apparatus and determining the number of full drinking water bottles of the type of bottle used with a water cooler device that have been sold by the retailer since the predetermined timewherein a customer having an empty drinking water bottle of the type of water bottle displayed at the predetermined location for sale can deposit the empty drinking water bottle in the bottle return apparatus and receive a receipt from the apparatus for use in a subsequent purchase of a full drinking water bottle of a type used with a water cooler device.