Patent ID: 8979446
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: B23C,G06Q,G07F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A self-service kiosk for duplicating keys, comprising: a kiosk housing having a customer interface configure to receive payment from a customer for the purchase of at least one duplicate of the customer's key, a key-receiving entry in said housing configured to receive at least a portion of the customer's key to be duplicated, wherein the key-receiving entry blocks insertion of the head of an inserted key so that only the blade of an inserted key extends into the kiosk housing, a key analysis system within said housing configured to analyze the blade of a key inserted in said key-receiving entry to determine whether the inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, which preselected key type is matched, a key blank magazine within said housing configured to store key blanks for each of said preselected key types, a key blank extraction system configured to extract from said magazine a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry, a key duplicating system within said kiosk configured to replicate the tooth pattern of the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry, on the blade of said extracted key blank, and a key-removal exit in said housing providing customer access to the key with the replicated tooth pattern for removal from the kiosk.