Patent ID: 8973822
Filing Date: 2015-03-10
Classification: B65B,G07F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for vending a containerized fluent product from a dispenser to a vendee utilizing an original container for said fluent product and, after said original container has been emptied of said fluent product, then vending multiple refillings of said fluent product in said original container, said apparatus comprising: at least one bulk supply of said fluent product; machine-readable indicia on said container operative to store and indicate said fluent product; an indicia reading means operative to read said machine-readable indicia and prior to a first fill of said original container identify the first fill, and subsequent to said first fill identify said fluent product uniquely from said plurality of fluent products available from said dispenser; a polling apparatus operative responsive to a first fill to poll said vendee and determine said fluent product selected by said vendee from one of a plurality of fluent products available from said dispenser and to poll said vendee and thereby determine an amount of credit purchased; a writing apparatus operative to write to said machine-readable indicia responsive to said polling apparatus fluent product determination and thereby store said selected fluent product and said amount of credit purchased in said machine-readable indicia; means controlled by said indicia reading means and said polling apparatus for initiating a transfer of said fluent product from said at least one bulk supply of said fluent product to said dispenser and thence to said original container; and a sensor sensing a complete filling of said container and terminating said transfer of said fluent product.