Patent ID: 8109378

Claim:
A drinking water bottle return apparatus comprising: a bin having a bottom, a plurality of walls defining an interior space capable of holding a plurality of drinking water bottles of predetermined size and at least one door that is movable between a closed position and an open position that allows access to the interior space for removal of drinking water bottles of predetermined size from the interior space; at least two circulation openings in the plurality of walls in said bin allowing direct communication therethrough between air in the interior space of said bin and air outside of the apparatus, a receiving chute through which a drinking water bottle of predetermined size can pass from outside of the apparatus into the interior space of said bin, said receiving chute being adapted and positioned such that when the bin is empty a bottle of predetermined size completing travel through said receiving chute falls by gravity directly into the bin without obstruction and intact until stopped by the bottom of said bin, whereat the empty bottle of predetermined size remains intact in said bin; a sensor adapted and positioned to detect a drinking water bottle of predetermined size received into the interior space of said bin; and a receipt dispenser operatively connected to said sensor for dispensing a receipt in response to the detection by said sensor of a drinking water bottle of predetermined size received into the interior space of said bin, wherein an empty drinking water bottle of predetermined size received from outside of the apparatus into the interior space of said bin when said bin is empty falls by gravity without obstruction and intact until stopped by the bottom of said bin and is detected by said sensor, which causes said receipt dispenser to dispense a receipt for the drinking water bottle of predetermined size.