REFILLABLE CONTAINER AND BULK PRODUCT SUPPLY AND CHARGING SYSTEM THEREIN

Abstract

A bulk product supply and charging system is described, as well as the main and distinctive parts thereof. The system requires a refillable container, to be filled with a bulk product by the system user at least once; a bulk product delivery device, to provide product into the refillable container; and, an information recording device to charge the bulk product. The container is identified by a delivery device to authorize the product supply in the amount determined by the user. The container may comprise a user identification means to correlate the system user to other recorded products in the charging information recording device at the same time the bulk product payment is carried out, in order to issue commercial promotional vouchers for the user.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the supply and cashing techniques for bulk products, and more specifically, it relates to a refillable container, a delivery device, and a bulk product delivery and charging system within said container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, there are several containers for diverse uses, namely, for solid and liquid products commonly for household use, in the form of general purposes cleaning products, such as for furniture, for food, softeners, bleaching, detergents, conditioners, laundry soaps, etc.

Generally, product containers are made from plastics; however, once emptied they are simply discarded, thereby causing pollution problems since that cannot be easily degraded. There is also the option to obtain other products when recycling the containers; however, this last is not the common practice in the developing countries such as Mexico.

Concerning the above, the single use of a container and although be recycled afterwards, initially requires a high amount of energy for its manufacturing, and also thereafter for the recycling process, generating millions of tons of greenhouse gases, specially, in the case of domestic cleaning products.

The pollution problem increases when instead of recycling the containers, they are thrown in the streets, rivers, uncovered garbage dumps, wherein the degradation process takes hundreds of years, having negative noticeable effects such as, among others, drainage clogging, contamination of the lakes and rivers, great occupancy volume in garbage dumps, etc. Therefore, it is desirable to have containers for a repeatable use.

From an economic point of view, when a container is discarded, some part of the invested money when acquiring said container is also wasted, since from the total cost thereof, a very significant part corresponds only to the container. For example, for a liquid detergent contained in a one liter container, half of the total costs correspond to the container, as estimated. Thereby, higher the container capacity, lower the product cost per volumetric unit. Thus, the products in higher capacity containers such as 2, 4 or 19 liters have a lower cost by volumetric unit.

However, although the cost by volumetric unit is reduced with a higher volume container, most consumers keep buying products contained in one or two liters containers, since consumers have limited economic capabilities then only buy minor amounts. Accordingly, there is a great need to decrease the cost of those products contained in plastic containers following consumer's common purchase practice, i.e., where small portions of bulk products are bought, such as stores or mini-supermarkets and supermarkets, or directly at the provider's location.

In the last decade in a try to decrease costs, returnable containers, most of them rigid containers, have been used. However, to purchase a container, a used container for a new one has to be exchanged. Now then, from a commercial point of view, a powerful information source is being wasted, since a container may reveal consumption practices which may be commercially useful, and this information in the returnable containers is lost.

In the daily life, there are also the refillable and reusable containers, been kept by the consumer and filled in machines designed for that purpose. However, this practice, excepting for the big bottles, has not been successful due to the rigidity of the great size containers, since consumers do not like bulky containers and above all, avoid taking them to the supplies center.

As mentioned above, most consumers have limited economic resources and buy only small amounts of bulk products such as detergents, typically in 1 liter rigid containers, and actually, the thought of refilling them in dedicated machines at supermarkets is not practical, specifically due to the rigidity of the current containers. Furthermore, this purchase option needs to become more attractive by means of refillable containers, assuring that said refill will be fast, efficient and without the possibility to fill a bulk product within a container intended to another product.

There are some reusable containers in the prior art, such as the one described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,318; which is directed to a reusable container as well as a method to monitoring and recording information for the product. Particularly, the container comprises one or more identification means which may be read; the identification means comprises an electronic smart tag, which may be updated, and being reprogrammable with information related to the household products, such as detergents and cleaning products, within the container, physically comprising a collapsible portion under a rigid portion, the collapsible portion has an impermeable interior to receive the cleaning products stored therein.

The main drawback of this kind of containers is that the container is filled from the top, leading to assume that the filling machine for this container has a movable nozzle to be inserted in the container. It is known that movable parts represent maintenance costs. Further, the fact that the identification means are updated implies that different bulk products may be stored in the container. From a point of view, this fact would represent the advantage of having a multiple option container, however, the high costs of the identification means represent a considerable inconvenience, since special reading devices are required. Further, if the container is used for several products, the contamination of one product with another is possible.

Additionally, the document describes the possibility of identifying the user through the same identification mechanism to record consumption information about the products being purchased with the container, but not of other independent products.

Moreover, due to the identification means nature, which is required to be reprogrammable, the charging of the product in the supplies centers become complicated when the suitable reading mechanism is not adapted to the common charging practices.

The container of the '318 patent requires its own system to manage the product information and purchase, however, from the commercial point of view, this fact represents the disadvantage that the container cannot be adapted to the common consumption practices, where housekeepers go to stores, mini-supermarkets or supermarkets to acquire household products. In these facilities, the charging system is simple, the store cashier or attending charges money after having seen the product, or the container is passed through a bar code optic reader indicating the cost. The container of the '318 patent is low adaptable to said common consumption practices.

In the U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,944, a filling system of a product within a reusable container is described, delivered through a third party obtaining a benefit, wherein the container only identifies one organization, but which does not allow the supplies center to identify the user or relate him/her to consumption patterns of independent products.

Summarizing, in one hand actually refillable containers for a repeatable use to reduce the contamination problem are needed, but in the other hand, they have to decrease the purchasing costs of bulk products, on the other hand. Moreover, the containers may be adapted to the common consumption practices of bulk products, in stores, mini-supermarkets and supermarkets, among others, the containers being capable of an easy transportation.

None of the currently existing system allows adding a value to the fact that the same user will return to the same supplies center to refill with product the same container, this represents a lost opportunity to sale other products to the same user not resolved yet in the state of the art.

Additionally, a frequent problem in these bulk product sales systems are the determination of the amount of product that the user will take, since the appropriate measure by the product vendor or distributor in the current systems and subsequent charge are not enabled through the common consumption practices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A bulk product supply and charging system is described, as well as its main and distinctive parts. A refillable container is required by the system, to be filled at least once with an amount of bulk product by a system user, a bulk product delivery device to provide the product within the refillable container; and, a charging information recording device, to enable the charge of the product to the system user. The refillable container comprises product identification means such that the container can be identified by the delivery device as one authorized, and then, supply the bulk product within the refillable container, in the amount determined by the user. Moreover, the bulk product is identified by the charging information recording device; correlating it to the amount of bulk product supplied by the delivery device and assigning it a final price to be paid by the system user, from consumption information storing means.

Additionally, the refillable container of the system of the present invention may comprise at least one user identification means to correlate the system user to the delivered bulk product, and to send this correlated user information, the delivered product and the delivered amount, to the consumption information storing means, which allows to correlate the system user with other recorded products in the charging information recording device at the same time the payment of the bulk product is carried out. This enables that the user consumption patterns of the same refillable container be identified by the user consumption information processing means each time the system is used, for both, the bulk product and other independent products. This information may be used to issue commercial promotional vouchers directed to the user, through the voucher issuing media, wherein said promotional information comes from the user consumption information processing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel aspects considered characteristic of the present invention, will be particularly set-forth in the appended claims. However, the invention, both for its structure and together with other objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portable, refillable and adaptable container for bulk products, where the container is full and built according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the refillable container for bulk products in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the refillable container for bulk products in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view taken along line A-A′ in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of the container in FIG. 1, once empty and in a rolled position.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a refillable container, built according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken along line B-B′ of the container in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the bulk product delivery system in the container of the present invention, the system being organized according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a front side perspective view of a refillable container, built according to a third preferred embodiment of the container of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the supply and closure section of the third embodiment of the container.

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view along section C-C′ in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the supply and closure section of the third embodiment of the container.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the bulk product delivery system in the container of the present invention, the system being adapted to redeliver a container according to a third embodiment of the container.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the bulk product delivery system in a container as that of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and more specifically, to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, a refillable and portable container 10 to receive bulk products is illustrated, built according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which shall be considered only as illustrative but not limitative of the invention.

The refillable container 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a body section 20 to receive and contain a bulk product, which is product-impermeable. In a specific embodiment, the body section 20 has a base 21 which enables the container 10 to remain standing up-right when the bulk product is therein. In the preferred embodiment, the body section also has a perimetric wall 22 extending upwards from the base 21 and ending in a top edge 23. The volumetric capacity of the container can be any one of those commercially available, i.e., 1, 2, 4 liters, this is not a critical aspect for the present invention since if the container has a determined capacity, within the container a smaller amount of the bulk product may be delivered, according to the client's requirements, and the volume may be adapted according to the type and nature of the bulk product.

There is also a supply and closure section 30 in the container 10, to connect the container 10 to a delivery device 100 (shown in FIG. 3). In a preferred embodiment, the supply and closure section 10 is attached along a top edge segment 23 of the perimetric wall 22, however, there is no restriction for the supply and closure section to be attached lengthwise to said top edge 23. In FIGS. 1 to 3, a supplying and closure section portion 30 is shown in broken lines, which is attached to the top edge 23 to seal the container 10. In the present invention, it is important that the container 10 has at least one product identification means to validate the correspondence of the container with the product to be delivered by a delivery device 100 (shown in FIG. 3), as well as to be identified by a charging information recording device 200 (shown in FIG. 14). The product identification means may be selected from mechanical elements such as bosses, stems, notches, projections, protrusions, cavities, valves or depressions, or from electronic elements, such as microchips, sensors, radiofrequency emitters, and bar codes.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the identification means is provided in the shape of at least one lateral groove 31, with such shape to enables a coupling member 101 provided in the delivery device 100 (see FIG. 3) to receive the container 10 for its filling. In other words, if another container does not have such groove 31 or a particular product identification means for such purpose, the delivery device 100 will not accept it.

Referring to FIG. 3, the container 3 also includes a second identification member, which in the embodiment as shown, is provided as the protrusion 32, which acts as the delivery device actuator 100 by means of a switch 102 provided therein and to start the filling process. Particularly, the inner mechanical structure of the delivery device 100 used to fill the container of the present invention is not a critical aspect, then being only represented as a block with the reference number 100 in FIG. 3, this because there are numerous designs to refill containers in the market, only requiring of minor modifications, such as the coupling member 101 adapted when being received in groove 31, or a switch 102 driven by protrusion 32, to fill the container 10 when required. Therefore, this second identification member actually represents a product identification means according to the principles of the present invention.

Turning back to the set of FIGS. 1 to 3, is to be mentioned that in order to fill the container 10, the same has a filling valve 70 mounted on the supply and closure section 30 and in flow connection with the container interior 10, the filling valve 70 allows the insertion of a feeding nozzle 103 provided in the delivery device 100 to fill the container 10 and to avoid the leakage of the product when the feeding nozzle 103 is outside the container. The valve 70 may be a one way check valve or any other valve intended with this feature. In the embodiment being described, valve 70 is located horizontally in the supply and closure section front part 30, but as will be seen before, the valve may be mounted on a cap 40. This construction also represents an embodiment of the product identification means according to the present invention.

One additional aspect of the present invention, is that the container 10 optionally comprises at least one user identification means 50, which allows to correlate a container user with the bulk product, through the delivery device 100 (see FIG. 3), and/or a charging information recording device 200 (see FIG. 14).

The user identification means 50 enables to distinguish the container as a unique container with respect to others used for the same product, in other words, every manufactured container for a determined product has its own identification, since based on said identification, a container user's history or purchasing profile will be made as will be described farther on.

The user identification means 50 may be selected from electronic elements, such as microchips, sensors, radiofrequency emitters, and bar codes, or anyone allowing the identification and correlation between the container user and an information storing system.

In the embodiment being described, the user identification means 50 is a bar code printed on the body section 20, although it may also be printed on the supply and closure section 30 or adhered in the form of a sticker.

In the embodiment described so far, the product identification means does not allow the identification thereof in the charging information recording device 200 (shown in FIG. 14), then the container 10 in this embodiment includes other product identification means enabling a further correlation thereof to the product in a charging information recording device, such as the UPC bar code (universal product code) 60 shown at the body lower part section 20, however, radiofrequency emitters may also be used for this purpose, such that a charging information recording device will know what product is contained therein, and compute the amount to be charged, e.g., by the container weight, as usually made for fruits and vegetables. In the embodiment where container 10 includes the user identification means 50, the charging information recording device may also correlate a container user with the product contain therein, and the amount supplied by the delivery device 100, to compute the amount to be charged.

Based on any of the above described embodiments, the problem of the state of the art for a bulk product sale is solved, since the consumer will be able to fill fully or partially the container 10 with product, and to charge only the supplied amount into the container, measured either by weight or by electronic means.

On the other hand, the container 10 in the embodiment being described, has a cap 40 mounted at the rigid supply and closure section, blocking an outlet opening being formed in the supply and closure section 30. The cap 40 is not a critical feature for the present invention, although it is preferred a cap wherein the consumer can measure a determined amount of the bulk product, and having such design that allows to pouring the measured bulk product amount where required, e.g., in a washing machine. These types of caps are known in the art as “cap and spout”.

Now reference will be made to FIG. 4, showing a cross-section view along line A-A′ in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is very useful to notice the container interior 10, wherein the cap clogging the outlet opening 33 is shown, running through the “duck nose” type pourer 41 of the supply and closure section 30 by means of a snap fit coupling system over a coupling base 34.

The protrusion 32 may be noted in FIG. 4, which turns on the switch 102 of the delivery device 100. The coupler 101 is also noted being received adapting itself to the groove 31, as well as the feeding nozzle 103 being introduced into the filling valve 70.

The body section 20 of the container 10, preferably obeys the designs of the containers known as “stand-up pouch”, wherein the container is formed by two substrates 11 of rectangular shaped sealing film, each substrate 11 has a pair of side edges 12; a top edge 13; and a base section 14 with a lower edge 15, wherein both substrates are attached to each other by their side edges 12 and in a top edge segment 13 thereof, wherein each top edge complementary portion 13 is attached to the supply and closure section 30 to communicate both container's 10 sections. In turn, each substrate 11 of the base section 14 is bended inwards and upwards to form a half base 21 of the container 10. Moreover, to grasp the container 10 with the fingers, a handle 45 is provided, being formed from a die-cut 46 crossing both substrates 11, specifically where their side edges 12 are attached to each other, and in their top edge 13.

Once the container 10 is empty, the body section 20 becomes substantially planar, allowing said body section 20 to be rolled in a flexible mode around the supply and closure section 30 such as illustrated in FIG. 5. For such purpose, the supply and closure section 30 may be rigid and elongated when the container is empty; thereby the refillable container 10 can be easily transported under the arm, within a trousers' pocket or inside a lady's bag.

The embodiment of the container of the present invention having been illustrated so far, allows the delivery device 100 to have the minimum amount of moving parts. In fact, the container itself approaches to the delivery system and starts its filling. In an additional embodiment of the invention, the cap 40 can be removed so the feeding nozzle 103 directly feeds the bulk product through the outlet opening 33. It is preferred that the container of the present invention be distinguished from any other, having a safe lock, to be the container itself which activates the machine and which may be recognized by an information recording device to charge the bulk product having been delivered therein.

Concerning the above, a refillable container 10′ for bulk products is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, construed according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the flexible body section 20′, the supply and closure section 30′, the protrusion 32′, and the groove 31′, are again distinguished, which groove 31′ respective function is to turn on the switch 102 and to enable the container 10′ to be received by the delivery device, which represents another embodiment for the product identification means. The embodiment in FIGS. 7 and 8 is characterized in that the valve 70′ is provided in the cap 40′, in the form of a high memory spring material portion running from the perimetric edge of the cap 40′ to the center thereof, said valve 70′ includes an inlet 71′ allowing the insertion of the fix feeding nozzle 103 of the delivery device 100 (see FIG. 8). Once again, the container shown in FIG. 6 includes the bar code 50′ as the user identification means to distinguish the container as a unique container and the UPC bar code 60′ as another product identification means. The embodiment in FIGS. 7 and 8 is useful when the feeding nozzle in the dispensing means is located in a vertical and static position.

Now then, a third embodiment of the refillable container is described in FIGS. 9 to 13, with all technical features equivalent to those in the above described embodiments of the container.

A third embodiment of the refillable container 10″ is shown in FIG. 9, comprising a body section 20″ having a base 21″ enabling the container 10″ to remain standing up-right when the bulk product is therein. The body section 20″ also includes a perimetric wall 22″ extending upwards from the base 21″ and ending in a top edge 23″. Finally, a functional characteristic member of this third embodiment is that the supply and closure section 30″ is attached along a top edge segment 23″ of the perimetric wall 22″. Moreover, the supply and closure section 30″ is covered by a cap 40″ having an outer thread in its lower part.

A detail of the supply and closure section 30″ is illustrated in FIG. 10, wherein the cap 40″ has been removed to show a “duck nose” dosing opening 33′ located at the medium inner portion of a coupling base 34″, having an inner thread to couple an outer thread of the cap 40″. The dosing opening 33″ has a slit shape with a front wall having a higher height and an opening at its lower part. At the rear portion of the rigid top section 30″ there is a product identification means, in this case being particularly an actuating protrusion 32″, which actuates the dispensing means 100 by a switch provided therein, starting the filling process. In other words, the consumer inserts the container in the delivery device 100 facing to the container rear portion 10″ inserting the actuating protrusion 32″ in the device 100, the feeding nozzle 103 remaining inside the dosing opening 33″ entering through its rear part.

FIG. 11 is a view of the C-C′ cross-section in FIG. 10 wherein a detail of the dosing opening 33″, the cap 40″ outer thread and the coupling base inner thread 34″, are shown.

FIG. 12, is a rear view of the supply and closure section 30″, wherein the dosing opening 33″ is shown, having a slit formed by an extended front wall and an opening in its rear portion. Further, the container 10″ includes user identification means distinguishing it as unique from other containers of the same species. The user identification means for this third embodiment is the bar code 50″ printed on the coupling base rear outer portion 34″, such that the delivery device 100 only starts to deliver product when a valid bar code is read, and the actuating protrusion 32″ is introduced, and when the side grooves 31″ are inserted in such manner that allows a pair of guiding bars 60″ provided in the delivery device 100 to receive the container 10″ for its filling. In other words, if another container does not have the specific grooves 31″ for such purpose, the filling machine 100 will not accept it.

FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of the system to deliver the liquid product 1000, in an embodiment wherein a refillable container described as the refillable container 30″ of the third embodiment is used. The delivery device 100 comprises a pair of guiding bars 60″ wherein the container 30″ side grooves 31″ are slid, after removing the container's 30″ cap. The actuating protrusion 32″ of the container 30″ is inserted in the switch 102 and closes a circuit. In that time, the bar code optic reader 110 becomes activated. This last reads the bar code 50″. The machine 100 validates that the bar code be one of a container compatible with the system, and once both conditions are executed, the selection buttons 105 of the bulk product amount to be delivered are activated. In this third embodiment of the refillable container, when the desired button is pressed, the machine introduces the desired amount of bulk product through the feeding nozzle 103 located in the vertical position and discharges the product in a downwards flowing direction.

Another essential aspect of the present invention is the bulk product delivery device 100, having means to storage a product to be bulky delivered; means to deliver a bulk product inside a container; and at least one container authorization means to validate the correspondence between the container and the product to be bulky delivered by the delivery device, said container authorization means being adaptable to a product identification means located in the container; and, at least one amount selection means, to allow the user to determine the bulk product amount desired to be introduced into the container. The delivery device introduces the amount of product determined by the user through the bulk products delivery means, in the amount determined by the user, only when the container authorization means recognizes the correspondence between the container and the product to be delivered.

Additionally, the delivery device 100 may comprise overfilling sensing means, which stops the supply of the bulk product when the container reaches its higher capacity and the user had selected a higher amount of product. Optionally, the delivery device 100 may be designed to supply a maximum determined according to the available refillable containers, such that it is not possible for the maximum capacity of the container to be overcame with the bulk product.

In a specific embodiment of the delivery device 100 shown in FIG. 14, this is capable of identifying a container which product identification means combine mechanical elements with a bar code, wherein the presence of both identification means is required to activate the delivery device, and where only the bar code is required to identify the product in the charging information recording device.

Optionally, the delivery device 100 comprises delivered product amount recording means, associated to a product inventory alert means, to indicate to a bulk product manager the time when the incorporation of additional product to the delivery device is required.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the delivery device 100 includes as the container authorization means a coupler 101 and first information reading means, such as the laser optic reader 110, which identifies the container 10 being introduced therein. The optic reader 110 reads the bar code 50 in the container, in this embodiment acts as the product and user identification means, which actuates the delivery device 100 through the protrusion 32 which turns on actuates switch 102. Only if the container is recognized as authorized, the user selects by some selection buttons 105, the amount of the bulk product he/she wishes to be supplied into the container 10.

Additionally, the delivery device 100 may comprise independent user information reading means, adaptable to a user identification means 50 arranged in the container 10, to correlate a container user with the delivered bulk product, and to send the user correlated information, the delivered product and the delivered amount to a consumption information recording means 120. In this embodiment, the product identification is made through another specific optic reader for the product identification means detection 60. The product information reading means are also an optic reader (not shown in the drawing).

In still another embodiment, the delivery device 100 further comprises promotional information receiving means (not shown in the drawing), to issue commercial promotional vouchers 151 directed to the user, through voucher issuing means 150 (see FIG. 14), located either in the same delivery device 100, such as shown in FIG. 14, or, through the charging information recording device 200, wherein said promotional information comes from a user consumption information processing means.

The commercial promotion vouchers 151 may be denominated as coupons, tickets, points, or any other denomination giving the user an additional benefit with the purchase of the products, either of the type introduced to the container, or independent products.

Both the refillable container 10 and the delivery device 100 work within a system conforming another aspect of the present invention, wherein a bulk product supply and charging system is provided within a refillable container.

Now reference will be made to FIG. 14 in order to describe this aspect, wherein a bulk product supply and charging system 1000 is shown. The system 1000 as shown is built according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The bulk product supply and charging system comprises the container 10, to be filled with an amount of bulk product by a system user at least once; the delivery device 100 of bulk product, to provide product into the container 10; and, a charging information recording device 200, to allow the charging of the product to the system user. The container 10, as already mentioned, comprises at least one product identification means located such that the delivery device 100 may identify it as an authorized container, once the product identification in the delivery device 100 has been carried out, this supplies bulk product into the container 10, in the amount determined by the user, only when the delivery device and the container correspond to the same product. Moreover, the charging information recording device 200 identifies the bulk product through the product identification means, correlating it to the bulk product supplied by the delivery device, contained within the container 10, and assigning it a final price to be paid by the system user, by the consumption information storing means 120.

In a specific embodiment of the system 1000, the correlation between the bulk product and the amount of bulk product contained within the container 10 is carried out through a weight measuring device 220 being interconnected with the charging information recording device 200.

In a further embodiment of the system 1000, the container 10 comprises at least one user identification means, through which the delivery device 100 correlates the system user with the delivered bulk product, the delivered product, and the amount delivered, and sends the user correlated information, e.g., through the communication means 130 and 230, to the consumption information storing means 120, which allows to correlate the system user with other recorded products in the charging information recording device 200, at the same time of receiving the payment for the bulk product.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the system 1000 carries out directly the correlation of the bulk product to the amount of bulk product contained within the container 10 through the charging information recording device 200 from the information in the consumption information storing means 120, by reading the user identification means 50.

Also optionally, in this embodiment the system 1000 comprises user consumption information processing means (not shown in the drawing), which uses the information contained in the consumption information storing means 120, to identify user consumption patterns of the same container 10 each time he/she uses the system 1000. Additionally, the system may include promotional information receiving means (not shown in the drawings), either in the delivery device 100 or in the charging information recording device 200, to issue commercial promotional vouchers 151 directed to the user, through voucher issuing means 150, wherein said promotional information comes from the user consumption information processing means (not shown in the drawings). As an advantage and further feature of the system in respect to other mechanisms to generate commercial promotional vouchers, the system 1000 of the present invention allows the commercial promotions to be related to independent products of the bulk product supplied by the system 1000, wherein the user can make valid the commercial promotional vouchers when paying for the bulk product, in the same visit to the purchasing place, instantaneously obtaining any benefits granted in said voucher by independent providers, by the bulk product provider, or by the store.

In a another embodiment, the system further comprises delivered product amount recording means (not shown in the drawing), associated to product inventory alert means, to indicate to a bulk product manager, the time when the incorporation of additional product to the delivery device is required.

The system 1000 of the present invention is very convenient for a facility providing bulk products, since it enables to record user consumption information, capable of being analyzed and interchanged with several providers of products offered in the same facility where the system is located, to grant commercial promotional vouchers to the system users devised according to their consumption profile.

Within system 1000, it is preferred that the delivery device 100 works by dosing cycles to deliver constant and equal amounts until completing the amount of bulk product in the delivery device 100 requested by the user. For example, the delivery device 100 may dispense exact doses of 250 ml. In this manner, if the client has a one liter container 10, he/she can request the delivery device 100 an amount of 250 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml or a complete liter through buttons 105, such that options are given to the client to deliver within the container the amount commonly consumed, and in the other hand, to make easy the delivery of the bulk product.

The embodiment of the system 1000 shown in FIG. 14, is ideal for been installed in small facilities such as stores, mini-supermarkets or convenience stores, where the client will use the system, or instead the vendor will simply ask the client what bulk product and amount thereof is to be delivered by the machine 100, in order to charge it directly from the system 1000 itself.

A specific embodiment of the system 1000 is illustrated in FIG. 14, and which is directed to be used in points of sales such as supermarkets, the system numbered 1000, besides to the container 10 and the delivery device 100, further comprises a charging information recording device 200 including second reading means, in the form of a second laser optic reader 210 identifying the bulk product through a product identification means and/or user identification means located inside the container 10, being in the case exemplified in this drawing the UPC bar code 60, or the bar code 50 which identified the user. The charging information recording device 200 also includes container weighting means, in the form of an electronic scale 220. Once the container 10 has been weighted, the charging information recording device 200 indicates the amount to be charged for the bulk product being delivered by the delivery device 100 into the container 10. In other words, the charging information recording device 200 manages the container 10 to weight it and to assign the cost of the bulk product being delivered into the container 10, in the same manner as the fruits and vegetables are charged, correlating the amount of bulk product contained into the container.

Now then, one preferred embodiment of the system 1000 enables to take advantage of the purchases done with the container 10, furthermore if the consumer of the bulk product is used to buy other independent products; because of this, the machine 100 and the charging information recording device 200 each one of them includes communication means such as data transmitters 130 and 230 to receive and send information between them with the purpose of sending information from the charging information recording device 200 to the delivery 100 regarding the associated products which have been purchased together with the bulk product contained into the container 10 in each purchasing operation, from the consumption information recording means.

Optionally, the delivery device 100 includes promotional information receiving means, to issue commercial promotional vouchers directed to the user, through vouchers issuing means, in this case being the printer 150 issuing coupons of promotions and/or discounts 151 based on each user purchasing profile, in order to obtain customized benefits demandable by the user as of that time, by having acquired the independent products together with the bulk product in one or more previous purchasings, wherein said promotional information comes from some user consumption information processing means being part of the system 100, and which can be part of the common systems of the supplies center. Therefore, by the use of the system 1000 of the present invention, there is a beneficial correlation between the system provider, the sales center and of course, the consumer.

The charging information recording device 200, the consumption information storing means 120 and the user consumption information processing means (not shown in the drawings), feedback the delivery device 100 for the issuing of commercial promotional vouchers 151. The fact that the delivery device 100 issues the vouchers 151 has two specific goals. First, to induce the consumer to buy a specific product in the same store or commercial facility, and second, to have the chance to cause the consumer to buy an independent product, if he/she has the intention to do so at the same time than the bulk product carried in the container 10, changing the trademark for a different product promoted with said voucher 151, all that, before the consumer goes to the charging information recording device 200 to pay for the items. In this respect, mechanisms already exists through which the supplies centers and commercial establishments grant coupons or promotions generally at the time the client is paying, to be used the next time the client returns to the supplies center. Unfortunately, the coupons issued in this manner have a low usage because clients just forget them, this has being solved through the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 of the system 1000 of the present invention, since the user have the chance to make valid the vouchers 151 issued by the delivery device 100 of the bulk product when paying for the bulk product in the charging information recording device 200, at the same visit to the supplies center or commercial facility.

Generally, the technical benefits of the system of the present invention are evident since each container may contain the user's preferred product amount, the dispensing product only can accept containers authorized according to the principles of the present invention, and of course, the client is benefited because the bulk product price is charged on a bulk basis, as if it were a wholesaler. Any kind of bulk product may be delivered through the system, even edible bulk products such as water, sodas, non gaseous drinks, oil, milk, powders, granules, or any other which delivered amount can be controlled. Preferably, the bulk product is a cleaning product or a laundry softening.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and exemplified, it must be emphasized that there are possible several modifications thereto. For example, the container and product identification means, the type of container cap, the type of charging information recording device, the communication means, etc. Therefore, the present invention shall not be considered as limited, except for the prior art demands and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refillable, portable container to receive bulk products from a delivery device, of the type comprising:

a) a body section to receive and contain the product within the container; and,

b) a supply and closure section to connect the container to the delivery device;

wherein the container comprises product identification means to validate the correspondence between the container and the product to be delivered by the delivery device, as well as to be identified by a charging information recording device, said product identification means being irreplaceable to activate the delivery device.

2. A refillable, portable container according to claim 1, wherein comprises at least one user identification means to correlate a container user with the bulk product, through the delivery device and/or the charging information recording device, distinguishing the container as a unique container in respect to others used for the same product.

3. A refillable, portable container according to claim 1, wherein the supply and closure section is rigid and elongated shape in order to allow the body section to be flexible and can be rolled around the top section when the container is empty.

4. A refillable, portable container according to claim 1, wherein said product identification means are selected from the group comprising mechanical elements, bar codes, microchips, sensors and radiofrequency emitters or a combination thereof.

5. A refillable, portable container according to claim 4, wherein said identification mechanical elements are selected from the group comprising stems, notches, projections, protrusions, cavities, valves, bosses or depressions.

6. A refillable, portable container according to claim 4, wherein said identification means are used combining a mechanical element with a bar code, where the presence of both identification means is required to activate the delivery device, and where only the bar code is required to identify the product in the charging information recording device.

7. A refillable, portable container according to claim 1, wherein the body section is formed by two rectangular shaped sealable film substrates, each substrate having a pair of side edges, a top edge; and, a base section with a lower edge, wherein both substrates are attached to each other by their side edges and a top edge portion, wherein each top edge complementary portion attaches to the supply and closure section to communicate both container's sections, while each substrate base section is bended inwards and upwards, to form the container base, wherein a handle is formed by a die-cut that crosses both substrates along a portion where the side edges are attached to each other.

8. A bulk product delivery device, of the type comprising product storing means to be bulked delivered; and bulk product dispensing means inside the container; wherein the delivery device comprises:

a) at least one container authorization means to validate the container correspondence with a product to be bulky delivered by the delivery device, said container authorization means being adaptable to a product identification means located in the container; and,

b) at least one amount selection means, to allow a user to determine an amount of bulk product that wishes to introduce into the container;

wherein the delivery device introduces the amount of product determined by the user through the bulk product delivery means, in the amount determined by the user, only when the container authorization means recognizes the correspondence between the container and the product to be delivered.

9. A bulk product delivery device according to claim 8, wherein comprises user information reading means, adaptable to a user identification means arranged in the container to correlate the container user with the delivered bulk product and to send the user correlated information the delivered product and the delivered amount to a consumption information storing means.

10. A bulk product delivery device according to claim 9, wherein comprises promotional information receiving means to issue commercial promotional vouchers, either of the same product or independent products, directed to the user through vouchers issuing means, wherein said promotional information comes from a user consumption information processing means.

11. A bulk product delivery device according to claim 10, wherein the user may make valid the vouchers issued by the bulk product delivery device at the time of paying for the bulk product at the same visit to a supplies center or commercial facility wherein the delivery device is located.

12. A bulk product delivery device according to claim 8, wherein comprises delivered product amount recording means associated to a product inventory alert means to indicate to a bulk product manager the time when the incorporation of additional product to the delivery device is required.

13. A bulk product supply and charging system of the type that comprises: a refillable container to be filled with an amount of bulk product by a system user at least once; a bulk product delivery device to provide the product into the refillable container; and, a charging information recording device to allow the charging of the product to the system user; said system wherein:

a) the refillable container comprises product identification means located such way that the delivery device may identify it as an authorized container, so when the product identification in the delivery device has been carried out, the delivery device supplies the bulk product into the refillable container, in the amount determined by the user, only when the delivery device and the container corresponds to the same product; and

b) the charging information recording device identifies the bulk product through the product identification means, correlating it to the amount of bulk product supplied by the delivery device contained in the refillable container, and assigning it a final price to be paid by the system user from the consumption information storing means.

14. A bulk product supply and charging system according to claim 13, wherein the correlation between the bulk product and the amount of bulk product contained in the refillable container is carried out through a weight measuring device interconnected to the charging information recording device.

15. A bulk product supply and charging system according to claim 13, wherein the refillable container comprises at least one user identification means, whereby the delivery device correlates the system user with the delivered bulk product, and send the correlated user information, the delivered product and the delivered amount to the consumption information storing means, which allows to correlate the system user to other recorded products in the charging information recording device at the same time that carries out the bulk product charging.

16. A bulk product supply and charging system according to claim 15, wherein the correlation of the bulk product to the amount of bulk product contained in the refillable container is directly made by the charging information recording device from the information in the consumption information storing means.

17. A bulk product supply and charging system according to claim 15, wherein the system comprises user consumption information processing means, which uses the information contained in the consumption information storing means to identify user consumption patterns of the same refillable container each time the system is used, for both, the bulk product and other independent products.

18. A bulk product supplying and charging system according to claim 17, wherein the system includes promotional information receiving means, either in the delivery device or in the charging information recording means, to issue commercial promotional vouchers directed to the user, through the vouchers issuing means, wherein the promotional information comes from the user consumption information processing means.

19. A bulk product supply and charging system according to claim 18, wherein the user can make valid the commercial promotion vouchers at the time of paying for the bulk product.

20. A bulk product supply and charging system according to claim 13, wherein delivered product amount recording means, associated to product inventory alert means to indicate to a bulk product manager when the incorporation of additional product to the delivery device is required.