Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Special applications
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-09
2004-11-02
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Special applications
C209S930000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06811030
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for recycling and more particularly to a method for recycling in combination with the collection of disposables or non-recyclable material which provides to the customer a series of options as to the refund of the deposit including a credit toward the customer's disposal service, a cash payment and charitable contributions in the name of the customer to a recognized charity selected by the customer.
2. Prior Art
The need to recycle is a fact of life today. Numerous containers made from metal, glass and plastic are now subject to a deposit and are required to be recycled. In the future, many additional containers and other products that will have to be recycled. The amount of the cash deposit is most certain to increase further to assure that consumers will recycle and not loose the deposit to save time in recycling but at the expense of land fills. To encourage consumers to recycle, a method which is convenient to the customer or consumer and causes the least amount of interference in the daily life of the consumer is bound to encourage recycling.
Currently disposal services do remove recyclables with disposables. The recyclables are disposed of and the deposit money received is, at least in some circumstances, distributed to charity. The donation, however, is not of any benefit to the customers whose recyclables produced the deposit money.
Various patents have dealt with the processing of recyclables. These patents have not, however, proposed a method of collecting recyclables with the collection of disposables, which method provides the customer with a variety of options to benefit the customer with the deposit refund, including credit for the cost of disposal service, cash payments and payments to a designated recognized charity while providing the customer with a tax credit for the charitable payment.
The DeWoolfson, et al Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,216 teaches a group of remotely located machines which are connected to a central coordination facility. The customer in certain circumstances is awarded what is described as a valuable token. The retailer, where the machine is located, is paid a share. The distributors or suppliers are invoiced and the store where the machine is located is paid a share. This Patent does involve the opportunity for a consumer to select between a charity or a payment but does not even suggest a credit against the cost of disposal service or provide proof of a charitable deduction for subsequent tax purposes.
The DeWoolfson Patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,519 is similar to the DeWoolfson et al Patent just reviewed. However, this Patent includes bulk storage facilities for crushed product which is segregated in bulk storage facilities. Pneumatic means are used to feed the crushed product to the storage facility.
OBJECTS
The objects of this invention are as follows:
To provide an integrated method which provides the customer maximum flexibility is selecting the manner that the customer desires to be benefited by the recycling of recyclables.
To provide a method for recycling with the collection of disposables that permits a customer to apply the refundable deposit on recyclables toward the cost of the customer's disposal service.
To provide a method for recycling with the collection of disposables that permits a customer to obtain a cash payment at a selected time period such as a reasonable time period before the holiday season.
To provide a method for recycling with the collection of disposables that permits the customer to select a recognized charity and apply the deposit to the charity in the name of the customer with full credit for the charitable payment going to the customer.
To provide a method for recycling with the collection of disposables that both encourages the customer to recycle and which provides the customer with maximum flexibility for being benefited by recycling.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the annexed description and drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method is provided for use with the removal of disposables for recycling the products of various suppliers and of various types and then benefitting each customer for the deposit previously paid by that customer in a predetermined manner selected by that customer. Each customer selects the manner by which that customer desires to be benefited by the refund of deposits. The recyclables are placed by the customer in a separate container which container is tagged to identify the customer. Upon removal, the recyclables are separated by supplier and type and returned to the appropriate supplier. The deposits refunded are then allocated to each customer in accordance with their instructions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4579216 (1986-04-01), DeWoolfson et al.
patent: 4949528 (1990-08-01), Palik
patent: 5100005 (1992-03-01), Noble et al.
patent: 5226519 (1993-07-01), DeWolfson
patent: 5555497 (1996-09-01), Helbing
patent: 5628412 (1997-05-01), Hulls
patent: 5724518 (1998-03-01), Helbing
patent: 6131371 (2000-10-01), Esser et al.
Compton Linda M.
Compton Robert E.
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