CONSUMER INTERFACE APPARATUS AND METHODS OF USE

Abstract

A consumer interfacing apparatus comprising: a retrieval assembly configured to retrieve used consumables from an external container, the external container configured to be placed in mechanical engagement with the consumer interfacing apparatus: a controller operably coupled to the retrieval assembly and configured to collect data regarding at least used consumables retrieved from the external container, wherein the external container or an owner of the external container is awarded with a recycling reward for used consumable retrieved from the container: and an apparatus recycling compartment for storing the used consumables retrieved from the container.

Claims

1. A system comprising: an external container; a consumer interfacing apparatus comprising: a retrieval assembly configured to retrieve used consumables from the external container, the external container configured to be placed in mechanical engagement with the consumer interfacing apparatus, wherein each of the used consumables comprises a portion of an aerosol-generating substrate remaining after use of a consumable; a controller operably coupled to the retrieval assembly and configured to collect data regarding at least used consumables retrieved from the external container, wherein the external container or an owner of the external container is awarded with a recycling reward for used consumable retrieved from the container; and an apparatus recycling compartment for storing the used consumables retrieved from the container.

2. The consumer interfacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval assembly comprises a robotic arm.

3. The consumer interfacing apparatus according to claim 1, the consumer interfacing apparatus further comprising a new storage compartment for storing unused consumables.

4. The consumer interfacing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the retrieval assembly is further configured to place unused consumables from the new storage compartment of the consumer interfacing apparatus into the external container.

5. A system for rewarding a container or an owner of the container with one or more recycling rewards, the system comprising: an external container, the external container comprising a container recycling compartment configured to at least temporarily house one or more used consumable; and a consumer interfacing apparatus comprising: a retrieval assembly configured to retrieve used consumables from the external container; a controller operably coupled to the retrieval assembly and configured to collect data regarding at least the used consumables retrieved from the external container; and an apparatus recycling compartment for storing the used consumables retrieved from the external container, wherein the external container is configured to be removably placed in mechanical engagement with the consumer interfacing apparatus, the external container or an owner of the external container is awarded a recycling reward for the used consumables retrieved from the container recycling compartment of the external container by the retrieval assembly.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the retrieval assembly is additionally configured to dispense unused consumables from the consumer interfacing apparatus into the external container.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the external container further comprises an unused compartment.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external container is configured to store data associated with it.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the data associated with the external container is associated with an intermediary device.

10. A method of awarding a consumer a recycling reward for the return of used consumables generated by use of an aerosol generating device, the method comprising: removably placing an external container in mechanical engagement with a consumer interfacing apparatus; retrieving at least one used consumable from the external container via a retrieval assembly of the consumer interfacing apparatus; and awarding the external container or an owner of the external container with a recycling reward for the used consumable retrieved from the external container by the retrieval assembly of the consumer interfacing apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the consumer interfacing apparatus collecting data related to the external container or an owner thereof.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the collected data relates to information related to recycling rewards owned by the owner of the external container.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the collected data relates to specifics about the used consumables retrieved from the external container, unused consumables contained in the external container, unused consumables previously contained in the external container, or combinations thereof.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the collected data relates to desired additional unused consumables to be dispensed into the external container.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the consumer interfacing apparatus, the external container or both can receive and transmit data to an external electronic user device.

Description

[0066] The Examples will now be further described with reference to the figures in which:

[0067] FIG. 1 is an illustrative consumer interfacing apparatus 100. The consumer interfacing apparatus can include at least a retrieval assembly 105, a controller 110, and an apparatus recycling compartment 125. The retrieval assembly 105 is electrically connected to the controller 110. The retrieval assembly 105 is also in reversible contact with the apparatus recycling compartment 125 in that it can obtain used consumables 136 from an external container 130 and dispose them in the apparatus recycling compartment 125. In the depicted embodiment, the used consumables 136 are housed in a container recycling compartment 134 of the external container.

[0068] The controller 110 may also be optionally in electrical connection with the apparatus recycling compartment 125 so that it may monitor the number of used consumables in the apparatus recycling compartment 125. In some instances, as the apparatus recycling compartment 125 begin to fill up, the controller 110 may send an alert to a service technician so that the apparatus recycling compartment can be emptied before the consumer interfacing apparatus is unable to accept additional used consumables.

[0069] The consumer interfacing apparatus 100 may also optionally include an unused compartment 120 that includes unusable consumables 138. In such embodiments, the consumer interfacing apparatus 100 may be able to dispense unused consumables 138 to the external container 130. In some embodiments, the unused consumables 138 can be dispensed into the unused compartment 132 of the external container 130.

[0070] The controller 110 may also be optionally in electrical connection with the unused compartment 120 so that it may monitor the amount, type, or both of unused consumables in the unused compartment 120. In some instances, as the unused compartment 120 begins to empty, or be without certain types of unused consumables 138, the controller 110 may send an alert to a service technician so that the unused compartment can be restocked before the consumer interfacing apparatus is unable to accept additional orders for unused consumables.

[0071] The external container 130 may also optionally include an information carrier 140. The information carrier 140 can be any type of computer-readable medium such as RAM, ROM, NVRAM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, magnetic data storage media, optical data storage media, or the like and may contain any type of data. For example, data related to the external container itself (for example, size, capacity, components, or the like), the owner of the external container, one or more aerosol-generating devices associated with the external container, or any combination thereof, may be contained within or on the information carrier 140. Alternatively, the information carrier 140 can include a unique code, for example a QR code, that has been previously associated with a particular consumer, so the apparatus only needs to cross reference the information read from the information carrier of the external container to then credit the owner, for example.

For the purpose of the present description and of the appended claims, except where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term about. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein. In this context, therefore, a number A is understood as A2% of A. Within this context, a number A may be considered to include numerical values that are within general standard error for the measurement of the property that the number A modifies. The number A, in some instances as used in the appended claims, may deviate by the percentages enumerated above provided that the amount by which A deviates does not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein.