Kiosk for renting carpet cleaning machines

• Main Authors: DAVID A KROPP, TIMOTHY J WALL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.06.2015
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDEDFOR ELSEWHERE; CALCULATING; CHECKING-DEVICES; COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORYOR FORECASTING PURPOSES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; PHYSICS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTINGPURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS

A kiosk for leasing carpet cleaning machines to customers comprises a storage unit and an electronic input device. The storage unit is configured to house a carpet cleaning device and comprises a locking portion and an electronically controlled lock. The electronically controlled lock is able to, alternatively, lock and unlock the locking portion. The storage unit is configured such that the carpet cleaning machine can be secured thereto by electronically locking the locking portion, and such that the carpet cleaning machine can be removed from or returned to the storage unit when the locking portion is unlocked. The electronic input device is adapted and configured to obtain a code key from a customer and to cause the electronically controlled lock to unlock the locking portion following the receipt of the code key without any remote communication with any other non-customer device external to the kiosk.