WO2021037338A1

WO2021037338A1 - Method and system for portioning and pricing portionable products, in particular consumer goods products

Info

Publication number: WO2021037338A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/072730
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wolfgang Bachmann
Original assignee: Wolfgang Bachmann
Priority date: 2019-08-26
Filing date: 2019-08-26
Publication date: 2021-03-04
Also published as: EP4022548A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for portioning and pricing portionable products which are offered in a product sales facility, wherein a definable portion of a product is filled into a sales container (2) from a product portioning device (10) located in the product sales facility by a purchaser, wherein the sales container (2) has a sales container identifier which cannot be changed by the purchaser and is automatically detectable, and wherein the purchaser pays a purchase price for the sales container (2) filled with the filled portion of the product in order to be able to take the filled sales container (2) away out of the product sales facility. The invention also relates to a sales container (2) for portioning and pricing portionable products which are offered in a product sales facility, having a sales container lid and a sales container wall, wherein the sales container wall can comprise a portionable product, while the sales container lid can seal the sales container wall in a liquid-tight manner at an open end.

Description

Wolfgang Bachmann

Method and system for portioning and pricing of portionable goods, in particular consumer goods

The invention relates to a method for portioning and pricing of portionable goods that are offered in a sales location, whereby a predetermined portion of goods from a portioning device located in the sales location is filled into a sales container by a buyer, the sales container not being one of the buyer has changeable and automatically detectable sales container identification, and wherein the buyer pays a purchase price for the sales container filled with the filled portion of the goods in order to be able to take the filled sales container with him from the retail outlet.

The invention also relates to a system for portioning and pricing of portionable goods, which are offered in a sales location, with a sales container that can be filled with portionable goods, and with a

Goods portioning device with which portionable goods can be filled into the sales container, the sales container having a sales container identification which cannot be manipulated by a buyer.

The environmental aspect is crucial for the invention and its purpose. Goods, liquids and gels, in particular Consumer goods such as shower gels, shampoos, other cosmetics or cleaning agents are typically offered and sold nowadays in disposable plastic packaging. The plastic, in turn, is usually made from naphtha or other types of crude oil, placed on the market and recycled after consumption. This cycle not only requires a constant supply of raw materials, but also of energy for the individual processing steps. A reduction and optimization of the raw materials used as well as the energy is not only desirable for the environment, but also for the consumer, because such measures are ultimately reflected in the sales price.

In practice, consumer cycles are often optimized by using intelligent and automated systems to better coordinate individual cycle steps or even omitting the cycle steps altogether, which saves time and money. The publication DE 102011 106 747 A1, for example, describes a

Goods dispensing device for a warehouse, which is able to provide a selection of goods determined by the goods buyer in an automated and monitored manner. Due to the high level of automation, energy and personnel costs are reduced directly, and any transport costs could also be reduced if the goods issuing facilities were distributed centrally and strategically. However, the publication does not take into account the possibility of reusability or return of the goods. The deposit system for reusable bottles for beverages, which is widely used in practice, takes a different approach, in which glass or PET beverage bottles can be bought by the consumer and returned after use so that the manufacturer can prepare the beverage bottles for the next cycle. The transport and recycling costs are disadvantageous in such a deposit system. The returnable bottles have to be transported over long distances, which causes high costs. Before the next use, the beverage bottles must also be hygienically cleaned or recycled in an energy-intensive way. This procedure is not ecologically optimal and is hardly accepted by the consumer for the product groups listed above.

In some cases, consumers have become very used to the plastic consumable containers, so that it is now a popular option to make the consumable container a little more robust and durable on the one hand, and to only offer the consumable container content or the goods directly in a larger refill pack on the other. Typically, the refill packs are designed for twice the amount of the consumption container, which corresponds to a saving of one sales container per purchase. The refill packs are typically also made of plastic.

In order to increase consumer acceptance of the refill packs, stylistic and practical consumption containers are necessary. The publication DE 202019 000 507 U1 describes such an approach reusable consumption container. The consumption container is personalized in the form of a drinking vessel and designed so that it is visually appealing that the consumer no longer needs to dispose of the drinking vessel and buy a new one. The document describes only a solution to a small part of the problem and has the disadvantage that all other sub-problems, such as refilling or disposal, are shifted to the consumer. It is therefore questionable whether this approach can achieve broad consumer acceptance.

It is thus seen as an object of the present invention to design a method for portioning and pricing of portionable goods that are offered in a retail outlet so that the method has a high level of consumer acceptance and is as environmentally friendly as possible.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the goods portioning device has a

Having calibration voltage detecting means sale container characteristic _Z that in an identification step with the sales container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means sales container identification of a sales container is detected, the of the of

Goods portioning device is to be filled, that in a checking step, by comparing the recorded sales container identification with sales container criteria previously stored in the goods portioning device, it is checked whether the sales container is intended to be filled with goods from the To be filled goods portioning device, and that in a portioning step the sales container is filled with a predeterminable portion of the goods from the goods portioning device if the checking step has been successfully completed, while the filling of the sales container is refused if it was determined in the checking step that the sales container is not is provided for use with the goods portioning device, and that in a pricing step, based on an identification of the filled sales container, a sales price for the goods portioned in the sales container is determined.

In the method according to the invention, the goods buyer only has to purchase a sales container once from the goods manufacturer on a deposit basis. He can then consume the goods as intended and then refill the sales container as often as required at the goods portioning device. The purchase of the sales container does not have to coincide spatially with the location of the portioning device. According to the invention, only the refilling of the sales container has to take place at the goods portioning device in a goods sales location.

The sales container labeling may in this case from the sale container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detection device only be assigned to a product, so that faulty operation is excluded the goods buyer. The portioning and refilling of the sales container takes place fully automatically and the goods buyer only has to use the sales container of the goods portioning device to hand over. As soon as the sales container is in the goods portioning device and the goods buyer starts the process, the sales container is identified and with one for the

Sales container identification filled with matching goods. Subsequent to the filling of the sales container, a price corresponding to the goods portion is impressed on the sales container so that the goods buyer can remove the sales container from the goods portioning device and pay for it. According to the invention, only the portioned goods are paid for and not the sales container that has already been purchased. The sales container identification can neither be used by the buyer of goods incorrectly, for example in the form of an incorrect selection of goods, nor manipulation in the form of theft of the goods. It is also advantageous that the goods buyer only has to pay for the portioned amount of goods that he needs and has refilled.

Advantageously, the sales container can also be used to tie the buyer of goods to himself in terms of marketing. The sales container can be designed in a visually appealing manner and contain personal information about the goods buyer, so that the goods buyer can be individualized with the goods and the sales container. An identification of the goods buyer with the goods, the manufacturer or the environmental concept itself is also possible. Refill processes, saved sales containers, saved C02 emissions or the like can be recorded, displayed and / or analyzed so that the goods buyer can become more aware of his consumption behavior. This information or parts of it With the consent of the buyer, the manufacturer can also use this to optimize his logistics and business processes so that throughput times and energy costs can be optimized. Buyer surveys can optionally take place at the product portioning device or on the Internet in order to continuously improve the range of products.

From an ecological point of view, the invention can be measured most clearly in terms of the savings in sales containers, which can still be made of plastic. If the sales container is designed so robustly that it can withstand 99 refills, which can be considered realistic with today's means, then there is a 99% saving in sales containers when the goods are used as intended. According to the invention, 99% of the production, transport and recycling costs for the respective portionable goods per goods buyer are eliminated from the start. The beneficiaries of the invention are therefore the goods buyers who develop their ecological awareness and save costs, goods manufacturers who also save costs and can advertise their ecological measures, and the environment, from which fewer raw materials and energy have to be withdrawn for the same turnover.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that, during the identification step, a contactless detection of the sales container identification is carried out by an identification detection device of the goods portioning device. The identification step is a central component of the invention and therefore requires a robust and contemporary implementation. In terms of process robustness and hygiene, it is more advantageous if the identification step takes place without contact, since the sales container should be able to be refilled considerably more often, as is common nowadays. Any wear and tear on the sales container marking during the filling process should be prevented. The sales container can advantageously have an identification in the form of a barcode (barcode), a 2D code (matrix barcode) or an RFID (radio-frequency identification) code.

In a further optional embodiment of the invention it is provided that the sales container identifier contains or is linked to useful volume information of the sales container, and that in the portioning step a portion of the goods that is compatible with the recorded useful volume is filled into the sales container.

It is expedient if the goods portioning device can recognize how much usable volume the sales container has via the sales container identification. This means that overfilling of the sales container can be ruled out.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the sales container can advantageously be protected from overflow by detecting the availability of the useful volume in a control step carried out before the portioning step and the sales container in the Portioning step is only filled with the amount of goods that is necessary to fill the sales container with the appropriate amount of goods.

There can be many reasons for having the control step monitor the availability of the usable volume. For example, the goods buyer can come to the goods portioning device with only a half-filled sales container, or the goods buyer can prematurely terminate a filling process and restart another filling process. All of these and other reasons should not lead to the sales container overflowing during the filling process. The usable volume can be recorded optically or mechanically.

In the mechanical case, the goods portioning device can continuously record the weight of the sales container during the filling process and interrupt the process when a limit weight of the sales container is reached. In the mechanical case, the product portioning device can also detect markings on the sales container that change as soon as a product is in its section. It can also optionally be provided that the goods portioning device records the filling process and the filled amount of goods per sales container over the entire service life of the sales container, so that the goods portioning device knows the target amount in the sales container before each start. Optionally, it is also provided that individual measures can be combined with one another in order to be able to carry out a plausibility check of the informative value of individual measures. A double filling of the sales container can be prevented in an optional embodiment of the invention if, after the sales container has been filled in the portioning step, the goods portioning device refuses to refill the same sales container for a predeterminable blocking period.

The goods portioning device advantageously records the times of the filling processes for a sales container or remembers them for a certain period of time so that accidental or negligent filling processes that are close together in time can be recognized and blocked. The blocking time is preferably in the seconds range, for example greater than 30 seconds and less than 5 minutes. For this purpose, the portioning device should use the

Also record the sales container markings in time with the filling processes in order to ensure a reliable assignment.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that after the portioning step, goods information is transferred from the goods portioning device to something that cannot be manipulated by the buyer

Goods information storage device of the filled sales container is transmitted.

Optionally, in addition to the sales container identification, a further product information storage device can be located on the sales container. In this way it is possible To separate sales container labeling, which is strictly linked to the portionable type of goods, from the goods information. In this sense, the goods information can include information about the portioned goods, the filling quantity and / or the price. The

In this embodiment, sales container identification can be implemented as unchangeable for the entire useful life of the sales container, so that subsequent manipulation is no longer possible. The goods information after the filling process in turn would change in this embodiment before each payment process and could also be adapted to the current market price.

In practice, goods in a retail outlet typically have optical features in the form of bar codes. The barcodes are recorded with the help of optical reading devices and contain an identification. The goods information storage device can advantageously be configured in the form of a barcode, a 2D code (matrix barcode) or an RFID (radio-frequency identification) code.

The payment process can advantageously be influenced if it is provided for the invention that in the pricing step the sales price is determined for the goods portioned in the sales container, taking into account the goods information stored in the goods information storage device.

In this embodiment, it is optionally possible to adjust the price for the filling process according to the filling volume. Also price adjustments, discounts or other merchandise advantages can be recorded and implemented.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the

Sales container identification is stored contactlessly retrievable in a container identification memory device that cannot be manipulated by the buyer.

One that cannot be manipulated

Container identification storage device could advantageously decouple the sales container from the filling process. The sales container identification can define the associated type of goods, while the goods information storage device logs and prices the filling process. It is also optionally provided that the portionable type of goods for the sales container can be changed by the manufacturer or the retail outlet in the course of the useful life of the sales container. In this way, the consumer does not have to purchase a sales container every time he changes his decision regarding the consumer product. In the form of an RFID chip, the container identification memory device could optionally be integrated directly into the sales container, wherein the goods information memory device can be applied as a commercially available barcode on the outside of the sales container.

For more choices for the goods buyer, one embodiment of the invention provides that two or more different goods for filling a sales container in one with the goods portioning device Portioning step are kept ready, and that the buyer can specify his selection before the start of the portioning step with which goods the sales container is to be filled by the goods portioning device.

Better customer acceptance can be created in that the goods buyer is given more options with regard to the choice of goods. In this advantageous embodiment, it is possible for the goods buyer to mix different types of the same group of goods in one and the same sales container as required and given the situation, in order to serve any personal product preferences.

Optionally, a goods manufacturer can also restrict himself to only one design of the sales container for one of his goods groups in each case, in order to leave the choice of the mixed goods proportions entirely to the goods buyer. Different juices, soaps, lotions, shampoos or the like could be mixed in each case in an individual sales container. Cooperation between different goods manufacturers can also be made possible in this way.

The selection options can be further increased for the goods buyer if it is optionally provided in the invention that the goods portioning device, during the portioning step, produces the goods selected by the buyer from the two or more different goods by differently combining a goods raw material with at least one additional material and in the

Fills sales container. Typically, most groups of goods only have one basic substance for many different goods, which ultimately only differ in terms of different additives for the goods buyer. For example, many soaps only differ in their odor additive, whereby the cleaning effect can always be assigned to a single basic substance, the basic soap.

In this embodiment of the invention, the goods buyer is given the opportunity, depending on taste, needs or mood, to decide on a raw material for goods and to experiment with individual and changeable additional goods. Additional materials include a wide variety of fragrances or flavors that are only required in small quantities.

A further object of the present invention is to design a system for portioning and pricing of portionable goods that are offered in a retail outlet so that the system has a high level of buyer acceptance, functions as environmentally friendly as possible and implements the method according to the invention.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the goods portioning device has a

Sale container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means comprises at which the sale container labeling of a container for sale may be detected to be filled with the contents provided by the Warenportioniereinrichtung goods, and that the

Goods portioning device has a control device, with which in a verification step by comparing the with the

Sale container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means detected sale container marking in advance in the Warenportioniereinrichtung deposited

Sales container criteria can be checked whether the sales container is approved for filling with the portioning device.

The system is advantageously housed in a fixed location in a retail outlet, but can set up a communication link with another control computer or a central computer via its own control computer, so that data and information can be exchanged and collected with one another. The communication connection is preferably established via a conventional Internet connection. The control computer of the system is responsible both for communication with other control computers and for processing the method according to the invention. He controls and monitors all process steps and manages human-machine communication with the buyer. He is also responsible for data acquisition and data backup.

The goods can advantageously be stored in large storage containers in the goods portioning device, it being possible for the goods portioning device to have several such storage containers. Each storage container is equipped with a manufacturer-specific product. The storage of the storage container can be in the goods portioning device in a kind of magazine take place, which rotatably places the correct storage container in the correct position for filling. Is that true

Sales container identification corresponds to the storage container, and if the storage container has been correctly positioned by the magazine, the filling process can begin as specified by the goods buyer.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the

Sale container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detection device for a contactless detection of sale container marking is arranged.

The sales container identification detection device is responsible for detecting the sales container identification and making it available to the control computer so that the system according to the invention can carry out the method according to the invention. It is advantageous if the detection of the sales container identification takes place in a contactless manner, since this does not wear out the sales container in relation to the filling process. This increases the useful life of the sales container and allows a considerably higher number of filling processes, preferably more than a hundred. The detection can take place without contact on the one hand if the sales container has barcodes or other markings that can carry information, but on the other hand also via an electromagnetic field in the form of an RFID chip. The RFID chip can be integrated in the sales container and can calibration voltage detecting means sales container characteristic _Z a communications link to identify the Build up sales container as soon as it is in the vicinity or in the portioning device. Actions by the buyer are not necessary for this.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the product portioning device is a

Having useful volume detection device with which a useful volume available for filling with the goods in the sales container can be detected.

The knowledge of the available usable volume can be advantageous for the method according to the invention, since the maximum possible portionable product in the sales container is known. The usable volume detection device can detect the available usable volume via the empty weight of the sales container, for example, by comparing the empty weight of the sales container with a typical empty weight corresponding to the sales container identification. Furthermore, the useful volume can also be detected optically in that the sales container has an elongated useful volume marking which changes its optical properties as soon as the goods are in the sales container. In addition, a sensor element can be inserted into the sales container during filling, the sensor element generating a signal as soon as it comes into contact with the filled goods at the upper end of the sales container. A combination of several configurations of recording the useful volume is also conceivable in order to check the plausibility of the useful volumes recorded in different ways with respect to one another. For a smooth payment process, an embodiment of the invention can provide that the sales container has a goods information storage device which cannot be manipulated by a customer and in which the goods portioning device can store goods information after a portioning step.

The goods information storage device can advantageously access the outside area of the

Sales container in the form of a barcode (barcode), 2D code or RFID chip can be applied. A bar code enables the system according to the invention to be compatible with today's payment systems, while RFID systems will probably play an essential role in future payment systems. The advantage here is that the product information is stored separately in a separate product information storage device, so that the sales container identification can be separated from the payment process, with additional degrees of freedom being created in the system design.

For a change of the goods that can be assigned to a sales container, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the sales container has a container identification memory device which cannot be manipulated by the customer and in which the sales container identification can be retrieved.

The container identification memory device is advantageously designed in the form of an RFID chip and can be read out without contact. It should too It may optionally be possible for the manufacturer or an authorized representative to subsequently change the goods assignment of the sales container, which the goods buyer should not be allowed to do without authorization. A changeable sales container identification has the advantage that the goods buyer can subsequently change his mind with regard to the type of goods after purchasing only one sales container that is assigned to a goods. For example, if the goods buyer wants to change the type of soap after ten filling processes, this is also possible without purchasing a new sales container, which also saves resources.

Even more individual goods choices can be offered to the goods buyer if an embodiment of the invention provides that the goods portioning device has a first storage container for a raw material and at least one second storage container for an additional material, and that the

Goods portioning device has a metering device with which, during the portioning step, a predeterminable first amount of the raw material material can be mixed with at least one predeterminable second amount of an additional material and filled into the sales container.

According to the choice of the goods buyer, a movable magazine in the goods portioning device, which is equipped with the storage containers, can successively position various storage containers for filling the sales container within a filling process. It can also be possible for all of the storage containers to have a filling line which is in each case in front of the sales container open into the central filling line. The purpose of mixing the contents of several storage containers in one sales container arises from the need to offer the goods buyer a greater choice of goods. Any product mixes are possible.

There are also advantages for the goods provider and the goods manufacturer if the best-before date of a commodity mixed from several raw materials is shorter than the best-before dates of the individual raw materials. In these cases, the manufacturer can always mix his sales goods fresh on site in the goods portioning device and thus offer the goods buyer a product that has a maximum shelf life, which also indirectly saves waste.

Optionally, it can also be provided that additional goods can be added separately to the raw materials. If it is borne in mind that many goods in a group of goods consist of the same raw material and only differ in terms of a goods-specific additional material, then freely meterable additional goods can give the buyer even more freedom in the choice of goods. Small amounts of fragrances, (essential) oils or the like can be added to the raw materials in the filling line individually via storage containers. In this way, the goods buyer can decide anew with each filling process which specific goods he wants to generate for the respective filling process. The invention also relates to a sales container for portioning and pricing of portionable goods, which are offered in a sales location, with a sales container lid and a sales container wall, wherein the sales container wall can include portionable goods, while the sales container lid can close the sales container wall at an open end in a liquid-tight manner.

In practice, various sales containers are known, with no known sales container being designed in its features in such a way that it can be used in a suitable manner for a method according to the invention and a system according to the invention.

A further object of the invention is to design a sales container for portioning and pricing of portionable goods that are offered in a goods sales location in such a way that the system and method according to the invention can be implemented in a meaningful way.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the sales container has a filling element on an underside of the sales container wall opposite the sales container lid, the filling element having a filling opening on one side, so that the sales container fills with the portionable goods via the filling opening and a filling channel reaching to the inside of the sales container can be. According to the invention, the filling element can be used to fill the sales container more easily in a system according to the invention, without foregoing sales container walls and sales container lids that are already present and established in the market for goods buyers. Due to the position of the filling element on the underside of the sales container, the remaining part of the sales container can also be designed without being used in a system according to the invention. Furthermore, the system according to the invention can fill sales containers of various shapes and designs through the filling opening without different goods manufacturers having to agree on the shape and color design of the sales container. As soon as the goods buyer hands over his sales container to the system according to the invention and starts the method according to the invention, the sales container can be filled with the portionable goods through the filling opening without having to remove the sales container lid.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the filling element has a spring element and a stopper, the stopper being larger than the filling opening, and wherein the spring element presses the stopper with a spring force radially from the filling element center against the filling opening so that the The filling opening is closed in a liquid-tight manner and the portioned goods can no longer escape from the sales container.

Precisely because the filling element is located on the underside of the sales container, it is advantageous if the Filling opening can be made liquid-tight again after filling by the system according to the invention.

If goods buyers had to seal the filling opening or attach the stopper, this would have to be done manually so that portioned goods that leak out again could hardly be prevented. And since the sales container is intended to be refilled as often as possible, the solution with the automatically reclosable filling opening with the stopper and the spring element is simple and robust.

It is also optionally provided that the sales container wall is welded to the filling element, so that the portioned goods from the

Sales container lid, the sales container wall and the filling element are enclosed in a liquid-tight manner. Welding is easy to accomplish in terms of production technology when you consider that most sales containers are made of plastic in practice. The goods manufacturers would only have to slightly adapt the injection molds of the sales containers or only place the filling element according to the invention in the injection molds.

It is also important for the invention that the sales container can be identified so that a link to it and the portionable goods can be established. It is therefore also optionally provided that the filling element has a cavity and a cavity cover, the cavity cover being able to close the cavity in a liquid-tight manner and the cavity having an element identifying the sales container. The identifying element can be a smaller one Be an RFID chip, so that the system according to the invention can reliably recognize and detect the sales container according to the invention at a short distance. Below are some to illustrate

Embodiments of the invention shown. It shows:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a system for implementing a method for portioning and pricing of portionable goods, in particular consumer goods,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a goods portioning device with the possibility of portioning raw material and additional goods together,

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method for portioning and pricing goods that can be portioned, in particular consumer goods and

FIG. 4 shows a sales container for a system and method for portioning and pricing of portionable goods with a filling element. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a system for portioning and pricing of portionable goods in which a sales container 2 a

Container identification storage means 3a for a sales container identification and a goods information storage means 3b for a

Comprises goods information, wherein a goods buyer the portionable goods in the previously purchased Has consumed sales container 2, and then brings it to a goods portioning device 10 in order to refill the sales container 2. The container identification storage device 3 a is firmly integrated in the sales container 2 and the goods information storage device 3 b is attached to the sales container 2 on the outside. For filling, the goods buyer brings the sales container 2 to

Goods portioning device 10 and holds the sales container 2 in front of security lock doors 5 of the goods portioning device 10, the security lock doors 5 each having identification sensors 4 and being able to read out the sales container identification or the container identification memory device 3a. The sales container identification is compared in a control computer 13 with the existing storage containers 8 in the magazine 17 of the portioning device 10. The storage containers 8 also have a storage container identification 9, and this must be compatible with the sales container identification for filling. If the sales container 2 can be filled by the goods portioning device 10 because a suitable storage container 8 is present, the security lock doors 5 open and the goods buyer can put the sales container 2 into a

Place the sales container identification detection device 18, the personal protection of the goods buyer being guaranteed by safety sensors 19 and the filling process only starting when they give their dial tone. The automated process and the low number of buyer interactions with the goods portioning device 10.

After the goods buyer has made a selection of goods and the sales container 2 is held in place by a position fixing device 6, the filling process begins. The storage containers 8, which are stored in the rotatable magazine 17, are aligned according to the buyer selection, so that a filling position indicator 11 in the magazine 17 on the selected storage container 8 with a

Filling position reference 11a on a filling nozzle 7 in the sales container identification detection device 18 match. The magazine 17 is itself mounted with a rotary fixing device 16 in the portioning device 10 and can bring each storage container 8 to the filling position reference 11a by means of a position rotation 12 with the aid of an auxiliary drive (not shown). A rotatably mounted magazine 17 for the storage container 8 is space-saving and has the advantage that the storage container 8 can be brought to the filling position reference 11a, while the distances for the storage container 8 remain small. In this embodiment, there are only a few components that can be soiled by the portionable goods, which the

Makes portioning device 10 robust and low-maintenance. Once the filling process has ended, the goods buyer can remove the sales container 2 from a removal position 20 within the sales container identification detection device 18.

The control computer 13 is continuous with a central computer 1 - which is also located remotely can - connected and informs the operator of the portioning device 10 and / or the goods manufacturer 14 via a communication channel 13a about his status, his operating parameters and / or the remaining capacity of his storage container 8. If one or, advantageously, several storage containers 8 are soon empty, the control computer can 13 send a request to exchange the empty storage container 8 to the central computer 1. This approach enables a number of

Optimization possibilities for the logistics, since not every empty storage container 8 has to be exchanged directly, but the operator of the goods portioning device 10 can also wait until a considerable number of storage containers 8 worth transporting are close to empty in order to save transport costs. The empty storage containers 8 can be removed from the goods portioning device 10 and sent back to the goods manufacturer 14 for filling. The exchange of empty storage containers 8 in the magazine 17 with suitable full ones is ensured by storage container control sensors 16a, which prevent incompatible loading of the magazine 17.

Figure 2 shows a modified schematic representation of the goods portioning device 10 with the possibility of portioning raw material 21a and additional goods 30a together, with two raw material containers 21 being shown, which are connected via a coupling element 22a and a filling line 24 to the filling nozzle 7 of the sales container identifier detection device 18 and are within of the

Goods portioning device 10 are located. The magazine 17 only needs the respective one for different filling processes Position the raw material container 21 accordingly by means of a position rotation 12. Also attached to the filling line 24 are several additional material containers 30 which are each connected to the filling line 24 via further couplings 22b, metering pumps 28, metering valves 26 and metering valve slides 27.

If a sales container 2 is to be filled, a raw material pump 23 conveys the raw material 21a through the filling line 24 in the direction of the

Sales container identification detection device 18. From an end product position 25, the metering pumps 28 of the additional material containers 30 supply the various additional goods to the raw material 21a, so that the final portionable goods are produced. The commodity raw material can be, for example, a soap, with the commodity additional materials containing various fragrance substances.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary flow chart 31 of the method according to the invention for portioning and pricing goods that can be portioned, in particular consumer goods. The flowchart 31 begins when the goods buyer transfers the sales container 2 to the goods portioning device 10 and starts the goods portioning device 10 with an input 32. In an identification step 33, the product portioning device 10 then uses the sales container identification detection device 18 to detect the sales container identification which is located in the container identification storage device 3 a in the sales container 2. In a subsequent checking step 34, the Sales container identification is compared with comparison criteria previously stored in the goods portioning device 10 and checks whether the goods portioning device 10 has the appropriate storage container 8 and this still contains sufficient portionable goods. If there are no longer enough portionable goods or if the sales container identification is unknown, filling is refused in an abort step 35. If sufficient portionable goods are available, the availability of the usable volume in the sales container 2 is recorded in a further control step 36 and in a subsequent portioning step 37 only the amount of portionable goods is filled into the sales container 2 that is necessary for filling the sales container 2. In a subsequent commodity information storage step 38

Goods information is stored by the goods portioning device 10 in the goods information storage device 3b which cannot be manipulated by the goods buyer. In a subsequent pricing step 39, the goods information and the sales container identification are used to determine a sales price for the goods portioned in the sales container 2 so that the goods buyer can pay for the portioned goods in a subsequent payment step 40 and take the filled sales container with them.

FIG. 4 shows, in three partial figures, different views of a sales container 54 according to the invention. FIG Sales container lid 45 and below with the filling element

42 has been completed, so that in

Sales container interior 55 of the sales container 54 the portionable goods can be located. The

Sales container wall 41 consists here, as is customary in practice, of plastic and is on an underside

43 completed by the filling element 42. A filling opening 44 with which the sales container 54 can be filled by the portioning device 10 can also be seen on one side of the filling element 42.

FIGS. 4b and 4c show the filling element 42 in detail with a sectional view in FIG. 4b and a top view from the sales container interior 55 onto the filling element 42 in FIG. 4c. The integration of the filling element 42 with the sales container wall 41 can be seen in FIG. 4b, with part of the sales container wall 41 in the form of a welding edge - 50a before and 50b after the welding process - on the underside 43 of the sales container wall 41 overlapping with the filling element 42.

In this example, the sales container 54 is filled by the goods portioning device 10 via the filling opening 44, which extends through a filling channel 49 into the sales container interior 55, so that the goods portioning device 10 can push portionable goods into the sales container 54. The filling channel 49 also has a spring element 47 and a spherical stopper 46, which are located together in the filling channel 49. Whereby the spring element 47 pushes the stopper 46 radially to the outside of the filling element 42 so that the plug 46 closes the tapering filling channel 49 at the filling opening 44.

FIG. 4c alternatively shows a top view of a similar filling element 42, the focus in this illustration being on the spring element 47, how its spring force presses the plug 49 against the filling opening 44 radially from a filling element center 48, so that the plug 49 the tapering filling channel 49 completes.

Also shown in FIG. 4b is a cavity 51 in the filling element 42 and a cavity cover 52 which can close the cavity 51 in a liquid-tight manner. In the cavity 51, an identifying element 53 is also shown, hinting at an RFID chip. The sales container identification or the product information can be stored in the RFID chip as the container identification storage device 3a and / or the goods information storage device.

Claims

Patent notices

1. A method for portioning and pricing of portionable goods that are offered in a goods sales location, wherein a predetermined portion of goods from a goods portioning device (10) located in the goods sales location is filled into a sales container (2, 54) by a goods buyer, the Sales container (2, 54) has a sales container identification that cannot be changed by the buyer and can be recorded automatically, and the buyer pays a purchase price for the sales container (2, 54) filled with the filled portion of the goods in order to purchase the filled sales container (2, 54) to be able to take from the vending site, wi characterized in that the Warenportioniereinrichtung (10) a sales container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detection means (18), in that calibration voltage detecting means in an identification step with the sales container characteristic _Z (18), the sales container identification of a sales container (2, 54) detects rd, which is to be filled with the goods held ready by the goods portioning device (10) that, in a checking step, by comparing the recorded sales container identification with the sales container criteria previously stored in the goods portioning device (10), it is checked whether the sales container (2, 54) is intended for this is to be filled with goods from the goods portioning device (10), and that in a portioning step the sales container (2, 54) with a predeterminable portion of the goods from the Goods portioning device (10) is filled when the checking step has been successfully completed, while the filling of the sales container (2, 54) is refused if it was determined in the checking step that the sales container (2, 54) is not suitable for use with the goods portioning device ( 10) is provided, and that in a pricing step, based on an identification of the filled sales container (2, 54), a sales price is determined for the goods portioned in the sales container (2, 54).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the identification step, a non-contact detection of sale container labeling by selling containers characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means (18) of the Warenportioniereinrichtung (10) is performed.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the sales container identification contains useful volume information of the sales container (2, 54) or is linked to it, and that in the portioning step a portion of the goods that is compatible with the recorded useful volume is placed in the sales container (2 , 54) is bottled.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that in a control step carried out before the portioning step, the availability of the usable volume is recorded and the sales container (2, 54) is filled in the portioning step only with the amount of goods required for filling the sales container (2, 54) with the appropriate quantity of goods is necessary.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after the sales container (2, 54) has been filled in the portioning step, the same sales container (2, 54) is refused by the goods portioning device (10) for a predeterminable blocking period.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after the portioning step, goods information is transferred from the goods portioning device (10) to a goods information storage device (3b) of the filled sales container (2, 54) that cannot be manipulated by the buyer.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that in the pricing step the sales price taking into account the in the

Goods information storage device (3b) stored goods information for the goods portioned in the sales container (2, 54) is determined

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the

Sales container identification is stored in a container identification memory device (3a) which cannot be manipulated by the buyer and can be called up in a contactless manner.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that with the goods portioning device (10) two or more different goods for filling one Sales container (2, 54) are kept ready in a portioning step, and that the buyer can make his selection before the beginning of the portioning step, with which goods the sales container (2, 54) is to be filled by the portioning device (10).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the goods portioning device (10) produces the goods selected by the buyer from the two or more different goods by different combinations of a raw material with at least one additional material and fills them into the sales container during the portioning step.

11. System for portioning and pricing of portionable goods that are offered in a retail outlet, with a sales container (2) that can be filled with portionable goods, and with a goods portioning device (10) with which portionable goods in the sales container (2, 54) can be filled, wherein the sales container (2, 54) has a non-manipulable by a buyer sale container marking, characterized in that the Warenportioniereinrichtung (10) a sales container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means (18), with which the

Sales container identification of a sales container (2, 54) which is to be filled with the goods held ready by the goods portioning device (10), and that the

Goods portioning device (10) has a control device with which in a checking step a comparison of the with the

Sale container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means (18) sale container marking detected in advance in the Warenportioniereinrichtung (10) stored sale containers criteria can be checked whether the sale container (2, 54) is authorized for filling with the Warenportioniereinrichtung (10).

12. System according to claim 11, characterized is that the sales container characteristic _Z calibration voltage detecting means (18) adapted for non-contact detection of sale container marking.

13. System according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the goods portioning device (10) has a usable volume detection device with which a usable volume available for filling with the goods in the sales container (2, 54) can be detected.

14. System according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the sales container (2, 54) is one that cannot be manipulated by a customer

Goods information storage device (3b) in which the goods portioning device (10) can store goods information after a portioning step.

15. System according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the sales container (2, 54) is one which cannot be manipulated by the customer

Has container identification storage device (3a), in which the sales container identification can be stored in a retrievable manner.

16. System according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the goods portioning device (10) has a first storage container (8) for a raw material and at least one second storage container (8) for an additional material, and that the goods portioning device (10) has a Has a metering device with which, during the portioning step, a predeterminable first amount of the raw material material can be mixed with at least one predeterminable second amount of an additional material and filled into the sales container (2, 54).

17. Sales container (2, 54) for portioning and pricing of portionable goods, which are offered in a retail outlet, with a sales container lid (45) and a sales container wall (41), wherein the sales container wall (41) can include portionable goods during the Sales container lid (45) can close the sales container wall (41) at one open end in a liquid-tight manner, characterized in that the sales container (2, 54) has a filling element (42) on an underside of the sales container wall (41) opposite the sales container lid (45), wherein the filling element (42) has a filling opening (44) on one side, so that the sales container (2, 54) via the filling opening (44) and one up to

Filling channel (49) extending inside the sales container can be filled with the portionable goods.

18. Sales container (2, 54) according to claim 17, characterized in that the filling element (42) has a spring element (47) and a plug (46), the plug (46) being larger than the filling opening (44), and wherein the spring element (47) presses the stopper (46) radially from the center of the filling element (48) against the filling opening (44) so that the filling opening (44) is sealed in a liquid-tight manner and the portioned goods are no longer out of the sales container (2, 54) can emerge.

19. Sales container (2, 54) according to claim 17, characterized in that the sales container wall (41) is welded to the filling element (42) so that the portioned goods from the sales container lid (45), the sales container wall (41) and the filling element ( 42) are enclosed in a liquid-tight manner.

20. Sales container (2, 54) according to claim 17, characterized in that the filling element (42) has a cavity (51) and a cavity cover (52), wherein the cavity cover (52) can close the cavity (51) in a liquid-tight manner and the Cavity (51) has an element (53) identifying the sales container (2, 54).