Method and system for the automated exchange of merchandise

Claim 1

A system for automatic drop off and pick up of articles of clothing on which service is desired, said system comprising: a) a building having an interface in an outer wall allowing customers to walk up to deposit said articles of clothing and to pick up said articles of clothing after said service is performed including means for input of data related to said articles of clothing to be dropped off, said input means including: i) a touch screen accessible from outside of said building for receiving data from a customer relating to the type and number of articles of clothing being dropped off and a desired service to be performed on said articles of clothing; ii) means for providing a claim ticket including the data received from the customer and a unique code identifying the articles of clothing being dropped off printed thereon; iii) a drop off window on a side of said building for receiving said articles of clothing, empty bags adjacent said drop window for receiving said articles of clothing and depositing inside of said building, each of said bags being attached to a clothes hanger, a pick up bar to receive each bag containing articles of clothing to be serviced, and a drop off rack to receive each bag containing said articles of clothing from said pick up bar, said drop off rack having indicia corresponding to said unique code issued on a corresponding claim ticket; iv) means for receiving the claim ticket and payment for the desired services after said articles of clothing are serviced; b) means for storing the articles of clothing after the desired service has been performed and returning the articles of clothing to the customer upon receipt of payment by the means for receiving the claim ticket; c) said means for storing and returning said articles of clothing after servicing comprising: i) an automated pick up rack located within said building adjacent said drop off rack, each article of clothing after servicing being supported on a hanger and suspended from said pick up rack at a location having unique indicia associated with the unique code on the associated claim ticket; ii) a delivery bar associated with said pick up rack for receiving the hanger on which said article of clothing has been serviced; iii) a pick up window through which said hanger supporting said article of clothing which has been serviced can be retrieved by a customer from said delivery bar, the dropping off of articles of clothing to be serviced and the later picking up of the serviced articles of clothing being accomplished without entering a building structure.

Claim 9

A method for automatic drop off and pick up of articles of clothing on which service is desired without entering a building structure, said method comprising the steps of: a) inputting data to a processor related to articles of clothing to which the service is to be performed by way of a touch screen mounted to be accessible on the outside of said building structure; b) providing a claim ticket including the input data and a unique code identifying the merchandise being dropped off printed thereon; c) providing the articles of clothing to which service is desired through a pick up bar accessible from outside of said building structure, said articles of clothing being inserted into a bag attached to a hanger which is picked up within said building and deposited on an automated pick up rack by said pick up bar at a location having a unique code associated with the unique code on said claim ticket; d) performing the desired service on the articles of clothing; e) positioning the articles of clothing on which service has been performed to a return rack at a position associated with the unique code printed on the claim ticket; f) providing the claim ticket to the processor; g) scanning the unique code on the claim ticket to determine the articles of clothing associated with the claim ticket and an amount due for performing the service; h) inputting payment due to the processor; and i) providing the serviced articles of clothing to the user upon receipt of the claim ticket and payment by way of a pick up window accessible from outside of said building structure, each serviced article of clothing being suspended from a hanger and transferred from said pick up rack to a delivery bar which is accessible to said user through said pick up window.