Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
`^'` ~ 327~32
DISPENSE~159~1
BEVE~GE CC)~AINl
FlELI:) OF ~ II!~NTION
The invention relates pr~marily to the manner in which beer and
5 other pesishable beverages are stored in taverns, bars or restaurants and to
rotation of beverage stock to ensure that product is sup~lied to customers before
it becomes spoiled or flat.
BACKGROUN~ OF TH~ I~VENllON
Convention practice in taverns and bars is to store beer received
10 in bottles or cans on shelves in large coolers. A problem arises because beerstock is both introduced and removed through doors at the front of a cooler.
Fresher stock tends to be placed at the front of the cooler and to be served
immediately, while older stock tends to rema n at the back. It is conseguently
imperative to rotate beer stock periodically to ensure that older stock is br~ught
15 forward and dispensed to custom~s before later-received stock. Although beer
stock is particularly susce~tible to spoiling wi~ ~me, it is also desirable to
rotate stock of sparlding wines to enswe that products do not become fla~ with
time and also to rotate other wine stock.
For a variety of reasons, it is difficult for tavern or bar operators
~0 to persuade st~ff to diligently ro~ate beer. Waiters and bar tenders are often
fully occupied during peak hours with atsending to customer o~de~. Rotating
beer stocks ~ends to be a very tim~orlsun~ing process requ~ing removal of old
s~k pr~or to introduction of new stock. Since ~e bulk vf their ~ncome tends So
be derived from customer gra~uities, servers have little mcendve to spend time
25 rotating beer stock or to attempt to reach around bot~es and cans to the back of a
cooler to complete orders with older stock~ As many tavern or bar operators
can attest, one cannot rely on serving staff to rotate beer or other beverage stock
~32~32
even dunng non-peak hours. The alternative of hiring non-sening staff to
ensure that stock is properly rotated creates undue expense.
Failure to rotate beer and other beverage stocks can signi~lcantly
affect the profitably of a tavern, bar or restaurant because of inunediate return of
S spoiled products. Also, serving flat or bad stoclc to a customer, even once, can
impair customer confidence in the operation of a bar or tavern and adversely
affect further patronage. The inventor who has been involved for many years in
t~e restaurant and tavern business has no~d that, despite common recognition
of this problem and attendant costs, no p~actical solu~ion to the proUem has
10 been implemented. Tave~n, bar a~d restaurant operators simply continue to
follow the practice of manually rotating beverage stock and simply tolerate the
failure of staff to attend to such matters.
It is an object of Ihe present disclosure to provide a device which
in preferred ~o~n will induce tavem and bar staff to dispense beer and other
15 perishable beverage stock in substantially the or~er received for storage.
BRtEF SUMMQB.Y OF I~E ~NTIO~
In one aspect, the invention p¢ovides a device for storing
containers flled wi~ ~shable ~verages and for dispensing the containers in
the order in which the containers are initially received by the device for storage.
20 The device has an inlet po~t for receiving ~e Golltainers and an outlet port where
the otltainers can be removed. The inlet and outlet ports ~e a~sanged in
substan~dally side-by-side reladsnsh1p. The expression "side-by-side
relationship" as used in ~is specificadon is intended to encompass
a~Tangements ~n which the relevant ports are laterally spaced or inset one relative
2~ to another. l~e general object of ~ae side by-side r~lationship is to ensure that
beverage containers can he c~nvenienlly introduced and remoYed fr~m the
device, for examp1e, through a common cooler or storage unit d~or. A circuit
dimensioned to pennit passage ~ the ~everage containers extends between the
- 2 -
132 ~032
inlet and ou~et ports. The circuit includes an inlet channel cornrnunicating withthe inlet port, an outlet channel substantially parallel to ~e inlet channel and
communicating with the outlet port, and a container-directing portion adapted todirect containers from the inlet channel to the outlet chaMel as containers are
5 forced successively about the circuit. Closure means are associated with the
inlet port and adapted to permit in~oduction of beverage containers into the inlet
channel, but obstnuct removal of containers from the inlet channel through the
inlet port. This cons~ains a waiter or bartender to remove stock only from the
outlet port ra~er ~an taking ~ecently-received stock which has been placed in
10 the inlet channel.
ln another asp~t, ~e invention provides an integrally moulded
plastic device for storing and dislpens~ng contain~rs filled with perishable
beverages. The device comprises a genera11y planar horizontal base wi~
foqward and rear base p~rtions, an elongate partition extending upwardly from
15 the base, and a generally U-shaped sidewall extending upwardly from ~e base
and having a cun~ed portion at a rear base portion. The sidewall is spac~d firomthe partition so as to define an inle~ channel to one side of the par~tion and an
outlet chalmel to an opposite side of ths par~tion, and the curved por~ion of the
sidewall is spaced from the partition and shaped to deflect containers pushed
20 along ~e inlet channel in~ the outlet channel. The sidewall coo~ ates wi~ thebase and ~e partifion to define an inlet po~t communicadng with the inlet
channel and an outl~ port comsmmica~ing with the outlet charme1, the inlet and
ou~et por~s being located ~t a ~onva~d base portion and in substantially side-by-
si~ ~lationship. At least one closure member is integrally hinged to either the
25 sidewall or p~rddon, and pivots about a general~y vertical axis between a closed
orientation in which access ~rough the inlet p~rt ~o the in1et channel is
obs~ucted and arl open onentation in the inte~ior of the inlet channel in which
the closure member permits introduc~on of a container throu~h the inlet port
b ~
~327~32
into the inlet channel. The closure member deflects from its closed orientatisn
to its open orientation when a conta~ner is pressed against an externally-fac;ngsurface of the closure member and is therea~ter urged by the intrinsic resilience
of the plastic material to return to its closed orientation.
S (~er aspects of the invention will be apparent from a
description below of a preferred embodiment and will be def~med in the
appended claims.
~E~P~
The invention will be better understood w~th r~ference to fig. 1
which is a perspective view of a preferred storing and dispensing device shown
positioned on a cooler shelf.
Fig. 1 il1ustrates an integrally moulded plas~ic device lû for
storing and dispensing beve~age con~ainers such as the two exemplaly beer
bot~e 12 specifically indicated. The device 10 is shown seated loosely on a
horizontal shelf 14 in a coole~ as might be found in a restawant, tavern or bar.A num~er of such devices migh~ be located sid~y-side on ally ~iven cQoler
shelf.
The device 10 has an inlet port 16 for receiving beer bottles and
an ou~et p~rt 18 where the beer bot~es can be removed. The direc~ion of
inser~on and removal of beer bs)t~es has been indicated w~th arrows. The inle~
and ouaet ports 16, 18 are in side-~y~ide relationship so that both can be
accessed th~ugh a single cooler door (not illustrated~ as at the front of the
cooler.
The device 10 comp¢ises a generally U-shaped circuit between
the inlet and outlet ports 16, 18, dimensioned to pennit passage of the beer
bot~es. In prac~ce, the width of the circuit may be only marginally larger than
1 3 2 r~ ~ 3 2
any particlllar type of beve~age conta~ner to be stored and dispensed in order to
ensure singl~file progression about the circuit and to prevent jamrl~ng.
Additional width may be desired so that beverage u)ntainers of a variety of
dimensions can be accommodated with a particular device.
S The dev~ce 10 has a unitary construction and includes a generally
planar hori~ontal base 20 with forw~rd and rear base portions 22, 24. The base
20 may be apertured to pe~nit drainage of liquids. An elongate central par~tion
26 extends upwardly from the base 20. A generally U-shaped sidewall 28
extends upwardly from the base 20 and has a curved portion 30 at the rear base
p~rtion 24. The sidewall 28 ;s spaced f~om the parti~on 26 to define an mlet
channel 32 of the circuit to one side o~ the pa;rtition 26 and an ou~det channel 34
of the circuit to an op~site side of the partition 26. The inlet and outlet
channels 32, 34 are substantially p~allel and, m use, direct beer boltles in
opposite directions. The curved portion 30 of the sidewall 28 is spaced from
the partition 26 to pern~it passage of ~e b~r bottles and sha~ to deflect
container pushed along the irllet charmel 32 into the oudet channel 34. It will
be a~p~ent that the si~wall 28 co~pe~tes wi~ ~e base 20 and the partiJdon 26
tode~fnetheinletandoutletports 16, 18.
Closu~e means are associa~ed with ~e inlet port 16. The closure
means ~t in~duction of b~er bot~es in~o ~e inlet channel 32 Ihrough ~e
inlet~rt 16, bu~ prevent ~emo~al of ~e beer from the inlet channel 32 ~rough
~he inlet port 16. The closure means include a first closure membel 36 attached
~o ~e sidewall 28 and a s~ond closure mem~er 38 attached ~o the partition 26 a~
the ~orward base portion 22 Two ve~ical, elongate recesses 40 moulded with
the devi&e 10 provide weakened aIeas at ~e sidewal128 and partition 26. These
recesses 40 effectively define integral hinges permitting ~e closu~ members
36, 38 to pivot about generally ver~cal axes between a clos~ orientation (solid
in fig. 1) and an open orientation (phantom outline in fig. 1) in the inteli~
5-
~.
~ 3 ~
the inlet channel 32. In the closed onentation, the closure members 36, 38 are
aligned and spaced apart by a predetermined distance apart. The p~ede~ermined
distance (not particularly critical) and the horizontal width of the inletport 16 are
such that a beer bottle cannot be passed by hand through the inletport 16
5 without engaging externally-facing surfaces of the elosu~e members 36, 38 and
deflecting the closure members 36, 38 to their open orientation. In the open
orientation, the closure members 36, 38 are spaced sufficiently apart to permit a
beer bot~e to be slip through the inlet port 16 into the inlet channel 32. Once the
bottle has been in~oduc~d, the closure members 36, 38 are urged by the
10 in~insic resilience of the plastic material ~o return to ~eir closed onentation
In use, incoming fresh beer stock will be in~oduced by hand
through the closure members 36, 38 associated with the inlet port 16 into ~e
inlet channel 32. The beer bot~es are simply pushed along the U-shaped circuit
towa~ds the ou~et port 18 where servers can remove the bot~es to ~111 customer
15 orders. The botdes are effectively dispensed in substantially the sarne order in
which the bo~es are i~utially received ~or storage. The need to rotate st~ck is
- consequently elirninated.
The closure membe~s 36, 38 prevent seNe~s ~rom completing
customer orders wi~ more ~ecen~ly received beer stock. It should be n~ hat
20 the shelf 14 illus~ated would nGImally be one of a series of vertically-spaced
she~es and that a supeljacent shelf would no~nally ~lock a~cess to the bottles
o~er than through the lnlet and ou~et ports 16, 18. The device lO might
alterna~vely be formed with a cap closing the c~cuit, but Ws w~uld not lend
itself to the prefe~red unitaly molding and would be ulmecessary with any
25 ve~sion of the device which is to be honzolltally~liented and located on
ver~cally spaced-apart cooler shel~es. A server ~ght deflect the closwe
mem~s 36~ 38 inwa~ly by hand to grasp a b~r bsttle, but the closure
membe~s 36, 38 w~11 then close about the senrer's hand to prevent withdk~wal
A~
~32~3~
of the bottle through ~e inlet p~t 16. The formation of the recesses 40 at the
exte~ior of the device lû prevents any signi~lcant outward pivo~ng of ~e
closure members 36, 38 that might otherwise penr~it re~ieval of beer bottle by
outward deflection of the closure rnembers 36, 38. However, this is not
5 expected in practice to be important as the general object is to discourage servers
from accessing recent stock, and it is not expected that servers who are
normally in a h~y would attempt to m~n;pulate the closure memb~rs 36, 38 to
frustrate the intended dispensing order.
A number of possible variations should be noted. First, paired
10 closure members 36, 38 are preferred because they direct incoming beve~age
containers centrally down the inlet channel 32. This tends to ensure ~at
incidental pushing forces are directed centrally along the inlet channel 32 and
that a b~ttle ~ediately within ~e inlet port 16 is not wedge against the
sid~wall 28 instead of beanng against and pushing earlier-received botdes alon~
15 the circuit. Howeve~, a single closure member configu~ substantially lil~e
either o~ the closure members 36, 38, but of g~eater width, could be used.
Radler than ~e in~insic biasing means constituted by ~e Jesilience of the plastic
ma~rial, discrete and separa~ biasing means such as a spnng n~ight be used to
res :ore closu~ members 36, 38 to a closed orienta~on. Such discrete and
20 separate biasing means a~ not preferred as a stop may be requiIPd to limit
pivoting action, and, most significan~y, the benefit of a unitary and relativelyinexpensive moulW construction would be lost and labour would be r~quired
to assemble the device. Las~y~ additional closu~e means might be associated
with the ou~et port 18 to limit its operation s~ic~y to dispensing beve~age
25 containers and to p~vent in~duclion of beve~age ~ntainers th~ough the outlet
p~rt 18. Such closure means might be arrange to open outwardly only and
might be associated with biasing rneans that normally urge the closure means to
~32 ~32
a closed orientation. However, the principal problem is persuading servers
who are in a hurry to meet a customer's request from using recent stock, and it
is not expected in practice that having to loading recen~y-rcceived stock
through the closure members 36, 38 is apt to frustrate the overall object of the5 invention.
A particular embodiment of the invention and certain alternatives
have have been described for purposes of explaining the nature of the invention.It wlll be appreciated that furdler modifica~ons may be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention or necess~ily departing ~rom the scope of the
10 appended cla~ms.
"~
