GB2291247A

GB2291247A - Beverage dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2291247A
Application number: GB9513321A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Pedwell
Original assignee: HI GENE BEER PUMPS Ltd
Current assignee: HI GENE BEER PUMPS Ltd
Priority date: 1994-07-02
Filing date: 1995-06-30
Publication date: 1996-01-17
Also published as: GB9513321D0

Abstract

A beverage dispensing apparatus, e.g. in the form of a pillar font 1 or beer engine (17), has a logo plate 8 illuminated by light (12) from a fibre optic cable or tail. In alternative arrangements, the logo plate 8 may be clipped to the handle (18) of a beer engine (17, Figure 2), or to the plinth (20, Figures 3 and 4). <IMAGE>

Description

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR BEVERAGES This invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for beverages such as beer and lager.

In the UK, the conventionally used dispensing apparatus includes pillar fonts, cowls and beer engines.

Pillar fonts normally comprise a vertical pillar carrying at its upper end a transverse arm on which up to 6 dispensing taps may be located for dispensing up to six different beverages.

In some pillar font systems, the beverage available at the or each tap is displayed to the customer by an illuminated and usually acrylic logo plate, with illumination being from behind the logo plate by a lamp with associated electrical wiring. Whilst illuminated logo plates provide an attractive display, there are long recognised disadvantages including not only the electrical installation costs but also the emission of heat by the lamp in the vicinity of the beverage (which is normally required to be chilled) and on-going maintenance costs (as inevitable lamp failure will eventually occur and engineer call-out costs will result).

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a logo plate that is illuminated or illuminatable, by a fibre optic cable.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, of independant significance, there is provided a pillar font comprising at least one dispensing tap; a logo plate associated with the or each beverage dispensing tap; with the, or each individual, logo plate(s) illuminated, or illuminatable, by a fibre optic cable.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, of independant significance, there is provided an illumination system for a dispensing apparatus for beverages, comprising a transformer adapted to be connected to a source of mains electricity; a light box adapted to receive an electrical output from the transformer; the light box incorporating at least one output for at least one fibre optic cable, the or each cable being extendable to, or towards, an individual logo plate so as to illuminate the or each logo plate.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, of independant significance, there is provided a pillar font comprising a plurality of beverage dispensing taps; a logo plate associated with each tap; and a logo plate illumination system comprising a transformer adapted to be connected to a source of mains electricity, a light box adapted to receive electrical output from the transformer and incorporating a plurality of outputs for a plurality of fibre optic cables each extending to an individual logo plate, so as to illuminate each logo plate.

Thus, the various aspects defined above provide for the highly desirable advantage of an illumination of logo plate(s), but avoids the primary disadvantages that have been tolerated in prior art systems. Thus, "cold" light is presented to, and present at, the or each logo plate, as the light box, at which heat is generated, can be remotely located, as can the transformer, so that neither the beverage nor the logo plate nor areas of the font are disadvantageously subjected to heat, whilst multiple lamps of prior art systems, and their propensity for failure with attendant maintenance or replacement costs are eliminated.

In detail, the fibre optic cables or "tails" can be grouped together from the light box, and, with a "T"-font, passing up the pillar of the font and being branched to individual logo plates within the horizontal arm of the font.

The transformer conveniently produces a 12 volt output to the light box.

With beer engines, no localised illumination of an associated logo plate has in the past been possible due to technical difficulties because unlike a font, the logo plate is conventionally not static, but clipped to the handle which, in use, is movable over a relatively wide arc.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, of independant significance, there is provided a beer engine comprising an arcuately movable operating handle with associated mechanism; and a logo plate, with a light source provided in or on the beer engine to illuminate the logo plate.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, of independant significance, there is provided a beer engine comprising an arcuately movable operating handle with associated mechanism; a plinth adapted to be secured to, or on, a bar top; and a logo plate, with a light source provided in or on the plinth, to illuminate the logo plate.

Thus, the sixth aspect of the invention provides a simplified system of illumination of a logo plate of a beer engine, in that the light source is installed within the conventionally provided, and static, plinth.

Whilst the light source could be provided by electrical wiring extending from a power source to a lamp e.g. mounted on or within the plinth, preferably the light source is provided by a fibre optic cable or "tail" from a light box in turn powered by a transformer connected to mains.

The logo plate could be clipped to the handle, with the fibre optic cable effecting illumination by a spotlight effect e.g. by providing a reflector on the fibre optic tail to direct light upwardly from the plinth, e.g. to a logo plate clipped to the handle. Alternatively, the logo plate could be clipped to, or inset into, the plinth and illuminated by the light source located in front of, or behind, a logo plate e.g.of plastic.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the invention applied to a font; and Figures 2 - 4 show the invention applied to beer engine plinths.

In Figure 1, a font 1 comprises an upright, hollow, tubular pillar 2 mounted at its lower end in a base 3 secured by any convenient means to a bar top 4. At its upper end, the pillar 2 carries a transverse, horizontal arm 5, again of hollow, tubular construction, carrying, at the "bar" side, a plurality of manually operable dispensing taps 6 and at the customer side a plurality of holders 7 for logo plates 8 appropriate for the beverage taps 6.

Each logo plate 8 is of semi-transparent material typically an acrylic plastics, and is illuminated by "cold" light from an individual fibre optic cable or "tail" 9 passing upwardly through the pillar and clipped into a bundle 10. A plurality of tails 11 extend from a light box 12 powered by a lead 13 from a transformer 14 connected by a lead 15 and a 3pin plug 16 to mains electricity.

In each of Figures 2 to 4, a beer engine 17 comprises a handle 18, a ferrule plate 19, usually of brass, and a plinth 20, usually of wood, seated on the upperside of the bar top 4 and clamped thereto, in a conventional manner, by screw means engaging the underside of the bar top 4.

In the embodiment of Figure 2, the logo plate 8 is clipped to the handle 18, an aperture 21 is provided in the upper surface of the plinth 20, so that a beam of light 22 may be projected, from an end of a fibre-optic tail 9, and possibly through a diffuser, on to a conventional logo plate 8.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, the logo plate 8 is clipped or otherwise secured to the plinth 20, so that it is in close proximity to the end of the fibre-optic tail 9/diffuser.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, a suit le recess or aperture 23 is provided in the plinth 20 to receive, e.g. as a push-in fit, a logo plate 8 or a frame or bezel in which the logo plate 8 is mounted, the latter being of a semitransparent plastics material, so that it is illuminated from behind.

In an enhanced form, any suitable interruption means may be provided in or between the transformer 14 and the tails 9, to provide pulsed, on/off, or stroboscopic effect illumination.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a logo plate that is illuminated or illuminatable, by a fibre optic cable.

2. A pillar font comprising at least one dispensing tap; a logo plate associated with the or each beverage dispensing tap; with the, or each individual, logo plate(s) illuminated, or illuminatable, by a fibre optic cable.

3. An illumination system for a dispensing apparatus for beverages, comprising a transformer adapted to be connected to a source of mains electricity; a light box adapted to receive an electrical output from the transformer; the light box incorporating at least one output for at least one fibre optic cable, the or each cable being extendable to, or towards, an individual logo plate so as to illuminate the or each logo plate.

4. A pillar font comprising a plurality of beverage dispensing taps; a logo plate associated with each tap; and a logo plate illumination system comprising a transformer adapted to be connected to a source of mains electricity, a light box adapted to receive electrical output from the transformer and incorporating a plurality of outputs for a plurality of fibre optic cables each extending to an individual logo plate, so as to illuminate each logo plate.

5. A pillar font as defined in Claim 4, wherein the fibre optic cables or "tails" are grouped together from the light box.

6. A pillar font as claimed in Claim 5, in the form of a "T"-font, wherein the fibre optic cables or "tails" pass up the pillar of the font and are branched to individual logo plates within the horizontal arm of the font.

7. An illumination system as claimed in Claim 3, or a font as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the transformer produces a 12 volt output to the light box.

8. A beverage dispensing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

9. An illumination system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A pillar font substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A beer engine comprising an arcuately movable operating handle with associated mechanism; and a logo plate, with a light source provided in or on the beer engine to illuminate the logo plate.

12. A beer engine comprising an arcuately movable operating handle with associated mechanism; a plinth adapted to be secured to, or on, a bar top; and a logo plate, with a light source provided in or on the plinth, to illuminate the logo plate.

13. A beer engine as claimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12, wherein the light source is provided by a fibre optic cable or "tail" from a light box in turn powered by a transformer connected to mains.

14. A beer engine as claimed in any one of Claims 11 to 13, wherein the logo plate is clipped to the handle.

15. A beer engine as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the logo plate is clipped to, or inserted into, the plinth.

16. A beer engine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A beer engine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A beer engine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.