AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention title: Mounting Device The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Mounting Device Field of the Invention The present invention is divided from Australian patent application no. 2010200211, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, and 5 relates to a mounting device. More particularly the present invention is concerned with a mounting device suitable for attaching a display to a pipe or the like. Preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to a device suitable for attaching an advertising display in the form of a badge to a pipe forming part of beverage dispensing equipment. 10 Background of the Invention In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date: 15 (i) part of common general knowledge; or (ii) known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned. Displaying advertising information such as brand information proximate to beverage dispensing equipment, and in particular taps from which draught beer is 20 dispensed, is a time-honoured tradition. Devices for displaying such information vary depending on the particular type of tap. Twist-to-dispense taps often have a double-sided brand badge screwed into the top thereof (as illustrated in Figures IA and 1B) and secured by a lock nut arrangement to ensure tightness. Typically, one side of the brand badge faces the 25 customer and the other side the bartender. A device for displaying brand information proximate to a tilt-to-dispense tap and a tilt-to-dispense tap are illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B. In this case, the brand badge is integrally formed with a ring member which is permanently closed via a radially-extending grub screw, around a horizontal pipe forming part of the 30 tilt-to-dispense tap equipment. The device is attached to the pipe in a vertical upstanding position with the brand badge facing the customer and typically an identical reverse side facing the bartender. Another device suitable for displaying advertising information proximate to a tilt-to-dispense beer tap is described in United States Published Patent 5 Application No. US 2005/0029309. The device comprises branded tap handles that are operably mounted to a dispensing tower via an elongate mounting member or via a curvilinear collar. The present invention aims to provide an alternative device for displaying advertising information proximate to beverage dispensing equipment and 10 particularly, but not exclusively, proximate to a tilt-to-dispense beer tap. Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a mounting device for mounting a display component to beverage-dispensing equipment, the mounting device including a head member to which the display 15 component is attachable, a neck member extending from and integrally formed with the head member, and adjustable clamp means extending from the neck member, the adjustable clamp means enabling attachment of the device to pipes or the like of beverage-dispensing equipment having varying diameters, the display component being rotationally displaceable relative to the head member so as to 20 selectively orient the display component.
Unlike other prior art systems which have been observed to require a technician to undo the dispensing tap in order to change the branding on the tap, the present invention enables an unskilled bar worker to easily change the branding on the dispensing tap without any impact on the taps themselves. Not 5 only does this save on cost and specialist labour, it also minimises venue downtime and product wastage. The mounting device according to the invention can also be fitted to dispensing taps having pipes of varying diameters. For example, the mounting device is capable of being fitted to at least the three known standard pipe 10 diameters. The present invention can have the additional benefit of a reduction in theft of branded images from dispensing taps. It is also thought that increased beverage sales may flow as a consequence of the prominence and pleasant aesthetic disposition of branding attached to a 15 dispensing tap in the manner provided according to the invention. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided beverage dispensing equipment having a mounting device as described herein. A beverage in accordance with the present invention may include alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Examples of alcoholic beverages include beer and 20 alcoholic cider. Examples of non-alcoholic beverages include carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, brewed or fermented soft drinks such as ginger beer and non-alcoholic cider, and water. Other beverages are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. The mounting device according to the present invention is suitable for 25 displaying brand information proximate to a beverage-dispensing tap so as to indicate the brand of the particular beverage being dispensed. In particular, the mounting device may be mounted on a pipe that often forms part of beverage dispensing tap equipment, with the display component carrying and thus displaying, the brand information. Brand information must of course be changed 30 from time to time when the beverage being dispensed through the proximate tap is changed, or when the brand information is refreshed, such as when a brand or logo is updated from time to time. This is easily achieved with the present invention through replacement of the display component and does not require a corresponding disassembly of the beverage-dispensing equipment. Furthermore, the display component is attachable to the mounting component in two or more selected rotational orientations. This enables the display component, and 5 consequently the brand or other information carried thereon, to be rotated about a rotational axis passing through the mounting component to a suitable position where it is easily viewable by customers standing in front of and/or around the beverage dispensing tap. In a typically preferred embodiment, the head member is substantially 10 planar, and the axis of the closed shape formed by the shoulder member, arms and closure member when attached is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the head member. Alternatively, in a typically preferred embodiment the head member is substantially planar, and the axis of the pipe to which the mounting device is 15 attachable is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the head member. Typically the head member will be substantially circular, although other shapes are contemplated with the scope of the invention. The arrangement of the present invention is preferably such that limit means is provided for limiting the degree of rotational displacement of the display 20 component relative to the mounting device as the display component and the mounting device are rotated relative to one another. In this way selective orientation of the display component may be achieved. The limit means may be complementary so that one component of the limit means is carried by the mounting device and another component of the limit 25 means is carried by the display component. In one embodiment the limit means comprises at least one stop carried by the display component capable of abutting with the neck member of the mounting device so as to limit the path of rotational travel of the display component relative to the mounting device. In a preferred embodiment the display component 30 includes a pair of opposed stops both capable of abutting the neck member of the mounting device so as to limit the path of rotational travel of the display component relative to the mounting device as the display component and the mounting device are rotated relative to one another. The stop or stops will typically be disposed in a lower region of the display component. The stop or stops may be disposed near a lower edge of the display component. In a typically preferred embodiment the stop or stops are disposed adjacent a lower edge of the 5 display component. In another embodiment the limit means comprises a tooth and recess formation capable of interacting so as to limit the path of rotational travel of the display component relative to the mounting device. In one typically preferred embodiment a tooth is carried by the display component and a recess is carried by 10 the mounting device. The recess in this embodiment includes at least one upstanding face, the tooth capable of abutting the upstanding face so as to limit the path of rotational travel of the display component relative to the mounting device as the display component and the mounting device are rotated relative to one another. Preferably the recess has a pair of opposed upstanding faces. 15 Fastening means is preferably provided to fix the orientation of the display component when selected. The fastening means will typically be a screw and thread arrangement, although other fastening arrangements are contemplated within the scope of the invention. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention the 20 adjustable clamp means is mountable to a substantially horizontal pipe or the like. This enables the mounting device to be mounted to horizontal pipes that often form part of tilt-to-dispense beverage dispensing equipment. The adjustable clamp means will typically be removably attachable to a pipe or the like. 25 Preferably, the clamp means includes an arched region which is locatable on a surface, such as an upwards-facing surface, of a horizontal pipe and a separate arced member that is attachable to the arched region so as to encircle the horizontal pipe and thereby mount the clamp means to the horizontal pipe. Typically, the arched region is in the shape of a half oval and the arced 30 member is substantially u-shaped such that a substantially circular shape is formed when the arced member is attached to the arched region.
According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the arced member is attachable to the arched region in a manner that enables a circle of selected radial lengths to be formed. In one particularly preferred embodiment the adjustable clamp means 5 comprises a curved shoulder member extending from and integrally formed with the neck member, a pair of straight arms each of which extends from an end of the shoulder member, and a closure member that is removably attachable to one or both arms such that when attached, the shoulder member, arms and closure member form a closed shape, in use the device being attachable to a pipe or the 10 like by locating the shoulder member on a surface of the pipe and attaching the closure member to the arm or arms so as to encircle the pipe. Brief Description of the Drawings An embodiment of the invention will now be further explained and illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 15 Figure 1A is a perspective view of a prior art twist-to-dispense beer tap having a double-sided brand badge screwed into the top thereof; Figure 1B is an elevation view of a prior art double-sided brand badge disassembled from a twist-to-dispense tap; Figure 2A is a front elevation view of a prior art device for displaying brand 20 information proximate to a tilt-to-dispense tap; Figure 2B is an elevation view of a tilt-to-dispense tap; Figures 3 and 4 are exploded views of a mounting device in accordance with the invention shown proximate to a tilt-to-dispense tap; Figures 5 to 11 are views of the mounting device illustrated in Figures 3 and 25 4 shown in isolation; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a mounting device in accordance with the invention including a graphic information carrier. Detailed Description of the Drawings An embodiment of a mounting device 10 in accordance with the present 30 invention is illustrated in Figures 3 to 12. Device 10 is suitable for, and principally used to, display to customers and bar staff, the brand of beverage that is dispensed through a tilt-to-dispense tap 50. Display of the beverage brand at the point of purchase also serves to advertise and promote the brand in the minds of prospective customers. 5 Device 10 comprises a mounting component 20 that is attachable to a horizontal pipe 51 that forms part of tap equipment 50. A display component 40 is provided that is attachable to mounting component 20. Brand information is carried by display component 40 either in the shape and configuration 41 of display component 40 (as illustrated), or by indicia printed directly on display 10 component 40 or on an intermediate label that is affixed to display component 40. It will be realised by skilled addressees that the present invention is not limited by the manner in which display component 40 happens to carry information. Device 10 may be manufactured from any suitable material including 15 electroplated metal alloys and injection moulded thermoplastics. Display component 40 is replaceable. Once mounting component 20 is attached to pipe 51, display component 40 may be attached and removed from mounting component 20 as and when required. For example, when the beverage dispensed through tap 50 is changed, then a replacement display component 20 carrying brand information relevant to the new beverage is simply attached to mounting component 20 in the manner described below. No portion of tap equipment 51 need be disassembled in order to change the proximately displayed brand information. Mounting component 20 is composed of a circular head member 21 in the 25 centre of which an aperture is formed. The aperture defines a substantially circular void 22. A roughly u-shaped bevelled wall 17 extends from an arc on the surface of head member 21, downwardly and inwardly into void 22. As described in further detail below, bevelled wall 17 acts as a contact surface for attaching display component 40 to mounting component 20. 30 A neck member 23 is located below head member 21 and joins head member 21 to a shoulder member 24. As can be seen, neck 23 extends from and is integrally formed with head member 21. Shoulder member 24 is also, in the embodiment shown, integrally formed with neck 23, thus forming a unitary assembly. Shoulder member 24, with straight arms 25 and roughly u-shaped closure member 27, form a substantial part of adjustable clamp means extending from neck 23 to facilitate attachment of the mounting device 10 to a pipe 51 or the 5 like. It will be seen that, in the embodiment shown, head member 21 is substantially planar. As most clearly illustrated in Figure 9, shoulder member 24 is roughly in the shape of a half oval and defines an arched or curved region 31 therebetween. In 10 particular, shoulder member 24 is composed of a curved member 34 and a pair of spaced-apart, straight arms 25 that extend from each end of curved member 34. Each pair of arms defines a recess 32 that extends along the length of the arms 25. An arced, cut-out region 65 (Fig 10), is located above central aperture 22. Cut-out region 65 has a greater radius of curvature than central aperture 22 and is 15 bounded by side walls 67. The boundary between void 22 and head member 21 is designated with reference numeral 13. A roughly u-shaped bevelled wall 17 extends from an arc on the surface of head member 21, downwardly and inwardly into void 22 to the boundary 13. Mounting component 20 further includes a separate, roughly u-shaped 20 closure member 27 that includes an integrally formed curved base member 71 and first and second straight walls 73, 75 extending from either end of base member 71. Tabs 28 extend out from each wall 73, 75 of closure member 27. A clearance hole 29 (Fig 3) is formed in each tab that is suitable to allow a screw fastener 30 to pass through. 25 Mounting component 20 is attachable to pipe 51 by first locating mounting component 20 on the upwards-facing surface of pipe 51 so that arms 25 project downwardly around lateral surfaces 52 of pipe 51. When located in this way, head member 21 projects upwardly from pipe 51. Owing to shoulder member's 24 roughly half oval shape, mounting component 20 sits securely on pipe 51 on 30 account of the curved member 34 contacting the upwards-facing surface of pipe 51, and the straight arms 25 making an essentially tangential contact with the lateral surfaces of pipe 51.
U-shaped member 27 is then brought to the downwards-facing surface of pipe 51 and tabs 28 are slotted into recesses 32 defined by arms 25. Screws 30 are screwed through holes 29 in tab 28 up into a threaded hole 33 (Fig 6) formed in the wall of shoulder member 24 from which arms 25 extend. As illustrated in 5 Figure 8, once screwed into place, u-shaped member 27 and shoulder member 24 encircle pipe 51 and thereby mount mounting component 20 onto pipe 51. In this way an adjustable clamp means is provided. Mounting component 20 includes parallel ribs 60 (Figs 4 and 11) located on u-shaped member 27 and a rubber strip 53 (Fig 7) located on the upper arc or 10 curved region 31 that serve to retain mounting component 20 against rotation about pipe 51, once attached. It can be seen that when mounting component 20 is attached to pipe 51, the plane of head member 21 is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the closed shape formed by shoulder member 24, arms 25 and closure member 27. 15 Expressed in another way, it can be seen that when mounting component 20 is attached to pipe 51, the plane of head member 21 is substantially perpendicular to the axis of pipe 51. Mounting component 20 is also easily removable from pipe 51, which may be required when tap equipment 51 requires cleaning and/or servicing. To 20 remove mounting component 20, screws 30 are simply unwound and u-shaped member 27 taken from the rear-facing wall of pipe 51. Display component 40 is attached to mounting component 20 through cooperating parts provided on each component 20 and 40. On display component 40, the cooperating part is in the form of first 44 and second 61 25 annular formations provided on rear face 42 (Figs 4 and 11) of display component 40. Second annular formation 61 is concentrically located within first annular formation 44 and has a smaller radius than annular formation 44. A tooth 62 extends radially outwardly from the upper circumferential surface of second annular formation 61. 30 An annular rail 63 (with first 44 and second 61 annular formations at its centre) projects out of the plane of rear face 42, to define a circular region 64 in its interior. Circular region 64 roughly coincides in shape with head member 21 of mounting component 20. This arrangement enables display component 40 to be substantially flush with mounting component 20 once the two components are attached. The cooperating part on mounting component 20 is central aperture 22 5 provided in head member 21. Display component 40 is attached to mounting component 20 by contacting display component 40 with head member 21, so that annular formations 44 and 61 pass through central aperture 22. A rubber strip 55 (Figure 7) located on the bottom rim of head member 21 also contacts display component 10 40 when attached to mounting component 20 so as to reduce the occurrence of unwanted rotation of display component 40 about mounting component 20. Tooth 62 locates within cut-out region or recess 65, and is contained within cut-out region 65 by side walls 67 having a pair of opposed upstanding faces. A threaded fastening stud 47 is then passed through central aperture 22 of head 15 member 21 until the end of a shaft portion 49 of fastening stud 47 is located at the top of a threaded circular void 69 defined by second annular formation 61. Opposed upstanding faces of side walls 67, with tooth 62, provide limit means capable of interacting so as to limit the path of rotational travel of the display component 40 relative to mounting component 20. Tooth 62 is capable of 20 abutting an upstanding face of side wall 67 so as to limit the path of rotational travel of the display component relative to mounting component 20 as the display component 40 and mounting component 20 are rotated relative to one another. An alternative or additional form of limit means is provided by opposed stops 81, 82 disposed adjacent a lower edge of display component 40. Opposed 25 stops 81, 82 are capable of abutting neck 23 of mounting component 20 so as to limit the path of rotational travel of display component 40 relative to mounting component 20 as display component 40 and mounting component 20 are rotated relative to one another. Once mounted, the angle of display component 40 relative to a rotational 30 axis A (Figs 4 and 11) passing through mounting component 20 is adjustable by rotating display component 40 about axis A within cut-out region 65 until a desired position for optimum viewing of display component 40 is reached, where fastening stud 47 is secured tightly to lock display component 40 from rotating. Mounting component 20 may be rotated throughout an angle of approximately 50* in either direction relative to a vertical line 'B' (Fig 11). A suitable security tool, such as an 'Allen key' (not shown) is then inserted 5 into a hexagonal (or alternatively a 'snake-eye') socket 48 formed in a plate portion 56 of fastening stud 47, and fastening stud 47 is screwed into threaded circular void 69, until the first side of plate portion 56 is in contact with bevelled wall 17 and second side of plate portion 56 is flush with rear face 42 of display component 40. Once attached in this way, contact between shaft 49 and void 69 10 acts to prevent axial displacement of display component 40 away from mounting component 20 along axis 'A', and contact between plate portion 56 and bevelled wall 17 acts to prevent rotational displacement of display component about axis 'A'. Similarly, a security tool is used to remove display component 40 from 15 mounting component 20. In particular, tool is inserted into a hexagonal (or alternatively a 'snake-eye') socket 48 and unscrewed until end of shaft 49 is clear of threaded void 69. This disengages the lock between mounting component 20 and display component 40. As discussed above, the angle which mounting component 20 and display 20 component 40 make to each other when the two are attached is adjustable. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 9 mounting component 20 and display component 40 are connected parallel to each other. However, other orientations are possible where components 20 and 40 are connected at an angle to each other. Angular connection enables display component 40, and 25 consequently the brand or other information carried thereon, to be connected to mounting component 20 in a suitable position where it is easily viewable by customers standing in front of and/or around the beverage dispensing tap. The orientation of display component 40 can also be suitably adjusted to display brand information to customers who are not in the immediate vicinity of the dispensing 30 tap, with a view to influencing that customer's choice of beverage as they wait for beverage service.
Display component 40 also conveniently includes openings 66 and 68, cut respectively out of the top edge of display component 40 and of the upper circumferential surface of annular rail 63. Openings 66 and 68 allow a graphic information carrier 70 (Fig 12) upon which additional point-of-sale material may 5 be carried, to be securely inserted into mounting device 10. In particular, graphic information carrier 70 includes a cut-out archway made up of a rectangular 72 and circular region 74. Information carrier 70 is inserted into opening 66, passes through opening 68 and is pushed in a downwards direction until circular region 74 encircles and snap-fits onto annular formation 44. 10 The word 'comprising' and forms of the word 'comprising' as used in this description and in the claims do not limit the invention claimed to exclude any variants or additions. Modifications and improvements to the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope of this invention.