GB2072499A

GB2072499A - Bar assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2072499A
Application number: GB8010110A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-03-26
Filing date: 1980-03-26
Publication date: 1981-10-07
Also published as: IT8053403V0; IT8068140A0; GB2072499B; FR2478980A1; IT1128936B

Abstract

A bar assembly is disclosed comprising a support column (10) adapted to extend upwardly from the floor of a room and which carries means (29) for the storage of drinking glasses and means (24, 25 and 27) for the storage of bottles of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The items mounted on the column extend outwardly therefrom around its entire periphery. The items are rotatable in a horizontal plane relative to the column and the column is clamped between the floor and ceiling. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION r Bar assembly Tkis invention concerns a bar assembly which is arranged to provide in compact and easily accessible form a number of drinking glasses as well as supplies of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

Very few domestic dwelling houses are provided with a permanent bar on the grounds of the availability of space and cost. This lack is generally entirely acceptable but becomes inconvenient at times when the occupiers of the house are having anything more than a very small party.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bar assembly which can be transported and temporarily mounted in a room for use and subsequently removed, and one which is particularly appealing to the eye and convenient to use.

According to the present invention there is provided a bar assembly comprising at least one support column which is adapted to be secured in position so as to extend vertically upwards from the floor of a room and which mounts at least the following items, means for the storage of drinking glasses, and means for the storage of bottles of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages of various kinds, at least one of said items extending outwardly from the support column around its entire periphery.

Preferably the support column also mounts a member providing a table-top.

Preferably at least some of said items are mounted so as to be freely rotatable around the column which extends upwardly from the floor.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing which show, by way of example only, one form of transportable bar assembly embodying the in vention.

Of the drawing: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the bar assembly; and Figure 2 shows a partly cut-away fragmentary view of the central support column of the bar assembly of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the bar assembly is essentially comprised by a central support column generally indicated at 1 0. The central support column includes an inner part generally indicated at 11 and a sleeve 1 2 which surrounds the inner part 11.

The inner part 11 is comprised by upper and lower tubular members 1 3 and 14 respectively, each of which is telescopically slidable over a central tubular part 1 5. Plates 1 6 and 1 7 seal the bore of the members 1 3 and 1 4 a certain distance inwardly from their open lower and upper ends respectively. A compression spring 1 8 is located within the parts 13, 1 4 and 1 5 and has its opposite ends abutting the inwardly facing surfaces of the plates 16 and 17.

The upper end of the member 1 3 is connected to a plate 1 9 whose upper surface covered by a resilient pad 20 which is adapted to engage with the underside of the ceiling of a room. The lower end of the member 14 connects with a base member 21 which may be in the form of a plate or member of outwardly radially extending legs.

It will be understood that the members 1 3 and 14 may be pushed towards one another to reduce the overall length of the central column 10 to enable it to be positioned vertically within a room and then released to force the base member 21 and pad 20 into pressurised engagement with the floor and ceiling respectively thus to secure the column rigidly and vertically in position. The members 1 3 and 1 4 carry blocks 22 and 23 respectively which support the sleeve 1 2 which is preferably of decorative form, for example, chromium-plated.

Various accessories are connected to the sleeve 1 2. Thus, in this example, there are two circular tray-like receptacles 24 and 25 for storing bottles of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages of various kinds. There is also a circular plate 26 forming a table which can be used to carry the usual bar accessories such as a bucket of ice, corkscrew, bottle opener and the like as well as providing room for the mixing of cocktails and so on. There is also a circular plate 27 which carries brackets 28 of known kind for supporting bottles in an inverted position and provided with measuredispensing optics at their lower ends. Above the plate 27 is a storage rack generally indicated at 29 for drinking glasses comprised by spaced circular plates 30, 31 and 32.The plates 30 and 31 are provided with notches around their peripheral edges whereby stemmed drinking glasses of various shapes and sizes can be supported in upright disposition. The plate 32 reduces the ingress of dust to glasses supported in the plate 31. Preferably the arrangement of plates 30 to 32 forms a rack of the kind described and claimed in detail in prior British Patent Specification No.

1, 564,766.

In this example, the receptacles 24 and 25, and plates 27, 30 and 31 are connected with the sleeve 10 by means of joints 33 permitting them to be rotated in a horizontal plane relative to the sleeve 1 2.

It will be understood that the entire bar assembly is extremely compact and can be positioned in the corner of a room but that access may readily be had to all of the glasses, bottles and the like carried by the assembly by the simple expedient of rotating the parts which carry them relative to the sleeve 12 as may be required.

Although the arrangement described above is of circular shape when seen in plan, it will be understood that bar assemblies of rectangular shape, perhaps supported at each of their ends by separate columns, may be provided and that a series of such rectangular assemblies could be positioned in side-by-side relationship to form a bar of any desired length.

The various parts mounted on the sleeve 12 may be made of any suitable material, though plastics is preferred.

It is envisaged that retailers of alcoholic beverages may wish to loan units of the kind described fully stocked with returnable glasses and other accessories as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on a sale-or-return basis to their customers for the purposes of promoting sale of their merchandise.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible without departing from the scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Thus, for example, the column may be of fixed length and have a cranked upper part arranged for connection with a wall rather than the ceiling.

Although the bar of the invention is intended to be transportable, it is believed that some may wish to locate one in their homes or elsewhere on a permanent or semi-permanent basis.

Claims

1. A bar assembly comprising at least one support column which is adapted to be secured in position so as to extend vertically upwards from the floor of a room and which mounts at least the following items, means for the storage of drinking glasses and means for the storage of bottles of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages of various kinds, at least one of said items extending outwardly from the support column around its entire periphery.

2. A bar assembly according to claim 1 wherein said support column also mounts a member which provides a table-top.

3. A bar assembly according to either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein at least some of the items mounted on the support column are connected with the column by joints permitting them to be rotated in a horizontal plane relative to the column.

4. A bar assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the support column is adapted to be secured temporarily in position whereby the bar assembly may be readily transported.

5. A bar assembly according to claim 4 wherein said support column is of telescopic construction so as to be expandable to engage both the floor and ceiling of a room thus to secure it in position.

6. A bar assembly according to claim 5 wherein said support column is telescopically expandable under the influence of compres- sion spring means.

7. A bar assembly according to either claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the column has a floor-engaging base member at its lower end and a resilient ceiling-engaging pad at its upper end.

8. A bar assembly according to any preceding claim wherein there is a single support column and wherein all the items mounted thereon are of circular shape, the column passing through the centre thereof.

9. A bar assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the means for the storage of drinking glasses comprises a number of plate-like members having notches around their edges to permit stemmed drinking glasses to be stored in upright disposition.

10. A bar assembly substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the figures of the accompanying drawing.