GB2442949A

GB2442949A - Dispenser handle with display

Info

Publication number: GB2442949A
Application number: GB0613094A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Duncan James Bradley; Paul Henry Borkowski; Sarah Jayne Brindley
Original assignee: GREENE KING BREWING AND RETAIL
Current assignee: GREENE KING BREWING AND RETAIL
Priority date: 2006-06-30
Filing date: 2006-06-30
Publication date: 2008-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-30
Also published as: GB2442949B; GB0613094D0

Abstract

A handle arrangement is provided for a beverage dispenser, the handle arrangement comprising a hollow handle 19 having a top, a bottom and a side wall extending between the top and the bottom, the side wall having at least one opening (16, fig.2) into the hollow part of the handle; a badge 10 having a display portion and a projection (15, fig. 2) for insertion into the opening so that the display portion is facing a desired direction; and fixing means 17 for retaining the projection in the opening.

Description

HANDLE ARRANGEMENT FOR A BEVERAGE DISPENSER

The present invention relates to a handle arrangement for a beverage dispenser. In particular, the present invention relates to a handle arrangement having a badge which cannot be removed from its desired position on the handle when the handle is fully assembled.

A beer engine is a typical way for beverages to be dispensed into a glass for sale to customers. Generally, a beer engine comprises a piston type pump mounted below a bar top which is connected to a beer keg or other suitable beverage container at a remote location. The manual actuation of a handle mounted above the bar operates the piston type pump which draws beverage from the keg, through a pipe and into the glass.

Existing handle arrangements normally consist of a counter plate mounted to the bar top, a hinged handle assembly (that is actuated to draw up the beverage) passing through the counter plate and a badge that is attached to the handle. The badge is oriented on the handle such that it displays to customers, or potential customers, the particular type of beverage that is dispensed when the handle is actuated.

The handle arrangement above the bar is usually designed to be visually attractive so that potential customers will buy the beverage in preference to other brands that may be placed along the bar. Current handles are typically constructed of brass and ceramics.

At present, the badges are clamped to the handle with exposed screws and can be easily removed by unauthorised persons.

The current handle arrangements suffer from a problem in that the badge can be easily removed by an unauthorised person. This has the result that a company's branded badge can be removed and replaced with a competitors branded badge. it is also possible, with current handles, to reorientate the badge on the handle so that the badge is facing away from potential customers. This has the disadvantage that customers will not be aware of the beverages that are for sale.

An object of the present invention is to provide a handle arrangement to which a badge can be attached in such away that the badge cannot be removed or reorientated by an unauthorised person.

According to the present invention there is provided a handle arrangement for a beverage dispenser, the handle arrangement comprising: a hollow handle having a top, a bottom and a side wall extending between the top and the bottom, the side wall having at least one opening into the hollow part of the handle; a badge having a display portion for indicating the beverage that can be dispensed and a projection for insertion into the opening so that the display portion is facing a desired direction; and fixing means for retaining the projection in the opening.

The handle of the present invention is constructed so that the badge cannot be removed from the handle when the handle is attached to a bar top, without dismantling the handle. This prevents theft of the badge and it also prevents the badge from being reoriented with respect to the handle. Furthermore, since the handle components are non-standard, it is not possible to attach a competitor's badge to the handle of the present invention. This is particularly advantageous as the handle arrangement and engine are typically supplied and serviced by the beverage provider. As such, by preventing other brands of beverage from being dispensed, the present invention helps to ensure that the handle arrangement and the engine to which it is attached is used only to supply the intended beverage.

Preferably, the bottom of the handle is arranged to be connected to a quadrant, which is a standard component mounted on a bar top.

Preferably, access to the fixing means is prevented when the handle is connected to the quadrant. An advantage of this is that it prevents the badge from being removed from the handle when the handle is assembled on the quadrant.

The fixing means may only be accessible through the bottom of the handle.

The fixing means may include a portion for engaging with actuating means, the arrangement further comprising a closure means arranged to be disposed, relative to the engagement portion, to prevent disengagement of the fixing means from the projection. The closure means prevents the badge from being removed from the handle arrangement by restricting access to the fixing means. The actuating means may be a screwdriver or the like or an operator's hand.

The closure means may be a shaft which extends through the hollow handle or the closure means may be the quadrant, or it may be an adapter disposed at the bottom of the handle.

The handle may have a substantially longitudinal axis and the badge may disposed at an angle relative to the substantially longitudinal axis. This allows a customer or a potential customer to see the branding displayed on the badge clearly.

A ring may arranged to be mounted around the quadrant and the ring may be formed in a number of colours.

An decorative mounting may be provided at the top of the handle, the decorative mounting being attached to the shaft such that it cannot be removed from the shaft when the shaft is disposed inside the handle.

One example of a handle arrangement according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a badge.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a badge clip.

Figure 3 shows a side cross section view of the badge clip and the badge.

Figure 4 shows a side cross section view of the handle arrangement.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the handle arrangement.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the handle arrangement and a quadrant.

Figure 7 shows a side cross section view of the handle arrangement.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view the handle arrangement and the quadrant.

Figure 1 shows a badge 10 which is branded in order to display to a customer a particular type of beverage. The branding information is displayed on the face not shown in Figure 1 and the rear surface of the badge is shown in Figure 1. Attached to or integrally formed with the rear of the badge is a lug 11 having a blind hole 12 which is threaded.

Figure 2 shows a badge clip for receiving the lug 11 which is attached to the rear surface of the badge 10. As will be described later, the generally circular outer surface of the badge clip 13 forms part of the outer surface of the handle. The badge clip 13 is provided with a projection 15 within which a recess 14 is formed for mating with the lug 11. The lug 11 and the mating recess 14 are generally square such that when the lug ii is inserted into the recess 14, it is not possible to move the badge 10 relative to the badge clip 13.

Disposed in the base of the recess 14 is a through hole 16 which extends through the badge clip 13. as seen in the cross section in Figure 3. A through hole 9 is also disposed in the badge clip 13, extending along a generally longitudinal axis of the badge clip 13.

Figure 3 shows the badge 10 and the badge clip 13 connected by means of a screw 17 which retains the badge on the badge clip by screwing the screw 17 into the thread in the blind hole 12 on the lug 11. The screw 17 can be screwed onto the lug by inserting actuating means, i.e. a screwdriver, into the badge clip 13 through the hole 16. As can be seen in Figure 3, when the screw is screwed into the blind hole 12, the head 1 7a of the screw 17 does not project into the through hole 9. As will be described later, this allows the insertion of a shaft through the through hole 9.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the projection 15 is sloped such that when the lug ills inserted into the recess 14, the badge 10 is sloped at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the handle. This allows a customer, standing such that they look down on the badge, to have a better view of the branding on the badge than if the badge was vertical. Of course, the badge could be sloped by making the lug itself of

a suitable geometry.

Figures 4 and 5 show the badge 10 attached to a handle 19. The handle 19 is made up of three sections, an upper section 20, a lower section 21 and the badge clip 13. When the upper section 20, the lower section 21 and the badge clip 13 are placed together, the handle forms a generally elongate tubular shape.

At the top of the handle 19 there is provided a crown 23 which attaches to the top of a shaft 22. The crown 23 is attached to the top of the shaft 22 by a circlip (not shown), although it could be attached by screwing it onto a thread on the shaft. The top of the shaft 22 is preferably shaped such that crown cannot be removed from the shaft without dismantling the handle arrangement. The opposite end of the shaft 22 is threaded and receives a nut 24. The nut 24 engages with a surface 21a on lower section 21 and when tightened, the handle 19 made up of the three sections 20,21 and 13, is held together by being sandwiched between the crown 23 and the nut 24.

As can be seen in the cross section of Figure 4, once the shaft 22 has been inserted through the through hole 9 in the badge clip, the screw 17 is inaccessible from the exterior surface of the handle. This provides the advantage that the badge 10 can not be removed from the handle when the handle is fully assembled with the badge.

Furthermore, as can be seen in Figure 2, flat surfaces Ba and 8b are provided on the badge clip 13. These flat surface 8a and 8b mate with corresponding surfaces (not shown) on the upper and lower sections of the handle 19 and these mating surfaces prevent the badge clip 13 from rotating relative to the handle 19.

Figure 6 shows how the handle 19 can be connected to a bar top (not shown) so that it can be actuated to dispense a beverage. The handle 19 is connected by attaching the shaft 22 to a quadrant 27 which is then linked to a pump (not shown) below the bar top. This connection is explained in detail with relation to Figure 8. The quadrant 27 passes through a counterplate arrangement 26 which is mounted on the bar top. Figure 6 displays the handle in an actuating state, ie. it is pulled downwards with respect to the counterplate so that the pump (not shown) is actuated to enable a beverage to flow through a pipe (not shown). Figure 7 displays the assembly in its rest state, i.e. when the handle is not actuated.

The quadrant 27 is a standard component to which the handle of the present invention can be attached. There are different types of quadrants which can be attached to corresponding different forms of shafts, as can be seen from the different length of the shaft 22 in Figures 4 and 7.

Figure 8 illustrates the quadrant 27 which includes an upper tubular section 28.

An adapter 29 is screwed onto the quadrant 27 and is secured on the upper tubular Section 28 with a quadrant nut 30. The adapter 29 includes a series of holes 31 through each of which a screw 32 can be inserted to attach the adapter 29 to corresponding holes on the lower handle section 21 (see Figure 6). The upper tubular section 28 of the quadrant 27 connects with the shaft 22 so that when the handle is pulled downwards, the quadrant itself moves.

As described above, flat surfaces 8a and 8b are provided so that the badge is always orientated in the correct position relative to the handle. In a similar manner, flat surfaces 33 are provided on the adapter 29 to mate with corresponding surfaces on the handle 19 so that the handle is always positioned at the correct orientation relative to the quadrant.

The quadrant 27 is a standard component associated with bar tops. However, the handle 9 is not standard. This is advantageous since it prevents competitor's branded badges from being attached to the handle of the present invention.

The above description describes an example in which the badge 10 is retained on the handle 19 such that it cannot be removed unless the handle l9is disassembled from the quadrant 27 so that the shaft 22 can be removed to allow access to the screw 17. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment.

For instance, in another example (not shown) the handle arrangement does not include the central shaft 22. The badge 10 is retained to the badge clip 13 by means of a central bolt extending upwards from the bottom of the handle 19 and engaging with the badge clip 13. In this particular example, when the handle is attached to the quadrant 27, the central bolt is inaccessible to the exterior of the handle since it is blocked by the quadrant 27.

Claims

1. A handle arrangement for a beverage dispenser, the handle arrangement comprising: a hollow handle having a top, a bottom and a side wall extending between the top and the bottom, the side wall having at least one opening into the hollow part of the handle; a badge having a display portion for indicating the beverage that can be dispensed and a projection for insertion into the opening so that the display portion is facing a desired direction; and fixing means for retaining the projection in the opening.

2. A handle arrangement according to claim I, wherein the bottom of the handle is arranged to be connected to a quadrant.

3. A handle arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the access to the fixing means is prevented when the handle is connected to the quadrant.

4. A handle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means is only accessible through the bottom of the handle.

5. A handle arrangement according to claim I, wherein the fixing means includes a portion for engaging with actuating means, the arrangement further comprising a closure means arranged to be disposed, relative to the engagement portion, to prevent 25. disengagement of the fixing means from the projection.

6. A handle arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the closure means is a shaft which extends through the hollow handle.

7. A handle arrangement according to claim 2 and 5, wherein the closure means is the quadrant.

8. A handle arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the closure means is an adapter disposed at the bottom of the handle.

9. A handle arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the handle has a substantially longitudinal axis and the badge is disposed at an angle relative to the substantially longitudinal axis.

10. A handle arrangement according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a ring is arranged to be mounted around the quadrant and the ring is formed in a number of colours.

11. A handle arrangement according to claim 7, wherein an decorative mounting is provided at the top of the handle, the decorative mounting being attached to the shaft such that it cannot be removed from the shaft when the shaft is disposed inside the handle.