US20130340462A1

US20130340462A1 - Ice bar system

Info

Publication number: US20130340462A1
Application number: US13/530,533
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeffrey L. Bush; Jeffrey G. Kerber
Original assignee: BUSH REFRIGERATION Inc
Current assignee: BUSH REFRIGERATION Inc
Priority date: 2012-06-22
Filing date: 2012-06-22
Publication date: 2013-12-26

Abstract

An ice bar system utilizes an ice bar unit having a sunken well or reservoir circumscribed by a floor member and front, rear, and lateral walls upstanding from the floor member. Refrigerant filled coils located beneath the surface of the floor member are utilized, via a compressor system, to create a solid block of ice within the reservoir, after it is filled with water. The ice bar unit also has mounting brackets which extend outwardly from its lateral walls, each mounting bracket has horizontal and vertical members which frame the ice bar unit, the horizontal member also being conveniently available as arm rests for bar patrons.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bars, pubs, many restaurants and various other eating and drinking establishments have a designated bar area, with a bar top, in which drinks are served and at which patrons sit and stand. Drinks, cocktails, and beer served up on tap or in bottles or mugs at these places are routinely served cold to the patron. However, the contents of glasses and bottles positioned on the bar top tend to lose their chill and, if nursed long enough, will eventually become room temperature. While attempts have been made to keep such drinks cold, e.g. from placing drinks in ice on bar top surfaces to trying to refrigerate surfaces themselves, no single method presents a consistently effective, efficient, and economical system for accomplishing this objective, and there are none which can readily be installed in new bars and retro-fitted into existing ones.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus the object of the present invention to provide an ice bar system which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of prior systems and attempts to refrigerate and maintain the cold temperature of glasses, bottles, and other drinks placed on a bar top.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an ice bar system which is easily installed as a new bar top or retro-fitted into an existing bar.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ice bar system which efficiently and effectively maintains the cold temperature of glasses, bottles, and other drinks placed on a bar top.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ice bar system in which solid ice is effectively utilized as a bar top, the ice being easily formed, maintained, and then melted and removed for cleaning or other purposes when the system is no longer required.
These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, an ice bar system comprising an ice bar unit having a sunken well or reservoir circumscribed by a floor member and front, rear, and lateral walls upstanding from the floor member. Refrigerant filled coils located beneath the surface of the floor member are utilized, via a compressor system, to create a solid block of ice within the reservoir, after it is filled with water. The ice bar unit also has mounting brackets which extend outwardly from its lateral walls, each mounting bracket has horizontal and vertical members which frame the ice bar unit, the horizontal members also being conveniently available as arm rests for bar patrons.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the ice bar unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the ice bar unit of the present invention, showing its coil configuration.

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the ice bar unit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken from FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end and partial sectioned view of the ice bar system of the present invention mounted on a bar.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the ice bar unit of the present invention in use with its reservoir filled with a solid block of ice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The ice bar system of the present invention comprises ice bar unit 2 of given length having floor member 4 with top surface 6 and bottom surface 8, each extending the length of the ice bar unit. Front wall 10, lateral walls 12 and 14, and rear wall 16 extend up from and circumscribe top surface 6 of floor member 4. Sunken well 18 creating a reservoir for containing water and ice is formed over top surface 6 and within front, lateral, and rear walls 10, 12, 14, and 16. Drain 17 is provided within floor member 4.
Ice bar unit 2 further comprises a series of switchback coils 20 extending substantially the length of bottom. surface 8 of floor member 4. Coils 20 are filled with refrigerant 21 and are located immediately adjacent to and beneath bottom surface 8 of floor member 4. Coils 20 are secured to bottom surface 8 by thermal mastic adhesive 22 and aluminum foil tape 24. A layer of elastomeric pipe insulation 26 and a layer of polystyrene board 28 cover the entire length of coils 20 underneath floor member 4. While FIGS. 3 and 4 partially show pipe insulation 26 and polystyrene board 28, these coverings extend the full length of ice bar unit 2.
Coils 20 are components of a compressor driven refrigerant system and they constitute the operating components of ice bar system 1. These cooling components typically include thermal expansion value 30 controlled via sensing bulb 32, and pump down solenoid value 34. Quick disconnect members 36 and 38 are configured to be attached to compressor unit 40 via appropriate tubing lines 42 and 44.
Ice bar unit 2 is configured to be simply installed and mounted on bar 60 by means of mounting brackets 46 and 48, extending outwardly from lateral walls 12 and 14. Each mounting bracket 46 and 48 frames ice bar unit 1 and each has a horizontal member 47 and 49, and a vertical member 51 and 53 respectively. Brackets 46 and 48 are mounted over bar supports 66 and 68, as best seen in FIG. 3. Ice bar unit 2 is then secured to mounting brackets 46 and 48 of bar 60 by screws or equivalent attachment means. Once so secured, horizontal members 47 and 49 can be conveniently utilized as arm rests for patrons standing or sitting at bar 60.
In use, sunken well or reservoir 18 is filled with water. Compressor unit 40 is operated to cool refrigerant filled coils 20 to a cold state and to run refrigerant 21 through the coils, as is known in the industry. As this process continues, water in reservoir 18 is cooled, then becomes cold, and eventually turns to a solid block of ice 70. The top surface of ice 70 becomes the top surface of the ice bar system. Bottles of beer 72, glasses 74, etc. which are placed on ice 70 will thus remain cold, while patrons nurse their drinks.
When there is a need to remove the ice for cleaning, because the system is no longer required, or for other reasons, compressor unit 40 is simply turned off and ice 70 is allowed to melt. The water from the melted ice then flows down drain 17 into a water discharge line.
Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An ice bar system to be mounted on a bar, said system comprising:

an ice bar unit having a given length, the ice bar unit comprising:

a floor member comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, each surface extending the length of the ice bar unit, and front, rear and lateral walls upstanding from and circumscribing the top surface, thereby creating reservoir means between the walls and over the top surface for containing water and ice within the reservoir means;

refrigerant filled coils adjacent to and beneath the bottom surface, the coils extending substantially the length of the bottom surface; and

mounting means extending from the lateral walls for supporting the ice bar unit on a bar; and

means for cooling the refrigerant in the coils to a cold state and running the cold refrigerant through the coils, whereby the cold refrigerant running through the coils freezes the water in the reservoir means, resulting in solid ice being contained within the reservoir means, the top surface of the solid ice forming the top surface of the ice bar system.

2. The ice bar system as in claim 1 wherein the means for cooling the refrigerant to a cold state and running the refrigerant through the coils comprises a refrigerant condensing unit.

3. The ice bar system as in claim 1 wherein the mounting means comprises mounting brackets extending outwardly from the lateral walls, said mounting brackets each having a horizontal member which frames the ice bar unit.

4. The ice bar system as in claim 1 wherein the coils are secured adjacent to and underneath the bottom surface.

5. The ice bar system as in claim 4 wherein the coils arc secured by thermal mastic adhesive and aluminum tape.

6. The ice bar system as in claim 1 further comprising insulation covering the coils and extending substantially the length of the bottom surface.

7. The ice bar system as in claim 5 further comprising insulation covering the coils and extending substantially the length of the bottom surface.

8. The ice bar system as in claim 7 wherein the mounting means comprises mounting brackets extending outwardly from the lateral walls, said mounting brackets each having a horizontal member which frames the ice bar unit.

9. The ice bar system as in claim 1 wherein the reservoir means comprises a sunken well over the top surface.