WO1991010616A2

WO1991010616A2 - Wine chiller

Info

Publication number: WO1991010616A2
Application number: PCT/GB1991/000042
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Barber
Original assignee: Peter Barber
Priority date: 1990-01-11
Filing date: 1991-01-11
Publication date: 1991-07-25
Also published as: GB9000630D0; WO1991010616A3; AU7173991A

Abstract

A wine chiller apparatus comprises a cubicle (20) for receiving one or more wine boxes (10), with the outlet spout (14) of each wine box projecting through an aperture (28) in a front wall (26) of the cubicle, and means (34) for cooling the interior of the cubicle. The front wall (26) is removable by sliding upwards, for putting in or removing the wine boxes. A pivoted lever (30) serves to depress and so open the tap (16) which is provided in the spout (14).

Description

WINE CHILLER

This invention relates to an apparatus for chilli wine and more particularly to such an apparatus for use at dispensing point or sales outlet.

In accordance with this invention there is provided wine chiller apparatus which comprises a cubicle for receivi one or more wine boxes, with the outlet spout of the or eac wine box projecting through a respective aperture formed in front wall of the cubicle, and means for cooling the interio of the cubicle.

The invention therefore provides an apparatus fo maintaining one or more wine boxes chilled at a dispensin point, e.g. in a wine bar, public house or restaurant.

Preferably the front wall of the cubicle can b removed, e.g. by sliding upwards, for putting wine boxes int or taking them out of, the cubicle.

Preferably the apparatus further includes a pivote lever for the or each wine box, the lever serving to depres and so open, the tap which is provided in the spout of the win box. The lever may be pivoted to a mount which clamps aroun the spout of the wine box. Instead, the lever may be pivote to the front wall of the cubicle.

Preferably the cubicle is able to receive a plurali of wine boxes, e.g. three wine boxes, and preferably stops ar provided for closing any of the apertures in the front wal which are not in use should at any time there be less than th maximum number of wine boxes in place in the cubicle.

Preferably the cubicle is provided with a resilientl loaded platform for each box, on which the box will rest. Thi platform may comprise a spring-loaded plate. The platfor allows for wine boxes having different distances between thei bottom and the outlet spout: also as the wine box empties, th platform is able to displace the box upwardly and so tilt i forwardly (its spout being trapped in the aperture in the fron wall of the cubicle) to avoid wine being left in the bottom o the box.

An embodiment of this invention will now be describe by way of example only and with reference to the accompanyin drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a win chiller apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows details of one operating leve arrangement for the apparatus; and

FIGURE 3 shows details of an alternative operatin lever arrangement.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a win chiller apparatus for wine boxes. One such wine box is show at 10 and comprising a box formed of appropriate card and o 'cuboid shape with a handle 12 in its top and a tubular spout 1 projecting from its front wall adjacent its bottom. The spou 14 is provided with a tap 16 which is normally closed but ca be opened, to dispense wine from within the box, by depressin the top of the tap.

The wine chiller apparatus comprises a cubicle 20 o cuboid shape to receive the wine boxes. The cubicle has bottom 21, back 22, sides 23, 24, top 25 and a removable fron wall 26. The apparatus includes an electrically operate cooling means accomodated in a compartment 27 to the rear o the cubicle, although instead it may be accomodated in compartment in the bottom of the cubicle. A cooling element or heat exchanger panel of the cooling means is mounted and cooling element panel against the back wall 22 of the cubicle. The top 25 preferably forms a fixed part of the cubicle, whic is therefore completely closed except for the front, which ca be opened by sliding the front wall 26 upwardly, for putting wine boxes into or taking them out of the apparatus. Preferably the front wall 26 is transparent.

In the example shown, the cubicle is dimensioned to receive three wine boxes. The front wall of the cubicle is provided with three apertures 28 through which the spouts o the wine boxes project. Each aperture 28 is formed by a semi circular cut-out in a fixed lower element 29 of the front o the cubicle and by a semi-circular cut-out in the lower edge o the removable front wall 26 of the cubicle. The spout 14 o each wine box is a close fit within its aperture 28 and i trapped when the front wall 26 is slid down into position.

For each wine box, an operating lever 30 is provide and in the example shown in Figures 1 and 2 this lever i pivoted at one end to a bracket 31 by means of a pin 32: th bracket 31 is fixed to the front of the wall 26 above th respective aperture. Instead, and as shown in Figure 3, th lever 30 may be pivoted by means of a pin 33 to one piece 3 of a two-piece mount 35, 36. The two pieces 35, 36 engag together to clamp around the spout 14 of the wine box, with th lever 30 projecting forwards over the top of the tap 16 of th wine box. In either arrangement, upon depression the lever 3 bears on the tap 16 to depress this in order to dispense win from the box. The lever 30 accordingly provides a mor convenient means for dispensing wine than depressing the tap 1 directly. The lever operating arrangement shown in Figure may be used on a wine box 10 when the wine box is used outsid the apparatus and is free-standing e.g. when the wine is red o otherwise does not require cooling.

As described above, preferably three spring loade platforms are provided, one for each wine box, in the bottom o the cubicle for the respective wine boxes to rest on.

The wine chiller may at any given time receive three two or one wine boxes, or even none. At any time that les than the maximum number of wine boxes are in place in th chiller, the unoccupied apertures 28 in the front wall may b closed by plug-in circular stops 37.

Claims

1) A wine chiller apparatus comprising a cubicle for receiving one or more wine boxes, with the outlet spout of the or each wine box projecting through a respective aperture formed in a front wall of the cubicle, and means for cooling the interior of the cubicle.

2) A wine chiller apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the front wall of the cubicle is removable e.g. by sliding upwards, for putting wine boxes into or taking them out of the cubicle.

3) A wine chiller apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pivoted lever for the or each wine box, the lever serving to depress, and so open, the tap which is provided in the spout of the wine box.

4) A wine chiller apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising a mount to which the lever is pivoted, the mount being arranged to clamp around the spout of the wine box.

5) A wine chiller apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the lever is pivoted to the front wall of the cubicle.

6) A wine chiller apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the front wall is transparent.

7) A wine chiller apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the cubicle includes a resiliently loaded platform on which the or each wine box stands.

8) A wine box having an outlet spout which includes a depressible tap, in combination with a a mount removably clamped around the spout and having an operating lever pivoted to the mount and projecting forwardly over the depressible tap.