GB2148705A - Liquid-dispensing container rack - Google Patents

Abstract

A rack for carrying a liquid-dispensing container (11), of the type having a liquid outlet (13) at a lower end of one side wall, in a position suitable for dispensing liquid to a receptacle positioned below it, comprising an inclined seat member (10) adapted to support the liquid-dispensing container (11) so that it adopts a correspondingly inclined attitude. A stop member (18) is positioned above the level of the seat member (10) and abuts a side wall of the container (11) to prevent the container from tipping or sliding off the seat member (10). The rack can be constructed for free-standing operation on a horizontal surface or for attachment to a vertical wall surface. The rack includes a framework of relatively pivotable members which is adapted to be collapsible into a single plane when not in use. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid-dispensing container rack The present invention resides in a rack system for supporting liquid-dispensing containers, particularly wine boxes.

Recent developments in wine dispensing containers have shown wine boxes to be of great practicality.

Wine boxes usually consist of a rectangular shaped, cardboard box into which is fitted a plastics container.

The container has a tap positioned nearthe bottom of the box for dispensing wine therefrom. These boxes are cheaper to manufacture and are more easily disposed ofthan the conventional wine bottle. Their principal advantage however, isthatwinecan be dispensed over a period of weeks or even months without deterioration ofthe remaining contents of the container. Thus they are gaining greatpolularity among wine drinkers.

Unlike wine bottles, which are usuallystored and displayed in suitable racks, it is usual for wine boxes to be placed on a kitchen or living room surface and to be stored there until wine is required whereupon the wine box is either picked up or brought to the edge of the surfaceto allow room to dispense the wine into a glass positioned underthetap. This method of dispensing wine from such containers has been found in practice to be rather inconvenient.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rack system for storing and displaying wine boxes, suitably adapted so that when mounted in such a rack, a wine box is in a position to dispense wine at anytime in a convenient and efficient manner.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a rack for carrying a liquid-dispensing container, ofthetype having a liquid outlet at a lower end of one side wall, in a positionsuitablefor dispensing liquid to a receptacle positioned below it, the rack comprising an inclined seat memberfor supporting the liquid-dispensing container so that it adopts a correspondingly inclined attitude, and a stop member which is positioned to abut said one sidewall ofthecontainerto preventthecontainerfromtipping orsliding off the seat member.

Preferably, the rack includes aframework of relatively pivotable members which is adapted to be collapsible into a single plane when not in use for ease of storage.

The rack can be constructed forfree-standing operation on a horizontal surface orforattachmentto a vertical wall surface.

Advantageously, the rack is made of wood but other materials could be used as required.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an isometricviewfromaboveofone embodiment of a wine box rack in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 1 showing a wine box disposed in its operational position on the rack; Fig. 3 is an isometricviewfrom above of a further embodiment ofthe present invention; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 2 showing a wine box disposed in its operational position on the rack.

The embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 is in the form of a free standing wine box rack comprising a base seat member 10 whose top surface 12, in use ofthe rack, forms a seatfor a wine box 11 as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2. When in an operational positionthetop surface 12 is inclined downwardly so thatthe edge 14 of base seat member 10 is lowerthan the edge 16.

Thus, when the wine box 11 is seated on the top surface 12 as shown in Fig. 2, it adopts a correspondingly inclined attitude such as to allow substantially all ofthe wine within the wine box to be dispensed through the tap 13 under gravity, so minimising the need for manual handling ofthewine box during dispensing.

To provide supportforthe wine box 11 and to prevent itfrom slipping forwardly off the top surface 12, an elongate support member 18 is provided having a surface 20 which is disposed perpendicularly to the top surface 12ofthe seat member 10, the elongate support member 18 being situated above the level of the edge 14 of base seat member 10. The front surface of the wine box 11, when seated on the surface 12, is arranged to lie in contactwith the surface 20 ofthe elongate support member 18 which thereby provides adequate forward supportforthe wine box.

Base seat member 10 is supported by a framework of elongate members 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b, 18 and 26 on which the base seat member 10 is mounted by means offour dowels 28 which are received in respective holes in the end surfaces 30 and 32 ofthe seat member 10. In each end surface 30 and 32, one of said holes is located near edge 14 and on the other of said holes near edge 16. Elongate members 24a, 24b each have two holes, one located in an intermediate section thereof and one near an upper end section. Respective dowels 28 are inserted through said holes of each upper end section of each elongate members 24a, 24b so as to protrude into the holes located near edge 16 of base seat member 10.

Elongate members 22a, 22b each have two holes located in a middle section thereof. Respective dowels 29 are inserted through the lower ofthetwo holes in elongate members22a,22bsoasto protrude into the holes located in said intermediate sections of elongate members 24a, 24b and thereby pivotally interconnect the pair of members 22a, 24a and the pair of members 22b, 24b respectively.

An elongate member 26 interconnects the bottom ends of elongate members 22a, 22b and is fixed therein by means of suitable mortice and tenon joints.

Elongate support member 18 is also fixed by suitable mortice tenon joints between the top ends of The claims were filed later than the filing date within the period prescribed by Rule 25(1) of the Patents Rules 1982.

elongate members 22a, 22b. Thus, elongate member 26 and elongate support member 18 provide a rigidity to the wine box rack.

When in an operational position, the lower ends of the elongate members 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b stand on a suitable horizontal surface (not shown). When not in use, the rack can be collapsed into a single plane to provide for easy storage. This is achieved by withdrawing the dowels 28 from the two holes located near edge 14 of base seat member 10 and from the upper hole of each pair of holes in elongate members 22a, 22b. The remaining dowels then provide swivels to allow the wine box rack to collapse.

The wine box rack of Figs. 3 and 4 is suitable for mounting onavertical wall (notshown) and comprises a base seat member 42 whose top surface 44, in use of the rack, forms a seatfor a wine box 45, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. When in an operational position, the top surface 44 is inclined downwardly so that the edge 46 of base seat mem ber 42 is lower than the edge48. Thus, when the wine box 45 is seated on top surface 44 as shown in Fig. 4, it adopts a correspondingly inclined attitude such asto allow substantially all ofthe wine within the wine boxto be dispensed through the tap 47 under gravity, so minimising the manual handling of the wine box during dispensing.

To provide supportforthe wine box 45 and to preventthewine box from slipping forwardly offthe top surface 44, an elongate support member 50 is provided having a surface 52 which is disposed perpendicularlyto the top surface 44 of seat member 42, the elongate support member 50 being situated above the level of the edge 46 of base seat member 42.

The front surface of the wine box on which a tap 47 is disposed is arranged to lie in contact with the surface 52 ofthe elongate support member 50 which thereby provides adequate forward supportforthe wine box.

Base seat mem ber42 is supported by a framework of elongate members 54a, 54b, 56a, 56b, 57 and 58, on which the base seat member 42 is mounted by means offour dowels 60 which are received in respective holes in the end surfaces 62 and 64 ofthe seat member 42. In each end surface 62 and 64, one hole is located near edge 46 and the other hole nearedge 48.

Elongate members 56a, 56b each have two of said holes, one located in an intermediate section thereof and one near a lower end section. Respective dowels 60 are inserted through said holes of each intermedi atesection of each elongate member56a,56b so asto protrude into the holes located near edge 46 of base seat member 42. Elongate members 54a, 54b each have two of said holes, one located in a middle section and one in lower end section thereof.Respective dowels 63 are inserted through each hole located in a lower end section of each elongate member 54a, 54b, so asto protrude into the holes located in said lower end section of each elongate members 56a, to thereby pivotly interconnectthe pair of members 54a, 56a, and the pair of members 54b and 56b respectively.

Elongate members 57 and 58 interconnectthe top ends and the bottom ends respectively of elongate members 54a, 54b and arefixedtherein by means of suitable T-joints, and mortice and tenon joints 66b, respectively. Elongate support member 50 is also fixed by suitable mortice and tenon joints between the top ends of elongate members 56a, 56b. Thus, elongate members 57 and 58 and elongate support member 50 provide a rigidity to the wine box rack.

Elongate member 57 includes two holes 70 which are provided for enabling the wine box rack40to be fixed to a wall by means ofsuitablefitments such as screws.

When not in use, the rack can be collapsed into a single plane parallel and adjacentto the vertical wall on which the wine box rack 40 is fixed. This is achieved by withdrawing the dowels 60 from the holes focated near edge 48 of base seat member42 and in the intermediate section of elongate members 56a,-56b The remaining dowels then provide swivelsto allow the wine box rackto collapse.

The width of both embodiments as described can be chosen such that any desired number of wine boxes can be placed side by side on the rackto givea suitable choice of wines. In use, the base seat member is arranged to be positioned so that it lies a suitable distance above a surface on which a wine glassmay be disposed so that wine may be easily poured into the glass from the selected wine box.

In both embodiments, the framework members and base seat members would normally be made of wood.

However, other materials could be used if desired.

Although this invention has been described for use with wine boxes, it may, just as well, be used for housing suitable dispensers ofanyotherfluid.

Claims (9)

1. A rackfor carrying a liquid-dispensing container, of the type having a liquid outlet at a lower end of one side wall, in a position suitable for dispensing liquid to a receptacle positioned below it, the rack comprising an inclined seat member for supporting the liquid-dispensing container so that it adopts a correspondingly inclined attitude, and a stop member which is positioned to abut said one sidewall ofthe containerto preventthe containerfrom tipping or sliding off the seat member.

2. A rack as claimed in claim 1, comprising a framework of relatively pivotable members which is adapted to be collapsible into a single plane when not in use for ease of storage.

3. A rack as claimed in claim 2 wherein the framework includes two pairs of elongate members disposed respectively at two opposite endsof the seat memberfor supporting the latter member its inclined operational position, the two elongate mom- bers in each said pair being pivotally interconnected to permit collapse of the framework when notin use.

4. A rack as claimed in claim 3,wherein thetwo elongate members in each said pair are pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends, the ends of said two members of each pair which lie below the level of said pivotal interconnection being adapted to engage a horizontal surface above which the container isto be supported and the seat member being connected to both of thetwo members of each pair of said members at positions above the level of said pivotal interconnection.

5. A rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stop member interconnectstwo of the elongate members at a position above the connection of the latter members with the seat members.

6. Arackmemberasclaimed in claim 3, wherein one memberofeach of said pair of elongate members is adapted to be be fixed to a vertical well surface, the other elongate member in each said pair being attached pivotally at its lower end to said one member, the upperends of said two other members of each pair being interconnected by said stop member, and the seat member being connected to said two pairs of elongate members at positions abovethe level of said pivotal interconnection.

7. A rack as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the surface of the stop member, which is adapted to engagethecontainerisflatand lies in a plane substantially perpendicularto the surface of the inclined seat member on which the container sits.

8. A rack as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, made of wood.

9. A rack for carrying a liquid-dispensing container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustated in Fgs. 1 and 2 or in Fgs. 3 and 4Of the accompanying drawings.