The present invention relates generally to bar-top refrigerated dispensing apparatuses and specifically to improvements in the housings therefor, particularly for advertising displays incorporated therein.
Bar top refrigerating-dispensing apparatus has become well known and very popular in the restaurant industry for displaying an alcoholic beverage to be dispensed to customers while simultaneously providing a chilling apparatus and a dispenser for dispensing the chilled alcoholic beverage on site simply and efficiently.
Examples of bar top dispensing apparatus are the subject matter of a series of U.S. patents, namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,494,195; 5,456,387; and 5,427,276, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned patent disclosures all include a housing which generally encloses the refrigeration apparatus and mounts a dispensing spigot on one face thereof with an activating mechanism, typically a handle or lever-type paddle to turn a faucet on and off for the purposes of dispensing a beverage such as a chilled liqueur, and importantly for the purposes of promoting the sale of the dispensed liquor, includes a series of inverted bottles of the particular beverage being chilled and dispensed.
It is to a new and improved housing having integrated lighted display panels that the present invention is specifically directed.
While the apparatus shown in the prior art patents referenced herein has proved effective as a dispenser and on site promotional display, in large measure due to the prominent display of inverted bottles of the dispensed product itself, enhancement of the point-of-purchase function of the apparatus has been sought and obtained in small measure by applying advertising messages to the exterior surfaces of the housing.
The present invention provides an integral, brightly lighted advertising display to the exterior walls of the dispenser housing in a simple and efficient manner.
Specifically, a housing for enclosing the refrigeration apparatus is provided with a series of openings or display windows, each of which is closed by a clear ABS or clear acrylic glass panel or pane. A translucent sheet of advertising is juxtaposed and lighted by a back-lighting panel having at least one edge with embedded LEDs (light emitting diodes) and having light reflectors disposed along the remaining edges to focus and intensify the internal lighting of the back-lighting panels.
The back-lighting effect is further enhanced by a grid or pattern of light-refracting dots formed on an outer surface of the back-lighting panel while a white reflector sheet is secured to the other face of the back-lighting panel.
The housing frame itself may be fabricated from molded ABS polycarbonate panels or the like into which the window panel, translucent advertising sheet, and back-lighting panel may be inserted as a sub-assembly and secured firmly in place by a bracket fastened to the frame.
The LEDs may be selected of various colors to provide, as desired or necessary, specific colors for lighting the translucent material.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for a better appreciation of its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring initially to
To enhance the advertising and promotion of the product being dispensed (or to promote some other sponsor), a new and improved housing has been developed having housing wall panels which function also as brightly lighted billboards.
Specifically, the new and improved housing 10 for a refrigerated dispenser (
In accordance with the invention, the walls 11, 13 include a windows 17 for mounting back-lighted advertising or promotional display matter therein and the walls 19 include windows 21 for the same purpose.
The housing walls are all molded of lightweight, strong and rigid ABS polycarbonate material. The walls in which the windows 17 and 21 are formed are exemplified by side wall panel 13 shown in
The windows 17 and 21 are each closed by a clear acrylic glass or ABS polycarbonate pane 30, superimposed upon which is a translucent sheet 31 of decorative and/or informational material to be back-lighted and displayed in the window. The translucent sheet may have opaque and clear portions illustrating, for example, the logo of the brand of liquid being dispensed or the establishment in which the dispenser is being used or even pricing information for a unit of dispensed beverage.
The translucent sheet material is superimposed with a back-lighting panel 50 for lighting the clear or translucent portions of the sheet 31.
The backlighting panel 50 in
The back-lighting panel 60 in
The back-lighting panels 50, 60 each have milled slots 70, formed on side edges 55, 56 and 63, 64, respectively, for receiving LEDs 57 connected in series with capacitors 58 on LED strips 73. The precise number of LEDs for the back-lighting panels may be varied depending upon the overall size and shape of the panels, as will be understood. For an approximate 2″×6″ rectangular panel, three LEDs on opposing sides is sufficient. For a larger rectangular panel, for example one being approximately 7″×11,″ fifteen LEDs on opposite side edges is sufficient.
The LEDs may be white light or a red light or a blue light as desired for a particular effect, or a combination of colored LEDs may be used to achieve colored lighting other than red, white, and/or blue.
To maximize or to otherwise enhance the brightness of the LED lighting, the edges of the panels 50, 60 remote from the LEDs inserted in milled slots 70 are covered with reflective foil 75 laminated thereto by adhesive; the rear surfaces of the panels 50, 60 are treated to establish a lenticular pattern 77 of dots 78, each of which is a miniature lens; and a white reflective backing sheet 79 is superimposed over the lenticular pattern and is adhesively bonded thereto at its circumference 80.
In accordance with the invention, translucent display sheets 31, 91 advantageously fabricated from lightweight paper or plastic having a design with clear regions 92, 93 and opaque or semi-opaque regions 94, 95 are mounted in the windows 17, 21 of the housing and are sandwiched between the acrylic glass window panels 30 and the back-lighting panels 50, 60 by bracket members 80 (such as shown in
The LEDs in the panels are energized by direct current (DC) supplied thereto through leads 101, 102. Appropriate transformer circuitry is contained within the housing to convert alternating current (AC) supplied to the dispenser unit for operating the refrigeration apparatus as will be understood.
With the practice of the present invention, the bar top refrigerated dispensers of the type known to the art are greatly enhanced as a promotional or marketing tool for the beverage being dispensed by the incorporation of brilliantly lighted “billboard-like” panels directly into the housing structure itself as integral portions of the housing walls. The advantageous benefits of the new housing are achieved without sacrifice of strength of the units and without adding undue weight to the entire refrigerated dispenser.
It should be understood, of course, that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5427276 | Knuettel, II et al. | Jun 1995 | A |
5456387 | Trewhella | Oct 1995 | A |
5494195 | Knuettel, II et al. | Feb 1996 | A |
6460580 | Cunha et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6530164 | Gai | Mar 2003 | B2 |
20040004827 | Guest | Jan 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090313868 A1 | Dec 2009 | US |