Abstract:
A modular and versatile food and beverage service bar requiring minimum storing space and enabling service of large number of people in social and theme events and readily changeable to meet variety of decor needs, includes a plurality of full sections, each section includes three spaced U-shaped box support members having an upper horizontal member, an upright vertical member and a lower horizontal member, a rigid top plate secured to the upper members, a pair of trim bands secured to the upright vertical members and sandwiching a front panel against and generally covering the upright vertical members, and fasteners in the form of bolts and nuts to couple these components together. Another embodiment of the present invention is a half section including a pair of spaced support members as well as a rigid top plate, a pair of bands and a front bendable panel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not Applicable  
         FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    The present invention relates to a modular food and beverage service bar that can be readily assembled and disassembled and easily changed according to desired design needs.  
           [0005]    2. Related Art  
           [0006]    Portable food and beverage service bars are well known in the prior art. A typical bar is a tall and narrow rolling cart that provides enough space for one bartender to serve one person at a time. There are several problems with the typical bar. The bar is non-modular and cannot be reduced in size for storing. Occasionally, long lines of people will be waiting to be served by one bartender one person at a time since the inside bar space accommodates only one bartender. An additional problem is the lack of versatility with respect to decor needs relating to corporate events, special meetings or theme events. Consequently, the industry resorts to building customized theme bars, which consumes significant resources and can only be used for one theme event.  
           [0007]    Because of these problems with the prior art, it is apparent that there is a need for an improved and modified portable food and beverage service bar.  
           [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide for a modular service bar that can be readily reassembled and disassembled repeatedly.  
           [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide for a service bar that requires minimum storage space.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a service bar that has enough space to enable multiple bartenders to serve many people at a time and thus fostering social interaction between participants of social events.  
           [0011]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for service bar that readily changeable décor as desired to fit a variety of different social and corporate themes.  
           [0012]    Yet, it is another object of the invention to provide for a service bar section kit that can be easily assembled into a food and beverage service bar and disassembled again into a bar section kit.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    A modular service bar includes a plurality of interchangeable sections, which can be readily connected to each other. Each section includes a plurality of spaced U-shaped aluminum box support members and each support member has an outer wall, an inner wall and a pair of side walls juxtaposed to form a lower horizontal box member, an elongated upright vertical box member and an upper horizontal box member. The upright member at its lower end is rigidly connected to the lower member, and the upper member is rigidly connected to an upper end of the upright member. The bar further includes a rectangular front panel for each section that has a top horizontal edge, a bottom horizontal edge, a proximal vertical edge and a distal vertical edge. The panel is generally overlying and covering the upright support members. The front panel has a front surface and a back surface juxtaposed to the outer wall of the upright support members, and the front panel is detachably affixed to the upright support members. The bar also includes a top plate that has a curved inner and outer edges, a top surface and a bottom surface juxtaposed to the outer wall of the upper support member and the top plate is detachably affixed to the upper support member.  
           [0014]    The modular bar further includes a pair of trim bands sandwiching the front panel between them to enable readily replacement of the front panel to fit different decor needs. One of the trim band being disposed adjacent the bottom edge of the front panel and is fastened to the upright support members. The other trim band is disposed adjacent the top horizontal edge and is fastened to the upright support members.  
           [0015]    Each of the support members includes a gusset positioned and affixed to and between the lower member and the upright member. Another gusset is positioned and affixed to and between the upper member and the upright member. The upper member includes a pair of knobs for supporting the top plate, which extends upwardly from the outer wall of the upper member to the bottom surface of the top plate.  
           [0016]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the front panel is fastened to three spaced support members, a first support member positioned at the proximal vertical edge, a second support member positioned at the distal vertical edge, and a third support member positioned midway of the front panel.  
           [0017]    Each section is placed adjacent to another section so that one support member at the proximal vertical edge of a first section is detachably connected to another support member at the distal vertical edge of a second section, and another support member at the distal vertical edge of the first section is adapted to be detachably connected to a further support member at the proximal vertical edge of the further identical section.  
           [0018]    A plurality of sections can be arranged to form a variety of arrangements such as a quarter, half or full circular bar except for an egress passageway for the baretenders. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the modular service bar showing a full circular beverage and food bar with an egress passageway;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled section of the modular service bar of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the section of the modular service bar of FIG. 2;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a support member in accord with the present invention; FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing two support members of two adjacent sections attached to each other;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the support member shown in FIGS. 4A and B;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an assembled half section of the service bar of FIG. 1; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a perspective exploded view of the half section of FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]    The present invention relates to a readily assemblable and disassemblable modular food and beverage service bar, which comprises a plurality of identical sections that can be configured in a variety of arrangements, such as a full circle, half circle and quarter circle.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 shows a full circular service bar  80  that has seven interchangeable sections  10  and one half section  66  positioned adjacent open egress passageway  82  of the bar  80  to form a circle having an outer diameter of approximately 20 feet. The space  89  inside the bar  80  is capable of accommodating seven or more bartenders inside the bar  80  and thus enabling service of a large number of people during social or corporate-events. The scene of long lines of people around bars waiting to be served may become a past memory with the use of the present service bar.  
         [0029]    Each of the identical sections  10  includes a composite countertop material cut into an arcuate pattern. When the sections  10  are placed adjacent each other, they form a circular service bar  80  as shown in FIG. 1. Each section  10  of the bar  80  is coupled to the adjacent section by fasteners such as an assortment of nuts and bolts, not shown in FIG. 1, and therefore can be easily separated from each other to make other configurations from the disassembled components. Each section  10  is also fabricated from several components, shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, which can be readily assembled or disassembled repeatedly to reduce storage space.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 shows one assembled section  10  having a generally arcuate configuration and including three spaced U-shaped box support members  12  preferably constructed from  2  inch aluminum box tubing. A front panel  42  generally covers the upright member  22  of the U-shaped box support members  12  and such front panel  42  is made of a pliable material or a plastic laminate composite material capable of bending to substantially match the curvature of the top plate  52 . The front panel  42  is a rectangle and includes a proximal vertical edge  48 , a distal vertical edge  50 , a top horizontal edge  44  and a bottom horizontal edge  46 . A pair of trim bands  38  holds the front panel  42  between them. The trim bands  38  are made of thin aluminum flat bars that are pre-bent to match the curvature of the section  10  and such bands  38  provide structural rigidification and enhancement to the modular bar section  10 . One band  38  is fastened to the outer wall  14  of the U-shaped box support members  12  through bolts, including bolt  37  and nut  39 , and positioned adjacent the bottom horizontal edge  46  of the front panel  42 , and another trim band  38  is positioned adjacent the horizontal top edge  44  to secure the front panel  42  between the bands  38  and  40 . The front panel  42  may need to be trimmed to fit between the bolts, including bolt  37 , which connect the bands  38  to each upright member  22 .  
         [0031]    A top curved plate  52  made of rigid countertop material is disposed on the top of the U-shaped box support members  12  wherein the bottom surface  56  of the plate  52  is fastened to the upper horizontal member  24  of the support members  12 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 shows the assembly of the curved section  10  in clearer details with the front panel  42 , the top plate  52 , the trim bands  38  exploded away from the U-shaped box support members  12 . The U-shaped support members  12  are fabricated from 2 inch aluminum hollow box tube and include an outer wall  14 , an inner wall  16  and a pair of spaced side walls  18  juxtaposed to form a lower horizontal member  20 , an upright vertical member  22  and an upper horizontal member  24  welded together into U-shaped outer wall  14  and a U-shaped inner wall  16 . A first gusset reinforcement  34  is positioned between the lower horizontal box member  20  and the upright member  22 , and another gusset reinforcement  36  is positioned between the upper horizontal member  24  and the upright member  22  and such reinforcements  34  and  36  are appropriately welded and smoothly finished. A pair of knobs  26  are secured to the outer wall  14  of the upper horizontal member  24  and have threaded vertical bores, not shown, to receive bolts, including bolt  53  through countersunk spaced openings, not shown, in plate  52  to firmly affix plate  52  to each of the support members  12 . In order to couple the support members  12  to the front panel, the top panel and the adjacent sections, a plurality of apertures appropriately are bored into the support members  12  and a plurality of bolts fastened by nuts are used to readily connect the components, as well known in the art.  
         [0033]    As shown in FIG. 4A, a pair of spaced apertures  30  are bored through the sidewalls  18  of the lower horizontal member  20  and are used to connect adjacent sections  10  of the service bar  80 . Likewise, a pair of spaced apertures  28  are bored through the sidewalls  18  of the upper member  24  to be used to connect the upper members  24  of adjacent sections  10 . An additional pair of spaced apertures  27  are bored and threaded into the pair of knobs  26  to be used to secure the top plate  52  on and to the pair of knobs  26 . Each of the horizontal members  20  and  24  include end plates, including plate  29 , welded to close the hollow box member. Also, the openings, not shown, formed by gusset  34  and  36  are closed by end plates, including plate  35  welded to close such openings.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 4B shows two support members  22  of two adjacent sections  10  and  11  attached to each other by fasteners in the from of bolts, including bolt  45 , extending through bores  30  in the lower horizontal box members  20  and nuts, including nut  47  threaded thereon. Accordingly, a plurality of sections  10  adjacent each other may be readily and firmly attached to form a substantial full circle, half circle or quarter circle. If desired seven pairs of support members  22 , as shown in FIG. 4B, may be pre-connected with such bolts and nuts, including bolt  45  and nut  47 , to facilitate assembly of the bar  80  or its other subassemblies.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 5 is a side view of the support member  12  showing one aperture  32  extending horizontally through the upright vertical member  22  and the gusset  36 . A bolt  33  is inserted through the aperture  32  to couple the trim band  40 , best shown in FIG. 3, to the support member  12 , and a nut  35  secures the bolt  33 . Another bolt  37  is used to couple the trim band  38 , best shown in FIG. 3, to the support member  12  and is inserted through the aperture  32  located above the gusset  34  is secured by a nut  39 . Since aperture  32  extends through the gusset  36  as well as the upright hollow box member  22 , an aluminum cylindrical tube  41  larger in diameter than the threaded bolt  33  is welded in place to provide a passageway  43  so that the bolt  33  may be more readily positioned during assembly thereof with the other components. Tube  41  extends slightly pass the gusset  36  so that the nut  35  may tighten properly on the bolt  33 . Another tube  41  may be welded within upright member  22  to provide a passageway  43 A for bolt  37 .  
         [0036]    A plurality of bores are provided through the top plate  52  and trim bands  38 , as illustrated in FIG. 3, in order to couple them by bolts extending through the bores  27 ,  28 ,  30  and  32  in the support members  12 . In particular, three apertures  31  are bored through each trim- band  38  and  40  to match bores  32  bored through the outer wall  16  of three as the bolts  33  and  37 , and nuts  35  and  39  respectively, as clearly shown in FIG. 5. The front panel  42  is placed on the bolts  37  attaching the trim band  38  to the upright vertical members  22  and placed between the trim bands  38  and  40  and against the three upright members  22 . The nuts  35  and  37  are tightened on bolts  33  and  37  to secure the front panel  42  in place and the trim bands  38  and  40  to the upright members  22 . The process is repeated to assemble another identical section  10  and so forth. In order to disassemble the section  10 , the reverse order is followed.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 6 is an assembled half section  66  in accord with the present invention. The half section  66  is used primarily to create an open end path  82  to the fill circular service bar  80 , shown in FIG. 1, to enable bartenders to freely enter and exit. The half section  66  may also be used to create a variety of configurations along with plurality of full sections  10 . Unlike the full section  10  that has three support members  12 , the half section  10  includes two spaced support members  68  positioned at proximal end  61  and distal end  62 , a pair of trim bands  70  and  71  sandwiching a rectangular front panel  72  shorter than the front panel  42  of the full section  10 . A smaller top plate  74  is secured to two sets of knobs  76 , best shown in FIG. 7, positioned on top of the two support members  68 . The disassembled and exploded half section is shown in FIG. 7. The aforementioned descriptions of FIGS.3, 4A,  4 B and  5  are generally applicable to FIGS. 6 and 7 as would be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art.