Abstract:
A beverage dispenser has a case ( 1 ) with an inside periphery sized and shaped to hold a plurality of desired sizes and shapes of beverage containers ( 3, 4, 5  and  6 ) oriented horizontally and juxtaposed vertically while being maintained at or caused to become desirably cold or hot before being dispensed one at a time with a rotary gate ( 9 ) onto a pickup tray ( 14 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to dispensers of cans or bottles of beverage for consumer use at homes, in club houses, on golf carts and other beverage-consumption places.  
           [0002]    Numerous beverage dispensers and coolers are known, but not with a rotary outlet and optional temperature maintenance in a manner taught by this invention.  
           [0003]    Examples of most-closely related known but different devices are described in the following patent documents:  
                                                       U.S. Pat. No.       Issue           (U.S. unless stated otherwise)   Inventor   Date                           5,826,746   Ash, Jr.   10/27/1998           4,721,237   Leslie   01/26/1988           4,510,770   Vella   04/16/1985           5,395,011   Kennedy   03/07/1995           6,065,303   Harris   05/23/2000           5,356,033   Delaney   10/18/1994           2,212,129   Rust   08/20/1940           G.B. 2,190,904   Miles   12/02/1987                      
 
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a beverage dispenser which makes cans or bottles of beverage easily accessible for consumer use and maintains their temperatures desirably cold or hot for desirable lengths of time.  
           [0005]    This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a beverage dispenser having a case with an inside periphery sized and shaped to hold a plurality of a desired size and shape of bottles or cans of beverage oriented horizontally and juxtaposed vertically while being maintained at desirably cold or hot temperatures before being dispensed one at a time with a rotary outlet into a pickup tray.  
           [0006]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an empty beverage dispenser;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing a rotary gate rotated to contain a beverage container in a gate pocket;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of a bottom portion of the beverage dispenser with the rotary gate rotated half way between containing and discharging the beverage container in the gate pocket;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of the bottom portion of the beverage container with the rotary gate rotated to discharge the beverage container, to prevent a next beverage container from being discharged and to prevent temperature loss vertically downward from a case of the beverage dispenser;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view showing the rotary gate rotated to contain a beverage container in the gate pocket;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view of the bottom portion of the beverage dispenser with the rotary gate rotated half way between containing and discharging the beverage container in the gate pocket;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway front view of the bottom portion of the beverage container with the rotary gate rotated to discharge the beverage container, to prevent a next beverage container from being discharged and to prevent temperature loss vertically downward from a case of the beverage dispenser;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view of the bottom portion of the beverage dispenser that is articulated to contain and to dispense an optionally wide-neck beverage container that is conveniently consumer filled with hot or cold beverage;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway front view of the bottom portion of the beverage dispenser that is articulated to contain and to dispense an optionally narrow-neck beverage container that can be conveniently consumer filled or commercially filled at low cost with hot or cold beverage;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view of the bottom portion of the beverage dispenser that is articulated to contain and to dispense optionally long-neck beverage containers, including wine and beer bottles;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway side view of the beverage dispenser with walls having a rubber-like heat barrier;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway side view of the beverage dispenser with walls having a gaseous heat barrier that can include air;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway side view of the beverage dispenser with walls having a liquid heat barrier;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway side view of the beverage dispenser with walls having an antifreeze heat barrier to be filled at a top with freezer-cooled or heater-heated antifreeze to be emptied at a bottom with a liquid receptacle;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 15 is a rear view of the beverage dispenser with dispenser fasteners;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 16 is a front view of the beverage dispenser with side item fasteners and with front miscellaneous containers; and  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 17 is a side view of the FIG. 16 illustration. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]    Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description.  
                                                        1. Case   19. Rubber-like material            2. Container ends   20. Rigid outside layer            3. Cylindrical containers   21. Rigid inside layer            4. Wide-neck containers   22. Gaseous material            5. Narrow-neck containers   23. Liquid material            6. Long-neck containers   24. Liquid inlet            7. Case walls   25. Liquid outlet            8. Case lid   26. Liquid receptacle            9. Rotary gate   27. Receptacle-inlet connection           10. Gate pocket   28. Receptacle-outlet connection           11. Pocket wall   29. Hooks           12. Gate knob   30. Clamps           13. Gate axle   31. Miscellaneous containers           14. Pickup tray   32. Fastener-head aperture           15. Stop wall   33. Fastener rod           16. Tray bottom   34. Back wall           17. Tray aperture   35. Rubber-like cushion           18. Homogeneous material                      
 
         [0026]    Referring first to FIGS.  1 - 7 , the beverage dispenser includes a beverage case  1  that is sized and shaped to hold a plurality of a predetermined size and shape of beverage containers that are elongate, oriented horizontally and juxtaposed vertically. The beverage containers are preferably round as illustrated by container ends  2  of round containers in FIGS.  2 - 3  and  11 - 14 . The beverage containers can be cylindrical containers  3  as illustrated in FIGS.  5 - 7 , wide-neck containers  4  as illustrated in FIG. 8, narrow-neck containers  5  as illustrated in FIG. 9, long-neck containers  6  as illustrated in FIG. 10 or other compatibly dimensioned containers that fit within case walls  7  that preferably are orthogonally rectangular and elongate between a case lid  8  and a rotary gate  9 .  
         [0027]    The cylindrical containers  3  can include conventional beer cans and soft-drink cans. The wide-neck containers  4  can include jars that have large openings for ease of consumer filling with hot or cold beverages. The narrow-neck containers  5  can have either screw-on or press-on lids for generally commercial use. The long-neck containers  6  can include wine, beer and soft-drink containers.  
         [0028]    After inserting the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  in the case  1 , ice can be placed in to the top of the case on top of the beverage containers and the lid  8  closed to help maintain the beverage containers in a cool condition.  
         [0029]    The rotary gate  9  has a gate pocket  10  with a pocket opening that is circumferentially opposite a pocket wall  11  that is preferably heat resistant to resist loss of desirably high or low heat downwardly. The pocket opening is articulated for entry of one of the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  when the rotary gate  9  is rotated to a circumferential orientation in which the pocket opening is in communication with the inside periphery of the case  1 . The pocket opening is articulated for discharge of the beverage container  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  from the gate pocket  10  when the rotary gate  9  is rotated to an orientation in which the pocket opening  10  is not in communication with the inside periphery of the case  1  and the pocket wall  11  is rotated to a position of closure of the inside periphery of the case  1 .  
         [0030]    The rotary gate  9  has a gate knob  12  on a gate axle  13  for rotating the rotary gate  9  to orient the pocket opening upwardly to receive and downwardly to discharge a beverage container  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  one at a time as desired. The gate pocket  10  includes an inside periphery that is bounded by slightly less than one-hundred-and-eighty degrees of the pocket wall  11  cylindrically and by circumferential end plates that are attached to the gate axle  13 . The pocket opening includes a remaining slightly more than one-hundred-and-eighty degrees cylindrically intermediate the circumferential end plates and the pocket wall  11 .  
         [0031]    Rotating in axle-bearing apertures in the case walls  7 , the gate axle  13  can have a relatively small diameter for low friction as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7- 10  or a larger diameter for higher bearing capacity as shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with requirements for particular construction material and related cost factors.  
         [0032]    To receive discharged beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  one at a time at a position vertically under the rotary gate  9  is a pickup tray  14  that can include a stop wall  15  that is extended upwardly from a tray bottom  16 . The tray bottom  16  can include a tray aperture  17  for discharge of moisture from melting ice or condensation and for finger insertion to assist removal of the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  from the pickup tray  14 .  
         [0033]    Referring to FIGS.  2 - 14 , the case walls  7  have a predetermined heat-loss resister for resisting temperature change through them. The heat-loss resister can include a homogeneous material  18  that is rigid, heat-resistant plastic or other material from which the case walls  7  are constructed as illustrated in FIGS.  2 - 10 .  
         [0034]    As illustrated in FIG. 11, the predetermined heat-loss resister can include a rubber-like material  19  or other heat-impervious material having a rigid outside layer  20  and preferably also a rigid inside layer  21 . As illustrated in FIG. 12, the predetermined heat-loss resister can be a gaseous material  22 , including air, between the rigid outside layer  20  and the rigid inside layer  21 . As illustrated in FIGS.  13 - 14 , the predetermined heat-loss resister can include a liquid material  23 , including antifreeze, between the rigid outside layer  20  and the rigid inside layer  21 . Preferably, antifreeze as the liquid material  23  contains a perfume for compatibility with use conditions related to entertainment.  
         [0035]    The heat-loss resister of the case walls  7  can include a heat conveyor which can be the liquid material  23 , including antifreeze, in a conveyance container that includes space intermediate the inside periphery which includes the rigid inside layer  21  and the outside periphery which includes the rigid outside layer  20  of the case walls  7 . The heat conveyor can be the liquid material  23 , which includes the antifreeze, to which a desired temperature can be transmitted for conveyance of the desired temperature to the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6 .  
         [0036]    In a conveyance container intermediate the rigid outside layer  20  and the rigid inside layer  21  illustrated in FIG. 14, a liquid inlet  24  proximate a top of the conveyance container and a liquid outlet  25  proximate a bottom of the conveyance container are closable predeterminedly and controllably. A liquid receptacle  26  has a receptacle-inlet connection  27  proximate a top and a receptacle-outlet connection  28  proximate a bottom of the liquid receptacle  26 .  
         [0037]    The receptacle-inlet connection  27  is fluidly communicative predeterminedly and preferably exclusively with the liquid outlet  25  for conveyance of the liquid from the conveyance container to the liquid receptacle  26 . The receptacle-outlet connection  28  is fluidly communicative predeterminedly and preferably exclusively with the liquid inlet  24  for conveyance of the liquid from the liquid receptacle  26  to the conveyance container.  
         [0038]    Preferably, the liquid receptacle  26  is articulated to be positioned in a predetermined refrigeration case that can include a freezer to cool the liquid therein for cooling the beverage in the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6 . Preferably also the liquid receptacle  26  is articulated to be positioned on a predetermined heater to heat the liquid therein for heating the beverage. The liquid receptacle  26  can have a handle, a heat-exchange wall and a heat-exchange bottom accordingly. This provides convenient heating and cooling of beverages in the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6 .  
         [0039]    Referring to FIGS.  16 - 17 , one or more fasteners, including hooks  29  and clamps  30 , can be attached to outside surfaces of the case walls  7  for holding snacks and desired containers. Miscellaneous containers  31  also can be attached to the case walls  7 . This allows convenient access to napkins, utensils, snacks, game items, golf score cards, music items and other items associated generally with beverage consumption by consumers.  
         [0040]    Referring to FIGS. 15 and 17, one or more dispenser fasteners are placed on one or more outside surfaces of one or more of the case walls  7  for fastening the beverage dispenser to stationary, mobile or portable support structure. Suitable as a dispenser fastener for most purposes is a fastener-head aperture  32  shown in FIG. 15 in a fastener rod  33  on a back wall  34  of the case  1 .  
         [0041]    The fastener-head aperture  32  allows easy and fast placing of the beverage dispenser on a head of a fastener or on heads of more than one fastener and then removing it by simply raising the case  1  slightly and moving it in a direction away from a support structure on which fastener heads are placed with distance of separation from the support structure to accommodate wall thickness of the fastener rod  33  containing the fastener-head aperture  32 . Easy removal from and replacement of the beverage dispenser on a support structure is particularly important for placing beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  that are glass in the case  1 .  
         [0042]    Placing glass containers in the case  1  without dropping them in and breaking them is accomplished by removing the case  1  from its support structure, laying it or otherwise orienting it horizontally on its back wall  34  or on the fastener rod  33  and then rolling the glass containers inside of the case  1  on the horizontal back wall  34  towards the rotary gate  9 , described in relation to FIGS.  1 - 10 .  
         [0043]    Removing the glass beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  through the rotary gate  9  from which they drop to the pickup tray  14  without breakage is accomplished by placing a rubber-like cushion  35  on the pickup tray  14  as illustrated in FIG. 10. The rubber-like cushion  35  can cover the tray aperture  17  and be raised with fingers if necessary for removal of the beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  from the pickup tray  14 . Optionally, the rubber-like cushion  35  can include water-discharge orifices if ice is put into the case  1  for cooling effect instead of using the antifreeze system for heating or cooling as described in relation to FIG. 14.  
         [0044]    Some consumers will prefer to have separate beverage dispensers for heating and cooling beverages and might like to mix sizes, shapes and types of beverage containers  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  in a single case  1 .  
         [0045]    A new and useful beverage dispenser having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.