Patent Document

This is a utility patent application that claims the benefit of, priority from and incorporates herein by reference U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/126,935, filed May 8, 2008. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     Holsters or holders for fluid dispensing apparatuses, including bar guns. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Bar guns are typically comprised of a handle having a multiplicity of buttons thereon and a nozzle situated typically perpendicular to the handle, for dispensing a pre-selected fluid. Bar guns are well-known in the art. Nozzles of bar guns are typically cylindrical and are attached at a near end to the handle and have a fluid dispensing opening at a removed end thereof. 
     It is known in the art to provide a holster for engaging a bar gun, typically for encircling the nozzle of a bar gun, when the bar gun is not in use. The use of a holster, with a nozzle opening dimensioned slightly larger than the nozzle of a typical bar gun, allows the bar gun user to “holster” or place the bar gun in a non-use position, in much the same way the holster of a handgun will engage at least a portion of the barrel and leave the handle exposed, for use by the wearer. 
     Unlike handgun holsters, however, bar gun holsters are typically mounted to a rigid support surface, such as a sink, table or underside of a bar. Typical prior art bar gun holders include a mounting plate for engaging screws, which screws would be threaded into the underside of a support surface, and typically include a surround portion or bar gun nozzle receiving portion which extends laterally spaced away from the underside of the support surface. 
     Typical bar gun holsters may also include a pan portion spaced apart from the surround or nozzle opening portion, which pan member is designed to receive liquids that may drip off the end of the bar gun nozzle. That is to say, when a bartender is finished dispensing a drink, they will typically holster the nozzle of the bar gun and, even though the bartender may have finished dispensing the drink, there may still be fluid dripping from the nozzle. When the bar gun is holstered, the fluid may leak into the pan. 
     Bar gun holsters have included removable drain portions, separate from the mounting plate, for ease of washing and clean-up. These drain portions may include a lower drain opening and an upper perimeter. A drain hose is in fluid communication with the drain portion for carrying away waste fluid in a drain line. 
     Among advantages of Applicants&#39; novel holster assembly set forth herein is the ability to maintain the bar gun nozzle tip sufficiently spaced apart from a base or bottom of a drain pan so as to prevent contamination of the removed end of the nozzle by fluid accumulating in the pan of the holster assembly. 
     Another advantage of Applicants&#39; novel holster assembly is structure to adapt a large drain tube thereto, typically ½ inch ID or greater, which helps prevent backup into the pan of the assembly. 
     Another advantage of Applicants&#39; novel holster assembly is a multi-piece assembly that toollessly and removably couples to a support base or mounting plate, allowing the portions of the holster assembly that may be contaminated, to be easily removed from the mounting plate and washed, even while the drain hose remains attached to an uncontaminated portion of the assembly. 
     Applicants further provide a holster assembly for a bar gun having a holster portion for receiving a nozzle of a bar gun, with a gap or space between the nozzle and the bar at the nozzle receiving member. 
     That is to say, Applicants provide a novel holster assembly that largely avoids contamination of a nozzle and a holster assembly that may be toollessly removed from the mounting plate for easy washing. 
     While prior art holsters have certain advantages, Applicants provide these advantages with other advantages in a novel bar gun assembly. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of Applicants&#39; novel holster assembly for a bar gun to provide a convenient, sanitary, easy to use, and easily cleaned bar gun assembly for use with the bar gun having a nozzle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Applicants achieve the advantages and objects set forth herein by providing a multi-piece assembly that may be easily assembled and disassembled without the use of tools. 
     Applicants further achieve the advantages and objects set forth herein and others by providing a three-piece assembly, including: a mounting plate, a holster, and a drain body. The drain body and holster slideably engage one another and are easily uncoupled (without the use of tools) for washing. The assembled or coupled sub-unit defining the drain body and the holster is slidably mounted to a mounting plate, which is in turn mounted by fasteners to a support surface, such as the underside of a table or bar. 
     Another object is provided in Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly that includes a pan portion, which is spaced apart from a nozzle receiving member so that a nozzle, nested in the nozzle receiving member has its tip spaced apart from the pan. The pan includes, at an upper surface thereof, an upper drain portion or opening to ensure that no fluid is accumulated in the pan above the fluid level of the upper drain portion and therefore to the level of the nozzle tip. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded perspective view of Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional cutaway view of Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly with a bar gun engaged therewith. 
         FIG. 2A  is a partial view of an alternate embodiment of an upper drain opening. 
         FIG. 3  includes a front elevational view of Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly with a bar gun engaged therewith. 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are front perspective views of Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly;  FIG. 4  with the bar gun in place, and  FIG. 5  with the bar gun removed therefrom. 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly without the mounting plate, but illustrating the manner in which the holster and drain body engage one another as a subassembly. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the drain body. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1-3  disclose various embodiments of Applicants&#39; novel holster and drain assembly  10 . Holster and drain assembly  10  is seen to engage a bar gun  12  as is known in the art, the bar gun having a handle portion  14  and a nozzle portion or nozzle  16 . As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cylindrical nozzle portion of bar gun  12  is seen to engage the holster and drain assembly  10  through receipt into a mounting surround structure. 
     Applicants&#39; novel structure achieves several advantages. It may be seen that Applicants&#39; holster and drain assembly  10  includes a holster portion or a holster  18  for engaging a drain body  20  and a mounting plate  22 . More specifically, the Figures illustrate the manner in which Applicants&#39; holster and drain assembly or assembly  10  may be comprised of three pieces, with the mounting plate  22  mounted to a support surface, a subassembly comprising of the holster  18  and the drain body  20 , which subassembly is toollessly and removably assembled, and which can be removed from mounting plate  22  for subsequent cleaning. 
     Put another way, Applicants provide a sub-assembly comprising a holster and drain body, which are joined together, the two elements joined slideably without tools to a mounting plate. Applicants&#39; drain body and holster may then be disassembled and separately washed separately. Typically, the drain body portion  20 , which includes a pan portion  40  for receipt of extraneous liquids dripping from the holster nozzle, will need to be cleaned. Easy and slideable disassembly from the holster and mounting plate facilitates such ease of washing. Further details of Applicants&#39; novel assembly  10  may be appreciated with reference to the foregoing description. 
     Turning first to drain body  20 , it is seen from the Figures to be in an integral body having land portions  19  and  24  laterally spaced apart from one another, which land portions have lower edges  21  and  23 . Drain body  20  is seen to have walls defining an upper edge  26 , which upper edge may include upper edges  27  and  29  of the land portions  19  and  24 , as well as upper edge  31  of curved front wall  30 . 
     Applicants&#39; drain body  20  typically includes a pair of spaced apart sidewalls  28 , which sidewalls join land portions  19  and  24 , and which sidewalls curve and define the curved front wall  30 . 
     Applicants&#39; drain body  20  includes a curved bottom wall  32  and a flat rear wall  34 . At the bottom of rear wall  34  is lower drain channel  36 . Part of curved front wall  30  includes overflow opening  38 . An imaginary horizontal line drawn between the lower edge of overflow opening  38  extending across drain body  20  to rear wall  34  defines an imaginary line below which the pan portion  40  of drain body  20  exists, to receive fluids dripping from nozzle tip  16   a , as best seen in  FIG. 2 . It is also seen in  FIGS. 2 and 2A  that upper drain opening may be defined by either an opening surrounded by walls (enclosed) or shaped like a slot  38 A extending below upper edge  31 . An opening will refer to either configuration. 
     Bottom wall  32  typically is angled downward from curved front wall  30  to lower drain channel  36 , such that fluid accumulated in the pan will flow to lower drain channel  36 . Moreover, with reference to  FIG. 3 , it is seen that bottom wall  32  is curved on either side to direct fluid flow in pan portion  40  to lower drain channel  36 . 
     Turning now to Applicants&#39; mounting plate  22 , it is seen to be generally comprised of a horizontal tabular portion  42  integral to and joined with a vertical portion  44 , the two portions which may be braced by a pair of laterally spaced apart diagonal brace portions  46 . Turning now to tabular portion  42 , it is seen that tabular portion  42  comprises an upper wall  48 , which is typically the uppermost part of assembly  10 , which upper wall  48  is flat so as to fit flush against the underside of the support surface. A multiplicity of fastener holes  50  are provided in the upper wall for receipt of fasteners, such as screws therethrough, to fixedly and rigidly maintain tabular portion and mounting plate  22  to a support surface. Upper wall  48  is also seen to include retainer slot  52  ( FIG. 2 ), which can releasably lock an engagement means of the holster member  18  as set forth in more detail below. Tabular portion  42  further includes a front wall  54 , which front wall  54 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 , includes walls defining a pair of receiving channels or slots  56 , which are dimensioned to receive support legs  75  of holster member  18  as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . 
     Vertical portion  44  of mounting plate  22  includes a front wall  58 , including a lower portion  60 , the lower portion including a channel  62  therein. Channel  62  has a drain member portion  66  that typically extends rearward from vertical portion  44  (that is to say, opposite from the tabular portion  42 , which extends forward from the upper portion of vertical portion  44 ). Channel  62  has an ID of typically ⅜ inch or greater to avoid clogging (one actual ID may be 0.425″). Drain member portions  66  of channel  62  is adapted to receive a drain line DL thereon. Channel  62  joins a lower drain channel receiving portion  64 , which has an outer diameter slightly larger than channel  62 , which outer diameter is dimensioned to receive lower drain channel  36  of drain body  20  therein. Typically a few O-rings are located between lower drain channel  36  (outer walls) and the walls defining lower drain channel receiving portion  64  for a fluid tight couple. Channel  62  includes a drain member portion  66  acting to receive a drain line DL extending outward and rearward from lower member  60 , which channel  62  also includes a lower drain channel receiving portion  64 , as best seen in  FIG. 2 , for coupling, here, fluid tight and telescopically, with lower drain channel  36  of drain body  20 . 
     Turning now to holster member or holster  18 , it may be seen with reference to the Figures that holster member includes a top wall  70  typically having a tabular or flat portion  72  designed to slideably receive and lay flush against the underside of upper wall  48  when the two parts are joined and in use as seen in  FIG. 2 . Top wall  70  is also seen to have a pair of parallel, laterally spaced apart, outwardly extending support legs  75 , which are designed and dimensioned to slideably engage the paired spaced apart parallel receiving slots  56  of tabular portion  42  on mounting plate  22  (see  FIG. 3 ). Top wall  70  may also include an angled portion  74  in one embodiment, details of which will be further discussed and set forth below. 
     Holster member  18  includes a pair of sidewalls  76  depending from top wall  70 . Sidewalls  76  curve and join to define a nose portion  78  which may bear a similar curve, though a larger radius of curvature, when compared to curved front wall  30  of drain body  20 . 
     A pair of spaced apart parallel leg members  80  extend inward from the lower portion of sidewalls  76  to slideably receive lower edges  21  and  23  of land portions  19  and  24  of drain body  20 . Holster member  18  will slideably receive drain body  20  through sliding engagement wherein lower edges  21  and  23  track along leg members  80  and upper edges  27 / 29  slide along the underside of top wall  70  until bumper  41  (optional) or the most removed part of curve on front wall  30  of drain body  20  strikes inner wall of curved nose  78  of holster member as seen in  FIG. 2 . When such contact is made, it will be seen that rear wall  34  will be generally flush with rear perimeter edge  83  of holster member as seen in  FIG. 2 . The two will typically lay flush against front wall  58  of mounting plate  22  when the subassembly  18 / 20  is coupled to mounting plate  22  as seen in  FIG. 2 . 
     Turning back to top wall  70 , it is seen that a biased or flexible retainer member  84  may be provided with a near end  84   a  integral with and attached to top wall  70 , and a removed end  84   b , which is free to be depressed. Depressing may release a raised locking tab  86  near the removed end from an engaged position with retainer slot  52  of mounting plate  22 . Channels  85  on either side of retainer member  84  separate the retainer member from the top wall  70 , such that the only place the retainer member joins the top wall is at near end  84   a . The removed end  84   b , since the retainer member  84  is typically a resilient plastic, is capable of flexing. Pressing gently downward at free removed end  84   b  will allow uncoupling of the locking tab  86  when it resides in slot  52  as seen in  FIG. 2 . This allows removal of the holster member from the mounting plate. Moreover, the holster member slideably couples to the drain body. The drain body is typically not lockingly engaged to the mounting plate, but has walls that “telescope” into the holster, which holster in turn locks to the mounting plate. The sub-assembly defined by the holster member and drain body will be removed (without the use of tools) from the mounting plate and be received onto the mounting plate utilizing the retainer member  84  with locking tab  86  coupling/uncoupling with retainer slot  52  of the mounting plate. 
     Turning again to holster member  18 , structure is defined and set forth herein, which structure provides a function of receiving the nozzle of a bar gun in a manner which maintains the removed or furthermost end  16   a  of the nozzle at least above pan portion  40 . Structure provided by Applicants&#39; novel holster member includes cylindrical nozzle receiving member  88  typically provided in the angled portion  74  of the top wall. Nozzle receiving member  88  may include upper lip  89 . Inner walls  90  of nozzle receiving member  88  may include an annular shoulder portion  92  above a lip  94 . The lip  94  may define an opening for accommodating the removed end of the nozzle and the annular shoulder portion  92  being dimensioned according to the distance between a corresponding shoulder  16   b  of a nozzle. That is to say, nozzle receiving member  88  is dimensioned to receive a nozzle. Annular shoulder  92  receives shoulder  16   b  of the nozzle such that, and according to the distance between shoulder  16   b  of nozzle and removed end  16   a  of nozzle, the removed end  16   a  of nozzle will stay at least above the imaginary line below which defines the pan portion  40  (dash line in  FIG. 2 ) and preferably above a horizontal line across drain body  20  defined by upper portion or upper edge  38   b  of overflow opening  38 . With such a dimension, for example, ⅛-1 inch, a bartender viewing overflow opening  38 , located as it is below nose  78  and below the nozzle, would notice any accumulated leakage from the pan portion and be able to remove it from the mounting member and wash it. Moreover, the geometry of nozzle receiving member  88 , the nozzle, and the pan portion  40  (dash line in  FIG. 2 ), dictate the nozzle should not rest in any accumulated, and potentially contaminating, fluid accumulated in the pan (as, for example, if the drain is clogged). It is to be noted that any nozzle engaging member may be provided on holster  18  to engage the bar gun to maintain the nozzle fully seated in the nozzle receiving member  88 , but with its removed end above the pan portion. 
     Structure for retaining the removed end of the nozzle above the lower lip of the overflow opening may include locating lip  94  so that its distance above pan portion  40  is greater than the distance of the nozzle (to be used with the holster) that the nozzle extends beyond the lip. In other words, the tip of the nozzle will be maintained above the pan portion  40 . In an alternate preferred embodiment, the removed end of the nozzle will be maintained at or above the upper edge  386  of the overflow opening (see  FIG. 3 ). A second structure that may be provided that will maintain the removed end of the nozzle above at least the pan portion or an alternate preferred embodiment above the upper edge of the overflow opening would be to set the dimension between lip  89  and either of the pan portion or the upper edge of the overflow opening such that when the bar gun rests fully seated in the nozzle receiving member  88 , the juncture of the bar gun nozzle and the handle rests on lip  89  such that the removed end of the nozzle is set properly. That is to say, in  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that, if there were no lip  94 , the nozzle could be inserted all the way into the nozzle receiving member until the junction of the handle to the nozzle stops such motion. In such a case, even without a lip, the dimension of the assembly may set the removed end of the nozzle in the proper position. 
     A typical clearance that has worked well to maintain a cylindrical nozzle in the cylindrical nozzle receiving member is about 0.012 inch, range about 0.003-0.070, optimum 0.005-020, preferably the nozzle receiving member is non-elastomeric and may be a rigid plastic, such as ABS. Generally, a clearance fit will have a lower end of about 0.003, the upper range could exceed 0.070, and still achieve the benefits of a clearance fit. That is to say, there should be sufficient clearance between the outer diameter of the bar gun nozzle and the inner diameter of the nozzle receiving member. However, if there is too great a clearance, the nozzle will not stay firmly attached and may work its way out with repeated jostling and nudging. 
     Typically, extraneous fluid from the nozzle would simply drain out by running down bottom wall  32  (inclined as seen in  FIG. 2 ) and out to drain line DL. However, should channels  62  and  36  become clogged or the drain line itself becomes clogged, then fluid may accumulate in the pan portion  40 . Regardless of the fluid accumulation, however, it should not rise above pan portion  40 , as it would then drain out overflow opening  38  (and be visible to a user). Overflow opening is located spaced outward from holster receiving member  88  so as to be easily viewed by the bartender. 
       FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5 , and  6  illustrate the assembly set forth above and parts thereof.  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an external view of Applicants&#39; novel holster assembly for a bar gun. In  FIG. 4 , it is seen how the nozzle of the bar gun will rest in the assembly and the manner in which the assembly may mount to the underside of a support surface. Moreover,  FIG. 4  illustrates that the fluid level in the pan portion, if any, as accumulated may be viewed through the upper drain opening (visible in  FIG. 4 ). 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the same view as  FIG. 4 , except with the bar gun removed and details of the sliding mechanism as well as the releasably retaining mechanism may be appreciated that allow the sub-assembly of the drain body and holster member to slide on and off a mounting surface, easily and without tools, for disassembly and washing. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the sub-assembly formed by the holster member and the drain body as it is ready for receipt onto the mounting member. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the drain body apart from the rest of the assembly and the manner in which the drain body is configured to receive excessive waste fluid and remove it from the pan portion through the lower drain channel. If there is blockage or other accumulation, the drain body will allow such excess fluid above the pan portion to drip out of the upper drain opening. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 7