ARRANGEMENT FOR SERVING BEVERAGE PACKAGINGS

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement for serving beverage packagings (10), the arrangement comprising at least a storage chamber (120) for storing beverage packagings (10), a support element (210) with an upper surface, and a lifting unit (110) for lifting beverage packagings from the storage chamber. The lifting unit has an upper position and a lower position, wherein the lifting unit (110) is adapted to be lifted between said upper and lower positions manually by the user of the arrangement (100). The lifting unit (110) is arranged to lift a beverage packaging (10) from the storage chamber (120) onto said upper surface of the support element (210) when the lifting unit (110) is lifted from said lower position into said upper position. The lifting unit (110) has an inclined surface top (112) which is adapted to receive a beverage packaging (10) from said storage chamber (120) when the lifting unit (110) is in said lower position, wherein the beverage packaging (10) on said inclined surface top (112) is able to roll, driven by the inclination of said inclined surface top, onto the upper surface of the support element (210) when the lifting unit is in said upper position. The arrangement (100) includes a front wall (111) extending downwards from the inclined surface top (112) of the lifting unit, the front wall being dimensioned to extend, when the lifting unit (110) is in the lifted-up position, at least partially in front of the beverage packagings (10) in the storage chamber (120), forming a retainer part to retain the beverage packagings (10) in place in the storage chamber (120), until the lifting unit (110) is lowered back down into the position receiving a beverage packaging.

Claims

1. An arrangement for serving beverage packagings (10), the arrangement comprising at least a storage chamber (120) for storing beverage packagings (10), a support element (210) with an upper surface, and a lifting unit (110) for lifting beverage packagings from the storage chamber, the lifting unit having an upper position and a lower position, in which the lifting unit (110) is adapted to be lifted and lowered between said upper and lower positions manually by the user of the arrangement (100), wherein the lifting unit (110) is arranged to lift a beverage packaging (10) from the storage chamber (120) onto said upper surface of the support element (210) when the lifting unit (110) is lifted from said lower position into said upper position, the lifting unit (110) having an inclined surface top (112) which is adapted to receive a beverage packaging (10) from said storage chamber (120) when the lifting unit (110) is in said lower position, wherein the beverage packaging (10) on said inclined surface top (112) is able to roll, driven by the inclination of said inclined surface top, onto the upper surface of the support element (210) when the lifting unit is in said upper position, characterised in that the arrangement (100) includes a front wall (111) extending downwards from the inclined surface top (112) of the lifting unit, the front wall being dimensioned to extend, when the lifting unit (110) is in the lifted-up position, at least partially in front of the beverage packagings (10) in the storage chamber (120), forming a retainer part to retain the beverage packagings (10) in place in the storage chamber (120), until the lifting unit (110) is lowered back down to the position receiving a beverage packaging.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the arrangement includes a frame part (230) provided with quick fastening elements (231), by means of which a separate casing (220) containing a storage chamber (120) of the beverage packagings is to be fastened with the fastening parts (221) in the casing to the frame part (230) and is to be removed from there for cleaning the casing (220) as needed.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the casing (220) surrounds the lifting unit (110) when the lifting unit is in its lower position.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the casing (220) is provided in the area of its upper edge (227) with elongated discharge grooves (228), especially when used in a sauna, in order to guide the sweat and possible wash water trickling down from persons using the sauna away from the joint seam between the casing (220) and its cover (222).

5. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the casing (220) is made of thermal insulation material or is provided with thermal insulation material.

6. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that the casing (220) is provided in the area of its upper edge (227) with elongated discharge grooves (228), especially when used in a sauna, in order to guide the sweat and possible wash water trickling down from persons using the sauna away from the joint seam between the casing (220) and its cover (222).

7. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that the casing (220) is made of thermal insulation material or is provided with thermal insulation material.

8. An arrangement according to claim 4, characterised in that the casing (220) is made of thermal insulation material or is provided with thermal insulation material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Various embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an arrangement according to prior art,

[0032] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate the function of a known arrangement,

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates the gripping elements 310 of the lifting unit according to a known arrangement,

[0034] FIGS. 4A-4F illustrate the function of a known arrangement,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows the frame part of a device according to the present invention as a schematic perspective view as seen from below,

[0036] FIG. 6 shows the casing to be fastened to a frame part according to FIG. 5 as a schematic perspective view as seen from above,

[0037] FIG. 7 shows the cover part of a casing according to FIG. 6,

[0038] FIG. 8 shows as a schematic longitudinal sectional view a part of the casing and the lifting unit when the lifting unit is in the lowered-down position,

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a view corresponding to FIG. 8 when the lifting unit is in the lifted-up position,

[0040] FIG. 10 shows the lifting unit in the lifted-up position as a schematic perspective view,

[0041] FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of the casing, and

[0042] FIG. 12 shows a detail of the fastening of the casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0043] An improved storage and serving device for beverage packagings according to the invention is disclosed with reference to FIGS. 5-12.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows as a schematic perspective view the metallic frame part 230 of a device according to the invention which is intended to be fastened to the lower surface of a piece of furniture, such as a bench or table, or, for example, the lower surface of a sauna bench. On the frame part are formed fastenings 231 cut and bent from a metal sheet, supported by which fastenings, for example, the casing 220 shown in FIG. 6 containing the storage chamber 120 can be installed with the fastening parts 221. The fastening parts 221 contain a recess 222, into which the substantially horizontally bent outermost head of the fastening 231 is to be inserted by the horizontal movement of the casing 220. FIG. 12 shows schematically the fastening part 221 of the casing 220, into the recess 229 of which the fastening 231 of the frame part 230 has settled. This solution enables easy fastening of the casing 220 to the frame part. The casing is also easily re-movable from the frame part, for example, for cleaning it.

[0045] The lifting unit 110 is arranged into the frame part to move substantially vertically between the lowered-down position receiving a beverage packaging and the lift-ed-up position dispensing a beverage packaging. In the receiving position, the lifting unit 110 receives a beverage packaging 10 onto the inclined surface 112 of the lifting unit as the beverage packagings move by gravity along the inclined lower surface 122 of the storage chamber 120 of the casing 220 sloping down towards the lifting unit. The lifting unit surrounds the support element 210 which includes a downwards-oriented front edge 211 which forms a stop element to the beverage packaging 10 which has moved onto the inclined surface 112 of the lifting unit 110, preventing it from moving away from the surface 112. From the downwards-oriented portion departs diagonally upwards, extending in the direction facing away from the storage chamber, a diagonal brace 212 which is connected to the frame part 230. Further, to the support element 210, on its opposing sides, are connected plate parts 213, to which are fastened support rollers 214 which settle into the vertical grooves 125 formed to the opposite sides of the lifting unit, guiding the lifting unit 110 while it is moving between its receiving position and its dispensing position. In a solution according to the invention, the front wall 111 extending downwards from the inclined surface 112 of the lifting unit 110 is extended such that, when the lifting unit is in the upper position, the lower edge of the front wall 111 extends, according to that shown in FIG. 9, at least partially in front of the beverage packagings 10 in the storage chamber 120, preventing them from rolling into the space below the lifted-up lifting unit 110. This forms a simple solution for keeping the beverage packagings in the storage chamber, until the lifting unit is lowered back down to the position receiving beverage packagings.

[0046] As the lifting unit is lifted into its upper position, a can on its inclined surface 112 is able to roll by gravity onto the upper surface of the support element 210. To the rear edge of the lifting unit are preferably formed corner bends 113 which stop a beverage packaging 10 on the upper surface of the support element, from which it is easily lifted away when the lifting unit returns to its lowered-down position.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows schematically one casing solution 220 which is provided with a cut-off groove 225, enabling at the same time that the casing can be cut off for a smaller amount of beverage packagings. FIG. 11 shows schematically such a shortened casing 220. The casing 221 is closed at its end by means of an end piece 226. The casing 220 can be closed from above by a cover part 222 which is obtained from the cover 222 made for the longer casing 220 shown in FIG. 7 which is to be cut off at the grooves 223 and 224 formed into it. From the cover 222 is also obtained a shortened end piece 226 of the casing 220 by cutting off the cover 222 at the groove 224. This solution enables the manufacturing of two cases of various sizes using one mould. Preferably, the casing 220 is made of thermal insulation material, such as, for example, by casting of polyurethane, or to it is added a thermal insulation layer. Preferably, the cover 222 is also made of thermal insulation material. Preferably, the cover 222 or 222 is installed to the lower surface of a separate element, such as, for example, a sauna bench, at the installation site of the device, and it is settled through the opening 232 of the frame part 130 within the casing 220, remaining in place due to the suitably dimensioned tightness between the lateral edges of the cover and the inner walls of the casing.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows yet another detail of the invention. In the longitudinal upper edges 227 of the casing 220 are formed longitudinal discharge grooves 228 which, when used in a sauna, guide the sweat trickling down from persons sitting on the benches away from the gap between the casing and its cover, preventing or reducing contamination of the inside of the casing.