Comestible fluid rack and rail apparatus and method

• US 20040020887A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sta-Rite Industries LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Shurflo LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Henry, Michael D., Smith, Michael R., Jersey, Steven T., Broyles, Larry D., Chung, William W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,834,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/189
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 45/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features enabling enlarging in height, length, or depth sectional furniture A47B87/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 73/002 Racks made of wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/13 made of tubes or wire assemblies of elements of the same kind, e.g. stackable, A47B87/00

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a rack for comestible fluid dispensing containers used in a comestible fluid dispensing system. The rack is expandable and/or adjustable in some embodiments to enable an assembler or user to change the capacity of the rack as desired. The racks can be stackable upon one another and can have supports for supporting comestible fluid containers in the rack. In some embodiments, a rail and bracket assembly is employed to facilitate adjustment of the position of fluid dispensing components on the rail. The rail and bracket assembly can be employed on a comestible fluid container rack or in other locations.

Claims

1. A comestible fluid container rack adapted to support at least one comestible fluid container, the comestible fluid container rack comprising:

a first vertical support;

a second vertical support;

a first stretcher extending from the first vertical support; and

a second stretcher extending between the first and second vertical supports and in telescoping relationship with respect to the first stretcher, at least one of the first and second stretchers positioned in the rack to support at least one comestible fluid container;

wherein the first and second vertical supports are movable with respect to one another by moving the first and second stretchers in telescoping relationship with one another.

2. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a third vertical support;

a fourth vertical support;

a third stretcher extending from the third vertical support; and

a fourth stretcher extending between the third and fourth vertical supports and in telescoping relationship with respect to the third stretcher, at least one of the third and fourth stretchers positioned in the rack to support the at least one comestible fluid container;

wherein the third and fourth vertical supports are movable with respect to one another by moving the third and four stretchers in telescoping relationship with one another.

3. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second stretcher extends from the second vertical support.

4. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third stretcher extending from the second stretcher and terminating in a distal end, the second stretcher being coupled to second vertical support via the third stretcher.

5. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second stretcher is in telescoping relationship with the third stretcher.

6. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one support coupled to at least one of the first and second stretchers, the at least one support positioned to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon.

7. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one support extending between at least one of the first and third stretchers and the second and fourth stretchers.

8. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 7, where in the at least one support is coupled to at least one of the second and fourth stretchers.

9. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one stretcher is oriented to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane.

10. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one stretcher is oriented to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane.

11. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second vertical supports and the first and second stretchers at least partially define a first module of the rack, the rack further comprising a second module substantially the same as the first module and upon which the first module is stacked.

12. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the first and second vertical supports has a lower end releasably coupled to the second module.

13. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second module has first and second vertical supports to which the first and second vertical supports of the first module are releasably coupled, respectively.

14. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the first and second vertical supports of the first module are releasably coupled to the first and second vertical supports of the second module by a coupling.

15. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 4, further comprising at least one support coupled to each of the first, second, and third stretchers, each support positioned to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon.

16. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a rail coupled to and extending between the first and third vertical supports.

17. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 16, wherein the rail is adapted to support a comestible fluid dispensing component thereon.

18. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 17, wherein the comestible fluid dispensing component is one of a pump, a valve, a filter, and a regulator.

19. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rack is longitudinally adjustable to accommodate comestible fluid containers having different sizes.

20. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third stretcher has a position with respect to the first and second vertical supports, the position of the third stretcher being adjustable with respect to the first and second vertical supports.

21. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one support includes a wire frame.

22. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 6 for use with a comestible fluid dispensing system having at least one conduit through which comestible fluid travels from the at least one comestible fluid container, wherein the at least one support includes a brace adapted to hold at least part of the conduit in the rack.

23. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the first and second stretchers is tubular and receives another of the first and second stretchers.

24. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

at least one of the first and second stretchers is tubular and receives another of the first and second stretchers; and

at least one of the second and third stretchers is tubular and receives another of the second and third stretchers.

25. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 17, wherein the rail has at least one groove within which comestible fluid dispensing components are slidably mounted.

26. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one support has a position between the first and second vertical supports, the position of the support being adjustable with respect to at least one of the first and second vertical supports.

27. A rail assembly for supporting comestible fluid dispensing components with respect to a surface, the rail assembly comprising:

an elongated rail; and

a bracket coupled to the elongated rail, the bracket adapted to be releasably coupled to at least one comestible fluid dispensing component, the bracket movable to a plurality of different positions along the elongated rail to mount the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component at different positions with respect to the surface.

28. The rail assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the bracket is slidably adjustable to different positions along the elongated rail.

29. The rail assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the bracket is engagable with the elongated rail at a plurality of different positions along the elongated rail.

30. The rail assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the bracket is releasably securable to the elongated rail at a plurality of different positions along the elongated rail.

31. The rail assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component is one of a pump, a filter, a valve, and a regulator.

32. The rail assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein the rail has at least one groove running along at least a portion of the rail and within which the bracket is received.

33. The rail assembly as claimed in claim 32, wherein the rail has a C-shaped cross-section and retains the bracket at a plurality of different positions along the rail.

34. A method of changing a capacity of a comestible fluid container rack, comprising:

positioning a first vertical support a distance from a second vertical support;

telescoping a first stretcher extending from the first vertical support with respect to a second stretcher extending between the first and second vertical supports; and

moving the first vertical support with respect to the second vertical support while telescoping the first stretcher with respect to the second stretcher.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:

positioning a third vertical support a distance from a fourth vertical support, the third and fourth vertical supports coupled to the first and second vertical supports, respectively;

telescoping a third stretcher extending from the third vertical support with respect to a fourth stretcher extending between the third and fourth vertical supports; and

moving the third vertical support with respect to the fourth vertical support while telescoping the third stretcher with respect to the fourth stretcher and while telescoping the first stretcher with respect to the second stretcher.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising telescoping a third stretcher with respect to at least one of the first and second stretchers.

37. The method as claimed in claim 35, further comprising:

telescoping a third stretcher with respect to at least one of the first and second stretchers; and

telescoping a fourth stretcher with respect to at least one of the third and fourth stretchers.

38. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein the second stretcher extends from the second vertical support.

39. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the second and fourth stretchers extend from the second and fourth vertical supports, respectively.

40. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the first and second vertical supports and the first and second stretchers at least partially define a first module of the comestible fluid container rack, the method further comprising stacking the first module upon a second module substantially the same as the first module.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the second module has first and second vertical supports, the method further comprising coupling the first and second vertical supports of the first module to the first and second vertical supports of the second module, respectively.

42. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:

coupling an elongated rail to the first vertical support; and

coupling at least one comestible fluid dispensing component to the elongated rail.

43. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein coupling the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component to the elongated rail includes:

coupling a bracket to the elongated rail, the bracket movable to a range of positions along the elongated rail; and

coupling the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component to the bracket.

44. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component is one of a pump, a valve, a filter, and a regulator.

45. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising holding a comestible fluid conduit in a brace coupled to a comestible fluid container support in the comestible fluid container rack.

46. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising adjusting a longitudinal length of the comestible fluid container rack.

47. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising adjusting a position of a comestible fluid container support in the comestible fluid container rack with respect to at least one of the first and second vertical supports.

48. A method of mounting a comestible fluid dispensing component with respect to a surface, comprising:

providing a bracket movably coupled to an elongated rail;

coupling the comestible fluid dispensing component to the bracket;

moving the bracket along the elongated rail coupled to the surface; and

retaining the bracket in a position on the elongated rail and with respect to the surface.

49. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein coupling the comestible fluid dispensing component to the bracket includes releasably coupling the comestible fluid dispensing component to the bracket.

50. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein coupling the comestible fluid dispensing component to the bracket includes engaging the comestible fluid dispensing component with at least one of a finger and a lever on the bracket.

51. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein:

the bracket is slidably coupled to the elongated rail; and

moving the bracket along the elongated rail includes sliding the bracket along the elongated rail.

52. The method as claimed in claim 48, further comprising selecting the position on the elongated rail from a plurality of different bracket positions on the elongated rail.

53. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein the bracket is retained in the position by an inter-engaging relationship with the elongated rail.