WO1999033746A1

WO1999033746A1 - Tap handle

Info

Publication number: WO1999033746A1
Application number: PCT/GB1998/003770
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Travis
Original assignee: Richard Millington & Co. Ltd.
Priority date: 1997-12-23
Filing date: 1998-12-21
Publication date: 1999-07-08
Also published as: GB9727217D0; AU1676199A

Abstract

A handle (1) for a beer delivery arrangement has a housing in which part of an electrical circuit and rechargeable batteries are disposed. The circuit includes white light emitting diodes disposed behind a transparent or translucent face (12) in the handle to illuminate the face on receiving power from the batteries. The handle has an adaptor (3) comprising a release mechanism enabling the handle to be detached from the beer delivery system to recharge the batteries and then subsequently reattached. The handle may have contacts for connection into a recharging unit or recharging may be inductive in which case no contacts are required.

Description

TAP HANDLE

The present invention relates to handles.

Handles often bear advertising and other design material. The size of

the material is usually restricted by the size of the handle upon which or

around which it is disposed. This in turn reduces the visual impact of the

material over what would otherwise be achievable.

According to the present invention there is provided a handle defining

a housing, a support attached to or forming part of the handle, the support

having or being associated with a front face bearing information, electrical

means for illuminating the front face disposed on the support and electrical

circuit means for controlling the means for illuminating.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle comprises

means for releasably attaching it to an operating mechanism. The means

for releasably attaching may comprise a bayonet fitting or release catches.

The means for illuminating are light emitting diodes, advantageously white

light emitting diodes. The electrical circuit means comprises rechargeable

batteries. The electrical circuit means incorporate means for reducing

power consumption by the means for illuminating. The means for reducing

power consumption may comprise means for altering the intensity of the

illumination and/or means for intermittently switching the illumination on and

off. The handle may comprise electrical contacts to enable it to be electrically connected to a recharging unit to recharge the batteries. These

contacts may be disposed to contact complementary contacts on the

recharging unit itself. Alternatively, an inductive contactless battery

charging arrangement may be used. The circuit means may comprise

means for indicating the charging state of the rechargeable batteries. These

means may advantageously be a light emitting diode preferably coloured and

preferably disposed in the body of the handle. Means may be provided for

preventing operation of the handle when the batteries are discharged.

These means may comprise a device which prevents cam action of the

handle itself. Advantageously, an electro-mechanical piston or solenoid is

incorporated which activates a peg. When the battery is discharged, the peg

is inserted into the cam to prevent operation of the handle and when the

battery is charged the peg is withdrawn from the cam to permit normal

operation. The front face of the housing may be transparent or translucent

and illumination may be direct therethrough. Edge lighting using angled

edges or specific edge lighting media or reflected or transmitted light may

be employed.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood,

embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with

reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tap handle. Figure 2 is a battery charging unit for the handle of figure 1 ,

Figure 3 shows part of a beer delivery system including a valve

mechanism for use with the handle of figure 1 ,

Figure 4 shows an alternative handle to that shown in figure 1 ,

Figure 5 shows a further alternative handle to that shown in figure 1.

Figure 6 shows a basic circuit diagram, and

Figures 7 and 8 diagrammatically show an alternative battery charging

arrangement.

Referring to Figure 1 , the tap handle comprises a body 1 defining a

housing in which part of an electrical circuit and rechargeable batteries for

powering the circuit (not shown) are disposed. The handle is provided with

a finial 2 at its upper end and a handle/tap cam adaptor 3 at its lower end.

The adaptor comprises a release mechanism which enables the handle to be

attached and detached to and from the beer delivery system part of which

is shown in figure 3 and a battery charger which is shown in figure 2. The

release mechanism may comprise a bayonet fitting, or release catches or be

of any other suitable type.

Referring to figure 3, the handle, when attached to the beer delivery

system connect to a boss 4 formed on a cam 5 which is pivotally mounted

by means of a pivot pin or screw 6. The beer delivery system incorporates

a lifting valve mechanism 7 which provides a communication between beer delivery tube 8 and a pour spout 9. A threaded shank surrounds the tube

for fixing it in position usually to the bar. By pivoting the handle on its cam

5 about pin or screw 6 on cam surface 10, the lifting valve mechanism 7 is

operated to permit beer to flow from tube 8 to spout 9 in the normal way.

Referring to Figure 6, the batteries 20 in the handle supply a circuit

comprising a series white light emitting diodes 21 (L.E.D.'s) of either the

lens or surface mount type. These diodes 21 are disposed in a "brand"

housing 1 1 affixed to the handle, the front face 12 of the housing being

transparent or translucent and carrying the desired brand. The choice of

white light emitting diodes is important because it enables most branding

colours to be illuminated without having to match colours which may

otherwise be necessary with "coloured" sources of illumination. Illumination

of the diodes may be continuous, intermittent to give a pulsing or flashing

effect sequenced or any combination of these. The illumination provided by

diodes 21 may be direct through the front face 12 of the housing which

may be plan or in the form of a lens. Edge lighting using angled edges or

specific edge light media such as those marketed under the trade marks

Luminedge or Elit may be employed. Light may be reflected or transmitted

by fibre optic. Battery valves/energy levels or battery life may be varied to

meet different applications, brands or customer requirements. The amount

of power fed to the diodes 21 may also be controlled by a power control device 22. A further preferably coloured light emitting diode 23 is provided

to indicate a battery low charge state. This is advantageously disposed in

the handle to be externally visible. Instead of a single LED, a series of LEDs

may be incorporated indicating full charge, partial charge, battery in use as

well as battery discharged. Some or ail of the components of the circuit

may be mounted on a printed board which may also advantageously be

mounted in the handle. With the exception of the light emitting diodes all

circuit elements within the handle are concealed.

To recharge the batteries 20 the handle is detached from the cam 5

and inserted into a complementary aperture 30 in the battery charger 31

shown in figure 2. Although only one aperture is shown several such

apertures providing for batteries in several handles to be charged

simultaneously can be provided. The charger 31 comprises a mains plug 36

and comprises a transformer 32 (see figure 6). Control electronics 33 and

appropriate contact connectors 34 to mate with complementary connectors

35 on the handle. The charger may be placed under the bar or other

serving counter or any other suitable location where mains power is

available. When the batteries are recharged, the handle(s) is/are replaced

on the cam(s).

The handle may take many different forms, and the position of the

illuminated brand housing on or around the handle or as a handle extension. badge or badge arm may be varied as desired. Two alternative forms of

handie to that shown in figure 1 are shown in figure 4 and figure 5. In

figure 4 two illuminated housings 42 are provided in the handle of figure

4 and one in the handle 52 of figure 5.

A contactless battery charging arrangement may be provided as an

alternative to that already described with reference to Figure 2. Such a

contactless arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Figures 7 and 8.

Referring to Figure 7, the lower part of the detachable handle is shown at

40. Within this part 40, a magnetising core 41 is disposed on which a coil

42 is supported which is connected to batteries 43. The lower part 40,

which is formed as a spigot, fits into a complementary aperture 45 within

a charging unit 46 shown in Figure 8. A coil 47 is arranged around this

aperture and connected to a power supply 48. In operation, with the spigot

40 of the detachable handle inserted into the aperture 45 of the charging

unit and the power supply 48 switched on power is supplied by inductive

action via the core 41 and coils 42 and 47 and thence to the battery 43.

This negates the need for any direct electrical contact between the two

parts of the handle which now require mechanical connection only.

A device may be included to prevent operation of the handle when

the batteries are discharged. In such an arrangement, an electromechanical

piston or solenoid is included in the circuit operative to insert or withdraw a locking peg 50 (see Figure 3) into the cam 10. When the batteries are

charged the solenoid is activated to withdraw the peg 50 and aiiow normai

operation of the cam 10 and therefor of the valve 7 to allow flow of beer.

When the batteries are discharged, the solenoid is deactivated. The peg 50

is inserted into the cam to prevent operation of the cam and valve.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiments have been

described by way of example only and that many variations are possible

without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the

invention is equally applicable to side action tap assemblies.

Claims

1. A handle defining a housing(1 1 ), a support attached to or forming

part of the handle, the support having or being associated with a front face

(12) bearing information, characterised by electrical means (21 ) for

illuminating the front face (12)disposed on the support and electrical circuit

means for controlling the means for illuminating.

2. A handle as claimed in claim 1, in which the handle comprises means

for releasably attaching it to an operating mechanism.

3. A handle as claimed in claim 2, in which the means for releasably

attaching comprise a bayonet fitting.

4. A handle as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the means for releasably

attaching comprise release catches.

5. A handle as claimed in claim 1 , 2, 3 or 4 in which the means for

illuminating comprise light emitting diodes (21 ).

6. A handle as claimed in claim 5, in which the light emitting diodes are

white light emitting diodes (21 ).

7. A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the electrical

circuit means comprises means for recharging (31 ) rechargeable batteries.

8. A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the electrical

circuit means comprises means for reducing power consumption (22) by the

means for illuminating.

9. A handle as claimed in claim 8, in which the means for reducing

power consumption (22) comprises means for altering the intensity of the

illumination.

10. A handle as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the means for reducing

power consumption comprises means for intermittently switching means for

illuminating on and off.

1 1 . A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising electrical

contacts (35) enabling the electrical circuit means to be connected to a

recharging unit (31 ).

12. A handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, in which the electrical

circuit means comprise means (41 , 42, 47) enabling power to be transferred

inductively.

13. A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the circuit

means comprise means for indicating (23) the charging state of

rechargeable batteries.

14. A handle as claimed in claim 13, in which the means for indicating

comprise a light emitting diode (23).

15. A handle as claimed in any preceding claim, in which means (10,50)

are provided for locking the handle in an inoperative position under the

control of the electrical circuit means.

16. A handle as claimed in claim 15, in which the means for locking comprise a locking member (50) and a solenoid operative to move the

locking member between a first position in which normal operation of the

handle is permitted and a second position in which normal operation of the

handle is prevented.