IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0211883
(2002-08-01)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Jersey, Steven T.
- Chung, William W.
- Broyles, Larry D.
- Henry, Michael D.
- Smith, Michael R.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- SHURflo Pump Manufacturing Co., Inc.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
22 인용 특허 :
50 |
초록
▼
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
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.
대표청구항
▼
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;a second stretcher extending between the firs
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;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; andat least one container support coupled to each of the first and second stretchers, respectively, each container support positioned to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon;wherein the first and second vertical supports are movable with respect to one another and the container supports coupled to the first and second stretchers 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; anda 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 2, wherein the container support coupled to the first stretcher extends between the first and third stretchers. 4. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 3, wherein the container support coupled to the first stretcher is oriented to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane. 5. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the container support coupled to the second stretcher extends between the second and fourth stretchers. 6. 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. 7. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rail is adapted to support a comestible fluid dispensing component thereon. 8. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the comestible fluid dispensing component is one of a pump, a valve, a filter, and a regulator. 9. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rail has at least one groove within which comestible fluid dispensing components are slidably mounted. 10. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second stretcher extends from the second vertical support. 11. 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. 12. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second stretcher is in telescoping relationship with the third stretcher. 13. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one container support coupled to the third stretcher and positioned to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon. 14. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 11, 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. 15. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 11, wherein:at least one o f the first and second stretchers is tubular and receives another of the first and second stretchers; andat least one of the second and third stretchers is tubular and receives another of the second and third stretchers. 16. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one container support is oriented to support at least one comestible fluid container thereon at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane. 17. 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. 18. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of the first and second vertical supports has a lower end releasably coupled to the second module. 19. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 18, 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. 20. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 19, 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. 21. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rack is longitudinally adjustable to accommodate comestible fluid containers having different sizes. 22. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one container support includes a wire frame. 23. The comestible fluid container rack as claimed in claim 1 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 container support includes a brace adapted to hold at least part of the conduit in the rack. 24. 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. 25. 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;supporting at least one comestible fluid container upon a first container support coupled to the first stretcher;supporting at least one comestible fluid container upon a second container support coupled to the second stretcher;moving the first vertical support with respect to the second vertical support while telescoping the first stretcher with respect to the second stretcher; andmoving the first container support coupled to the first stretcher with respect to the second container support coupled to the second stretcher while telescoping the first stretcher with respect to the second stretcher. 26. The method as claimed in claim 25, 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; andmoving 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. 27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:telescoping a fifth stretcher with respect to at least one of the first and second stretchers; andtelescoping a sixth stretcher with respect to at least one of the third and fourth stretchers. 28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the second and fourth stretchers extend from the second and fourth vertical supports, respectively. 29. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising telescoping a third stretcher with respect to at least one of the first and second stretchers. 30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the second stretcher extends from the second vertical support. 31. The method as claimed in claim 25, 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. 32. The method as claimed in claim 31, 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. 33. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:coupling an elongated rail to the first vertical support; andcoupling at least one comestible fluid dispensing component to the elongated rail. 34. The method as claimed in claim 33, 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; andcoupling the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component to the bracket. 35. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the at least one comestible fluid dispensing component is one of a pump, a valve, a filter, and a regulator. 36. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising holding a comestible fluid conduit in a brace coupled to at least one of the first and second container supports in the comestible fluid container rack. 37. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising adjusting a longitudinal length of the comestible fluid container rack. 38. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising adjusting a position of at least one of the first and second container supports in the comestible fluid container rack with respect to at least one of the first and second vertical supports.
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