GB2278268A - A caddy for receiving and supporting glasses - Google Patents

Abstract

A drinking glass caddy comprising two or more trays each with compartments arranged to receive drinking glasses and set at an outward angle to the vertical. The caddy optimally has two trays, one above the other and these are preferably removably mounted on a carrying handle. The trays may be fabricated of plastic-coated wire and dimensioned to fit directly on a carrier in a dishwasher. When not in use they may be stacked with or without glasses on top of one another. The inclination of the glasses in the caddy facilitates entry of the glasses onto the trays, and secondly it reduces the overall height and bulk of the caddy. This feature also makes it more difficult to stack glasses inside one another. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BAR AND CATERING EOUIPMENT This invention relates to improvements in bar and catering equipment, and in particular to a device for collecting used glasses. The invention also relates to a method of, and apparatus for collecting washing and storing glasses.

In bars and similar establishments there is a need to recover used glasses and to 'recycle' them to customers. At busy times the staff's prime preoccupation is to serve customers and they often pay insufficient attention to the collection of used glasses.

When the staff do eventually go round to collect the glasses, they normally pile them high on a tray. They may also stack them one inside another, which causes a high percentage of breakages. Alternatively they are forced to collect them on a tray, which too can lead to problems if the server is jostled.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a device which removes these problems with a resulting improvement in efficiency, whilst rendering this somewhat disagreeable job less distasteful.

In accordance with the invention in one aspect a drinking glass caddy is characterised by two or more trays disposed one above the other and held by a carrying handle, each tray having compartments arranged to receive drinking glasses and that each compartment is arranged at an outward angle to the centre plane of the caddy so that in use the glasses lean outwardly.

Also according to the invention in another aspect there is provided a drinking glass caddy comprising one or more trays disposed one above the other and arranged to hang down from a carrying handle, each tray being designed to receive and support two or more rows of drinking glasses.

The outward angle is preferably between 10 and 35 , and optimally between 17 and 250. In one preferred embodiment the angle is about 200.

The compartments for the glasses may comprise an elongated deck, preferably with dividers to separate glasses, or individual compartments. In an alternative embodiment the trays may be arranged such that the glasses rest on the trays in rows, e.g.

one, two or more rows, without any separation of adjacent glasses. The glasses are preferably arranged to be aligned in rows, most preferably two rows, on a tray. Where the glasses are arranged to be at an outward angle, the tray may have two inclined portions with the glasses of one row resting on one inclined portion and also against the adjacent side of the tray.

The caddy may have a single tray or several trays, but optimally has two trays, one above the other, the glasses in at least the lower tray being inclined outwardly from the central plane of the caddy, e.g. parallel to the axis of the handle.

This facilitates entry of the glasses into the compartments, and reduces the overall height and bulk of the caddy and reduces the chance of breakage. This feature also makes it more difficult to stack glasses inside one another, resulting in fewer potential breakages.

It may also be desirable for the rows of glasses to be spaced apart to provide for cup, saucers, plates and other pieces of crockery to be collected and stacked upright between adjacent rows of glasses.

The trays may be made of moulded thermoplastic or thermosetting resin or pressed from a sheet of thermo-setting resin.

Alternatively and preferably, they are made of plastic coated wire, e.g. of stainless steel.

The trays may be either rigidly or removably attached to a carrying handle. This may either be mounted centrally or in the form of an external cage.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the caddy comprises a handle extending across the top with integral downwardly extending side arms. The lower ends of these side arms join to an open-topped slops container and a lowermost wire tray sits in the slops container. One or more upper wire trays are temporarily attached to the side arms by means of hook members projecting inwardly from the side arms over which wire loop means forming part of the wire tray fit to support the tray.

The hook members may have upright sides which engage with the loop means on a tray to prevent the tray from swinging.

Preferably all of the trays are identical and include a base having two portions inclined outwardly about the central line parallel to the axis of the handle, whereby two rows of inverted glasses can be received in each tray, the rows being parallel to the axis of the handle.

Such trays are particularly suitable for use in a combined method of collecting, washing and storing glasses. Thus according to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method in which one or more trays are temporarily supported in a caddy, with the trays being positioned one about another, the user collecting dirty glasses and placing them inverted on the trays, a full tray is then removed from the caddy and one or more such trays are placed in a glass washer to clean the glasses, and finally the trays of cleaned glasses are removed from the glass washer and supported in a position convenient to the bar. In this way the amount of handling of the glasses is reduced since a tray for the glass washer is filled as the glasses are being collected and the clean glasses do not have to be individually handled to pack them away for storage ready for reuse.

In one plastic moulded version the glasses can be received in an upright position with individual compartments for a glass.

In an alternative version wire trays are used, and these may be designed to be placed directly in a glass washer. The glasses then have to be placed on the trays upside-down, a receptacle being provided below the lower tray to capture the contents of glasses which are not empty.

The invention in its various forms provides major improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of collecting glasses, in busy bars and other establishments, thus greatly enhancing the efficiency of the bar staff. It also substantially reduces the breakages which normally occur by collecting glasses on an ordinary tray where they are all to often balanced precariously or stacked on top of one another.

Other attachments may be added to the caddy in order to aid staff. A receptacle may be added for emptying ashtrays, and another for a damp cloth to wipe down tables. Wheels may be provided for caddies which are larger or too heavy to carry comfortably.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a caddy in moulded plastic in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a caddy with wire trays in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 shows a modified form of caddy according to the invention; and Figure 4 shows an arrangement using the caddy shown in Figure 2 to wash and stack glasses for storage.

In Figure 1 a drinking glass caddy 10 in accordance with the invention is shown which comprises upper and lower trays 12 and 14. Each is provided with ten or twelve compartments 16. Each compartment is arranged to receive a drinking glass 18 of a predetermined dimension in a substantially upright position.

The two trays 12 and 14 are arranged one above the other and the compartments in at least the lower tray 14 are slightly inclined outwardly at about 15 to 200 from the vertical axis of the caddy. This facilitates entry of the glasses into the compartments, and also reduces the overall height and bulk of the caddy. The compartments are also conveniently of an elongated form orientated outwardly from the main centre line 20, again to facilitate the loading of glasses into the caddy.

The compartments in the upper tray are round and need not be inclined.

In order to improve cleaning and to prevent build-up of deposits or liquid in the compartments, drainage slots 22 may be provided in the bottom of the compartments 16.

Feet 24 are provided at each corner of the caddy to improve its stability when stood on the ground. The trays are made of a moulded thermoplastics material and may carry publicity on the side walls 26.

The trays 12 and 14 are attached to a robust central carrying handle 28. A selection of trays may be provided in order to accommodate various different sizes or shapes of glass.

For example the lower tray shown in the drawing is intended for thin one pint beer glasses; other trays may be chosen, for example to fit champagne flutes if the bar sells more champagne.

Use of the caddy in accordance with the invention will greatly increase the efficiency of bar staff and lead to substantially fewer breakages.

In Figure 2 a caddy 50 in accordance with the invention comprises upper and lower trays 52 and 54. The trays are identical and are made of plastics coated (PVC) or stainless steel wire. They are each in the form of an open topped basket.

Each has a base with portions 56 and 58 inclined outwardly at an angle of 20 to 250, the portions being joined along a centre axis 60 parallel to the axis of a handle 62. Thus two rows of inverted glasses 63 can be carried by each tray 52, 54, with the glasses in each row being inclined outwardly so that they rest not only on the base of the tray but also against the side walls of the trays.

The handle 62 extends across the top of the trays and has integral downwardly extending side arms 64. At their lower ends, the side arms 64 are attached to the slops tray 66 which offers space for publicity on its sides.

The lower tray 54 sits in the slops tray 66 but can, when required, readily be removed.

The upper tray 52 is removably attached to the side arms 64.

Each side arm has a hook member 70 attached to it whilst each tray includes a wire loop 72 at each side. The wire loops 72 fit over and rest on the hook members 70 to support the tray 52.

Further support may be provided by the engagement of the sides of the loops 72 with the sides of the hook members. The upper tray 52 can readily be removed, however, when required by simply lifting it off the hook members 70.

The outward tilt of the glasses facilitates their entry into the trays 52 and 54, and also reduces the overall height and bulk of the caddy. The tilt also discourages stacking of glasses in the caddy.

Figure 3 shows a modified embodiment of caddy 100 in which the trays can be similar to those of the caddy 50. The caddy 100 may however have wheels 102 attached if required. In addition it may have a receptacle 104 for emptying ashtrays, carrying a damp cloth for wiping tables or for food wastes.

Use of such caddies in accordance with the invention not only increases the efficiency of bar staff but also leads to substantially fewer breakages.

Figure 4 shows an arrangement for washing and storing glasses. A caddy 50 as shown in Figure 2 is used to collect glasses. Then when the trays 52 and 54 are full, they can be removed and placed directly in a glass washer 110 in the trays themselves. This saves a separate handling of the dirty glasses and loading them into the glass washer or separate trays for the glass washer. Then, after washing, the trays now carrying the clean glasses, are stored on slidable racks 112 in a storage cabinet 114, again without handling the glasses since the trays 52, 54 themselves, are removed from the glass washer and themselves placed on the rack 112. The stored glasses are then ready for reuse and when a tray 52, 54 is emptied it can again be used with the caddy 50 to collect dirty glasses.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS:

1. A drinking glass caddy comprising one or more trays disposed one above the other and arranged to hang down from a carrying handle, each tray being designed to receive and support two or more rows of drinking glasses.

2. A drinking glass caddy characterised by two or more trays disposed one above the other and held on a carrying handle, each tray being arranged to receive and support two or more rows of drinking glasses, the arrangement for the lower tray, or in the case of three or more trays, all trays other than the uppermost tray, being such that the glasses are supported on their rows at an outward angle to the centre plane of the caddy so that in use the glasses lean outwardly.

3. A caddy as claimed in Claim 2 in which the outward angle is between 10 and 350.

4. A caddy as claimed in Claim 3 in which the outward angle is between 17 and 25".

5. A caddy as claimed in Claim 3 in which the angle is about 200.

6. A caddy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the glasses are arranged in rows on an elongated deck.

7. A caddy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the glasses are arranged to be positioned in their upright sense on the trays.

8. A caddy as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 in which the glasses are arranged to be positioned in an inverted sense on the trays, and the lower or lowermost tray acts as a slops tray.

9. A caddy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the trays are removably mounted on a carrying handle.

10. A caddy as claimed in Claim 9 in which the trays are provided with hooks arranged to engage with the handle and/or with sliders in a glass washer.

11. A caddy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A caddy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A method in which one or more trays are temporarily supported in a caddy, with the trays being positioned one about another, the user collecting dirty glasses and placing them inverted on the trays, a full tray is then removed from the caddy and one or more such trays are placed in a glass washer to clean the glasses, and finally the trays of cleaned glasses are removed from the glass washer and supported in a position convenient to the bar.

14. A method substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.