US3836008A

US3836008A - Wine rack

Info

Publication number: US3836008A
Application number: US00342794A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Mraz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-03-19
Filing date: 1973-03-19
Publication date: 1974-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-17

Abstract

A rack for storing wine comprising modules that can be assembled to provide the capacity desired. Each module is a structure including spaced vertical side panels and a bottle supporting shelf between the panels which is in the form of an inverted V as viewed from the front of the structure. Cylindrical shaped bottles of various sizes are stably supported on the shelves.

Description

United States Patent 1 Mraz 1 1 Se t. 17 1974 [541 WINE RACK FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: David Mral, 90 Harrison -7 1,140,854 3/1957 France 2 17 19 au a 0,C 94965 513,267 8/1952 Belgium 217 19 [22] Filed Mar 19 1973 1,385,913 12/1964 France 206/65 E [21] Appl. NO-I 3 2, 9 Primary ExaminerRoy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Abraham Frankel [52] U S Cl 211/49 R 211/74 2l7/l9 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Flehr, Hohbach, Test,

51 Int. Cl. A47b 73/00, A47f 7/00 Albrmo Herbert [58] Field of Search 312/45, 42; 211/49 R, 49 D,

206/65 E; 224/45 AB, 45 A, 48 A; 229/28 BC References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ABSTRACT A rack for storing wine comprising modules that can be assembled to provide the capacity desired. Each module is a structure including spaced vertical side panels and a bottle supporting shelf between the panels which is in the form of an inverted V as viewed from the front of the structure. Cylindrical shaped bottles of various sizes are stably supported on the shelves.

3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures WINE RACK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to racks for supporting bottled wine and other beverages.

It is well known that bottled wine should be stored in an inclined or tilted position for proper preservation and aging. Various racks for this purpose have been made for commercial and home use. Particularly with respect to racks for home use, the ones available have not been adaptable for cylindrical bottles of various sizes and diameters, including full size or one-fifth gallon (3 to 3 /2 inches diameter), half size or one-tenth gallon (2V8 inches diameter), champagne (3% inches diameter), magnum or two-fifth gallon (4 /8 inches diameter), jeroboam or four-fifth gallon (5% inches diameter), half gallon (5 inches diameter), and full gallon (6 /2 inches diameter). Simple flat tilted shelves are not satisfactory because the bottles are not securely held and may roll about as bottles are introduced or removed. Another objection to the racks available for home use is that they do not facilitate storing the bottles in groups according to their contents, and they cannot be readily enlarged as to capacity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a wine rack suitable for home use which will conveniently store bottles in groups.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wine rack which will store bottles with positional stability, irrespective of the number of bottles stacked upon a shelf.

Another object is to provide a rack comprising modules which can be assembled to provide the capacity desired.

In general, the invention consists of one or more structures each comprising side panels that are laterally spaced and vertically disposed, and a bottle supporting shelf extending between the panels. The shelf consists of wall portions which are disposed in the form of an inverted V as viewed from the front of the structure. The structure is dimensioned whereby cylindrical bottles of varying sizes can be supported upon the shelf with good positional stability. Two or more such structures can be assembled together to provide a composite structure having the capacity desired.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a wine rack incorporating the present invention and comprising in this instance two modules.

FIG. 2 is a front view of one of the modules.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one of the modules.

FIGS. 4 10 are elevational views schematically illustrating various sizes and numbers of bottles stored within a module.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a wine rack consisting of two modules A and B which are of like construction. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 3, each module consists of laterally spaced vertical and parallel side panels 11, together with a shelf 12 extending between the side panels. A back panel 13 is also shown extending between the rear edges of the side panels 11 and secured to the same. All of these panels can be made of suitable material such as wood. The bottle supporting shelf 12 is made of two wall portions 12a which are planar and of like dimensions. As shown in FIG. 2, these wall portions are disposed in the form of an inverted V. One edge of each wall portion 12a is suitably secured to the adjacent side panel 11 as, for example, by providing a groove 14 in each side panel within which the adjacent edge of the wall portion 12a fits, with the two parts being held together as by glue or cement. The other two edges of the wall portions 12a are secured together along the junction line 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the included angle between the wall portions 12a is such that as the structure is viewed from the front the wall portions appear as an inverted V. In practice it has been found satisfactory to employ an included angle of the order of Also in practice it has been found satisfactory to space the vertical side panels about 6% inches apart.

In addition to providing an inclination of the wall portions 12a to the horizontal from the junction 15 to the side panels, it is desirable to provide some tilting between the front and rear ends of the shelf as shown in FIG. 1. In other words, the wall portions 12a are sloped downwardly from the front of the structure toward the back. This tilting provides a positioning of the bottles which is best suited for wine preservation and aging. Also it compensates for the fact that the bottom ends of the bottles are slightly larger in diameter than the upper ends. In practice this angle can be of the order of 7.

The upper end of each module is shown provided with suitable means such as dowels 16 which are adapted to interfit holes 17 in the side panels of the module which is seated upon the same. This provides sufficient attachment between stacked modules to prevent lateral displacement. Modules can also be placed side by side, in which event they can be secured together by suitable means, such as bolts or screws inserted in the side panel holes 19.

For the purpose of providing ample ventilation, the lower edges of the side panels 11 are shown cut away as indicated at 21. Also the upper edges of the panels are shown cut away as indicated at 22, and this may be rectangular as illustrated. For the same purpose the back panel 13 is dimensioned whereby it terminates short of the upper and lower edges of the side panels 11. Likewise, the shelf 12 is dimensioned whereby it terminates short of the back panel 13.

FIGS. 4 10 illustrate how bottles of various sizes can be stored within each module. FIG. 4 illustrates the storage of several standard full bottles (one-fifth gallon). It will be seen that the lower two bottles of the stack rest upon the wall portions 12 whereby the inclination of these wall portions tends to urge the bottles against the side panels 11. This not only provides for positional stability with respect to the two lowermost bottles, but also privides stability for the additional bottles shown stacked upon the lower bottles. FIG. 5 shows the storage of half bottles. Here the two lowermost bottles are likewise supported upon the sloped wall portions 12a, and by virtue of the sloping of these wall portions, they are urged against the side panels and thus retained with positional stability. All of the bottles stacked upon the two lowermost bottles likewise have complete positional stability.

FIG. 6 illustrates the stacking of champagne bottles. Here because of their diameter, which is greater than one-half the distance between the side panels, the lowermost bottle only rests upon one of the sloped wall portions 120, but this imparts positional stability, which is likewise imparted to the additional bottles stacked upon the lowermost bottle.

FIG. 7 shows the stacking of two magnum bottles. Here again the lowermost bottle, because of its diameter, rests upon one of the wall portions 12a, and the second bottle rests upon the first. Here again both bottles have positional stability.

FIG. 8 illustrates a larger bottle, namely one of the jeroboam type, which is resting upon the shelf but slightly to one side of the junction or apex 15. Here positional stability is provided for the same reason explained above, and the same is true of any additional bottles which are stored on top of the first bottle. However, the vertical dimensions of each module may be insufficient to take more than one such jeroboam bottle.

FIG. 9 shows the storing of two half-gallon bottles which are likewise of a diameter substantially greater than one-half the spacing between the side panels. Here both bottles have positional stability because of the character of the supporting shelf.

FIG. 10 illustrates a full gallon bottle or jug being stored upon the shelf, and the diameter in this instance is such that the bottle is supported by the junction 15. Positional stability is imparted here because the diameter of the bottle is nearly equal to the spacing between the side panels.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention provides a wine rack having a number of desirable features. Particularly, when used in the home it will conveniently store bottles in groups. Each module used may store bottles of a different size, but in each instance, because of the character of the supporting shelf, positional stability is imparted to all of the bottles. The capacity of the rack can be varied to suit the requirements simply by stacking modules upon each other, or by disposing modules or stacks side by side, with attachment between the side panels.

Instead of making use of modules that can be assembled to make a composite structure having a plurality of supporting shelves, my invention can be incorporated in a single structure comprising laterally spaced vertical panels and two or more vertically spaced shelves of the type described between the panels.

I claim:

1. A rack for storing wine bottles of varying sizes comprising a structure including planar parallel panels spaced laterally and extending vertically, the space between the panels being accessible from the front of the structure, bottle supporting shelf means extending between the side panels and secured to the same, said shelf means comprising two like-dimensioned planar wall portions extending from near the front to near the back of the structure, each wall portion having one edge secured to the adjacent side panel and its other edge secured to the corresponding edge of the other wall portion along a junction line disposed midway between the side panels, the wall portions being inclined downwardly from the junction line to the adjacent corresponding side panel whereby, as viewed from the front of the structure, the wall portions are disposed as an inverted V, said shelf means serving to support wine bottles laid upon the same, the said inclination of each wall portion causing a bottle laid upon the same to assume a stable position in contact with both the wall portion and the corresponding side panel, the structure providing an unobstructed space extending above the shelf means having a horizontal width corresponding to the spacing between the side panels and a height greater than said horizontal width, said space serving stably to accommodate bottles disposed upon bottles that are laid upon the shelf means.

2. A wine rack as in claim 1 in which said structure consists of at least two modules adapted to be assembled with one module on top of the other.

3. A wine rack as in claim 1 in which the included angle between the wall portions of the shelf as viewed from the front of the structure is of the order of 120, each wall portion and the junction line being also tilted downwardly from the front of the structure to the back thereof.

Claims

3. A wine rack as in claim 1 in which the included angle between the wall portions of the shelf as viewed from the front of the structure is of the order of 120*, each wall portion and the junction line being also tilted downwardly from the front of the structure to the back thereof.