Patent Application
20060043035
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an apparatus for displaying and storing bottles, especially wine bottles.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Wine bottles typically are stored horizontally so that the wine remains in contact with the cork. When bottles are stored upright so that corks are out of contact with the wine, the cork can dry out, which can allow air to enter the bottle. Any air spoils the wine.
Horizontal storage of bottles takes many forms. In a simple form, bottles remain in their cardboard or wood cases. After removing the top of the case, the case is placed on one side so that the bottles are horizontal. The cases may be on shelves or merely stacked. Most cases have internal cells that separate each bottle from adjacent ones and prevent the bottles from rolling inside the case.
Bottles also may be removed from the cases and placed on flat, solid or wire shelves. To prevent bottles from rolling, the shelves may have indentations or separators.
Slightly more complex are storage systems divided into cells. Each cell may hold one or multiple bottles. In one cell-based apparatus, each cell is formed by four, horizontal lateral supports that will be aligned with the bottle. Short posts at the front and rear of each lateral support attach the support to adjacent lateral supports. The posts that extend horizontally between two adjacent and horizontally spaced lateral supports carry the front and rear of the bottle. The posts that extend vertically between two adjacent and vertically spaced lateral supports form the sides of the cells. The cells are square and wide and tall enough to receive a bottle.
Cells in another storage system are square but large enough to hold more than one bottle. The walls of the cell are at 45° to vertical. The first bottle placed in the cell rests at the bottom apex of the cell, and the remaining bottles are stacked above bottles already placed in the cell. Vertical or horizontal walls or posts may subdivide the cells. Storage devices with cells that hold several bottles are particularly useful with people or restaurants with large wine collections. Each cell can hold wines of a vintage of the same variety from one winery or wine of particular classifications (e.g., Zinfandel wine from San Luis Obispo County, California).
Bottles, particularly wine bottles, can be quite attractive. One must remove the bottle from the previously mentioned storage devices to see the bottle. Bottles also may look particularly attractive when multiple bottles are visible in an attractive storage device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that stores and displays bottles attractively. Another object is to provide a device that holds bottles in positions that users can change so that the device with bottles can take on multiple orientations. Another object is to provide a device that stores and displays bottles while occupying little floor space.
The bottle display and storage apparatus of the present invention includes a base, which may mount to a wall or sit on the floor. The apparatus includes a series of carriers aligned with each other along an axis through each carrier and above the base. The bottom carrier is adjacent to the base and can pivot relative to the base. The carriers above the bottom carrier pivot relative to each other about the axis.
Each carrier includes a support about the axis and a receptacle attached to and projecting from the support. The receptacle is angled upward and has an open end to receive a bottle. The inside of the receptacle may have a foam insert for cushioning the bottle. Because the carriers pivot about the axis, the user may orient them as he or she wishes. Some carriers may extend to the right, other to the left and others at intermediate positions.
For embodiments that mount the base to the wall, a header attaches to the upper carrier to hold the top of the device to the wall. Normally, the mounting is such that the carriers cannot pivot toward the wall but would extend toward the right, left and forward of the axis.
The present invention stores and displays bottles, primarily wine or other attractive bottles. Bottles 2 (shown in phantom in
A label usually covers at least part of the lower portion, and many bottles have neck labels too. Wine labels may be very decorative. Also, to wine connoisseurs, a label of an exclusive winery may evoke beauty even if the label itself is not particularly aesthetic. A cork in the neck seals the wine or other liquid inside the bottle. Today, many wine bottles do not use cork material but use plastic as a substitute. Some bottles have foil at the end of the neck over the cork. Others have no foil.
Bottles for other liquids exist. In addition, some people or businesses modify bottles, For example, they may personalize a bottle by adding colored artwork and words such as poetry to the bottle.
The present invention may display other types of bottles, containers or other items. Many liquor bottles are interesting looking. One also may want to display containers holding non-beverage items such as olive oil and vinegar. Some people may display containers related to a hobby or industry. For example, a person interested in automobiles or an automotive business may want to display containers holding motor oil, other automotive fluids or even non-fluid parts.
The present invention stores and displays these and other type of bottles. It includes a series of carriers aligned with each other along an axis through each carrier. The exemplary embodiment of
In the exemplary embodiment, exposed parts of the carriers are metal such as anodized aluminum. It does not corrode easily and is available in different shades and textures. Stainless steel is an acceptable choice, but it is heavier and more costly than aluminum. Brass, nickel, chrome-plated steel, other metals and plastic or wood also may be used. In addition, the different parts of the carrier could be different materials.
Each carrier includes a support member and at least one receptacle. In the exemplary embodiments, each carrier, e.g., carrier 14 (
The inside diameter of the bore is sized to accommodate post 60. Each end 26 and 28 of the support member receives a bushing 30 or 32. The ends of the support members may be counter-bored to receive the heads 34 of the bushings. The bushings allow the support members to pivot about the post easily. The bushings also assist sliding of the ends of the support members relative to the end of the adjacent support member when one support pivots as the adjacent support remains stationary. A light lubricant or a non-stick coating may be used.
In the exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 40 for each carrier is cylindrical and has an inside diameter sized to accommodate a bottle. Similarly, the receptacle is sufficiently deep to receive at least a portion of a bottle. Non-cylindrical shapes (i.e., non-circular cross-sections such as a squares or hexagons) are possible. Insofar as those shapes have inside dimensions, the corresponding dimension to a cylinder diameter is still referred to as the inside diameter. Alternatively, the outside of the receptacle may have a shape different from the inside shape. For example, the inside could remain a cylinder, but the outside could be polygonal.
Each carrier of the exemplary embodiment has only one receptacle, but two or possibly more receptacles per carrier are possible. Multiple receptacles could be spaced annularly, stacked or both spaced annularly and horizontally.
The cylindrical wall 50 of receptacle 40 for each carrier (e.g., carrier 14) has an open distal end and proximal base 42 with a central bore 44 through the base. The bore fits over projection 36 extending outward at an angle a from support 22. In the exemplary embodiment, the projection is integral with the remainder of the support (
The projection is angled upward to angle the receptacle upward. The receptacles are angled at about 45° in the exemplary embodiment, but other angles are acceptable. Thought friction may hold a bottle in the receptacle, especially if the receptacle has a foam insert 54 (see below), some angle a (
The inside of receptacle wall 50 may receive a soft sleeve 54 of foam plastic or other soft material. The optional sleeve allows receptacles to accommodate bottles of different sizes and shapes. It also provides friction between the glass bottle and metal receptacle to help retain the bottle in the receptacle.
Base 20 attaches to a wall or other vertical surface. The base of the exemplary embodiment is triangular and curved (
As
Shaft 60 may be one piece or it may be of two of more sections connected together. Having the shaft divided into separate sections allows shipping the parts of the shaft in a shorter package. Having the sections connect together might not be necessary if each ends toward the middle of a support member 22. In such an arrangement the support member may prevent the column of shaft sections from buckling.
Header 80 (
Users can rotate the carriers to desired positions. In the exemplary embodiment of
Though the device is positioned so that its axis is vertical in
A floor-mounted version also is possible. A floor stand base 90 (
While the specification describes particular embodiments of the present invention, those of ordinary skill can devise variations of the present invention without departing from the inventive concept.
