GB2141921A

GB2141921A - Bottle rack

Info

Publication number: GB2141921A
Application number: GB08317271A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-06-24
Filing date: 1983-06-24
Publication date: 1985-01-09
Also published as: GB8317271D0

Abstract

A bottle rack enabling a saving of space has means for mounting it on or against a wall and also has a plurality of sockets 6, 7 orientated to support bottles generally parallel to the wall. The sockets 7 permit the bottles to be removed sideways (with respect to the bottles) from the wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle rack This invention is a bottle rack, suitable in particular for holding wine bottles.

When bottles are stored in quantity, they are normally simply stood on end. However when they are stored to enable the selection of individual bottles, it is more usually to display them in a rack in which the bottles are held horizontally and separate from each other. In the case of bottles of wine in particular, a variety of racks are available, in which bottles are supported in a structure from which only the covered corks project. Since the colour or other characteristic feature of the bottle top is an important, if not the only, aid to identification of individual bottles in the display, the racks invariably support the bottles with their tops pointing towards the person making the selection. Thus the conventional racks of bottles always project from an adjacent wall by an amount equal to at least the height of a bottle.

Such conventional racks may take up more space than can readily be spared in a small restaurant or in a domestic setting. In addition, wine selection by identifying the bottle top alone is far from reliable. It is a common sight to see a waiter having to remove and replace several bottles before the chosen wine is found.

The present invention was devised in order to overcome these problems of space and wine identification. The invention is a bottle rack, for example a wine rack, having means for mounting said rack on or against a wall and having also a plurality of sockets orientated to support bottles with their axes generally parallel to said wall.

The means for mounting the rack may be a flat back-piece or -pieces for securing, by means for example of screws or hooks, to a wall or it may be a free-standing framework designed for standing against a wall but not necessarily secured thereto.

Preferably, in particular where storage space is at a premium, the rack is adapted for wallmounting.

The sockets for supporting bottles may take any of a variety of forms. Thus for each bottle the rack may be provided with a pair of aligned holes, either each of such diameter as to permit passage of a bottle therethrough or with one hole wide enough to receive the body of a bottle and the other hole wide enough to receive only a bottle neck. In another form, the sockets may be of hexagonal or rectangular cross-section such as are formed from the interlocking of criss-crossing structural members, for example in a "honeycomb" arrangement. However, it is strongly preferred that the sockets be such as to permit bottles to be withdrawn sideways (with respect to the bottles) from the rack; in this way a significant saving of access space is achieved.

This last-mentioned result may be achieved by supporting each bottle in a slotted socket. Thus, for example, where the socket is defined by a pair of aligned holes, one or both of the holes may be open at the side to permit a bottle to be lifted sideways from the rack.

A preferred form of rack, suitable for supporting wine bottles, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing, a wine rack designated generally by the numeral 1 is constructed from two flat, decorated back-pieces 2 and 3 rigidly bonded, as by screws or adhesive, to side-pieces 4 and 5. The rack is mounted upon a wall, not shown, by any suitable conventional mounting means, for example using hooks on one or both of the back-pieces 2 and 3 or by screws fixed to wall-plugs.

The side-piece 4 has a plurality of holes 6, corresponding to the number of bottles it is desired to support, each hole being slightly larger in diameter than that of a typical wine bottle.

Axially aligned with each hole 6, there is located in side-piece 5 an inclined slot 7, of minimum width slightly greater than the diameter of a typical wine bottle neck. A wine bottle 8 is illustrated in position in the wine rack 1 and, as is apparent, the bottle is supported with its axis parallel to the wall.

The wine rack according to the present invention may be attractively constructed in wood.

It is also possible to manufacture its component parts, for example the back- and side-pieces of the illustrated embodiment, in plastics material, which may be assembled together before sale or sold as a flat pack for self-assembly by the purchaser.

As will be readily understood and is particularly apparent by reference to the drawing, the bottle rack of the present invention is much shallower, that is it protrudes less far from an adjacent wall, than conventional bottle racks. In addition, the rack may be designed to display the individual bottle labels fully and thereby greatly simplify the selection of a chosen bottle.

1. A bottle rack having means for mounting said rack on or against a wall and having also a plurality of sockets orientated to support bottles with their axes generally parallel to said wall.

2. A bottle rack as claimed in claim 1, in which said mounting means is a flat back-piece or -pieces for securing to a wall.

3. A bottle rack as claimed in claim 1, in which said mounting means is a free-standing framework designed for standing against a wall.

4. A bottle rack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which said sockets are formed from the interlocking of criss-crossing structural members.

5. A bottle rack as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which said sockets comprise, for each bottle, a pair of aligned holes.

6. A bottle rack as claimed in claim 5, in which each said pair of aligned holes comprises a larger hole to receive the body of a bottle and a smaller hole to receive a bottle neck.

7. A bottle rack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which said sockets permit

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Bottle rack This invention is a bottle rack, suitable in particular for holding wine bottles. When bottles are stored in quantity, they are normally simply stood on end. However when they are stored to enable the selection of individual bottles, it is more usually to display them in a rack in which the bottles are held horizontally and separate from each other. In the case of bottles of wine in particular, a variety of racks are available, in which bottles are supported in a structure from which only the covered corks project. Since the colour or other characteristic feature of the bottle top is an important, if not the only, aid to identification of individual bottles in the display, the racks invariably support the bottles with their tops pointing towards the person making the selection. Thus the conventional racks of bottles always project from an adjacent wall by an amount equal to at least the height of a bottle. Such conventional racks may take up more space than can readily be spared in a small restaurant or in a domestic setting. In addition, wine selection by identifying the bottle top alone is far from reliable. It is a common sight to see a waiter having to remove and replace several bottles before the chosen wine is found. The present invention was devised in order to overcome these problems of space and wine identification. The invention is a bottle rack, for example a wine rack, having means for mounting said rack on or against a wall and having also a plurality of sockets orientated to support bottles with their axes generally parallel to said wall. The means for mounting the rack may be a flat back-piece or -pieces for securing, by means for example of screws or hooks, to a wall or it may be a free-standing framework designed for standing against a wall but not necessarily secured thereto. Preferably, in particular where storage space is at a premium, the rack is adapted for wallmounting. The sockets for supporting bottles may take any of a variety of forms. Thus for each bottle the rack may be provided with a pair of aligned holes, either each of such diameter as to permit passage of a bottle therethrough or with one hole wide enough to receive the body of a bottle and the other hole wide enough to receive only a bottle neck. In another form, the sockets may be of hexagonal or rectangular cross-section such as are formed from the interlocking of criss-crossing structural members, for example in a "honeycomb" arrangement. However, it is strongly preferred that the sockets be such as to permit bottles to be withdrawn sideways (with respect to the bottles) from the rack; in this way a significant saving of access space is achieved. This last-mentioned result may be achieved by supporting each bottle in a slotted socket. Thus, for example, where the socket is defined by a pair of aligned holes, one or both of the holes may be open at the side to permit a bottle to be lifted sideways from the rack. A preferred form of rack, suitable for supporting wine bottles, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Referring to the drawing, a wine rack designated generally by the numeral 1 is constructed from two flat, decorated back-pieces 2 and 3 rigidly bonded, as by screws or adhesive, to side-pieces 4 and 5. The rack is mounted upon a wall, not shown, by any suitable conventional mounting means, for example using hooks on one or both of the back-pieces 2 and 3 or by screws fixed to wall-plugs. The side-piece 4 has a plurality of holes 6, corresponding to the number of bottles it is desired to support, each hole being slightly larger in diameter than that of a typical wine bottle. Axially aligned with each hole 6, there is located in side-piece 5 an inclined slot 7, of minimum width slightly greater than the diameter of a typical wine bottle neck. A wine bottle 8 is illustrated in position in the wine rack 1 and, as is apparent, the bottle is supported with its axis parallel to the wall. The wine rack according to the present invention may be attractively constructed in wood. It is also possible to manufacture its component parts, for example the back- and side-pieces of the illustrated embodiment, in plastics material, which may be assembled together before sale or sold as a flat pack for self-assembly by the purchaser. As will be readily understood and is particularly apparent by reference to the drawing, the bottle rack of the present invention is much shallower, that is it protrudes less far from an adjacent wall, than conventional bottle racks. In addition, the rack may be designed to display the individual bottle labels fully and thereby greatly simplify the selection of a chosen bottle. CLAIMS

7. A bottle rack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which said sockets permit bottles to be withdrawn sideways (with respect to the bottles) from the rack.

8. A bottle rack as claimed in claim 7, in which said sockets are slotted to permit said sideways withdrawal of bottles.

9. A bottle rack as claimed in claim 8, in which said sockets comprise, for each bottle, a pair of aligned holes, one or both of which is open at the side to permit said sideways withdrawal of bottles

10. A bottle rack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.