Abstract:
Systems and methods are herein disclosed for holding a bottle (e.g., a wine bottle) at an angle that facilitates viewing the wine bottle label. The bottle holder may also include illuminating elements for casting viewing light upon the label of a wine bottle and to enhance viewing of the wine bottle shape, texture, and color. Such illuminating elements can be oriented upwards or downwards in order to cast last on the wine bottle above or below the illuminating elements. The bottle holder has at least two components: an elongated support member (bottle support member) and a wall mount. The wall mount can be fixed to a wall and the bottle support member can be secured to the wall mount. The wall mount and bottle support member can also include wiring and electrical connections to enable use of illuminating elements on the bottle support member.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC §119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/445,906 filed Feb. 23, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This disclosure describes systems and methods for holding, displaying, and illuminating wine bottles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, wine racks are used in wine cellars or other wine storage areas to store numerous bottles of wine in a desired area. In such conventional wine racks, the bottles of wine are supported along the length of the bottle within a grid of generally rectangular cavities stacked upon and next to each other, each rectangular cavity typically formed by pairs of parallel wood supports held in position by front and rear frame structures. These wine racks are generally solidly built wooden structures, and the cavities are capable of storing one or more bottles of wine vertically stacked on top of each other. 
     Also, in this example of a conventional wine rack, the wine rack is typically configured such that user places a bottle of wine longitudinally within one of the rectangular cavities such that when the rack is full of wine bottles, only the top ends (i.e., where the foil is wrapped around the top end) of the wine bottles are generally visible when viewing the wine rack—and the labels on the wine bottle are not generally visible by the user. As such, in order to determine which type of wine (e.g., varietals/grape type, winery name, vintage/year, etc.) is stored in a particular cavity of such a wine rack, the user may need to remove the bottle from the wine rack in order to view the label on the bottle. 
     Wine racks typically make viewing wine bottles difficult. Lighting is often poor and/or blocked by supporting elements of the rack. Bottle often must be removed or moved to view the labels. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A bottle holder and methods of using the bottle holder are herein disclosed. The bottle holder facilitates viewing and illumination of one or more bottles (e.g., wine bottles). The bottle holder is arranged so that a bottle can be viewed without removing the bottle from the holder. Illumination may be included to further enhance viewing of the bottle. Illumination can be provided via illuminating elements oriented upwards or downwards in order to cast light on the bottom or top of a bottle, respectively. The bottle holder has at least two major components: an elongated support member (bottle support member) and a wall mount. The wall mount can be fixed to a wall and the bottle support member can be secured to the wall mount. For instance, threaded elements (e.g., screws) can be used to selectively secure the bottle support member to the wall mount. Such means for securing the bottle support member to the wall mount facilitates attaching the wall mounts to a wall during construction and subsequently attaching the outwardly extending bottle support members. The separate wall mount and support members also enable the bottle support members to be reoriented within a given wall mount to account for installation misalignment with a wall mount. The wall mount and bottle support member can also include wiring and electrical connections to power the illuminating elements. 
     In one aspect, a wine holding and displaying system includes a wall mount and an elongated support member. The wall mount is adapted for fixed interconnection to a wall, and includes a surface with a recessed socket formed therein. The elongated support member includes an attachment end and a free end where the attachment end is adapted for conformal receipt within at least a portion of the socket. An elongated body extends between the ends and includes at least a first support for cradling and supporting a wine bottle. The bottle support element can be releaseably connected to the elongated support member. In one arrangement, the support may substantially align an axis of the wine bottle (passing through its base and neck) with a long axis of the elongated body. 
     The wine bottle holder may further include a connector for selectively maintaining the attachment end within the socket. The connector may include first and second threaded elements. Such threaded elements may overly first and second tabs attached to the attachment end of the elongated support member. 
     The elongated support member can have first and second portions that are angled relative to each other to permit, for example, better viewing of a wine bottle supported thereon. Further the elongated support member may include an illuminating element. In such an arrangement the elongated support member may include electrical contacts and the socket of the wall mount can have mating electrical contacts. Accordingly, the illuminating element can receive electrical power from the wall mount when the elongated support member is disposed within the socket. 
     Another aspect discloses a wine holding and displaying system having a wall mount, an elongated support member, and an illuminating element. The wall mount has first and second electrical contacts. The elongated support member has a free end and an attachment end having electrical contacts that mate with the electrical contacts in the wall mount. An illuminating element is connected to the elongated support member (or embedded within the elongated support member). This illuminating element is electrically connected to the electrical contacts of the wall mount when the elongated support member is connected to the wall mount. The illuminating element can illuminate a wine bottle held in the elongated support member or a wine bottle being held in an elongated support member below the elongated support member where the illuminating element is located. The wall mount can include a socket for receiving an attachment end of the elongated support member. 
     In another aspect, a wine holding and displaying system has a wall mount including a receiving socket, an elongated support member, first and second threaded elements, a first threaded receiving hole, a second threaded receiving hole, and optionally an illuminating element. The elongated support member has a free end and an attachment end having first and second outwardly extending tabs. The attachment end and the first and second outwardly extending tabs are sized to engage with the socket of the wall mount where at least a portion of the tabs are disposed within the threaded receiving holes. The first and second threaded elements may be treaded into the receiving holes to selectively secure the elongated support member to the wall mount. That is, the first threaded hole overlays at least a portion of the socket that receives at least a portion of the first outwardly extending tab and the second threaded hole overlays at least a portion of the socket that receives at least a portion of the second outwardly extending tab. The depth that each screw is threaded into the respective receiving holes can affect a horizontal angle at which the elongated support member is secured at relative to the wall mount. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate exploded perspective and side views, respectively, of a wine bottle holder. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a wall mount portion of the wine bottle holder illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
         FIG. 3A-3D  illustrates various views of the attachment end of the elongated bottle support member illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a cross support member. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of a cross support member. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an elongated bottle support member including illuminating elements. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an overhead view of the attachment end of the elongated support member and the wall mount showing the position of optional electrical contacts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure describes a modular wine bottle holder with the ability to be wall-mounted and facilitate visibility of the bottle labels. The wine bottle holder includes an elongated support member (“bottle support member”) selectively interconnected to a wall mount fixed to a wall. The ability to selectively connect the bottle support member to the wall mount can facilitate construction of a wine room/cellar. That is, the wall mounts may be attached to a wall and finish materials may be applied around the wall mounts prior to connection of the bottle support members. For instance, brick may be laid about the wall mounts. Further, the elongated bottle support members can also be interchanged between various wall mounts. The wall mounts can include a socket for receiving an attachment end of the bottle support member. In some embodiments, this socket is arranged such that the horizontal angle of each bottle support member is adjustable to compensate for any misalignment of the wall mount to the wall occurring during installation. Additionally, an illumination element, such as LED&#39;s, can be added to the bottle support member in order to provide illumination for each wine bottle. The illuminating element can receive power via electrical connection between the elongated support member and the wall mount and between the wall mount and the wall. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrated an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a wine bottle holder. As shown, the wine bottle holder  100  includes a wall mount  110  and an elongated bottle support member  120 . The wall mount  110  is adapted to be affixed to a wall and includes a surface  112  (e.g., front surface) facing away from the wall having a recessed socket  114 . The elongated support member  120  includes a free end  122  and an attachment end  124  that is adapted for conformal receipt within at least a portion of the socket  114 . An elongated body portion extends between the free end  124  and the attachment end  122  of the bottle support member  120 . The body portion  126  includes at least a first cross support  128  for cradling and/or supporting a wine bottle. Generally, the first cross support  128  orients the wine bottle such that a long axis of the wine bottle between its neck and base (or through its neck and base) is substantially aligned with the elongated support member  120 . In one embodiment, the axis of the wine bottle is substantially parallel to a reference axis defined by a portion or entirety of the elongated body portion  126 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the bottle support member  120  has first and second portions  130 ,  132  that are angled relative to each other. In such an arrangement, the first portion  130  and the second portion  132  can each have a central axis running through the center thereof, and those axes intersect at a non-zero angle. As illustrated, the two portions  130 ,  132  can be connected via a curved portion  134 . For instance, the body  126  of the bottle support member may be bent between its ends  122 ,  124 . In this arrangement, the second portion may, when the bottle support member is connected to the wall mount, angle downward and includes one or more cross supports  128 . The downward angle of the second portion  132  facilitates viewing of the wine bottle and its label in comparison to a bottle displayed horizontally. This is especially true when a wine rack has numerous rows of bottles. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates various views of the wall mount illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-1B . As noted, the wall mount  110  is adapted for fixed interconnection with a wall. In this regard, the wall mount may be attached to a wall using screws, nails, etc. In any arrangement, once the wall mount  110  is fixed to a wall, the bottle support member may be selectively fixed to the wall via the wall mount  110 . In the present embodiment, the bottle support member  120  can be received within the recessed socket  114  formed in a front face  112  of the wall mount  110 . This socket  114  includes a central receiving volume shaped to receive the cylindrical end of the elongated support member. The socket  114  can also have additional recesses  118   a ,  118   b  for receiving alignment tabs on the attachment end of the elongated bottle support. In the present embodiment, these additional recesses  118   a ,  118   b  are disposed on opposing sides of the central volume of the socket. However, this need not be the case. Further, the peripheral edges of these recesses  118   a ,  118   b  extending through the front surface of the wall mount  110  are threaded to allow threaded elements (e.g., screws) to be inserted therein. Such screws may be utilized to fixedly connect the elongated support member to the wall mount. 
     In one embodiment, the wall mount  110  is designed to be at least partially embedded in a wall. For instance, the wall mount  110  can be embedded in a wall such that it is flush with the surface of the wall. The wall could be surfaced using bricks or tiles, such that the wall mount  110  fits snuggly between a plurality of bricks or tiles. In such an embodiment, the wall mount  110  can have a depth that allows it to be flush with a front surface of the brick, tile, or other material pattern that is used to create a wall or a wall façade into which the wall mount  110  is attached. The wall mount  110  can also be partially embedded in the wall such that a portion of the wall mount  110  extends out from the wall. 
       FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C illustrate the attachment end of the elongated bottle support member illustrated in  FIG. 1 . This attachment end  122  is configured for conformal receipt within at least a portion of the socket. In the present embodiment, the attachment end  122  is received entirely within the socket. However, other engagements are possible. In the illustrated embodiment, the elongated support member includes a connection arrangement on the attachment end  122 . The connection arrangement is used to maintain the attachment end  122  within the socket of the wall mount. In this particular embodiment, the connection arrangement includes a pair of outwardly extending tabs  142   a ,  142   b  disposed on the attachment end  122 . The tabs  142   a ,  142   b  are sized, along with the attachment end  122 , for engagement within the socket of the wall mount. 
     The connection arrangement utilizes first and second threaded elements such as screws to connect the attachment end within the socket  114 . These first and second threaded elements are threaded into the threaded peripheries of the tab recess. Once threaded therein, the screws overlay a portion of the tabs in the socket  114 . That is, the first and second threaded elements can overlay portions of the socket  114  in which the outwardly extending tabs  142   a ,  142   b  are received. As such, inserting the threaded elements into these threaded recesses secures the tabs within the socket  114 . 
     When the first and second screws  144   a ,  144   b  are screwed into the socket  114  at differing depths, the beveled or rounded end  146  of the connector  140  and/or the sloping front edge of the tabs  142   a ,  142   b  allows altering an angle at which the elongated support member is secured at relative to the wall mount  110 . This may be desirable in the event that the wall mount is not installed with perfect alignment to the wall. Hence, if the wall mount  110  is slightly angled relative to the wall, adjusting the screws can realign the elongated support member to be, for example, normal to the wall. The first and second threaded elements can be screwed out of the socket  114  and removed in order to allow the attachment end to be removed from the socket  114 . As such, the attachment end is selectively attachable to the socket  114 . In other words, the elongated support member can be disengaged from the socket  114  when the first and second threaded elements are removed from the first and second threaded recesses of the socket  114 . Although not illustrated, in another embodiment, the attachment end of the connector can be fixed within the socket  114  via a snap ring or similar device. Such an embodiment may not require threaded elements (e.g., screws) to secure the attachment end of the elongated bottle support to the wall mount  110 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of the first cross support  128 . The first cross support  128  can be connected to the body portion of the elongated bottle support member. In this particular embodiment, the cross support  128  includes first and second recessed elements  150 ,  152  having recessed upper surfaces  154 ,  156  sized to support or cradle a wine bottle. Connecting the recessed cross support elements to the body of the bottle support member  120  allows for supporting a wine bottle in substantial alignment with the long axis of the body  126  extending between the attachment end  122  and the free end  124  of the bottle support member  120 . In this embodiment, the recessed support elements  150 ,  152  can be releaseably connected to the elongated support member via a snap fit arrangement. The snap fit can be made possible via a c-shaped ring element  160 . The c-shaped attachment element  160  is flexible to allow expansion and contraction as the c-shaped attachment element  160  is forced over the body elongated support member. Other means of attaching the first support  128  to the elongated support member are also possible. In the present embodiment, the second recessed element  152  includes an end stop  158 . Accordingly, the first recessed element  150  supports either the neck of the wine bottle or a portion of the wine bottle body adjacent to the neck and the second recessed element  152  supports the bottom or base of the wine bottle. In this regard, the base of a bottle abuts the end stop  158  thus preventing the wine bottle from sliding off the elongated support  120 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of a recessed cross support element  170 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first recessed element  170  is shaped like a portion of a cylinder. Such a shape prevents the wine bottle from moving sideways or from sliding towards the ground. Such a shape may also be described as comprising less than half of a cylinder. The portion of the recessed element closest to the wall and thus proximal to the neck of the wine bottle includes arcuate cutouts  172  that may assist in removal of the wine bottle from the recessed element  170 . A lower end of the recessed element includes a stop  174  to support the base of a wine bottle. This recessed support element may attach to the elongated support member in a manner similar or identical to that discussed above in relation to  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the wine bottle holder having illuminating elements for illuminating a portion of a wine bottle. The illuminating elements  80  can be connected to the elongated support member  120  at a location between the free end  124  and the attachment end  122 . The illuminating element(s)  80  can illuminate the wine bottle  60  being held by the elongated support member  120 . For instance, in the illustrated embodiment, the wine bottle  60  is illuminated from below by the illuminating elements  80  positioned on a top of or within the elongated support member  120 . Alternately and/or additionally, the illuminating elements  80  can illuminate below the elongated support to illuminate a wine bottle (not illustrated) on a bottle support below the illustrated support. 
     Each illuminating element(s)  80  may include multiple illuminating elements. For instance, there could be four illuminating elements including two positioned on the top of the bottle support element  120  and two positioned on the bottom of the bottle support element. In other embodiments, the number of illuminating elements on the top and bottom may not be equal. Further, the elongated support member  120  and/or cross support elements can be partially or wholly made from a translucent or transparent material thus allowing the pair of illuminating elements  832  to illuminate the wine bottle  810  despite the light passing through at least a portion of the elongated support member or cross support. In one embodiment, the illuminating elements are light emitting diodes (LED&#39;s). In order to provide electrical panes in embodiments providing illuminating elements, the wall mount must be connected to an electrical power source. Further, the elongated support member must also be connectable to the power source. In one embodiment, attachment of the connector end  124  with the wall mount  110  electrically connects mating electrical contacts on these elements. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an overhead view of the attachment end  124  of the elongated support member  120  and the wall mount  110  showing the position of such electrical contacts. Once connected, the illuminating element can be powered via electrical connection through the wall mount  110  and through to the wall. As shown, the socket  114  includes first and second electrical contact  92 ,  94 . In the present embodiment, the first contact is a tip electrode  92  and the second contact is a ring electrode  94 . Likewise, the attachment end  124  includes third and fourth electrical contacts  96 ,  98 . Specifically a tip electrode  96  and a ring electrode  98 . When the attachment end  124  is inserted into the socket  144 , the first and second electrical contacts  92 ,  94  of the socket  114  and the third and fourth electrical contacts  96 ,  98  of the attachment end  124  come into contact and provide an electrical connection between the wall and the illuminating element. The electrical connections can include more or less than two connectors (e.g., three prong connectors and one prong connectors, to name two). However, the electrical connections between the elongated support member and the wall mount are not permanent, thus allowing the elongated support member to be removed from the wall mount. The electrical connections between the wall mount  110  and the power source can be temporary (e.g., metal on metal contacts) or permanent (e.g., soldered). 
     The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s) of the present invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.