Patent Publication Number: US-2005116589-A1

Title: Recessed bottle storage

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      This application relates to the recessed storage of wine bottles and other bottles.  
      The generally accepted manner for storing wines is to rest a wine bottle on its side so the cork stays in contact with wine. Although storing a bottle on its side occupies more space, it also prevents the cork from drying out and air from entering the bottle. With sparkling wines, a dried out cork permits gas to escape, resulting in a “flat” wine. Moreover, ideally, wine should be stored in a cool, dark place having a fairly constant temperature of about 55° to 60° F.  
      Wine is thus often stored in a wine cellar where large amounts of space are devoted to the storage of wine and temperature is maintained relatively cool. However, many people do not have a cellar or large amounts of space to devote to the storage of wine. Moreover, even those individuals with a wine cellar often store a few wine bottles in the kitchen or other room above the cellar, since the wine is then on hand and easily accessed.  
      There are a number of wine and spirit racks that are available for the storage of bottles outside of a cellar. However, these wine and spirit racks occupy a portion of the floor or countertop that would otherwise be available for other uses.  
     SUMMARY  
      The recessed storage of wine bottle and other bottles removes at least a portion of the rack and the bottle from the room where the bottle is stored. This reduces the amount of space required for the storage of bottles, and bottles, especially wines, may be efficiently and properly stored in rooms that are easily accessible or in homes that do not have a cellar.  
      The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a bottle rack in a partially cutaway wall;  
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along the line  2 - 2  of the bottle rack in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of another implementation of a bottle rack in a partially cutaway wall;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  of the bottle rack in  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view of a bottle cradle;  
       FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic view of another implementation of a bottle rack in a partially cutaway wall;  
       FIG. 7  is a front view of another implementation of a bottle rack in a partially cutaway wall;  
       FIG. 8  is layered cutaway view of the bottle rack of  FIG. 7 ;  
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along the line  9 - 9  of the bottle rack of  FIG. 7 ; and  
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken along the line  10 - 10  of the bottle rack of  FIG. 7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a bottle rack  100  is mountable recessed in a wall for the space-saving storage of bottles  10 . Bottle rack  100  includes a housing  110  that houses three bottle cradles  120 . Housing  110  is of unitary construction and includes a rear wall  112 , a top wall  114 , a bottom wall  115 , and opposing side walls  116 ,  117  to define a forwardly open interior chamber  105 . The front circumference of housing  110  is surrounded by a lip  150 . Bottle cradles  120  extend laterally from side wall  116  to side wall  117  inside housing  110  and are formed by two substantially parallel rods  121 ,  122  adjacently mounted to side walls  116 ,  117 . Side walls  116 ,  117  each define a series of fastener holes  118  dimensioned to receive fastening screws  119  for mounting bottle rack  100 . Cradles  120  cradle bottles  10  to maintain the corks or other stoppers of bottles  10  in contact with a stored liquid, for example, with a stored wine.  
      Referring also to  FIG. 2 , in use, bottle rack  100  is mounted partially recessed inside a wall formed by wall studs  12  and a wall sheet  11 . Wall studs  12  each have a side face  13  into which screws  119  are fastened after passing through fastener holes  118 . Wall sheet  11  is cut to have edges  14  which ideally smoothly follow the outer circumference of walls  114 ,  115 ,  116 ,  117 , but in reality may fail to do so and define a gap  15 . Lip  150  extends beyond the outer circumference of walls  114 ,  115 ,  116 ,  117  to cover gap  15  and display a finished appearance to an observer.  
      The space saving provided by bottle rack  100  is provided by the storage of at least a portion of bottle rack  100  and/or bottles  10  between side faces  13  of wall studs  12  and edges  14  of wall sheet  11  in interior chamber  105 . Although the entirety of bottle rack  100  and/or bottles  10  need not be stored between side faces  13  and edges  14 , the storage of even a small portion between side faces  13  and/or edges  14  increases the volume available in a room bounded by wall sheet  11 .  
      Bottle rack  100  may be dimensioned in particular for the storage of wine bottles as follows. For example, rods  121 ,  122  may be separated on center by a distance D 1  that is less than the diameter of common wine bottles but large enough to support common wine bottles without fear of the bottles rolling out of cradles  120 . For example, distance D 1  may be greater than about 2 cm or greater than about 5 cm. Distance D 1  may also be less than 13 cm, or less than 10 cm. Housing  110  may have a depth D 2  that determines the size of the longitudinal slice of common wine bottles stored between side faces  13  and/or edges  14 . Depth D 2  may be greater than 1 cm, or greater than 3 cm, or greater than 5 cm. Housing  110  has a width D 3 . Width D 3  may be adjusted in accordance with local building codes and the dimensions and materials of wall studs  12  to substantially traverse the entire distance between side faces  13 . For example, in many areas in the United States, on center spacing between adjacent 2×4 wood studs is typically 16 inches (almost 41 cm) or 24 inches (almost 61 cm). In this case, width D 3  may be about 37 cm or about 57 cm.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a bottle rack  200  houses bottle cradles  220 . Bottle cradles  220  are generally solid, shelf-like extensions between side walls  116 ,  117  and include an upward facing concavity  222  for supporting bottles  10  with their corks or other stoppers in contact with a stored liquid, for example, with a stored wine. A similar concavity (not shown) is formed in bottom wall  115  for supporting bottle  10 A. Since bottle cradles  220  are solid, bottle rack  200  is mechanically robust.  
      Referring to  FIG. 5 , another bottle cradle  320  includes a first cantilevered arm  321 , a second cantilevered arm  322 , a first arcuate portion  324 , and a second arcuate portion  325 . In housing  110 , first cantilevered arm  321  is mounted to side wall  117  and supports first arcuate portion  324  in an upturned orientation. Likewise, second cantilevered arm  322  is mounted to side wall  116  and supports second arcuate portion  325  in an upturned orientation at a position slightly below arcuate portion  324 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 6 , a bottle rack  300  additionally includes a covering door  360  vertically hinged by hinges  363  to housing  110 . Housing  110  includes a magnetic latch  366  that mates with a complementary member (not shown) on the rear side of door  360  for releasably retaining door  360  in the closed position. Door  360  includes a handle  362  that allows an operator to release door  360  from latch  366  and access interior chamber  105  to add or remove bottles  10 . Door  360  may be made from a translucent or opaque material to limit or prevent exposure of bottles  10  in bottle rack  300  to light.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 7-10 , a bottle rack  400  provides temperature-controlled storage of wine. Bottle rack  400  includes a heat exchange plate  410  that defines a meandering conduit  423  extending between an inlet fitting  421  and an outlet fitting  422 . Heat exchange plate  410  is mounted flush with rear wall  112  of housing  110  and is in thermal contact with bottle cradles  220 . Bottle cradles  220  are made from metal to place cradled bottles (not shown) in thermal communication with conduit  423 .  
      Bottle rack  400  also includes an insulating strip  430  positioned between door  350  and lip  150  to thermally insulate the interior of bottle rack  400 . Housing  110  and door  360  are also relatively thicker than in other implementations and made from a thermally insulating material like wood or polymer. Alternatively, housing  110  and door  360  may be covered by an additional thermal insulation layer to minimize heat loss. Lip  150  includes a standoff spacer  152  that moves door  360  into the room and away from wall sheet  11  to accommodate the space occupied by heat exchange plate  410  and a thicker rear wall  112 .  
      Referring in particular to  FIG. 7 , in use, conduit  423  through bottle rack  400  is added to a fluid flow path of cool water. A water supply pipe  20  conducts cool water in the direction of arrow A to a service pipe  24  beneath a floor  16 . Pipe  21  conducts cool water from supply pipe  20  through floor  16  and up to inlet fitting  421 , where the water enters conduit  423  and exchanges heat with heat exchange plate  410  to cool bottle rack  400 . The water exits bottle rack  400  at outlet fitting  422  and flows to service pipe  24  through a pipe  23 . Provided that interior chamber  105  is sufficiently thermally insulated, interior chamber  105  of bottle rack  400  is cooled below room temperature to improve storage of wine.  
      A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, a wide variety of wine cradles may be used. Other heat exchange mechanisms including thermoelectric coolers and forced air systems may readily be used to provide temperature-controlled storage of wine. Covering door  360  may be horizontally hinged or replaced by another covering mechanism such as a flexible sheet loaded on a spring-loaded roller. Covering door  360  may include decorative coverings to make the bottle rack aesthetically pleasing. Wall sheet  11  may be wallboard, paneling, backer board, plaster, masonry, or any other material that forms a wall.  
      Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.