Adjustable wine shelf

Abstract

A wine rack assembly designed to hold a multiple of wine bottles horizontally in uniform positions utilizing three lateral wood racks, notched and positioned in tandem front-to-rear, supporting a range of bottle content sizes of approximately 750 ML to 1.5 L, being supported at the bottlenecks and at the largest sidewall diameters of the bottles by the racks notched for each bottle position. The assembly can be installed into space enclosures ranging in size from 10½×32 inches to 12×48 inches enabled by a lateral adjustment mechanism, comprised of sliding sub-assemblies, and depth adjustment comprised of a provision to cut the length of the perpendicular support pieces at the rear of the assembly during installation to fit the depth of an enclosure. Production encompasses standard woodworking equipment and joinery techniques.

Description

The adjustable wine shelf is a wine rack assembly designed to be installed as a shelf into existing space enclosures ranging in size from 10 1/2×32 inches to 12×48 inches. One or more bottles of wine, ranging in content size from approximately 750 ML to 1.5 L, can be stored horizontally in uniform positions, held and supported by three parallel racks, notched for bottle positions, connected laterally onto support and adjustment assemblies described in item 3. below. Three racks are configured to hold and support a majority of bottles in the above sizes at bottlenecks (smallest sidewall diameters) and at the bodies (largest sidewall diameters) as described below:

1. The Front Rack, (designated by Ref. No. 10 in the Table of Components in Drawings, page 3-3), consists of a wood board measuring 3 1/2×32× 3/4 inches that is notched uniformly with circular aspect cuts a depth of 3/8 inch, using a 1 7/8 inch radius circular cutter, to hold bottlenecks. The Front Rack, in conjunction with the Second and Third Racks, holds bottles in parallel positions horizontally with bottlenecks positioned outward at the front of the assembly. The Front Rack has a flat outward front surface that enables grapevine designs to be crafted at the front of the assembly. The rear of the Front Rack is machined laterally end-to-end with a 1×13/16×5/16 inch, 14-degree dovetail cut to accommodate a sliding dovetail piece connected to a sliding Support Sub-Assembly described in item number 3. below. A 14-degree Dovetail Slide Stop (designated by Ref. No. 112 in the Table of Components, page 3-3) measuring 1×13/16×5/16×1 1/2 inches long, is assembled and glued to the right and left lateral ends of the corresponding dovetail cut at the rear of the Front Rack to restrict sliding motion of right and left Support Sub-Assemblies (Ref. Nos. 125A and 127A described in item 3. below) to 8 inches.

2. Second and Third Racks (designated by Ref. No.120 in the Table of Components in Drawings, page 3-3), consist of two wood boards measuring 2 1/2×30 1/2× 3/4 inches each, notched uniformly with a circular aspect cuts a depth of 3/8 inch using a four-inch radius circular cutter to hold bottles at the largest sidewall diameters. Horizontal storage is enabled by the height of the racks and the depth and radii of the bottle notches. The front rack, with a board height of 3 1/2 inches and 3/8 inch deep bottle notch circular aspect cuts using a 1 7/8 inch radius circular cutter, holds the bottlenecks at an elevated position relative to the Second and Third Racks that have board heights of 2 1/2 inches, bottle notch circular aspect cuts to depths of 3/8 inch using a 4-inch radius cutter. Bottle notch centerlines are parallel in the First, Second, and Third Racks at placement of 3 3/4 inches center-to-center to maintain straight, uniform positions of bottles. The rear of the Second and Third Racks is machined laterally end-to-end with a 1×13/16×5/16 inch, 14-degree dovetail cut to facilitate connection and movement of sliding dovetail pieces attached to sliding Support Sub-Assemblies described in item 3. below. A 14-degree Dovetail Slide Stop (designated by Ref. No.122 in the Table of Components in Drawings, page 3-3) measuring 1×13/16×5/16× 3/4 inches long is assembled and glued at each lateral end of corresponding dovetail cuts at the rear of the Second and Third Racks to restrict sliding motion to 8 inches of the right and left Support Sub-Assemblies (designated by Ref. Nos. 125A and 127A respectively) described in item 3. below.

3. The adjustable wine shelf lateral extension feature (adjusting lateral widths of the assembly from 32-48 inches) is enabled by right and left sliding Support Sub-Assemblies connected to each of three wine racks by sliding dovetail pieces that slide within a dovetail groove machined into the rear of each rack. Support Sub-Assemblies for the Front Rack are designated by Ref. Nos. 117A and 115A in the Table of Components in Drawings, page 3-3) respectively for the right and left lateral sides of the assembly. Front Rack Support Sub-Assemblies each consist of a board measuring 3×16× 3/4 inches with a 14-degree sliding dovetail piece measuring 1×13/16×3/8×6 1/2 inches glued to the front of each board at the inboard end of each Support Sub-Assembly to slide within and connect to a corresponding machined dovetail cut at the rear of the Front Rack. Each right and left Support Sub-Assembly is connected to a perpendicular right and left Side Mounting Support (designated by Ref. Nos. 137 and 135 respectively) with a wood glued joint utilizing two 5/16× 1/2 inch Dowel Pins (Ref. No. 138) at lateral ends of the assembly. Side Mounting Supports 137 and 135 connect the adjustable wine shelf assembly in a compartment or enclosure using brackets connected to the walls of an enclosure, which brackets are commonly used in supporting shelves in bookcases and other enclosures.

4. The depth adjustment feature (adjusting to the depth of compartment or enclosure from 10 1/2 to 12 inches) is enabled by the installer of the assembly cutting the rear right and left ends of the Side Mounting Support pieces (designated by Ref. Nos. 137 and 135 respectively), removing up to 1 1/2 inches from the rear extensions of the left and right Side Mounting Supports to fit into a compartment or enclosure.

5. Production of the adjustable wine shelf is facilitated with standard machine tools and joinery techniques as well as project specific cutting jigs, drill guides and component assembly techniques commonly devised in woodworking.

DRAWINGS

Drawings illustrated on three sheets encompassing five views and a table of components.

Drawings depict the following:

FIG. 1—Assembled View—A shaded drawing that depicts the adjustable wine shelf assembled, viewing it from the top/front angle. The assembly is partially extended to illustrate how the unit can be adjusted laterally to fit and be installed into enclosures of variable sizes. View illustrates the relationship of three wine racks to hold bottles uniformly with bottlenecks positioned to the front. The front rack holds bottlenecks with the smallest radii bottle notches. The two rear racks are notched to hold the body of bottles at the largest sidewall diameters.

FIG. 2—Exploded View—Illustrates the components and sub-assemblies of the adjustable wine shelf in positions as they correspond in relationships to the whole unit. Components and sub-assemblies are designated with number/letter designations that are named on page 3-3 in the “Table of Components in Drawings”.

FIG. 3—Top View—Depicts top view of assembled unit partially extended laterally. View illustrates joinery positions of components and sub-assemblies at assembly.

FIG. 4—End View—From front angle, view illustrates assembled positions of Front Rack (Ref. No. 110) in relationship to second and third racks (Ref. No. 120) with hidden line.

FIG. 5—Side View—From side angle, view illustrates component joinery positions of Side Mounting Support, Right (Ref. No. 137) dovetail joinery to Front Rack Right Support to Sub-assembly (Ref. No. 117A and Side Mounting Support, Right (Ref. No. 137 dowel pin joineries to Second/Third Rack Right Support Sub-Assemblies (Ref. No. 125A). Left side version of same joinery schematic is applied at Side Mounting Support, Left (Ref. No. 135) not shown.

Claims

1. An adjustable wine shelf comprised of a wine rack assembly that can store multiple bottles of wine in bookshelf units, cabinets, or other enclosures installed as a shelf utilizing shelf brackets commonly used in supporting bookshelves to support the wine shelf assembly.

2. A configuration of three racks that hold wine bottles horizontally in uniform parallel positions, which racks are configured to support bottlenecks (smallest sidewall diameters) as well as the bodies (largest sidewall diameters) of bottles ranging in content sizes of approximately 750 ML to 1.5 L, notched with circular aspect cuts in diameters to fit corresponding bottleneck and body of bottles with notched cut centerlines aligned in tandem front to rear for each bottle position.

3. An adjustment mechanism comprised of sliding sub-assemblies, connected to the wine racks, to extend or contract the lateral right and left sides of the assembly to fit and be supported in compartments or enclosures of varying lateral widths.

4. Perpendicular right and left Side Mounting Supports, connected to the outward lateral ends of the wine shelf assembly, that enable the wine shelf assembly to fit and be mounted as a shelf onto sidewalls of corresponding compartments or enclosures during installation utilizing shelf brackets installed onto the right and left sidewalls of a compartment or enclosure.

5. Provision to shorten right and left Side Mounting Supports, enabled by extended lengths of the Side Mounting Supports beyond the rear position of the Third Rack and the body of the wine shelf assembly, to fit compartments or enclosures of varying depths.

6. Provision for grape vine carvings or etchings to be crafted onto the front of the adjustable wine shelf assembly enabled by a Front Rack board height dimension and positions of the bottle notches.