EP0062374B1

EP0062374B1 - Bottle rack

Info

Publication number: EP0062374B1
Application number: EP82200375A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wilhelmus Savelkouls
Original assignee: 3 S BETON BV
Current assignee: 3 S BETON BV
Priority date: 1981-04-02
Filing date: 1982-03-26
Publication date: 1985-09-04
Also published as: EP0062374A2; ATE15317T1; NL8101635A; DE3265968D1; EP0062374A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a bottle rack comprising shelves (1) provided on one side with adjacent cavities (3) extending transversely of the direction of length of the shelves for receiving the bottles and with spacing members (2) arranged between the shelves, whereby a spacing member is constructed at one end in a manner such that the end concerned fits in at least one cavity (3).

Description

The invention relates to a bottle rack comprising shelves arranged one above the other and having on one face adjacent recesses extending transverse of the direction of length of the shelves, each recess being able to take one bottle, with spacing members arranged between the shelves, a lower end of said spacing member resting on a lower shelf and the upper end of said spacing member abutting the lower face of an upper shelf for supporting said upper shelf.
Such a rack is known from French patent 1.572.510. In this known construction the spacing members are formed by partitions of rectangular section, which can be disposed only at those places where the shelves have matching, flat parts.
The invention has for its object to provide a rack of the kind set forth in which the spacing members can be arranged at any place between two superjacent shelves.
According to the invention this can be achieved in that the spacing member is constructed at its lower end in a manner such that said lower end fits in at least one recess.
In contrast to the conventional construction a rack embodying the invention permits in a simple manner of modifying the array of the rack at any desired instant after the erection of the rack by displacing and/or adding or removing respectively loose spacing members, which will occupy a stable position in the recess concerned.
It should be noted that from French patent 983,703 there is known a rack construction in which a shelf, in a cross-sectional view, has a profiled shape matching the form of the bottles to be supported. Between the ends of the shelves are arranged matching spacing members. In this case the shelves are not provided with recesses located side by side and extending transversely of the direction of length of the shelves for receiving bottles or for receiving similarly shaped ends of spacing members, and in using a loose disposition of these spacing members a stable structure cannot be obtained.
Furthermore U.S. patent 3.643,814 discloses a rack for storing goods constructed from L-shaped or U-shaped parts. The disposition plan of this rack is mainly determined by the size of said parts and this rack construction does not permit a stable disposition of loose spacing members in the manner according to the invention.
The invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to embodiments of a rack in accordance with the invention shown in the accompanying Figures.

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevational view of one embodiment of a rack in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevational view of an embodiment of a rack in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a spacing member.

As is shown in the Figures 1 and 2 the rack comprises a plurality of shelves 1, which are arranged one above the other in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and which, in the embodiment of Fig. 2, are also located in line with one another to form a rack of greater length than that shown in Fig. 1. The shelves are held at a distance from one another with the aid of spacing members 2 arranged between the shelves.
Referring to the Figures, the top face of each shelf has a plurality of recesses 3, each of which are individually bounded by a boundary face 4 extending at least substantially horizontally in the direction of width of the shelf and by two diverging boundary faces 5 and 6 inclined upwards from the edges of the boundary face 4. The top ends of the upwardly inclined boundary faces of neighbouring cavities 3 are connected with one another by boundary faces 4. The dimensions of the recesses 3 are chosen so that all conventional models of wine bottles can be stored in the rack in a stable manner.
From the Figures it will furthermore be apparent that each spacing member is formed by a plate-shaped part, the lower end of which is provided with a protruding nose 8 fitting in a recess 3 and having boundary surfaces by which the nose 8 bears on the boundary faces 7 of the shelf 1 of the recess receiving the nose 8. It will be obvious that in this embodiment a stable support of the spacing member is provided by the subjacent shelf carrying the spacing member. On the top side each spacing member is provided with a nose 9 having a flat top face for supporting the bottom side of the superjacent shelf 1. The Figures show that such spacing members 2 can be disposed between the ends of two superjacent shelves. Moreover, as is also shown in the Figures further correspondingly shaped spacing members can be disposed at any desired place between the spacing members 2 at the ends of the shelves 1 for subdividing the spaces between the superjacent shelves into a plurality of compartments according to need with regard to the kinds of bottles to be stored in the rack.
In order to facilitate the insertion of the spacing members to be disposed between the spacing members at the ends of the shelves a strip of tape-shaped material or the like may be disposed on top of the noses 9 of the spacing members at the ends of the shelves so that ample space is available for slipping further spacing members in between the shelves concerned.
It will furthermore be apparent from the Figures that the spacing members are formed so that they can be disposed between the shelves both with the nose directed to the left and to the right, which provides inter alia the possibility of forming intermediate rack for lateral expansion.
The above-described elements of the rack i.e. the shelves and the spacers 2 are preferably made from concrete, but as a matter of course they may be made from other material, for example, wood, synthetic resin or the like. The elements may be transported separately or in bundles from the factory to the user.
Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a spacing member in accordance with the invention.
The spacing member 10 arranged between the shelves 1 is provided with a head piece 11 protruding on both sides out of the body and having a flat top face and with a foot piece 12 having two adjacent, protruding noses 13 fitting in the recesses 3.
Although this intermediate piece can also be disposed at any place between the shelves 1, it is particularly suitable for disposition at the ends of the shelves, since with the aid of a single spacing member a connection or a support can be established between aligned shelves in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3.
As an additive to the concrete used for the manufacture of the rack components it is preferred to use marl or limestone.
The Figures used in the claims are only meant to explain more clearly the intention of the invention and are not supported to be any restriction concerning the interpretation of the invention, whose scope is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bottle rack comprising shelves (1) arranged one above the other and provided on one face with adjacent recesses (3) extending transversely of the direction of length of the shelves, each recess being able to take one bottle, with spacing members (2) arranged between the shelves (1), a lower end of each spacing member resting on a lower shelf (1) and the upper end of said spacing member (2) abutting the lower face of an upper shelf for supporting said upper shelf, characterized in that the spacing member (2) is constructed at its lower end in a manner such that said lower end fits in at least one recess.

2. A rack as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that a recess (3) is bounded by a few faces (5, 6) at an angle to one another.

3. A rack as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that a recess (3) is bounded on the lower side by an at least substantially horizontal boundary face (4) extending in the direction of width of a shelf (1), from which face at the edges two boundary faces (5, 6) are upwardly inclined away from one another.

4. A rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the recesses (3) are separated from one another by at least substantially horizontal boundary faces (7) of the shelf (1) extending in the direction of width of said shelf.

5. A rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the lower end of a spacing member (2) is constructed so that it can fit in at least one recess (3) and on parts (7) of the shelf (1) located on both sides of the recess.

6. A rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the lower end of a spacing member (2) is provided with two protruding noses (13) fitting in two neighbouring recesses.

7. A rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the distance between the ends of a shelf (1) and the centre of a recess (3) is equal to half the centre-to-centre distance between two neighbouring recesses (3).