Adjustable Wine Rack with Pin-Mounted Support Arms for Label Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wine racks do not allow for the display of wine bottle labels, as bottles are typically stored with labels facing inward, which is undesirable for collectors who want to showcase their wine collections.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable wine rack system with elongated strips and pins that supports wine bottles in a horizontal position, allowing for the display of labels by tilting the bottle holder brackets relative to the standard, while maintaining the integrity of the labels and airflow between bottles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If wine bottles are stored in conventional rectangular cavities with labels facing inward, then the wine rack structure is simple and stable, but the wine bottle labels are not visible to users
Solution Approach 1:
The wine rack employs adjustable support arms that can be positioned at multiple angles and heights along the vertical standard. This dynamic configuration allows bottles to be oriented with labels facing outward for display purposes, while maintaining the same basic structural framework. The adjustability enables the system to adapt between display-oriented and storage-oriented configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces angular orientation as an additional dimension of adjustment beyond the conventional fixed horizontal positioning. By allowing support arms to tilt at various angles, bottles can be positioned to face outward toward the front of the rack, transforming the label visibility from a two-dimensional top-view constraint to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement where labels are accessible from the front.
2Loss of information
If wine bottles are tilted to display labels, then label visibility is improved, but the stability of bottle positioning may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm incorporates multiple pinned connection points along its length, allowing it to be secured at various angular positions. This dynamic adjustability enables the arm to be tilted forward to display labels while still providing stable support at the selected angle. The pin-and-hole mechanism creates discrete stable equilibrium positions that maintain bottle stability even when tilted.
Solution Approach 2:
The design anticipates the need for both display and stability by pre-configuring multiple pinned positions on the support arm. These predetermined angular positions are engineered to provide stable bottle support at each orientation, including tilted positions for label display. The system cushions against instability by offering pre-calculated stable equilibrium points rather than requiring continuous adjustment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an adjustable support arm system is implemented, then label display capability is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is divided into multiple segments with pinned connections at regular intervals along its length. This segmentation allows the arm to be adjusted to various positions by engaging pins in different holes, providing label display capability without requiring a completely complex continuous adjustment mechanism. Each segment can be independently positioned, creating a modular adjustment system.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable support arm serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for bottles, enables label display through angular adjustment, and allows reconfiguration for different bottle types or display preferences. The same basic mechanism achieves both structural support and display orientation, eliminating the need for separate adjustment mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A wine rack system having a standard with first and second elongated strips disposed in a substantially parallel and spaced relationship. At least first and second pins extend between the first and second elongated strips. Adjacent pairs of pins are spaced a first distance apart. A support arm is configured to attach to an adjacent pair of the pins. A connecting end of the support arm is sized for receipt between the spaced elongated strips. The connecting end includes an upper recess formed in an upper edge and a lower recess formed in a lower edge. Bottom ends of the recesses are spaced a second distance apart that is less than a distance between the pair of adjacent pins allowing for engagement of the pins within the recesses. A bottle holder configured to support a wine bottle is attached to the support arm.