Wine Rack with Bottle Contoured Gravity Stops for Seismic Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern wine racks lack sufficient control over bottles during tremors and earthquakes due to inadequate structural integrity and design, leading to potential bottle breakage, and are often complex and costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A wine rack design featuring a dual support frame system with integrally formed arms and bottle contoured gravity stops, along with a locking mechanism using safety straps, to securely hold bottles in place, providing enhanced stability and structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If modern open-style wine rack designs are used to allow greater visibility of the bottle, then the user can better select wines, but the control over the bottle is diminished and the rack becomes more susceptible to bottle breakage during tremors and earthquakes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved, contoured surfaces that follow the natural curvature of wine bottles. The support arms feature bottle-contoured surfaces with radii of curvature matched to bottle dimensions, creating extensive contact areas that maintain bottle stability while allowing visibility. This curved geometry enables the rack to cradle bottles securely without requiring complex mechanical fastening mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the support structure, specifically using inclined arms at angles between 30-45 degrees from horizontal, and positioning gravity stops at specific heights and angles. These parameter optimizations allow the rack to maintain bottles at visible angles while gravity stops prevent excessive movement during seismic events, resolving the contradiction between visibility and stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional wine racks are designed with multiple parts for assembly, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the manufacture and assembly become more costly and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional components into a single monolithic support arm structure. The support arm integrates the bearing surface, gravity stop, and structural support functions into one continuously formed element. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate assembly steps and reduces the total number of parts, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining design flexibility through variations in the single-piece geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
While the support arm itself is monolithic, the overall rack system is segmented into modular units that can be independently manufactured and then assembled. Each support frame can be produced separately using the same monolithic arm design, allowing for scalable production and easy replacement of individual modules without requiring complex integration of multiple different components.
3Shape
If modern wine rack designs are used, then aesthetic appeal and visibility are improved, but structural integrity and robustness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The curved, organic contours of the support arms provide both aesthetic appeal and structural strength. The continuous curved geometry distributes mechanical loads more effectively than sharp angles or flat surfaces, while the bottle-contoured surfaces create natural stress distribution patterns. This allows the rack to maintain an elegant, modern appearance while achieving the structural robustness needed to secure bottles during seismic events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies that support arms can be formed from various materials including metals, plastics, or composite materials. This material flexibility allows selection of substances that optimize both aesthetic appearance and structural strength properties. Composite materials in particular can combine visual appeal with enhanced mechanical properties to simultaneously achieve modern aesthetics and superior structural integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively maintains bottle stability during seismic events, reduces the risk of breakage, and simplifies manufacturing by using a one-piece construction and cost-effective materials, while allowing for aesthetically pleasing bottle display.
Implementation Method 1
one or more bottle contoured gravity stops positioned on each arm at spaced apart locations
Data Source
AI summary
A wine rack includes a first support frame configured to be mounted to a support surface. The first support frame includes a base and at least one arm extending from the base, with the at least one arm being configured to support a first portion of a bottle. The wine rack further includes a second support frame configured to be mounted to the support surface in spaced relation to the first support frame. The second support frame includes a base and at least one arm extending from the base, with the at least one arm being configured to support a second portion of the bottle. The at least one arm of the first and second support frames includes one or more bottle contoured gravity stops. The at least one arm of the first and second support frames may also be inclined. A method of making a wine rack is also disclosed.