Wine cabinet with electric power for each shelf

Abstract

A wine cabinet, whose façade is equipped with a door, has an interior volume having shelves. Each shelf is movable between two positions. Each shelf is equipped with reception spaces for a plurality of bottles, electronic detectors of the presence of a bottle and electronic devices of visualization of the presence. The power supply of those electronic detectors and electronic devices of visualization comes from a single centralized supply in the cabinet and supplies two vertical conductors placed inside a wall of the cabinet. Each shelf is electrically connected via a connecting cable flexible connect to vertical conductors. The connection shall be arranged at the level of the shelf on the inner face of the wall, the connecting cable having a sufficient length to ensure the connection when the shelf is deployed. Each shelf is equipped with elastic keeping the cable permanently stretched, whatever the position of the shelf.

Claims

1. A wine cabinet, comprising: a façade being equipped with a door; an interior volume being accessible through said door; a plurality of shelves in said interior volume, the shelves being slidingly superimposed to each other, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is movable between a deployed position out of said interior volume and a retracted position in said interior volume, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is comprised of: a first side beam; a second side beam opposite said first side beam; a front cross beam between said first side beam and said second side beam; a rear cross beam between said first side beam and said second side beam and across from said front cross beam; a central bar extending from said first side beam to said second side beam, wherein said central bar is comprised of a plurality of reception spaces and an electronic means of detecting presence in a respective reception space of said plurality of reception spaces; and electronic means of viewing occupation of each shelf of said plurality of shelves on said front cross beam, wherein the electronic means of detecting presence is positioned in said respective reception space so as to detect a neck of a bottle in said respective reception space, and wherein the electronic means of viewing occupation is positioned in said shelf so as to view a body of the bottle in the shelf; a power supply connection means for the electronic means of detecting presence and the electronic means of viewing occupation; and a plurality of connection cables being electrically connected to said plurality of shelves so as to ensure connection of each shelf of said plurality of shelves to two vertical conductors of a central wine cabinet power supply in said deployed position and in said retracted position, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is further comprised of elastic means for stretching a respective connection cable of said plurality of connection cables in said deployed position and in said retracted position, wherein the elastic means of stretching comprises: an elongated tensioner having an end loop, said respective connecting cable of said plurality of connection cables passing through said end loop so as to angularly divide said respective connecting cable into a first section and a second section so as to power a respective shelf of said plurality of shelves through said power supply connection means in said deployed position and in said retracted position, said first section extending from said end loop to a point of attachment to said power supply connection means on said respective shelf of said plurality of shelves, said second section extending from said end loop opposite said first section.

2. The wine cabinet, according to claim 1, wherein said power supply connection means is placed on said rear cross beam and said first side beam, and wherein said elongated tensioner is fixed on said rear cross beam and said second side beam.

3. A wine cabinet, comprising: a façade being equipped with a door; an interior volume being accessible through said door; a plurality of shelves in said interior volume, the shelves being slidingly superimposed to each other, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is movable between a deployed position out of said interior volume and a retracted position in said interior volume, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is comprised of: a first side beam; a second side beam opposite said first side beam; a front cross beam between said first side beam and said second side beam; a rear cross beam between said first side beam and said second side beam and across from said front cross beam; a central bar extending from said first side beam to said second side beam, wherein said central bar is comprised of a plurality of reception spaces and an electronic means of detecting presence in a respective reception space of said plurality of reception spaces; and electronic means of viewing occupation of each shelf of said plurality of shelves on said front cross beam, wherein the electronic means of detecting presence is positioned in said respective reception space so as to detect a neck of a bottle in said respective reception space, and wherein the electronic means of viewing occupation is positioned in said shelf so as to view a body of the bottle in the shelf; a power supply connection means for the electronic means of detecting presence and the electronic means of viewing occupation; and a plurality of connection cables being electrically connected to said plurality of shelves so as to ensure connection of each shelf of said plurality of shelves to two vertical conductors of a central wine cabinet power supply in said deployed position and in said retracted position, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is further comprised of elastic means for stretching a respective connection cable of said plurality of connection cables in said deployed position and in said retracted position, wherein said power supply connection means comprises a cover having cover holes, and conductive screws passing through said cover holes, wherein each connection cable of said plurality of connection cables is comprised of a sheath, a conductor extending from said sheath, and connection eyelets at an end of said conductor, said conductor emerging from said sheath at a first free end, and wherein said connection eyelets and said conductor pass through said cover so as contact said conductive screws for connection to said two vertical conductors of the central wine cabinet power supply.

4. The wine cabinet, according to claim 3, wherein said cover is comprised of insulating material covering said cover holes, each connection cable of said plurality of connection cables being connected to respective conductive screws.

5. The wine cabinet, according to claim 4, wherein said cover further comprises a stirrup, wherein each connection cable of said plurality of connection cables is further comprised of a first ring molded over said sheath at said first free end, and wherein said first ring is elastically clipped into said stirrup.

6. A wine cabinet, comprising: a façade being equipped with a door; an interior volume being accessible through said door; a plurality of shelves in said interior volume, the shelves being slidingly superimposed to each other, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is movable between a deployed position out of said interior volume and a retracted position in said interior volume, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is comprised of: a first side beam; a second side beam opposite said first side beam; a front cross beam between said first side beam and said second side beam; a rear cross beam between said first side beam and said second side beam and across from said front cross beam; a central bar extending from said first side beam to said second side beam, wherein said central bar is comprised of a plurality of reception spaces and an electronic means of detecting presence in a respective reception space of said plurality of reception spaces; and electronic means of viewing occupation of each shelf of said plurality of shelves on said front cross beam, wherein the electronic means of detecting presence is positioned in said respective reception space so as to detect a neck of a bottle in said respective reception space, and wherein the electronic means of viewing opposition is positioned in said shelf so as to view a body of the bottle in the shelf; a power supply connection means for the electronic means of detecting presence and the electronic means of viewing; and a plurality of connection cables being electrically connected to said plurality of shelves so as to ensure connection of each shelf of said plurality of shelves to two vertical conductors of a central wine cabinet power supply in said deployed position and in said retracted position, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves is further comprised of elastic means for stretching a respective connection cable of said plurality of connection cables in said deployed position and in said retracted position, wherein each shelf of said plurality of shelves further comprises a means of attachment of a respective connection cable of said plurality of connection cable to a corresponding shelf of said plurality of shelves on said rear cross beam so as to support the elastic means.

7. The wine cabinet, according to claim 6, wherein the means of attachment comprises a clip fixed to said rear cross beam, wherein each connection cable of said plurality of connection cables is comprised of a sheath and a second ring molded over said sheath, and wherein said second ring is elastically clipped in said clip.

8. The wine cabinet, according to claim 7, wherein each connection cable of said plurality of connection cables is further comprised of a connector located at a second free end, said second ring being between said sheath and said connector, so as to connect to said power supply connection means at said clip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The understanding of this description will be facilitated in particular by referring to the drawings attached in the annex.

(2) FIG. 1 represents an exploded perspective view of a shelf according to the invention, whose components for managing the voltage of the flexible connection cable are shown enlarged.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an elevated schematic view of such a flexible patch cable.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the operation of the voltage management of the flexible connection cable.

(5) FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of the inside of the insulating material cover.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a part of the side wall on which the covers are in the rear extension of the sliding slides of the shelves.

(7) FIG. 6 shows the same perspective view, on the opposite side, i.e. from the side wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) With reference to FIG. 1, shelf 1 very generally has two beams 2, 3 (a first side beam 2, a second side beam 3), two sleepers 4, 5 (a rear cross beam 4, a front cross beam 5) and a central bar 6 conformed to house bottles. The beams 2, 3 are equipped with rails 7, 8 which are screwed into them and allow their sliding in slides equipping the side walls of the cabinet of the wine cellar (not shown). The spars 2 also includes an internal connection cable 9 equipped with three connectors 10a, 10b and 10c (power supply connection means 9, 10a, 10b, 10c, 30) to distribute direct electrical voltage and current to internal circuits providing the electronic functions mentioned in the paragraph. These voltage/current signals are supplied to shelf 1 by the cabinet power supply via the flexible connection cable 20 shown in FIG. 2.

(9) Connector 10a thus makes it possible to supply, by connection to a printed circuit board which manages it, a bar 11 of light-emitting diodes 12 which signal the presence of cylinders (such as wine bottles, each wine bottle having a body and a neck) in the conformed locations in the central bar 6. This bar 11 of diodes 12 equips the cross 5 located at the front of the shelf 1, the one which is therefore located near the door of the cabinet (wine cabinet 1a, having a façade 1b with a door 1c and an interior volume 1d) and is visible to the users. The 10b connector also powers a printed circuit board placed in the central bar 6 and which manages 13 detectors of the presence of the bottles. The third connector 10c allows the connection to a connector 21 of the flexible cable 20 of FIG. 2. It is through him that the connection to the centralized supply of the wine cabinet of the invention is made.

(10) The cross member 4, which is therefore the rear cross member of the shelf, therefore placed next to the bottom wall of the cabinet and distal of the door, has two specific components that allow the management of the flexible cable of connection 20 compared to the shelf 1 and which are enlarged in relation to the scale of the rest of FIG. 1: the tensioner 41 and a fixing clip 42 of the flexible cable 20 of connection.

(11) Tensioner 41 is attached to the vicinity of one end of cross member 4 via a screw through a 43 eyelet. Clip 42 is also fixed via a screw, in the vicinity of the other end of the crossmember 4. The two attachment points are preferably located on the same face of the crossmember 4. The tensioner 41 is actually an elastic band whose free ends are fixed to each other at the level of the eyelet 43. The end of the tensioner 41 which does not have the eyelet 43 has an end loop 44 in which the flexible cable 20 is slipped, as shown in FIG. 3. It is at this loop 44 that the recall force exerted by the elastic tensioner 41 on cable 20 is carried out. The characteristics of this tensioner 41 can for example be the following: it can be composed of 50% polyester and 50% latex.

(12) The sheath of the flexible cable 20 of connection presents, in the vicinity of its end connector 21, an over-molding in the form of ring 22 intended to clip elastically in the clip 42 when the connectors 21 and 10c are connected. This clipping secures the flexible cable 20 to the cross member 4 of the shelf 1, at the location chosen for the proper functioning of the mechanical system, and it also prevents any tearing likely to damage the connector 21, or even the connector 10c. In the representation of FIG. 3, the connection and clipping of the over-molded ring 22 on the sheath of cable 20 in the clip 42 is on a lower face of the cross member 4 not visible in the figure, which illustrates a perspective seen from the top of the shelf 1. Similarly, the attachment of the tensioner 41, via the eyelet 43, to the other end of said crossbeam 4 is not visible either.

(13) As shown in FIG. 2, at the other end of the connecting cable 20, the sheath stops to let out individualized conductors 23 to which connection eyelets 24 are welded. These allow a fixing by screwing of the corresponding end of the flexible cable 20 to the electricity distribution bars equipping as mentioned a wall for example side of the cabinet. This attachment is done via an insulating cover 30 (see FIG. 4) itself fixed to said wall by the same screws, and whose inner face has reliefs defining a clip of solidarization of a second over-molded ring 25 equipping the other free end of the flexible cable 20, thus preventing traction or any untimely stress from damaging the flexible cable 20 or cut the electrical connection.

(14) More precisely, the insulating cover 30 comprises, inside the volume it delimits, a stirrup 31 in which the over-molded ring 25 is clipped, which is therefore firmly attached to it. A notch 36 practiced in one of the edges of the cover 30 allows the passage of the cable 20, upstream of said ring 25, so as not to hinder the fixing of the cover 30 in contact with the wall of the cabinet. The cover 30 also has two cover holes 34, 35 for the passage of the conductive screws of attachment to said wall, orifices which are surrounded by truncated barrels 32, 33 of guidance, a portion of the peripheral wall of the inner end of the barrels 32, 33 being missing. The absence of a wall at this point makes it possible to insert the eyelets 24 into the barrels 32, 33, perpendicular to their axis, so that they can be positioned substantially coaxial to the said barrels 32, 33, that is to say also coaxial to the fixing screws. A slot 37 is also provided for this purpose, of thickness of the same order as that of the connection eyelet 24, so that when inserted into it, it cannot move from the position centered in the barrel 32, 33. Contact with the screw that passes through it is therefore ensured.

(15) FIGS. 5 and 6 show where and how these 30 covers are installed in the wine cabinet 1a of the invention. Thus, they are positioned in the extension of the slides of the shelves 1, that is to say in the suite of rails 7 mounted sliding in slides 50 attached to the side walls. The covers 30 are in the present case placed at the back of those slides, in the vicinity of the corner edge between the side wall and the back wall of the cabinet, opposite the front door. FIG. 5 shows more particularly the location of the orifices (cover holes) 34, 35 of insertion of the conductive screws 38 of fixing (see FIG. 6) conductive of the covers 30 to the wall.

(16) As shown in FIG. 6, the end part of the flexible cable 20 that is housed in the cover 30 enters the inner volume of said cover 30 via the notch of circular appearance 36. The over-molded ring 25 of the sheath of the flexible cable 20 is clipped into the caliper 31, so that any risk of tearing is eliminated. The connection eyelets 24 ending the conductors 23 are inserted into the slots 37 (see FIG. 4) and therefore centered in the barrels 32, 33 guide conductive screws 38 conductors of attachment to the vertical supply bars.

(17) The operation, easy to understand with reference to FIG. 3, is as follows: when shelf 1 is pulled outwards, the flexible cable 20 tightens and the value of angle a (first section 20a, second section 20b) increases, as well as the length of tensioner 41 in the direction of displacement of shelf 1. Cable 20 is therefore provided for a total length to take out the shelf 1 to its output stop, that is to say fully deployed. As soon as shelf 1 is retracted into the volume of the cabinet, tensioner 41 exerts a recall force on the elbow of the flexible cable 20 of connection, the angle a decreases and the section of said cable 20 located between the tensioner 41 and the cross member 4 is driven towards said crosspiece. In the fully retracted position of shelf 1, the two sections of cable 20 on either side of loop 44 of tensioner 41 are practically parallel, almost in contact with the rear crossbeam 4, and completely invisible to the user.

(18) The solution makes it possible to guarantee an optimal functioning of the power management of the plurality of shelves 1 superimposed, without hindering their movement.

(19) The example given above with reference to the annexed figures is not exhaustive or limiting of the invention, which includes in particular the shape variants for the tensioner 41, the clip 42, as well as variants of composition of the tensioner 41, etc.