The present invention relates to an electrical household appliance and in particular to a wine cooler having a specially adapted shelf configuration.

The present invention relates to an electrical household appliance and more specifically to a wine cooler. Wine coolers conventionally have a plurality of shelves for disposing wine bottles in an order. Such wine coolers are known and practiced in the art for a long period of time.

The present invention on the other hand, provides a wine cooler having wooden shelves instead of linear wire type shelves. Said shelves are equipped with more robust lateral supports.

Further, wooden shelves according to the present invention are secured to the frontal and rear profiles in a more reliable manner by means of additional fastening elements where wires in older designs were attached without such elements.

An additional structural advantage of the present arrangement lies in that frontal and rear profiles of a shelf are fastened with lateral support members in a mechanically improved manner. Document EP 1 840 491 A2 discloses a household appliance with a shelf arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.

Another advantage of the present invention lies in that a more pleasing visual effect is provided by concealing lower surfaces of said lateral support members.

The most prominent object of the present invention is to provide a wine cooler having wooden shelves instead of linear wire type shelves.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wine cooler with shelves having more robust lateral supports.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wine cooler in which shelves thereof are secured to the frontal and rear profiles in a more reliable manner by means of additional fastening elements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wine cooler in which frontal and rear profiles are fastened with lateral support members in a mechanically improved manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wine cooler in which a more pleasing visual effect is provided by concealing lower surfaces of the lateral support members.

The present invention provides a wine cooler shelf arrangement having a plurality of linearly extending parallel shelf members delimited by frontal and rear aluminum profiles. Said shelf arrangement is also supported by lateral support members, which extend parallel to said shelf members at both sides thereof. Said lateral support members are mechanically connected to the frontal and rear profiles. Said lateral support members comprise an emptied rear slit on the underside of said members for receiving a stopping claw, a guiding claw for engaging with a support rail displaceably carrying said shelf arrangement and a front opening for receiving respective claws on said support rail.

The figures whose brief explanations are herewith provided are solely intended for providing a better understanding of the present invention and are as such not intended to define the scope of protection or the context in which said scope is interpreted in the absence of the description. To this end, Fig. 1 demonstrates a perspective view of the shelf arrangement according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 demonstrates a reversed perspective view of the shelf arrangement according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 demonstrates another reversed perspective view of the shelf arrangement with tee mechanical connection elements according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 demonstrates a further reversed perspective view of the shelf arrangement with the concealing element according to the present invention.

The present invention proposes an electrical household appliance and namely a wine cooler. The wine cooler has a structurally improved shelf arrangement as explained below in detail.

The present invention provides a wine cooler shelf arrangement having a plurality of linearly extending parallel shelf members (15) delimited by frontal and rear aluminum profiles (11, 12). Said linearly extending parallel shelf members (15) are preferably made out of wood material.

Said shelf arrangement is also supported by lateral support members (13, 14), which extend parallel to said shelf members (15) at both sides thereof. Said lateral support members (13, 14) are mechanically connected to the frontal and rear profiles (11, 12). Fig. 3 demonstrates rivets (19) for effecting fastening of said frontal and rear profiles (11, 12) to the support members (13, 14). Further, shelf members (15) neighboring said lateral support members (13, 14) are laterally screwed (screws, 20) thereto. Said shelf members (15) are screwed to said frontal and rear profiles (11, 12) by respective screws (21).

Said lateral support members (13, 14) comprise an emptied rear slit (16) on the underside of said members (13, 14) for receiving a stopping claw, a guiding claw (17) for engaging with a support rail displaceably carrying said shelf arrangement and a front opening (18) for receiving respective claws on said support rail.

Fig. 4 demonstrates the front part concealing element (22) according to the present invention. Said element (22) has a rectangular body covering a front part of said shelf arrangement such that said front opening (18) is concealed. Said concealing element (22) is fastened by screws (23) to said shelf members (15) neighboring said lateral support members (13, 14). In addition, said front aluminum profile (24) is also transversally lengthened to provide additional concealing effect.

In a nutshell, the present invention proposes a household appliance and in particular a wine cooler shelf arrangement having a plurality of linearly extending parallel shelf members (15) delimited by frontal and rear aluminum profiles (11, 12) and supported by lateral support members (13, 14) extending parallel to said shelf members (15) at both sides thereof. Said lateral support members (13, 14) comprise an emptied rear slit (16) on the underside of said members (13, 14) for receiving a stopping claw, a guiding claw (17) for engaging with a support rail displaceably carrying said shelf arrangement and a front opening (18) for receiving respective claws on said support rail.