Wine cooler with internal lighting

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes an insulated cabinet forming an interior cavity. A refrigeration system cools the interior cavity. A first light source emits light into the interior cavity along a first illumination axis. A second light source for emits light into the interior cavity along a second illumination axis. A bottle storage rack is located within the insulated cabinet. The bottle storage rack includes a first rung pair, a second rung pair, and a third rung pair. The first illumination axis passes between a rung of the first rung pair and a rung of the second rung pair, and the second illumination axis passes between another rung of the second rung pair and a rung of the third rung pair.

1 . A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
 an insulated cabinet forming an interior cavity;   a refrigeration system for cooling said interior cavity;   a first light source for emitting light into the interior cavity along a first illumination axis;   a second light source for emitting light into the interior cavity along a second illumination axis; and   a bottle storage rack within the insulated cabinet, the bottle storage rack including:
 a first rung pair; 
 a second rung pair; and 
 a third rung pair; 
   wherein the first illumination axis passes between a rung of the first rung pair and a rung of the second rung pair, and wherein the second illumination axis passes between another rung of the second rung pair and a rung of the third rung pair.   
   
   
       2 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the insulated cabinet includes a closure panel that is movable from an open position to a closed position, and wherein the refrigeration appliance includes a controller operatively connected to both of the first light source and the second light source for automatically dimming the first light source and the second light source if the closure panel is moved from the open position to the closed position. 
   
   
       3 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are dimmed to a predetermined lighting intensity, and wherein the refrigeration appliance includes a user input device for setting the predetermined lighting intensity. 
   
   
       4 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first light source emits light downward along the first illumination axis and between the rung of the first rung pair and the rung of the second rung pair, and wherein the second light source emits light downward along the second illumination axis and between said another rung of the second rung pair and the rung of the third rung pair. 
   
   
       5 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the first illumination axis is substantially vertical and is centrally located between the first rung pair and the second rung pair, and wherein the second illumination axis is substantially vertical and is centrally located between the second rung pair and the third rung pair. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the insulated cabinet includes:
 an upper wall;   a lower wall;   a first sidewall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall;   a second sidewall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall;   a rear wall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall; and   a closure panel that is movable from an open position to a closed position, and further wherein the bottle storage rack includes:
 a first tray comprising the first rung pair, the second rung pair, and the third rung pair, wherein the first tray is withdrawable from the interior cavity; and 
 a second tray located beneath the first tray and comprising additional rung pairs, wherein the second tray is withdrawable from the interior cavity, and 
 wherein the first illumination axis passes centrally between two of said additional rung pairs and the second illumination axis passes centrally between two of said additional rung pairs, and further wherein the first light source and the second light source are configured to directly illuminate the lower wall through the bottle storage rack. 
   
   
   
       7 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 6 , wherein each of said rung pairs includes a wide portion for supporting a bottle body and a narrow portion. 
   
   
       8 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 6 , further comprising a user input device for setting a lighting intensity of at least one of the first light source and the second light source. 
   
   
       9 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 6 , further comprising a controller operatively connected to both of the first light source and the second light source for automatically dimming the first light source and the second light source if the closure panel is moved from the open position to the closed position. 
   
   
       10 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are dimmed to a predetermined lighting intensity, and wherein the refrigeration appliance includes a user input device for setting the predetermined lighting intensity. 
   
   
       11 . A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
 an insulated cabinet forming an interior cavity;   a refrigeration system for cooling said interior cavity;   a first light source for emitting light into the interior cavity along a first illumination axis;   a second light source for emitting light into the interior cavity along a second illumination axis; and   a bottle storage tray within the insulated cabinet, the bottle storage tray including:
 means for supporting a first bottle at a first predetermined lateral position within the interior cavity; 
 means for supporting a second bottle at a second predetermined lateral position within the interior cavity; and 
 means for supporting a third bottle at a third predetermined lateral position within the interior cavity; 
 wherein the first illumination axis passes centrally between the first predetermined lateral position and the second predetermined lateral position, and wherein the second illumination axis passes centrally between the second predetermined lateral position and the third predetermined lateral position. 
   
   
   
       12 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the insulated cabinet includes a closure panel that is movable between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the refrigeration appliance includes a controller operatively connected to both of the first light source and the second light source for automatically dimming the first light source and the second light source if the closure panel is moved from the open position to the closed position. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are dimmed to a predetermined lighting intensity, and wherein the refrigeration appliance includes a user input device for setting the predetermined lighting intensity. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 11 , wherein
 said means for supporting a first bottle at the first predetermined lateral position includes a first rung pair, wherein   said means for supporting a second bottle at the second predetermined lateral position includes a second rung pair, and wherein   said means for supporting a third bottle at the third predetermined lateral position includes a third rung pair.   
   
   
       15 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 14 , wherein each of said rung pairs includes a wide portion for supporting a bottle body and a narrow portion. 
   
   
       16 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 11 , wherein first illumination axis is substantially vertical and the first light source emits light downward along the first illumination axis, and wherein the second illumination axis is substantially vertical and the second light source emits light downward along the second illumination axis. 
   
   
       17 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the insulated cabinet includes:
 an upper wall;   a lower wall;   a first sidewall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall;   a second sidewall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall;   a rear wall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall;   a closure panel movable between an open position and a closed position; and   another bottle storage tray including:
 means for supporting a fourth bottle beneath the first bottle at the first predetermined lateral position; 
 means for supporting a fifth bottle beneath the second bottle at the second predetermined lateral position; 
 means for supporting a sixth bottle beneath the third bottle at the third predetermined lateral position, wherein the first light source and the second light source are configured to directly illuminate the lower wall through the bottle storage trays. 
   
   
   
       18 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 17 , further comprising a user input device for setting a lighting intensity of at least one of the first light source and the second light source. 
   
   
       19 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a controller operatively connected to the first light source and the second light source for automatically dimming the first light source and the second light source to a predetermined lighting intensity if the closure panel is moved from the open position to the closed position; and   a user input device for setting the predetermined lighting intensity.   
   
   
       20 . A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
 an insulated cabinet forming an interior cavity, the insulated cabinet including:
 an upper wall; 
 a lower wall; 
 a first sidewall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall; 
 a second sidewall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall; 
 a rear wall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall; and 
 a hinged door having a window; 
   a bottle storage rack within the insulated cabinet, the bottle storage rack including:
 a first tray that is withdrawable from the interior cavity and includes:
 a first rung pair for supporting a first bottle, placed onto the first rung pair, at a first predetermined lateral position within the interior cavity; 
 a second rung pair for supporting a second bottle, placed onto the second rung pair, at a second predetermined lateral position within the interior cavity; and 
 a third rung pair for supporting a third bottle, placed onto the third rung pair, at a third predetermined lateral position within the interior cavity; and 
 
 a second tray that is withdrawable from the interior cavity and includes:
 a fourth rung pair, located directly beneath the first rung pair, for supporting a fourth bottle, placed onto the fourth rung pair, at the first predetermined lateral position; 
 a fifth rung pair, located directly beneath the second rung pair, for supporting a fifth bottle, placed onto the fifth rung pair, at the second predetermined lateral position; and 
 a sixth rung pair, located directly beneath the third rung pair, for supporting a sixth bottle, placed onto the sixth rung pair, at the third predetermined lateral position, wherein each of said rung pairs includes a wide portion for supporting a bottle body and a narrow portion; 
 
   a refrigeration system for cooling said interior cavity;   a first light-emitting diode luminaire for emitting light downward into the interior cavity along a first vertical illumination axis passing centrally between the first rung pair and the second rung pair and passing centrally between the fourth rung pair and the fifth rung pair;   a second light-emitting diode luminaire for emitting light downward into the interior cavity along a second vertical illumination axis passing centrally between the second rung pair and the third rung pair and passing centrally between the fifth rung pair and the sixth rung pair, wherein the first light-emitting diode luminaire and the second light-emitting diode luminaire are configured to directly illuminate the lower wall through the bottle storage rack;   a controller operatively connected to both of the first light-emitting diode luminaire and the second light-emitting diode luminaire for automatically dimming the light emissions of said luminaires to a predetermined lighting intensity using a pulse-width modulation technique if the hinged door is moved from an open position to a closed position; and   a user input device for setting the predetermined lighting intensity.