Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a display case which includes a built-in storage safe. In particular, the present invention relates to a combination display case and storage safe which stores items displayed in the display case in a safe which is part of the display case when the items are not on display.
A display case for easily moving items on display to a safe. The display case includes a first display portion and a second safe portion. The first and second portions of the display case are connected together. The first display portion is constructed of a transparent material to enable viewing of the items when on display in the display case. The second safe portion includes front and back walls and sidewalls extending therebetween and a floor. The front and back walls of the second safe portion are constructed of first upper panels and second lower panels. The second lower panels are stationary and form the front and back walls of the safe. The first upper panels pivot on the second lower panels so that in the closed position when the first upper panels are perpendicular to the second lower panels, the first upper panels form the top wall of the safe. In the open position, the first upper panels are essentially aligned with the second lower panels and form a portion of the front and back wall of the display case between the second lower panels and the first display portion.
Opening mechanisms are connected to the inner side edges of the first upper panels to move the first upper panels between the open and closed positions. A lift mechanism is mounted in the second safe portion to move the display platform from the display position adjacent the first display portion of the display case to the stored, safe position inside the second safe portion. The display platform remains level during raising and lowering to prevent disturbing the items. The opening mechanisms and lift mechanism are controlled by a control system. The control system in one (1) embodiment is activated by a key. The control system has limit switches so that the opening mechanism and lift mechanism are activated and deactivated at the correct time. The first upper panels can also be provided with locks which are controlled by the control system.
To move items on display on the display platform to a secure location in the safe formed by the second safe portion of the display case, the control system is activated which activates the lift mechanism to lower the display platform. When the lift mechanism is in the fully lowered position with the display platform fully within the second safe portion, a limit switch of the control system is activated which deactivates the lift mechanism and activates the opening mechanisms. The opening mechanisms pivot the first upper panels into the closed position so that the first upper panels extend across a top of the second safe portion and form the top wall of the safe. In the one (1) embodiment where a lock is provided, when the opening mechanisms reach the fully closed position, a limit switch of the control system is activated which activates the lock to lock the first upper panels in the closed position. To re-display the items, the key switch is rotated and the opening mechanisms are activated. In the one (1) embodiment having a lock, the lock is deactivated before the opening mechanisms are activated. The opening mechanisms pivot the first upper panels from the closed position to the open position. When the opening mechanisms reach the fully open position, limit switches are activated to deactivate the opening mechanisms and activate the lift mechanism. The lift mechanism raises the display platform to the display position adjacent the first display portion of the display case. Once the items are on display the control system deactivates the lift mechanism.
The present invention relates to a display case which comprises a first display portion, a second safe portion connected to the first display portion and having a first wall and a second wall with opposed sidewalls extending therebetween, the first and second walls each including a first panel pivotably attached to a second panel, an opening mechanism attached to the first panels for moving the first panels between a closed position essentially perpendicular to the second panels and an open position essentially aligned with the second panels, a lift mechanism mounted in the second display portion, a display platform connected to the lift mechanism, and a control system for controlling the opening mechanism and the lift mechanism.
Further, the present invention relates to a method for moving items on display to a safe, which comprises the steps of providing a display case having a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion, the second portion having opposed first and second walls with sidewalls extending therebetween, the first and second walls each having a first panel pivotably attached to a second panel with an opening mechanism connected to the first panels for pivoting the first panels between an open position and a closed position, providing a lift mechanism mounted in the second portion, providing a display platform connected to the lift mechanism for displaying the items, providing a control system for operating the opening mechanism and the lift mechanism, and activating the control system to activate the lift mechanism to lower the display platform with the items to a fully lowered position in the second portion and activating the opening mechanism to pivot the first panels to the closed position essentially perpendicular to the second panels such that the first panels form a top wall of the second portion of the display case and so that the walls of the second portion form the safe and the display platform with the items is located in the safe.
Still further, the present invention relates to a method moving items from a safe to a display, which comprises the steps of providing a display case having a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion, the second portion having opposed first and second walls with sidewalls extending therebetween, the first and second walls each having a first panel pivotably attached to a second panel, an opening mechanism connected to the first panels, a display platform for holding the items mounted in the second portion, a lift mechanism connected to the display platform and mounted in the second portion, and a control system for operating the opening mechanism and the lift mechanism wherein when the items are in the safe, the first panels are in a closed position essentially perpendicular to the second panels such that the first panels form a top wall of the second portion and the safe and the lift mechanism is in a fully lowered position, and activating the control system to activate the opening mechanism to pivot the first panels to a fully, open position essentially aligned with the second panels such that the first panels form a section of the first and second walls extending between the first portion and the second portion of the display case and to activate the lift mechanism to raise the display platform with the items to a fully extended, display position so that the display platform with the items is adjacent the first portion and the items are on display.
The substance and advantages of the present invention will become increasingly apparent by reference to the following drawings and the description.
The display case 10 of the present invention includes a first display portion 12, a second safe portion 14, a lift mechanism 34 with a display platform 56, opening mechanisms 20 for moving upper panels 16 and a control system. The first display portion 12 allows for viewing the items in the display case 10 and includes a front wall and back wall with opposed sidewalls extending therebetween and a top wall. In one (1) embodiment, the walls of the first display portion 12 are constructed of a transparent material such as glass to allow for viewing items in the display case 10.
The second safe portion 14 of the display case 10 forms the safe of the display case 10. The second safe portion 14 includes a front wall, a back wall, opposed sidewalls extending therebetween and a bottom wall. In one (1) embodiment, the walls of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10 are constructed of steel. The display platform 56 mounted on the lift mechanism 34 provides the floor for the first display portion 12 of the display case 10 and the top of the second safe portion 14 when the items are on display and the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10 is not being used as a safe.
The control system for the display case 10 includes a key valve 62, a power source (not shown), first, second, third, fourth and fifth limit switches 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72, and a circuit board 74. The control system controls the opening mechanisms 20 for the upper panels 16, the activation cylinders 54 of the lift mechanism 34 and the locks 32. The control system controls the systems and mechanisms of the display case 10 as used to move the items in the display case 10 to and from the stored, safe position to the display position. In one (1) embodiment, the circuit board 74 of the control system is located on the floor of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10.
The front and back walls of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10 each include an upper panel 16 and a lower panel 18. The upper panels 16 are pivotably attached along the bottom edge to the stationary lower panels 18. The upper panels 16 pivot between an open position with the upper panels 16 essentially aligned with the lower panels 18 and a closed position with the upper panels 16 essentially perpendicular to the lower panels 18 so that the upper panels 16 extend across the top of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10. The size of the upper panels 16 is such that in the fully open position, the upper panels 16 completely fill the space between the top of the lower panels 18 and the first display portion 12 of the display case 10 and in the fully closed position, the upper panels 16 completely fill the space between the front and back walls and the sidewalls of the second safe portion 14 and form a secure top for the safe.
A pair of right and left side opening mechanisms 20 are mounted adjacent each of the sidewalls of the second safe portion 14. The right and left side opening mechanisms 20 are essentially identical. Therefore, only the right side opening mechanism 20 will be described in detail (
Locks 32 are provided on the upper panels 16 which lock the upper panels 16 in the fully closed position. In one (1) embodiment, the locks 32 are mounted on the top surface of the upper panels 16 adjacent the inner edges of the upper panels 16. In one (1) embodiment, the locks 32 include a sliding bar mounted on one of the upper panels 16 and a tube located on the other upper panel 16. To lock the upper panels 16 in the closed position, the sliding bar is moved into the tube. However, it is understood that the locks 32 can be of any type well known in the art.
The lift mechanism 34 is mounted in the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10 (
In one (1) embodiment, the lift mechanism 34 includes floor rails 36 and 37, lifting arms 38 and 39 and activation cylinders 54. In one (1) embodiment, the floor rails 36 and 37 of the lift mechanism 34 include four (4) floor rails spaced adjacent each of the corners of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10. In one (1) embodiment, the floor rails 36 and 37 extend parallel to the front and back walls of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10. In one (1) embodiment, the floor rails 36 and 37 have grooves or tracks 37A on the inner surface on a side opposite the front or back walls of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10. In one (1) embodiment, the floor rails 36 and 37 are c-channels. The fourth limit switch 70 of the control system is mounted adjacent one (1) of the sidewalls of the second safe portion 14 spaced between the front and back floor rails 36 and 37 (
In one (1) embodiment, the lift mechanism 34 includes a pair of activation cylinders 54 (
The display platform 56 is mounted on the second ends 46B of the second links 46 of the first and second lift arms 40 and 41 of the front and back lifting arms 38 and 39 of the lift mechanism 34. Rails 56A are mounted on an underneath side of the display platform 56 along the front and back edges of the display platform 56 (
To raise and lower the display platform 56, the pistons 54A of the activation cylinders 54 of the lift mechanism 34 are extended and contracted which raises and lowers the lift mechanism 34. To raise the display platform 56 from the fully lowered position, the pistons 54A of the activation cylinders 54 are contracted. As the pistons 54A contract, the connection bars 48 and 49 connected to the pistons 54A are pulled or moved inward toward the center of the display case 10 so that the first ends 44A of the first links 44 of the lift arms 40 and 41 move along the floor rails 36 and 37 toward the center of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10. As the first ends 44A of the first links 44 move inward, the second ends 44B of the first links 44 pivot upward and the second ends 46B of the second links 46 move along the rails 56A on the underneath side of the display platform 56 toward the center of the display platform 56. The pivotable connection of the first and second links 44 and 46 enable the second links 46 to move and pivot such that the display platform 56 remains level as the display platform 56 is raised.
To lower the display platform 56, the pistons 54A of the activation cylinder 54 are extended which pushes the connection bars 48 and 49 and the first ends 44A of the first links 44 toward the sidewalls of the second safe portion 14 of the display case 10 which pivots the second ends 44B of the first links 44 down. As the first links 44 pivot down, the second ends 46B of the second links 46 move along the rails 56A of the display platform 56 toward the outer edges of the display platform 56. When the lift arms 40 and 41 of the lift mechanism 34 are in the fully lowered, stored position, the second connection bar 49 contacts the fourth limit switch 70 which deactivates the lift mechanism 34 and activates the opening mechanisms 20 to close the upper panels 16.
In use, when the display case 10 is in the display position, the upper panels 16 are in the fully, open position and the lift mechanism 34 is in the fully extended, display position (
To redisplay the items, the key switch 62 is rotated to the “up” position which instantly deactivates the locks 32 and then activates the opening mechanisms 20. The opening mechanisms 20 slowly move the sliding blocks 24 upward, moving the upper panels 16 to the open position. When the upper panels 16 reach the fully open position, the sliding blocks 24 contact the first limit switch 64 which deactivates the opening mechanisms 20 and contacts the second limit switch 66 which activates the activation cylinders 54 of the lift mechanism 34. It is understood that a single multi-purpose limit switch could be used in place of the first and second limit switches. The lift mechanism 34 then slowly raises the display platform 56 to the fully extended, display position. The lift mechanism deactivates automatically when the display platform 56 reaches the fully extended display position. In one (1) embodiment, the key switch is then rotated to the “off” position.
In the foregoing description, various features of the present invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are here by incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present invention.
It is intended that the foregoing description be only illustrative of the present invention and that the present invention be limited only by the hereinafter appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/386,707, filed on Sep. 27, 2010 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, except that the present application supersedes any portion of the above referenced application which is inconsistent with the present application.
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