The present application claims priority to Italian Application MI2014A001206 filed on Jul. 2, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention refers to a showcase for preservation and display of objects in a protected environment, such as typically works of art, objects of cultural heritage or in any case delicate objects, in museums, exhibitions and the like.
Here and hereafter, protected environment means an environment in which the atmosphere is controlled, through monitoring of one or more parameters from temperature, humidity, dust content, pollutant content, in order to maintain the foreseen storage conditions of the objects on display, and in which unauthorised people are prevented from being able to gain access to them, in order to avoid theft or damage to the objects on display.
Showcases of this type must therefore satisfy various kinds of requirements, in relation to the storage and integrity of the objects displayed. Moreover, of course, these showcases must ensure maximum visibility of the objects displayed.
In order to improve visibility, manufacturers of showcases try as much as they can to use transparent materials—typically glass—for the walls of the showcase. As well as ensuring maximum visibility of the objects displayed, the extensive use of glass is often desired by designers of showcases because the transparency of the material allows the objects displayed to be given maximum visual impact.
Therefore, showcases have been developed having a base block with a case formed by panels on top; the base block houses all of the technical components necessary to ensure that the environment inside the case is protected and is thus normally closed by non-transparent walls, which hide all of the technical components from view; vice-versa, the walls of the case are made entirely or partially from glass, for the aforementioned reasons.
The possibility of access to the inside of the case, for the housing, removal or maintenance of the objects displayed, is normally obtained by providing for at least one of the side panels to be openable. For this purpose, opening supports of various kinds are used, which allow opening by rotation or roto-translation of the panel (more or less complex hinges) or by sliding (sliding guides). These opening supports must clearly ensure the correct closure of the openable panel, but must also allow an opening that is as wide as possible, so as to make access possible and easy also to arrange very large-sized objects (relative to the size of the showcase), possibly also in cases in which the weight of the object forces the uses of a fork lift or similar to move the object.
Therefore, there is a problem of maximising the degree of opening of the openable panel, even in the presence of panels made of transparent material.
Consequently, the present invention concerns a showcase as defined herein.
In particular, the invention concerns a showcase for preservation and display of objects, comprising a fixed casing and at least one openable panel made of glass mounted on the fixed casing through opening supports, characterised in that the opening supports comprise:
With this structure, the opening of the openable panel is divided substantially into two steps.
In a first step, the parallelogram system formed by the rods determines a roto-translational movement of the intermediate structure and with it of the openable panel with respect to the case, so that the openable panel passes from the closed position, in which the openable panel completely closes an opening space of the fixed casing, to a partially open position, in which the openable panel leaves a part of the opening space of the fixed casing partially free. In this first step of opening, the hinging system between intermediate structure and openable panel is left inactive (and possibly blocked), so that the openable panel and the intermediate structure move jointly.
In a second step, it is the parallelogram system that is left inactive (and possibly blocked), so that the intermediate structure remains fixed to the fixed casing, whereas the hinging system is used to allow the openable panel to rotate with respect to the intermediate structure, until it reaches a completely open position. In this position, the openable panel can be positioned on the side of the fixed casing and the opening space is thus made completely free, so as to allow easy access to objects of any size.
Closing clearly proceeds in reverse, also in two steps.
Preferably, the intermediate structure comprises at least an upper bar and a lower bar, respectively pivoted to the upper and lower rods at the second upper and lower rod pins. Preferably, the openable panel comprises at least an upper bar and a lower bar, respectively pivoted to the upper bar and to the lower bar of the intermediate structure through the hinging system. Preferably, the hinging system comprises an upper hinge between the upper bars of the intermediate structure and of the panel and a lower hinge between the lower bars of the intermediate structure and of the panel. These solutions all help to obtain the maximum structural simplicity, whilst ensuring the aforementioned possibilities of actuation.
In a preferred embodiment, the upper hinge and the lower hinge are two roto-translational complex hinges. Here and hereafter the expression “roto-translational complex hinges” means to indicate a hinging mechanism that is not limited to ensuring a simple possibility of rotation between the parts, but rather ensures that the rotation between the parts is also associated with a translation. Complex hinges of this kind are per se known and are obtained with systems of rods and pins, variously configured according to the roto-translational movement that is wished to be obtained.
Preferably, each of the two roto-translational complex hinges comprises a first fork fixed to one of the bars, a second fork fixed to the other of the bars, and three rods pivoted between the first and the second fork, in which:
Even more preferably, the two complex hinges are fixed with the respective first forks to the bars of the intermediate structure and with the respective second forks to the bars of the openable panel.
Hinges thus configured ensure that the bars of the openable panel rotate with respect to the bars of the fixed structure and at the same time move away from them, thus facilitating the passing over the edge of the case of the showcase, even when it has an acute angle.
In another preferred embodiment, the upper hinge and the lower hinge are two simple pin hinges. This solution is clearly simpler and more cost-effective and may be preferred when the passing over the edge of the case of the showcase is not problematic, for example because the corresponding angle is sufficiently large.
Preferably, the hinging system is positioned at about half of the width of the openable panel. This feature ensures that the openable panel is supported by the intermediate structure in a substantially barycentric position; with openable panels of large dimensions and of high weight, this feature thus makes it possible to more easily maintain conditions of static equilibrium of the openable panel during opening and closing.
Preferably, the rods, in closure conditions of the openable panel, are extended parallel to the openable panel, and the length of the rods between the first and the second rod pins is equal to about one quarter of the width of the openable panel.
In this way, in the first part of the opening step the openable panel moves in a direction away from the opening space of the fixed casing, and equally in the final part of the closure step the openable panel moves in a direction towards the opening space of the fixed casing. Therefore, the invention can thus be used directly also on showcases that have—between the openable panel and the fixed casing—a seal obtained through compression gaskets, i.e. without it being necessary to provide any specific different movement to obtain the compression/decompression of the gaskets.
The main direction, according to which both the hinging system and the pivoting axes are arranged, is typically vertical, since it is the position of the openable panel of most showcases; however, this does not mean that it cannot be oriented differently, for example inclined with respect to the vertical or even horizontal, according to the configuration of the showcase.
Preferably, the showcase comprises support and sliding guides mounted on the fixed casing in a position such as to provide support for the rods when the openable panel is in complete or partial closure and/or opening position. This facilitates the movement even in the presence of heavy doors and makes it more precise; in particular, this support can be very useful in the closure position (and in intermediate positions close thereto), to ensure the precision of closure of the openable panel.
Further characteristics and advantages of a showcase according to the invention will become clearer from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof, made with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings:
The figures show a showcase 1 according to the invention, suitable for the preservation and display of objects. The showcase 1 comprises a fixed casing 10, with fixed side panels 11, a base block 12 and a top panel 13, mounted fixedly connected to each other around an opening space 14; in the base block 12 and/or in the top panel 13 possible apparatuses (per se known and not illustrated here) are housed for controlling the showcase 1, for example for controlling its illumination, security, climate-control. The showcase 1 also comprises at least one openable panel 20, typically made of glass, mounted in a sealed manner on the fixed casing 10 at the opening space 14, through opening supports 30. The seal between the openable panel 20 and the case 10 is ensured by gaskets, selected according to the sealing requirements of the specific showcase, not highlighted in the figures and per se known.
The opening supports 30 comprise a pair of upper rods 31a and a pair of lower rods 31b (also wholly indicated as rods 31) pivoted to the fixed casing 10 at respective first upper 32a and lower 32b rod pins (also wholly indicated as first pins 32). The opening supports 30 also comprise an intermediate structure 40, pivoted to the rods 31 at respective second upper 33a and lower 33b rod pins (also wholly indicated as second pins 33); the intermediate structure 40 comprises an upper bar 41a and a lower bar 41b (also wholly indicated as bars 41 of the intermediate structure 40), respectively pivoted to the upper 31a and lower rods 31b at the second upper 33a and lower 33b rod pins.
The rods 32 all have the same length, by length of the rod meaning the distance between the centres or axes of its pins. The first and second rod pins 32 and 33 all have pivoting axis parallel to a main direction X, which is preferably vertical, as shown in the figures. The distance on the fixed casing 10 between the first upper rod pins 32a and the distance on the upper bar 41a of the intermediate structure 40 between the second upper rod pins 33a are equal to each other; equally, the distance on the fixed casing 10 between the first lower rod pins 32b and the distance on the lower bar 41b of the intermediate structure 40 between the second lower rod pins 33b are equal to each other; preferably, the aforementioned four distances are all equal to each other, so as to simplify construction and mounting.
The four rods 31 thus form an articulated parallelogram system for the movement of the intermediate structure 40 with respect to the fixed casing 10.
The showcase 1 also comprises a hinging system along the main direction X, between the openable panel 20 and the intermediate structure 40, so as to allow the openable panel 20 to rotate with respect to the intermediate structure 40.
More specifically, the openable panel 20 comprises at least one upper bar 21a and a lower bar 21b (also wholly indicated as bars 21 of the openable panel 20), respectively pivoted to the upper bar 41a and to the lower bar 41b of the intermediate structure 40 through the hinging system. The hinging system comprises an upper hinge 51a between the upper bars 41a and 21a of the intermediate structure 40 and of the panel 20 and a lower hinge 51b between the lower bars 41b and 21b of the intermediate structure 40 and of the openable panel 20; the upper hinge 51a and the lower hinge 51b are also wholly indicated as hinges 51.
In the showcase 1, illustrated in
The two hinges 51 are fixed with the respective first forks 53 to the bars 41 of the intermediate structure 40 and with the respective second forks 54 to the bars 21 of the openable panel 20. With respect to the openable panel 20, the hinges 51 are positioned at about half the width; the bars 21 of the openable panel 20 and the bars 41 of the intermediate structure 40 are about the same length. In closure conditions of the openable panel 20, the rods 31 are extended parallel to the openable panel 20 itself; the length of the rods 31 (as stated, taken as between the first and the second rod pins 32, 33) is equal to about one quarter of the width of the openable panel 20.
The showcase 1 also comprises support and sliding guides 22 mounted on the fixed casing 20, in the vicinity of the first rod pins 31, in a position such as to provide a support for the rods 31 when the openable panel 20 is in complete or partial closure and/or opening position. The guides 22 can be simple sliding blocks, made at least in the upper part with a low friction material, or—in the case of a particularly heavy openable panel 20—they can comprise arrays of balls or other revolving elements, possibly recirculating.
The operation of the showcase 1 is clear from its structure just described.
In the condition with the showcase 1 closed (
Proceeding with the actuation of the rods 31, the openable panel 20 goes back to being brought close to the fixed casing 10, finally going back to the support provided by the guides 22, until it is brought into a partially open position (
If more complete access to the inside of the showcase 1 is desired, it is necessary to activate the second step of the opening of the showcase 1, in which the rods 31 and the intermediate structure 40 now remain immobile. On the other hand, the openable panel 20 is moved with respect to the intermediate structure 40, exploiting the hinges 51; this movement can also be imposed manually or with suitable motor means (not illustrated). The trajectory of the movement of the openable panel 20 is in this step determined by the hinges 51 with roto-translation, which—thanks to their geometry with three rods described above—impose, together with the rotation, a translation in the direction to move the openable panel 20 away from the bars 41 of the intermediate structure and therefore from the fixed casing 10. The openable panel 20 can thus not only reach intermediate positions in which the opening space 14 is progressively more free (
It should be noted that also in the totally open position the rods 31 that—through the intermediate structure 40—bear the weight of the openable panel 20 are rested on the guides 22; this ensures the maximum safety for workers during the installation or removal operations of the showcase 1.
The closure of the showcase 1 clearly takes place by carrying out the steps just described in reverse, thus passing from the condition shown in
In
The difference can be appreciated in the comparison of the conditions of the showcase 101 shown in
As a result the showcase 101, with the simple pin hinges 151, is simpler and probably more cost-effective, but is not suitable for showcases in which very wide opening, of over 90°, is necessary.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20160000236 A1 | Jan 2016 | US |