The present invention refers to a display case, in particular a protection and display case, that is provided for housing and displaying objects (typically objects of artistic or cultural value) in climate-protected environment.
In these cases, maximum care must be devoted to the overall protection of the displayed objects, which normally are both delicate and of great value. The term "protection" must therefore be intended here and below in a very broad sense; it comprises for example the maintenance of pre-established climatic conditions (temperature, humidity) and the elimination of dangerous substances from the space around the object (dust, pollutants). Moreover, the quality of the display to the public must be clearly guaranteed. Such display cases are known from
When the objects to be displayed are very particular, the abovementioned needs normally result in rather complex cases, often designed and built for the single specific use; these cases are therefore costly and hard to reuse for objects other than those for which they had been designed.
There is therefore the need in the field to have cases which are capable of satisfying the highest protection needs and ensuring a suitable quality of the display towards the public, while at the same time not having overly high costs. Consequently, the present invention regards a case according to claim 1. Preferred characteristics are reported in the dependent claims.
More in particular, a case according to the invention comprises a sealed display space and is characterised in that it comprises a load-bearing base platform, which includes a lower portion and an upper portion separated by a sealed horizontal separator, the base platform being sealingly coupled to the sealed display space in a manner such that the upper portion of the base platform is inside the sealed display space while the lower portion is outside the sealed display space.
The base platform can be appropriately equipped according to the needs of every specific use, using its upper portion for systems and devices that must be inside the display space (such as for example a hygroscopic material for the humidity control or a lighting body) and its lower portion for systems and devices which are better situated outside the display space, due to their capacity to alter the conditions of the display space (such as for example a thermal machine or an illuminator).
The case production therefore becomes rationalised and facilitated, and is thus cheaper, since it becomes possible to build cases in a somewhat modular manner: the same base platform can be used not only to support display spaces of different heights, but also and above all for housing different systems or devices which are specific for every single embodiment.
Typically, the case comprises fixed walls, at least one openable door, and a top, and preferably:
The top can be a simple sheet, also made of glass if deemed necessary for the display, or of a more complex structure, it too capable - like the base platform- of housing systems and devices.
The case preferably comprises a lower door support group anchored between the openable door and the upper portion of the base platform, in which the seal means are provided outside with respect to the lower door support group; analogously, the case preferably comprises an upper door support group anchored between the openable door and the top, in which the seal means are situated outside with respect to the upper door support group. The door support groups can be hinges (simple or complex), sliding systems or more complex systems.
The case preferably comprises a lighting system of the display space, including at least one illuminator housed outside the display space, at least one lighting body in the display space and at least one light guide between the at least one illuminator and the at least one lighting body.
In the present text, by "illuminator" it is intended an apparatus capable of generating light, starting from energy of different types: an apparatus capable of distributing light generated from an illuminator is called a "lighting body" in the present context. In current applications and also in display cases, a lighting body can be directly associated with an illuminator; in such case, though, the energy dispersed by the illuminator in the form of heat energy during the generation of the light is released in the same space where the lighting body and displayed object are situated. The object is thus not only illuminated but also heated. This situation is avoided, however, by separating the illuminator from the lighting body and connecting the two with a suitable light guide, typically one or more optical fibres.
When its presence is required, therefore, the at least one illuminator is housed in the lower portion of the base platform and/or in an external space made in the top, isolated with respect to the sealed display space.
When a continuous and complete air treatment (or treatment of a possible gas different from air) of the display space is required, the case preferably comprises a conditioning system of the air in the display space, including at least one air treatment machine housed outside the display space and an intake duct of treated air from the at least one treatment machine situated inside the display space; the at least one air treatment machine is a cooling machine and/or humidity control machine and/or purification machine. Preferably, the at least one treatment machine is housed in the lower portion of the base platform and/or in an external space made in the top, sealed with respect to the display space; in this manner, the heat dispersion directly into the display space is avoided along with the possible dispersion of polluting substances produced during the operation of the air treatment machine, due for example to lubricant substances.
The case preferably comprises an air circulation system in the lower portion of the base platform and/or in the external space of the top, so to more easily remove heat and undesired substances produced by the systems housed therein.
Preferably, the conditioning system includes a reception box of hygroscopic material, housed in the upper portion of the base platform, open onto the display space. The hygroscopic material, typically silica gel, can be provided for the climate control in place of the thermal machine, or in combination therewith.
Preferably, the case comprises stiffening beams arranged in the upper and/or lower portion of the base platform, and/or in the top. Thanks to these beams, the upper and lower base platform portions can better support the entire case structure, in particular the openable door when this is of large size and thus relatively heavy.
Preferably, the upper and lower portions of the base platform are fixedly connected with each other. The base platform thus results functionally differentiated, with the possibility of housing therein both systems inside the display space (in the upper portion), and systems outside thereof (in the lower portion), while it is mechanically monolithic and hence extremely strong.
Further characteristics of the present invention will be clearer from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and a variant thereof, made with reference to the enclosed drawings. In such drawings,
In the figures, a protection and display case is indicated with 1 in its entirety. The case 1 comprises a load-bearing base platform 2, surmounted by a display space 3, delimited by two fixed, vertical glass walls 4 and 5, and a third fixed, vertical blind wall 6 (also called back), a blind top 7 and an openable glass door 8.
The base platform 2 comprises a lower portion 11 and an upper portion 12, fixedly connected with each other and delimited by a horizontal separator 13. The lower portion 11 is formed with a metal lattice structure 14, provided with feet 15 for supporting and/or fixing to the ground and diagonal reinforcement beams 16. The upper portion 12 is formed with a metal frame structure 17, seallngly closed on its lower part by the horizontal separator 13 and provided with diagonal reinforcement beams 18. A non-sealed support surface 19 closes the upper part of the upper portion 12.
The top 7 is formed with a metal lattice structure 21 and comprises an upper space 22. Except for the space 22, the top 7 is sealingly closed on its upper, part by a cover 23 due to the presence of two concentric seals 24; the space 22 therefore remains open towards the outside of the display space, possibly protected by a grate (not illustrated).
The fixed walls 4-6 are anchored and sealed together, both to the frame structure 17 of the upper portion 12 of the base platform 2, and to the lattice structure 21 of the top 22. The openable door 8 is supported by an upper door support group mounted on the top 7 and a lower door support group mounted on the upper portion 12 of the base platform 2; the two door support groups are of per se known type, for example they of hinge type. A seal 33 is mounted between the openable door 8 and the fixed adjacent structures, or rather the frame structure 17 of the base platform 2, the lattice structure of the top 7 and the edges of the fixed panels 4 and 5. In this manner, the display space 3 is sealed when the openable door 8 is closed. The position of the seal 33 is peripheral with respect to the openable door 8, such that the hinges 31 and 32 are included in the display space 3. The back 6 is provided with reinforcement beams 34.
The case 1 then comprises a first illuminator 41, housed in the lower portion 11 of the base platform 2, as well as two second illuminators 42, housed in the space 22 of the top 7. The illuminators 41 and 42 are of ventilated type, in order to more easily remove, to the outside, the heat produced during light generation; alternatively (or in addition), specific ventilation systems can be provided around the illuminators 41 and 42. The illuminator 41 is optically connected to a first lighting body 43, housed in the upper portion 12 of the base platform 2, by means of a bundle of optical fibres 44 which cross through the separator 13 in a suitable sealed connector 45. Analogously, the illuminators 42 are optically connected to two second lighting bodies 46, housed in the top 7, by means of bundles of optical fibres 47.
The case 1 then comprises an air conditioning system of the display space 3. In the case 1, such conditioning system comprises two reception boxes 51 of hygroscopic material, supported by the lower portion 11 of the base platform 2 so to be sealingly facing through the separator 13 onto the upper portion 12, the hygroscopic material resulting inside the display space 3; functionally, therefore, the boxes 51 are housed in the upper portion 12.
In the variant of
In other variants, not shown, the conditioning system can be entirely absent, or it can comprise only the air treatment machine and not the box with the hygroscopic material; moreover, these components can also be housed in the top, facing the display space or in the upper open space, depending on whether they must be inside (boxes) or outside (treatment machines).
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.