MUSEUM DISPLAY CASE WITH SIDE GLASS WALLS AND UPPER DOOR THAT SLIDES BY WAY OF GUIDES INSIDE THE SIDE GLASS WALLS

Description

Museum display case with glass side walls and upper door can be opened by sliding using internal guides within the overall dimensions of the side glass walls * * * * 5 The present invention relates to a museum display case, i.e. a showcase designed and built for the conservation and display in protected environment of cultural heritage assets, such as works of art, historical finds and the like, within an exhibition environment such as a museum, an exhibition, or similar. In the following, it will sometimes be used for brevity 10 the term showcase alone, with this always meaning a museum showcase. By protected environment we mean here and hereafter an environment in which prevented the possibility of access by unauthorized personnel, to avoid theft or damage to the exhibited objects, and in which preferably 15 the atmosphere can be controlled, through the surveillance of one or more parameters including temperature, humidity, dust content, content of pollutants, in order to maintain the expected conservation conditions of the exhibits. Shop windows of this type must therefore satisfy various types of requirements, in 20 relation to the conservation and integrity of the exhibits. Furthermore, of course, these windows must ensure the best visibility for the objects on display. In order to improve visibility, window display builders try to as far as possible use transparent materials - typically 25 glass - for the walls of the showcase. In addition to ensuring the best visibility of the exhibits, the extensive use of glass is often desired by the window designers because the transparency of the material allows to give maximum emphasis to the exhibited objects, without the observer being distracted by elements other than the objects displayed in the window. 30 However, it is not possible to use only glass, unless the showcase cannot be made as a bell-shaped display case, in which the walls The vertical sides and the horizontal upper wall are all made of glass and made integral with each other; the opening of such a showcase occurs by lifting the entire bell formed by the glass walls integral with each other with respect to the fixed base. This type of display case 5 is however only suitable for a small display case. Otherwise, the display case must have metal mechanisms to allow opening and closing of at least one opening door: guides, slides, hinges, arms articulated or other similar mechanisms. For example, in the case of so-called table-top display cases, in which the vision 10 of the exhibits are mostly through the upper wall transparent, the opening door is formed by the upper wall itself, which for the opening it can be hinged along one side, so that it can be open (even completely) by lifting that wall, or it can be mounted on sliding guides that allow it 15 the opening, even if partial. Hinges and guides, however, appear to have a significant visual impact, which penalises the shop window. The purpose of this invention is to create a display case this type, in which the opening mechanism is so little visible to be substantially invisible. 20 This purpose is achieved by a museum display case according to the claim 1. Preferred features are set forth in the dependent claims. In particular, this museum display case includes a fixed case made up of fixed glass walls on the sides surmounted by a glass door upper opening, which slides open with respect to the fixed case, in which 25 the fixed glass walls and the opening glass door have - compared to the showcase - respective internal faces and external faces connected by edges perimeter, in which the museum showcase includes two guides of linear sliding between the opening glass door and the fixed case, in which the linear slide guides are applied on one side on the face 30 internal of the glass door that can be opened at the perimeter edges opposite sides of the opening glass door, on the other side on the edge perimeter of two opposing fixed glass walls, in which the guides linear sliding have a size corresponding to the thickness of the fixed glass wall to which they are applied. In this way, the guides have a minimal visible impact, 5 essentially negligible, as they appear to be only small appendages of the side walls, close to the corners of the display case and coplanar with the faces of the fixed glass walls, and therefore in position practically invisible especially when looking at the contents of the showcase from above, as happens in showcases of this type, at the table. 10 Preferably, each of the two linear slide guides comprises a fixed semi-guide fixed on the perimeter edge of a fixed glass walls and a mobile semi-guide fixed on the face inside of the opening glass door. Preferably, the fixed semi-guide comprises rolling rollers while the 15 semi-movable guide comprises a contact track supported on the rollers rolling elements. Alternatively, the fixed semi-guide and the mobile semi-guide include respective low-friction contact tracks. The presence of rolling rollers is preferable, for the smoothness of sliding, even if the opening glass door has considerable weight. The solution with 20 low-friction contact tracks are constructively more simple, particularly suitable for relatively small shop windows, in which the opening glass door has a low weight. Preferably, the fixed semi-guide is made up of a first profile, comprising a lower plinth fixed below the edge 25 perimeter of the fixed glass wall, and two upper wings spaced apart which are extended vertically from the horizontal lower plinth and they support the rolling rollers between them; the movable semi-guide is formed from a second profile, comprising a fixed upper wing above the internal face of the opening glass door and provided 30 below the contact track. Preferably the museum display case includes means of attachment for constrain the movable half-guide to the fixed half-guide so that the half- the movable guide is free to slide horizontally with respect to the semi- fixed guide but not free to be raised with respect to the semi-guide 5 fixed. The anti-lift constraint ensures that the opening glass door cannot be lifted and therefore is not possible in this way unauthorized access to the inside of the showcase. Furthermore, this restriction It also helps prevent the glass door from tipping over when this is opened beyond approximately 50%. 10 Preferably, the coupling means comprise a seat longitudinal formed in the lower base of the first profile and a wing lower part of the second profile joined to the upper wing by a wing intermediate; the lower wing of the second profile is in engagement with sliding horizontally into the seat of the first profile. This 15 configuration ensures effective vertical retention, preventing the opening of the glass door from lifting, and also improves the horizontal guidance accuracy. Preferably, the seat of the first profile is open towards the outside of the museum showcase, the intermediate wing of the second profile is extended towards 20 the outside of the museum showcase and the lower wing of the second profile is facing the inside of the museum display case. This configuration is preferred because it allows you to have the upper wing of the first profile facing towards the inside of the window, thus allowing attach internal accessories to the display case, such as organs 25 illuminants. Preferably, the museum display case includes an auxiliary easel, comprising a base surmounted by a supporting structure to accommodate the glass door that can be opened when opened beyond a pre-set limit. This auxiliary stand, placed at a suitable 30 distance from the display case, provides support for the opening glass door during its opening, allowing the display case to be opened even up to almost 100%. Preferably, the auxiliary stand support structure includes at least one upper roller, so as to facilitate sliding precise and scratch-free opening of the opening glass door. Further features and advantages of a museum showcase according to 5 the invention will be better understood from the following description of one of its preferred embodiment, made with reference to the attached drawings. In these drawings: - fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a museum display case according to the invention; 10 - fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the museum display case of fig. 1, complete with auxiliary stand; - fig. 3 is a vertical section view of a detail of the showcase of fig. 1, in enlarged scale; - fig. 4 is a vertical section view of a detail of the 15 showcase of fig. 1, in enlarged scale. The figures show a schematic view of a 10-piece museum display case. in accordance with the invention, of the so-called table type. Showcase 10 comprises a base 11 surmounted by a fixed case 12, made up of four fixed glass walls 13 vertically joined together 20 at their respective vertical edges, for example and preferably by gluing with a suitable structural adhesive (not highlighted in the figures). The fixed glass walls 13 have respective internal faces 14, facing towards the inside of the display case 10 and respective faces external 15, facing outwards from the display case 10; the internal faces 14 25 are connected to the external faces 15 by perimeter edges 16. The fixed case 12 is closed at the top by an opening glass door 23, which is horizontal or slightly inclined, opening at sliding with respect to the fixed case 12. The opening glass door 23 comprises an internal face 24, facing downwards and therefore towards 30 the inside of the display case 10, an external face 25 facing upwards and then towards the outside of the display case 10, as well as the perimeter edges 26 which connect the internal face 24 and the external face 25 together. Preferably, the fixed glass walls 13 as well as the opening glass door 23 are made as multilayer, with at least two glass sheets coupled using suitable adhesives. The display case 10 includes two horizontal linear sliding guides 30, 5 between the opening glass door 23 and the fixed case 12, more specifically between the opening glass door 23 and two opposite fixed glass walls 13. Each linear slide guide 30 is applied on one side on the face internal 24 of the opening glass door 23, near one of its 10 perimeter edges 26, on the other side exactly on the perimeter edge 16 of the fixed glass wall 13. The application of the guides linear sliding 30 is preferably obtained with a suitable adhesive, for example of the structural type, indicated with 31 in the figures. More specifically, each linear slide guide 30 comprises a 15 fixed semi-guides 32 lower and a mobile semi-guide 33 upper. The fixed semi-guide 32 comprises parallel and facing rolling rollers 34 upwards, which are in rolling engagement on a track of contact 35 facing downwards formed on the movable semi-guide 33, so as to allow the mobile semi-guide 33 to be movable 20 longitudinally with respect to the fixed semi-guide 32. Alternatively, according to a variant not illustrated, the fixed semi-guide and the semi-guide mobile may include respective low-friction contact tracks of creeping. The fixed semi-guide 32 is formed by a first profile, which 25 comprises a horizontal lower plinth 41, which is fixed below the perimeter edge 16 of the fixed glass wall 13, and two upper wings 42 and 43, respectively internal (i.e. facing the inside of the display case 10) and external (i.e. facing the outside of the showcase 10). 30 The two wings 42 and 43 are parallel and spaced apart; they are extended vertically from the horizontal lower plinth 41 and support between their rolling rollers 34. In the lower base 41 a seat is formed 44 horizontal, extended longitudinally along the entire fixed semi-guide 32. The mobile semi-guide 33 is formed by a second profile, which 5 comprises a horizontal upper wing 51, which is extended longitudinally along the entire mobile semi-guide 33 and is fixed above the internal face 24 of the opening glass door 23, the wing upper 51 is provided with the contact track 35 at the bottom. The semi-movable guide 33 also includes a horizontal lower wing 52 10 joined to the upper wing 51 by a vertical intermediate wing 53. The wing lower 52 of the movable semi-guide 33 is in sliding engagement in horizontal direction in the seat 44 of the fixed semi-guide 32. The lower wing 52 of the movable half-guide 33 and the seat 44 of the half- fixed guide 32 form hooking means to constrain the semi-guide 15 mobile 33 to the fixed semi-guide 32 so that the mobile semi-guide 33 is free to slide horizontally with respect to the fixed semi-guide 32 but is not free to be lifted with respect to the fixed semi-guide 32. Preferably, seat 44 is open towards the outside of the museum showcase 10, while the intermediate wing 53 is extended outwards 20 of the museum showcase 10, as well as the lower wing 52 is facing the interior of museum display case 10, as clearly visible in fig. 4. The upper wing 42 looks onto the inside of showcase 10; it can therefore it can be usefully used to mount internal accessories of the showcase 10, such as lighting fixtures 61. 25 An inverted arrangement is also possible (not preferred and not illustrated), in which the seat is open towards the inside of the display case, the middle wing is extended towards the inside of the display case and the lower wing is facing outwards from the window. This arrangement can be adopted in the case where the presence of lighting fixtures is not necessary 30 or other accessories and therefore it is useless to be able to have the upper wing looking inside the window. The linear slide guides 30 have substantially smaller dimensions corresponding to the thickness of the fixed glass wall 13 to which they are applied. In this way, as visible in fig. 4, the upper wing 42 of the fixed semi-guide 32 is substantially coplanar to the face 5 internal 14 of the fixed glass wall 13, and the intermediate wing 53 of the semi- mobile guide 33 is substantially coplanar to the external face 15 of the fixed glass wall 13. There is therefore no protrusion with respect to to the faces of the fixed glass walls 13 and for this reason the guides of linear scrolling 30 are very little visible: they appear in practice 10 as a sort of thin frame, which closes the walls at the top fixed windows 13. Looking at the window 10 from above, as happens normally in this type of display cabinet, on the table, the sliding guides 31 are practically invisible. Display case 10 can be opened by sliding the door horizontally 15 opening glass 23 with respect to the fixed case 12, in any of the two directions. To ensure that the opening of showcase 10 can be carried out only by authorized personnel, it is possible to provide a counter 63, at one or both ends of the fixed semi-guide 32, provided 20 of lock 64. With the door 63 closed, the movable semi-guide 33 does not can slide with respect to the fixed semi-guide 32 and therefore the glass door openable 23 cannot be opened. Preferably, then, as shown in fig. 2, the museum showcase 10 comprises an auxiliary stand 70, separate from the base 11 and 25 from the fixed case 12 and placed at a predetermined distance. The easel auxiliary 70 comprises a base 71 surmounted by a structure of support 72, equipped with two upper rollers 73. The auxiliary stand 70 is positioned and sized in such a way that the glass door openable 23 - during its opening - rests on the rollers 73 remaining 30 substantially horizontal; the weight of the openable glass door 23 It therefore weighs partly on the fixed case 12, partly on the auxiliary stand 70, thus avoiding dangerous mechanical stresses on the linear slide guides 30, in particular on the wings 52 in engagement in 44 locations. The auxiliary stand 70 can be placed on one side or the other of showcase 10, regardless, depending on which direction is 5 in which you preferably want to open the opening glass door 23. It is also possible to provide two auxiliary stands 70, on the two sides of the display case 10, if you wish to be able to open the glass door 23 from both sides, regardless.

Claims

1. Table-top museum display case, comprising a fixed case (12) made up of fixed lateral glass walls (13) surmounted by an upper opening glass door (23), which can be opened by sliding with respect to the fixed case (12), in which the fixed glass walls (13) and the opening glass door (23) have - with respect to the display case - respective internal faces (14, 24) and external faces (15, 25) connected by perimeter edges (16, 26), in which the museum display case comprises two linear sliding guides (30) between the opening glass door (23) and the fixed case (12), in which the linear sliding guides (30) are applied on one side to the internal face (24) of the opening glass door (23) near the opposing perimeter edges (26) of the opening glass door (23), on the other side to the perimeter edge (16) of two opposing fixed glass walls (13), in which the linear sliding guides (30) have a size corresponding to the thickness of the fixed glass wall (13) to which they are applied.

2. Museum display case according to claim 1, wherein each of the two linear sliding guides (30) comprises a fixed semi-guide (32) fixed on the perimeter edge (16) of one of the fixed glass walls (13) and a mobile semi-guide (33) fixed on the internal face (24) of the opening glass door (23).

3. Museum display case according to claim 2, wherein the fixed semi-guide (32) comprises rolling rollers (34) while the movable semi-guide (33) comprises a contact track (35) resting on the rolling rollers (34).

3. Museum display case according to claim 2, wherein the fixed semi-guide and the movable semi-guide comprise respective low-friction contact tracks.

5. Museum display case according to claim 3, wherein the fixed semi-guide (32) is formed by a first profile, comprising a lower base (41) fixed at the bottom to the perimeter edge (16) of the fixed glass wall (13), and two spaced upper wings (42, 43) which extend vertically from the lower base (41) and support the rolling rollers (34) between them, and wherein the mobile semi-guide (33) is formed by a second profile, comprising an upper wing (51) fixed at the top to the internal face (24) of the opening glass door (23) and provided at the bottom with the contact track (35).

6. Museum display case according to claim 2, comprising coupling means (44, 52) for constraining the movable semi-guide (33) to the fixed semi-guide (32) so that the movable semi-guide (33) is free to slide horizontally with respect to the fixed semi-guide (32) but is not free to be lifted with respect to the fixed semi-guide (32).

7. Museum display case according to claim 6, wherein the fastening means comprise a longitudinal seat (44) formed in the lower base (41) of the first profile and a longitudinal lower wing (52) of the second profile joined to the upper wing (51) by an intermediate wing (53), wherein the lower wing (52) of the second profile is in horizontal sliding engagement in the seat (44) of the first profile.

8. Museum display case according to claim 7, wherein the seat (44) of the first profile is open towards the outside of the museum display case, wherein the intermediate wing (53) of the second profile is extended towards the outside of the museum display case and wherein the lower wing (52) of the second profile is facing towards the inside of the museum display case.

9. Museum display case according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an auxiliary stand (70), comprising a base (71) surmounted by a support structure (72) to accommodate the opening glass door (23) when opened beyond a pre-set limit.

10. Museum display case according to claim 9, wherein the support structure (72) of the auxiliary stand (70) comprises at least one upper roller (73).