MUSEUM SHOWCASE HAVING A TRANSPARENT WALL PROVIDED WITH AN OPAQUE SHIELDING

Abstract

Museum showcase with a case containing a separate exhibition space with respect to the external environment. The case includes at least one transparent wall provided with an opaque shielding. The transparent wall is layered and includes at least two glass slabs coupled to each other along respective proximal faces. The opaque shielding is applied to one of the two glass slabs, on the proximal face thereof. The opaque shielding is therefore completely contained between the two glass slabs.

Claims

1. A museum showcase comprising a case which contains a display space separate from an external environment, wherein the case comprises at least one transparent wall provided with an opaque shielding, wherein the transparent wall has a layered structure comprising at least two glass slabs coupled to each other by a transparent adhesive polymer sheet along respective proximal faces of the at least two glass slabs, wherein the opaque shielding is applied to one of the two glass slabs, on the proximal face thereof, the opaque shielding fully confined within the transparent wall.

2. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the opaque shielding is obtained through the direct application to the glass slab of a layer of opaque paint.

3. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the glass slabs comprise an inner slab and an outer slab, and the opaque shielding is applied to the outer slab.

4. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the glass slabs comprise an inner slab and an outer slab, and the opaque shielding is applied to the inner slab.

5. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the transparent adhesive polymer is EVA or PVB.

6. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the glass slabs comprise an inner slab and an outer slab, wherein the outer slab has a larger extension than the inner slab.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the appended drawings. In such drawings:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a museum showcase according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a front view of a transparent wall of the showcase of FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a side profile view of the transparent wall of FIG. 2;

[0021] FIG. 4 is a plan profile view of the transparent wall of FIG. 2;

[0022] FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 are enlargements of details A, B, C, D of FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0023] FIG. 9 is an exploded schematic view of the transparent front wall of the showcase of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the figures, 10 indicates a museum showcase that comprises a case 11 which contains both a display space 12, intended to house items to be displayed and conserved, and a technical space 13, in which technical components of the showcase 10 are housed, not intended to be seen by the public such as, for example, climate control, air purification, moisture control, security and alarm systems, etc. In the example shown in the figures, the display space 12 comprises most of the space available in the case 11, whereas the technical space 13 is obtained in a lower portion of the case 11; in other embodiments the technical space could also be obtained elsewhere, e.g. in an upper portion of the case 11, in an intermediate portion of the case 11, and in more than one of these positions. In any case, as mentioned, it is a space that must not be visible by the public outside the showcase 10, but only by authorized personnel.

[0025] The display space 12 is separated, and preferably sealed, with respect to the external environment and with respect to the technical space 13.

[0026] The case 11 comprises a plurality of walls and in particular at least one transparent wall 20, which has a layered structure and therefore comprises two glass slabs, an internal slab 21 and an external slab 22 coupled to each other along respective proximal faces 21a and 22a; two distal faces 21b and 22b of the slabs 21 and 22 therefore respectively form an inner face and an outer face of the transparent wall 20.

[0027] The transparent wall 20 extends along the whole height of the case 11 and therefore embraces both the display space 12, and the technical space 13. So as not to make the transparent wall 20 visible from outside the technical space 13, an opaque shielding 25 is provided, applied to the transparent wall 20 at the technical space 13. The opaque shielding 25 is applied to the proximal face of one of the two slabs; in the example illustrated, in particular, the opaque shielding 25 is applied to the proximal face 22a of the outer slab 22; in another embodiment, the opaque shielding could be applied to the proximal face 21a of the inner slab 21.

[0028] The opaque shielding 25 is obtained by means of an opaque paint, applied (with any suitable means, according to the type of paint chosen) to the outer slab 22, obviously before it is coupled to the inner slab 21. Once the opaque shielding 25 has been applied, the two slabs 21 and 22 are coupled by means of a suitable transparent adhesive polymer sheet 26 such as, for example EVA, PVB or the like. In other embodiments, the opaque shielding 25 could be obtained through the application of a sheet of suitable opaque material.

[0029] Once the two glass sheets 21 and 22 are coupled to each other by means of the transparent adhesive polymer sheet 26, the shielding 25 remains fully confined inside the transparent wall 20; therefore whatever material it is made of, emissions of volatile substances, either towards the outside of the showcase 10, or especially towards the inside of the display space 12, are excluded, to the advantage of the conservation of the items placed in the showcase 10, inasmuch as they may be delicate and vulnerable to volatile substances. Furthermore, the shielding 25 is not directly visible on the outer face of the transparent wall 20, i.e. on the distal face 22b and therefore does not disturb the aesthetic all glass impact of the showcase 10. Further glass slabs (as well as the slabs 21 and 22) may be provided, e.g. to confer greater resistance to the transparent wall 20.

[0030] Furthermore, as is clearly visible especially in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8, the two glass slabs 21 and 22 are not the same: the outer slab 22 has a larger extension and is provided with 45 bevels at some ends. More precisely, at the upper edge 20a of the transparent wall 20, the outer slab 22 exceeds the inner slab 21, determining a lowered zone 31 of the transparent wall 20; at the lower edge 20d of the transparent wall 20, the outer slab 22 and the inner slab 21 have the same extension and are therefore completely superposed; at the side edges 20b and 20c of the transparent wall 20, the outer slab 22 exceeds the inner slab 21, determining lowered zones 32 and 33 of the transparent wall 20, and is provided with bevels 34 and 35; the lowered zones 32 and 33 have a much smaller extension than the lowered zone 31. The lowered zones 31, 32, 33 and the bevels 34 and 35 form abutment zones of the transparent wall 20 on the rest of the case 11; in particular, in the lowered zones 31, 32, 33 sealing gaskets (not illustrated in the drawings) can be easily housed, whereas the bevels 34 and 35 allow a very precise (and virtually invisible) coupling to be obtained (even if the wall 20 is transparent) between the transparent wall 20 and the walls adjacent thereto.