Museum showcase having drawers with a motorized actuation system

Abstract

This showcase (10) for conserving and displaying objects in a protective environment comprises a frame (20), at least one drawer (30), a pair of sliding guides (40) for each drawer (30), and a motorised actuation system (50) formed by a first arm (51) and an actuator (52). The showcase (10) with this motorised actuation system (50) makes it possible to minimise the vibrations and the sudden movements of the drawers (30) when opening and closing, hence it limits accelerations at any point of the travel, thus allowing the correct conservation of the objects displayed in the drawers (30).

Claims

1. A museum showcase for conserving and displaying objects comprising: a frame having a substantially rectangular shape defining a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the showcase; a plurality of horizontal drawers, each said drawer provided with a transparent cover to allow observation of contained objects from outside, and movable with respect to the frame; a pair of horizontal sliding guides for each said drawer, arranged between the frame and sides of the drawer, so as to define a horizontal sliding direction of the drawer in the showcase; a motorised actuation system to move each said drawer in the sliding direction with respect to the frame, said motorised actuation system comprising: a first arm, hinged at a first end thereof to a first pin arranged on a first one among the frame and the drawer and constrained at a second end thereof to a sliding block at a second one among the frame and the drawer; and a linear actuator, operatively connected between the frame and the first arm to angularly move the first arm about the first pin, the linear actuator being hinged: i) at a first end thereof to the first arm in an intermediate position thereof and ii) at a second end thereof to the first one among the frame and the drawer, at a third pin distanced from the first pin, and wherein, with the drawer closed, the linear actuator is positioned perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal sliding direction of the drawer.

2. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein: the actuation system comprises a second arm; the first and the second arm are hinged together at respective middle areas; the second arm is constrained at a first end thereof to a sliding block on a first one among the frame and the drawer and hinged at a second end thereof to a second pin arranged on the second one among the frame and the drawer.

3. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the first pin is arranged on the frame.

4. The museum showcase according to claim 2, wherein the second pin is arranged on the drawer.

5. The museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein opening movement of the drawer is controlled by a programmable logic controller connected to the actuator to transmit commands to the actuator.

6. The museum showcase according to claim 5, wherein the commands transmitted to the actuator comprise predetermined acceleration and deceleration ramps, and/or maximum speeds and/or overcurrent controls.

7. A museum showcase for conserving and displaying objects comprising: a frame having a substantially rectangular shape defining a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the showcase; a plurality of horizontal drawers, each said drawer provided with a transparent cover to allow observation of contained objects from outside, and movable with respect to the frame; a pair of horizontal sliding guides for each said drawer, arranged between the frame and sides of the drawer, to define a horizontal sliding direction of the drawer in the showcase; a motorised actuation system to move each said drawer in the sliding direction with respect to the frame, said motorised actuation system comprising: a first arm, hinged at a first end thereof to a first pin arranged on a first one among the frame and the drawer and constrained at a second end thereof to a sliding block at a second one among the frame and the drawer, the first arm comprising a straight central section and two end sections bent in opposing directions; and a linear actuator, operatively connected between the frame and the first arm to angularly move the first arm about the first pin, the linear actuator being hinged: i) at a first end thereof to the first arm at a lateral projection thereof, located in an intermediate position thereof, and ii) at a second end thereof to the first one among the frame and the drawer, at a third pin distanced from the first pin; and wherein, with the drawer closed: the linear actuator is positioned perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal sliding direction of the drawer.

8. A museum showcase for conserving and displaying objects comprising: a frame having a substantially rectangular shape defining a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the showcase; a plurality of horizontal drawers, each said drawer provided with a transparent cover to allow observation of contained objects from outside, and movable with respect to the frame; a pair of horizontal sliding guides for each said drawer, arranged between the frame and sides of the drawer, so as to define a horizontal sliding direction of the drawer in the showcase; a motorised actuation system to move each said drawer in the sliding direction with respect to the frame, said motorised actuation system comprising: a first arm, hinged at a first end thereof to a first pin arranged on the frame and constrained at a second end thereof to a sliding block at the drawer; and a linear actuator, operatively connected between the frame and the first arm to angularly move the first arm about the first pin, the linear actuator being hinged: i) at a first end thereof to the first arm in an intermediate position of the first arm, and ii) at a second end thereof to the frame, at a second pin distanced from the first pin and in proximity of the first pin, so that during actuation of the actuator a first angular movement of the first arm about the first pin and a second angular movement of the actuator about the second pin is in a same angular direction and in a same plane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of a showcase according to the invention, made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In such drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a showcase according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectioned view of the showcase of FIG. 1 with the drawers closed;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectioned view of the showcase of FIG. 1 with one drawer open.

DESCRIPTION

(5) In the figures, the numeral 10 indicates as a whole a museum showcase according to the invention. The showcase 10 comprises a frame 20, at least one drawer 30, a pair of sliding guides 40 for each drawer 30, arranged between the frame 20 and the drawer 30 so as to define a sliding direction S of the drawers 30, and a motorised actuation system 50 to move each drawer 30 with respect to the frame 20 in the direction S. The drawer is equipped with a transparent glass cover 31 to allow the observation of the objects from the outside when the drawer is open, and it is movable with respect to the frame 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

(6) With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the actuation system 50 comprises a first arm 51, a linear actuator 52 and a second arm 53. The first arm 51 is connected to the frame 20, to the drawer 30, to the linear actuator 52 and to the second arm 53 in specific points. The first arm 51 is hinged at a first end thereof with a first pin 55 arranged on the frame 20; moreover, the first arm 51 is constrained at a second end thereof 56 with a sliding block 57 to the drawer 30, posteriorly thereto. The first arm 51 is also hinged, in an intermediate position thereof, at a first end 59 of the linear actuator 52. The latter is also hinged at a second end thereof 60 with a third pin 61 fastened to the frame 20. The first pin 55 of the first arm 51 and the third pin 61 are arranged in two different points of the frame 20, distanced from each other so thatin a horizontal plane, corresponding for example to the plane of FIGS. 2 and 3a straight line R joining the two points corresponding to the pins 55 and 61 is not perpendicular to the sliding direction of the drawer 30. The first arm 51, lastly, is hinged with the second arm 53 at respective middle areas 62 by means of a fourth pin 63. The second arm 53, like the first arm 51, is connected to the frame 20 and to the drawer 30. At a first end thereof 64, the arm 53 is constrained with a sliding block 65 to the frame 20, and the sliding block 65 is free to slide on a guide 66 connected directly to the frame 20. The second arm 53 is hinged at a second end thereof 67 to a second fixed pin 68 arranged on the drawer 30.

(7) With the drawer 30 of the showcase 10 closed, the actuation system 50 has the configuration of FIG. 2. The linear actuator 52 is in retracted position and is perpendicular to the sliding direction S of the drawer 30, with its first end 59 oriented towards the sliding block 65 to which the second arm 53 is constrained. In the same way, the first arm 51 and the second arm 53, hinged to each other, are closed and mutually superposed parallel to the linear actuator 52 which is hinged to the first arm 51. Moreover, the drawer 30, inasmuch as it is in the closed position, is fully inserted in the pair of guides 40 on which it slides when opening and closing.

(8) With the drawer 30 of the showcase 10 open, the actuation system 50 has the configuration of FIG. 3. The first arm 51 and the second arm 53, hinged at the respective middle areas 62, assume an X-shaped configuration. The linear actuator 52, in elongated configuration, is no longer positioned in perpendicular direction to the horizontal sliding direction of the drawer 30, but is inclined (by approximately 45) with respect to the latter sliding direction.

(9) The elements constituting the actuation system 50 move simultaneously both when opening and when closing the drawer 50 of the showcase 10. The movement determined by the actuation system entails the horizontal sliding of the first arm 51 and of the second arm 53 along the pairs of guides 40, determining the extraction and the reinsertion of the drawer 30. The sliding of the two arms is activated by the action of the linear actuator 52, that receives the commands from a PLC i.e. a programmable logic controller. The commands transmitted comprise predetermined acceleration and deceleration ramps, maximum speeds and overcurrent controls. The acceleration and deceleration ramps considerably improve the movement of the drawer 30 and reduce sudden movements or excessive vibrations of the drawer 30. What is just been stated is obtained because at the start of the opening phase and at the end of this phase, i.e. when the drawer 30 is fully open, the transmitted accelerations are nil.

(10) The linear actuator 52 allows the opening of the drawer 30 of the showcase 10 in horizontal direction, both if the drawer of the showcase 10 is in vertical position and if the drawer 30 is in horizontal position.

(11) When opening the drawer 30, the linear actuator 52 rotates counter clockwise and, being hinged at a first end thereof 59 to the first arm 51 in an intermediate position thereof, determines the movement of the first arm 51. The first arm 51 slides with the sliding block 57, to which it is constrained, on the guide 58 connected to the drawer 30; simultaneously, the second arm 53 also slides with the sliding block 65, to which it is constrained, on the guide 66 directly connected to the frame 20. In this way, the opening of the drawer 30 of the showcase 10 takes place. Obviously, it all takes place automatically, at the observer's command through a pushbutton (or another command device, of any type, e.g. a physical or virtual keyboard) which starts the entire mechanism.

(12) It should be noted that the positioning of the linear actuator 52, posteriorly to the drawer 30, allows easy access thereto especially from the rear (in addition to from below, from above and from the sides), for maintenance or repair work, as well as to disengage the actuator if it does not function and if the drawer is to be operated manually.