DISPLAY CASE WITH REMOVABLE AND LIFTABLE TRAY FOR HYGROSCOPIC MATERIAL

Abstract

A museum display case with climate control comprises a case bottom, a display space above the case bottom, a shelf inside the display space, and a housing for hygroscopic material facing into the display space below the shelf. The housing includes a housing window open in the case bottom, a housing frame fixed to the case bottom below the housing window, and a tray mounted in the housing frame. The tray is horizontally and vertically movable between a working position where the tray is raised vertically towards the display space at the window and a service position where the tray is at least partly pulled horizontally out of the housing frame.

Claims

1. A museum display case with climate control, comprising: a case bottom, a display space above the case bottom, a shelf inside the display space, a housing for hygroscopic material, facing into the display space below the shelf, the housing comprising: a housing window open in the case bottom, a housing frame, fixed to the case bottom below the housing window, and a tray, mounted in the housing frame, the tray being horizontally and vertically movable between a working position wherein the tray is raised vertically towards the display space at the housing window and a service position wherein the tray is at least in part pulled horizontally out of the housing frame.

2. The museum display case according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a horizontally movable slide mounted on the housing frame, and the tray is mounted on the slide by connecting rods, each connecting rod being pivoted to the slide at a first rod end and being pivoted to the tray at a second rod end.

3. The museum display case according to claim, 2, wherein the connecting rods are identical and parallel connecting rods.

4. The museum display case according to the claim 3, wherein the identical and parallel connecting rods are four identical and parallel connecting rods.

5. The museum display case according to claim 2, wherein the tray comprises at least one feeler in sliding engagement along a ramp when the tray approaches the working position.

6. The museum display case according to claim 1, wherein, in the working position, the tray is in contact with the case bottom and closes the housing window, thereby closing the display space with the hygroscopic material inside the tray.

7. The museum display case according to claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a perimeter flange of the tray and a gasket between the perimeter flange and the case bottom.

8. The museum display case according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a rack on the slide and a pinion mounted on the housing frame, the pinion being in mesh engagement with the rack.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Further characteristics and advantages of the disclosure will be more evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the appended drawings. In such drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic and simplified perspective view of a display case according to the present application;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section view of the lower zone of the display case of FIG. 1, with the tray in a working position;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a partial vertical section view of the lower zone of the display case of FIG. 1, with the tray in the service position;

[0031] FIG. 4 is an enlargement of a detail of the display case of FIG. 2;

[0032] FIG. 5 is an enlargement of another detail of the display case of FIG. 2;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the housing for the hygroscopic material of the display case of FIG. 1, with the tray in the working position;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the housing for the hygroscopic material of the display case of FIG. 1, with the tray in the service position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] A museum display case 10, which comprises a base 11 surmounted by a case 12 for displaying objects is shown in the figures. The case 12 comprises a load-bearing case bottom 20, on which side walls 21 are mounted, which in turn are surmounted by a ceiling 22; between the case bottom 20, the walls 21 and the ceiling 22 a sealed display space 23 is defined. The case 12 can be opened to allow access to the display space 23; there are different ways of opening it, for example the walls 21 and the ceiling 22 can form a liftable single-piece assembly, or one or more of the walls 21 or the ceiling 22 can be opened. In the figures, no opening system is shown, as it is in any case unrelated to the present application.

[0036] In the lower part of the display area 23, a shelf 24 is provided on which the objects displayed in the display case 10 can be placed. The shelf 24 is fixed to the case bottom 20, raised relative thereto and spaced apart from the walls 21, so that there is a passage of air and so that the sealed display space 23 also extends below the shelf 24.

[0037] Below the case bottom 20, the display case comprises a housing for hygroscopic material, globally denoted by 30, facing into the display space 23 below the shelf 24.

[0038] The housing 30 comprises a housing window 31, formed in the case bottom 20 and extending over most of the surface of the case bottom 20, and a housing frame 32, fixed to the case bottom 20 below the housing window 31.

[0039] A slide 33 is mounted in the housing frame 32, movably guided in the housing frame 32 horizontally. A tray 34 is mounted on the slide 33, to accommodate hygroscopic material 35, such as silica gel pellets; the tray 34 is mounted on the slide 33 by means of an articulated parallelogram system, formed by four equal and parallel connecting rods 36. Each connecting rod 36 is pivoted at a first end thereof to the slide 33 and at a second end thereof to the tray 34; the pivot axes of the four connecting rods 36 are horizontal and parallel to each other, perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slide 33 in the housing frame 32.

[0040] Thus, the tray 34 is movable in the housing frame 32 both horizontally, together with the slide 33, and vertically, rising relative to the slide 33 as guided by the connecting rods 36. The tray 34 is thus capable of assuming either a working position in which it is raised vertically towards the display space 23, with the hygroscopic material 35 facing through the housing window 31, or a service position in which it is lowered onto the slide 33 and is pulled horizontally out of the housing frame 32 together with the slide 33.

[0041] The tray 34 comprises a perimeter flange 41 and consists of a continuous plane, e.g. of sheet metal, without holes, slots or passages, so that when it is in the working position it is able to close the housing window 31. In this position (visible in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5), the hygroscopic material 35 on the tray 34 is closed inside the display space 23, in contact with the atmosphere present therein. To ensure an air-tight sealing, a gasket 42, e.g. of the O-ring type, is provided, fixed below the case bottom 20, around the housing window 31. When the tray 34 is in the working position, the gasket 42 is compressed between the case bottom 20 and the flange 41 of the tray 34.

[0042] The tray 34 is then provided with two feelers 44, preferably consisting of respective rotatable rollers. Correspondingly, the housing frame 32 is provided with two respective ramps 45, formed on the housing frame 32 or fixed integral with it, which are engaged by the feelers 44 during the passage of the tray 34 from the working position to the service position, as described below.

[0043] The slide 33 is provided with at least one rack 47, which is in mesh engagement with a respective pinion 48, rotatably mounted on the housing frame 32; the pinion 48 can be actuated in rotation by an angular transmission element 49, for example by an electric motor (not shown) or by a crank (not shown) that is external to the display case 10. In the display case 10 of the example shown, they are provided two racks 47 and two respective pinions 48, coaxial and integral with each other in rotation; each rack 47 is in mesh engagement with one of the respective pinions 48.

[0044] The operation of the display case 10 is clear from the above description and will now be shown with reference to the figures.

[0045] Normally, the tray 34 is in its working position (visible in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6). The hygroscopic material 35 is thus facing into the display space 23, in contact with the atmosphere contained in the display space itself; the hygroscopic material 35 can thus perform its action of controlling the relative humidity present in the display space 23. The housing window 31 is closed by the tray 34, sealed by the engagement of the flange 41, which presses the gasket 42 against the case bottom 20 from below; the display space 23 is thus air-tightly sealed and the action of the hygroscopic material is not dispersed outside.

[0046] When the hygroscopic material 35 is to be removed and/or loaded, the tray 34 is moved to its service position (visible in FIGS. 1, 3 and 7). To this end, the pinions 48, which act on the racks 47, are driven, causing the slide 33 to move horizontally relative to the housing frame 32, in particular, to the left in the aforesaid figures. When the slide 33 begins its horizontal movement to the left relative to the housing frame 32, the tray 34 carried by the slide 33 begins to descend vertically downwards, pushed by its own weight, while the two feelers 44 follow their respective ramps 45. The vertical movement of the tray 34 on the slide 33 is guided by connecting rods 36, which ensure that the tray 34 remains horizontal. Once the feelers 44 have run throughout the extension of their respective ramps 45, the tray 34 simply rests on the slide 33 and continues together with the slide 33 to move horizontally to the left, until it reaches its service position, at least partially pulled horizontally out of the housing frame 32 relative to the housing 30. With the tray 34 in this position, it is possible to easily act on the hygroscopic material 35 to replace it, supplement it or even just check its condition.

[0047] Once the intervention on the hygroscopic material 35 has been completed, the tray 34 can be quickly returned from its service position to its working position, thus minimising the time during which the atmosphere inside the display space is open to the outside through the housing window 31. To do this, the pinions 48 acting on the racks 47 are actuated in the opposite direction than done before, causing the slide 33 to move horizontally relative to the housing frame 32, particularly to the right. Firstly, the tray 34 rests on the slide 33 until the feelers 44 meet the respective ramps 45. At that point, while the movement of the slide 33 continues horizontally to the right, the ramps 45 force the feelers 44 to move upwards and with them the entire tray 34 is moved upwards until it reaches the working position.

[0048] As explained, with this display case 10 the hygroscopic material 35 faces directly into the display space 23, raised relative to the case bottom 20, when the tray 34 is in its working position. This position cases the humidity-absorbing action and thus the efficiency of the hygroscopic material 35. In addition, any intervention on the hygroscopic material 35 can be carried out quickly and easily, reducing the time during which the atmosphere inside the display space 23 is not protected by the hygroscopic material.