DEVICE FOR PRESENTING AN OBJECT

Abstract

Object display device including an exhibition area including a visibility portion of the object to be exhibited and a technical area, said exhibition area being arranged to contain an object to be exhibited.

Claims

1. An object display device comprising: an exhibition area and a technical area, wherein the technical area is above the exhibition area, the exhibition area comprising a visibility portion of the object to be exhibited, the exhibition area being arranged to contain an object to be exhibited and the technical area containing means for moving the object to be exhibited, isolated in the technical area and arranged to provide movement to the object to be exhibited, the means for moving the object to be exhibited comprising at least one motorised means and at least one transmission arranged to transmit a movement provided by the at least one motorised means to the object to be exhibited, the transmission comprising at least one suspension element arranged to be connected via a first part to the object to be exhibited and via a second part to the at least one motorised means, wherein the at least one suspension element is a wire, the device further comprising a background, and at least one light source, the combination of the at least one light source, the background, and the means for moving is arranged to make the at least one suspension element invisible and to make the object to be exhibited seem to float.

2. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the means for moving comprising at least one motorised means comprise: at least one first motorised means arranged to provide a first X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis component in a mathematical reference frame or a first circular component; and/or a second motorised means arranged to provide a second X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis component which is different to the first, in a mathematical reference frame or a second circular component; and/or a third motorised means arranged to provide a third X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis component which is different to the first and second component, in a mathematical reference frame or a third circular component; and/or a fourth motorised means arranged to provide a fourth X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis component which is different to the first, second and third component, in a mathematical reference frame or a third circular component.

3. The object display device according to claim 2, comprising: at least a first motor arranged connected at least to the first motorised means and arranged to move the first motorised means; and/or a second motor connected to the second motorised means and arranged to move the second motorised means.

4. The object display device according to claim 2, wherein the first motorised means comprises at least one axis around which the suspension element winds, the first motorised means being moved by the first motor.

5. The object display device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one suspension element arranged to be connected to the object to be exhibited and to the first motorised means passes through at least one element arranged to provide an inflection point to the first or second movement provided to at least the second part of the suspension element, for example a passing ring, a hook or a pulley.

6. The object display device according to claim 2, wherein the technical area comprises at least one first guide rail extending in the X-axis direction or in the Y-axis direction and wherein the first motorised means comprises a carriage moveable along the at least one guide rail.

7. The object display device according to claim 6, wherein the technical area further comprises at least two second guide rails extending transversely relative to the at least one first guide rail, the first guide rail being slidably mounted in the second guide rails and being driven by the first motor or by a third motor.

8. The object display device according to claim 2, wherein the second motorised means comprises a first toothed wheel and a second toothed wheel, forming a gear, the first toothed wheel being the pinion of the gear and being moved by the first or second motor, the second toothed wheel being connected to the suspension element optionally via a housing and providing the second rotational movement to at least the first part of the suspension element.

9. The object display device according to claim 2, comprising control means comprising an electronic card allowing the first and second movement to be controlled.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is arranged to provide an indirect lighting of the object to be exhibited and/or the at least one suspension element by reflecting a direct lighting of the at least one light source by the background.

13. The object display device according to claims 1 to 12, wherein the background and the suspension element reflect light equally.

14. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises: at least one first light source for lighting the background and/or for creating an indirect lighting of the object to be exhibited and/or of the at least one suspension element and at least one second light source for lighting with direct lighting the object to be exhibited and/or the at least one suspension element.

15. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the background and the visibility portion are made from a display case that allows a 360° view of the object.

16. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises LEDs.

17. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one suspension element is a monofilament wire.

18. The object display device according to claim 1, further comprising a cushioning area.

19. The object display device according to claim 1, further comprising brightness sensors.

20. (canceled)

21. The object display device according to claim 1, further comprising Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi sensors.

22. The object display device according to claim 1, wherein the exhibition area comprises the at least one light source located in the exhibition area, wherein the means for moving the object to be exhibited are arranged to provide movement to the object to be exhibited along a predefined trajectory, wherein the at least one light source is arranged to provide an indirect lighting of the object to be exhibited.

23. The object display device according to claim 2, wherein the exhibition area and/or the visibility portion of the object to be exhibited is visible and the technical area is not visible and/or is hidden behind a front wall.

Description

[0096] Other features, details and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description below, which is non-limiting and refers to the drawings and examples.

[0097] In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

[0098] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view without the front wall of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

[0099] FIG. 3 shows a low-angle view of a particular embodiment of the technical area in detail of the device according to the present invention.

[0100] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a particular embodiment of the technical area in detail of the device according to the present invention.

[0101] FIG. 5 shows a top view of an embodiment of the technical area of the device according to the present invention.

[0102] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view from above of another embodiment of the technical area of the device according to the present invention.

[0103] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

[0104] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show a front view of a sequential implementation of the device according to the present invention.

[0105] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

[0106] FIG. 11 shows a front view of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

[0107] FIG. 12 shows the intersection A-A in FIG. 11.

[0108] FIG. 13 shows the intersection B-B in FIG. 11.

[0109] In the drawings, identical or similar elements use the same references.

[0110] FIG. 1 shows an object display device comprising an exhibition area E comprising a visibility portion V of the object to be exhibited O and a technical area T, said exhibition area E being arranged to contain an object to be exhibited O suspended from a suspension element S and a background F covered with a dark-coloured fabric material including a plurality of particles, fibres and light-reflecting elements. Even more advantageously, the background F is, for example, synthetic grass, a metal plate comprising numerous holes or comprising grooves. The background advantageously comprises a significant number of elements (fibres, holes, grooves, etc.) to be analysed by the eye at the same time.

[0111] In the embodiment shown, the technical area T is above the exhibition area E. In certain variants, there may be several technical areas T. For example, the technical area T containing the means of movement is below, while another smaller technical area T may be provided above, simply provided with hooks, rings, pulleys, etc. The said device also comprises feet P which are adjustable in height to level the device and ensure that it is horizontal.

[0112] The technical area T is shown in FIG. 2 without the front wall. As can be seen, the area comprises two guide rails 4 parallel to one another and extending between the two side walls 2 of the device according to the invention. A carriage 1 (first motorised means) is mounted on these guide rails 4 and slides along them in the X direction. The carriage 1 is moved by a system comprising a first motor and a cable, not shown.

[0113] The second motorised means 3 is attached to the carriage 1. The second motorised means 3 comprises a rotating collector, a first toothed wheel 9 and a second toothed wheel 10. The first toothed wheel 9 acts as a pinion of the gear which is rotated by the second motor 5, which is positioned on the carriage 1, for example, on the opposite side of the attachment point of the first toothed wheel 9. The first toothed wheel 9 meshes the second toothed wheel 10 and thereby provides a rotational movement.

[0114] A housing 13 is attached to the second toothed wheel 10. The first toothed wheel 9 and the second toothed wheel 10 are rotated around a vertical axis and each have two substantially circular horizontal walls parallel to one another forming the base surface and the head surface of each toothed wheel 9 and 10. The housing 13 is attached to the base surface of the second toothed wheel 10 by a conventional attachment means. The housing 13 preferably comprises a front wall, two side walls, as well as a base wall and a head wall.

[0115] In the embodiment shown, the suspension element S is attached to the rear wall of the housing 13 at one end and to the object to be exhibited O at the other end. In this embodiment, the object to be exhibited O may therefore be moved along the X-axis thanks to the carriage 1 moving along the guide rails 4. The object to be exhibited O may be rotated by the second motorised means 3. It may further be moved along the Y-axis by the presence of a reel, not shown, attached to the rear wall of the housing 13. The reel is provided so that the suspension element S may be wound and unwound around a horizontal axis, which is rotated by the motor 6 in the winding or unwinding direction.

[0116] The device according to the invention further comprises a background F against the rear wall of the display stand inside it, in the exhibition area E which is visible through the visibility portion V. The exhibition area E further comprises two side partitions 8, each provided with a ceiling and a front wall which forms a first false wall 15 and a second false wall 15′. These false walls accommodate a light source, for example, incorporating LED technology and are positioned in such a way that the beams are directed towards the background F. The beam preferably has an angle between the two beam edges of between 140° and 160°. The background F is covered with a dark-coloured fabric material incorporating a plurality of particles, fibres and light-reflecting elements. In this manner, the object to be exhibited O is not directly targeted by the light beams but becomes perfectly visible thanks to the indirect light diffusely reflected by the background, while the suspension element disappears from the vision of a consumer in front of the display stand.

[0117] Furthermore, the device according to the invention comprises a cushioning area 7 in order to preserve the object to be exhibited O in case it falls, which is a stretched fabric or a block of foam.

[0118] The technical area of FIG. 2 is shown in a detailed, low-angle view in FIG. 3. As can be seen, it comprises two guide rails 4 parallel to one another. A carriage 1 (first motorised means) is mounted on these guide rails 4 and slides along them in the X direction. The carriage 1 is moved by a system comprising a first motor, not shown, and a cable C.

[0119] The second motorised means 3 is attached to the carriage 1. The second motorised means 3 comprises a rotating collector, a first toothed wheel 9 and a second toothed wheel 10. The first toothed wheel 9 acts as a pinion of the gear which is rotated by the second motor 5, which is positioned on the carriage 1, for example, on the opposite side of the attachment point of the first toothed wheel 9. The first toothed wheel 9 meshes the second toothed wheel 10 and thereby provides a rotational movement.

[0120] A housing 13 is attached to the second toothed wheel 10. The first toothed wheel 9 and the second toothed wheel 10 are rotated around a vertical axis and each have two substantially circular horizontal walls parallel to one another forming the base surface and the head surface of each toothed wheel 9 and 10. The housing 13 is attached to the base surface of the second toothed wheel 10 by a conventional attachment means. The housing 13 preferably comprises a front wall, two side walls, as well as a base wall and a head wall.

[0121] In the embodiment shown, the suspension element S is attached to the rear wall of the housing 13 by its two ends, the object to be exhibited O being suspended on one part of the suspension element S.

[0122] In this embodiment, the object to be exhibited O may therefore be moved along the X-axis thanks to the carriage 1 moving along the guide rails 4. The object to be exhibited O may be rotated by the second motorised means 3. It may further be moved along the Y-axis by the presence of two reels 11 attached to the rear wall of the housing 13. The two reels 11 are provided so that the suspension element S may be wound and unwound around a horizontal axis, which is rotated by the motor 6 and a third toothed wheel 14 in the winding or unwinding direction.

[0123] Furthermore, the reels 11 are provided to be interchangeable, for example, when the suspension element S has to be replaced by a new suspension element S. The reels 11 may be locked by the locking system 12 and then cannot be removed from the housing 13 when said locking system 12 is set to “Closed”. The reels 11 may not be locked by the locking system 12 when said locking system 12 is not set to “Closed”. When the reels 11 are not locked by the locking system 12, the suspension element S may be replaced by removing each reel 11 from each horizontal axis. When the replacement of the suspension element S is performed and attached to the reels 11, the reels 11 may be returned to their horizontal axis and then be in the locked position when said locking system 12 is set to “Closed”.

[0124] The technical area T in FIG. 2 is shown in detail in FIG. 4 in a different view to FIG. 3. As can be seen, the area comprises two guide rails 4 parallel to one another. A carriage 1 (first motorised means) is mounted on these guide rails 4 and slides along them in the X direction. The carriage 1 is moved by a system comprising a motor, not shown, and a cable C.

[0125] The second motorised means 3 is attached to the carriage 1. The second motorised means 3 comprises a rotating collector, a first toothed wheel 9 and a second toothed wheel 10. The first toothed wheel 9 acts as a pinion of the gear which is rotated by the second motor 5, which is positioned on the carriage 1, for example, on the opposite side of the attachment point of the first toothed wheel 9. The first toothed wheel 9 meshes the second toothed wheel 10 and thereby provides a rotational movement.

[0126] A housing 13 is attached to the second toothed wheel 10. The first toothed wheel 9 and the second toothed wheel 10 are rotated around a vertical axis and each have two substantially circular horizontal walls parallel to one another forming the base surface and the head surface of each toothed wheel 9 and 10. The housing 13 is attached to the base surface of the second toothed wheel 10 by a conventional attachment means. The housing 13 preferably comprises a front wall, two side walls, as well as a base wall and a head wall.

[0127] In the embodiment shown, the suspension element S is attached to the rear wall of the housing 13 by its two ends, the object to be exhibited O being suspended on one part of the suspension element S.

[0128] In this embodiment, the object to be exhibited O may therefore be move along the X-axis thanks to the carriage 1 moving along the guide rails 4. The object to be exhibited O may be rotated by the second motorised means 3. It may further be moved along the Y-axis by the presence of two reels 11 attached to the rear wall of the housing 13. The two reels 11 are provided so that the suspension element S may be wound and unwound around a horizontal axis, which is rotated by the motor 6 and a third toothed wheel 14 in the winding or unwinding direction.

[0129] Furthermore, the reels 11 are provided to be interchangeable, for example, when the suspension element S has to be replaced by a new suspension element S. The reels 11 may be locked by the locking system 12 and then cannot be removed from the housing 13 when said locking system 12 is set to “Closed”. The reels 11 may not be locked by the locking system 12 when said locking system 12 is not set to “Closed”. When the reels 11 are not locked by the locking system 12, the suspension element S may be replaced by removing each reel 11 from each horizontal axis. When the replacement of the suspension element S is performed and attached to the reels 11, the reels 11 may be returned to their horizontal axis and then be in a locked position when said locking system 12 is set to “Closed”.

[0130] A top view of the technical area T as described in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 5. As can be seen, the area comprises two guide rails 4 parallel to one another and extending between the two side walls 2 of the device according to the invention. A carriage 1 (first motorised means) is mounted on these guide rails 4 and slides along them in direction of space along the X-axis. The carriage 1 is moved by a system comprising a motor 16 and a cable C. The carriage 1 is connected to the cable C, which, when moved, moves the carriage 1 in the direction of space along the X-axis.

[0131] In a preferred embodiment, the technical area T comprises two guide rails 4′ perpendicular to the two guide rails 4 parallel to one another. The two guide rails 4′ are opposite one another, for example, each connected to the inside of a side wall 2 of the exhibition area E and each connected to the two guide rails 4 by a moveable carriage 1′ which slides along the guide rails 4′ in the direction of space along the Z-axis. A carriage 1 (first motorised means) is mounted on said guide rails 4 and slides along them in the direction of space along the X-axis. The carriage 1 is moved by a system comprising a motor and a cable, not shown.

[0132] The device according to the present invention may be in the form of a closed tube as shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the background F and the visibility portion V are both made from the same display case 21. The display case 21 allows the object O to be seen from all sides (not including the top or bottom) and/or 360°. The display case 21 is made of a transparent material, preferably glass. The display case 21 preferably has a curved shape, preferably a cylindrical shape, preferably a circular cylindrical shape. The display case 21 is preferably the same on the front side as on the rear side of the device. However, in another embodiment, the display case 21 may be different at the rear side and at the front side to improve the transparency at the front and improve the reflective features at the rear.

[0133] The at least one light source L (in the display case 21) is preferably arranged above the object O and/or below the object O. The lighting of the light source L reflects from the background F (which is the display case 21) and creates the indirect lighting. The curved shape of the background F or the display case 21 increases the reflection and creates sufficient light effects behind the object O and/or the suspension element S to hide the suspension element S by the light effects of the indirect lighting. The at least one light source L also has the function of illuminating the object by the direct lighting from the light source L. Given that the light source L is arranged above the object O (perhaps arranged slightly towards the front side arranged towards the consumer), the reflections of the direct light of the light source L are reflected at a very small angle so that the reflections of the suspension element S do not leave the display case 21 and/or are not visible to the consumer facing the display case 21, with the consumer looking at the object to exhibited O in said display case 21 which is at the height of the field of vision of the consumer.

[0134] In this particular embodiment, three devices according to the invention are used in the same display case. In each of these devices according to the invention is an object to be exhibited O. The devices according to the invention are synchronised with each other in order to move each object in its device in a coordinated manner. For example, the three objects exhibited may move up and down at the same time or, in contrast, in a staggered manner to create a wave-like movement. In this embodiment, the technical area T comprising the means of movement is located below the exhibition area E, at the apex of which is the light source L incorporating, for example, LED technology. The exhibition area E comprises a majority visibility portion V, the wall of which comprises a transparent element, for example glass or Plexiglas. The object to be exhibited O is suspended by the suspension element S in the exhibition area E. The suspension element comprises an inflection point located in a cover above the exhibition area E (technical area T in two parts). One end of the suspension element S is connected to the exhibited object O, the segment passes through a ring to form the inflection point while the other end is connected to at least one means of movement located in the base (technical area T). In this embodiment, the object to be exhibited is rotating and moves from top to bottom. Its trajectory therefore comprises a circular component and a Y component.

[0135] Another sequential implementation of the device according to the present invention according to a time T shown in FIG. 8 and according to a time T1 shown in FIG. 9 comprises implementation means comprising several first motorised means in the technical area T, not shown, the exhibition area E comprising four exhibited objects O each suspended by a suspension element S, for example, one end of the suspension element S is connected to the exhibited object O. The exhibition area E is not enclosed. The visibility portion V of the exhibition area E comprising a background F covered with a dark-coloured fabric material incorporating a plurality of particles, fibres and light-reflecting elements may be seen. The means of movement are synchronised to each other in order to move each object in a coordinated manner. The objects to be exhibited O are moved along a predetermined trajectory, here according to a sideways movement, which allows them to join in the centre of the visibility portion V of the exhibition area E at time T1 or to move in opposite directions to each other at time T. In this embodiment, the trajectory of the exhibited objects O comprises an X component.

[0136] Another preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 10. An object display device comprising an exhibition area E comprising a visibility portion V of the object to be exhibited and a technical area T, said exhibition area E being arranged to contain an object to be exhibited O suspended by a suspension element S and a background F covered with a dark-coloured fabric material incorporating a plurality of particles, fibres and light-reflecting elements.

[0137] In the embodiment shown, the technical area T is above the exhibition area E. In certain variants, there may be several technical areas T. The technical area T containing the means of movement is, for example, below, while another smaller technical area T may be provided above, simply provided with hooks, rings, pulleys, etc. The said device also comprises a base allowing it to reach a certain height.

[0138] FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 show the arrangement of the at least one light source L in more detail. The following description of the at least one light source L applies to all the previous embodiments.

[0139] Preferably, the at least one light source L comprises at least a first light source L1 and at least one second light source L2. Preferably, the two light sources L1, L2 contribute to keeping or making the suspension element invisible. The invention operates particularly well with both light sources L1 and L2. But the invention may also operate with only the at least one first light source L1 or with only the at least one second light source L2.

[0140] The at least one first light source L1 is arranged to create an indirect lighting. The indirect lighting is preferably created by a reflection of the light originating from the at least one first light source L1, preferably by a reflection of the light on the background F. The at least one first light source L1 is preferably arranged on at least one side of the background F or the visibility portion V. The at least one first light source is preferably arranged in the area of the device that is not visible to the consumer, i.e. outside of the visibility portion V. This is shown in FIG. 11, which shows the position of the first light source L1 in dotted lines since it would not normally be visible to the consumer. In the embodiment shown, the at least one first light source L1 is arranged on two opposite sides of the background F or the visibility portion V, preferably the left and right sides. However, it would also be possible to arrange the at least one first light source L1 on the upper and lower sides or on three sides or on the four sides or on one side only. The at least one first light source is preferably arranged between the front side (with the visibility portion V) and the rear side (with the background F) closer to the rear side of the device. The at least one first light source L1 preferably extends on the side(s) where the first light source L1 is arranged. This is preferably achieved by a bar of LEDs extending along the whole side where the at least one first light source L1 is arranged.

[0141] The at least one first light source L1 is preferably arranged so that (the rays of) light (direct) from the at least one first light source L1 illuminate the background F. The at least one first light source L1 is preferably arranged so that (the rays of) light (direct) from the at least one first light source L1 do not light up the object by the direct light beams originating from the at least one first light source L1, but only by the indirect light rays reflected by the background F. The lighting (direct) of the background F preferably creates the indirect lighting. Preferably, the device comprises a first blocking means to block direct light rays from the at least one first light source L1 heading towards the object O. Here, the first blocking means is provided by the side walls 8 (side partition). Preferably, there is a space between the first blocking means or the side walls 8 and the background F through which light from the at least one first light source L1 passes to light up the background F (without directly lighting up the object). This is shown in FIG. 12. In the embodiment shown, the indirect light originating from the background F is created by a reflection. However, it would also be possible for the indirect light to be created by transmitting the light originating from the first light source L1 through the background F. In this case, the first light source L1 must be arranged behind the background F.

[0142] The at least one second light source L2 is configured to light up the object to be exhibited O and/or the suspension element S, preferably by direct light rays. The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged on at least one side of the visibility portion V. The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged in the area of the device that is not visible to the consumer, i.e. outside of the visibility portion V. This is shown in FIG. 11, which shows the position of the second light source L2 in dotted lines since it would not normally be visible to the consumer. In the embodiment shown, the at least one second light source L2 is arranged on two opposite sides of the visibility portion V, preferably the upper side and the lower side. However, it would also be possible to arrange the at least one second light source L2 on the left and upper side or on three sides or on the four sides or on one side only. The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged between the front side (with the visibility portion V) and the rear side (with the background F) closer to the front side of the device, preferably in the last 30%, preferably in the last 20%, preferably in the last 10% towards the front. The at least one second light source L2 preferably extends on the side(s) where the second light source L2 is arranged. This is preferably achieved by a bar of LEDs extending across the whole side where the at least one second light source L2 is arranged.

[0143] The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged so that (the rays of) light (direct) from the at least one second light source L2 illuminates the object O and/or the suspension element S. The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged so that (the rays of) light (direct) from the at least one second light source L2 is reflected by the suspension element S so that the reflections (specular) are not visible to a consumer observing the object O through the visibility portion V. This is resolved by arranging the at least one second light source L2 near to the front side of the device and/or avoiding direct light rays with light angles extending too far inside the device (towards the rear) and/or arranging the at least one second light source L2 so that the direct light rays extend almost parallel to the visibility portion V or the suspension element S or with small angles towards the suspension element S. Thus, the reflections of the suspension element S also only have small angles towards the suspension element S and are not reflected outside the visibility portion V. The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged so that the maximum angle of the light rays towards the suspension element S limits the light angle inside the device to less than 40°, preferably less than 30°, preferably less than 20°, preferably less than 15°. The at least one second light source L2 is preferably arranged so that the reflections from the suspension element S (in all possible positions of the object to be exhibited O in the visibility portion V) are not visible to the consumer observing the object O. Preferably, the device comprises a second blocking means to block the direct light rays from the at least one second light source L2 heading too far inside the device (and thus creating reflections of the suspension element S visible to the consumer). Here, the second blocking means is provided by the lower side of the visibility portion V by the cushioning area 7. Another blocking means 21 is arranged on the upper side of the visibility portion V.

[0144] It is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above and that modifications may arise without departing from the scope of the appended claims.