MUSEUM SHOWCASE WITH A BEARING PLATFORM

Abstract

This museum showcase comprises a bearing frame and fixed and/or openable walls supported by the bearing frame. The bearing frame comprises a platform that includes joints connected to horizontal beams. The fixed and/or openable walls of the showcase are supported only by the joints. The weight of the walls is supported by the joints, whereas the horizontal beams are not subjected to significant stresses. It is thus possible to design the showcase in a particularly simple and therefore quick manner, choosing the lengths of each beam according to the dimensions of the showcase and leaving the support of the weights to just the joints.

Claims

1. Museum showcase, comprising a bearing frame and fixed and/or openable walls supported by the bearing frame, characterized in that the bearing frame comprises a platform which includes joints connected to horizontal beams, wherein the fixed and/or openable walls are supported only by the joints.

2. Museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the joints comprise corner joints, each connected to two horizontal beams.

3. Museum showcase according to claim 2, wherein the joints comprise intermediate joints, placed in intermediate positions on the horizontal beams.

4. Museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the platform comprises struts connected to two of the joints.

5. Museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein the bearing frame comprises a ceiling which includes upper joints connected to upper horizontal beams.

6. Museum showcase according to claim 5, wherein the upper joints comprise upper corner joints, each connected to two horizontal beams.

7. Museum showcase according to claim 6, wherein the upper joints comprise upper intermediate joints, located in intermediate positions on the upper horizontal beams.

8. Museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein each joint comprises a lower shell an upper shell and connecting tie rods between the lower shell and the upper shell.

9. Museum showcase according to claim 8, wherein the lower shell and the upper shell comprise respective housing seats for the horizontal beams, wherein each horizontal beam housed in said housing seats is clamped between said lower and upper shells by means of the tie rods.

10. Museum showcase according to claim 8, wherein each joint comprises a threaded hole in one of the upper shell and the lower shell and a through hole in the other of the upper shell and the lower shell, wherein the tie rods are inserted in the through holes and in screwing engagement in the threaded holes.

11. Museum showcase according to claim 1, wherein each joint comprises coupling seats provided on faces facing towards the outside of the showcase.

12. Museum showcase according to claim 8, wherein each joint comprises coupling seats provided on faces facing towards the outside of the showcase, wherein each coupling seat comprises an upper shaped channel formed on the upper shell and a lower shaped channel formed on the lower shell, wherein the upper and lower shaped channels are aligned with each other.

13. Museum showcase according to claim 12, comprising a bar inserted in the upper and lower shaped channels of a same coupling seat, wherein at least one threaded hole is formed in the bar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Further characteristics and advantages of a museum showcase according to the invention will become clearer from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a showcase according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIGS. 2 to 10 show details of the showcase of FIG. 1, in partially mounted conditions; in particular:

[0033] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a corner joint of the showcase of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a corner joint of the showcase of FIG. 1, in vertical section from inside the showcase;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an upper shell of the corner joint of FIG. 3, in an enlarged scale;

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lower shell of the corner joint of FIG. 3 in an enlarged scale;

[0037] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the corner joint of FIG. 2;

[0038] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the corner joint of FIG. 6 with an openable wall of the showcase;

[0039] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a corner joint of the showcase of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the corner joint of FIG. 3, with two fixed walls of the showcase;

[0041] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an intermediate joint of the showcase of FIG. 1.

[0042] FIG. 11 is a view from above of the showcase of FIG. 1;

[0043] FIG. 12 is an exploded schematic view of a showcase according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0044] FIGS. 13 and 14 show showcases according to the invention, having a non-parallelepiped shape.

DESCRIPTION

[0045] In FIGS. 1-11, reference numeral 10 indicates a museum showcase according to the invention. The showcase 10 comprises a bearing frame 11 and fixed and/or openable walls 12, which are supported by the bearing frame 11 and define a display space S of the showcase.

[0046] In the showcase 10, the bearing frame 11 comprises a platform 13 which includes corner joints 14 and intermediate joints 15. The joints 14 and 15 are connected to horizontal beams 16. The fixed and/or openable walls 12 of the showcase 10 are supported only by the joints 14 and 15. The corner joints 14 are each connected to two of the horizontal beams 16; the intermediate joints 15 are arranged in intermediate positions on some of the horizontal beams 16.

[0047] The platform 13 can also comprise struts 17, connected to two of the corner and/or intermediate joints 14, 15, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 9.

[0048] Each corner joint 14 comprises a lower shell 23, an upper shell 24 and connecting tie rods 25 between the lower shell 23 and the upper shell 24, as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Similarly, each intermediate joint 15 comprises a lower shell 26, an upper shell 27 and connecting tie rods 28 between the lower shell 26 and the upper shell 27, as can be seen in FIG. 10. In detail in FIG. 4, it is possible to see the upper shell 24 and in FIG. 5 it is possible to see the lower shell 23; in FIGS. 2 and 3 it is possible to see tie rods 25. In FIG. 10 it is possible to see an intermediate joint 15, with the connecting tie rods 28 between the lower shell 26 and the upper shell 27.

[0049] Each corner joint 14 comprises a housing seat 35a, formed in the lower shell 23, and a housing seat 35b, formed in the upper shell 24. The horizontal beams 16 are housed in the seats 35a and 35b and are clamped between the lower and upper shells 23 and 24 by means of the tie rods 25. Similarly, each intermediate joint 15 comprises a housing seat 36a, formed in the lower shell 26, and a housing seat 36b, formed in the upper shell 27. The horizontal beams 16 are housed in the seats 36a and 36b and are clamped between the lower and upper shells 26 and 27 by means of the tie rods 28.

[0050] Each corner joint 14 and intermediate joint 15 comprises threaded holes and through holes. In the corner joint 14, threaded holes 39 are present in one from the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 23 (in the lower shell 23 in the case of the showcase 10 illustrated); through holes 40 are present in the other from the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 23. The tie rods 25 are inserted into the through holes 40 and screwed into the threaded holes 39, as can be seen in FIG. 2. In the intermediate joint 15, threaded holes 41 are present in one from the upper shell 27 and the lower shell 26 (in the lower shell 26 in the case of the showcase 10 illustrated); the through holes 42 are present in the other from the upper shell 27 and the lower shell 26. The tie rods 28 are inserted in the through holes 42 and screwed into the threaded holes 41, as can be seen in FIG. 10.

[0051] Each corner joint 14 comprises coupling seats 47, formed on faces pointing towards the outside of the showcase 10, as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 7 and 8. Similarly, each intermediate joint 15 comprises coupling seats 48, formed on faces pointing towards the outside of the showcase 10, as can be seen in FIG. 10.

[0052] Each coupling seat 47 comprises an upper shaped channel 51a, formed on the upper shell 24, and a lower shaped channel 51b, formed on the lower shell 23; the upper and lower shaped channels 51a and 51b are aligned with each other. Each coupling seat 48 comprises an upper shaped channel 53a, formed on the upper shell 27, and a lower shaped channel 53b, formed on the lower shell 26; the upper and lower shaped channels 53a and 53b are aligned with each other.

[0053] For the attachment (of the walls 12 and of possible other elements or accessories) to the platform 13, the showcase 10 comprises bars inserted in the coupling seats 47 and 48. In particular, the showcase 10 illustrated foresees bars 59 inserted in the coupling seats 47 and bars 60 inserted in the coupling seats 48.

[0054] In the bars 59 and 60 threaded holes 54 are formed, as can be seen in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 10.

[0055] The showcase 10 also comprises supports 63 for fixed walls 12 (see FIG. 9), hinges 64 for mobile walls 12 (see FIG. 7), one or more clamps 65 (see FIG. 8) and sealing devices 66 (see FIGS. 8 and 10). All of these elements are supported by the joints 14 and 15 described above, by means of the coupling seats 47 and 48; of course, the showcase 10 can also comprise other elements and accessories as well as those shown, all supported by the joints 14, 15 by means of the coupling seats 47, 48.

[0056] Finally, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the showcase 10 comprises feet 67, applied to the joints of the platform, both to the corner joints 14 and to the intermediate joints 15, beneath them.

[0057] FIG. 12 shows a showcase 110 according to another embodiment of the invention. The showcase 110 essentially has all of the characteristics of the showcase 10 just described; therefore, the characteristics of the showcase 110 common to the showcase 10 are not described here in detail and in FIG. 12 they are simply indicated with the same reference numerals as the showcase 10.

[0058] In particular, the showcase 110 is provided with a platform 13, exactly like the showcase 10.

[0059] Differently from the showcase 10, the showcase 110 is provided with a ceiling 118, structured in an analogous manner to the platform 13. The ceiling 118 thus includes upper corner joints 119 and upper intermediate joints 120 connected to upper horizontal beams 121. The upper corner joints 119 are each connected to two upper horizontal beams 121 and the upper intermediate joints 120 are arranged in intermediate positions on the upper horizontal beams 121. The showcase 110 can also comprise vertical beams (not shown in FIG. 12), connected to the corner and intermediate joints 14 and 15 of the platform 13, and to the upper corner and intermediate joints 119 and 120 of the ceiling 118.

[0060] Similarly to what is outlined for the platform 13, each upper corner joint 119 comprises a lower shell 129, an upper shell 130 and connecting tie rods 131 between the lower shell 126 and the upper shell 127. Similarly, each upper intermediate joint 120 comprises a lower shell 132, an upper shell 133 and connecting tie rods 134 between the lower shell 132 and the upper shell 133.

[0061] Similarly to what is outlined for the platform 13, each upper corner joint 119 comprises a housing seat 136a, formed in the lower shell 129, and a housing seat 136b, formed in the upper shell 130. The upper horizontal beams 121 are housed in the seats 136a and 136b and are clamped between the lower and upper shells 129 and 130 by means of the tie rods 131. Each upper intermediate joint 120 comprises a housing seat 137a, formed in the lower shell 132, and a housing seat 137b, formed in the upper shell 133. The upper horizontal beams 121 are housed in the seats 137a and 137b and are clamped between the lower and upper shells 132 and 133 by means of the tie rods 134.

[0062] Similarly to what is outlined for the platform 13, in the upper corner joint 119, there are threaded holes in one from the upper shell 130 and the lower shell 129 and through holes in the other from the upper shell 130 and the lower shell 129; these holes (totally analogous to the holes 39 and 40 of the corner joints 14) are not highlighted in FIG. 12. The tie rods 131 are inserted in the through holes and screwed into the threaded holes. In the intermediate upper joint 120 there are threaded holes in one from the upper shell 133 and the lower shell 132 and through holes in the other from the upper shell 133 and the lower shell 132; these holes (totally analogous to the holes 41 and 42 of the intermediate joints 15) are not highlighted in FIG. 12. The tie rods 134 are inserted in the through holes and screwed into the threaded holes. The tie rods 134 are inserted in the through holes and screwed into the threaded holes.

[0063] Each upper corner joint 119 comprises coupling seats analogous to the coupling seats 47 (not visible in FIG. 12), formed on faces pointing towards the outside of the showcase 110. Similarly, each upper intermediate joint 120 comprises coupling seats analogous to the coupling seats 48 (not visible in FIG. 12), formed on faces pointing towards the outside of the showcase 10.

[0064] The showcase 110 can comprise vertical beams connected to the joints 14, 15 of the platform 13 and to the upper joints 119, 120 of the ceiling 118. Each corner joint 14 of the platform 13 is connected to a respective one of the vertical beams and this same vertical beam is connected to a corresponding one of the upper corner joints 119 of the ceiling 118; other vertical beams can be connected to the intermediate joints 15 of the platform 13 and to the intermediate joints 120 of the ceiling 118.

[0065] As stated, the present invention makes it possible to design and make museum showcases in a particularly quick and simple manner. This is true for showcases of any shape and size, not only for parallelepiped shaped showcases like the showcase 10. In the case of different shapes, like in the case of the showcases 210 of FIGS. 13 and 310 of FIG. 14, it is nevertheless possible to make frames with a shape that approximates the shape of the showcase, using for the support of the walls, depending on the shape thereof, supports of a specific shape or extensions in shaped sheet metal that join the frame (or the frames) to the curvilinear walls of the showcase. It is also possible to combine the frames with each other, so as to make compositions of adjacent showcases. The advantages of the invention remain clearly unchanged.