DISPLAY CASE

This invention relates to a free standing display case for memorabilia or other articles.

It is well known to hang or suspend display cases for memorabilia from a vertical support surface using a picture hook attached to the vertical support surface and a wire or rope attached to a rear surface of the display case and draped around the picture hook. Examples of such display cases are shown in US Patent 5,118,171 , US Patent 6,845,585 and US Patent 6,722,070. It is also well known to support free standing picture frames, mirrors or plaques by using a triangular support plate which is attached to a rear surface of the display case so that the display case may be stood vertically on a horizontal support surface with the display case being oriented at an acute angle to vertical. An example of such a free standing display plaque is shown in US Patent 6,817,129. However the stability of such a display plaque is sometimes open to question because the only support for such a display plaque is a narrow bottom edge of the triangular support plate which is oriented at right angles to a plane defined by the display plaque.

A variation of this arrangement is shown in US Patent 4,184,278 showing a display device comprising a conventional picture frame which may be reversed into a mirror. The display device is supported by a planar rigid support member which rests on a narrow base edge and also would have questionable stability. However such a display device would also not be suitable for storage of memorabilia because the display device only comprises a plate like unit similar to a picture frame or mirror. This disadvantage also applies to the plaque which is the subject of US Patent 6,817,129.

Various other display cases may be those shown in US Patents 4,702,534 and 6,478,154 which show a substantially cuboidal display case being supported by a pair of plate like wings on each side. Such display cases while stable would not appear to be aesthetic in nature and would not display the memorabilia items to the best advantage because of reflections

from each wing especially if the wings and display cases are made from transparent material.

Reference may also be made to US Patent 6,490,818 which describes an elongate box supported by bottom legs which extend transversely across the box. In this arrangement there is provided a series of cards or photographs each slidably mounted to a support track within the interior of the box. This display unit does not have a window and is unsuitable for displaying three dimensional memorabilia. The box is also non-aesthetic in nature. Reference also may be made to display units shown in US Patents

5,890,593 or 6,585,118 which show display cases supported by a relatively large base surface in the case of US Patent 5,890,593 or a pair of vertically extending free standing and spaced side wall members in the case of US Patent 6,585,118. Both of these display units have specific requirements that make their construction relatively complex. In the case of US Patent 5,890,593 the display unit is contained in a tamper resistant package which is unnecessary in display units of simple construction and a similar view applies to the display unit of US Patent 6,585,118 because of the necessity for the pair of spaced side wall members. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a display case which is simple in construction and relatively aesthetic in nature which may also be relatively stable in free standing mode.

The display case of the invention is defined by a plurality of elongate plate like peripheral walls wherein each peripheral wall has a width in side view that is at least one quarter of its length to define a hollow interior of substantial internal capacity characterised in that said display case is oriented in an offset orientation at an acute angle to vertical in side view in free standing mode.

The display case is preferably cuboidal and will have a substantial internal volume to maintain a plurality of articles such as three dimensional articles are behind the other such as statuettes, trophies or packages of any type.

The display case in preferably in the form of a window box having a transparent panel and a front frame for releasably attaching the transparent panel to a body of the display case. This may be carried out by suitable releasable attachment means such as projections or spigots engaging in corresponding sockets. Preferably each spigot is located on the front frame and is resilient so that a rear lip may engage with a peripheral flange of the body. Alternatively each rear lip may engage with a corresponding aperture of the body.

There also may be provided a rear panel releasably attached to the body and this may be accomplished by suitable releasable attachment means in the form of finger operated spigots or projections engaging with corresponding sockets. Preferably the rear panel is provided with the spigots and the body is provided with corresponding sockets.

Reference may be made to a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the attached drawings wherein:

FIG 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the display case of the invention from the rear of the display frame;

FIG 2 is a side perspective view of the display frame shown in FIG 1 ;

FIG 3 is a side view of the display frame shown in FIG 1 and FIG 2; FIG 4 is a front view of the display frame shown in FIGS 1 , 2 and 3;

FIG 5 is a front perspective view of the display frame shown in FIGS 1 , 2, 3 and 4;

FIG 6 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the display case of the present invention; FIG 7 is a similar view to FIG 6 but showing an exploded perspective view of the FIG 6 in an inverse orientation to that shown in FIG 6;

FIG 8 is a detailed view of the circled area shown in FIG 7;

FIG 9 is an assembled view of the display case shown in FIG 7;

FIG 10 is a detailed view of the circled area shown in FIG 9; FIG 11 is a perspective view of the display case of FIG 6 in an assembled condition; and

FIG 12 is a side view of the display case of FIG 11.

In the drawings the display case 10 includes a window 11 formed of a clear transparent plastics material or glass and a peripheral window frame 12 having individual frame members 13, 14, 15 and 16 mitred together at corners 17 as shown in FIG 4. On a rear face 18 of window frame 12 there are provided triangular corner reinforcing plates 19 which surround window box 20 which is formed by top and bottom elongate walls 21 and 22 and a pair of side walls 23 and 24. Window box 20 extends rearwardly of window 11 so as to provide an internal space or hollow interior 25 which provides a substantial display area for memorabilia 26 including picture 27 and gift wrapped items 28 and 29 best shown in FIGS 4 and 5.

There are also provided an L-shaped attachment member 30 fastened to a top surface 31 of top wall 21 of window box 20 which has an attachment aperture 32 for attachment by a fastener to a wall or other suitable support surface as required. Rear wall 33 is also located in slot 34 of bottom support member or foot 35 which spaces window box 20 above the ground or other suitable horizontal support surface.

The rear wall 33 is also provided with a pair of L shaped location members 36 shown in FIG 1 which engage with mating slots 37 located on top surface 31 of top wall 21 of window box 20. There is also provided a rebate 39 best shown in FIG 4 arranged around the periphery of window frame 12 for retention of a sheet of clear acrylic material which comprises window 11.

FIGS 2 and 3 show that display case 10 is free standing and thus does not need attachment to a wall or other vertical supporting surface. This is accomplished by providing window box 20 with a slant to horizontal wherein both top and bottom walls 21 and 22 extend at 5-20° to the horizontal as shown in FIG 3 and thus require foot 35 to space window box 20 from the ground 40 as best shown in FIG 3.

The support provided by foot 35 in combination with the slanted window box 20 means that display case 10 can be supported on any suitable horizontal support surface 40 such as a bench, table, desk or shelf and provides versatility in being moveable when required from one location to

another location.

This substantially overcomes previous difficulties associated with the prior art wherein it was mainly necessary to hang or display a display case for memorabilia from a vertical support surface and thus required use of a picture hook attached to the vertical wall and a cord or wire attached to a rear surface of the display case which then was draped over the picture hook.

As shown in FIG 3 bottom support or foot 35 has a recess 34 which supports an adjacent rear edge portion 42 of window box 20 as shown in FIG 3. This provides substantial support to window box 20 and thus display case

10 is in a position of stable equilibrium when in the free standing mode as shown in FIG 3.

The other advantage of display case 10 over the prior art discussed above is the substantial volume of hollow interior 25 of window box 20 wherein each of frame members 21 , 22, 23 and 24 have a substantial width, i.e. at least 0.25 the length of frame members 21 , 22, 23 and 24.

Reference may now be made to another embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS 6-12.

In FIG 6 reference is made to display case 10A having a rear panel 50 having corner flanges 51 , upstanding retaining lugs 52 having fingergrips 53, detent flanges 54, apertures 55 which are useful in the injection moulding process involving rear panel 50, lug 56 having aperture 57 for hanging on a wall hook (not shown) and locating lug 58. There is also provided support lugs 59. The body 60 of display case 10A is provided with an internal peripheral flange 61 , recesses or apertures 62 which engage with detent flanges 54, opposed end walls 63 and opposed side walls 64, peripheral groove 67 for retention of transparent panel 68, projections 69 having retaining apertures 70 and top frame 71 which retains transparent panel 68 within peripheral groove 67.

In FIG 7 reference is made to display case 10A in an inverted orientation compared to its normal operation orientation shown in FIG 6 and

reference is made to central locating lugs 72 which engage with aligned apertures 72A on body 60. However FIG 8 is a detailed view of circled area 73 shown in FIG 7 concerning the operation of retaining lugs 52 having detent flanges 54 (shown in phantom in FIG 8) prior to engagement with corresponding recesses 62. It will be appreciated that the engagement of detent flanges 54 in recesses 62 is accomplished by manual manipulation of fingergrips 53.

FIG 9 is a view similar to FIG 7 but showing display case 10A in an assembled state. FIG 10 is a detailed view of circled area 74 and shows body 60 being retained within corner flanges 75 of top frame 71. There is also shown outwardly extending projections 76 having a retaining lip 77 which engages with an integral flange 78 of side wall 64 in the assembled state. Manual manipulation of projections 76 facilitate separation of body 60 from top frame 71 when required. The rear panel 50 is also provided with a pair of support lugs 59 previously described. The rear panel 50 is also provided with a locating lug 58 previously described which abuts body 60 when display case 10A is in an assembled stated as shown in FiG 9.

FIG 11 shows display case 10A in an assembled state following assembly of each of rear panel 50, body 60, transparent panel 68 and front frame 71 following the discussion above in regard to FIGS 7-10.

FIG 12 shows display case 10A in an upright state with body 60 angled to the horizontal whereby rear panel 50 is supported by foot projections 59 described previously and the bottom surfaces of top frame 71 and each projection 79 contact ground 40 so that stability of display case 10A is enhanced as described in detail in the FIGS 1 to 5 embodiment.