Abstract:
The present invention is a system and method of fabricating showcases in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs, while allowing both novices, with an interest and skill in arts and crafts (or framing), and professional framers to enjoy the easy-to-construct features of the present invention. The showcase system includes, but is not limited to (1) novel molding pieces that are used in conjuction with (2) standard picture frame pieces, which are themselves used in novel manner, (3) standard glass, mirrored glass, ceramic or other similar materials that can be suitably used to make the showcase walls, (4) standard adhesives, sealants, and/or glass retaining strips, (5) standard matting and/or foam core materials, and/or (6) the use of standard tools, including, but not limited to, a razor knife, stapler, and/or a diamond point attachment tool. A second embodiment of the showcase having a hexagonal shape, is also described.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/322,174, filed on Sep. 13, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference. Applicant claims the priority date benefits of that application. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to display cases or showcases, and more particularly to a system and method for producing display cases or showcases, such as those used for displaying sculptures, memorabilia and the like. 
     Display cases or showcases, (the terms “display case” and “showcase,” or their plural forms, are interchangeable, and hereinafter they will both be referred to as “showcases”), have been known and available in the trade for a long time, and, generally, they are used to display art, crafts, memorabilia and other similar items. Showcases come in various sizes, shapes, and manners of construction. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,233 to Page, Jr. for a knock-down display case kit, which can be used by traveling salesmen to transport their products, describes having alternate sized panels for varying the depth of the case. 
     As another example, the Collector&#39;s Display Cases website shows many examples of display cases of varying sizes and designs. However, all of these cases are pre-made by the manufacturer with specific dimentions. 
     With this stated, there still remains a need for a showcase fabrication system and method that would allow both novices and experienced framers to build easy-to-construct showcases—without limiting the user of the system and method to any specific size or shape. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to its major aspects and briefly recited, the present invention is a system and method of fabricating showcases in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs, while allowing both novices, with an interest and skill in arts and crafts (or framing), and professional framers to enjoy the easy-to-construct features of the present invention. The showcase system includes, but is not limited to (1) novel molding pieces that are used in conjunction with (2) standard picture frame pieces, which are themselves used in novel manner, (3) standard glass, mirrored glass, ceramic or other similar materials that would be suitable for making the showcase walls, (4) standard adhesives, sealants, and/or glass retaining strips, (5) standard matting and/or foam core materials, and/or (6) the use of standard tools, including, but not limited to, a razor knife, stapler, and/or a diamond point fastening tool. 
     An important feature of the present invention is that the novel molding pieces, the standard picture frame pieces, and the other associated materials that are used in the present invention, can be made in a variety of lengths that can be cut to size by the showcase fabricator. Additionally, the novel molding pieces and the standard picture frame pieces, can be finished in a wide variety of colors and/or styles to provide desired surface effects. This allows the showcases to be made in a wide variety of shapes and designs, and leads to the advantage of having a great deal of flexibility in meeting the fabricator&#39;s or a customer&#39;s design requirements for a particular showcase project. Furthermore, this may also give the showcase fabricator the ability to try to match the surrounding furnishings or the decor of the room in which the showcase located. 
     Another advantage of the system and method is that the use of standard picture frame pieces reduces the cost of the showcase, while at the same time providing the fabricator with the opportunity to use highly decorative trim pieces to complement the showcase without the need of having the trim pieces custom made. (This does not preclude the use of custom made trim pieces, just the necessity of having to do so.) 
     Still another important feature of the invention, is that the complexity of fabricating the showcase has been substantially eliminated by the use of the novel molding pieces. 
     These and other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art of showcase fabricating and/or picture framing from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments accompanied by the following drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the molding pieces and the picture frame pieces used in fabricating a display case, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1B is an end view of the molding pieces of FIG.  1 A. 
     FIG. 1C is a perspective view of two examples of standard picture frame molding showing the prior art orientation of such pieces when used to construct a picture frame. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the display case, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the display case of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4A is a cross section view of the display case of FIG. 2, taken along lines  4 — 4 . 
     FIG. 4B is a detailed cross section view of one of upper corners of the display case of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 4C is an exploded view of FIG.  4 B. 
     FIG. 4D is a detailed cross section view of one of lower corners of the display case of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 4E is an exploded view of FIG.  4 D. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross section view of the display case of FIG. 2, taken along lines  5 — 5 . 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the display case, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross section view of the display case of FIG. 6, taken along lines  7 — 7 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross section view of the display case of FIG. 6, taken along lines  8 — 8 . 
     FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the showcase fabricating method, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The terms “molding piece” or “molding pieces” refer to the novel molding pieces  1 - 5 ,  8  and  9  and the standard picture frame pieces  6  and  7 , as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1A,  1 B and  2 , preferably, the novel molding pieces are comprised of base molding  1 , cap molding  2 , lid molding  3 , and corner leg molding  4  (or  5 ,  8  or  9 ). These novel molding pieces are preferably used in conjunction with standard picture frame molding pieces, which will be used as Base Trim molding  6 , and Cap Trim molding  7 . The molding pieces  1 - 9  can be made of wood, metal, plastic, or any other material that would be suitable for fabricating the present invention, and they can be unfinished or finished in any suitable stain, color, or texture, which allows the user of the kit the ability obtain desired surface effects. Additionally, the molding pieces can be pre-cut to standard lengths for particular showcase  10  projects, however, it is preferable that the molding pieces are made of lengths in the range of about one (1′) foot to about fourteen (14′) feet, and that the fabricator cuts the molding pieces  1 - 3 ,  4  (or  5 ,  8  or  9 ),  6  and  7  to length, as needed for a particular showcase  10  project, such as the project shown in FIG. 2 for example. 
     FIG. 1B shows the end views of the molding pieces and, with the exception of the corner leg molding  4  (or  5 ,  8  or  9 ), the tops and bottoms of these end views are generally oriented as they would be in a completed showcase  10 . Referring now to FIG. 1C, what is shown in this figure are perspective views of two examples of prior art standard picture frame molding pieces. Comparing the orientation of the standard picture frame molding pieces, as shown in FIG. 1C, with the orientation of the Base Trim molding  6  and Cap Trim molding  7 , as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, one can readily ascertain that Base Trim molding  6  and Cap Trim molding  7  are rotated 90° in the clockwise direction for use in the present invention. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of showcase  10  is shown. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, the showcase  10  is rectangular in shape. In another embodiment, the showcase  100  is hexagonally shaped, as shown in FIG.  6 . However, the showcase  10  (or  100 ) is not limited to these shapes or designs, e.g., the number of sides can be varied. For example, many other shapes are readily available to the fabricator by ordering the appropriate corner leg(s). As a more specific example, horizontal showcase corner leg molding  5  could be designed so that the inside angle  14 ′ of the grooves  16 ′ and/or the outside edges  18 ′ is 120°, and the angle for making the miter cut on the other molding pieces would be 60°, which would allow a hexagonally shaped showcase  100  to be fabricated, as shown in FIG.  6 . As another example of how the showcase components can be varied, the shape of the corner leg molding  4  and/or  5  is not limited to having flat outside edges. Any suitable shape or design can be used including, but not limited to, rounding the outside edges of the corner leg molding  8  and  9 . Referring now to FIG. 3, the exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a showcase  10  is shown. To be able to fabricate such a showcase  10 , the fabricator would generally have on hand, in stock, or would order from the manufacturer, the molding pieces  14  (or  5 ,  8  or  9 ),  6  and  7 , in the desired length(s), style(s), and/or finish(es), needed to fabricate the desired showcase  10 . Once the molding pieces  1 - 4  (or  5 ,  8  or  9 ),  6  and  7  are available, if necessary, the fabricator will cut the molding pieces  1 - 4 ,  6  and  7  to the pre-determined lengths needed for the showcase  10  project. Consequently, the fabricator should have the following molding pieces in order to fabricate the showcase  10 : four (4) pieces of base molding  1 ; four (4) pieces of cap molding  2 ; four (4) pieces of lid molding  3 ; four (4) pieces of corner leg molding  4 ; four (4) pieces of Base Trim molding  6 ; and four (4) pieces of Cap Trim molding  7 . Also on hand, the fabricator should have sufficient amounts of standard glass, and/or mirrored glass, ceramic or other materials that would be suitable for use as part of the showcase&#39;s side (or vertical) walls  22 , horizontal lid  24 , and/or its horizontal base  26 . The fabricator should also have available standard adhesives, sealants such as silicone, and/or glass retaining strips, standard matting and/or foam core materials, and/or the use of standard tools, including, but not limited to, a razor knife, stapler, and/or a diamond point fastening tool. 
     As previously noted, the system and method of the present invention are not limited to fabricating a showcase of any specific configuration, shape, or material. For example, a portion of the side (or vertical) walls  22 , can be made of mirrored glass, and/or the horizontal lid  24  and/or the horizontal base  26  can be made using ceramic, plastic, mirrored glass or any other suitable material. In this regard, those skilled in the art of carpentry, woodworking, or any other related art will find that the showcase fabricating system and method can be used in a variety of similar ways. 
     The following is a description of a method used to fabricate a showcase  10 , from the present invention kit, but it should be understood that the best mode for carrying out the invention hereinafter described is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation (for example, the order of the following steps may be varied as appropriate). It is intended that the scope of the present invention includes all modifications that incorporate its principal design features, and that the scope and limitations of the present invention are to be determined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     Step by Step Showcase Fabrication 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-8, the following will provide a description of a preferred use of the system and method of the present invention to fabricate a preferred embodiment of the showcase, as shown in FIG.  2 . The measurements given in the following description of a preferred embodiment showcase  10  are based on: a Main Showcase Unit  30  having dimensions of about 12 inches in height, about 10 inches in depth, and about 10 inches in width; having grooves formed in the molding pieces of about ⅛th of an inch in width and about ¼th of an inch in depth; and having glass with a thickness of about ⅛th of an inch. However, it should be noted that the measurements given in the following description are illustrative and do not in any way limit the many sizes and shapes available for the showcase  10 . Consequently, when other embodiments of the present invention having dimensions that differ from the showcase  10  described herein are being fabricated, the measurements for the component parts for those differing embodiments will have to be adjusted accordingly. 
     In the following description the molding pieces ( 1 - 4 ,  6  and  7 ) are made of wood, but the molding pieces ( 1 - 4 ,  6  and  7 ) can be made of any material suitable for fabricating the showcase including, but not limited to metal or plastic. 
     Main Showcase Unit 
     1. To construct the Main Showcase Unit  30 , the fabricator, using an outside measurement  32  (see FIG.  4 A), will cut four pieces of cap molding  2  and four pieces of base molding  1  to a length of about 9¼ inches. The cap molding ends  34  and the base molding ends  35  will be miter cut at a 45° angle for a rectangular showcase  10  and then the miter cut cap molding  38  will be joined together to form a Cap Frame  36 , and the miter cut base molding  39  will be joined together to form a Base Frame  37 . Stapling is the preferable method of joining the miter cut molding ( 38  and  39 ) pieces together (as appropriate to form the Cap Frame  36  and/or the Base Frame  37 ); however, any other suitable method can be used for joining the miter cut molding ( 38  and  39 ) pieces together including, but not limited to gluing or nailing them together. 
     2. Using the rectangular showcase corner leg  4  molding, the fabricator will cut four project corner legs  40  to a length of about 9{fraction (9/16)}th inches. 
     3. Using some of the glass (or other suitable material) acquired for the showcase project, the fabricator will next cut the glass (or other suitable material) into four side (or vertical) wall pieces  42 , each having the dimensions of about 8 inches by about 10 inches. 
     The next three steps allow the fabricator to do a “Trial Fitting.” A “Trial Fitting” is not required, but it is preferable that a “Trial Fitting” be performed, especially for the fabricator&#39;s first showcase  10  (or for the first showcase  10  of a different dimension and/or shape not previously fabricated by the kit user). 
     4. (optional) The fabricator should first position the Base Frame  37  on a level horizontal surface so that the Base Frame grooves  44  are accessible from above the Base Frame  37 . The fabricator should then stand the bottom edges  45  of the four pieces of the glass side wall pieces  42  in the Base Frame grooves  44 . At this point it would be acceptable if any of the glass side wall pieces  42  lean while positioned in the Base Frame grooves  44 ; however, one or more of the project corner legs  40  can be used to support the glass side wall pieces  42 . 
     5. (optional) If not already done, the fabricator should then place the bottom end  46  of each of the project corner legs  40  onto each of the Base Frame corner tops  48  by slidably inserting each project corner leg  40  between the vertical edges  50 , of two of the glass side walls  42 , which should be located near the Base Frame corner top  48  that the bottom end  46  of the project corner leg  40  is being placed upon. Once the bottom end  46  of each project corner leg  40  is placed on the respective Base Frame corner top  48 , then the project corner legs  40  and the glass side walls  42  can be temporarily held together through the use of rubber bands or by using some other suitable temporary binding method. 
     6. (optional) The fabricator then places the Cap Frame  36  on top of the glass side walls  42  and aligns the top edges  52  of the glass side walls  42  with the Cap Frame grooves  54 . 
     Once steps 4-6 are completed, the fabricator should check to insure the Cap Frame  36  is resting on the four project corner legs  40  and that the Cap Frame  36  is not being held off any of the project corner legs  40  by the height of any of the glass side walls  42 . The fabricator should also check to insure that there is a little play in each of the project corner legs  40 , and that the width of each of the glass side walls  42  is not causing any fitting problems for the project corner legs  40 . 
     The fabricator will then make all of the appropriate corrections required, and once everything is fitting together properly, the fabricator will take the Cap Frame  36 , the project corner legs  40  and the glass side walls  42  off of the Base Frame  37 , and will then proceed to the Main Showcase Unit  30  Assembly. 
     Main Showcase Unit Assembly 
     7. To assemble the Main Showcase Unit  30  the fabricator will apply a bead of silicone along the entire length of each Base Frame groove  44 , Cap Frame groove  54 , and each project corner leg groove  56 . The bead of silicone placed in each of the grooves  44 ,  54 , and  56  should not fill the grooves  44 ,  54 , and  56 ; instead, the amount of silicone in each bead of silicone should just be enough to cover each edge  45 ,  50 , and  52  of the glass when the edges of the glass sidewalls  42  are mated with the grooves  44 ,  54 , and  56 . 
     8. The fabricator should then position the Base Frame  37  on a level horizontal surface so that the Base Frame grooves  44  are accessible from above the Base Frame  37 . The fabricator should then stand the bottom edges  45  of the four pieces of the glass side wall pieces  42  in the Base Frame grooves  44 . At this point it would be acceptable to have a minimal amount of lean in the glass side walls  42 , but the amount of lean should be minimized. 
     9. The fabricator should then place the bottom end  46  of each of the project corner legs  40  onto each of the Base Frame corner tops  48  by slidably inserting each project corner leg  40  between the vertical edges  50  of two adjacent glass side walls  42  This will (or should) position the bottom end  46  of each project corner leg  40  on a different Base Frame corner top  48 . Preferably, the amount of sliding used when installing the project corner legs  40  should be minimized to avoid, as much as possible, the smearing of the silicone in the project corner leg grooves  56 . Preferably, one piece of side wall glass  42  is mated with one of the Base Frame grooves  44 , and then with one of the project corner leg grooves  56  by using a horizontal sliding action. This same mating procedure is then used for mating the glass side walls  42  with the Base Frame grooves  44  and the project corner leg grooves  56  for the remaining glass side walls  42  and project corner legs  40 . 
     10. The fabricator then places the Cap Frame  36  on top of the glass side walls  42  and aligns the top edges  52  of the glass side walls  42  with the Cap Frame grooves  54 , while at the same time insuring that each outside edge  60  of each project corner leg  40  has about ⅛th of an inch inset  62  and that the project corner legs  40 , the Base Frame  37  and the Cap Frame  36  are square, i.e., all corners are orthogonal for a rectangular project. 
     11. The fabricator should then allow the Main Showcase Unit  30  to set, preferably undisturbed, until the silicone has cured. Depending on the silicone directions, this amount of time, for example, may be between three and four hours. 
     Showcase Trim Assembly 
     12. While the silicone of the Main Showcase Unit  30  is curing, the fabricator can fabricate the Base Trim Frame  64  using four pieces of Base Trim molding  6 , and the Cap Trim Frame  66  using four pieces of Cap Trim molding  7 . The ends of each of the molding pieces  6  and  7  are miter cut at a 45° angle so that when two similar molding pieces are joined together their outside edges form a 90° angle, and the measurement of the inside length of the lip  68 , for molding piece  6 , and the lip  69 , of molding piece  7 , is about 9{fraction (9/32)}nd inches. After all of the molding pieces  6  and  7  are cut, they are joined together, as appropriate. Stapling of the back or flat sides of the molding pieces  6  and  7  is the preferable method of joining the pieces of the miter cut Base Trim molding  6  together, and the pieces of the miter cut Cap Trim molding  7  together; however, any other suitable method can be used for joining the pieces of the miter cut molding  6  and  7  together including, but not limited to gluing or nailing them together. When stapling is used to join the pieces of the Cap Trim molding  7  together, it is preferable that the staples are kept within about ⅜th of an inch of the inside edges  70 . This will allow the Access Lid  72  to cover the staples on the completed showcase  10 . 
     Access Lid and Floor Assembly 
     13. The fabricator can now fabricate the Access Lid  72  using four pieces of lid molding  3 . The ends of each piece of lid molding  3  are miter cut at a 45° angle so that when two pieces of the lid molding are joined together their outside edges form a 90° angle and the measurement of the inside length of the lid molding outside lip  74  for each molding piece  3  is about 8½ inches. 
     For ease of fabrication, it is preferable that the fabricator position the about ⅛th of an inch by about ¼th of an inch lid molding groove  76  so that it will be located toward the inside of the Access Lid  72  when the pieces of the lid molding  3  are joined together to form the Access Lid  72 . Preferably, the joining together of the pieces of the lid molding  3  will be accomplished by stapling the sides of the lid molding  3  that will not normally be seen when the Access Lid  72  is placed on top of the Main Showcase Unit  30 . However, any other suitable method can be used for joining the pieces of the miter cut lid molding  3  together including, but not limited to gluing or nailing them together. 
     Next, the fabricator will cut a piece of lid glass  78  (or other suitable material) to form a square having edges that are about 7¼th inches in length. Preferably, the fabricator will orient the Access Lid  72  so that the lid molding inside lip  80  is located below the lid molding groove  76 , i.e., the Access Lid  72  is upside down, and the fabricator will then lay the lid glass  78  on the lid molding inside lip  80 . The fabricator will then insert glass retainer strip, which is a commonly used product that is conveniently purchased through frame shop suppliers, into the lid molding groove  76  securing the lid glass  78  (or other suitable material being used) in place, and, if desired, the fabricator can angle cut the glass retainer strip when approaching the inside corners of the Access Lid  72 . 
     14. Preferably, to assemble the floor  84 , the fabricator will orient the Main Showcase Unit  30  so that it is upside down. The fabricator will then cut a piece of floor glass  86 , a piece of mat board  88 , and a piece of foam core  90 , each into squares having edges that are about 7⅝th inches in length. The fabricator will then lay the floor glass  86  against the bottom of the Base Frame lip  87 , the mat board  88  on top of the floor glass  86 , and the foam core  90  on top of the mat board  88 , and the fabricator will then secure them all  86 ,  88 , and  90  to the Base Frame  37 , preferably, by using diamond point fasteners. When the Main Showcase Unit  30  is placed right-side-up, the order of these pieces  86 ,  88 , and  90  from top to bottom will be floor glass  86 , mat board  88 , and then the foam core  90 . While using the materials just described are preferable, any other suitable material can be used as well, including, but not limited to, plastic, wood, tile, ceramic, porcelain, mirrored glass, and/or etc. 
     Final Assembly 
     15. To complete the showcase  10 , the fabricator will apply a thin bead of adhesive to the top of the Base Trim Frame inside lip  92 , while staying away from the corners so that the adhesive does not ooze up the sides of the Main Showcase Unit  30  when the Main Showcase Unit  30  is placed within the Base Trim Frame  64 . The fabricator will then place a thin bead of adhesive to the Cap Trim Frame lip  94 , and the fabricator will then set the Cap Trim Frame  66  in place on top of the Main Showcase Unit  30 . Afterwards, the fabricator will then be able to place the Access Lid  72  in place on top of the Cap Trim Frame  66  to complete the showcase  10 , or a display piece can be positioned inside the showcase  10  prior to placing the Access Lid  72  in place. 
     Overview of the Method of Assembly 
     Referring now to FIG. 9, an overview of the method used to assemble the showcase  10  is shown in block diagram form. The fabricator begins by Material and Tool Gathering  102  to ensure that the fabricator has the parts and the tools necessary for constructing the showcase  10 . Next, the Main Showcase Unit Fabrication  104  is performed by the fabricator, which may include a Trial Fitting  106 . Afterwards, the fabricator performs the steps of: Main Showcase Unit Assembly  108 ; Trim Assembly  110 ; Access Lid and Floor Assembly  112 ; and finishes with the Final Assembly  114  step to complete the showcase  10 . 
     While the preferred embodiments and the best mode of the present invention are described herein, it should be understood that the best mode for carrying out the invention as described herein was by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. It is intended that the scope of the present invention includes all modifications that incorporate its principal design features, and that the scope and limitations of the present invention are also to be determined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.