Abstract:
A display case is provided for displaying collectible items such as photographs, trading cards, stamps or coins. The display case includes a compartment for holding the collectible and a magnifying lens for viewing the details of at least one side of the collectible. An opening is provided in the compartment to allow the insertion of the collectible. The collectible is sealed in the compartment by a seal. By sealing the collectible within the compartment of such a display case, the collectible is not only protected from physical damage, it is also protected from exposure to moisture, air and any airborne contaminants. The magnifying lens permits the details of the collectible to be viewed without fear of damage to the collectible as may occur with physical handling. The seal may be either temporary or permanent. A temporary seal is useful where a collector desires to display different collectibles in a single display case at different times. A permanent seal is useful for permanently sealing an authenticated collectible within the compartment to discourage any tampering with the collectible as such tampering would require that the display case be broken apart. A valve can also be provided either to evacuate air from the compartment by a vacuum source or to purge air from the compartment by the use of an inert gas such as nitrogen.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/385,990, filed Aug. 30, 1999, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/166,002, filed Oct. 2, 1998, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention is directed to a magnifying display case for the display of sports trading cards such as baseball, football, and basketball cards, as well as other collectible items such as photographs, postage stamps, or paper or metal currency. More specifically, this invention relates to a display device that is capable of providing magnification and illumination of its contents, while also providing the contents with superior protection from damage or degradation that may be caused by physical handling or exposure to atmospheric elements and contaminants.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The collection, sale, and trading of sports cards such as baseball, football, and other trading cards has long been a hobby in the United States as well as in many foreign countries. The collection of trading cards has become increasingly popular and the value of these items has increased dramatically. As a result of their popularity and increased value, many individuals now purchase and resell sports trading cards professionally. Also as a result of the increased value of these items and the concern over their condition, many sports cards are certified and appraised by experts and then sealed within a display case to prevent damage or tampering. In addition to sports trading cards, many individuals collect, trade, and sell other collectible items such as currency, postage stamps, and photographs, both as a hobby and professionally. Many of such collectible items contain a significant amount of detail which can be difficult to observe without magnification. These details may include items such as an athlete&#39;s performance statistics that are printed on a sports trading card or the intricate details of a photograph, postage stamp, or item of currency.  
           [0004]    Products that are currently available for the display of collectibles such as sports trading cards, photographs, currency, and other collectible items are generally limited to simple display frames and cases. While these frames and cases may provide protection against physical damage to the collectible contained within, they do not have the ability to magnify or illuminate their contents, nor to preserve or prevent against damage from moisture or other atmospheric contaminants. Based upon the currently available display frames and cases, there remains a need to provide an improved method for magnifying, preserving, protecting, and displaying collectible items such as sports trading cards, postage stamps, currency, and photographs.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The magnifying display case of the present invention is comprised of one or more magnifying lenses, a support frame element, and a back plate element. Additional components may include a side or end closure plate, a removable support base, an internal lighting circuit, an internal or external power supply circuit, a one-way check valve, and one or more gasket seals.  
           [0006]    The magnifying lenses are designed to magnify, protect, and seal items within the display. The size of the magnifying lens is based upon the size of the item to be magnified and the amount of magnification desired. Magnifying lenses typically approximate the shape of the collectible item being magnified. The magnifying lenses may be fabricated from any optically transparent material such as glass or plastic.  
           [0007]    The support frame element is designed to support one or more magnifying lenses, based upon the number of items to be displayed. The support frame element is typically fabricated from glass, plastic, metal, or wood. The back plate element is designed to fit to the support frame and magnifying lens assembly, thereby sealing the contents within the display. The back plate is typically geometric in shape and may be fabricated from glass, plastic, metal, or wood.  
           [0008]    The display assembly may contain one or more magnifying lenses on the front surface, back surface, or both the front and back surfaces, depending upon the intended use of the display. When used in a two-sided configuration, the back plate element is replaced by a second magnifying lens to provide magnification of the front and back surfaces of the collectible encased within the display.  
           [0009]    Based upon the product configuration, materials, and manufacturing methods selected for the manufacture of the display, the display elements may be manufactured as separate components and be subsequently assembled, or may be fabricated together to contain multiple elements within a single component. When fabricated together, any combination of the magnifying lenses, support frame, back plate, or support base may be included to form a single piece construction.  
           [0010]    When single piece construction is used to fabricate the magnifying lenses, support frame, and back plate elements, a side or end closure plate is used to seal the item within the display assembly.  
           [0011]    When manufactured separately, the display components may be assembled together using adhesives, ultrasonic welding, press fitting, mechanical fasteners or by sealing the components together using a chemical reaction process.  
           [0012]    The magnifying lenses, support frame element, back plate element, and side or end closure elements may be designed with a channel to support one or more gasket seals between the display components. The optional gasket seals provide a means to improve the seal between the display components and for providing additional protection from external elements. The gaskets may be manufactured from any flexible, resilient material such as rubber, cork, or plastic.  
           [0013]    An optional valve may be mounted on the display case, preferably on the back or bottom, to permit the evacuation of air from the compartment of the display case using an external vacuum source. Preferably, a check valve is used. Alternately, the check valve may be reversed, to allow the introduction of an inert gas into the cavity of the display, for additional protection and preservation of the display contents.  
           [0014]    Optional internal lighting components may also be mounted inside the display assembly to provide a means for lighting the display and its contents. The lighting of the display serves to improve the ability to view a collectible&#39;s detail, as well as to enhance the aesthetics of the display case itself. The internal lighting components may include one or more incandescent, fluorescent or neon light bulbs, light bulb contacts, wire, cable or metallic electrical circuits and a power switch. The light circuit may be powered by an internal battery or solar cell, or be powered from a power source such as an AC transformer or DC converter. The solar cell may also be configured to charge the internal battery.  
           [0015]    The display assembly may be wall mounted, or may be used with an optional removable base. When installed, the base allows the display case to stand on its own without the need for additional support.  
           [0016]    Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a display device that will improve the viewer&#39;s ability to observe an item&#39;s detail, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of displaying and viewing such items. A further object of the invention is to provide a display case that will protect and preserve its contents from physical damage, as well as protecting the contents against degradation from external elements such as moisture and atmospheric contaminants. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    Additional advantages of the present invention will also become apparent from the accompanying description and drawings.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a single lens display case according to the invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a side sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 3 and 4 are side elevation sectional views of other embodiments of single lens display cases;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a multiple lens display case;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a side elevation exploded view of the multiple lens display case of FIG. 5;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of another embodiment of a single lens display case;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a side sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of FIG. 7;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is a side elevation exploded view in section of a dual lens display;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a rear elevation view of the display case with the back plate removed to illustrate a light bulb circuit;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of yet another single lens display case;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of still another single lens display case;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a one-piece single lens display case; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIGS. 14 and 15 are side sectional views of two other embodiments of display cases. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0031]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the major elements of a display device using a single magnifying lens are illustrated. A support frame  12  is provided for holding a collectible item  13  such as a trading card. A lip  14  is provided around the inner circumference of the frame to form front and rear recesses  16 ,  17 . The front recess receives the outer edge of a magnifying lens  18 . The magnifying lens is useful for viewing the details of the collectible. The rear recess formed by the lip receives the outer edge of a back plate  19 . In one embodiment, the back plate is formed of a clear material so that any printing on the back of the collectible may be viewed.  
         [0032]    In one embodiment, the magnifying lens is permanently affixed to the support frame while the back plate is removable. This allows for easy access to the trading card. Any one of generally known latches (not shown) can be provided to hold the back plate in place. The back plate is hermetically sealed to the support frame with a gasket  21  that extends around the rear recess between the lip and the back plate. This hermetic seal helps to protect the collectible from being damaged by exposure to moisture or other contaminants. A support base  22  is also provided to allow the display case to freely stand for display purposes.  
         [0033]    In order to still further protect the collectible from exposure to harmful contaminants that may be found in the atmosphere, the hermetic seal provided by the display case of the present invention can be used to seal the collectible within an inert atmosphere by the introduction of an inert gas into the compartment  23  formed by the display device. A gas such as nitrogen will work well. In order to introduce an inert gas into the compartment, an aperture  24  is provided through the back plate. A valve  26  (shown schematically) is provided on the back plate to allow the introduction of the inert gas into the compartment. Preferably, the valve is a one-way check valve, which only permits flow into the compartment when activated. Optionally, a second one-way check valve (not shown), which only permits air flow out of the compartment when activated, can be provided to allow the air within the compartment to be purged by the inert gas. Where a display device is provided with a clear back plate, any valves should be provided at the outermost edge so they will not obscure the view of the printing on the back of the collectible. For such a display device, valves can also be provided on the support frame rather than on the back plate.  
         [0034]    As an alternative, rather than being purged by an inert gas, the compartment can be evacuated by connecting a vacuum source (not shown) to a valve on the back of the back plate. Harmful gases can be removed by such a procedure. Again, in the preferred embodiment, a check valve is used, but for evacuation of the compartment its orientation should be reversed so as to only allow the flow of gas outwardly from the compartment when activated.  
         [0035]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, alternate embodiments of a single lens display case are illustrated. In FIG. 3, a support frame  31  for holding a collectible  13  is provided with an integral magnifying lens  32 . Like the previous embodiment, a back plate  19 , gasket  21  and support base  22  are provided. In FIG. 4, a collectible  13  is held in a support frame  33  with an integral back plate  34 . Like the previous embodiments, a gasket  21  and support base  22  are provided. However, for this embodiment, access to the compartment  23  for holding the collectible is through a removable magnifying lens  36  rather than through the back plate.  
         [0036]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a multiple lens display case is illustrated. Here, a support frame  41  is provided for receiving nine magnifying lenses  42  sized for holding smaller collectibles such as postage stamps  43 . Like the single lens display device, each of the nine frame openings  44  includes a lip  46 . The lip forms a front recess  47  for receiving a magnifying lens. Each lip also forms a rear recess  48  for receiving a gasket  51 . A single back plate  52  is provided to seal against the gaskets and hermetically seal the collectibles within the frame openings. A support base  53  is also provided.  
         [0037]    While one embodiment of a multiple lens display device is illustrated, a number of variations can be made. For example, in one embodiment, the lenses can be provided integral to the support frame. As another alternative, nine back plates can be provided, one for each frame opening. In another embodiment a single back plate is used with a single gasket provided around the perimeter of the support frame rather than using separate gaskets for each frame opening. In yet another embodiment, the back plate can be provided integral to the support frame. One or more valves can also be provided to either purge the frame openings with an inert gas, or to evacuate air from the frame openings. While for collectibles such as stamps, there is not generally any desire to view the reverse of the collectible, for other collectibles, it may be desirable to include a transparent back plate for viewing the collectible. Of course, while the multiple lens display device is illustrated for use in holding collectibles such as stamps, the device can be scaled up to hold a number of collectibles such as trading cards, or scaled down to hold even smaller collectibles. Any number of frame openings may also be provided in any number of different shapes and configurations.  
         [0038]    Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, yet another embodiment of a display device is illustrated. Like the previously illustrated embodiments, a support frame  61  is provided to hold a magnifying lens  62 . However, the back plate  63  is integral to the support frame and the lens is permanently sealed to the support frame. Access to the compartment  64  for inserting a collectible  66  is through a slot  67  in the bottom of the support frame. The collectible is hermetically sealed in the compartment by a rectangular bottom plate  68  sealed with a similarly shaped gasket  69 . Of course, the same design could be used with a side or top entry slot rather than a bottom entry slot. Also, one or more valves can be provided on the back plate, the support frame or elsewhere to purge the compartment with an inert gas, or to evacuate air from the compartment. A support base can also be provided.  
         [0039]    Referring now to FIG. 9, a dual magnifying lens display device is illustrated in which two magnifying lenses  71  are provided to permit the simultaneous magnification of both sides of the item being displayed. In the embodiment illustrated, each magnifying lens is integral to a support frame  72 . The two support frames are joined to one another and preferably include a gasket  73  intermediate the two to improve the seal between the display. Each support frame includes a circumferential lip  74  for forming a compartment  76  for receiving a collectible (not shown). A removable base  78  is also illustrated for this embodiment.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment with an internal lighting circuit for a single lens display. This is a rear view of a display device similar to that of FIG. 1 in which the back plate is removed. In this embodiment, the circuitry is illustrated in part schematically. A support frame  81  is provided with a magnifying lens  82 . A pair of lamp contacts  83  are provided to hold a light bulb  84 . A battery  86  is provided in a battery holder  87 . Wires  88  connect the battery holders to the lamp contacts. A switch  89  is provided to turn the circuit on or off. For this embodiment, the lamp contacts can either be embedded in a transparent or translucent support frame, or a recess can be provided in the support frame to permit the light emitted from the light bulb to illuminate the collectible placed within the lighted display device. The switch can penetrate the device through either the support frame, the magnifying lens or the back plate to permit the circuit to be turned off or on once sealed. An appropriate seal is provided to maintain a hermetic seal to protect the collectible. Of course, multiple light bulbs or multiple batteries can also be provided. Alternatively, a solar cell can be provided to power the light bulb. A solar cell can even be used to recharge a rechargeable battery.  
         [0041]    Still further embodiments of the invention are illustrated at FIGS.  11 - 15 . The embodiments of FIGS. 11 and 12 are designed not only to hold and magnify a collectible, but to also project the image from the horizontal when viewing. According to the embodiment of FIG. 11, a collectible  91  is placed on a horizontal support frame  92 . A lens  93  in the form of a triangular prism is placed over the collectible to magnify and project an image from the collectible so that it can easily be viewed from a standing or sitting position. The lens and support frame can be configured to seal the collectible by any one of the previously disclosed methods.  
         [0042]    Rather than a two-piece design, a one-piece projecting display case is illustrated in FIG. 12. Here, a triangular prism shaped lens  96  is provided with a slot  97  for holding a collectible (not shown). The collectible is inserted into the lens through a mouth  98 . Once the collectible has been inserted into the lens, the mouth can be sealed by any one of a number of different methods such as those described above.  
         [0043]    In FIG. 13, a one piece block display case is illustrated. Here, a block  101  of optically clear material is provided with a slot  102  for holding a collectible. The collectible is inserted into the slot through a mouth  103  provided on a side of the block. Magnification for viewing the collectible can be provided in a number of different ways. For example, the outer surface of the block can be shaped similar to the lenses of previously disclosed embodiments. The slot can also be shaped such that a collectible is magnified when viewed from the front. The block can also be made as a composite from materials having different optical properties. Once a collectible has been placed within the block, the mouth of the slot can be sealed by any one of a number of different methods such as those described above.  
         [0044]    While the previous designs provide good magnification properties, where the lens and collectible are both of similar sizes, the outer edges of the collectible may be distorted when viewed through the lens. In order to avoid such distortion and provide improved optical properties, it is preferred that the collectible be somewhat smaller than the lens. In general, the lens should be larger than the collectible in proportion to the amount of magnification provided. Preferably, about 10% to about 30% magnification is provided. For such an embodiment, the lens should similarly be about 10% to about 30% larger than the collectible.  
         [0045]    Moreover, it has further been discovered that magnification can be improved if some distance is provided between the magnifying lens and the collectible. Referring to FIG. 14, an embodiment providing for a larger lens spaced from the collectible is set forth. For this embodiment, a one-piece support frame  112  is provided with an opening  113  that is somewhat deeper than those previously described. The opening receives a collectible  114  which is held in place by a retaining frame  116 . The retaining frame is designed with a frame aperture  118  such that the collectible is held by its edges. Of course, a solid clear retaining bracket could similarly hold the collectible within the opening. In the preferred embodiment, the inner wall  122  of the opening is tapered to cooperate with a similarly tapered outer edge  124  of the retaining frame so that the retaining frame is held in place through friction with the wall. A snap-in fit could also be used. Alternatively, the retaining bracket can be an integral ridge or projections extending outward from the edge of the back surface of the lens.  
         [0046]    A magnifying lens  126  is provided near the front of the opening of the support frame to provide the desired magnification for viewing the collectible. An optional clear lens cover  128  is provided over the magnifying lens to help hold the assembly together and protect the lens.  
         [0047]    Yet another embodiment with a dual lens assembly is illustrated in FIG. 15. A one-piece support frame  142  is provided with an opening  143  similar to that of the previous embodiment. The opening receives a collectible  144  held in place by a retaining frame  146  with a frame aperture  148  to hold the collectible by its edges. As with the previous embodiment, the inner wall  152  of the opening and the outer edge  154  of the retaining frame have mating tapers.  
         [0048]    Rather than a single magnifying lens, first and second magnifying lenses  156 ,  158  are provided spaced from one another and from the collectible in the opening. Such a two-lens display device provides improved magnification at reduced depth for the collectible within the support frame. Optional lens spacers  162  of a frame design similar to that of the retaining frame are provided to hold the lenses in place and an optional clear lens cover  164  is provided to hold the assembly together and protect the lens. While not shown, in an alternate embodiment, the lens spacers can be an integral ridge or projections extending outward from the edge of the back surface of each of the magnifying lenses. Such an alternative may be preferred where the lenses are made from a molded plastic material.  
         [0049]    The embodiments of FIGS. 14 and 15 are shown and described above as having a collectible placed within an opening in a support frame such that the collectible is viewed through that opening. Removable elements through which the collectible can be viewed are then placed in the opening to complete the display case assembly. However, the assembly could be constructed such that the elements in front of the collectible are fixed in place. For example, retaining frames and spacers could be fixedly attached to an integral with the support frame. In such alternate constructions, the support frame would have a removable back plate through which the collectible could be inserted into the display case.  
         [0050]    For the various embodiments set forth above, any one of a number of different types of magnifying lenses may be used. Either plastic or glass lenses may be used. A Fresnel lens may also be used and can provide advantages in certain applications due to its compact size.  
         [0051]    A number of variations of the invention have been described above. The embodiments described are generally directed to display devices for either trading cards or stamps. Indeed, the invention is useful for the storage and display of any relatively flat collectible. Just a few examples include coins, paper currency, photographs and cards, letters and other valuable or important documents. Moreover, the invention compartment or compartments may be modified to allow for the display of more bulky collectibles, such as dolls. A number of other variations are possible while remaining within the intended scope of the invention. For example, the embodiments generally describe a display device in which access to the collectible stored within it is provided through some form of removable plate. For such embodiments, the use of a gasket will improve the seal. However, for certain display cases, it may be desirable to permanently seal the collectible within the case. For example, if a collectible has been certified as authentic, the use of a display case of the present invention can be useful not only for conveniently displaying the collectible, it can also be useful for assuring that the collectible has not been tampered with or even replaced with a counterfeit. Therefore, it can be desirable to permanently seal the collectible within the device by using a permanent adhesive or some other bonding technique to seal the various components together. Another optional feature would be the addition of a protective coating to the lens, lenses, lens cover or any other component. Such a coating may be selected to impart desirable properties such as scratch resistance for the component itself or to provide ultraviolet light resistance to provide even further protection to the collectible. Alternatively, such protective features may be directly formed into the component such as by the inclusion of an appropriate additive during molding, or applied in some other known way rather than being applied as a coating.  
         [0052]    Having described the invention and various embodiments, the intended scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.