Abstract:
This showcase for preserving and displaying objects in a protected environment comprises a display space and adjustment and control means for maintaining predetermined climatic conditions of the air in the display space. The adjustment and control means comprise an air treatment path outside the display space as well as openings for delivering conditioned air from the treatment path to the display space and openings for returning the conditioned air from the display space to the treatment path. The showcase comprises in the same display space at least two display areas having predetermined different climatic conditions from each other, not separated by any wall. The presence of display areas with different climatic conditions allows to arrange—in this showcase—several objects, even with the aim of different preservation needs with respect to each other.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Italian Application No. MI2013A000768 filed on May 10, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention refers to a showcase for preserving and displaying objects in a protected environment, typically such as artworks, cultural heritage objects or however delicate objects, in museums, exhibitions and the like. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The expression “protected environment” herein and hereinafter refers to an environment in which the atmosphere is controlled, through the monitoring of one or more parameters among temperature, relative humidity, dust content, pollutant content, with the aim of maintaining the conditions provided for preserving the displayed objects, and in which access thereto by unauthorised personnel is prohibited, so as to avoid theft or damage of the displayed objects. 
         [0004]    Thus, showcases of this type must meet various types of requirements, in view of the preservation and entirety of the displayed objects. In addition, obviously, these showcases are required to guarantee the best visibility for the displayed objects so as to allow operators managing museums and exhibitions to organise suitable exhibition paths, depending on the cultural message intended to be transmitted. 
         [0005]    Especially when the objects to be displayed are extremely sensitive, the climatic conditions must be controlled in a very painstaking and accurate manner, so as to avoid damaging the objects. In addition, obviously different objects often require different climatic conditions. Hence, it often occurs that the arrangement of objects in the same museum space is conditioned by requirements related to the correct preservation of the single objects to be displayed and the exhibition needs, which should lead to distributing the objects according to cultural criteria of sequence and matching between various objects. On the contrary, the preservation needs sometimes lead to grouping in the same showcases objects with the same climatic need, even when the logical arrangement for a better access for the public would be different, or to often use showcases for single objects, thus determining an increase of the number of showcases that determines not only high costs but also a fragmentation of the display which may jeopardize the cultural message. 
         [0006]    Those managing sensitive museums and exhibition objects, which require predetermined climatic conditions, thus feel the need of having innovative instruments capable of allowing them greater freedom of display of such objects in the display paths, though in the most scrupulous respect of the ideal preservation climatic conditions 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Thus, the present invention regards a showcase according to claim  1 . Preferred characteristics are indicated in the dependent claims. 
         [0008]    More in detail, the invention regards a showcase for preserving and displaying objects in a protected environment, comprising a display space and adjustment and control means for maintaining predetermined climatic conditions of the air in the display space, wherein the adjustment and control means comprise an air treatment path outside the display space as well as openings for delivering conditioned air from the treatment path to the display space and openings for returning the conditioned air from the display space to the treatment path, characterised in that it comprises in the same display space at least two display areas having predetermined different climatic conditions from each other, not separated by any wall, wherein, for each display area:
       the delivery openings and return openings comprise area-specific delivery and return openings, and   the area-specific delivery openings of each of the display areas receive—from the treatment path—area-specific conditioned air having climatic conditions suitable for maintaining the predetermined specific climatic conditions for such display area.       
 
         [0011]    The presence of display areas with different climatic conditions allows arranging in this showcase several objects, also with preservation needs different from each other; thus, the display paths may be defined with greater freedom, without requiring an excessive number of showcases. 
         [0012]    The different climatic conditions from each other in the different display areas may include different conditions relative humidity and/or different temperature conditions. Vice versa, generally it will not be necessary to provide for different cleaning conditions against dust or pollutant agents, in that objects less sensitive than these factors are definitely not damaged if preserved in cleaner spaces than strictly necessary. 
         [0013]    In a preferred embodiment, in each display area: 
         [0014]    the area-specific delivery openings are distributed on a first wall of the showcase facing the display area and 
         [0015]    the area-specific return openings are distributed on a second wall of the showcase facing the display area and opposite to the first wall. 
         [0016]    The arrangement on the opposite walls of the area-specific delivery and return openings facilitates the correct distribution of the airflow inside each display area. 
         [0017]    Preferably, in each display area the area-specific delivery openings and the area-specific return openings are distributed uniformly on the first and respectively on the second wall. 
         [0018]    This particularly allows to obtain in each display area a laminar flow of the conditioned air. Laminar flows (contrary to the turbulent flows) are unidirectional flows made up of extremely regular fluid streams that flow parallel from each other and do not mix. The laminar flows of conditioned air in each display area, between the respective area-specific delivery and return openings, wind each object present in the area and thus prevent the air in the different areas from mixing, though in the absence of walls or barriers (even air barriers). 
         [0019]    In order to facilitate the obtainment of the aforementioned laminar flows, it is suitable that the emission of conditioned air from the area-specific delivery ports be suitably controlled. Preferably, in each display area, the area-specific conditioned air exits from all area-specific delivery openings at the same speed, and even more preferably the speed of the area-specific conditioned air at the area-specific delivery openings is of 0.30-0.50 m/s. Thus, this allows to easily obtain the desired laminar flow. 
         [0020]    In a preferred embodiment, in each display area, the area-specific conditioned air exits from the area-specific delivery openings at a speed proportionally as high as vicinity to other display areas. The higher speed of the air in the so-called border areas between different display areas adjacent with respect to each other allows to create a given barrier effect; such barrier effect is such to increase the already ideal separation from among obtained areas due to laminar flows. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the speed of the area-specific conditioned air is in this case of 0.05-0.65 m/s at the area-specific delivery openings. These values revealed to be efficient at obtaining both the desired barrier effect between different display areas and the desired laminar flow inside the single display areas. 
         [0022]    In a preferred embodiment, in each display area, the area-specific delivery openings and the area-specific return openings are distributed on the first and respectively on the second wall in proximity of one or more adjacent display areas. 
         [0023]    This arrangement allows an air barrier which allows to separate the areas from each other, so that they can be maintained in different climatic conditions. The conditioned air introduced into each area does not mix with the conditioned air introduced in other areas, thus guaranteeing to maintain different climatic conditions; actually, there is no convective exchange between different areas and the constant exchange of the conditioned air makes the effect of the possible heat exchange by conduction or radiation marginal. 
         [0024]    Preferably, in each display area, the area-specific conditioned air exits from all the area-specific delivery openings at the same speed, and even more preferably, the speed of the area-specific conditioned air at the area-specific delivery openings is of 1.50-3.00 m/s. Thus, this allows to easily obtain the desired air barrier effect. Generally, it is suitable that the speed is proportionally high to the height of the showcase. 
         [0025]    Preferably, in each display area, the area-specific return openings are distributed on an area larger than that on which the area-specific delivery openings are distributed. Thus, especially for high showcases, it is easier to recover from the area-specific return openings the air which should be sent to the treatment path, taking into account the general tendency of the delivery air jet to widen towards the inside of the display area. 
         [0026]    The number of display areas may be any, for example also equal to or greater than three. Generally, the higher the number of the areas, the greater the versatility of the showcase. 
         [0027]    Preferably, the treatment path comprises, for each display area, an area-specific delivery plenum upstream of the area-specific delivery openings and/or an area-specific return plenum downstream of the area-specific return openings. Thus, the expression plenum is herein and hereinafter used to describe a portion in the air passage circuit having a much larger section with respect to the other portions of the circuit, so that—therein—the speed—of the air is substantially zeroed. The presence of a plenum immediately upstream and downstream of the display area facilitates the establishment of the laminar flow conditions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    Further characteristics and advantages of a showcase according to the invention shall be more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, provided with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a showcase according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is a functional scheme of the showcase of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a showcase according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is a functional diagram of the showcase of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a showcase according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 6  is a functional scheme of the showcase of  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0035]    In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a showcase according to a first embodiment of the invention with is indicated in its entirety with  10 . The showcase  10  comprises a base  20 , a box  21  above the base  20 , a roof  24  above the box  21 , and a backrest  25  arranged on the back of the box  21  and adjacent both to the base  20  and to the roof  24 . The box  21  is made up of panels including at least one openable, coupled from each other in a sealing fashion in a per se conventional manner; in the figures, neither the openable panels nor the sealing means are shown, in that not part of the invention. 
         [0036]    The showcase  10  comprises a display space  30  inside the box  21  and adjustment and control means for maintaining predetermined climatic conditions of the air in the display space. These adjustment and control means comprise an air treatment path  40 , housed in the base  20 , in the backrest  25  and in the roof  24 , thus outside the display space  30 , as well as delivery openings  41  of conditioned air from the treatment path  40  to the display space  30  and return openings  42  of the conditioned air from the display space  30  to the treatment path  40 . 
         [0037]    The treatment path  40  comprises equipment and devices (per se known) for measuring and modifying the climatic conditions of the air; for example, they may be provided with heaters, coolers, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, filters of various types, all per se known in the art and thus neither described nor illustrated in detail. 
         [0038]    In the same display space  30  at least two display areas having predetermined different climatic conditions from each other are provided; in particular, in the example of the illustrated showcase  10 , two display areas  30   a  and  30   b  are provided. The two areas  30   a  and  30   b  are not separated from each other by any wall, channel or the like; thus, they are solely differentiated by the different climatic conditions therein. These different climatic conditions from each other in the different display areas  30   a  and  30   b  comprise different relative humidity and/or different temperature conditions. 
         [0039]    The delivery and return openings comprise area-specific delivery  41   a ,  41   b  and return  42   a ,  42   b  openings of the conditioned air. The area-specific delivery openings  41   a ,  41   b  receive from the treatment path  40  area-specific conditioned air having the predetermined specific climatic conditions for the display area  30   a  or  30   b . For such purpose, also the treatment path  40  is evidently doubled into two treatment paths  40   a ,  40   b , each specific for the respective display area  30   a ,  30   b.    
         [0040]    The area-specific delivery openings  41   a ,  41   b  are distributed uniformly on a first wall  51   a ,  51   b  of the showcase  10  facing the display area  30   a ,  30   b  and the area-specific return openings  42   a ,  42   b  are distributed uniformly on a second wall  52   a ,  52   b  of the showcase  10  facing the display area  30   a ,  30   b  and opposite to the first wall  51   a ,  51   b.    
         [0041]    In each display area  30   a ,  30   b , between the area-specific delivery openings  41   a ,  41   b  and the area-specific return openings  42   a ,  42   b  a laminar flow of area-specific conditioned air is established, which traverses the entire display area, as schematically represented by the vectors in  FIG. 2 . The area-specific conditioned air exits from all the area-specific delivery openings  41   a ,  41   b  at the same speed, preferably comprised between 0.30 m/s and 0.50 m/s. 
         [0042]    The conditioned air laminar flows in each display area  30   a ,  30   b , between the respective area-specific delivery  41   a ,  41   b  and return  42   a  openings,  42   b , wind each object present in the area  30   a ,  30   b  and thus prevent the air in the different zones from mixing, though in the absence of walls or barriers of any kind. 
         [0043]    The area-specific delivery  41   a ,  41   b  and return  42   a ,  42   b  openings may be formed, 
         [0044]    for example, by a plurality of equal holes. 
         [0045]    The air treatment path  40  may then comprise, for each display area  30   a ,  30   b , an area-specific delivery plenum  55   a ,  55   b  upstream of the area-specific delivery openings  41   a ,  41   b  and/or an area-specific return plenum  56   a ,  56   b , downstream of the area-specific return openings  42   a ,  42   b . The presence of the area-specific plenum allows to make the conditioned air flow much more regular, thus facilitating the establishment of laminar motion conditions in the display areas  30   a  and  30   b.    
         [0046]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show a showcase  110  according to a second embodiment of the invention. The showcase  110 , analogously to the showcase  10 , comprises a base  120 , a box  121  above the base  120 , a roof  124  above the box  121 , and a backrest  125  arranged at the back of the box  121  and adjacent to both the base  120  and the roof  124 . The box  121  is made up of panels including at least one openable, coupled to each other in a sealing fashion in a per se conventional manner; in the figure, neither the openable panels nor the sealing means are shown, in that not part of the invention. 
         [0047]    The showcase  110  comprises a display space  130  inside the box  121  and adjustment and control means for maintaining predetermined climatic conditions of the air in the display space. These adjustment and control means comprise a treatment path  140  of the air, housed in the base  120 , in the backrest  125  and in the roof  124 , thus outside the display space  130 , as well as delivery openings  141  of conditioned air from the treatment path  140  to the display space  130  and return openings  142  of the conditioned air from the display space  130  to the treatment path  140 . 
         [0048]    The treatment path  140  comprises equipment and devices (per se known) for measuring and modifying the climatic conditions of the air; for example, they may be provided with heaters, coolers, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, filters of various types, all per se known in the art and thus neither described nor illustrated in detail. 
         [0049]    In the same display space  130  at least two display areas having predetermined different climatic conditions from each other are provided; in particular, in the example of the illustrated showcase  110 , two display areas  130   a  and  130   b  are provided. The two areas  130   a  and  130   b  are not separated from each other by any wall, channel or the like; thus they are solely differentiated by the presence of different climatic therein. These climatic conditions different from each other in the different display areas  130   a  and  130   b  comprise different relative humidity and/or different temperature conditions. 
         [0050]    The delivery and return openings comprise area-specific delivery  141   a ,  141   b  and return  142   a ,  142   b  openings of the conditioned air. The area-specific delivery openings  141   a ,  141   b  receive from the treatment path  140  area-specific conditioned air having the predetermined specific climatic conditions for the display area  130   a  or  130   b . For such purpose, also the treatment path  140  is evidently doubled into two treatment paths  140   a ,  140   b , each specific for the respective display area  130   a ,  130   b.    
         [0051]    The area-specific delivery openings  141   a ,  141   b  are distributed uniformly on a first wall  151   a ,  151   b  of the showcase  110  facing the display area  130   a ,  130   b  and the area-specific return openings  142   a ,  142   b  are distributed uniformly on a second wall  152   a ,  152   b  of the showcase  110  facing the display area  130   a ,  130   b  and opposite to the first wall  151   a,  15 lb. 
         [0052]    In every display area  130   a ,  130   b , between the area-specific delivery openings  141   a ,  141   b  and the area-specific return openings  142   a ,  142   b  a laminar flow of the area-specific conditioned air is established, which traverses the entire display area. 
         [0053]    Contrary to the showcase  10 , the area-specific conditioned air exits from the area-specific delivery openings  141   a ,  141   b  with different speed. More precisely, the area-specific conditioned air exits with greater speed in area-specific openings proximal to other display areas, more precisely with speed proportionally as high as is greater is the vicinity to other display areas, as schematically represented by the vectors in  FIG. 4 . The air speed at the exit of the openings  141   a ,  141   b  is thus preferably comprised between 0.05 m/s and 0.65 m/s. 
         [0054]    Like in the showcase  10 , the conditioned air laminar flows in each display area  130   a ,  130   b , between the respective area-specific delivery  141   a ,  141   b  and return  142   a ,  142   b  openings, wind every object present in the area  130   a ,  130   b  and thus prevent the air in the different areas from mixing, though in presence of walls or barriers of any type. 
         [0055]    In addition, the higher speed of air in the so-called border areas between the different display areas  130   a ,  130   b  adjacent from each other allows to create a certain barrier effect; this barrier effect is such to increase the already optimal separation from among the obtained area due to the laminar flows. 
         [0056]    Like in the showcase  10 , the area-specific delivery  141   a ,  141   b  and return  142   a ,  142   b  openings may for example be formed by a plurality of equal holes. 
         [0057]    The air treatment path  140  may comprise, for each display area  130   a ,  130   b , an area-specific delivery plenum  155   a ,  155   b  upstream of the area-specific delivery openings  141   a ,  141   b  and/or an area-specific return plenum  156   a ,  156   b , downstream of the area-specific return openings  142   a ,  142   b . The presence of the area-specific plenums allows to make the conditioned air flow more regular, thus facilitating the establishment of laminar motion conditions in the display areas  130   a  and  130   b.    
         [0058]      FIGS. 5 and 6  shows a showcase  210  according to a third embodiment of the invention. The showcase  210 , analogously to showcases  10  and  110 , comprises a base  220 , a box  221  above the base  220 , a roof  224  above the box  221 , and a backrest  225  arranged against the back of the box  221  and adjacent both to the base  220  and to the roof  224 . The box  221  is made up of panels between which at least one is openable, coupled to each other in a sealing fashion in a per se conventional manner; in the figures, neither the openable panels nor the sealing means are outlined, given that they are not part of the invention. 
         [0059]    The showcase  210  comprises a display space  230  inside the box  221  and adjustment and control means for maintaining predetermined climatic conditions of the air in the display space. These adjustment and control means comprise a treatment path  240  of the air, housed in the base  220 , in the backrest  225  and in the roof  224 , thus outside the display space  230 , as well as openings  241  for delivering conditioned air from the treatment path  240  to the display space  230  and openings  242  for returning the conditioned air from the display space  230  to the treatment path  240 . 
         [0060]    The treatment path  240  comprises equipment and devices (per se known) for measuring and modifying the climatic conditions of the air; for example heaters, coolers, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, filters of various kind may be provided, all per se known in the art and thus neither described nor illustrated in detail. 
         [0061]    In the same display space  230  at least two display areas having predetermined different climatic conditions from each other are provided; in particular, in the example of the illustrated showcase  210 , two display areas  230   a  and  230   b  are provided. The two areas  230   a  and  230   b  are not separated from each other by any wall, channel or the like; thus, they are solely differentiated by the different climatic conditions to therein. These different climatic conditions from each other in the different display areas  230   a  and  230   b  comprise different relative humidity and/or temperature conditions. 
         [0062]    The delivery and openings comprise area-specific delivery  241   a ,  241   b  and return  242   a ,  242   b  openings of the conditioned air. The area-specific delivery openings  241   a ,  241   b  receive from the treatment path  240  area-specific conditioned air having the predetermined specific climatic conditions for the display area  230   a  or  230   b . For such purpose, also the treatment path  240  is evidently doubled into two treatment paths  240   a ,  240   b , each specific for the respective display area  230   a ,  230   b.    
         [0063]    The area-specific delivery openings  241   a  are distributed on a first wall  251   a  of the showcase  210  facing the display area  230   a  and in proximity of the display area  230   b ; the area-specific return openings  242   a  are distributed on a second wall  252   a  of the showcase  210  facing the display area  230   a  and in proximity of the display area  230   b ; the second wall  252   a  is opposite to the first wall  251   a . The area-specific delivery openings  241   b  are distributed on a first wall  251   b  of the showcase  210  facing the display area  230   b  and in proximity of the display area  230   a ; the area-specific return openings  242   b  are distributed on a second wall  252   b  of the showcase  210  facing the display area  230   b  and in proximity of the display area  230   a ; the second wall  252   b  is opposite to the first wall  251   b.    
         [0064]    In every display area  230   a ,  230   b , between the area-specific delivery openings  241   a ,  241   b  and the area-specific return openings  242   a ,  242   b  an area-specific conditioned air flow, which traverses the entire display area, is established. 
         [0065]    Contrary to showcase  10  and showcase  110 , the area-specific conditioned air which exits from the area-specific delivery openings  241   a ,  241   b  does not have the laminar flow characteristics, but it is concentrated on the border between the adjacent display areas  230   a  and  230   b , forming an air barrier therebetween, as schematically represented by the vectors in  FIG. 6 . The speed of the air at the exit from the openings  241   a ,  241   b  is thus preferably comprised between 1.5 m/s and 3.0 m/s. 
         [0066]    The conditioned air in each display area  230   a ,  230   b  not only traverses the space directly comprised between the respective area-specific delivery  241   a ,  241   b  and return  242   a ,  242   b  openings, but it is extended over the entire display area  230   a ,  230   b , thus winding every object present therein. The air barrier formed in proximity of the border between the two display areas  230   a  and  230   b  prevents the air in the different areas from mixing, though in the absence of walls or barriers of any kind. 
         [0067]    Preferably, in each display area  230   a ,  230   b , the area-specific return openings  242   a ,  242   b  are distributed on an area larger than that on which the area-specific delivery openings are distributed  241   a ,  241   b . Thus, especially if the showcase  210  is relatively high, is easier to recover from the area-specific return openings  242   a ,  242   b  the air to be conveyed to the treatment path  240 , considering the natural tendency of the delivery air jet to expand towards the inside of the display area  230   a ,  230   b.    
         [0068]    Like in showcase  10  and showcase  110 , the area-specific delivery  141   a ,  141   b  and return  142   a ,  142   b  openings may for example be formed by a plurality of equal holes. 
         [0069]    The air treatment path  240  may comprise, for each display area  230   a ,  230   b , an area-specific delivery plenum  255   a ,  255   b  upstream of the area-specific delivery openings  241   a ,  241   b  and/or an area-specific return plenum  256   a ,  256   b , downstream of the area-specific return openings  242   a ,  242   b . The presence of the area-specific plenums allows to make the conditioned air flow much more regular, thus, in this case, facilitating the maintenance of a separation between the two adjacent conditioned air flows which form the air barrier between the display areas  230   a  and  230   b.    
         [0070]    The illustrated showcases  10 ,  110 ,  210  have two display distinct areas; it is obviously possible that the showcases according to the invention have three or more distinct display areas, variously arranged in the showcase.