STACKABLE DISPLAY CASE

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/723,678, filed Nov. 22, 2024, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to display cases and, more particularly, to a stackable display case adapted for tradeshow presentations.

Conventional display cases that vendors use to display their wares can be easily damaged as their base material is typically metal and so portions of the display case start to wear, split, scratch, or create sharp edges. Current portable display cases do not have removable, detachable or movable risers to prop up the lid in an angled orientation. Rather, current display cases offer non-adjustable single sized presentation area or volume (e.g., lid fully open or removed) or if the lid of the display case were to be held open at an angle, it would either require the user to do it manually (usually in a fasted paced sales environment) or the hinges would require locking, which in turn makes the presentation precarious and somewhat uninviting.

Furthermore, prior art portable display cases cannot be easily stacked by the vendor to conserve space during storage or stowage, and thus when traveling vendors need to pack multiple display cases and so they may be forced to not bring as many of their presentation items due to lack of space. Note, these display cases typically have a footprint around two feet by three feet.

As can be seen, there is a need for a portable display case adapted for vendors to display their wares at tradeshows, wherein the display case is made of high-grade plastic, the base portion of which is dimensioned and shaped to stack with one or more base portions of other display cases, and wherein the lid is both moveable between a plurality of presentation positions by way of display risers that are separatable from the display case so that each lid and pair of display risers can be stacked in the base portion or a separate container with other lids and display risers to facilitate storage and transportation. In other words, the display case is a ‘tabletop showcase’ designed to elevate the display and presentation of a vendor's most prized possessions at a tradeshow while being designed to be easily stored and transported with other display cases to and from said tradeshows.

SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSURE

In one aspect of the subject disclosure, a display case assembly includes the following: a case body having a bottom wall; a first sidewall extending upward from said bottom wall; a second sidewall extending upward from said bottom wall and positioned opposite said first sidewall; a first lateral sidewall and a second lateral wall each extending upward from said bottom wall and extending between said first sidewall and said second sidewall; wherein said bottom wall, said first sidewall, said second sidewall, said first lateral sidewall, and said second lateral sidewall cooperatively define an interior chamber; a first display riser positioned within said interior chamber adjacent said first sidewall, said first display riser having a first display surface extending at an acute angle relative to the bottom wall to an apex height above said bottom wall; and a second display riser positioned within said interior chamber opposite of said first display riser, said second display riser having a second display surface extending at the acute angle from the bottom wall to the apex height above said bottom wall, whereby said first and second display risers create an angled display configuration with progressively higher display surfaces for supporting the lid in a display condition.

In another aspect of the present subject disclosure, the display case assembly further includes wherein the first and second display risers are positioned along opposing edge of the bottom wall, wherein the first and second display risers are positioned along opposing upper edges of the first and second sidewalls respectively, wherein respective upper edges of the first and second sidewalls define a track bordered by an edge lip; further having a lid dimensioned to be seated on and extend between the respective upper edges of the first and second sidewalls, thereby fully closing off a top opening to the interior chamber; and grip elements along a planar surface of the lid, and wherein the lid and the first and second sidewalls are transparent.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present subject disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating an enclosed seated condition thereof with the lid sealing off the interior chamber.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in the seated condition.

FIG. 3 is a lateral elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in the seated condition.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in the seated condition.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating stiffeners 15.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating a longitudinal display condition thereof with the lid seated on the display surfaces of the display risers.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in the longitudinal display condition.

FIG. 8 is a lateral elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in the longitudinal display condition.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in the longitudinal display condition.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating a stacked arrangement of case bodies 10.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating the stacked arrangement facilitated by the tiered component 54 of the sidewall, where the tiered component 54 has a slightly greater footprint relative to its sidewall 14.

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, shown in a lateral display condition of display risers and lid.

FIG. 15 is a lateral elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating the lateral display condition.

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, shown in the lateral display condition.

FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, shown with the lid and display risers removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSURE

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the subject disclosure, since the scope of the subject disclosure is best defined by the appended claims.

As used herein, directional terms such as upper, lower, upward, downwardly, top, left, right and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, such that the upward direction (or upper) being toward the top of the corresponding figures and the downward direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figures.

A general overview of the various features of the invention will be provided, with a detailed description following. Broadly, an embodiment of the subject disclosure provides a stackable display case designed for vendors presenting their wares at tradeshows, whereby the display tray supports side risers that elevate the lid of the display case to an upright, angled display condition, thereby affording a unique, attractive, and alternative presentation of the items contained in the display case.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 17, the subject disclosure may include a display case assembly 100 with a stackable case body 10 and a removable lid 20. The lid 20, by being removable makes it interchangeable, whereby the user can clean or replace the lid 20 if/when it shows too much wear/tear over time. The plasticized materials used in the subject disclosure—for the case body 10 and lid 20—are selected for minimizing wear and tear and other forms of damage that diminish the appearance and surfaces of the display case 100.

Lid 20 may provide grip elements 22 or spaced apart recesses with a pinch portion 24 therebetween for a user to lift or otherwise manipulate the lid 20 through pinching the pinch portion 24. Lid 20 can be moved from a seated condition, closing off the entirety of the interior chamber of the case body 10 to one or more display conditions changing the presentation of collectible being presented by the display case assembly 100.

Typically, the display case assembly 100 is approximately twenty-four inches wide (along the lateral edges) and approximately thirty-two inches long along its longitudinal edges. Though other dimensions are contemplated. Most importantly, the display case assembly 100 is generally meant to house dozens if not scores of collectibles, for instance card cases. In the seated condition, with the lid 20 seated along an upper edge of the sidewalls of the case body 10, these items may be horizontal, flat packed or stacked, say during storage or transportation. Though, when the user wants to showcase their wares in an attention-grabbing presentation, the lid 20 may be propped at an acute angle (relative to the seated condition) on display risers 30, and so the showcased items may be presented in a vertical upright position due to the extra headroom afforded by the lid 20 being in the display condition.

The case body 10 may have a substantially planar bottom wall 12 forming a base of the case body 10. The bottom wall 12 defines a support surface having an underside configured to rest on an underlying surface such as a countertop, shelf, or display table, while the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 supports the collectibles being presented. The bottom wall 12 may have a rectangular plan form with a length/longitudinal dimension L1 and a width/lateral dimension W1.

Case body 10 has a plurality of sidewalls 14 extending upward from the entirety of longitudinal and lateral edges of the bottom wall 12. Each of the sidewalls 14 is oriented substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall 12 and extends upward to an upper edge 16. The plurality of sidewalls 14 defines four corner transitions where adjacent sidewalls meet. In the illustrated embodiment, each corner transition comprises a rounded corner portion having a radius of curvature.

Case body 10 defines a top opening 17 bounded by the upper edges of the plurality of sidewalls 14. The top opening 17 provides access to an interior chamber 18 defined by the bottom wall 12 and the plurality of sidewalls 14.

Each of the upper edges 16 defines a track 40 adjacent to an edge lip 42 extending from the respective upper edges 16. The edge lips 42, much like the sidewalls 14, are continuously joined along the perimeter of the upper edges 16, whereby a continuous edge lip 42 circumscribes the upper edges 16 and the top opening 17. Similarly, track 40 is continuous and unbroken as it circumscribes the top opening 17.

The lid 20 may be substantially planar, transparent or translucent panel configured to provide visual access to items displayed within the case body 10. The lid 20 may be dimensioned and sized to cover the top opening 17 while seated along the entirety of track 40 that runs continuously along the upper edges 16.

The subject disclosure contemplates opposing display risers 30 that engage opposing upper edge 16 in a display condition propping up the lid 20, allowing the lid 20 to remain open relative to the case body 10. The display riser 30 is generally an acute triangle wherein the hypotenuse is the display surface 35. In some embodiments, the edge risers 30 may be connected to the case body 10 such that they are pivotably movable between the extended condition and a collapsed condition occupying the compartment of the case body 10.

In some embodiments, display case assembly 100 includes a plurality of removable display risers 30 positioned within the interior chamber 18 of the case body 10 or, alternatively, along track 40 of the upper edge 16, as shown in the illustrated embodiment. The display riser system may include two display risers 30, though other embodiments may include fewer or more display risers 30 depending on display requirements. The plurality of display risers 30 are detachable to be stored along the bottom wall 12 or in a separate container. Of course, the display risers 30 positioned within or along the upper edges 16 of the case body 10 to support and elevate the lid 20 at different elevations (affording different presentation head rooms) and at different acute angles relative to the horizontal bottom wall 12.

In some embodiment, the display risers 30 may be engaged along the opposing longitudinal edges of the case body 10 (lateral display condition—see FIG. 14) or opposing latitudinal edges (longitudinal display condition—see FIG. 6) of the case body 10 so as to affect different angles of orientation of the lid 20 that is supported along the upper display surface 35 of the spaced apart display risers 30, as illustrated in the Figures.

Each display riser 30 may have a substantially planar base surface 32 in contact with the bottom wall 12 or the track 40, thereby enabling a user to change the elevation of the supported lid 20. The base surface 32 provides base protrusions 33, as shown in FIG. 6. The sidewalls 14 or bottom wall 12 and/or track 40 provide basin slots 43 (not shown in the sidewalls or bottom wall 12) dimensioned, sized and spaced apart to receive the base protrusions 33 of the display riser 30, whereby the latter is maintained in an upright position.

The base protrusions 33 may project orthogonal relative to the riser body 34 as in some embodiments, the basis slots 43 are through the vertically oriented edge lip 42. And so, when the base surface 32 of the display riser 30 is seated on track 40 of the upper edge 16, the base protrusions 33 are received laterally in the basin slots 43 to provide vertical and lateral support for the display riser 30.

The riser body 34 extends upward from the riser base surface 32. Again, display surface 35 (also referred to as riser top surface) is positioned at an upper end of the riser body 34 and configured to support the lid 20. The display surface 35 provides vertically oriented lid protrusions 36 that are dimensioned, sized, and spaced apart to be received in lid slots 26, see FIGS. 8 and 9.

The display risers 30 may be transparent or translucent to maintain visual continuity through the display case and/or provide visibility into chamber 18 of the case body 10 even though the lid 20 is propped up by the display risers 30. In other embodiments, the display risers 30 may be opaque and color-matched or contrasted with the case body walls.

Anti-slip pads, feet or reinforcement stiffeners 15 may be distributed across a bottom surface 12 of the bottom wall 12. Mounting holes or attachment points for securing the display case assembly 100 to an underlying surface may be provided as well as leveling feet or adjustable supports for compensating for uneven surfaces.

In use, the display case assembly 100 may function as follows: case body 100 is positioned on a support surface with the bottom wall 12 resting on the support surface. Lid 20 may be moved (by way of pinch portion 24) from a seated condition on tracks 40, thereby providing access to items stored in chamber 18 of the case body 10. The display risers 30 may be moved from a collapsed condition (possibly stored in chamber 18) or from stored condition in a separate container to a display condition engaging the case body 10 along its opposing tracks 40 (supported by the adjacent edge lip 42) or opposing edges of the bottom wall 12 (supported by the adjacent sidewall 14). Lid 30 may be propped on the display surfaces of the respective display risers 30 so that items may be placed in an upright position under the lid 20 while still being accentuated by the bottom wall 12.

It should be well understood that the outside dimensions of a display case assembly 100 can vary between embodiments or even within an embodiment. In one non-limiting embodiment the bottom wall 10 of the display case assembly 100 may be 32-inch×24 in×2⅝-inch and the inside dimensions are 28⅝-inch×20⅝-inch×1¾ inch.

The material of the case body 10 may be, but is not limited to, a durable hard polypropylene (PP) plastic material which allows the display case to be light in weight but durable enough to withstand transportation and longevity of use. The lid 20 may be ¼″ crystal clear acrylic.

Lid 20 creates a polished and quality look that enhances the appeal of the items a vendor chooses to display. Lid 20 is removable for easy replacement, cleaning and transporting safely. The display risers 30 can easily be attached to the sides of lid 20, wherein the display risers 30 prop the lid 20 in an upright position, allowing for a dynamic and eye-catching presentation of the displayed items.

The display case assembly 100 embodied by the subject disclosure is a versatile and secure solution designed for various commercial applications. The subject disclosure may primarily be used for renting to vendors at tradeshows, offering a professional and durable display option for showcasing valuable items.

The durable hard polypropylene (PP) plastic material allows an exceptionally large number of display cases at tradeshows with the ability to stack the bases and the lids in a stacked arrangement. The stack-ability of a plurality of case bodies 10 enables users to provide more display cases at tradeshow events. The removal of the acrylic lid provides the user with the option to replace the lid at any time.

As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term “substantially” refers to up to 80% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “aligned” means parallel, substantially parallel, or forming an angle of less than 35.0 degrees. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “transverse” means perpendicular, substantially perpendicular, or forming an angle between 55.0 and 125.0 degrees. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “length” means the longest dimension of an object. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “width” means the dimension of an object from side to side. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “above” generally means superjacent, substantially superjacent, or higher than another object although not directly overlying the object. Further, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “mechanical communication” generally refers to components being in direct physical contact with each other or being in indirect physical contact with each other where movement of one component affect the position of the other.

The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.

In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure as set forth in the following claims.