EP0342911A1

EP0342911A1 - Display cabinet

Info

Publication number: EP0342911A1
Application number: EP89304911A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mitunori Kohno; Yukuo Kurimoto
Original assignee: Tokyo Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Toshiba TEC Corp
Priority date: 1988-05-18
Filing date: 1989-05-16
Publication date: 1989-11-23
Also published as: KR900017529A; JPH01170161U

Abstract

A cabinet for displaying a large number of articles has a plurality of sides each defining at least one concave see-through surface through which the articles can be seen. A person standing in front of the midportion of each see-through surface finds himself at a short distance from either end thereof, too, and can, therefore, look at all of the articles displayed in the cabinet between the opposite ends of the see-through surface without moving away from the place where he stands.

Description

Field of the Invention and Related Art Statement:

This invention relates to a cabinet which is suitable for displaying a large number of articles.
FIGURES 5 and 6 show a typical display cabinet 30 which is used for showing a large number of articles to a visitor 1. It has a rectangular cross section as shown in FIGURE 5. Another type of display cabinet is shown at 31 in FIGURES 7 and 8. It has a generally U-shaped cross section. It is also often the case that a plurality of display cabinets each having a rectangular cross section as shown at 30 in FIGURE 5 are put together to form a U-shaped assembly.
No visitor 1, however, can see all of the articles in the cabinet 30 or 31 unless he moves a long distance from one end thereof to the other, as shown by arrows in FIGURE 5 or 7. If the articles are displayed for sale, the visitor may want to look at different articles over and over again to compare them in function, design, price, etc. It may often be the case that he wants to compare two articles which are located at the opposite ends, respectively, of the cabinet 30 or 31. If such is the case, he is required to make a long distance of travel to compare the articles and spend a long time in choosing one of them. As a result, he may feel tired and be inclined to conclude that the shop which he entered does not provide good service to the customer.

Objects and Summary of the Invention:

It is a first object of this invention to provide a display cabinet which enables a visitor to see a large number of articles without moving over a long distance.
It is a second object of this invention to provide a display cabinet which requires only a relatively small space for installation and yet can display a large number of articles.
It is a third object of this invention to provide a display cabinet which enables the articles stored therein to be seen from both sides thereof.
It is a fourth object of this invention to provide a display cabinet which makes it easy to compare two or more articles displayed therein.
These objects are essentially attained by a display cabinet having at least one concave see-through surface on each of a plurality of sides thereof.
Even if a person who has come to see the articles displayed in the cabinet (herein referred to as the "visitor") may approach the midportion of the see-through surface, the concave surface allows him to stay at a short distance from either end thereof. Therefore, he can see all of the articles displayed between the opposite ends of the see-through surface without moving from its mid-portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing the principle of this invention;
FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a display cabinet embodying this invention;
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of this invention;
FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of still another embodiment of this invention;
FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a display cabinet known in the art;
FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the cabinet shown in FIGURE 5;
FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of another cabinet known in the art; and
FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view thereof.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments:

Reference is first made to FIGURE 1 showing a principal feature of this invention. It is a top plan view of a display cabinet 2 for displaying a large number of articles, as for sale. The cabinet 2 has a concave see-through surface 3 spreading symmetrically with respect to a centerline C to form a V-shaped cross section. The see-through surface 3 has an arcuately curved mid-portion 4 having its radial center at a point on the centerline C.
When a visitor 1 stands on the centerline C in front of the midportion of the see-through surface 3, he finds himself at a short distance not only from the midportion of the see-through surface 3, but also from either end thereof, as shown in FIGURE 1. Therefore, he can see all of the articles displayed between the opposite ends of the see-through surface 3 without moving away from the place where he stands. As the midportion 4 of the see-through surface 3 does not form an acute corner, but is arcuately curved, it allows for the closer positioning of articles to the visitor 1 and the natural arrangement of articles throughout the cabinet 2. As long as the visitor 1 stays in the position as shown, he can see all of the articles in the cabinet 2 through the see-through surface 3 without walking along it.
A display cabinet embodying this invention is shown in FIGURE 2. Like numerals are used to denote like parts in both of FIGURES 1 and 2 and no repeated description will be made of what has already been described with reference to FIGURE 1. The cabinet 5 shown in FIGURE 2 includes a plurality of see-through surfaces 3 each shaped as hereinabove described with reference to FIGURE 1. It has a zigzag-shaped cross section. On one of two opposite sides thereof, the cabinet 5 has a plurality of V-shaped see-through surfaces 3 and a flat see-through surface 6 which is located at one end of the cabinet 5, while on the other side thereof, it has a plurality of V-shaped see-through surfaces 3 and a flat see-through surface 7 situated at the other end of the cabinet 5. If a plurality of articles are displayed in the cabinet 5 as shown at (1) to (5), it is easy to compare one of the articles with another. For example, the article (2) can be compared easily with both of the articles (1) and (3).
Another embodiment of this invention is shown at 8 in FIGURE 3. The cabinet 8 has an X-shaped cross section. It has four V-shaped see-through surfaces 3 spaced apart from one another by an angular distance of 90°. Still another embodiment of this invention is shown at 9 in FIGURE 4. The cabinet 9 has a Y-shaped cross section defined by three V-shaped see-through surfaces 3 spaced apart from one another by an angular distance of 120°. Each of the see-through surfaces 3 shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 is shaped as hereinabove described with reference to FIGURE 1.
The visitor standing in front of the midportion of a particular see-through surface 3 of the cabinet 5, 8 or 9 need not move to look at a large number of articles which can be seen through that particular surface 3, though he may have to move in order to look at articles through another see-through surface 3. Therefore, all of the cabinets 5, 8 and 9 make it possible to reduce the time which the visitor may have to spend in comparing and choosing articles. Moreover, the see-through surfaces of the cabinet 5, 8 or 9 have a very large total effective length as compared with the space which it occupies when installed, since all of two or more sides thereof are effectively utilized to define the see-through surfaces 3, 6 and 7.
Although each see-through surface 3 has been shown and described as being V-shaped, it may alternatively have a U-shaped or semicircular cross section.

Claims

1. A cabinet for displaying a large number of articles, said cabinet having a plurality of sides each defining at least one concave see-through surface through which said articles can be seen.

2. A cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said see-through surface spreads substantially symmetrically with respect to a vertical centerline to form a V-shaped cross section.

3. A cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said see-through surface spreads substantially symmetrically with respect to a vertical centerline to form an arcuate cross section.

4. A cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said see-through surfaces on said sides are so arranged as to impart a zigzag-shaped cross section to said cabinet.

5. A cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sides consist of four sides and said see-through surfaces on said four sides are so arranged as to impart an X-shaped cross section to said cabinet, each of said see-through surfaces having a V-shaped cross section.

6. A cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sides consist of three sides and said see-through surfaces on said three sides are so arranged as to impart a Y-shaped cross section to said cabinet, each of said see-through surfaces having a V-shaped cross section.