Magnetic display device

Abstract

A display device including a display case for displaying an item, and a frame disposed around a perimeter edge of the display case, the frame comprising at least one magnetic frame element. In an exemplary embodiment, multiple display devices are arranged to form a modular display device. In another exemplary embodiment, multiple display devices may be arranged in a modular display device album.

1 . A display device comprising:
 a display case for displaying an item; and   a frame disposed around a perimeter edge of the display case, the frame comprising at least one magnetic frame element.   
   
   
       2 . The display case of  claim 1 , wherein the display case comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and the at least one magnetic frame element is disposed around one of the first and second sides of the display case. 
   
   
       3 . The display device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one magnetic frame element comprises a first magnetic frame element and a second magnetic frame element. 
   
   
       4 . The display device of  claim 3 , wherein the first magnetic frame element is disposed around the first side of the display case and the second magnetic frame element is disposed around the second side of the display case. 
   
   
       5 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the at lease one magnetic frame element comprises:
 a housing having an opening; and   a magnet disposed within the opening.   
   
   
       6 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnetic frame element has an outer surface and a magnet attached to the outer surface. 
   
   
       7 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnetic frame element is made of a magnetic material. 
   
   
       8 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the display case is a photo display case or a compact disc case. 
   
   
       9 . A modular display device, comprising:
 a plurality of display units, each display unit comprising:
 a display case for displaying an item, the display case having a display face; and 
 a frame disposed around a perimeter edge of the display case, the frame comprising at least one magnetic frame element. 
   
   
   
       10 . The modular display device of  claim 9 , wherein the magnetic frame element of a first one of the plurality of display units comprises a first magnet and the magnetic frame element of a second one of the plurality of display units comprises a second magnet, so that the first display unit is attached to the second display unit by the magnetic attraction between the first magnet and the second magnet, and the first display unit is rotatable relative to the second display unit about an imaginary axis extending through the first and second magnets. 
   
   
       11 . The modular display device of  claim 19 , wherein the magnetic frame element of a first one of the plurality of display units comprises at least one first magnet and the magnetic frame element of a second one of the plurality of display units comprises at least one second magnet, so that the first display unit and the second display unit are attached to one another by the magnetic attraction between the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet and movable relative to one another to at least one of the following configurations:
 1) a first configuration wherein the display face of the first display unit is generally co-planar with the display face of the second display unit and the first and second magnets have opposite magnetic orientations; and   2) a second configuration wherein the display face of the first display unit is superposed over the display face of the second display unit and the first and second magnets have the same magnetic orientation.   
   
   
       12 . The modular display device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one first magnet comprises a plurality of first magnets and the at least one second magnet comprises a plurality of second magnets, and in the first configuration the plurality of first magnets and the plurality of second magnets form a plurality of essentially superposed pairs of magnets, and the first display unit and the second display unit are movable relative to one another to a third configuration wherein the display face of the first display unit is generally co-planar with the display face of the second display unit, the first and second magnets have opposite magnetic orientations and the first and second magnets of the superposed pairs of magnets are essentially not superposed. 
   
   
       13 . The modular display device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one first magnet comprises a plurality of first magnets and the at least one second magnet comprises a plurality of second magnets, and in the second configuration the plurality of first magnets and the plurality of second magnets form a plurality of essentially superposed pairs of magnets, and the first magnetic display unit and the second magnetic display unit are movable relative to one another to a third configuration wherein the display face of the first display unit is at least partially superposed over the display face of the second display unit, the first and second magnets have the same magnetic orientation and the first and second magnets of the superposed pairs of magnets are essentially not superposed. 
   
   
       14 . The modular display device of  claim 9 , wherein the magnetic frame element of a first one of the plurality of display units comprises at least one magnet and the magnetic frame element of a second one of the plurality of display units is made of a magnetizable material, so that the first display unit and the second display unit are attached to one another by the magnetic attraction between the at least one first magnet and the magnetizable material and movable relative to one another. 
   
   
       15 . The modular display device of  claim 14 , wherein the magnetic frame element of the second display unit comprises a groove, and the at least one magnet is slideable within the groove so that the first display unit and the second display unit are movable relative to one another. 
   
   
       16 . The modular display device of  claim 9 , further comprising a rack for holding the plurality of display units. 
   
   
       17 . The modular display device of  claim 16 , wherein the rack is made of a magnetizable material. 
   
   
       18 . The modular display device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of display units comprises a side wall that is angled outwardly relative to its display face. 
   
   
       19 . The modular display device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of display units comprises a support rod that is moveable in contact with another one of the plurality of display units to hold the at least one display unit in position relative to the another one of the display units. 
   
   
       20 . The modular display device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of display units comprises a bottom surface made of a friction-causing material 
   
   
       21 . A display album comprising:
 a plurality of display device units, each display device unit comprising:
 a display case for displaying an item, the display case having a display face; and 
 a frame disposed around a perimeter edge of the display case, the frame comprising at least one magnetic frame element; and 
   an album cover that houses the plurality of display device units.   
   
   
       22 . The display album of  claim 21 , wherein the album cover comprises:
 a front cover section;   a back cover section;   a fold formed in the album cover that separates the front cover section from the back cover section; and   a sleeve disposed around the front cover section, the sleeve being slideable relative to the front cover section so as to adjust storage capacity of the display album.   
   
   
       23 . The display album of  claim 21 , wherein the magnetic frame element of a first one of the plurality of display device units comprises at least one first magnet and the magnetic frame element of a second one of the plurality of magnetic display device units comprises at least one second magnet, so that the first magnetic display unit and the second magnetic display unit are attached to one another by the magnetic attraction between the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet and movable relative to one another to at least one of the following configurations:
 1) a first configuration wherein the display face of the first display device unit is generally co-planar with the display face of the second display device unit and the first and second magnets have opposite magnetic orientations; and   2) a second configuration wherein the display face of the first display device unit is superposed over the display face of the second display device unit and the first and second magnets have the same magnetic orientation.   
   
   
       24 . The display album of  claim 23 , wherein the first display device unit comprises a back face opposite to the display face of the first display device unit, the back face comprises a first attachment mechanism, the display face of the second display device unit comprises a second attachment mechanism, and the first attachment mechanism engages with the second attachment mechanism to attach the first display unit to the second display unit in the second configuration. 
   
   
       25 . The display album of  claim 24 , wherein the first attachment mechanism comprises a hole and the second attachment mechanism comprises a peg.