Undertaking – Coffins – Corner structures
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-11-20
Green, Brian K. (Department: 3628)
Undertaking
Coffins
Corner structures
C052S287100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317945
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to hardware for caskets and, more specifically, to interchangeable, decorative hardware for caskets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Existing hardware designs for burial containers such as caskets frequently employ the use of decorative elements separately affixed to the handling hardware, or jointly affixed with the handling hardware to the casket shell, as a means to create product variety with minimal manufacturing and component inventory costs. As such, the decorative scheme of the casket can be tailored to suit a customer's wishes with minimal effort and expense. Throughout the handling and presentation of the casket, the decorative elements, in addition to the handling hardware, must be capable of withstanding load bearing activities, such as when a casket is removed from a hearse by tugging on a casket handle.
To withstand these load bearing activities, the decorative elements are either adhesively affixed, such as with a decal, or mechanically attached via a stud/bolt and nut/clip combination, such as with a sculptural base relief. These types of attachment techniques, however, have distinct disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, one drawback is that the process for adhesively attaching the decorative element is not pragmatically reversible. That is, once the first decorative element is adhesively applied, the decorating scheme can be altered only by applying a second adhesive decorative element over the first, thereby wasting material in the process. Another drawback is that the decorative elements may not readily lend themselves to mechanical attachment to the handling hardware and/or casket shell, thus requiring elaborate and expensive attachment apparatus. In sum, the disadvantages in these current methods for attaching decorative elements are that the process is neither pragmatically reversible in the case of the adhesive attachment, nor physically facile in the case of the mechanical attachment.
To further serve the load bearing activities of casket handling and presentation, the handling hardware frequently is secured to the casket by mechanical means, most frequently by screws and/or bolts. These screws and bolts are readily visible on the exterior of the casket. As can be appreciated, the exposure of these screws and bolts in the handling hardware detracts from the aesthetics of the casket exterior.
It is therefore desirable from an aesthetic yet economical vantage point, if an interchangeable decorative element could be constructed to be readily affixed to the handling hardware with minimal effort or added expense. More specifically, it is desirable to have a decorative element that could be easily substituted with another decorative element to alter the decorative scheme of the exterior of the casket. Furthermore, it is desirable to have the decorative piece configured such that when affixed to the handling hardware the attachment screws and bolts would be concealed from normal view in the presentation and use of the casket.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is generally directed to a trim piece for attachment to a casket. The trim piece includes a frame member which is adapted to be fixedly secured to a portion of the casket. The frame member has a lip which defines an opening in the frame member. A cover member with at least two attachment tabs oppositely disposed on the cover member engages the lip of the frame member so that the cover member is detachably affixed to and covers the opening in the frame member.
In one aspect of the trim piece, the lip defining the opening in the frame member includes oppositely disposed receiving tabs for positively engaging the attachment tabs on the cover member. Furthermore, the cover member is constructed from a flexible material and is affixed to said frame member in a flexed condition such that the attachment tabs resiliently engage the receiving tabs located on the lip of the frame member.
In another aspect of the invention, at least one of the attachment tabs on the cover member has an extended portion which incorporates a detent mechanism for positively engaging a complimentary recess in the lip to further secure the cover member to the frame member. Additionally, the lip includes a throughhole which is covered on one side of the lip by the extended portion. The throughhole is adapted to allow a tool to be inserted into the throughhole to engage and thereby bias the extended portion such that the detent mechanism disengages from the recess, allowing the cover member to be readily removed from the frame member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the trim piece is a corner trim piece specifically constructed to attach to a corner of the casket. Specifically, the frame member includes a bridge member which is affixed to opposite sides of and thereby spans across the opening. The attachment bridge has a throughhole for receiving mounting hardware to detachably secure the frame member to the corner of the casket. The frame member can be secured to the corner of the casket using any suitable form of mounting hardware. Preferably, the mounting hardware is a screw or bolt, and more preferably, a quarter-turn screw.
In another aspect of the corner trim piece, the frame member does not include the bridge member, but instead has at least two mounting holes which are adapted to receive mounting hardware to fixedly secure the frame member to the corner of the casket. In this corner trim piece, the cover member has adjoining first and second walls which form a right angle therebetween. Each of the walls has at least one of the attachment tabs for engaging the lip of the frame member. Preferably, the cover member includes first and second protruding tabs on the respective first and second walls. The protruding tabs are adapted to conceal any mounting hardware which is cooperating with the mounting holes to affix the frame member to the corner of the casket. In another aspect of this embodiment, a living hinge connects the adjoining first and second walls.
In another embodiment of the invention, the trim piece is a side trim piece specifically constructed to attach to a side of the casket. This side trim piece may also be referred to as an ear or escutcheon trim piece. In this embodiment the cover member is substantially planar and flexible. As such, the cover member is affixed to the frame member in a flexed condition such that the attachment tabs resiliently engage oppositely disposed receiving tabs on the lip. Preferably, the side trim piece includes a mounting plate that is fixedly attached to the frame member. The mounting plate is adapted to secure the frame member to the side of the casket. In another aspect of this embodiment the trim piece further includes first and second handle supports which are attached to the frame member. Each of the handle supports have first and second handle receiving openings into which a handle is disposed.
In still another embodiment, a trim piece is integrally formed and suited for attachment to a corner of a casket. This trim piece includes a frame portion having an opening therethrough. A bridge member spans the opening and has a throughhole which is adapted to receive mounting hardware to fixedly secure the integrally formed trim piece to the corner of the casket. A cover member is pivotally attached along a first edge of the opening by a living hinge. The cover member has an attachment tab disposed opposite the living hinge for engaging a second edge of the opening when the cover member is pivoted to cover the opening.
Various additional advantages, objects and features of the invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 49876 (1916-11-01), Bailey
patent: D. 78875 (1929-07-01), Blesch
patent: D. 93002 (1934-08-01), Burkard
patent: D. 108917 (1938-03-01), Larson
patent: D. 208917 (1967-10-01), Mellyn
patent: 2
Laphan Dennis C.
Rojdev Ilija
Batesville Services, Inc.
Green Brian K.
Wood Herron & Evans L.L.P.
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