Undertaking – Coffins – Foldable sections
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-16
2001-11-13
Dayoan, B. (Department: 3628)
Undertaking
Coffins
Foldable sections
C027S002000, C217S013000, C217S065000, C220S004280
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314626
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to caskets and more particularly to a low cost collapsible stackable burial casket which can be transported and stored prior to use as a highly compact self-contained unit which can be quickly assembled by an unskilled person with simple hand tools when needed for use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The prior art discloses several examples of coffins for use in body burial. One example of coffin art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,197 issued Jun. 5, 1990. This patent shows a strap system comprised of a plurality of u-shaped metal strap members held in a spaced relationship by a plurality of rods. Side sections are fastened to the straps and held by side blocks and the rods which serve as handles for the coffin.
An example of a collapsible coffin is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,248 issued Oct. 22, 1991. This patent shows a coffin comprised of a trough assembly and a lid which can be mounted on the trough. All of the elements forming the trough assembly and all of the elements forming the lid are pivotably interconnected to each other by hinges so that these elements can be swivelled down so that they lie in a common plane for facilitating storage and transportation of the coffin. When the coffin is used, the elements are interconnected to each other by means of clamping elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,631 issued Jan. 31, 1989 is directed to a modular casket which includes a body receiving compartment defined by at least one modular base section having a rectangular base panel and a pair of rectangular side panels hingedly connected to the base panel along longitudinal marginal edges, and a pair of modular end pieces. The base panel, side panels and modular end pieces have mutually cooperable connecting flanges formed thereon which are adapted for selective interconnection to establish a body receiving compartment having an upper peripheral edge on which a modular cover may be mounted. The various modular components are made of lightweight, high strength doubled-walled plastic construction.
Still another example of a foldable coffin can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,713, issued May 21, 1985 discloses a coffin having a cover, an upper frame, a lower frame, and an inside fitting. The coffin has hinged lateral walls permitting its folding into a storage and transportation position in which its height is a fraction of its extended height. Alternate lateral walls are formed of a single flap hinged on one of the frames, the remaining lateral walls being comprised by two flaps hinged together along a middle line and to each of the frames along a direction parallel to the middle line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,880 issued Jul. 1, 1980 shows a coffin constructed with side walls which are made of a strong corrugated paper material having inwardly turned bottom flaps. The bottom flaps are fixed between an outer bottom plate and an inner bottom plate whose edges abut the inner surfaces of the side walls. Attachment means are provided for mounting foot supports on the under surface of the bottom plate.
Another example of a sectional coffin is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,818 issued Apr. 29, 1995 which discloses a coffin kit comprising a one-piece base or tray, two one-piece side members, two one-piece end members and two one piece lid sections. The tray has raised side and end portions. In assembling the coffin the side and end members are assembled in the tray with their bottom outer surfaces fitting snugly against the raised side and end portions of the tray. The side and end members have mitered ends and when the side and end members are assembled, the adjacent mitered ends fit one against another to form corners. The lid is formed in two identical halves and the lid has the conventional vaulted shape. All of these pieces are made of rigid molded plastic such as self-skinning urethane foam and can be joined together using a conventional epoxy glue that sets over a period of 12 hours.
Another collapsible casket is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,314 issued Jul. 24, 1992. This patent discloses a casket having a base section split transversely at a point intermediate of the ends to form forward and rear portions of the base. A cover or lid also formed in front and rear portions is positioned on the base. The cover and base have flanges on their respective meeting edges and clamps extend over edges of the flanges of the sections for positively clamping the sections in assembled relation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,290,057 to Bintliff issued Jan. 7, 1919 discloses a knockdown casket constructed of end plates, side plates, a bottom plate and a cover. All of the members are separate from each other except for the back side plate and cover which are connected at their longitudinal edges by a hinge. The casket is constructed entirely of sheet metal; and the end plates, side plates and the cover are all reinforced by ribs. The end plates and side plates are held in assembled relation with the upright edges of the end plates being folded to form channel flanges which extend inward at right angles and the upright edges of the side plates are bent outward to form flanges with which the end plate flanges slidably interlock. The bottom plate is held interlocked with the side plates by bending the lower longitudinal edges of said side plates outward to form flanges and by bending the longitudinal edges of the bottom plate to form channel flanges which extend upward at right angles thereto. These longitudinal side plate flanges and the bottom plate channel flanges are adapted to be secured in interlocking arrangement by siding the same sidewise sliding movement. The ends of the bottom plate are also bent upward to form flanges which overlap the lower horizontal edges of the end plates.
A review of the prior art shows that while attempts have been made to fabricate readily assembled caskets; these structures have fallen short of meeting the goals of providing an economical casket, that is protected from chipping and scratching easily transported, stacked for storage until ready for use and assembled when needed. The '248 device, for example, has a complicated hinged structure and complex hardware or clamping elements are used to hold the hinged sections together. The '631 modular casket and the '880 coffin are comprised of many parts and a double or even triple walled structure. This modular casket is also preferably fabricated from a plastic such as polyurethane which many potential users object to on aesthetic or environmental grounds. The '197 coffin employs a relatively complex sling or strap system to serve as the main structural support for the device. This is time consuming to assemble and if shipped to the user in assembled form is difficult to store or stack. The '713 coffin has a rectangular embodiment but this structure involves many parts and complex hinging. This coffin incorporates a plurality of rectangular frames and each of the long sides are formed by two hinged flaps. The short sides are only one flap but they are each hingedly connected to one end of one of the frames. The '057 casket is metal and generally requires complicated sheet metal bending and ribbing; as well as being objectionable for aesthetic, environmental and even religious reasons. Similar objections can be raised about the '818 art; it is constructed of a plastic material and the final assembly requires gluing.
The present inventive collapsible stackable casket overcomes these shortcomings and is easily assembled, and can be shipped in a stacked economical compact package.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A need exists for a low cost collapsible casket that can be stored conveniently in a small space and quickly and easily assembled when needed. Typically these low cost burial caskets are used by governments and churches to bury those who die in poverty or are unclaimed by family or for use in emergencies which result in many deaths in one place at one time. Consequently these institutional purchasers buy collapsible caskets in large quantities and t
Dayoan B.
Gipple & Hale
Hale John S.
Miller William L.
Padat, Ltd.
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