Undertaking – Portable coffin casings
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-04
2004-02-03
Miller, William L. (Department: 3677)
Undertaking
Portable coffin casings
C052S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06684467
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reusable coffin for use in connection with burial coffins. The reusable coffin has particular utility in connection with a casket separated from the vault and reused.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Each life comes to an end. After display and viewing of a deceased person, a funeral proceeds to a cemetery. A typical funeral ends with a casket lowered into the earth. A crew later returns to backfill the grave. In lieu of burial, the casket and the deceased are cremated. In both funeral methods, the casket has one use only for a single deceased person. As generally known, the casket price makes up the predominant cost of a funeral. Reusable coffins are desirable for persons and families of modest means to save on funeral expenses yet provide a dignified funeral for a loved one. In a reusable coffin, the casket has the elegance and ornamentation of more expensive caskets while the less expensive vault carries the deceased to the final resting place.
In the following description, the term “coffin” describes the entire invention and the term “casket” describes the outer reusable part of the invention, often ornately decorated. These terms often have synonymous use in the art.
The use of caskets is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,825 to McCoy et al. discloses a casket assembly that permits lowering of a liner beneath the casket. However, the McCoy '825 patent does not fold down a side of the casket, and has further drawbacks of no casket bottom and extensible pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,785 to Minton et al. discloses a casket assembly that surrounds a capsule. The Minton '785 reveals a V shaped matching tongue and groove joint on the capsule lid and body with a sealant in the groove. However, the Minton '785 patent does not have a two part capsule lid, and additionally does not have a bottom on the casket.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,185 to Owens discloses a reusable outer casket that surrounds an inner coffin with detachable ornamented walls. However, the Owens '185 patent does not have a fold down side and an integral lid for the coffin, and cannot have a bottom.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,723 to Leijonhufvud et al. discloses a burial coffin arrangement that surrounds an inner casket and secures the inner casket by a wedge shaped cross section. However, the Leijonhufvud '723 patent does not fold down a sidewall, and does not have a split lid on the inner casket.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,574 to Estes discloses a display casket that has decoration suitable for both genders. However, the Estes '574 patent does not have a fold down side, and cannot have a separate inner capsule.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,676 to McHugh discloses an outer casket that surrounds a capsule. However, the McHugh '676 patent does not have a fold down side, and cannot have a bottom.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 420,194 to Cummings discloses a casket that has a split lid. However, the Cummings '194 patent lacks a separate vault.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a reusable coffin that allows a casket to be separated from the vault and reused. The McCoy '825 patent makes no provision for a fold down side of a casket. The Minton '785 patent makes no provision for a two-part casket lid. The Owens '185 patent lacks a fold down side of a casket. The Leijonhufvud '723 patent makes no provision for a two-part casket lid. The Estes '574 patent lacks an inner capsule and a fold down side of a casket. The McHugh '676 patent lacks a bottom of a casket. The Cummings '194 patent makes no provision for a separate vault.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved reusable coffin that can be used for a casket separated from the vault and reused. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the reusable coffin according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of a casket separated from the vault and reused.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of caskets now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved reusable coffin, and the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved reusable coffin and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a reusable coffin which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a reusable coffin having a casket and a vault. The casket has a parallel headwall and a footwall, a parallel left sidewall and a right sidewall, a first lid, a second lid, and a bottom interconnected to form a container. The right sidewall of the casket has one or more hinges. The headwall and the footwall of the casket each have a latching means to temporarily secure the right sidewall. The first lid and the second lid of the casket each have one or more hinges. The vault fits closely within the casket for temporary placement so as to form a reusable coffin. The vault has a parallel headwall and a footwall, a parallel left sidewall and a right sidewall, a first lid, a second lid, and a bottom. The vault receives and displays a deceased person in a dignified manner.
In addition, the first lid and the second lid of the vault have inner ends located proximate to the center of the vault. The first lid and the second lid have overlapping lips extending from the inner ends. The second lid has a sealant protected by a strip. At the conclusion of funeral services, the strip is removed, allowing the lip of the first lid to seal upon the lip of the second lid prior to final disposition of the vault.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include on the casket, latching means as rotating clasps, handles on the sidewalls, and construction from a variety of materials suitable for ornamentation and first and second lids hinged to the left sidewall for independent opening. On the vault, the invention may also include first and second lids hinged to left sidewall for independent opening, first and second lids with sealing lips, a variety of sealants protected by a strip, a hermetic seal, and construction from a variety of materials suitable for interment and contact with a deceased person. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of desc
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