AU2012101032A4 - A Display Urn - Google Patents

Abstract

An urn for storing the cremated remains of a deceased is disclosed. The urn may comprise a stone, rock or like material 1 having a lower surface 3 and upper display surface 3A. There is at least one cavity 2formed in the lower surface 3 for receipt and storage of said cremated remains and a decorative garden feature4 is formed on said upper display surface. -6- m M

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT A DISPLAY URN [he following statement is a full description of this invention, including he best method of performing it known to us: 1 This invention relates to containers for crematory remains. More particularly it discloses an improved urn for memorialising and storing the ashes of a loved one. Cremating the remains of the deceased has become increasingly popular. This is probably due to fewer ecological and land use issues and lower costs compared to traditional established burial practices. The end product of the cremation process, after removal of non-combustible materials and grinding, is a small volume of very fine ash. While disposal of this ash may involve deposit into the sea or burial at a particular land location some people choose to retain some or all of it as a memory of a loved one that has been lost. In such cases there is a requirement for a suitable storage urn. However existing prior art urns typically comprise merely nondescript boxes or vases which are ill adapted for display. It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantage and accordingly an urn is disclosed for storing the cremated remains of a deceased, said urn comprising a stone, rock or like material having a lower surface and upper display surface, at least one cavity formed in said lower surface for receipt and storage of said cremated remains and a decorative garden feature formed on said upper display surface. Preferably said at least one cavity is treated with a moisture proofing compound. It is further preferred that said moisture-proofing compound comprise a membrane barrier applied to the walls and base of said cavity. 2 It is further preferred that said stone or rock is of a size and shape for incorporation into a domestic garden or placement on the balcony of an apartment. It is further preferred that said stone or rock comprises sandstone. It is further preferred that said decorative upper surface includes a plaque identifying the cremated remains stored in said at least one cavity. One currently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached representations in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view from the underside of an urn according to this invention, and figure 2 is a perspective view of the urn of figure 1 from the top. Referring first to figure 1 there is a urn formed from naturally occurring sandstone rock 1 of irregular shape. Although the invention is not restricted to any specific dimensions for the rock with this embodiment it may have length of about 700 mm, a height of about 350 mm and a width of about 400 mm. It is thus suitable for placement in a domestic garden or on an apartment balcony. In accordance with the invention a cavity 2 is formed in the underside surface 3 of the rock. With this embodiment the cavity is rectangular with width of about 100 mm, a depth of about 70 mm and a length of about 250 mm. Although the invention is not limited to any particular size or shape for the cavity it would in this case be suitable to receive the cremated remains of a human or animal such as a dog. The inside walls of the cavity are preferably 3 coated with a moisture-proofing membrane such as (but not limited to) "Emer-Proof 750" as produced by Parchem Construction Supplies of Wetherill Park NSW 2164. After deposit into the cavity the remains would preferably be sealed in place by means of an epoxy resin or like material. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a plurality of cavities in the rock to receive the cremated remains or more than one deceased The upper surface 3A of the rock is preferably adorned with a decorative garden setting 4 of any chosen design. With this embodiment a Japanese bonsai garden is used. The rock urn would therefore be an enhancement to a domestic garden, greenhouse or apartment balcony. Alternatively, it could function as an indoor ornament or centrepiece. Although not shown in the representations the upper portion of the rock would preferably include a plaque identifying the remains stored within it. It will this be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment described provides a novel and improved form of urn for memorialising the remains of a loved one. Clearly however a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the shape, configuration and size of the rock as well as the cavities therein and the nature of the decorative garden may change according to design preference. 4

Claims (5)

1. An urn for storing the cremated remains of a deceased, said urn comprising a stone, rock or like material having a lower surface and upper display surface, at least one cavity formed in said lower surface for receipt and storage of said cremated remains and a decorative garden feature formed on said upper display surface.

2. The urn as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one cavity is treated with a moisture-proofing compound.

3. The urn as claimed in claim 2 wherein said moisture-proofing compound comprise a membrane barrier applied to the walls and base of said cavity.

4. The urn as claimed in claim 3 wherein said stone or rock is of a size and shape for incorporation into a domestic garden or placement on an apartment balcony.

5. The urn as claimed in claim 4 wherein said decorative upper surface includes a plaque identifying said cremated remains. Dated this 10th day of July, 2012 Stephen Hugh Young By His Patent Attorney MICHAEL ANDERSON-TAYLOR 5