Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G17/00—Coffins; Funeral wrappings; Funeral urns
  • A61G17/007—Coffins; Funeral wrappings; Funeral urns characterised by the construction material used, e.g. biodegradable material; Use of several materials
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G17/00—Coffins; Funeral wrappings; Funeral urns
  • A61G17/004—Coffins; Funeral wrappings; Funeral urns specially adapted to be cremated
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G2203/00—General characteristics of devices
  • A61G2203/70—General characteristics of devices with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
  • A61G2203/90—General characteristics of devices with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort biodegradable

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of funeral services for burial in the ground, burial in niches and cremation, as well as for exhumation and re-inhumation into ossuaries.
• biodegradable and compostable coffin for burial completely made out of polymeric materials of animal and/or vegetal origin (biopolymers).
• a coffin for burial means any burial container of bodies or mortal remains, i.e. caskets, urns etc.
• the present invention has the following many and important advantages, obtained by the sole use of polymeric materials of animal and/or vegetal origin, which allows:
• FIG. 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d show, in a top plan view, a coffin for burial, inhumation and cremation according to the present invention, in alternative realization forms;
• FIG. 3 shows, in a plan vertical section, the structure of a coffin according to the present invention, with modular shell and lid provided with cavities for lightening the coffin;
• FIG. 4 shows, in a plan vertical section, the structure of the coffin according to the present invention, with modular shell and lid, respectively provided with containing cavities for containing decomposition gases and/or fluids, and with cavities for lightening the coffin;
• FIG. 5 and 6 show, in a plan vertical section the structure of the coffin according to the present invention, with shell and lid of the monolithic type.
• the coffin 1 is entirely realized with polymeric materials that can be obtained from renewable sources of animal or vegetal origin, or from their combinations in any polymerization sequence, preferably chosen among those having:
• BIOGRADE C 9950 produced by FKUR PLASTICS.
• BIOFLEX F 6611 Another preferred commercial product, responding to all mentioned requirements, is BIOFLEX F 6611 , also produced by FKUR PLASTICS.
• VICAT temperature refers to the softening point of the materials which don't have a definite melting point, like conventional plastics and also bioplastics of biopolymeric source.
• the biopolymers used for the realization of said coffin 1 may comprise also vegetal fibres and/or mineral fillers, in any case responding to above mentioned requirements.
• biodegradability and compostability of said biopolymers allow the complete natural decay of said coffin 1 , determined by its decomposition into carbon dioxide without releasing heavy metals in the ground, thus avoiding the ashing of said coffin 1 provided at the end of the inhumation period required by law.
• the failure of ashing said coffin 1 consequently eliminates the emission of carbon dioxide and harmful gases in the atmosphere, energy consumption and costs usually deriving from said procedure.
• the special combustibility of said biopolymers allows to cremate said coffin 1 without emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere as said biopolymers release only carbon dioxide of natural origin and possibly water vapour, according to the burning processes typical of material of biological origin (like wood).
• biopolymers are divided into:
• thermoplastic gaining malleability and therefore workability when warming up, and stiffness when cooling down, with working processes to be repeated again and again;
• thermosetting gaining malleability and therefore workability when warming up and stiffness when cooling down, with working processes that may performed once only.
• thermosetting biopolymers degrade naturally due to bacteria, molds or organic materials, and if they are warmed up after stiffening, they degrade due to carbonization.
• thermoresistance of thermosetting biopolymers give said coffin 1 such a mechanical resistance as to avoid permanent deformations during the steps of storage, transport and use.
• said coffin 1 may be realized with techniques like compression moulding, injection moulding, transfer moulding, extrusion forming, casting forming, blow forming, thermoforming and other, with undoubted advantages of speed and low cost with respect to the common working techniques usually applied to woods for burial use.
• said coffin 1 may comprise a shell 2' and a lid 3', with a completely modular structure, and that may be obtained by composing single preshaped parts with above mentioned techniques, that can be reciprocally assembled with adhesives, dowels and screws of any kind, and according to favourite shapes (of irregular hexagonal kind, irregular octagonal kind, rectangular, trapezoidal etc.) and dimensions (length LU equal to 0,6 m to 2,2 m; width LA equal to 0,3m to 0,70 m; height H equal to 0,1 m to 0,6 m) which are difficult to obtain with the working techniques usually applied to woods for burial use.
• said coffin 1 may comprise a shell 2" and a lid 3", with monolithic structure, which may be obtained by single extrusion processes.
• said coffin 1 may comprise internal and external accessories (lifting handles, paddings, veils, crosses and/or religious images, supporting and/or rising elements, etc.) entirely out of biopolymers of animal and/or vegetal origin, as well as colourations and/or decorations performed with dyes and/or surface finishing films also entirely out of biopolymers of animal and/or vegetal origin.
• said coffin 1 may comprise accessories (recessed handles, etc.) and/or decorations directly applied on its structure by means of engraving or similar material removing techniques.
• said coffin 1 may be realized with reduced thicknesses which are difficult to obtain by the working techniques usually applied to woods for burial use, such as to help the optimization of degradation times of said coffin 1 and consequently the demineralization of the body contained therein, thus allowing also a partial solution of the space problems in the cemeteries, due to a faster turnover of the occupied niches.
• Said thicknesses allow to perform special cavities 4 for lightening the coffin in the structure of said shells 2', 2" and lids 3', 3" of said coffin 1 , such as to favour the handling and transport phases by the traders, as well as the use (uplifting, translation etc) by the burial operators.
• said thicknesses allow to perform special containing cavities 5 for containing gases and fluid deriving from the decomposition of the body contained therein, in the sole structure of said shells 2', 2" of said coffin 1.
• the containing cavities 5 avoid the insertion of the conventional zinc counter-coffin into the coffin 1 , leaving it to said coffin 1 to contain said decomposition gases and fluids, as the same is totally responding to the requirements of mechanical resistance, impermeability and tightness required by Italian rules in the field (D.P.R. 285/90) for burial, inhumation and cremation.
• said thicknesses allow the insertion into the structure of the sole shells 2', 2" of said coffin 1 of special valves 6, for the exhaust and/or activated carbon filtration, such as to determine the fixing and the partial neutralization of said decomposition gases and consequently to avoid the formation of overpressure inside said coffin 1 , as required by Italian rules in the field (D.P.R. 285/90).
• Said valves 6 are inserted into housings 7 provided in the structure of the sole shells 2', 2" of said coffin 1 , wherein said housings 7 communicate with said containing cavities 5, or alternatively with special exhaust ducts.
• said housings 7 may be closed with stoppers 8, of the sealing kind, should said valves 6 not be used.
• said coffin 1 may comprise shells 2', 2" and lids 3', 3" deliberately without the above mentioned elements (cavities for lightening said coffin, containing cavities, valves etc.).
• coffin 1 is thus safe, since it is provided with appropriate levels of mechanical resistance, impermeability and tightness; it is easy to handle and use, as it is light and undeformable, of low environmental impact, as it is completely biodegradable and compostable, and fully responding to any kind of compatible use (burial, inhumation and cremation as well as exhumation and re-inhumation into ossuaries).

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
• Housing For Livestock And Birds (AREA)
• Biological Depolymerization Polymers (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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ID=46727282

Family Applications (1)

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Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2012
  • 2012-05-25 IT IT000062A patent/ITAN20120062A1/it unknown
• 2013
  • 2013-05-23 WO PCT/IT2013/000146 patent/WO2013175518A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2013-05-23 EP EP13745719.8A patent/EP2854740A2/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (1)

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