IT201900007704A1 - Reusable case for covering cremation coffins. - Google Patents

Description

Description of the Patent for Invention entitled: Reusable case for covering coffins for cremation.

Reusable case for covering cremation coffins.

Field of application

The present invention relates to a reusable case suitable for containing a coffin intended for the cremation of a body.

State of the art

The bodies of deceased people who are to be cremated are normally placed inside the usual wooden coffins. The wooden coffins used for this purpose are substantially the same used for burial, therefore presenting inlays or embossed and sometimes lacquered. Given the destination, they are sometimes a little less refined and therefore with a slightly lower cost.

The incineration of this type of coffins requires large quantities of fuel, which is also reflected in the costs for this operation. Furthermore, if lacquered, they lead to the emission of harmful fumes that must be filtered and catalyzed.

Moreover, pressed cardboard coffins destined for cremation are known, the walls of which are supported by wooden frames. They are devoid of any ornament in consideration of their destination.

To prevent people attending the funeral from seeing the aesthetic poverty of cardboard coffins, they are placed in reusable crates or coffins. Several reusable crates are known, equipped with a removable lid but without the back wall. The cardboard coffin destined for cremation is inserted into the reusable box, which has a sturdy bottom wall and is able to support the weight of the body.

Known reusable crates differ in the connections of different types between the coffin and the bottom wall and between the bottom wall and the vertical walls. Means are also known for moving the coffin on the bottom wall. Summary of the finding

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved reusable coffin-covering box in which the bottom wall is joined in a rotatable manner with its own vertical walls.

Another purpose of the reusable coffin cover case in question is to allow easy handling of the coffin intended for cremation with respect to the reusable case.

These and other purposes are achieved by the reusable case for covering coffins for the cremation of the corpses in question, formed by vertical walls, a removable lid and a back wall. The reusable case is preferably lacquered and equipped or not with inlays, embossing or other ornaments (handles and sacred symbols) to embellish it. Preferably its shape is that of a conventional coffin.

The back wall is sturdy and able to support the weight of the cremation coffin containing the body.

This bottom wall is hinged to one of the vertical walls by means of at least one hinge. Furthermore, on the upper surface of the bottom wall, the lower ends of means for the rotation of the vertical walls with respect to the bottom wall are fixed.

The upper ends of said rotation means are fixed on the vertical walls of the reusable box.

The upper surface of the bottom wall is equipped with rollers, ball bearings or other types of gears. The lower surface of the bottom wall has elements suitable for distancing it from the supporting surface. These elements consist of feet, bars or gears.

Reliefs are present on the upper surface of the back wall, near its edges.

Inside the reusable box is placed the coffin intended for the cremation of the body. Using a reusable crate and disposable cardboard caskets involves several kinds of economies:

- for the environment and consequently for those who manage the cremation ovens as the material to be burned is not only completely eco-compatible but also of a smaller quantity compared to a traditional wooden coffin intended for cremation;

- for the buyer who buys only the coffin intended for cremation while simply hiring the reusable crate, still obtaining a funeral ceremony with a luxurious coffin;

- for the funeral home that can offer reusable crates with fine finishes at competitive prices;

- the purchase costs of the reusable crate by the funeral agency are amortized with its rental;

- the total weight of the reusable case and the coffin is usually lower than that of a traditional coffin;

- the way of transporting and handling the two coffins, one inserted inside the other, is identical to that used for conventional coffins;

- it is no longer necessary to strip the coffins destined for cremation of the friezes and accessories present in traditional coffins (handles, bars, sacred symbols), thus reducing personnel time and costs.

Compared to the known reusable crates, that subject has the further advantage of making the coffin destined for cremation easily accessible thanks to the rotation of its side walls.

The back wall of the reusable box in question is always connected along one side to the side walls.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the description of an embodiment of the reusable box in question, illustrated by way of example but not of limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 shows an exploded view, in perspective view, of the reusable case in question and of the coffin intended for cremation;

- figure 2 shows in cross section an enlarged detail showing the joining area between the walls of the reusable box and the removable bottom;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the rollers present on the bottom wall of the reusable box;

- figure 4 shows in cross section an enlarged detail of one of the rollers present on the bottom wall of the reusable box;

figure 5 shows a top view of the reusable box;

- figure 6 shows a side view of the reusable box in the nappy position;

- figure 7 shows a side view of the reusable box with the vertical walls raised and of the coffin intended for cremation.

Description of a preferred example of execution

More particularly, the reusable case 1 in question comprises vertical walls 1.1, a removable lid 1.2 and a bottom wall 1.3. The shape of the vertical walls 1.1 and of the removable lid 1.2 of the reusable box 1 is of the usual type for a conventional coffin intended for burial.

The back wall 1.3 is hinged to one of the vertical walls 1.1 by means of two hinges 1.4.

Reliefs 1.5 are present on the upper surface of the back wall 1.3, near its edges.

Still on the upper surface of the back wall 1.3, near the side on which the hinges 1.4 are fixed, the lower ends of two gas pistons 2 are locked. The upper ends of the same are fixed on the vertical walls 1.1 of the reusable box 1.

The back wall 1.3 is sturdy and able to support the weight of the coffin 3 for cremation containing the body. The bottom wall 1.3 is temporarily fixed to the box 1 by means of quick fastening elements constituted by plates 4, one end of which, after having passed through the lower part of the vertical walls 1.1 of the box 1, fits into slots 1.6 obtained in the edge of the box 1. back wall 1.3.

A metal frame 5 is fixed to the vertical walls 1.1, positioned on the perimeter and inwards near the lower edge. Its purpose is to strengthen the vertical walls 1.1 and to prevent parts of their lower edge from detaching under stress from the foils 4. A series of holes for the passage of the aforementioned foils 4 are made in the frame 5.

The upper surface of the bottom wall 1.3 or the one facing towards the inside of the box 1 is equipped with rollers 6, having a longitudinal axis parallel to that of the shorter sides of the bottom wall 1.3. Each roller 6 rotates on an axis 6.1, the ends of which are hinged on two bars 6.2 having a longitudinal axis orthogonal to that of the shorter sides of the bottom wall 1.3.

The lower surface of the bottom wall 1.3 is provided with two bars 7 orthogonal to the lower surface itself and having a longitudinal axis orthogonal to that of the shorter sides of the bottom wall 1.3.

The coffin 3 intended for the cremation of the body, equipped with a lid 3.1, is inserted into the reusable box 1. It is made of biocompatible material, low cost and minimal emission of harmful fumes, without any ornament (handles, bars, sacred symbols) and the material of which it is made is free of dyes.

The reliefs 1.5 placed near the edges of the upper surface of the back wall 1.3 block the horizontal movements of the coffin 3.

Before the funeral ceremony, the body is visible thanks to the removal of the lid 1.2 of the reusable box 1 and the lid 3.1 of the coffin 3. The box 1 is decorated with the interior that rests on the walls and on the bottom of the coffin 3 intended for cremation. During the funeral ceremony the two lids 1.2, 3.1 are momentarily fixed, respectively, to the chest 1 and to the coffin 3.

At the time of cremation, the laminae 4 are extracted from the slits 1.6 obtained in the bottom 1.3, thus freeing the vertical walls 1.1 from the bottom wall 1.3.

The lid 1.2 is removed from the reusable box 1.

Once in front of the crematorium the vertical walls 1.1 of the box 1 are made to rotate on the hinges 1.4. The upward rotation is assisted by the two gas pistons 2, which support the vertical walls 1.1 at the moment of maximum rotation. The coffin 3 destined for cremation, still resting on the bottom 1.3, thus becomes accessible.

The coffin 3 is moved away from the back wall 1.3 and pushed towards the inside of the crematorium. The movement of the coffin 3 is considerably facilitated by the presence of the rollers 6 placed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 1.3, which avoid friction between the base of the coffin 3 intended for cremation and the upper surface of the bottom wall 1.3.

The bars 7 fixed to the lower surface of the back wall 1.3 distance the back wall 1.3 from the support surface, acting as feet and avoiding injury to the operators' fingers.

The reusable box thus conceived is susceptible of further numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept. Furthermore, all the details can be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1 - Reusable case for covering cremation coffins, comprising vertical walls (1.1), a removable lid (1.2) and a back wall (1.3); said bottom wall (1.3) is sturdy and able to support the weight of the coffin (3) for cremation containing the body; said bottom wall (1.3) is temporarily fixed to the reusable box (1) by means of quick fixing elements; a metal frame (5) is fixed to the vertical walls (1.1) of the box (1) which can be reused on the perimeter and inwards near the lower edge; said metal frame (5) has slots or holes suitable for the passage of the aforesaid quick-fixing elements; the upper surface of the rear wall (1.3) of the reusable body (1) is equipped with rollers (6), ball bearings or other types of gears and the lower surface of the rear wall (1.3) has elements suitable for its spacing from the support surface; said reusable box (1) is characterized in that the bottom wall (1.3) is hinged to one of the vertical walls (1.1) by means of at least one hinge (1.4); the lower ends of means for rotating the vertical walls (1.1) with respect to the bottom wall (1.3) are fixed on the upper surface of the bottom wall (1.3); the upper ends of said rotation means are fixed on the vertical walls (1.1) of the reusable case (1); reliefs (1.5) are fixed on the upper surface of the back wall (1.3), near its edges. 2 - Reusable case for covering coffins for cremation, according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for rotating the vertical walls (1.1) with respect to the bottom wall (1.3) consist of gas pistons (2). 3 - Reusable case for covering coffins for cremation, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said rollers (6) present on the upper surface of the back wall (1.3) have a longitudinal axis parallel to that of the shorter sides of the bottom (1.3); each roller (6) rotates on an axis (6.1) whose ends are hinged on two bars (6.2) having a longitudinal axis orthogonal to that of the shorter sides of the bottom wall (1.3). 4 - Reusable case for covering coffins for cremation, according to the preceding claims, all as previously described and illustrated in the attached drawings.