ARMOR FOR ARMOR Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to coffins, and more particularly to a transparent shield for a coffin that is installed on the casket cover, which allows the deceased to be seen, but avoids the escape of contagion, odors and similar to the coffin. Background of the Invention For years, coffins have been used to present and reveal the remains of a deceased and allow the last greetings to be given to the deceased by acquaintances and loved ones and for burial purposes. Modern techniques of conservation of bodies such as embalmed and similar are used to avoid decomposition of the body during the time after death and before burying, when the body is presented for observation and funeral services are performed. In some countries, however, religious practices prevent these techniques of body preservation from being employed. Therefore, it is convenient to provide some kind of transparent armor, sometimes called a "spirit shield", which seals the casket cover to contain odors and yet allows the dead person to be seen. And even in cases where modern techniques of body preservation are employed, it may be convenient to use this shielding to avoid the spread of contagion of the remains to the mourners.
The present practice when attached to a wooden coffin with this shield is to use a wooden rail that is fastened within the periphery of the inside of the coffin cover when connecting the side walls of the coffin cover and the walls of the coffin. extreme. The rail provides a flange or lip or seat to support the shield around its peripheral edge. In order to provide an effective seal between the shield and the coffin cover walls, adhesive tape may be applied on both sides between the upper surface of the rail and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the shield. Caulking can be applied between the peripheral edge of the shield and the coffin walls. Screws can be used to add the coffin to the rail. While this construction is effective in sealing odors and the like inside the coffin, this does not go uncritically. Once the shield is installed, it can not be easily removed if in fact it could be. In many cases in which the body has been embalmed to preserve it, but essentially when the body has not been embalmed as in countries where religious practices prevent embalming and the like, it is often convenient or necessary to "tweak" the body for aesthetic purposes before burial. However, once the shielding is installed in an i-permanent or permanent manner as described above, this retouching is not practical or simply not possible. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a shield for a coffin that provides an effective seal between the shield and the walls of the casket cover, however it is easily installed and removed, so that the body can be easily attended to. and quickly as required. Therefore, a main objective of the present invention is to provide a shield for a coffin that provides an effective seal between the shield and the casing walls of the casket, however it is easily installed and removed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention achieves this objective by providing a coffin and shield combination. The coffin has a casket cover with a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls that connect the side walls and an interior. The cover walls include a groove extending peripherally around the inside of the casket cover. An elongated seal strip is disposed in the coffin cover slot and has first and second resilient seal members. A transparent shield is removably installed on the cover. The shield has a peripheral edge removably retained between the first and second seal members of the seal strip in sealing engagement therewith. The seal strip, includes a third resilient member. The third member is disposed in the coffin cover slot and the first and second seal members are connected to the third member. The first and second seal members are articulated together by a resilient active hinge. The active hinge is of a first stiffness and the rest of the seal strip is of a second stiffness, the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness. Alternatively, the active hinge is of a first stiffness and the rest of the seal strip is of a second stiffness, the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness. The first and second stamp members respectively include inter-resilient projections before resilient. The interospray projections are configured to interlock releasably when the first and second seal members move relative to each other, whereby the peripheral edge of the transparent shield is removably held between them. One of the first and second seal members includes a foam strip on top of which, when the peripheral edge of the transparent shield is placed between the first and second seal members, the peripheral edge compresses the foam strip by the action of the other of the first. and second seal members on the peripheral edge of the shield. The main advantage of the present invention is that an armor is provided for a coffin, which allows an effective site between the armor and the coffin walls however it is easily and quickly installed and removed.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the present drawings, wherein: Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a casket and shield in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figure 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the mounting of the shield in the casket. Detailed Description of the Invention First with reference to Figure 1, a casket 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is illustrated. The casket 10 includes a lower cover 12 having a pair of side walls, one of which is illustrated at 14, and a pair of end walls connecting the side walls, one of which is illustrated at 16. Equipment in the shape of an elongate handlebar 18, is connected to the side wall 14 through arms 20 and gussets 22. A cover 24 is hingedly connected to the cover 12 by the hinges 26. Now with reference to Figures 1-3, it will be seen that a transparent shield 30, made for example of acrylic, is removably installed on the cover 12. The shield 30 includes a generally convex central portion 32 and a generally planar horizontal peripheral edge 34 surrounding the convex portion 32. The cover side 14 and the end walls 16 include a groove 36 extending there peripherally around the inside of the casket cover 12, which as illustrated, is made of wood. An elongated seal strip 38 is disposed in the coffin cover slot 36. The elongated seal strip 38 is preferably made of resilient material, eg PVC, as an extrusion and includes first and second seal members 40 and 42, respectively. The peripheral edge 34 of the shield 32 can be removably retained between the first and second seal members 40 and 41 respectively in seal engagement with them, as will be described in more detail below. In describing the elongated seal strip 38 now in more detail, a base portion 50, generally oriented vertically (when installed on the cover 12), has a member 52 in the shape of a rib and includes "tree-like" projections. "54" that extend outwardly for press fit into the groove 36. The first seal member 40 is connected to the base 50 by an active hinge 56. The active hinge 56 is preferably made of a softer, less rigid material that the rest of the resilient seal strip 38. The material from which active hinge 56 is manufactured, preferably is a flexible PVC material, known as GEON1"* C7000 available from Geon Vinyl Division of BF Goodrich Company, Cleveland, Ohio This flexible PVC material has an instantaneous hardness of 70A points and a 100% modulus of 45.7 Kg / cm2 (650 psi) .The remainder of the extruded seal strip 38 is preferably manufactured from a rigid PVC material known as GE0NM R 8700A available from the same company, which has a hardness - D hardness of 78 (± 3) and a flexural modulus of 24.605 Kg / cm2 (350,000 psi). The first and second seal members 40 and 42 respectively, include respective inter-threaded projections 60 and 62, which are configured to interchange freely when the first and second seal members 40 and 42 move relative to each other, when moving or rotating the first member 40. to the second member 42, facilitating that the active hinge 56 articulates the members 40 and 42 together. The second seal member 42 further preferably includes a foam strip 70 adhesively applied to a top surface thereof. In this way, when the peripheral edge 34 of the transparent shield 30 is placed between the first and second seal members 40 and 42, the lower surface of the peripheral edge 34 compresses the foam strip 70 by action of the first seal member 40 on the upper surface of peripheral edge 34, thus affecting a generally air-tight seal between the shield 30 and the casket cover 12. In use, the foam strip 70 is first applied to the upper surface of the second seal member 42. Preferably, a strip of foam that includes a side with simple adhesive, is used to adhesively attach strip 70 to member 42. Next, one or more portions of resilient seal strip 38 are fixed to cover 12 around its periphery by snap-fitting the member 54 on the peripheral groove 36 inside the cover 12. The peripheral edge 34 of the shield 30 is then placed on the foam seal strip 70, and the seal member 40 moves downwardly relative to the other seal member. 42, until the respective inter-locking projections 60 and 62 interlock. Decorative or similar fabric 80 can be placed preferably with respect to the shield 30 to hide the strip 38 and foam 70. The decorative fabric 70 can be in the form of a "sock" with added filler or alternatively the decorative fabric 80 can be stapled to the edge of the casket wall 12. In case access to the interior of the casing is desired, access can quickly be achieved simply by removing the decorative material 80 and pulling the seal member 40 upward, in order to detach the interstraight projections 60. and 62 that can be repeatedly attached and detached by hand due to the resilient nature of the PVC material. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications that may be made to the coffin and armor combination of the present invention, however all of which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Accordingly, the invention will be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. What is claimed is: