Casket and memorialization accessory

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- 1 CASKET AND MEMORIALIZATION ACCESSORY

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] None.

FIELD

[0002] This relates generally to caskets and more particularly to memorialization accessories for use separately and/or with caskets.

BACKGROUND

[0003] There is a trend in the death care industry towards personalizing to the deceased the funeral products and the funeral or other memorial service to provide a more meaningful memorial experience for the family and friends of the deceased. The casket in which the deceased is displayed can be customized to fit the needs and preferences of the deceased and the family. For instance, a wide variety of materials, finishes, colors, and decorative ornamentation can be chosen for the casket.

[0004] Some casket designs incorporate decorative corner ornaments secured to the casket during fabrication thereof. In many, if not most, prior designs, these ornamental corner pieces are rigidly affixed to the casket shell. Consequently, if a customer purchasing the casket is not pleased with the particular pre-installed ornamental corner pieces, and wishes to customize the casket exterior to his or her taste, the funeral director must go through a lengthy and complicated process to first remove the original ornamental corner pieces and then reinstall the ornamental corner pieces chosen by the customer. This process typically requires manual manipulation and access to the interior

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-2of the casket which may require the removal of bedding, lining, and the like. Such a process is time consuming and can damage the otherwise new casket and is thus frowned upon and generally avoided by the funeral director.

[0005] To more effectively market caskets, the funeral director desires to offer a wide variety of ornamental corner pieces from which a customer can select according to the customer’s taste. However, to offer such a wide selection, and to avoid the undesirable practice mentioned above, the funeral director would have to maintain a large inventory of many different casket material/finish and corner piece combinations, which is also undesirable. To minimize the required inventory of finished caskets, the funeral director could simply have one casket of each material/finish on hand provided that the funeral director had some means providing for the quick and efficient changing of the ornamental corner pieces on each casket. As such, the customer could quickly view numerous corner pieces on a single casket, and the funeral director would need only stock a single casket of each material finish. Many prior casket designs, which rigidly affix the ornamental corner pieces, do not permit such quick and efficient changing of the ornamental corner pieces as discussed above.

[0006] A quick-change casket corner mechanism is disclosed in Acton et al. US

Patents Nos. 6,591,466, 5,928,706, and 7,340,810, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The Acton et al. patents disclose an ornamental corner piece assembly having a back plate that attaches to the corner of a casket. The back plate includes a clip member having at least one keyhole groove. A decorative corner insert includes at least one attachment member that slidingly engages the keyhole groove in the clip member such that the corner insert removably couples to the back plate. In this way, a funeral director may quickly and conveniently change out the decorative corner pieces to provide a wide variety

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-3of casket designs personalized to the deceased. Such a quick change casket corner ornament is commercially available from the assignee as its LIFESYMBOLS® line of corner ornaments.

[0007] Another advance in the areas of personalization and memorialization is the subject of Groemminger et al. US Patents Nos. 6,557,222, 6,883,212, and

7,210,204, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein. The Groemminger et al. patents disclose a casket ornament display plaque and associated methods for memorializing a deceased. The casket ornament display plaque comprises a decorative board, a casket ornament attached to the board, and indicia attached to the board identifying the deceased to be memorialized. The casket ornament is one having been removed from a casket in which the deceased was displayed or one that is substantially identical thereto.

[0008] Another advance in the areas of personalization and memorialization is the subject of Biondo et al. US Patents Nos. 5,611,124, 5,727,291, 6,836,936, and 6,976,294, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The Biondo et al. patents disclose a casket having an integral memorabilia compartment for the placement, display, and storage therein of personal effects and mementos of memorialization of the deceased. In one form the casket comprises a shell, a cap pivoted to the shell, and an openable and closeable memorabilia compartment forming a part of the cap. In one form the memorabilia

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-4compartment takes the form of a drawer. Such a casket is commercially available from the assignee as its MEMORYSAFE® line of caskets.

[0009] Advances have therefore been made in the area of casket designs incorporating decorative or ornamental corner pieces as demonstrated with the product discussed above. However, there continues to be room for improvement in the area of personalization in the death care industry.

SUMMARY

[0010] A casket and memorialization accessory combination comprises a casket comprising a casket shell having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and a casket lid closable on the casket shell, a decorative ornament comprising a digital image display device, and a keepsake box adapted to receive keepsake items therein. The casket shell and ornament are configured such that the ornament is removably attachable to the casket shell. The keepsake box and ornament are configured such that the ornament is attachable to the keepsake box. The ornament can be removed from the casket in which a deceased was displayed for viewing and attached to the keepsake box so that the keepsake box and ornament can be presented to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.

[0011] The combination can further comprise apparatus for removably securing the ornament to the shell and to the keepsake box, comprising a first attachment element associated with the shell, a second attachment element associated with the ornament, and a third attachment element associated with the keepsake box. The first and second attachment elements are configured for removably securing the ornament to the shell,

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-5and the second and third attachment elements are configured for securing the ornament to the keepsake box. One of the first and second attachment elements can be at least one groove and the other of the first and second attachment elements can be at least one fastener having a head thereon. The third attachment element can be the same type of attachment element as the first attachment element. The groove can comprise a slot and an opening communicating with the slot, the opening being of a greater dimension than the slot. The fastener can be a threaded fastener, for example a screw, for example a shoulder screw. The shell can have a mounting member disposed between adjacent ones of the side and end walls, and the ornament can be mounted to the mounting member. The mounting member can be oriented at about a 45° angle relative to the adjacent ones of the side and end walls. The first, second, and third attachment elements can be configured such that the ornament is removably secured to the shell and to the keepsake box via motion in first and second non-parallel directions generally parallel to a plane defined by a mounting surface of the shell and the keepsake box. The motion in the first and second directions can be rectilinear. The groove can include a first keyhole portion and a second non-keyhole portion. The first keyhole portion can have a first longitudinal axis, the second non-keyhole portion can have a second longitudinal axis, and the first and second longitudinal axes can be non-parallel. The first and second longitudinal axes can be perpendicular. The ornament can be a corner ornament. The keepsake box can have a pivoting lid and the third fastening element can be mounted to an underside of the lid.

[0012] The digital image display device can comprise a LCD screen. The digital image display device can further comprise a decorative frame surrounding the LCD

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-6screen. The digital image display device can comprise a memory for electronic photo image files. The memory can be configured to display the electronic photo image files as a slideshow. The digital image display device can comprise a power source. The digital image display device can comprise a USB port.

[0013] In another aspect, a memorialization accessory for memorializing a deceased comprises a keepsake box adapted to receive keepsake items therein and having a first fastener element, an ornament including a second fastener element, the ornament attached to the keepsake box with the first and second fastener elements, the ornament being previously attached to a casket in which the deceased was displayed for viewing, or being substantially identical to an ornament attached to the casket in which the deceased was displayed for viewing.

[0014] The keepsake box can have a pivoting lid and the first fastening element can be mounted to an underside of the lid. The keepsake box can further include a picture frame mounted to the underside of the lid.

[0015] In another aspect, a method of memorializing a deceased comprises displaying the deceased for viewing in a casket to which is mounted an ornament and in which is placed a keepsake box, removing the ornament from the casket, removing the keepsake box from the casket, mounting the ornament to the keepsake box, and presenting the keepsake box and ornament to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.

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-7[0016] The keepsake box can have a pivoting lid and the method can further comprise mounting the ornament to an underside of the lid prior to presenting the keepsake box to the loved one.

[0017] In another aspect, a method of memorializing a deceased comprises displaying the deceased for viewing in a casket to which is mounted an ornament and in which is placed a keepsake box, removing the keepsake box from the casket, mounting an ornament, which is substantially identical to the ornament mounted on the casket, to the keepsake box, and presenting the keepsake box and ornament to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.

[0018] In another aspect, a method of memorializing a deceased comprises displaying the deceased for viewing in a casket to which is mounted an ornament, removing the ornament from the casket, mounting the ornament to a keepsake box, and presenting the keepsake box and ornament to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.

[0019] In another aspect, a method of memorializing a deceased comprises displaying the deceased for viewing in a casket to which is mounted an ornament, mounting an ornament, which is substantially identical to the ornament mounted on the casket, to a keepsake box, and presenting the keepsake box and ornament to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.

[0020] The combination can further comprise an attachment clip for removably attaching the ornament to the shell and/or for removably attaching the ornament to the keepsake box. The attachment clip can comprise a front portion having a pair of

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-8vertically spaced right angle keyhole grooves therethrough, having a rearwardly projecting circular post, and having a rectangular rib adjacent said post, and a back portion having a pair of vertically spaced spring tabs each of which cooperates with one of the pair of vertically spaced right angle keyhole grooves, having a circular hole for receiving the circular post, and having a rectangular hole for receiving the rectangular rib. The ornament can include a pair of vertically spaced fasteners on a rear side thereof, each of which includes a head thereon. Each spring tab can include a pair of ribs spaced apart to accept the head of a respective one of the pair of fasteners.

DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a casket and memorialization accessory.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded partial perspective view of the casket and ornament of

FIG. 1.

[0023] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the memorialization accessory and ornament of Fig. 1.

[0024] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an attachment clip for attaching the ornament to the casket.

[0025] FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of the attachment clip of FIG. 4.

[0026] FIG. 6A is a view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5 showing the ornament and its fastener prior to attachment to the attachment clip.

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-9[0027] FIG. 6B is a view similar to FIG. 6A showing the ornament fastener head inserted into the attachment clip.

[0028] FIG. 6C is a view similar to FIG. 6B showing the ornament fastener head slid into its final position in the attachment clip and coming to rest between the two ribs on the spring tab.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ornament.

DESCRIPTION

[0030] Referring to the figures, a casket 10 comprises a casket shell 12 having a pair of side walls 14 and a pair of end walls 16, a casket lid 18 closable on the casket shell 12, and an ornament 20, for example a corner ornament, mounted to the shell 12. Memorialization accessory 22 takes the form of a keepsake box which is adapted to receive keepsake items 24 therein. The casket shell 18 and ornament 20 are configured such that the ornament 20 is removably attachable to the casket shell 12. The keepsake box 22 and ornament 20 are configured such that the ornament 20 is attachable to the keepsake box 22. The ornament 20 can be removed from the casket 10 in which a deceased was displayed for viewing and attached to the keepsake box 22. In this way that the keepsake box 22 and ornament 20 can be presented to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased. The keepsake box 22 can be placed in the casket 10 during display of the deceased therein for viewing, or placed adjacent the casket 10 during viewing.

[0031] The ornament 20 can be a digital image display device comprising a LCD screen 260. The digital image display device can comprise a memory 262 for electronic

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- 10photo image files. The memory 262 can be configured to display the electronic photo image files as a slideshow. The digital image display device 20 can comprise a power source 264, for example batteries. The digital image display device 20 can comprise a USB port 266 for connection to a digital camera, laptop computer, personal computer, etc. in order to load the electronic photo image files into the memory 262. The digital image display device 20 can further comprise a decorative frame 268 surrounding the LCD screen 260. For example, one commercially available digital image display device 20 or so-called “digital picture frame’ suitable for use with casket 10 is the Pandigital (5.6” Tru Photo) model number PAN56-1.

[0032] The casket 10, ornament 20, and memorialization accessory 22 can further comprise apparatus 32 for removably securing the ornament 20 to a mounting surface 34 of the shell 12 and for securing the ornament 30 to the keepsake box 22. That apparatus 32 can comprise a first attachment element 36 associated with the mounting surface 34 of the shell 12, a second attachment element 38 associated with the ornament 20, and a third attachment element 39 associated with the keepsake box 22. The first 36 and second 38 attachment elements are for removably securing the ornament 20 to the shell 12, and the second 38 and third 39 attachment elements are configured for securing the ornament 20 to the keepsake box 22. One of the first 36 and second 38 attachment elements can be at least one groove 40 and the other of the first 36 and second 38 attachment elements can be at least one fastener 42 having a head 44 thereon. The third attachment element 39 can be of the same type of attachment element as the first attachment element 36. The groove 40 can comprise a slot 50 and an opening 52 communicating with the slot 50, the opening 52 being of a greater

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- 11dimension than the slot 50. The fastener 42 can be a threaded fastener, for example a screw. The screw can be for example a shoulder screw.

[0033] The shell 12 can have a mounting member 60 disposed between adjacent ones of the side 14 and end 16 walls, and the ornament 20 can be mounted to the mounting member 60. Accordingly in this example the mounting surface 34 is a part of the mounting member 60 of the shell 12. Mounting member 60 can be the back plate shown and described in the Acton et al. patents. Other mounting surfaces and members are possible. The mounting member 60 can be oriented at about a 45° angle relative to the adjacent ones of the side 14 and end 16 walls. The first attachment element 36 can be associated with the mounting member 60, and the second attachment element 38 can be associated with the ornament 20. For example, groove 40, or a pair of grooves 40, can be formed in an attachment clip 62 secured to mounting member 60 with screws

64, and the shoulder screws 42 can be secured to the rear side of the ornament 20. The third attachment element 39 can also be a groove 40 or pair of grooves 40 formed in an attachment clip 62 secured to a mounting surface or member of keepsake box 22, which as illustrated, is an underside 70 of a pivoting lid 72 of keepsake box 22. Keepsake box can also include a picture frame 74 mounted to the underside 70 of the lid 72 into which can be inserted a picture of the deceased, prayer card, or the like. Other configurations of keepsake box are of course possible and are within the scope of the claims.

[0034] The first 36, second 38, and third 39 attachment elements can be configured such that the ornament 20 is removably secured to the shell 12 and the keepsake box 22 via motion in first and second non-parallel directions generally parallel to a plane

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- 12defined by the mounting member 60 of the casket shell 12 and the mounting member 70 of the keepsake box 22. The groove (s) 30 can include a first keyhole portion 66 and a second non-keyhole portion 68. The first keyhole portion 66 can have a first longitudinal axis, the second non-keyhole portion 68 can have a second longitudinal axis, and the first and second longitudinal axes can be non-parallel. For example, the first and second longitudinal axes can be perpendicular. For examples, the first and second directions can be rectilinear or curvilinear.

[0035] To install the ornament 20, the head(s) 44 of the fastener(s) 42 are inserted into opening(s) 52 of groove(s) 40; the ornament 20 is then moved generally parallel to a plane defined by mounting member 60 or 70 from left to right as illustrated thus sliding head(s) 44 from left to right in slot(s) 40. The ornament 20 is then moved again generally parallel to the plane defined by the mounting member 60 or 70 downwardly thus sliding head(s) 44 down in slot(s) 50. While not required, the multi-direction movement to install ornament 20 can reduce the potential for the ornament 20 to become inadvertently dislodged.

[0036] In use, a deceased is displayed for viewing in the casket 10 to which is mounted an ornament 20. Keepsake box 22 can be placed in casket 10 or placed alongside casket 10. Keepsake items 24 can be placed in keepsake box 22 during viewing by family, friends, and loved ones of the deceased. After the viewing or funeral or other memorial service, the ornament 20 is removed from the casket 10 and mounted to the keepsake box 22. The keepsake box 22 with ornament 20 mounted thereon can then be presented to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased. Alternatively, an ornament which is substantially identical to the ornament that was

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- 13mounted on the casket can be mounted on the keepsake box, if the actual ornament is not removed from the casket.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 4-6C, one form of attachment clip 62 which could be used is illustrated. The attachment clip 62 can have a front portion 100 having a pair of vertically spaced right angle keyhole grooves 102 therethrough, a rearwardly projecting circular post 104, and a rectangular rib 106 adjacent the post 104. The attachment clip 62 can have a back portion 110 having a pair of vertically spaced spring tabs 112 each of which cooperates with one of the pair of vertically spaced right angle keyhole grooves 102, a circular hole 114 for receiving the circular post 104, and a rectangular hole 116 for receiving the rectangular rib 106. Post 104, rib 106, hole 114, and hole 116 are to properly orient the front portion 100 with the back portion 110. Both portions have holes 108, 118, respectively, for receiving screws 54, rivets, etc. Each spring tab 112 can include a pair of ribs 120 which are spaced apart to accept the head 34 of fastener 32.

As seen in FIGS. 6A-6C, heads 34 are inserted into keyhole grooves 102, slid to the right, and then slid down. Sliding the heads 34 down causes the spring tabs 112 to deflect rearwardly as heads 34 travel down and over the uppermost ones of the pairs of ribs 112. Once over the uppermost ones of the pairs of ribs 112, spring tabs spring forwardly retaining heads 34 between ribs 112 and against a rear surface of keyhole grooves 102.

[0038] The embodiments shown and described are merely for illustrative purposes only. The drawings and the description are not intended to limit in any way the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various changes, modifications, and other embodiments. All such changes, modifications and embodiments are deemed to

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-14be embraced by the claims. For example, while the ornament and picture frame have been illustrated in the drawings as being mounted to the underside of the lid of the keepsake box, they could as well be mounted to the outside of the lid of the keepsake box. Accordingly, the scope of the right to exclude shall be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.