Snap-in recessed insert for dish of burial casket

• US 5,495,648 A
• Filed: 01/06/1995
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Batesville Services Incorporated (Hillenbrand Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Batesville Casket Company Incorporated (Hillenbrand Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schebler, Will, Rojdev, Ilija
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US08/369,350
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 27/14, 27/15, 27/16, 27/17, 27/4, 27/19, 27/35, 27/DIG. 1, 220/431, 220/469
• US Class Current: 27/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 17/028 Swinging closures
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 17/042 Linings and veneer

Abstract

A snap-in, recessed insert removably attaches to a casket lid, and a dish removably attaches to the recessed insert, to facilitate the display of different decorative interiors for the casket lid. The recessed insert has a shape which spans the interior of the casket lid and conforms substantially in depth to the inside of the casket lid. The insert snap connects to an internal flange of the casket lid for accurate and repeatable mounting to the lid, without requiring tools. The insert also includes internal structure for retaining a dish inside thereof, including a center depression formed therein for positively seating the middle of the dish to the insert and the casket lid. This recessed insert minimizes the cost and complexity associated with dish changeover and assures accuracy in mounting a dish to the casket lid. Due to its construction, this recessed insert allows the dish components to be shipped separately and connected at the site of display, thereby eliminating an assembly step at the factory, reducing shipping costs and reducing the susceptibility of the puffing to damage during shipping.

Claims

1. In a burial casket having a lid hingedly connected to a body, the lid having a hollow internal side substantially surrounded by a flange and an interior therein, the interior comprising:

a recessed insert connectably received within the internal open side of the lid, the recessed insert having an outwardly extending ledge engaging the flange and the recessed insert further having an inwardly extending ledge;

a dish removably mounted within the recessed insert, the dish including a puffing with a plurality of puffing sections, each of the puffing sections having an inner edge and an outer edge, the outer edges of the puffing sections held in place by the inwardly extending flange of the recessed insert;

the dish further including,

a backing member located adjacent to and supporting the inner edges of the puffing sections, and

a panel insert held within the puffing sections adjacent the backing member, whereby the border, the backing member and the panel insert are removable from the recessed insert and the recessed insert is removable from the lid.

2. The burial casket of claim 1 wherein the panel insert is removable from within the puffing sections of the dish.

3. The burial casket of claim 2 wherein the backing member and the puffing sections are secured together.

4. The burial casket of claim 1 wherein the lid has four walls, the flange surrounds the four walls of the lid, the recessed insert has four corresponding sidewalls and there are four corresponding puffing sections.

5. The burial casket of claim 4 wherein each of the puffing sections has two free side edges, and each of the respective puffing sections is curved when the outer edge thereof is held by the inwardly extending flange of the recessed insert.

6. The burial casket of claim 1 wherein the inner edges of the puffing sections include folded portions oriented parallel with the backing member.

7. The burial casket of claim 6 wherein the folded portions of the puffing sections are secured to the backing member.

8. The burial casket of claim 6 wherein the recessed insert has a plurality of inner sidewalls defining a center depression, and further comprising:

an inwardly directed rib retaining the folded portions of the puffing sections.

9. The burial casket of claim 1 wherein the recessed insert further comprises:

a rib located opposite the outwardly extending ledge, with the flange of the lid residing therebetween, thereby to securely mount the recessed insert to the lid.

10. The burial casket of claim 9 wherein the recessed insert has sufficient flexibility to permit the deformation necessary to seat the flange between the rib and the outwardly extending ledge.

11. The burial casket of claim 10 wherein the recessed insert is molded plastic.

12. The burial casket of claim 9 wherein the lid has four sidewalls, the recessed insert has four corresponding sidewalls and the rib engages the flange on at least two sides.

13. The burial casket of claim 12 wherein the rib is discontinuous.

14. A decorative interior for the inside surface of a lid of a burial casket, the lid hingedly connected to a body of the casket and including a peripheral flange substantially surrounding the inside surface thereof, the interior comprising:

a recessed insert removably connectable to the flange of the lid, the recessed insert adapted for substantially covering the inside surface of the lid and including a central depression bounded by sidewalls; and

a dish removably connected to the recessed insert and substantially covering the recessed insert from view, the dish including a backing member located within the central depression, a plurality of puffing sections held within the recessed insert around the backing member and a panel insert seated and centered within the puffing sections and adjacent the backing member, the dish providing an aesthetic visual appearance for the lid of the casket when on display in the open position.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the backing member is secured to each of the puffing sections.

16. A decorative interior for the inside surface of a lid of a burial casket, the lid hingedly connected to a body of the casket and including a peripheral flange substantially surrounding the inside surface thereof, the interior comprising:

a recessed insert removably connectable to the flange of the lid, the recessed insert adapted for substantially covering the inside surface of the lid and including a central depression bounded by sidewalls, the insert further including,

an outwardly directed ledge and an outwardly directed rib adapted to cooperatively snap into the peripheral flange, thereby to hold the recessed insert to the lid, and

an inwardly directed ledge, the inwardly directed ledge and the central depression adapted to removably hold a dish.

17. The invention of claim 16 and further comprising:

a rib extending inwardly from the insert in spaced relation from the inwardly directed ledge, the inwardly directed ledge and rib adapted to retain first and second edges, respectively, of a puffing section.

18. A method of mounting a decorative interior to the inside of a lid of a burial casket, the lid hingedly connected to a body of the casket and including a peripheral flange substantially surrounding the inside surface thereof, comprising the steps of:

connecting a recessed insert to the inside of the lid via the making of a snap fit interconnection between an outwardly extending ledge and rib of the recessed insert and the peripheral flange, the recessed insert having peripheral walls defining a central depression and the recessed insert substantially covering the inside surface of the lid; and

mounting a dish to the recessed insert, within the central depression.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the mounting step further comprises:

placing a backing member of the dish within the central depression;

retaining puffing sections of the dish within the central depression, with lower edges thereof located adjacent the backing member and upper edges thereof held by an inwardly extending ledge of the recessed insert; and

locating a panel insert inside the central depression and within the puffing sections, adjacent the backing member, and in a manner which retains the lower edges of the puffing sections.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the placing, retaining and locating steps occur consecutively, and not at the same time.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the lower edges of the puffing sections are retained by a rib which extends inwardly from the recessed insert, spaced from the inwardly extending ledge.