Dish assembly for a burial casket cap

• US 6,237,202 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Batesville Services Incorporated (Hillenbrand Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Batesville Services Incorporated (Hillenbrand Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gould, Donna S., Rojdev, Llija, Schultz, Scott A., Maier, Donald R., Neth, William F., Groemminger, Brian K., Maple, Donald D., Hankel, Bryan M., Colangelo, Richard A., Calhoun, Rosalie J., Agee, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, William L.
• Application Number:
  US09/165,990
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 27/19, 27/14, 40/725, 40/727, 40/732, 40/754, D99/10
• US Class Current: 27/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 17/04 Fittings for coffins

Abstract

In an effort at increasing the quality and styling of the casket interior, and in particular the casket cap dish assembly, and in an effort to increase the quality of the memorialization aspect of the casket and memorial service, the present invention was devised which comprises, in one aspect, a dish assembly for installation into an underside of a casket cap, the assembly comprising a foam dish including an opening therethrough, and a cap panel installed in the opening in the foam dish. In a second aspect, the dish assembly comprises a dish including an opening therethrough and a cap panel removably installed in the opening in the dish, the cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being removable from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased.

Claims

1. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a foam dish, mounted to said cap, and including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel installed in said opening in said foam dish;

wherein said cap panel is mounted in a frame, said cap panel and frame being removably installable in said foam dish opening as a unit;

further including a dish box into which said foam dish is mounted.

2. The casket of claim 1 further including a backer panel mounted on a rear side of said dish box.

3. The casket of claim 2 wherein said dish box includes an opening therein corresponding to said opening in said foam dish.

4. The casket of claim 3 wherein said backer panel is fabric covered such that when said cap panel is removed from said foam dish said fabric covered backer panel is visible through said foam dish opening and said dish box opening.

5. The casket of claim 2 wherein said backer panel and dish box are adhered together.

6. The casket of claim 3 wherein said cap panel, foam dish opening and dish box opening are oval shaped.

7. The casket of claim 1 wherein said cap panel includes a decorative ornament mounted thereon.

8. The casket of claim 1 wherein said foam dish is fabric covered.

9. The casket of claim 1 wherein said cap panel is fabric covered.

10. The casket of claim 1 wherein said foam dish is, in cross-section, in the general shape of a quarter-round.

11. The casket of claim 10 wherein said foam dish is constructed of first and second foam portions, said first foam portion in cross-section being in the shape of a beveled rectangle, said second foam portion in cross-section being in the shape of a quarter-round, said first and second foam portions being adhered together.

12. The casket of claim 1 wherein said foam dish and dish box are adhered together.

13. The casket of claim 1 wherein said cap panel is removably installed in said opening in said foam dish.

14. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish, mounted to said cap, and including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel removably installed in said opening in said dish, said cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being for removal from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased;

further including a first frame mounted around said opening of said dish and a second frame in which said cap panel is mounted, said cap panel and second frame being removably installable in said first frame of said dish opening as a unit;

wherein said cap panel includes structure facilitating the display of said cap panel by the loved one of the deceased;

wherein said structure comprises a pair of legs on a rear side of said cap panel.

15. The casket of claim 14 wherein said pair of legs are integrally formed from a paperboard backing of said cap panel, said pair of legs being die cut in said paperboard backing and foldable rearwardly away from the balance of said paperboard backing.

16. The casket of claim 14 wherein said dish is a foam dish.

17. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish, mounted to said cap, and including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel removably installed in said opening in said dish, said cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being for removal from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased;

further including a first frame mounted around said opening of said dish and a second frame in which said cap panel is mounted, said cap panel and second frame being removably installable in said first frame of said dish opening as a unit;

wherein said dish is a paperboard dish including a rectangular central panel having opposed side edges and opposed end edges and a puffing member at each of said edges of said central panel, adjacent ends of adjacent ones of said puffing members forming a miter corner.

18. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish, mounted to said cap, and including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel removably installed in said opening in said dish, said cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being for removal from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased;

further including a first frame mounted around said opening of said dish and a second frame in which said cap panel is mounted, said cap panel and second frame being removably installable in said first frame of said dish opening as a unit;

further including structure removably securing said first and second frames together.

19. A dish assembly for installation into an underside of a casket cap, said assembly comprising:

a dish including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel removably installed in said opening in said dish, said cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being for removal from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased;

further including a first frame mounted around said opening of said dish and a second frame in which said cap panel is mounted, said cap panel and second frame being removably installable in said first frame of said dish opening as a unit;

further including structure removably securing said first and second frames together;

wherein said structure comprises spring loaded ball catches.

20. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish, mounted to said cap, and including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel removably installed in said opening in said dish, said cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being for removal from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased;

further including a first frame mounted around said opening of said dish and a second frame in which said can panel is mounted, said cap panel and second frame being removably installable in said first frame of said dish opening as a unit;

wherein said cap panel comprises;

a frame including a recess on a rear side thereof;

a memory plaque positioned in said recess;

a cardboard filler panel juxtaposed against said memory plaque; and

an easel juxtaposed against said cardboard filler panel.

21. The casket of claim 20 wherein said easel includes a pair of legs die cut therein in and foldable rearwardly away from the balance of said easel for supporting said cap panel in an upright position.

22. The casket of claim 20 wherein said memory plaque, cardboard filler panel and easel are retained in said recess of said frame with clips secured to said rear side of said frame.

23. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish, mounted to said cap, and including an opening therethrough; and

a cap panel removably installed in said opening in said dish, said cap panel being personalized to the deceased and being for removal from the dish by a loved one of the deceased subsequent to a memorial service for the deceased and retained by the loved one as a memorial to the deceased;

further including a first frame mounted around said opening of said dish and a second frame in which said cap panel is mounted, said cap panel and second frame being removably installable in said first frame of said dish opening as a unit;

wherein said first frame is secured to said dish with staples.

24. The casket of claim 23 wherein said second frame is fabricated of urethane foam.

25. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish mounted to said cap and including an opening therethrough;

a frame mounted around a periphery of said opening in said dish;

a cap panel mounted within a periphery of said frame; and

structure removably securing said cap panel and frame together.

26. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish mounted to said cap;

a first frame mounted to said dish;

a cap panel mounted in a second frame;

said second frame being mounted in said first frame; and

structure removably securing said cap panel and frame together.

27. A casket comprising:

a shell;

a cap closeable upon said shell;

a dish mounted to said cap;

a first frame mounted to said dish;

a cap panel mounted in a second frame;

said second frame being mounted in said first frame; and

structure removably securing said first and second frames together.

28. The casket of claim 27 wherein said second frame is removably receivable in said first frame.