Improved coffin and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

 The present invention concerns an improved coffin (1) comprising a case (3), in which a corpse can be placed and a cover (2), comprising an upper plane (2') and a plurality of boards (4), said coffin (1) being characterized in that it comprises a support material (7), wherein a mark can be left, preferably by an impression or an imprint.
The present invention concerns also a manufacturing method for one or more tables (4) of said cover (2) of said improved coffin (1).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved coffin and manufacture method thereof.

[0002] More specifically, the invention concerns a coffin or casket on which mourners attending the funeral can leave a mark, a signature, a dedication, a fingerprint or the like.

[0003] As it is well known, a coffin or casket is a container, which is usually made of wood, intended to preserve the body of a deceased person. The coffin is typically placed under the ground, in which case the body is subjected to burial, or inserted into a suitable loculus, so that there is the entombment.

[0004] In general, the body of the deceased is arranged within the coffin before closing, exposing it to the dear in the so-called mortuary chamber, for a final farewell. Then, the coffin is closed and, after any religious function, is carried into cemetery.

[0005] It is known that there are many kinds of coffins, more or less complex and fitted. In any case, in general, the coffins comprise a box and a cover, made with different parts of wood. The cover closes the box in such a way as to insulate it.

[0006] The present invention satisfies the need and the desire of the dears of the deceased to leave a personal "sign" on the coffin or casket in memory and witness of the last moments of their closeness to the deceased. Therefore, there is on the one hand the opportunity for the dears of the deceased to leave a sign, a signature, a dedication, a fingerprint or anything else on the coffin, and on the other hand, the possibility to solve construction and structural problems.

[0007] In light of the above, it is, therefore, object of the present invention to propose an improved coffin, on which it is possible to leave a sign, preferably by means of an impression or an imprint, by participants at a funeral, as testimony of their own feeling towards the deceased, but which presents, however, the necessary manufacturing requirements and mechanical strength.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide the manufacture method of said improved coffin.

[0009] These and other results are obtained according to the invention with a machining of the coffin or casket cover on which is suitably positioned the material that can be easily molded or etched.

[0010] It is therefore a specific object of the present invention an improved coffin comprising a case, in which a corpse can be placed and a cover, comprising an upper plane and a plurality of boards, said coffin being characterized in that it comprises a support material, wherein a mark can be left, preferably by an impression or an imprint.

[0011] Always according to the invention, one or more of said boards could comprise a base, having a housing on the face opposite to that directed towards the inside of said case, wherein said support material is contained, and comprise a cover element, having a removable intermediate element, arranged in correspondence of said housing.

[0012] Still according to the invention, said cover element could comprise a first lower portion and a second upper portion, said removable intermediate element being coupled with said second upper portion along a longitudinal coupling line, in correspondence of which a groove is made.

[0013] Advantageously according to the invention, said removable intermediate element could comprise one or more handles.

[0014] Further according to the invention, said removable intermediate element could be arranged so that one edge is adjacent to said first lower portion.

[0015] Always according to the invention, said support material could be memory shape.

[0016] Still according to the invention, said shape memory material could be plasticine and/or resin.

[0017] It is further object of the present invention a manufacturing method for one or more boards of said cover of said improved coffin as defined above, comprising the following steps: providing a base; obtaining a housing on the face of said base opposite to that directed towards the inside of said case; filling said housing with a support material, which is preferably a memory shape material; providing a cover element; carrying out two substantially parallel longitudinal millings, in order to obtain by said cover element a first lower portion, an intermediate removable element and a second upper portion, said removable intermediate element being disposed near said first lower portion, so as to leave a slot, and coupled with said second upper portion along a line; arranging said cover element on said base; and coupling said cover element with said base, so that said removable intermediate element is arranged in correspondence with said housing.

[0018] Advantageously according to the invention, in said coupling step, said base could be coupled with said first lower portion and with said second upper portion.

[0019] The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows a plan view of the improved coffin according to the present invention;

figure 2 shows a front view of the base according to figure 1;

figure 3 shows a partial section perspective view of the coffin according to figure 1;

figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a cover board of an improved coffin according to the present invention;

figure 5 shows a cross-sectional and exploded view of the board according to figure 4;

figure 6 shows a cross section of the board of figure 4 from which a portion is removed;

figure 7 shows a perspective view of the cover board of an improved coffin according to the present invention in a first operating position;

figure 7a shows a detail of figure 7;

figure 8 shows a perspective view of the board according to figure 7 in a second operating position;

figure 8a shows a detail of figure 8;

figure 9 is a partial section perspective view of the improved coffin according to the invention, in a removing step of the intermediate element of the removable board according to figure 7;

figure 10 shows a removing step of the intermediate element of the removable board according to figure 7;

figure 11 shows a further removing step of the intermediate element of the removable board according to figure 7;

figure 12 shows a partial section perspective view of the improved coffin in the removing step according to figure 11;

figure 13 shows the access to a housing of the board according to figure 7; and

figure 14 shows the impression of an imprint of a material with shape memory contained in the table according to figure 7.

[0020] In the various figures, similar parts will be indicated by the same reference numbers.

[0021] Referring to figures 1 and 2 a coffin 1 according to the present invention can be seen, which, and in general, comprises a box 3 and a cover 2, to be arranged and fixed on said box 2.

[0022] Figures 3, 4 and 5 show in particular a board 4 for the realization, in the embodiment concerned, the cover 2 of an improved coffin 1. In particular, said cover 2 is realized by means of an upper plane 2' and a series of six boards 4, which extend substantially longitudinally. Said boards 4 are arranged, as it is known, so as to form an irregular hexagon, but may also form a rectangle, when the series is of only four boards, or any other form. Said boards 4 are restrained, one in series to another, along junction lines. Typically, said boards 4 are coupled along said junction lines by dovetail or interlocking and notches couplings.

[0023] Said board 4 comprises a base 5 and a cover element 6 arranged above said base 5. Said base 5 has a housing 51, obtained on the face 52, opposite to that facing the interior of said box 3, in which housing a support material 7 is contained, preferably shape memory type, such as plasticine or resin, whose function will be better specified in the following.

[0024] Said cover element 6 comprises a first lower portion 61, a second upper portion 62 and a removable intermediate element 63, interposed between said first lower portion 61 and said second upper portion 62.

[0025] Said intermediate element 63 is arranged so as to be coupled with said second upper portion 62 along a line 65, by a portion of material (wood), and adjacent to said first lower portion 61 along the line 64, so as to leave a gap 64' between said intermediate element 63 and said second upper portion 62. On said intermediate element 63 handles 66 are also placed, whose function will be better described below.

[0026] Referring to figures 4, 5 and 6, it is possible to see that said first lower portion 61, said second upper portion 62 and said removable intermediate element 63 are made starting from a piece of wood, to which two millings 64' and 65' respectively are made.

[0027] Moreover, said coupling line 65 between said intermediate element 63 and said second portion 62 may be broken by lifting, being said 64' made by milling, is free of a coupling line, by a portion of material (wood) with said first lower portion 61, thus separating said intermediate element 63 (see arrows A), so as to make available said support material 7 contained within said housing 51 of said base 5.

[0028] Said base 5 is fixed to said first lower portion 61 and said second upper portion 62.

[0029] The operation of the improved coffin described above is as follows.

[0030] Referring to figures 7, 7a, 8, 8a and 9, when the corpse is in the box 2 and the cover 3 is fixed to it, by acting on the handles 66 said intermediate element 63 is lifted, thus causing first the removal of said intermediate element 63 from said lower portion 61, then the break of point 65, thus separating said intermediate element 63 by said second upper portion 62.

[0031] In this way, referring now to figures 10, 11 and 12, said intermediate element 63 can be completely removed, allowing access to said support material 7, which in this case is a material that keep memory of the shape (see figure 11). In this way, it is possible, for example with one hand, leaving an imprint I on the shape memory material 7, as shown in figures 13 and 14, or writing a dedication by a tool for carving or leaving a sign by impression.

[0032] In the described embodiment the support material 7 is inserted in the board 4, but it is well evident that the same may be placed in other parts of the coffin 1, as for example of the cover and/or the box and/or the frames and/or the cover upper plane.

[0033] The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. Improved coffin (1) comprising
a case (3), in which a corpse can be placed and
a cover (2), comprising an upper plane (2') and a plurality of boards (4),
said coffin (1) being characterized in that it comprises a support material (7), wherein a mark can be left, preferably by an impression or an imprint.

2. Coffin (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more of said boards (4) comprise a base (5), having a housing (51) on the face (52) opposite to that directed towards the inside of said case (3), wherein said support material (7) is contained, and comprise a cover element (6), having a removable intermediate element (63), arranged in correspondence of said housing (51).

3. Coffin (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said cover element (6) comprises a first lower portion (61) and a second upper portion (62), said removable intermediate element (63) being coupled with said second upper portion (62) along a longitudinal coupling line (65), in correspondence of which a groove is made (65').

4. Coffin (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said removable intermediate element (63) comprises one or more handles (66).

5. Coffin (1) according to anyone of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that said removable intermediate element (63) is arranged so that one edge is adjacent to said first lower portion (61).

6. Coffin (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support material (7) is memory shape.

7. Coffin (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said shape memory material is plasticine and/or resin.

8. Manufacturing method for one or more boards (4) of said cover (2) of said improved coffin (1) according to anyone of claims 1 - 7, comprising the following steps:

- providing a base (5);

- obtaining a housing (51) on the face (52) of said base (5) opposite to that directed towards the inside of said case (3);

- filling said housing (51) with a support material (7), which is preferably a memory shape material;

- providing a cover element (6);

- carrying out two substantially parallel longitudinal millings (64', 65'), in order to obtain by said cover element (6) a first lower portion (61), an intermediate removable element (63) and a second upper portion (62), said removable intermediate element (63) being disposed near said first lower portion (61), so as to leave a slot (64'), and coupled with said second upper portion (62) along a line (65);

- arranging said cover element (6) on said base (5); and

- coupling said cover element (6) with said base (5), so that said removable intermediate element (63) is arranged in correspondence with said housing (51).

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that in said coupling step, said base (5) is coupled with said first lower portion (61) and with said second upper portion (62).

Drawing