Casket hardware with interchangeable components

A trim piece for attachment to a casket to provide both decoration and concealment of mounting hardware. The trim piece includes a frame member which is adapted to be fixedly secured to a portion of the casket. The frame member has a lip which defines an opening in the frame member. A cover member with at least two attachment tabs disposed on opposite edges of the cover member engages the lip of the frame member so that the cover member is detachably affixed to and covers the opening in the frame member. In one aspect of the device, the trim piece is specifically constructed to affix to a corner of the casket. In another aspect of the device, the trim piece is specifically constructed to affix to the side of the casket. In yet another aspect of the device, the trim piece is a single, integrally formed corner piece where a living hinge pivotally connects the cover member to the frame member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention generally relates to hardware for caskets and, more
 specifically, to interchangeable, decorative hardware for caskets.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Existing hardware designs for burial containers such as caskets frequently
 employ the use of decorative elements separately affixed to the handling
 hardware, or jointly affixed with the handling hardware to the casket
 shell, as a means to create product variety with minimal manufacturing and
 component inventory costs. As such, the decorative scheme of the casket
 can be tailored to suit a customer's wishes with minimal effort and
 expense. Throughout the handling and presentation of the casket, the
 decorative elements, in addition to the handling hardware, must be capable
 of withstanding load bearing activities, such as when a casket is removed
 from a hearse by tugging on a casket handle.
 To withstand these load bearing activities, the decorative elements are
 either adhesively affixed, such as with a decal, or mechanically attached
 via a stud/bolt and nut/clip combination, such as with a sculptural base
 relief. These types of attachment techniques, however, have distinct
 disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, one drawback is that the process
 for adhesively attaching the decorative element is not pragmatically
 reversible. That is, once the first decorative element is adhesively
 applied, the decorating scheme can be altered only by applying a second
 adhesive decorative element over the first, thereby wasting material in
 the process. Another drawback is that the decorative elements may not
 readily lend themselves to mechanical attachment to the handling hardware
 and/or casket shell, thus requiring elaborate and expensive attachment
 apparatus. In sum, the disadvantages in these current methods for
 attaching decorative elements are that the process is neither
 pragmatically reversible in the case of the adhesive attachment, nor
 physically facile in the case of the mechanical attachment.
 To further serve the load bearing activities of casket handling and
 presentation, the handling hardware frequently is secured to the casket by
 mechanical means, most frequently by screws and/or bolts. These screws and
 bolts are readily visible on the exterior of the casket. As can be
 appreciated, the exposure of these screws and bolts in the handling
 hardware detracts from the aesthetics of the casket exterior.
 It is therefore desirable from an aesthetic yet economical vantage point,
 if an interchangeable decorative element could be constructed to be
 readily affixed to the handling hardware with minimal effort or added
 expense. More specifically, it is desirable to have a decorative element
 that could be easily substituted with another decorative element to alter
 the decorative scheme of the exterior of the casket. Furthermore, it is
 desirable to have the decorative piece configured such that when affixed
 to the handling hardware the attachment screws and bolts would be
 concealed from normal view in the presentation and use of the casket.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The invention is generally directed to a trim piece for attachment to a
 casket. The trim piece includes a frame member which is adapted to be
 fixedly secured to a portion of the casket. The frame member has a lip
 which defines an opening in the frame member. A cover member with at least
 two attachment tabs oppositely disposed on the cover member engages the
 lip of the frame member so that the cover member is detachably affixed to
 and covers the opening in the frame member.
 In one aspect of the trim piece, the lip defining the opening in the frame
 member includes oppositely disposed receiving tabs for positively engaging
 the attachment tabs on the cover member. Furthermore, the cover member is
 constructed from a flexible material and is affixed to said frame member
 in a flexed condition such that the attachment tabs resiliently engage the
 receiving tabs located on the lip of the frame member.
 In another aspect of the invention, at least one of the attachment tabs on
 the cover member has an extended portion which incorporates a detent
 mechanism for positively engaging a complimentary recess in the lip to
 further secure the cover member to the frame member. Additionally, the lip
 includes a throughhole which is covered on one side of the lip by the
 extended portion. The throughhole is adapted to allow a tool to be
 inserted into the throughhole to engage and thereby bias the extended
 portion such that the detent mechanism disengages from the recess,
 allowing the cover member to be readily removed from the frame member.
 In one embodiment of the invention, the trim piece is a corner trim piece
 specifically constructed to attach to a corner of the casket.
 Specifically, the frame member includes a bridge member which is affixed
 to opposite sides of and thereby spans across the opening. The attachment
 bridge has a throughhole for receiving mounting hardware to detachably
 secure the frame member to the corner of the casket. The frame member can
 be secured to the corner of the casket using any suitable form of mounting
 hardware. Preferably, the mounting hardware is a screw or bolt, and more
 preferably, a quarter-turn screw.
 In another aspect of the corner trim piece, the frame member does not
 include the bridge member, but instead has at least two mounting holes
 which are adapted to receive mounting hardware to fixedly secure the frame
 member to the corner of the casket. In this corner trim piece, the cover
 member has adjoining first and second walls which form a right angle
 therebetween. Each of the walls has at least one of the attachment tabs
 for engaging the lip of the frame member. Preferably, the cover member
 includes first and second protruding tabs on the respective first and
 second walls. The protruding tabs are adapted to conceal any mounting
 hardware which is cooperating with the mounting holes to affix the frame
 member to the corner of the casket. In another aspect of this embodiment,
 a living hinge connects the adjoining first and second walls.
 In another embodiment of the invention, the trim piece is a side trim piece
 specifically constructed to attach to a side of the casket. This side trim
 piece may also be referred to as an ear or escutcheon trim piece. In this
 embodiment the cover member is substantially planar and flexible. As such,
 the cover member is affixed to the frame member in a flexed condition such
 that the attachment tabs resiliently engage oppositely disposed receiving
 tabs on the lip. Preferably, the side trim piece includes a mounting plate
 that is fixedly attached to the frame member. The mounting plate is
 adapted to secure the frame member to the side of the casket. In another
 aspect of this embodiment the trim piece further includes first and second
 handle supports which are attached to the frame member. Each of the handle
 supports have first and second handle receiving openings into which a
 handle is disposed.
 In still another embodiment, a trim piece is integrally formed and suited
 for attachment to a corner of a casket. This trim piece includes a frame
 portion having an opening therethrough. A bridge member spans the opening
 and has a throughhole which is adapted to receive mounting hardware to
 fixedly secure the integrally formed trim piece to the corner of the
 casket. A cover member is pivotally attached along a first edge of the
 opening by a living hinge. The cover member has an attachment tab disposed
 opposite the living hinge for engaging a second edge of the opening when
 the cover member is pivoted to cover the opening.
 Various additional advantages, objects and features of the invention will
 become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon
 consideration of the following detailed description of the presently
 preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 Referring first to FIG. 1, a burial container or casket 10 is shown with a
 corner decorative element 12 and a side decorative element 14 constructed
 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The casket 10 is
 constructed in conventional fashion with a casket shell 16 and a casket
 cap 18 enclosing the casket shell 16.
 With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the corner decorative element 12 has a
 frame member 26 which has a lip 28 defining an opening 30 in the frame
 member 26. The frame member 26 is constructed preferably of a
 substantially rigid, yet lightweight, structural material. The lip 28 has
 oppositely disposed receiving tabs 32a, 32b. The frame member 26 also
 includes a bridge member 34 which spans across the opening 30. The bridge
 member 34 is affixed on opposite sides of the opening 30 by suitable
 mounting hardware 36. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the mounting hardware 36
 is preferably a bolt 38 threadingly engaged to nut 40. To provide a more
 aesthetically pleasing appearance as well as conceal a head 42 of the bolt
 38, the head 42 is plated to match the color and texture of the frame
 member 26. The bridge member 34 includes a throughhole 44 through which
 mounting hardware 46 is inserted to attach the frame member 26 to a corner
 48 of the casket shell 16. The mounting hardware is preferably a screw or
 bolt. More preferably, however, and as shown in FIG. 3, a quarter-turn
 screw 50 engages a receiving member 52 so that the frame member 26 can be
 readily attached to the corner 48 of the casket shell 16. A star washer 54
 cooperates with a shoulder 56 at one end of the screw 50 to retain the
 screw 50 onto bridge member 34 during handle and installation of the frame
 member 26.
 The corner decorative element 12 also includes a decorative cover member 58
 to which oppositely disposed attachment tabs 60a, 60b are affixed or
 otherwise formed therewith. The attachment tabs 60a, 60b may be integrally
 formed as part of the cover member 58 or alternatively may be separate
 pieces which are secured to the cover member 58 by any suitable means such
 as by adhesive. The cover member 58 is constructed from a flexible
 material, such as plastic, and dimensioned such that the cover member 58
 must be flexed in order for the attachment tabs 60a, 60b to slip over the
 receiving tabs 32a, 32b. As such, the cover member 58 is affixed to the
 frame member 26 in a flexed condition such that the attachment tabs 60a,
 60b resiliently engage the receiving tabs 32a, 32b.
 As can be readily appreciated and in accordance with the principles of this
 invention, the cover member serves at least two functions. First, in its
 attached position, the cover member 58 serves to hide or conceal the
 bridge member 34 and its associated mounting hardware 36, yielding a more
 aesthetically pleasing corner decorative element 14. Secondly, because the
 cover member 58 is so readily attached and detached from the stationary
 frame member 26, a wide variety of cover members 58 can be used to provide
 a customer with several different decorating options with little
 additional manufacturing expense. Such options can be selected by a
 customer at the funeral home, with the funeral director maintaining on
 hand a variety of styles of such cover members 58 from which the customer
 may choose.
 In FIG. 3A an alternate attachment tab 62 is shown. This attachment tab 62
 has an extended portion 64 which extends beyond the receiving tab 32b to
 cover one side of a throughhole 66 in the lip 28. The extended portion 64
 has a detent mechanism 68 that positively engages a recess 70 in the
 receiving tab 32b. As such, the alternate attachment tab 62 along with the
 detent mechanism 68 functions to more securely affix the cover member 58
 to the frame member 26.
 Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, another embodiment of a corner decorative
 element 80 is shown. The corner decorative element 80 has a frame member
 82 to which a cover member 84 is detachably affixed. In this embodiment,
 the frame member 82 is mounted to the casket shell 16 by means of mounting
 hardware 86 inserted into mounting throughholes 88 and cooperating with
 receiving members 90a, 90b in casket shell 16. As shown, the mounting
 hardware 86 is preferably a quarter-turn screw 91 so that the frame member
 can be quickly attached to the casket shell 16 with minimal effort. The
 cover member 84 has oppositely disposed attachment tabs 92a, 92b which
 engage respectively receiving tabs 94a, 94b on lip 96 of frame member 82.
 Like cover member 58, cover member 84 is constructed from a flexible
 material, such as plastic, and dimensioned such that the cover member 84
 must be flexed in order for the attachment tabs 92a, 92b to slip over the
 receiving tabs 94a, 94b. As such, the attachment tabs 92a, 92b resiliently
 engage the receiving tabs 94a, 94b.
 As is shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 84 is one piece formed from
 adjoining first and second walls 98a, 98b which substantially form a right
 angle between them. An alternate cover member 100 is shown in FIGS. 6A and
 6B. The cover member 100 is also constructed of one piece but with first
 and second walls 102a, 102b connected by a living hinge 104. The living
 hinge 104 is made of the same material as first and second walls 102a,
 102b, but with reduced thickness so that the first and second walls 102a,
 102b can be pivoted along the living hinge toward each other to form
 substantially a right angle between them. As such, attachment tabs 106a,
 106b disposed at opposite edges of first and second walls 102a, 102b can
 engage receiving tabs 94a, 94b on frame member 82.
 Another cover member 108 according to the principles of the invention is
 shown in FIGS. 7 and 7A. The cover member 108 is similar in construction
 to cover member 84 with the exception of having first and second
 protruding tabs 110a, 110b attached respectively to first and second walls
 112a, 112b. First and second protruding tabs 110a, 110b are adapted to
 conceal the mounting hardware 86 which is cooperating with mounting
 throughholes 88 to affix the frame member 82 to the casket shell 16. First
 and second protruding tabs 110a, 110b further include first and second
 retention tabs 114a, 114b which engage slots 116a, 116b in the frame
 member 82. The retention tabs 114a, 114b help retain the protruding tabs
 110a, 110b as they conceal the mounting hardware 86.
 Another embodiment of a corner decorative element 122 is shown in FIG. 8.
 Unlike the previous embodiments described above, this corner decorative
 element 122 is essentially a single integrally formed trim piece. The
 corner decorative element 122 includes a frame portion 124 with an opening
 (not shown) which is very similar to the opening 30 of frame member 26. A
 bridge member 126, spanning across the opening in frame portion 124, has a
 throughhole 128 which receives mounting hardware 130, such as a
 quarter-turn screw. The mounting hardware 130 cooperates with receiving
 member 132 to fixedly secure the integrally formed corner decorative
 element 122 to the casket shell 16. A cover member 134 is pivotally
 attached a first edge 136 of the opening by a living hinge 138. The cover
 member 134 has an attachment tab 140 disposed opposite the living hinge
 138 that engages a second edge 142 of the opening. When the cover member
 134 pivots about the living hinge 138 and attachment tab 140 engages the
 second edge 142, the opening is covered and the bridge member 126 and the
 mounting hardware 130 are concealed.
 One embodiment of the side decorative element 14 is shown in FIG. 9. The
 side decorative element 14 has a frame member 150 affixed to a mounting
 plate 152 by mounting hardware 154, preferably a nut 156 and a bolt 158.
 The mounting plate 152 is in turn detachably affixed to the side of the
 casket shell 16 by mounting hardware 160 cooperating with receiving
 members 162. Preferably the mounting hardware 160 is a quarter-turn screw
 164, allowing quick installation of the side decorative element 14 to the
 casket shell 16 with minimal effort. The frame member 150 has a lip 166
 which defines an opening (not shown) in the frame member 150. The lip 166
 has receiving tabs 168 which engage oppositely disposed attachment tabs
 170 on a cover member 172. As such, the cover member 172 is detachably
 affixed to the frame member 150 so as to cover the opening in the frame
 member 150 and conceal the mounting hardware 160. The cover member 150 is
 preferably substantially planar and of flexible construction so that it
 can be partially distorted in order to slip the attachment tabs 170 over
 the receiving tabs 168.
 As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, the side decorative element 14 includes first
 and second handle supports 174a, 174b which are pivotally connected by
 pins 176a, 176b to support brackets or devises 178a, 178b. The support
 brackets 178a, 178b are affixed to the frame member 150 and the mounting
 plate 152 by mounting hardware 154. First and second handle supports
 include first and second handle receiving openings 180a, 180b through
 which a handle 182 is disposed therein. Preferably, the handle 182 in
 cooperation with mounting plate 152 is capable of lifting a portion of the
 weight of the occupied casket 10.
 While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of a
 preferred embodiment and while this embodiment has been described in
 considerable detail in order to describe the best mode of practicing the
 invention, it is not the intention of applicant to restrict or in any way
 limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional
 advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention
 will readily appear to those skilled in the art.