A funeral casket of box-like form which includes a body-receiving portion and a lid portion for covering the body-receiving portion, the body-receiving portion being of foldable construction.

This invention relates to funeral caskets, and is primarily, but not
 exclusively, concerned with funeral caskets for deceased animals. It will
 be appreciated that the invention may also be used for deceased humans.
 According to the invention there is provided a funeral casket of box-like
 form, comprising a body-receiving portion and a lid portion for covering
 the body-receiving portion, the body-receiving portion being of foldable
 construction such that the body-receiving portion is collapsible to adopt
 a relatively compact collapsed condition and may be erected to adopt a
 relatively upright erected condition, said body-receiving portion
 comprises a folded blank, the blank comprising a base of
 oblong-rectangular form, the base having opposite ends and opposite sides,
 a pair of first extensions disposed at said opposite ends of the base and
 connected to the base by respective first extension fold lines, the first
 extensions having been folded inwards on said first extension fold lines
 so as to form opposite ends of the body-receiving portion, and a pair of
 second extensions disposed at said opposite sides of said base and
 connected to the base by respective second extension fold lines and folded
 inwards about said second extension fold lines so as to form the sides of
 the body-receiving portion, said first and second extensions are bounded
 by extension margins that extend transversely of said extension fold of
 the respective extension, and adjacent said extension margins of said
 first and second extensions are connected together by respective corner
 connection means wherein at least one wall pair of said pair of end walls
 and said pair of side walls comprises articulated wall portions which fold
 relative to one another on bringing the body-receiving portion from the
 collapsed condition to the erected condition, said articulated wall
 portions being connected by a pair of inclined fold lines which each
 extend from a corner of said base at opposite ends of said walls of said
 one wall pair, said inclined fold lines being inclined relative to the
 respective said extension fold line of said articulated wall, whereby the
 other wall pair of said pairs of end walls and side walls maintains the
 same outline shape on collapsing of said body-receiving portion by folding
 of said walls of said other pair about the respective said extension fold
 lines.
 Preferably the foldable construction is such that the body-receiving
 portion may collapse to adopt a relatively compact collapsed condition and
 be erected to adopt a relatively upright erected condition.
 The body-receiving portion preferably contains shroud material which may
 also be used to line the interior of the body-receiving portion.
 The body-receiving portion is preferably provided with means for at least
 restricting outleakage of body fluids from the funeral casket.
 The funeral casket is preferably of biodegradable material.
 The body-receiving portion preferably comprises a foldable blank defining a
 base of oblong-rectangular form with a pair of first extensions disposed
 at opposite ends of the base and foldable inwards so as to form the ends
 of the body-receiving portion, and a pair of second extensions disposed on
 opposite sides of the base and foldable inwards so as to form the sides of
 the body-receiving portion.
 The first and/or the second extensions may be foldable back on themselves
 to strengthen still further the body-receiving portion.
 The invention also comprises the blank per se.
 The funeral casket may be provided with filamentary members such as
 ribbons; initially to secure the (folded) body-receiving portion and the
 lid portion together and which may subsequently be used to lower the
 assembled casket into a grave.
 The arrangement is preferably such that vertical tensioning of the ribbons
 causes said collapsed body-receiving portion to be urged towards the
 erected condition.
 Funeral caskets according to the invention may be of varying sizes. In the
 case of animals, caskets may range from, for example, a small size to
 accommodate such animals as mice, to a large size, intended to accommodate
 bigger animals such as large dogs and small horses.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a funeral casket 1 of box-like form
 comprises a body-receiving portion 2 and a close-fitting lid portion 3,
 (not FIG. 2), for covering the body-receiving portion 2. The
 body-receiving portion 2 is of foldable construction.
 As will be evident hereinafter, the body-receiving portion may collapse to
 adopt a relatively compact folded condition for transport and storage
 prior to use, and be erected to adopt a relatively upright opened
 condition.
 The lid portion 3, which has an upper surface 4 with bevelled edges 5, has
 sides 6 which enable the lid portion 3 to fit over the periphery of the
 body-receiving portion 2 and so close-off its body-receiving interior 7.
 The casket is of biodegradable material. In this example, the material is
 Kraft carton board and cotton cloth. The use of Kraft carton board is
 advantageous since it is of low cost, biodegradable and strong.
 With reference to FIG. 3, the body-receiving portion 2 is formed from a
 blank 10 defining a base 11 of oblong-rectangular form, with a pair of
 first extensions 12 disposed at opposite ends of the base 11 and foldable
 inwards, (about fold lines 13), so as to form the ends 2a of the
 body-receiving portion 2 of the casket 1, and a pair of second extensions
 14 disposed on opposite sides of the base 11 and foldable inwards, (about
 fold lines 15), so as to form the sides 2b of the body-receiving portion
 2.
 Fold lines 13 constitute first extension fold lines, and fold lines 15
 constitute second extension fold lines.
 The first and second extensions 12 and 14 are interconnected by four webs
 or gussets 20 of substantially square plan form in the flat blank, the
 gussets each-being provided with a diagonal fold line 24.
 Other fold lines are indicated by reference numerals 21 to 27. The fold
 lines are scored.
 Extensions 12 have respective extension tabs 12' which each have inclined
 cut lines 31 and a fold line 32 to define a respective end flap 30.
 Each of the gussets 20 is folded on itself about diagonal line 24 into a
 triangular shape. Each of the said folded gussets 20 is then rotated about
 fold line 28 towards and against extensions 45 of a cradle blank
 (hereinafter described) which is inserted into the body-receiving interior
 7. Extension tabs 12' are folded about the fold 22 by 180.degree. and the
 respective end flaps 30 are then folded back about lines 32 (as shown in
 FIG. 9) and in between the folded gussets 20 and the extensions 45 so as
 to strengthen the extensions 12.
 With reference to FIGS. 4 to 12, the body-receiving portion 2 of the casket
 is initially fully folded for transportation and storage, as shown in
 FIGS. 4, 7 and 10. In this condition, extensions 12 are folded, about
 lines 13, 27, 22 and 21 to form double-walled ends 2a of the
 body-receiving portion 2. Similarly extensions 14 are folded about
 parallel lines 15 and 23, to form the sides 2b of the body-receiving
 portion 2. The gussets 20 fold inwardly, about lines 24, and provide
 interconnection of the adjacent margins 25, 28 of extensions 12 and 14 and
 so strengthen the body portion 2. The extensions 14 are each provided with
 two upper holes 17 and two lower holes 16 either side of inclined lines
 26. The fold lines 23, 25, 26 and 27 allow the body-receiving portion 2 to
 adopt a relatively flat fully-folded condition and a fully-opened erected
 condition.
 The second extensions are each provided with a pair of inclined fold lines
 26, that is the fold lines 26 are inclined with respect to the direction
 of fold lines 15, and the fold lines 26 extend substantially from opposite
 end corners of the base 11. The fold lines 26 provide articulation of the
 second extensions 4 that is the second extensions 14 are each divided into
 articulated portions by the fold lines 26, and this articulation of the
 second extensions 14, which form the side walls of the body-receiving
 portion, enables the ends of the body-receiving portion to be folded
 inwards about fold lines 13 in going from an erected condition of the unit
 to a collapsed condition whilst retaining the same outline shape of the
 ends. Since the ends are relatively rigid, this facility is important in
 allowing the collapsed body-receiving portion to be of minimum overall
 plan area, thereby enabling the lid portion to cover the body-receiving
 portion in the collapsed condition.
 With reference now to FIGS. 13 and 14, the assembled casket 1 is provided
 with a cradle 40 made by folding a cradle blank 41, about fold lines 42
 and 43, so as to form a box-like insert, of channel section, having a base
 44 and sides 45 and 46. The sides 46 are each provided with two upper
 holes 19 and lower holes 18, the terms `upper` and `lower` relating to the
 erected condition of the cradle 40.
 With reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, the cradle 40 is provided with an
 absorbent pack 49 which is bonded to the base 44 and the cradle 40 is in
 turn bonded to the base 11 of the body-receiving portion 2. The whole
 provides means for at least restricting out-leakage of body fluids from
 the funeral casket 1. The absorbent pack 49 which, like the blank 41, is
 of biodegradable Kraft carton board, comprises in effect a piece of
 corrugated packing, but with one of the outer coverings removed. Thus the
 rectangular pack 49 comprises a base 51 of plain card material (FIG. 15),
 covered by a sheet of corrugated card 52 (FIG. 14), with the troughs of
 the corrugations 53 thereof facing upwardly, so as to form channels for
 the receipt of any body fluids. However, the pack 49 could comprise more
 than one sheet of corrugated card. It should be appreciated that some
 versions of the casket may not be provided with the cradle and or the
 absorbent pack 49.
 The sheet of corrugated card of the absorbent packaging is formed with
 parallel cuts extending substantially perpendicular to the troughs of the
 corrugated sheet. The cuts increase the absorption speed of any body
 fluids by allowing such fluids to enter the pack through the cuts.
 Furthermore the cuts, together with the corrugations, enable the pack 49
 to act as a cushion for a body contained by the casket so as to distribute
 the pressure exerted by said body on the pack 49.
 The cradle 40 is a close fit within the interior 7 (FIG. 2) of the casket
 1, whereby the upturned sides 46 combine with blank extensions 14 in
 providing the body-receiving portion 2 of the casket 1 with double side
 walls 2b, and to give the portion 2 added strength and maintain the
 structural integrity of the casket. The absorbent pack 49 increases the
 rigidity of the body-receiving portion 2 by acting as a stiffening board.
 Fold lines 13, 15, 23 and 27 allow for the accommodation of the cradle 40
 and the absorbent pack 49 when the body-receiving portion 2 is in the
 fully-folded collapsed condition.
 FIG. 16 illustrates a shroud base 60 of pure cotton. The shroud base 60 is
 bonded to inner facing surfaces of the gussets 20 and the sides 14. The
 shroud base is also bonded to both inner and outer facing surfaces of
 sides 46 and to the uppermost layer of corrugated card 52. The bonding of
 the shroud base 60 in this way enhances the `live hinge` action of fold
 lines 23, reinforces the total strength of the body-receiving portion 2
 and provides an aesthetically pleasing interior. The shroud base 60 has
 attached thereto a rectangular shroud (not shown) the length of which is
 sufficient to cover a body inside the casket 1. The shroud base 60 filters
 out solid matter and allows fluids to be absorbed by the absorbent pack
 49.
 The funeral casket 1 is provided with two ribbons 35. Each ribbon 35 is
 threaded first through a hole 70 provided in the bevelled edges 5 of lid
 portion 3, then through the upper holes 17 and 19, which are positioned to
 be substantially in register, and then down through the lower hole 18 and
 out through lower hole 16. The ribbon is then passed underneath the
 body-receiving portion to be fed up through holes 16, 18, 19 and 17 on the
 other side of the casket in the same fashion.
 The ribbons 35 are provided initially to secure together a package
 comprising the body-receiving portion 2 (when folded) and the applied lid
 portion 3 for transportation and storage. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 12, after
 untying the ribbons and removal of the lid, by pulling the ribbons 35 up
 and away from the body-receiving portion 2, to exert vertical tension on
 the ribbons, the ribbons are then used to erect the body-receiving portion
 2 from a fully-folded condition to a fully-opened condition.
 The positioning of each pair of holes 16 and 17, one 17 vertically above
 the other 16 (in the erected condition), and on opposite sides of the
 respective diagonal fold line 24, causes the articulated portions of each
 of the side walls 14 to be urged to a coplanar condition by exertion of
 vertical tension on the ribbons.
 The fold lines 26 and 27 act as `live hinges`, with a memory that is
 reactivated-when the ribbons 25 are pulled vertically. The ribbons may
 then be used to secure the lid portion 3 on the erected body-receiving
 portion 2. The ribbons 35 may subsequently be used to lower the assembled
 casket 1 into a grave.
 The interior and/or exterior of the body-receiving portion 2 may be covered
 with a coating such as wax, to at least restrict any outleakage of body
 fluids from the funeral casket.
 The extensions 12 and 45 may be provided with suitably sized apertures to
 allow the funeral casket to be carried. The apertures are preferably
 located so that the end portions of extensions 12 act as walls to prevent
 a user's hand from coming into contact with the contents of the casket.