Abstract:
An urn for storing the ashes of cremated remains of a person or a pet includes a housing in the shape of a protective angel on a support having an outwardly extending shelf adjacent the angel, and on which a representation of the person or pet may rest. An outwardly opening cavity in the housing receives the cremated remains, and a cover secured over the cavity confines the cremated remains within the housing. The arms and wings of the angel are disposed to symbolize loving concern for the deceased.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to urns for the cremated remains of people and pets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Someone who loses a loved one, such as a child, parent, or close friend, often needs to memorialize the strong emotional bond resulting from love or friendship. In a similar way, owners and pets usually have a strong emotional bond between them, and when an owner loses a pet, the owner often needs a fitting way to memorialize that loss, such as by formally burying the pet in a pet cemetery, or by suitable treatment of ashes produced by cremation of the pet remains. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,882 discloses a decorative housing in the general form of the deceased pet, and is constructed to hold pet ashes in a sealed chamber. 
     Although previous urns for holding ashes do memorialize a deceased person or pet, the effect is often not sufficient for those who wish to express more clearly the love and devotion that existed. This invention provides an urn which more nearly meets that need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides an urn for storing the ashes (cremated remains) of a deceased person or a pet. The urn includes a housing in the shape of a protective angel on a support having an outwardly extending shelf adjacent the angel, and on which a representation, such as a photograph or replica of the person or pet may rest. An outwardly opening cavity in the housing receives the cremated remains, and a cover secured over the cavity confines the cremated remains within the housing. 
     Preferably, the face of the angel shows loving concern, and the angel leans slightly over the shelf to present a sheltering and caring mien. In another preferred form, the angel looks down at the shelf which can hold a representation or replica of the deceased person or pet, and has outstretched wings to increase the expression of care and sheltering. Moreover, an outstretched arm from the angel further connotes loving concern. Preferably the housing includes a portion with an exterior surface shaped to replicate a structure of stones to impart an aura of durability. A recess in an exterior part of the housing is shaped to receive a label with information relative to the person or pet. 
     Preferably, the cavity opens out of the bottom of the housing, and the cover is secured to one edge of the cavity by a hinge. In one form, a magnetic closure holds the cover in a closed position over the cavity. In another embodiment, a mechanical latch releasably secures the cover in a closed position over the cavity. A gasket is disposed between the housing and cover to seal the cavity when the cover is in the closed position. The housing adjacent the unhinged portion of the cover has a recess to permit the edge of the cover to be grasped and pulled open against the force of the magnetic closure, or to facilitate the release of the mechanical latch. In one form, the mechanical latch has a slidable bolt which can be moved between a locked and an unlocked position for the cover. Opening of the cover is also facilitated by providing a notch in the free edge of the cover adjacent the recess in the bottom of the housing. The cover and surrounding portion of the bottom of the housing present a flat, smooth surface so the urn can be easily placed in a stable position. 
     These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of the urn; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the urn; 
     FIG. 3 is a view taken on staggered line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, taken in the area of the dotted circle A of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the bottom of the urn showing an alternate latch for the cover; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view taken on line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an urn  10  includes a molded housing  12  in the shape of an angel  14  sitting on a pedestal  16  formed integrally within the top of a base  18  having an outwardly extending flat shelf  20 . The pedestal, base and platform are molded so the exterior surfaces of those elements resemble stones  21  set with mortar  22 . 
     A recessed rectangular panel  23  in the front face of the base receives a label (not shown) with appropriate indicia. The recessed rectangular panel  23 , which is about 3 mm deep, permits the label to be mounted so that its exterior surface does not project beyond that of the base, thus protecting the label from accidental abrasion. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the angel leans slightly over the base, and gazes in the direction of the base. The left hand and forearm  24  of the angel extend outwardly over the rear portion of the base, and the right hand  25  of the angel is adjacent the chin of the angel. 
     A pair of wings  26  molded integrally with the back of the angel extend outwardly on each side of the angel and open toward the platform  20 , which is adapted to hold a representation on replica  30  of the deceased person or pet (shown only in phantom line). Thus, the effect of the angel sitting on the pedestal presents a protective pose and reverential contemplation of the space adapted to receive the replica of the person or pet. 
     As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom of the housing includes a downwardly opening cavity  32  adapted to hold a container  34  of ashes of the cremated remains of a deceased person or pet, or both of them. Preferably, the upper portion of the angel is solid, rather than hollow, as shown in FIG. 3, to provide greater strength for the urn. The container  34  can be any suitable device, such as a well-known Ziploc plastic bag. As shown in FIG. 2, the cavity  32  is of an elongated, generally rectangular shape, and includes an inwardly extending ledge  36  around the periphery of the opening of the cavity. A rectangular cover  38  is shaped to make a close fit within cavity  32  and rest on ledge  36 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a gasket  39  in an upwardly opening recess  40  around the top surface of the cover makes a hermetic seal between the cover and the housing ledge. A pair of hinges  42  secure one end of the cover to an adjacent end of the cavity. 
     A first magnet  44  embedded in the shelf  36  at the end of the cavity remote from the hinges mates with a second magnet  46  embedded in the upper surface of the end of the cover remote from the hinges, and holds the cover in the closed position shown in FIG.  3 . 
     A downwardly opening indentation  48  in the lower surface of the urn housing, and adjacent the free end of the cover, facilitates opening the cover against the force of the magnets. Opening the cover is further facilitated by an outwardly opening notch  50  in the free edge of the cover remote from the hinges. The indentation  48  is sufficiently large to permit one to insert a finger into that space, and engage notch  50  so that the cover can be pulled and pivoted about the hinges in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 3) to open the bottom of the urn so that the container with the ashes of the cremated remains of a person or pet can be inserted into the cavity  32 . Preferably, the cavity is sufficiently large to hold both the cremated remains of a pet and the owner of the pet. Thereafter the cover is moved to the closed position in FIG. 3, and held in that position by the magnets. More than one set of magnets can be used at the interface between the ledge  36  and cover  38  to provide additional force for holding the cover in the closed position. 
     If the weight of the cremated remains stored in the cavity is too large to be reliably held by magnets, a mechanical latch  60  (FIGS. 3 and 4) is secured by screws  62  through ears  64  on opposite sides of the latch to hold the latch against the upper surface  68  of the indentation  48 . The latch includes a slidable bolt  70  in a latch cylinder  72 . A compression spring  74  in the cylinder urges the latch to slide to the right (as viewed in FIG. 4) so the right end of the bolt fits snugly in a cylindrical bore  76  in the free edge of the cover. A downwardly extending pin  78  is threaded at its upper end into the lower portion of the bolt, and is adapted to travel in a longitudinal slot  80  in the cylinder, so the pin  78  can be moved to the left (as viewed in FIG. 4) to withdraw the bolt from bore  76 , and permit the cover to be pulled away from the cavity. The right (as viewed in FIG. 3) end of the bolt is curved to present a downwardly facing convex section  77 , which merges with an upwardly and outwardly sloping segment  78 , to engage a upwardly convex curved surface  84  at the upper edge of the free end of the cover so that closing and locking the cover in the closed position shown in FIG. 3 is easily done by pivoting the cover about the hinges in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 4) so that the curved surface  84  on the cover engages the convex section  77  and the sloping segment  78  on the right end of the bolt to force the bolt to the left so the cover can move to the closed position shown in FIG.  3 . Compression spring  74  snaps the bolt into the bore  76  so the cover is locked in the closed position. 
     The urn  10  can be made of any suitable material used for casting statues. However, I presently prefer to use unsaturated polyester resin pottery plaster, which simulates the appearance of marble. Any suitable pigment can be mixed with the casting material to give the urn any desired color. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, which show the bottom of a base  90  of an alternate urn  91  of this invention, a cover  92  is secured at one edge by a hinge  93  to the bottom of the base to make a snug fit over an opening  94  in the base. A conventional two-piece latch  95  is secured by screws  96  to the base and cover. The piece of the latch secured to the base includes an elongated tongue  97  with a central opening  98 , which makes a snug fit over a downwardly extending latch post  99  on the piece of the latch secured to the lid. The upper surface of the perimeter of the lid (FIG. 6) makes a snug fit against a gasket  100  on a downwardly facing ledge  101  around a cavity  102  opening out of the bottom of the base. The gasket extends around the perimeter of the lid to seal the cavity from the elements. To release the cover from the closed position shown in FIG. 1, the tongue  97  is pulled downwardly (as viewed in FIG. 6) so the tongue pivots in a clockwise direction about the anchor piece secured to the base. Once the tongue clears the retaining pin  99 , the lid is free to swing to the open position. The lid is moved into and secured in the closed position by reversing the opening procedure just described.