Patent Publication Number: US-2023157920-A1

Title: Casket ornament attachment mechanism

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/349,511 filed Jun. 16, 2021, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/598,186 filed Oct. 10, 2019, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/745,053 filed Oct. 12, 2018, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to caskets, and more particularly to mechanisms for attaching ornaments to caskets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known to attach decorative ornaments to caskets to “personalize” the casket to the deceased. Over the years various mechanisms have been devised by the assignee to attach decorative ornaments to funerary articles, and more particularly, to attach decorative corner ornaments to casket corners. 
     Examples of mechanisms for attaching decorative “figurine” style ornaments to the exterior of a casket, for example to the corners of the casket shell, are shown in, for example, the assignee&#39;s U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,591,466, 6,928,706, 7,340,810 and 7,591,052, and US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0077579, all hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth in their entireties. The casket corner ornaments of the &#39;466, &#39;706, and &#39;810 patents, and the &#39;579 publication, utilize fasteners with heads, for example shoulder screws, mounted on the flat or planar rear side of the ornament, the heads of which are secured in keyhole slots or grooves, for example L-shaped keyhole slots or grooves, in the casket shell corners. These ornaments are commercially available from the assignee as its LIFESYMBOLS® line of casket shell corner ornaments. 
     Nevertheless, there remains room for improvement in such casket ornaments and casket ornament attachment mechanisms. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, a combination casket and ornament comprises a casket shell having a pair of keyhole-shaped grooves in a corner thereof, an L-shaped adapter having a leg and a foot, the leg having a pair of studs on a rear side thereof each of which is received in a respective one of the keyhole-shaped grooves, and a decorative ornament that is three-dimensional an entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament, the ornament positioned on the foot of the L-shaped adapter. 
     Each keyhole-shaped groove can be L-shaped. The foot of the adapter can include an upstanding post thereon and the ornament can have a hole extending upwardly from a bottom thereof into the ornament, the post can thus be received in the hole as the ornament is positioned on the foot of the adapter to secure the ornament to the adapter. The keyhole-shaped grooves can be formed in a clip that is attached to the casket shell corner. 
     In another aspect, a combination cremation urn and ornament comprises a cremation ashes receptacle having a pair of keyhole-shaped grooves in a surface thereof, an L-shaped adapter having a leg and a foot, the leg having a pair of studs on a rear side thereof each of which is received in a respective one of the keyhole-shaped grooves, and a decorative ornament that is three-dimensional an entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament, the ornament positioned on the foot of the L-shaped adapter. 
     In yet another aspect, a combination cremation urn and ornament comprises a base adapted to receive a small amount of cremation ashes therein, an upstanding post mounted to an upper surface of the base and extending upwardly therefrom, and a decorative ornament that is three-dimensional an entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament, the ornament having a hole extending upwardly from a bottom thereof into the ornament, the post received in the hole as the ornament is positioned on the base to secure the ornament to the base. 
     In yet another aspect, a memorial plaque comprises a plaque surface having a pair of keyhole-shaped grooves therein, an L-shaped adapter having a leg and a foot, the leg having a pair of studs on a rear side thereof each of which is received in a respective one of the keyhole-shaped grooves, the foot having an upstanding post thereon, and a decorative ornament that is three-dimensional an entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament, the ornament having a hole extending upwardly from a bottom thereof into the ornament, the post received in the hole as the ornament is positioned on the foot of the adapter to secure the ornament to the adapter. 
     In yet another aspect, a combination funerary ornament and mount comprises an L-shaped adapter having a leg and a foot, the leg having a pair of studs on a rear side thereof each of which is adapted to be received in a respective keyhole-shaped groove of a casket shell, a cremation urn, or a memorial plaque, the foot having an upstanding post thereon, and a decorative ornament that is three-dimensional an entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament, the ornament positioned on the foot of the L-shaped adapter, the ornament having a hole extending upwardly from a bottom thereof into the ornament, the post received in the hole as the ornament is positioned on the foot of the adapter to secure the ornament to the adapter. 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the summary of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of one corner of a casket with a casket corner ornament of the present invention that is three-dimensional the entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament and that is mounted to the casket corner adapter of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2 A  is a view similar to  FIG.  1    illustrating the step of mounting the adapter to the casket corner; 
         FIG.  2 B  is a view similar to  FIG.  2 A  illustrating the step of mounting the ornament to the adapter; 
         FIG.  3 A  is a side view of the casket corner, in partial cross-section, illustrating the step of mounting the adapter to the casket corner; 
         FIG.  3 B  is a view similar to  FIG.  3 A  illustrating the step of mounting the ornament to the adapter; 
         FIG.  3 C  is a view similar to  FIG.  3 B  illustrating the adapter mounted to the casket corner and the ornament mounted to the adapter; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view illustrating the adapter mounted to a cremation urn and the ornament mounted to the adapter; 
         FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  are front perspective views illustrating the ornament mounted to a base; 
         FIG.  6    is a front perspective view of another cremation urn illustrating the ornament and base of  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  mounted thereon; and 
         FIG.  7    is a front view of a plaque with the adapter mounted thereto and the ornament mounted to the adapter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring first to  FIGS.  1 ,  2 A, and  2 B , there is illustrated a casket  10  having a casket shell  12  with a pair of side walls  14  and a pair of end walls  16 . The casket  10  has at least one lid  18  thereon. The casket shell  12  has a 45-degree corner  20  at adjacent ends of the side walls  14  and end walls  16 . A clip  30  is recessed into the corner  20 . The clip  30  has a pair of right-angle or L-shaped keyhole-shaped grooves  32 ,  34  formed therein. Each keyhole groove  32 ,  34  has a generally circular opening  40 , a first generally horizontal linear groove  42  communicating with the opening  42  and a second generally vertical groove  44  communicating with the first groove  42 . The clip  30  can be molded of plastic. Note that the clip  30  can be used with metal caskets and with wood caskets. For that matter, the casket need not even use such a clip  30 , as long as the 45-degree corner portions of the casket shell (metal or wood) have the pair of right-angle keyhole-shaped grooves formed therein. 
     An adaptor  50  is generally L-shaped and has a generally vertical leg  52  and a generally horizontal foot  54  connected to a lower end of the leg  52 . The foot  54  has an upstanding post  56  extending upwardly from the foot  54 . The leg  52  has a pair of studs  60  on a rear side thereof. Each stud  60  has a head  62  thereon. Each head  62  is received in a respective one of said keyhole-shaped grooves  32 ,  34 . More particularly, each head  62  is inserted into a respective opening  42 . Thereafter, the adapter  50  is moved horizontally to the right such that each head  62  is retained behind its respective horizontal groove  42 . When the adapter  50  cannot be moved any further to the right, the adapter  50  is then moved vertically downwardly until the studs  60  bottom out in their respective vertical grooves  44 . The adapter  50  can be molded of plastic, and preferably clear plastic, so as to be as inconspicuous as possible. 
     A decorative ornament  64  is three-dimensional an entire 360 degrees about a vertical axis of the ornament. In other words, the ornament  64  does not have a planar back like the prior art type of decorative ornaments. The ornament has a cylindrical hole  66  ( FIG.  3 B ) that extends upwardly from the bottom of the ornament  64  up into the body of the ornament  64 . The ornament  64  can thus be placed on the foot  54  of the adapter  50 , the post  56  residing in the cylindrical hole  66 . Alternatively, or additionally, a plastic sleeve (not shown) can be pressed into the cylindrical hole  66  to provide a more snug connection between the post  56  and ornament  64 . 
       FIGS.  3 A- 3 C  illustrate the steps in attaching the adapter  50  to the clip  30 , and the ornament  64  to the adapter  50 . Due to the height of the ornament  64 , it will likely need to be installed on the adapter  50  first, and the adapter  50 , with ornament  64  installed thereon, can be installed on the clip  30 . For shorter ornaments, the adapter  50  can be installed to the clip  30  first, and then the ornament  64  can be installed to the adapter  50 . 
       FIG.  4    illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein a cremation urn  70  has a clip  30  attached thereto. The adapter  50  can then be installed on the urn  70 , and the ornament  64  can then be installed on the adapter  50 . As in the prior embodiment, the urn need not even use such a clip  30 , as long as a surface of the urn (metal or wood) has the pair of right-angle keyhole-shaped grooves formed therein. 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  illustrate another alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, a base  80  or “puck” has the upstanding post  56  mounted to an upper surface thereof. The base or puck  80  can have an openable and closeable cover on a lower surface thereof (not shown) so that a small amount of cremation ashes can be stored therein. The ornament  64  is mounted on the base  80 , with the post  56  received in the cylindrical hole  66  of the ornament  60 . 
       FIG.  6    illustrates yet another alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, a cremation urn  90  has the base  80  with ornament  64  mounted thereon placed atop the urn  90 . Again, the ornament  64  is mounted on the base  80 , with the post  56  received in the cylindrical hole  66  of the ornament  64 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates still another alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, a memorial plaque  100  has a clip  30  mounted thereto, and the adapter  50  is secured to the clip  30 . Then, the ornament  64  is mounted on the adapter  50 , with the post  56  of the adapter  50  being received in the cylindrical hole  66  of the ornament  64 . As with the prior casket and urn embodiments, the plaque need not even use such a clip  30 , as long as a surface of the plaque (metal or wood) has the pair of right-angle keyhole-shaped grooves formed therein. 
     Note that the adapter  50  could have a pair of magnets mounted to a rear side thereof as by screws or the like. In this way, the adapter  50  with ornament  64  thereon can be magnetically attached to a ferrous/magnetic cap panel of the casket. 
     The various embodiments of the invention shown and described are merely for illustrative purposes only, as the drawings and the description are not intended to restrict or limit in any way the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various changes, modifications, and improvements which can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and representative apparatus and methods shown and described. Departures may therefore be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept. The invention resides in each individual feature described herein, alone, and in all combinations of any and all of those features. Accordingly, the scope of the invention shall be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.