Patent Publication Number: US-2005125973-A1

Title: Vault for containing cremation urn

Description:
This invention relates generally to the funeral industry, and more particularly to the cremation segment of the funeral industry.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Cremation is a growing segment of the funeral industry. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for more and higher quality styles and designs of cremation remains containers. To that end the assignee of the present invention has responded with new and innovative cremation remains containers which are sculptural works of art. The family of the deceased may choose to display such a sculptural artwork cremation remains container in their home upon a fireplace mantle or the like. Alternatively, a family may prefer to bury the cremation remains container in much the same way a traditional burial casket is interred in the earth. In the case of the latter, it is desirable to first place the cremation remains container or urn in a cremation urn vault prior to burial. The cremation urn vault safeguards and shelters the cremation urn within, sustaining the earth&#39;s weight and resisting the elements.  
      It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an improved cremation urn vault with a number of functional features incorporated therein.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention is a cremation urn vault comprising a vault base including an opening communicating with a cavity configured to receive therein a cremation urn, a cover securable over the opening of the base, a memorabilia compartment incorporated in the vault for receiving and storing keepsakes and mementos and a record tube incorporated in the vault for receiving and storing a record of the deceased whose remains are contained in the cremation urn.  
      The memorabilia compartment can be in the cover. Preferably, the cover must be removed from the base to access the interior of the memorabilia compartment.  
      The record tube can be in the base. Preferably, the interior of the record tube can be accessed without removing the cover.  
      The vault can further comprise a pair of handles secured to the base facilitating handling of the vault.  
      The vault can further comprise a gasket interposed between the cover and the base.  
      The memorabilia compartment can be a recess formed in an underneath side of the cover, and a plate overlying the recess to retain the keepsakes and mementos therein during installation of the cover on the base.  
      The cover can include an engravable plate on an upper surface thereof.  
      The base and cover can be fabricated of granite, marble or a concrete polymer composite.  
      The vault can include a locking system for locking the cover on the base. The locking system can be hex head screws securing the cover on the base, and a hex head key for actuating the hex head screws.  
      In another aspect, a method of memorializing a deceased comprises providing an urn vault having a memorabilia compartment and a record tube, placing cremated remains in the urn vault, placing keepsakes and mementos in the memorabilia compartment and placing a record of the deceased in the record tube.  
      Preferably the urn vault includes a cover, and preferably the memorabilia compartment is only accessible with the cover removed, whilst the record tube is accessible without the cover removed.  
      These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein, in which:  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the cremation urn vault of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 3  is a view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is illustrated a cremation urn vault  10  according to the principles of the present invention. The vault  10  includes a vault base  12  including an opening  14  communicating with a cavity  16 . The cavity  16  is configured to receive therein a cremation urn (not shown). Alternatively, the vault  10  can be utilized to receive and store cremation remains directly without first placing the remains in an urn. A cover  18  is securable over the opening  14  of the base  12 . A memorabilia compartment  20  is incorporated in the vault and is for receiving and storing keepsakes and mementos such as golf ball  22 , golf tees  24  and picture  26 . A record tube  28  is also incorporated in the vault  10  for receiving and storing a record of the deceased whose remains are contained in the cremation urn.  
      As illustrated, the memorabilia compartment  20  can be a recess  30  formed in an underneath side of the cover  18 . A plate  32  can overlie the recess  30 , resting upon shoulder  34 , to retain the keepsakes and mementos  22 ,  24 ,  26  therein during installation of the cover  18  on the base  12 .  
      A gasket  36  can provide sealing between the cover  18  and base  12 . The cover  18  can be secured to the base  12  via hex head screws  38  which can be applied with a decorative hex head locking key, not unlike those used to lock burial caskets and which are presented to the surviving loved ones of the deceased as a memento. The cover  18  can also include an engravable plate  40  on an upper surface thereof.  
      A pair of handles  42 ,  42  can be secured to the base  12  to facilitate handling of the vault  10 .  
      The base  12  and cover  18  can be fabricated of granite, marble or a concrete polymer composite, or any other suitable material.  
      Those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the present invention which will result in an improved cremation urn vault, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.