Patent Publication Number: US-7594306-B2

Title: Casket lid

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application 60/626,875 filed on Nov. 12, 2004, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1) Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to burial or cremation caskets and, more particularly, to casket lids. 
     2) Description of the Prior Art 
     Caskets or coffins traditionally include a body container to which is pivoted a lid or a cap. The lid usually has a dome, a pie, a rim, and a header in the case of a split lid. The dome, or the crown, is often, though not necessarily, convex in shape. The pie, or the fishtail, is a pie-shaped section which fits into a pie-shaped cutout in one end of the dome. The dome and pie assembly is typically referred to in the industry as the “cover”. The cover thus has opposed sides and opposed ends. Each of the opposed sides has a decorative piece of molding known as a side rim member secured thereto. Similarly, the pie has secured thereto a decorative piece of molding known as an end rim member. The pair of side and end rim members together define the rim or the ogee. The rim is mounted under the cover to form a raised lid. 
     In order to fabricate the lid, several different pieces must be time consumingly assembled and secured together. For example, in the case of wood caskets, the dome is typically formed from a plurality of boards secured together lengthwise with glue and/or fasteners. The pie is likewise formed from a plurality of boards and is secured to the dome with glue and/or fasteners. Next, the side and end rim members, themselves formed from a plurality of boards, are secured to the cover and the header, if any, again via glue and fasteners. The rim members are mounted inwardly of the cover to form a raised lid. As can be appreciated, manufacturing a casket lid is tedious and time consuming. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient assembling method for casket lids. 
     One aspect of the invention provides a casket lid adapted to be mounted to a casket body container. The casket lid comprises a lid member and at least one rim member. The lid member and the at least one rim member are provided with corresponding male and female mating members. The male member and the corresponding female member are engaged for mounting the at least one rim member to the lid member. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides a casket lid comprising a lid member having a crown member bent into an arched shape; and at least one rim member mounted to the lid member with a groove and tongue engagement. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides a method to manufacture a casket lid. The method comprises: providing a lid member having one of a male member and a corresponding female member; providing at least one rim member having the other one of a male member and a corresponding female member; and engaging the male member and the corresponding female member for mounting the at least one rim member to the lid member. 
     A further aspect of the invention provides a method to manufacture a casket lid. The method comprises: arching a crown panel along a longitudinal axis of the crown panel, and reducing the spring-back of the arched crown panel by laminating a veneer with a wood grain pattern on a web panel forming the crown panel. 
     According to a general aspect, there is provided a casket lid adapted to be mounted to a casket body container. The casket lid comprises a lid member and at least one rim member, the lid member and the at least one rim member being provided with corresponding male and female mating members, the male member having an edge at least partly formed as an edge of the lid member, the female member having a groove at least partly provided as a longitudinal groove in the at least one rim member, and the male member and the corresponding female member being engaged for mounting the at least one rim member to the lid member with the edge of the lid member being securely received in the longitudinal groove. 
     According to a general aspect, there is provided a casket lid comprising a lid member having a crown member bent into an arched shape; and at least one rim member mounted to the crown member with a groove and tongue engagement, the at least one rim member having the groove and at least a section of a peripheral edge of the crown member being inserted into the groove. 
     According to a general aspect, there is provided a casket lid comprising a lid member having a crown member bent into an arched shape; and at least one rim member mounted to the crown member with a groove and tongue engagement, the crown member having two longitudinal edges; the lid member has a pie member extending between the two longitudinal edges of the crown member and having a transversal edge; and the at least one rim member has a transversal rim member and two longitudinal rim members, each one of the transversal and longitudinal rim members having an elongated groove therein; the longitudinal edges of the crown member being inserted into a respective one of the elongated grooves of the longitudinal rim members and the transversal edge of the pie member being inserted into the elongated groove of the transversal rim member. 
     According to a general aspect, there is provided a casket lid comprising a lid member having a crown member bent into an arched shape; and at least one rim member mounted to the crown member with a groove and tongue engagement, the crown member having a web and a veneer with a wood grain pattern laminated to the web. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a casket having a body container and to which a split-lid is pivotally mounted; 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view, fragmented and enlarged, of the connection between a cover and a rim of the split lid shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a crown panel for manufacturing the lid shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a male portion and a female portion of a bending press for bending the crown panel shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a template for cutting V-shaped sections at the ends of the arch-shaped crown panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the template shown in  FIG. 4  covered with a section of the arch-shaped crown panel with a pie-shaped cut-out at one end; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the dome with indentations (or pie-shaped cut-outs) at both ends in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is perspective view of the template shown In  FIG. 4  covered with a second panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present Invention with a pie-shaped section cut therein; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a second template in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention having the dome with indentations at both ends disposed therein and pie-shaped sections being inserted in the indentations; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the dome shown in  FIG. 6  with pie-shaped sections mounted into the indentations; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view, fragmented, of a rim member having an elongated groove in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the dome shown In  FIG. 10  with the rims shown in  FIG. 10  being mounted thereto. 
     
    
    
     It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and, more particularly, referring to  FIG. 1 , it will be seen that a casket  10  has a body container  12  and a split lid  14   a ,  14   b , or a cap, pivotally mounted to the body container  12 . 
     The lid can be either a one-piece lid  14  ( FIG. 11 ) or a split lid, as shown, having two sections  14   a ,  14   b . The lid  14  has an arched shape (or a convex shape). Each section  14   a ,  14   b  of the split lid has a dome  16  (or a crown), a pie  18  (or a fishtail), and a header  20  forming a cover having a pair of opposed longitudinal sides  22  and a pair of opposed transversal sides  24 . The header  20  is positioned at the transversal side  24  opposed to the pie  18 . A longitudinal rim  28  is mounted to each longitudinal side  22  of the cover. A transversal rim  30  is mounted to the transversal side  24  adjacent to the pie  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A , it will be seen that the transversal rims  30  have a slot  32  therealong and the transversal sides  24  of the pie  18  are inserted into these slots  32 . Similarly, as it will be described more In details later, the longitudinal rims  28  also have a longitudinal slot  32  therealong and the longitudinal sides  22  of the cover are inserted into the slot  32 . Therefore, assembling the rims  28 ,  30  and the cover to manufacture the lids  14  is faster and easier by creating slots  32 , or grooves, into the rims  28 ,  30  and securely engaging the sides of the cover into these slots  32 . 
     In another embodiment, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the slots can be created into the cover for allowing the rims  28 ,  30  to be securely engaged into these slots. A person skilled in the art will also appreciate that the slots and the edges can be replaced by any combination of male and female members. 
     The lid  14  can be produced from solid timber, craftwood, particleboards, fiberboards, agrifiber boards, a combination of these materials or any other material known to one skilled in the art. The lid  14  can be covered with a solid timber veneer or a paper veneer bearing a timber grain design or any other design. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , it will be seen that for manufacturing the casket lid  14  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, one or more veneers  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c  are laminated on opposed faces  42   a ,  42   b  of a web  44  of a substantially rigid material. In the embodiment shown, the veneer  40   a  has wood grains along a transversal axis  48 , perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  46  and is laminated on the face  42   a  of the web  44 . The veneer  40   b  has wood grains along the transversal axis  48  and is laminated on the face  42   b  of the web  44 . The veneer  40   c  has wood grains along the longitudinal axis  46  and is laminated over the veneer  40   b . Two veneers  40   b ,  40   c  are laminated on the face  42   b  of the web  44  to reinforce the assembly formed by the web  44  and the veneers  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c , i.e. a crown panel  50 . 
     An adhesive layer is applied between the veneers  40  and the web  44  to create a permanent bond therebetween. The adhesive can be a heat or pressure activated adhesive such as PVA (polyvynil acetates), yellow glue (aliphatic resin), urea resins, as it will be described in more details below. 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of veneers  40  can be laminated on a respective face  42  of the web  44 . Moreover, one or both faces  42  can be veneer-free. The wood grains can also be oriented differently than for the embodiment described. In an alternative embodiment, to reduce the manufacturing costs, the veneers  40  can be replaced with a cardboard panel (not shown), a MDF panel, a MDF panel laminated with a paper veneer, a paperbacked veneer, and the like. 
     The web  44  can be made of any appropriate material such as, without being limitative, particle boards such as MDF, agrifiber boards, cardboard, wood, etc. The veneers  42  can be wood veneers, paper veneers or any other appropriate material known to one skilled in the art. In an embodiment, the thickness of the web  44  varies between 1/16 to ½ of an inch and the thickness of the veneers  40  varies between 1/10 to 3/16 of an inch. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the thickness of the web  44  and the veneers  40  can vary depending on the materials used. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown that the crown panel  50  is bent into a convex shape along the longitudinal axis  46 . For example, for shaping the crown panel  50 , it can be disposed in a bending press (not shown) including a predetermined arch-shaped mold having a female portion  54  and a male portion  56 . The crown panel  50  is then pressed between the female and male portions  54 ,  56  into the desired arched shape to form the arch-shaped crown or dome  16 . The process parameters for bending the crown panel  50  vary in accordance with the thickness and the nature of the web  44  and veneers  40 , if any. High frequencies can then be applied to fix the bending of the crown panel  50 . The bending press can be a high frequency press, a membrane press, a cold press or any other type of press as can be appreciated by someone skilled in the art. 
     If a heat or pressure activated adhesive is used, the web  44  and veneers  40  assembly is reinforced after the bending process since the adhesive has been actuated. 
     Applying at least one veneer with wood grains, along one of the longitudinal axis  46  and the transversal axis  48 , over one face  42  of the web  44  reduces the spring back effect of the crown panel  50  after the bending process. The spring back effect results in the modification of the crown panel radius after the bending process. Combined with the heat or pressure activated adhesive and at least one veneer  40  with the wood grains along the transversal axis  48 , the spring back effect of the crown panel  50  is even more reduced. 
     A person skilled in the art will also appreciate that the veneers  40  and the web  44  can be bent independently and assembled after the bending step. 
     One skilled in the art will also appreciate that the crown panel  50  can be formed from a plurality of boards secured together and it can have a different shape than a convex shaped dome. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the crown panel  50  is disposed over a template  60 . The template  60  has an arch-shaped outer face  62 . The shape of the outer face  62  corresponds to the shape of the crown panel  50 . The outer face  62  includes suction cups  66  operatively connected to a suction pump (not shown), or vacuum pump. When actuated, the suction cups  66  provide a suction, or partial vacuum, over the outer surface  62  and maintain the crown panel  50  in a fixed position over the template  60 . The suction cups  66  are regularly disposed along the outer face  62 . However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the suction cups  66  can be disposed in accordance with any appropriate pattern. Moreover, the vacuum means, preventing the crown panel  50  from moving relatively to the template  60 , can differ from the one illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The suction cups  66  and the suction pump can also be replaced with mechanical fasteners. 
     Grooves  64  are provided along the outer face  62  of the template  60  and define cutting patterns for cutting sections of the crown panel  50 . Two triangular-shaped cutting patterns  65  are provided at the ends  67  of the template  60 . A plurality of triangular shaped cutting patterns  68  are also provided along the longitudinal edges  69  of the template  60 . The purpose of the cutting patterns  65 ,  68  will be described in more details below. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the disposition and the shape of the cutting patterns  65 ,  68  can differ from the one shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , it will be seen that the crown panel  50  is disposed and maintained over the template  60  for cutting and removing V-shaped sections  70  (only one is shown) at each end  72  (only one is shown) of the crown panel  50 . For cutting the V-shaped sections  70 , the saw is aligned along the grooves  64  of the cutting patterns  65 . Once the V-shaped sections  70  removed from the crown panel  50 , two indentations  74 , or recesses or pie-shaped cut-outs, are created in the crown panel  50 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The indentations  74  extend inwardly in the crown panel  50 , between two ends of the longitudinal sides  22 , or longitudinal edges, of the crown panel  50 . The crown panel  50  with the indentations  74  define the dome  16  of the casket lid  14 . 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the shape of the indentations  74  can differ from the one shown in  FIG. 5  and the shape of the cutting patterns  65  vary accordingly. Moreover, the indentations  74  can be created before bending the crown panel  50  or assembling the web  44  and the veneers  40  for creating the crown panel  50 . 
     For a split lid  14   a ,  14   b , the length of the dome  16  can be the length of a one-piece lid and the dome  16  is cut into two distinct pieces or the length of the dome  16  can be the length of the split lid  14   a  and only one indentations  74  is created at one end  72  of the dome  16 . For a one-piece lid, two indentations  74  are created in the dome  16  at a respective end  72 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , a second panel  80  is provided. The composition of the second panel  80  can be similar or different to the one of the crown panel  50 . For example, the second panel  80  can be formed from a plurality of boards secured together. As the crown panel  50 , the second panel  80  is also bent along the longitudinal axis  46 . The same bending techniques as described above can be applied for the second panel  80 . A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the second panel  80  can be an extension of the crown panel  50  which is removed from the latter before creating the indentations  74 . As it will be described in more details below, the curvature of the second panel  80  is similar to the one of the crown panel  50 . 
     The arch-shaped second panel  80  is disposed over the template  60 . It will be appreciated that a different template than the one used for the crown panel  50  can be used. As for the crown panel  50 , the template  60  prevents the second panel  80  from moving when the suction pump is actuated. Several V-shaped end members  82 , or pie-shaped sections, are cut and removed along the longitudinal edges  84  of the second panel  80 . For cutting the V-shaped end members  82 , the saw is aligned along the grooves  64  of the cutting patterns  68 . The number of V-shaped end members  82  cut and removed from the second panel varies in accordance with the length of the second panel  80  and the template  60  used. 
     In summary, the V-shaped end members  82  are cut on the longitudinal sides  84  of the second panel  80  which are straight while the V-shaped sections  70  are cut at the ends  72  of the crown panel  50  which are bent. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the transversal rims  30 , if any, can be mounted to the longitudinal sides of the second panel  80  before cutting the end members  82  therein. Similarly, the longitudinal rims  32 , if any, can be mounted to the longitudinal edges  22  of the crown panel  50  creating the indentations  74  at the ends  72 . 
     Each end member  82  has a transversal edge  24 , which correspond to a section of one of the longitudinal edges  84  of the second panel  80 , and a summit  88 , opposed to the transversal edge  24 . The shape of the end members  82  corresponds to the shape of the indentations  74  in the dome  16 . Therefore, if the shape of the indentations  74  differ from the shape of a pie-shaped cut-out, the shape of the end members  82  vary accordingly. The length of the transversal edge  24  corresponds to the distance between the ends of the longitudinal edges  22  of the dome  16 . Moreover, since the second panel  80  and the dome  16  have the same curvature, the edges of the end members  82  mate with the edges of the dome  16  defining the indentations  74 . The end members  82  form the pies  18  of the lid  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , it will be seen that the dome  16  with the inwardly extending indentations  74  is disposed into a second template  94 . The second template  94  has an outer face  96  defining a cavity  98 . The shape of the cavity  98  corresponds to the shape of the cover (dome  16  with pies  18 ). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that it can correspond to the shape of the lid  14  (cover with rims), as will be described in more-details below. 
     In the cavity  98 , the outer face  96  of the template  94  includes suction cups  99  operatively connected to a suction pump (not shown), or vacuum pump. When actuated, the suction cups  99  provide a suction, or partial vacuum, in the cavity  98  and maintain the dome  16  and the pies  18  (or end members  82 ), as it will be described in more details below, in a fixed position in the cavity  98 . As for the template  60 , the suction cups  99  can be disposed in accordance with any appropriate pattern in the cavity  98 . Moreover, the vacuum means, preventing the dome  16  and the pies  18  from moving inside the cavity  98 , can differ from the one illustrated in  FIG. 4 . For example, the suction cups  99  and the suction pump can be replaced with mechanical fasteners. 
     Then, two pies  18  (or end members  82 ) are respectively inserted into the indentations  74  of the dome  16 , disposed In the template  94 , and secured thereto. When the vacuum pump is actuated, the pies  18  and the dome  16  remain in a predetermined position relatively to one another. Once the pies  18  and the dome  16  juxtaposed, they are secured together with an adhesive, fasteners, or any appropriate technique known to those skilled in the art while being maintained together in the template  94 . 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the assembling of the end members  82  (or pies  18 ) with the dome  16  can be carried out without using the template  94 , with any other appropriate means. If the template  94  is used, it can differ from the above described embodiment. For example, it can be free of suction cups  99  or the suction cups  99  can be replaced by any other means preventing the dome  16  from moving while assembling the pies  18  thereto. 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , it will be seen that a rim member  86  is provided. With any appropriate technique known to one skilled in the art, a longitudinally extending slot  32 , or groove, is provided in the rim member  86 . The width of the longitudinal slot  32  is sufficient to insert respectively the longitudinal edges  22  of the dome  16  and the transversal edge  24  of the pies  18 . The rim member  86  is cut into several rims  28 ,  30 , each having a length corresponding either to the length of a longitudinal rim  28  or to the length of a transversal rim  30 . The ends  104  of the longitudinal rims  28  and the transversal rims  30  are beveled edges for mating the corresponding beveled edges of a juxtaposed rim  28 ,  30  when mounted to the dome  16  or the pie  18 , as it will be described in more details below. 
     The longitudinal and transversal rims  28 ,  30  can be molded, can be formed from a plurality of boards secured together, can be made from wood, MDF or any other material shaped from a mechanical molding machine. Moreover, the rims  28 ,  30  can have a different shape than the rim members shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the longitudinal slot  32  can be performed in each rim  28 ,  30  before or after cutting the ends of the rim  28 ,  30  into beveled edges. 
     The longitudinal edges  22  of the dome  16  are inserted into the slot  32  of a respective longitudinal rim  28  and the transversal edges  24  of the pies  18  are inserted into the slot  32  of a respective transversal rim  30 . Once inserted, they are secured together with an adhesive, fasteners, or any appropriate technique known to those skilled in the art. 
     It will appreciate that the rims  28 ,  30  can be mounted to the crown panel  50  and the second panel  80 , either before bending the later or cutting the V-shaped sections  70  and the end members  82 . Therefore, if the rims  28 ,  30  are mounted to the crown panel  50  and the second panel  80 , the beveled edges  104  of the rims  28 ,  30  are created simultaneously when cutting the V-shaped sections  70  and the end members  82 . 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the template  94  can differ from the shown in  FIG. 8 . For example, the cavity  98  can be adapted to receive simultaneously the dome  16 , the pies  18 , and the rims  28 ,  30 . Therefore, the assembling of the rims  28 ,  30  and the dome  16  and the pies  18  can be carried out in the template  94 . 
     As mentioned above, for a split lid  14   a ,  14   b , the one-piece lid thus obtained can be cut into two distinct pieces. A header  20  can be mounted to each section  14   a ,  14   b  of the split lid, at the end opposed to the pie  18 . In the alternative, the same manufacturing process can be applied to manufacture independently each section  14   a ,  14   b  of the split lit. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 11 , the appearance of the lid  14  manufactured with the above-described technique differ from the appearance of the prior art lids. 
     Instead of securing together a plurality of boards to form the dome  16  and the pie  18 , the lid  14  is made from two panels bent into an arched shaped. The panels  50 ,  80  are thinner than the boards assembled for forming the dome  16  and the pie  18 . Therefore, the resulting cover is thinner. 
     Instead of mounting the rim (or the ogee) under the cover to form a raised lid, the peripheral edges  22 ,  24  of the cover are inserted into the longitudinal slot (or a groove)  32  of the rim members  32 ,  34 . Therefore, the rims  32 ,  34  are not mounted under the cover but a section of the cover is inserted into the rims  32 ,  34 , providing a distinct appearance to the resulting lid  14 . 
     The groove and tongue engagement between the edges of the lid  14  and the rims  32 ,  34  is possible since the lid  14 , made from arch-shaped panels  50 ,  80 , is thinner and lighter than the prior art casket lids made from a plurality of relatively thick boards. 
     Less manufacturing time and steps are required to manufacture lids with the above described technique. Consequently, less manpower is required to manufacture the lids. 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that the lid  14  can differ from the one of the embodiment described hereinabove. For example, it can have a unique lid design or can have a basic design such as a flat lid. 
     The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only. It will be appreciated that the assembly of the rim and the cover using a combination of male and female members can be carried out with any types of casket lids and not necessarily with lids manufactured with bent panels. For example, it can be applied to flat casket lids or casket lids manufacture by securing together a plurality of boards. Moreover, the cover can include the female member and the rims can include the corresponding male member, especially if the cover is relatively thick. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.