Abstract:
A self-mountable niche for remain ashes has a substantially closed box, a receptacle for accommodating ashes and insertable in the box, a supporting element connected with the box and supporting the latter, and a fastening and locking element connected with the supporting element for placing the niche at a corresponding location.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to niches for remains ashes, designed to suitably contain and preserve the ashes of a person or a pet. 
     Nowadays a higher number of people wish their bodies to be incinerated in the moment of their death and to have the ashes preserved for relatives or to be deposited in special places. 
     Persons in charge of administration of this procedure provide areas where the ashes can be correctly and unmistakably deposited with the use of devices which guarantee its reliability and resistance against external agents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-mountable niche for remain ashes which is an improvement of existing niches. 
     In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in a self-mountable niche for remain ashes which has a substantially closed box; a receptacle for accommodating ashes and insertable in the box; a supporting element connected with the box and supporting the latter; and a fastening and locking element connected with the supporting element for placing the niche at a corresponding location. 
     When the niche is designed in accordance with present invention, it is formed as an easy-to-use device, in which the receptacle with the ashes can be quickly arranged and which can be placed in a place designed for its location with full guarantee of reliability of its contents. 
     The inventive niche for remain ashes which is easy to assembly by correlation of its several elements, so that they take a minimum space and provide outstanding beauty of its design and assembly. 
     The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a niche in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view showing a sectional exploded view of the inventive niche; 
     FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a niche which is partially truncated in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned view of the niche in mounted conditions; 
     FIG. 5 is a view showing a practical use of plurality of the niches in accordance with the present invention, which form a multiple assembly on a supporting element; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view showing another possibility of a use of the inventive niche by placing the niches on sides a normal funeral block or module. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A self mountable niche in accordance with the present invention is formed as a closed element in which the ashes are deposited and preserved, a body or supporting and fastening element, and a base for fastening and locking the niche of the place or location either in a sole funeral assembly for several niches or on a surface of a funeral block or the like. 
     The closed element of the element niche is formed as a regular presmatic-shaped Box  1  with a front face provided with a large opening  2 . The opening can be rectangular and closed with a glass which is not shown in the drawings. Walls  3  are provided at four sides and limit a space inside the box. A receptacle  4  can be arranged in the thusly delimited space and contains the ashes. Then the box with the receptacle inside is closed by a cover  5  and firmly retained between the cover and the edges which surround the front opening  2 . 
     The box  1  at the back is provided with cylindrical pins  6 . With the cylindrical pins the box  1  can be placed and locked on a supporting and fastening body  7 . The pins have a slight narrowing  6   a  so that they can remain engaged through related key hole-shaped holes  8  in the supporting body  7  at its front face  9 . The holes have a larger upper part which allows the head of the pins  6  to enter, while the narrower part  6   a  of the pins is accommodated in the lower narrower area  8   a  of the holes. The supporting and fastening element  7  is preferably regular prismatic-shaped. It has at its front face  9   a  rectangular opening  10  surrounded by the holes  8  for fastening of the box  1  with the receptacle  4 . 
     When the box  1  is located and fastened to the supporting body  7 , the front opening  10  remains fully covered, while the closed box  1  is locked by a sliding bolt  11  supported against the cylindrical pin  6 . This prevents upward movement so that the box  1  can not displace upwardly, while the pins  6  can not exit from the holes  8  in which they are introduced. The sliding bolt  11  is accessible from outside. It is actuated by a known tool, such as for example a latch key  12 . 
     The back face of the supporting body  7  has a large rectangular opening  13  surrounded by a narrow rib  14 . The rib extends along the sides as well as the upper and lower faces of the supporting body. Holes  15  are provided in the rib and arranged symmetrically in correspondence with the holes  8  at the front face  9 . The arrangement of the holes  15  allows to place and fasten and also to lock the supporting body  7  on the locking base  16  of the niche assembly. The locking base  16  is rectangular and has sides which are identical to the sides of the back face of the supporting body  7 . It is provided with holes  17  for bolts, screws or the like, for locking it against a surface where the niche assembly is to be placed. 
     The locking base is also provided with cylindrical emerging pins  18  similar to the pins  6  of the box  1 . The pins  18  are placed so that they coincide with the holes  15  of the supporting body  7 . Therefore the supporting body can be locked on the locking base  16  by introducing the holes on the corresponding pins  18 . 
     Finally, the locking base  16  has a retaining means which acts as a locking device. The returning means include a rectangular plate  19  which is locked at the upper part of the locking base  16  and on the face which faces the interior of the niche assembly. 
     When the supporting body  7  is placed on the pins  18  of the locking base  16 , a locking plate  19  is arranged instead of it, to prevent lifting of the supporting body with subsequent detachment and removal of the pins, since the locking plate  19  locks the upper edge of the rib  14  of the supporting body  7 . The plate  19  remains joined to the base  16  by screws and nuts  19 ′. 
     The locking base  16  can be connected to a surface of a special module  20  together with the rest of the niche assembly and the supporting body  7  with the closed box  1 . A plurality of the assemblies are locked on the surface of the module close to each other in perfect continuity, with niche side faces of the supporting bodies  7  coinciding with one another. Thereby horizontal and vertical rows are formed. The special module described herein above is shown in FIG.  5 . It has side supporting feets and a protecting and ornamental larmier  22 . 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the niches can be located on a free side wall  23  of a normal funeral module  24  which is provided with corresponding rows of niches  24   a.  During the placement of the niches on the wall, the corresponding bases  16  are locked in corresponding areas. 
     When the niche assembly in view of its self mountable nature is placed at the corresponding location, as well as on the special module, they are fastened by bolt or screws of the locking base  16 , then the supporting body  7  is placed on it, its back holes  17  are engaged on the cylindrical pins  18  of the base  16 , and the locking plate  19  is placed to prevent withdrawal of the supporting body  7 . Then with the ashes contained in the closed box  1  the box is located on the supporting body  7 , the cylindrical pius  6  engage in the holes  8 , the latch  11  is driven by the deadlock  12 , one of the cylindrical pins  6  remains fastened, and it is impossible to withdraw the closed box. 
     The niches for ashes of people and pets have the same construction but just different sizes. 
     It is possible to provide ornamentation of the assembly For example a drawing sheet, a photograph or the like can be placed on the front face under the glass arranged at the front opening  2 . This can identify the incinerated person or pet. Also, a supporting elemnet  25  for flowers or the like can be provided on the supporting body  7 . 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in self mountable niche for remains ashes, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. 
     What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims: