Abstract:
For a person or a pet includes a body 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. The arms and wings of the angel are disposed to symbolize loving concern for the deceased. In a preferred form of the invention, the body also includes an outwardly opening cavity in the body to receive cremated remains of the person or pet, and a cover secured over the cavity confines the cremated remains within the body. Another preferred embodiment includes a connection for anchoring the memorial to the ground.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/230,725, filed Aug. 29, 2002. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to memorials for deceased people on pets.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    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 body in the general form of the deceased pet, and is constructed to hold pet ashes in a sealed chamber.  
           [0004]    Although previous memorials, including urns for holding ashes, do commemorate 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 a memorial which more nearly meets that need.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    This invention provides a memorial which includes a body 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. 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 body 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 body is shaped to receive a label with information relative to the person or pet.  
           [0006]    In a presently preferred form of the invention, the body includes a connection for anchoring the memorial to the ground. In its simplest form, the connection is a downwardly extending stake which can be inserted in to the ground. In another form, the stake makes a snug fit in a socket embedded in the ground. Alternatively, the connection includes a downwardly opening socket which makes a snug fit over the upper end of an upwardly extending stake embedded in the ground.  
           [0007]    In another preferred form of the invention, the memorial serves as an urn for storing the ashes (cremated remains) of a deceased person or pet. To this end, an outwardly opening cavity in the body receives the ashes, and a cover secured over the cavity confines the ashes within the body. Preferably, the cavity opens out of the bottom of the body, 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 body and cover to seal the cavity when the cover is in the closed position. The body 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 body. The cover and surrounding portion of the bottom of the body present a flat, smooth surface so the urn can be easily placed in a stable position.  
           [0008]    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  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of the memorial the form of an urn;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the urn;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a view taken on staggered line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, taken in the area of the dotted circle A of FIG. 3;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the bottom of the urn showing an alternate latch for the cover; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a view taken on line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a front elevation of embodiment of this invention in which the memorial includes a downwardly extending stake;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the memorial shown in FIG. 7;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a vertical or cross-sectional view of the memorial shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 showing the stake fitted into a socket embedded in the ground;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9 showing the memorial with a downwardly opening socket to receive the upper end of a stake embedded in a supporting surface; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10 showing the memorial with a downwardly opening socket fitted over the upper end of a stake, the lower end of which makes a snug fit in an upwardly opening socket embedded in a supporting surface. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    Referring to FIG. 1, a memorial  9 , which also serves as an urn  10 , includes a molded body  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 .  
         [0021]    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.  
         [0022]    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.  
         [0023]    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.  
         [0024]    As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom of the body 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 body ledge. A pair of hinges  42  secure one end of the cover to an adjacent end of the cavity.  
         [0025]    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.  
         [0026]    A downwardly opening indentation  48  in the lower surface of the urn body, 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.  
         [0027]    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.  
         [0028]    The memorial  9  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 memorial any desired color.  
         [0029]    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.  
         [0030]    FIGS.  7 - 9  show an alternate embodiment of a memorial  109 , which is similar to that described with respect to FIGS.  1 - 6 . The same reference numbers are used to identify the corresponding elements of the two embodiments. The principal difference between the two embodiments is that the embodiment of FIGS.  7 - 9  does not have a cavity for receiving ashes. Instead, the body  12  is solid, as shown in FIG. 9, and includes a downwardly extending stake  112  in the shape of an elongated rectangular blade having a point  114  at its lower end. The upper end of the stake is formed integrally with the base  18  of the memorial. The stake  112  can be inserted into soft ground  115  to anchor the memorial in a desired location.  
         [0031]    If the ground or other surface on which the memorial is to be placed makes it inpractical to insert the stake, an upwardly opening socket  116  is embedded in the ground or other surface  118  to receive the stake, which makes a snug fit within the socket.  
         [0032]    A memorial  120  shown in FIG. 10 is identical with that of FIGS.  7 - 9 , except that a downwardly opening socket  122  is embedded in the base  18  of the body  12  to receive the upper end of a stake  124 , which is in the shape of a blade having a point  126 . The stake is driven into the ground, and thereafter the memorial is set on the projecting upper end of the stake, which makes a snug fit in the downwardly opening socket  122 , which preferably is made of metal or some other suitable material more durable than that of the body.  
         [0033]    A memorial  130  shown in FIG. 11 is identical with that shown in FIG. 10, except that the stake  124  makes a snug fit into an upwardly opening socket  132  embedded in the ground or other surface  118 . The upper end of the stake projects above the surface, and makes a snug fit into the downwardly opening socket  122  embedded in the base of memorial  130 .  
         [0034]    Of course, the stake shown in FIGS.  7 - 11  can be of any cross-section, such as circular, square, or the like, and the sockets shaped with a cavity in which the stake makes a snug fit.