Patent Grant
9603766
The present invention relates to containers and more particularly caskets and coffins.
In particular, though not solely, the present invention is directed at containers, caskets and coffins that are assembled from flat panel components by hand, or with minimum tools, that require no fasteners or adhesives.
This document includes by reference all of the material disclosed in New Zealand Provisional Patent applications 600884 and 602709
Coffins traditionally have been made from wooden materials using skills and techniques similar to cabinet making. However such coffins are often very expensive and time consuming to make. They also use expensive materials that also take some time to decompose when buried and may contain toxic materials.
When such coffins are cremated they may also take a significant time to burn to the desired ash consistency and may also release toxic chemical or undesirable products.
Increasingly there are coffins available with a more ecologically friendly build, both in materials and time taken to construct. For example, coffins made from cardboard, and similar products, are available. However these, even when coated, may not cope very well with moisture and may lack robustness. Some cardboard coffins have issues when cremated as they do not of themselves collapse to a fine ash, but rather they retain their shape even in a fully combusted state. This can create issues for handling and returning the ashes.
Further a number of ecologically sound coffins available cannot be rapidly manufactured should there be a sudden demand, for example a natural disaster.
Further typically coffins that are available take up significant space and they are manufactured, shipped and stored in a ready to use condition. Coffins typically have required the use of fasteners, adhesives and or metallic components.
Other coffins of flat pack construction require tools to enable their assembly.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved container or coffin, or to overcome one of the shortcomings mentioned above, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
The present invention provides a coffin or container that can be erected or assembled from a substantially knock down or flat state, which includes: —
Preferably the primary tension panel includes two primary tension panel sides configured to apply the tension to the side panels. Preferably said primary tension panel sides are convex curves.
Preferably said primary tension panel is located close to, and approximately aligned with, a primary tension edge of each side panel, where the primary tension edge of each side panel is located on a first face of the coffin or container.
Preferably each engaging feature passes through an end panel aperture, where each end panel aperture is an aperture through the associated end panel. Preferably each end panel aperture is essentially rectangular. Preferably each engaging feature includes a locking aperture. Preferably each engaging feature is releasably held in place by a locking means which passes through one or more locking apertures. Preferably one or more of the locking means includes a tapered section. Preferably the or each engaging feature is a hook or a tab, where the locking aperture is either a rectangular aperture through the associated tab or an open section of the hook commencing at a throat of the hook and finishing at an exposed surface of the hook. In an alternative preferred form one of the locking apertures engages with a complementary feature in or on the end panel.
Preferably the coffin or box includes a unitary secondary tension panel or a split secondary tension panel. Preferably the split secondary tension panel includes at least a first secondary tension panel and a second secondary tension panel which, when butted up against one another, are essentially the same shape as a unitary secondary tension panel. Preferably said secondary tension panel, when located substantially within said wall, places at least said side panels in tension to thereby retain said secondary tension panel within said wall and act as a full or partial lid, cover or door for said cavity.
Preferably the secondary tension panel includes two secondary tension panel sides configured to apply the tension to the side panels. Preferably said secondary tension panel sides are convex curves.
Preferably said secondary tension panel is located close to, and is approximately aligned with, a secondary tension edge of each side panel, where the secondary tension edge of each side panel is located on a second face of the coffin or container; where the second face is the face of the coffin or container opposite the first face.
Preferably the amount of tension applied by a tension panel is determined by the following formula:
% tension=((W−w)/L)×100%
where
Preferably the widest point (W) of the primary tension panel or unitary secondary tension panel is located at or between 25% and 75% of the length of the tension panel.
Preferably each side panel includes a primary tension panel support for the primary tension panel. Preferably each side panel also includes a secondary tension panel support for the or each secondary tension panel.
Preferably the tension panel support is a groove or channel cut into an inner surface of the side panel. Preferably the depth of the groove is less than 50% of the thickness of the side panel. Preferably the tension panel support includes or is a plurality of shelves.
Preferably each primary tension edge includes apertures dimensioned and configured to accept lifting forks or slings.
Preferably attached to an outer surface of a lowermost face of the coffin or container there is a plurality of bearing strips.
Preferably the second secondary tension panel includes a support shelf configured to support the first secondary tension panel.
The present invention also includes a method of making a container or coffin which includes the following steps:
Preferably the method also includes the following steps:
Preferably the method also includes the following steps:
By way of example only a preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The foregoing description of the invention includes preferred forms thereof. Modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.
Container: a hollow body which has six faces, one of which may be open. Any or all of the faces, prior to assembly, may have curved edges. The hollow body has one pair of opposing sides that are curved.
Quadrilateral: Four sided figure with four interconnected straight or curved sides, such that each curved side is essentially concave or convex.
Trapezium: Quadrilateral with one pair of sides parallel.
The invention will be described with particular reference to a coffin (1) however the invention can be applied to any container, where a container is an essentially hollow body with six faces one of which may be open.
Referring to
The second embodiment shown in
Referring to
Each end edge (22,23) has two engaging features (28), each located close to a vertex of the side panel (4,5). In the first embodiment the engaging features (28) are tabs (29) which include first locking apertures (30), and in the second embodiment they are hooks (31) which include second locking apertures (32), where the second locking apertures (32) are the open section of the hook commencing at the hook throat and terminating at the exposed surface of the hook. In the second embodiment the hook throat is shown uppermost however in some embodiments (not shown) the hook throat may face downwards.
Each side panel (4,5) includes one or more tension panel support (35,36,37) located in or attached to an inner surface (20) of the side panel (4,5).
In the both
In the second embodiment,
In the first embodiment of the side panels (
In some embodiments the alternative secondary tension panel support (37) will simply be a groove or channel cut into the surface of the side panel (4,5).
Where the tension support (35,36,37) is, or includes, a groove cut into the inner surface (20) of the side panel (4,5) it is unlikely to be more than 50% of the thickness of the side panel (4,5) deep. For a 2.1 m long coffin (1) using 9 mm, 5 ply, plywood a groove depth of 4 mm has been found satisfactory.
It should be noted that the tension edges (24,25) are likely to be curves rather than straight lines, and they may not be parallel to each other; this is because when the coffin (1) or container is in the assembled condition the tension panels (6,7,8,9) bend the side panels (4,5) out from the centre of the coffin (1) or container. This bend deforms the side panel (4,5) and if the tension edges (24,25) and tension panel supports (35,36,37) were straight then the primary and secondary tension panels (6,7,8,9) would not sit in, or on all of, the tension panel supports (35,36,37), and the exposed edges of the coffin (1) or container would not be straight once assembled. This is the reason that the term ‘essentially trapezium shaped’ is used. It is meant to mean that two of the edges, the normally parallel and straight edges, are in fact most likely to be curved and potentially not parallel.
The side panels (4,5) are likely to be 3 ply to 7 ply plywood between 3 mm and 18 mm thick depending on the length of the coffin (1) or container. Though materials with similar properties may also be usable, timber or timber products are preferred. These timber products include for example clear wood, finger jointed timber, strandboard, medium density fibreboard or similar. Noting that if the container is large then the thickness may exceed 18 mm and if thin materials are used strips of material forming a channel on the inner surface (20) may replace a groove as the tension panel support (35,36,37). The channel may, for example, be created by using pre-milled or formed material or by attaching two parallel strips of thin material to the inner surface (20). As the side panels (4,5) in the assembled coffin (1) or container are deformed by the tension panels (6,7) their thickness and properties is important.
Referring to
Referring to
% tension=((W−w)/L)×100%
where
The % tension may for some materials be higher than 18% but this figure is believed to be the maximum for plywood. For 9 mm, 5 ply plywood, 7% over a length of 2.1 m has been found successful.
The widest point across a unitary tension panel (6,7) is expected to be between 25% and 75% of the length from one tension panel end (51,52,55,56) so that good contact between the adjacent tension panel side (53,54,57,58) and the inner surface (20) of the side panel (4,5), or base of any groove in said side panel (4,5), is maintained in the as assembled condition. In some configurations intermittent or single point contact may be sufficient.
A multi-part secondary tension panel (8,9) locates the widest part of the combined sections at the same point as a unitary tension panel (6,7), that is between 25% and 75% of the length from one assembled or unitary secondary tension panel end (55,56).
Though the primary tension panel sides (53,54) are described as curves, for some embodiments they may be two or more line segments and still perform the same task.
A preferred method of assembling a coffin (1) is shown in
Please note that for clarity not all of the items mentioned are numbered in
In
In
In some configurations, where some or all of the engaging means (28) are hooks (31), the end panel aperture (45) may engage directly with the associated end panel (2,3).
In
In
Referring to
It should be noted that in some embodiments the secondary tension panel(s) (7,8,9) and primary tension panel (6) may in fact be side faces of the container or coffin (1), and the end panels (2,3) or side panels (4,5) are the uppermost and lowermost faces of the coffin (1) or container. This orientation allows side access to the cavity (10) which may be preferable if the container is large.
In some embodiments (not shown) there is a mixture of engaging features (28) present, for example downward facing hooks (31) at the bottom and tabs (29) at the top so that the hooks (31) are engaged with the lower end panel apertures (45) and the tabs (29) swung through the uppermost end panel apertures (45).
In some embodiments the end panels (2,3) may be essentially rectangular or have a shape similar to a truncated triangle (scalene, isosceles or equilateral), inverted or not. Further the dimensions and configuration of each end panel (2,3) may be different to the other end panel (2,3).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600884 | Jul 2012 | NZ | national |
| 602709 | Sep 2012 | NZ | national |
| 613350 | Jul 2013 | NZ | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2013/055895 | 7/18/2013 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2014/016738 | 1/30/2014 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1373730 | Hollins | Apr 1921 | A |
| 1610781 | Hollins | Dec 1926 | A |
| 4800631 | Pellmann | Jan 1989 | A |
| 6018853 | Chen | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6314626 | Becker | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6497018 | Chiu | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 7222400 | Leverett | May 2007 | B2 |
| 7263751 | Davis | Sep 2007 | B2 |
| 7761963 | Koch | Jul 2010 | B2 |
| 8443496 | De La Fuente | May 2013 | B2 |
| 8584327 | Kodak | Nov 2013 | B1 |
| 20100263177 | Abayhan | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1110432 | Oct 1981 | CA |
| 251209 | Apr 1926 | GB |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150173989 A1 | Jun 2015 | US |
