Patent Application
20080086855
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2A-2B, there is illustrated a casket 10 incorporating the principles of the present invention. The casket 10 includes a shell 12 to which is pivoted one or two caps, for example, as illustrated, a head end cap 14 and a foot end cap 16. The caps 14 and 16 can be pivoted to the shell 12 by conventional means known to those skilled in the art, but not shown in the drawings. The casket 10 can include hardware in the form of a handlebar 20 which can be attached to escutcheon plates 22 which in turn can be attached to the shell 12. The caps 14 and 16 can each include a dish assembly 30 mounted on the underside thereof (only visible in the head end cap 14 in
Referring now to all the Figures, the dish assembly 30 includes a cap panel 32. Cap panel 32 can be generally rectangular, as is customary and as illustrated, or most any other geometric shape desired. As illustrated, cap panel 32 has a pair of opposed long sides 34, 34 and a pair of opposed short sides 36, 36. A puffing member 38 can be attached to each long side 34 along respective adjacent edges 40a, 40b as by, for example, staples 42. A puffing member 44 can be similarly attached to each short side 36.
The dish assembly 30 further includes a cap panel insert 50. Cap panel insert 50 can also be generally rectangular, as is customary and as illustrated, or most any other geometric shape desired. It is customary for the size and shape of the cap panel 32 and cap panel insert 50 to be generally the same, though such is certainly not required to practice the invention and the invention is not so limited. As illustrated, cap panel insert 50 has a pair of opposed long sides 52, 52 and a pair of opposed short sides 54, 54.
At least one retention member 56 is fixedly secured to one of the sides 52, 54 of the cap panel insert 50. For example, as illustrated, a pair of retention members 56 can be spaced apart and secured to the lower long side 52. Retention members 56 can be, for example, generally T-shaped tabs, having a vertical member 58 and a horizontal member 60. Horizontal member 60 can be fixedly secured to the back face of the cap panel insert 50 by, for example, staples 62. Upon being installed in the dish assembly 30, the vertical members 58 of the retention members 56 are removably received between the respective adjacent edges 40a, 40b of puffing member 38 and the cap panel side 34. The free ends 64 of the vertical members 58 of the retention members 56 can be radiused, as illustrated, to facilitate their insertion between the adjacent edges 40a, 40b.
At least one pull member 70 is fixedly secured to an opposite one of the sides, 52, 54 of the cap panel insert. For example, as illustrated, a pair of pull members 70 can be spaced apart and secured to the upper long side 52. Pull members 70 can be, for example, generally rectangular shaped tabs. At one end 72 the pull members 70 can be fixedly secured to the back face of the cap panel insert 50 by, for example, staples 74. The other free ends 76 of the pull members 70 can be radiused, as illustrated, to reduce the chance of otherwise sharp corners snagging delicate fabric, etc. Upon being installed in the dish assembly 30, the free ends 76 of the pull members 70 project away from the cap panel 32 (i.e. toward an installer). In other words, the free ends 76 of the pull members 70 will be flexed approximately 90 degrees relative to the fixed ends 72 of the pull members 70, and will reside between the edge of the upper long side 52 of the cap panel insert 50 and the puffing 38.
The retention members 56 and the puffing members 38, 44 thus retain the cap panel insert 50 in juxtaposition relative to the cap panel 32, and the pull members 70 thus enable the cap panel insert 50 to be pulled out from between the puffing members 38, 44, away from the cap panel 32, and out of the dish assembly 30. The retention and pull members 56 and 70 can be fabricated of thin sheet plastic which allows them to be resiliently flexed during installation of the cap panel insert 50 into the dish assembly 30.
To assemble the dish assembly 30, the puffing members 38 and 44 are stapled to the sides 34 and 36 of the cap panel 32, respectively, along respective adjacent edges 40a, 40b. The retention and pull members 56 and 70 are stapled to the upper and lower long sides 52 of the cap panel insert 50. The vertical members 58 of the retention members 56 are inserted between the lower attached puffing 38 and the lower cap panel side 34. The pull members 70 are flexed around the edge of the upper long side 52 of the cap panel insert 50 so as to project away from the cap panel 32 and toward the installer. The cap panel insert 50 is then pressed toward the dish assembly 30 so as to removably insert it between the puffing members 38 and 44 and to place it in juxtaposition relative to the cap panel 32.
To remove the insert 50 to, for example, replace it with one of a different design, the pull members 70 are pulled toward the installer to pivot the upper long side 52 of the insert 50 away from the cap panel, and the insert is pulled upwardly so as to withdraw the vertical members 58 from between the adjacent edges 40a, 40b of the lower puffing 38 and lower cap panel side 34.
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The embodiments of the invention shown and described are merely for illustrative purposes only. The drawings and the description are not intended to limit in any way the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will readily recognize various changes to, and additional embodiments of, the invention, all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For example, while the retention and pull members have been illustrated as being attached to the upper and lower opposed long sides of the cap panel insert, they could just as well be attached to the left and right opposed short sides of the cap panel insert. By way of further example, while the retention and pull members have been illustrated as being attached to opposite sides of the cap panel insert, they could just as well be attached to adjacent sides of the cap panel insert. By way of yet further example, the pull members could be tabs, cords, ribbons, etc., i.e. any suitable device by which a user could grasp the device and pull the cap panel insert from between the puffing members. All such variations are within the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
