Casket display system

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to the field of casket display systems, and in particular to casket display systems providing displays of various casket configuration and the optional features thereof.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Caskets are available in a number of styles and designs, which can have various shapes, hardware (i.e., handles), colors, materials and quality. Often there are a number of options which can be chosen for any particular casket to create a customized casket configuration. These options include the material and pattern for the lining of the lid, and the lining of the interior of the casket.

Prior casket displays include an entire casket, arranged with the lid open to display the interior lining. This allows the consumer to view all of the features of the casket configuration. However, since caskets are necessarily large items, this type of display results in an inefficient use of space. A more space-efficient prior casket display includes a {fraction (1/16)}th corner portion of a casket. However, this fractional portion of the casket does not include a full set of the hardware of the casket.

The present invention provides an improved casket display system which provides immediate visual and tactile access to all of the influential features of particular casket configurations, in a space efficient manner.

Specifically, the casket display system of the present invention includes a five-sided enclosure having a base or bottom portion, a back portion, two lateral side walls and a top. An about ⅛th corner casket portion is disposed on the base, within the enclosure. The corner casket portion includes at least one full set of the hardware of the casket, which set is visible on an outwardly-facing side of the corner casket portion. The corner casket portion is preferably displayed in the closed position and occupies about ? of the width of the enclosure.

A feature display stand is disposed on the base within the enclosure and includes feature information items regarding the casket and a particular casket configuration. Preferably, the display stand includes a name and price of the casket configuration, a photograph of the entire casket, preferably shown with the lid open, physical material samples of the liner for the lid and for the interior of the casket, and a technical description of the casket. The feature display stand is disposed adjacent the corner casket portion and substantially occupies the remaining width of the enclosure.

The casket display system of the present invention provides an improved means to display various and multiple casket configurations in an easily viewable and space-efficient manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a complete understanding of the above and her features of the invention, reference shall be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1

is a front elevational view of the casket display system of the present invention;

FIG. 2

is a close-up front elevational view of the invention as shown in

FIG. 1

, showing one enclosure of the system;

FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the feature display stand of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 4

is a front elevational view of the feature display stand shown in an environment; and

FIGS. 5-8

are side bottom, rear and top views of the feature display stand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to

FIGS. 1-3

, the casket display system

10

of the present invention is intended for use in show rooms of funeral homes, and casket manufacturers, and any other suitable locations where caskets and casket configurations are displayed. The casket display system

10

may be most efficiently placed against, or built into a display room wall, or may be constructed as a stand-alone display. As shown, multiple enclosures

12

,

12

′ can be stacked in a vertical column to provide greater display density, space efficiency and ease of viewing.

The casket display system

10

includes an enclosure

12

having five sides (bottom or base

14

, top

16

, two lateral sides

18

,

20

and a back

22

), and an open front portion

24

. Preferably, the five sides of the enclosure are substantially planar and meet at right angles to form a substantially rectangular volume. The bottom

14

is preferably substantially horizontal, and the top

16

, lateral sides

18

,

20

and back

22

are preferably substantially vertical.

An about ⅛th corner portion of at least an exterior of a casket

26

is disposed on the bottom

14

of the enclosure

12

. The ⅛th corner casket portion is preferably formed by casting or cutting a casket (or at least an exterior thereof) down a substantially straight longitudinal center line (i.e., lengthwise), and down a substantially straight line ¼th of its length from one end, thereby creating a substantially right-angled corner casket portion

26

. The corner casket portion

26

is preferably disposed in a corner (e.g., the lower, rear, left corner) of the enclosure

12

such that the cross-sectional (i.e., cut) edges of the corner casket portion

26

contact the (left) lateral side wall

18

and the back wall

22

of the enclosure along substantially the entire length of the edges, thereby forming a highly finished appearance. If desired, the corner casket portion

26

can be secured to the one or more sides of the enclosure by any suitable means. In addition, preferably the bottom

14

of the enclosure extends outwardly a distance from a front edge of the corner casket portion

26

, when properly located.

Caskets typically have handle hardware disposed along the sides thereof and on each end. The hardware is an ornamental feature of the casket design (as well as being functional), which impacts on the overall appearance and attractiveness of the design. Therefore, it is important that a complete physical sample of the hardware be available for viewing. The corner casket portion

26

of the present invention includes one full set of the handle hardware

27

on an outwardly-facing side

29

thereof, which full set is visible by a viewer located in a viewing position in front of the display. Thus, the ⅛th corner casket portion provides the viewer with a view of all of the important aesthetic aspects of the casket, including the overall design, color and hardware design.

Preferably, the enclosure is sized and shaped such that the ⅛th corner casket portion

26

occupies approximately ½th the width of the enclosure

12

(i.e., ½th the distance between the lateral sides

18

,

20

). As caskets are typically manufactured in predetermined lengths, the enclosures of the present invention can be provided in a plurality of predetermined sizes or widths.

The casket corner portion

26

preferably has a maximum height of about 24 inches, a length of about 24 inches and a width of about 14 inches. Each enclosure

12

,

12

′ is preferably about 30 inches high, about 48 inches wide and about 30 inches deep. The display system

10

as depicted in

FIG. 10

preferably is about 90 inches high and 60 inches wide.

A feature display stand

28

is disposed on the bottom

14

of the enclosure

12

, adjacent the corner casket portion

26

. Preferably, the feature display stand

28

is located in the corner of the enclosure across from the casket corner portion

26

, such that it abuts the back

22

and the (right) lateral side wall

20

of the enclosure

12

opposite the casket corner portion

26

. Preferable, the feature display stand

28

occupies a majority of the opposite half of the width of the enclosure

12

, with respect to the casket corner portion

26

. However, preferably the enclosure

12

and feature display stand

28

are sized such that there exists a gap

31

between an end portion

27

of the casket corner portion

26

and an adjacent edge

31

of the feature display stand, such that the end portion

27

of the casket corner portion

26

is available for viewing and inspection by the consumer. Preferably, the gap can be about 2 to about 6 inches.

Referring to

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the feature display stand preferably has a front height (H

1

) of about 2 inches rear height (H

2

) of about 25 inches, a depth (D) of about 14 inches and a width (W) of about 19 ½ inches. The lower panel

42

has a length (L

1

) of about 7 inches and the upper panel

44

has a length (L

2

) of about 22 inches.

The feature display stand

28

includes all of the various important aesthetic and function features items of the casket configuration, including a name

30

and price

32

of the configuration, a physical material sample of the interior lining for the casket configuration

34

, a physical material sample of the lining of the lid of the casket configuration

36

, a technical description of the casket

38

, and a photograph of the entire casket

40

, as configured, preferably with the lid in an open position. The material used in casket configurations, most often the lid lining, can include repeating patterns, such as embroidered patterns. Therefore, the samples

34

,

36

are preferably large enough to include an entire ?repeat? of the pattern.

The feature display stand

28

preferably includes upper and lower substantially planar panels

42

,

44

each of which include a number of sections defined by raised rib or border portions

45

. The upper panel

42

preferably includes first and second upper sections

46

,

48

, and a lower section

50

. The lower section

46

preferably occupies the majority of the upper panel

42

.

The upper sections

46

,

48

of the upper panel

42

of the feature display stand

28

preferably include one of the technical description of the casket

38

, and photograph of the entire casket

40

. The lower section

50

of the upper panel

42

preferably includes a relatively large physical material sample of the lining of the lid of the casket configuration

36

, which is exposed and available to be touched by prospective buyers. The lower panel

44

preferably includes two sections

52

,

54

, also defined by raised rib or border potions

45

. The two sections

52

,

54

of the lower panel

44

preferably include one of (1) the name

30

and price

32

of the casket configuration and (2) the physical material sample of the lining of the interior of the casket configuration

34

.

The physical material samples

34

,

36

preferably comprise a section of material and padding mounted on a frame which frame is sized and shaped to be closely received within a section of the feature display. Therefore, the associated sections at the feature display are preferably recessed to receive the frame-mounted samples.

The upper and lower panels

42

,

44

of the feature display stand

28

preferably meet to form an obtuse angle (i.e., an angle greater than 90 degrees). The upper and lower panels

42

,

44

are preferably aligned at upwardly-inclined angles from the open front portion

24

of the enclosure

12

toward the back

22

. Specifically, a plane of the upper panel

42

forms an acute angle with the back

22

of the enclosure, preferably between about 10 and about 50 degrees, and a plane of the lower panel

44

forms an acute angle with the bottom

14

of the enclosure, preferably between about 10 and about 30 degrees.

At the described orientation, the upper panel

42

provides ready and optimal viewing, from a distance, of the photograph of the entire casket

40

and the relatively large material sample of the lining of the lid

36

, which are aesthetic features which often are part of the initial buying decisions of a consumer. As initial buying decisions are often made while a consumer is browsing through a display room, usually at a distance from the individual displays, it is most effective to have these types of feature items prominently displayed and readily visible from a distance. The orientation of the lower panel

44

provides more optimal viewing of the name

30

and price

32

of the casket configuration from a position in relative proximity to the display. Then name and price of a configuration are often information which a consumer wishes to have once the consumer is more interested in the configuration. Therefore, these feature items are placed such that they are most easily viewed when in relative proximity to the display.

The exposed material samples

34

,

36

allow and invite the consumer to view and touch the material to determine the quality and makeup of the material, which are often important considerations. The feature display stand

28

allows such visual and tactile inspection of the material samples

34

,

36

without manipulation of the display by the consumer or the sales representative.

The novel casket display system

10

of the present invention provides an improved means to display various casket configurations, which displays all of the important aesthetic and functional aspects of each configuration in an optimal manner such that the prospective consumer can readily view and touch the feature items of the configuration without manipulation of the display by the consumer or sales representative.

It should be understood, of course, that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.