Cemetery vase and locking mechanism

An assembly and method for decorating a monument is disclosed that may employ a theft deterrent locking device. The assembly may include a container that may be located and stored within a housing. The container may be generally oriented in two positions with respect to the housing, namely an upright, standing position and a lowered, stored position. The container may be lifted via a handle up through the housing into the upright, standing position. In the upright, standing position, the container may be locked to the housing from beneath a collar attached to the housing using a locking mechanism disclosed herein, such that the container may not be removed from the housing and may not be inverted. The container may be lowered and stored within the housing without inverting the container, when the container is no longer in use, such that the container may reside within the housing in a substantially flush manner with respect to a surrounding material.

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Description
BACKGROUND

1. The Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to containers and locking mechanisms therefor, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to cemetery vases provided with an anti-theft locking mechanism for decorating a grave site.

2. Description of Related Art

Cemetery vases are well known in the art to enhance the beauty of a monument at a grave site. It is a common problem for such vases to be stolen from those grave sites. The present disclosure is particularly directed to solving the unwanted removal or theft problem by implementing a unique locking mechanism as shown and described in the Detailed Description.

Further, cemeteries often require that a vase be substantially even or flush with the ground surface when not in use in order to facilitate maintenance of the cemetery grounds. For example, when the grass is being cut it has been found desirable to have vases that can be stored beneath ground level such that the lawn mower can easily pass over the top of the vase assembly without damaging either the vase or the lawn mower.

Accordingly, a common type of vase assembly known in the art is one that may be countersunk within a sleeve found in a base of concrete or other material surrounding a monument or headstone at a grave site during storage. It will be appreciated that vases utilized in such assemblies may be attached and detached to the sleeve at the base of concrete or other material using a collar or fastening plate attached to the sleeve and designed to engage a foot of the vase through a bayonet type connection. The vase may be positioned in an upright, standing position or lowered beneath ground level for storage, at which point the vase is nearly flush with the ground level. For lowering the vase, the vase may be twisted, releasing the bayonet connection and allowing the vase to be inverted and placed downward within the countersunk hole with the top of the vase being positioned through the collar or fastening plate in an upside down manner. The foot of the vase, in this position, is now pointing upward and may be connected with the collar or fastening plate using the bayonet connection.

The prior countersunk vases and assemblies have used a chain or other flexible securing mechanism as an anti-theft mechanism. Typically, such a chain may be fastened to the vase at one end and the other end is suitably fixed to the ground or some other portion of the countersunk vase assembly, such as the sleeve, near the base for security against theft.

However, the prior countersunk vase assemblies have their drawbacks. For example, these countersunk vases can be awkward and clumsy because of the chain that is provided as security against theft making the vase difficult to handle. The chain is usually fixed to the vase, making it difficult and unmanageable to turn the vase over for storage or use. Additionally, before lowering the vase into the sleeve the water contained in the vase has to be poured out to completely empty the vase. Further, chains have been proven ineffective as an anti-theft device and simply do not provide the required strength to adequately deter theft, since such chains can be easily cut with an appropriate cutting instrument.

The prior countersunk vases and assemblies are thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.

The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a housing used for decorating a monument and made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side, sectional view of one embodiment of a container in an upright, standing position with respect to a housing and made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side, sectional view similar to FIG. 2, in which the container is in a stored position with respect to the housing and made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of one embodiment of the housing made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic bottom view of one embodiment of the housing, in which the base of the housing has been removed for illustrative purposes, made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic bottom view of another embodiment of the housing, in which the base of the housing has been removed for illustrative purposes, made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom view of one embodiment of the container made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of one embodiment of the housing and container made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic side, sectional break-away view of one embodiment of the assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 5.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.

Before the present assembly and methods for decorating a monument are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.

As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

As used herein, the phrase “consisting of” and grammatical equivalents thereof exclude any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.

As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed disclosure.

Referring now to the drawings, in which FIG. 1 generally illustrates an assembly 10 for decorating a monument 20, such as a headstone or other or type of monument used as a memorial. The assembly 10 may generally include a housing 40, and a container 60 as shown in FIG. 2. It will be appreciated that the housing 40 may be configured and dimensioned to be inserted into a surrounding material 30, such as earth, grass, rock, marble, cementitious material, or other material upon which a monument 20 may be located. It will be appreciated that the housing 40 may be made of any material suitable for being inserted beneath ground level and fitting substantially flush with a top surface of the surrounding material 30 without excess corrosion.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 9, the housing 40 may include a collar 46 and body 41 having a sidewall 47. The sidewall 47 of the body 41 of the housing 40, which may be located beneath ground level, may be made of various materials such as stainless steel, sheet metal, or other types of steel or metals that can withstand moisture and other environmental factors found beneath ground level without causing excessive corrosion to the sidewall 47 of the housing 40. The housing 40 itself may be substantially cylindrical in shape, but may be modified to be of any shape or size desired, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the housing may be polygonally shaped or square shaped in cross-section or any other shape without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The housing 40 may further include a first end 42 and a second end 44. The first end 42 may have a first opening 43 and the second end 44 may include a second opening 45, as illustrated best in FIG. 9. The first opening 43 of the housing 40 may comprise a first diameter that may be less than a second diameter of a base 64 of the container 60, such that the base 64 of the container 60 may contact an upper portion of the housing 40, such as the collar 46, thereby preventing the container 60 from being removed from the first opening 43 of the housing 40, as illustrated best in FIG. 9. The collar 46 of the housing 40 may be attached to the first end 42 of the housing 40 and may delineate the first opening 43.

The collar 46 may be made of various materials including, for example, copper, brass, bronze and other metals used in the monument industry for decorating a monument site and the material, color and decoration may be the same as those of the container 60, such that the same overall decorative look and appearance may be maintained between the collar 46 and the container 60.

It will be appreciated that the collar 46 may be substantially flush with a top surface 32 of the surrounding material 30, such that a lawn mower of other power tool can easily be driven or pass over the top surface 32 of the surrounding material 30, including the housing 40 and collar 46, without interference. It will be appreciated that the collar 46 may in fact be located and rest on the top surface 32 of the surrounding material 30, and as such, may be raised slightly with respect to the top surface 32. It will further be appreciated that the collar 46 may alternatively be flush with the top surface 32, or the collar 46 may even be countersunk with respect to the top surface 32 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the phrase “substantially flush” with respect to the collar 46 and the surrounding material 30 includes all of the above conditions of the collar 46. Thus, it will be appreciated that the first end 42 of the housing 40 or the collar 46 may be substantially flush with the surrounding material 30.

It will be appreciated that as used herein the term “collar” may include any of various devices used to limit, guide, or secure another part, whether such device is shaped in a ringlike manner or otherwise and whether such device is continuous or discontinuous. For example, the collar 46 may be circular or ringlike, triangular, square, polygonal, oval, star, C-shaped, or other shapes without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 9, in which additional details of the collar 46 are illustrated, the collar 46 may further include an upper surface 48 and a lower surface 49 with a sidewall 50 that may extend between and may connect the upper surface 48 and the lower surface 49. The upper surface 48 of the collar 46 may be continuous and may be characterized by the absence of structural indentations, hollows, recesses, holes, slots, and niches. The lower surface 49 may include at least one recess 51 formed therein that may communicate with a slot 52, which itself may be formed between the upper surface 48 and the lower surface 49. It will be appreciated that there may be one recess 51 or more than one recess 51 utilized by the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the collar 46 and illustrates three (3) recesses 51, all of which may communicate with the slot 52. If more than one recess 51 is utilized, each recess 51 may be equally spaced from each other. The purpose of the at least one recess 51 will be discussed further below, but in general terms the at least one recess 51 may allow for a protrusion 66 of the container 60 to enter into the slot 52 from underneath the collar 46 and without moving above the collar 46 to aid in locking a first component, such as the housing 40 or the container 60, to a second component, such as the housing 40 or the container 60.

The at least one recess 51 may extend from the lower surface 49 for a majority length of the sidewall 50 of the collar 46 until the recess 51 communicates or intersects with the slot 52. The slot 52 may comprise a relationship with the protrusion 66 of the container 60 (described in greater detail below), wherein the slot 52 may comprise a depth “D” (illustrated best in FIGS. 5 and 9) that may have a dimension that is within a range of about 1 to 3 times a length “L” of the protrusion 66, or alternatively within a range of about 1 to 5 times the length “L” of the protrusion 66. Further, the height “H1” of the slot 52 may be substantially the same as or slightly larger than a height “H2” of the protrusion 66, such that the protrusion 66 may fit snugly within the slot 52 while remaining moveable when a force may be applied thereto, for example a torsional force.

In an alternative embodiment of the collar 46′, illustrated in FIG. 6, at least one countersunk depression 54 may be included or formed within the slot 52′ in order to allow at least one protrusion 66 to fit and rest therein in a predetermined arrangement and orientation. It will be appreciated that the at least one countersunk depression 54 may be formed within a top surface of the slot 52, i.e., within the thickness of the collar 46′, without completely passing through the upper surface 48′ of the collar 46′ or the at least one countersunk depression 54 may be formed within a bottom surface of the slot 52′ without opening into a hollow 55 of the housing 40. It will also be appreciated that the at least one countersunk depression 54 may or may not be utilized as part of the collar 46′ without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

It will be appreciated that the sidewall 47 of the body 41 of the housing 40 may be attached or connected to the collar 46, and particularly to the sidewall 50 of the collar 46, via a fastener 53. The fastener 53 may be a rivet, screw, weld, adhesive, epoxy or any other type of fastener for attaching the sidewall 47 of the body 41 to the sidewall 50 of the collar 46. The sidewall 50 of the collar 46 may be located within or inside the sidewall 47 of the body 41 of the housing 40, or in other words within the hollow 55, which is delineated by the sidewall 47 of the housing 40. In this regard, the at least one recess 51, the slot 52 and even the at least one countersunk depression 54, if present, may all be encompassed or enclosed by the sidewall 47 of the housing 40 such that those structural features may be essentially inaccessible from outside the housing sidewall 47. Further, the at least one recess 51, the slot 52 and even the at least one countersunk depression 54, if present, may each be located beneath or on the underside of the upper surface 48 of the collar 46. The result may be that those structural features are inaccessible from the upper surface 48 of the collar 46 when the container 60 is in an upright, standing position, thereby deterring the removal of the container 60 from the housing 40.

The second end 44 of the housing 40 may comprise the second opening 45 and may further comprise a base 56. A structural support 57 may be attachable to the base 56 of the housing 40, while the base 56 may remain open to the ground material located underneath or below the housing 40. The structural support 57 may extend upwardly from the base 56 of the housing 40 and may attach to the stopper 58, such that the stopper 58 may be located in substantially the same position as the hole 68 of the container 60 when said container 60 may be in the upright, standing position, thereby sealing the hole 68 of the container 60.

The base 56 of the housing 40 may be shaped such that the second opening 45 may be at least a partial opening. For example, the base 56 may be a mesh material or the base 56 may comprise a crisscross of structural components or the base may simply be a solid material with at least one hole formed therein. Other structural formations may also be employed by the base 56 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The purpose of the base 56 and the second opening 45 will become further apparent below as additional details of the container 62 are disclosed. The structural support 57 may provide an attachment site for a stopper 58. It will be appreciated that the structural support 57 may be a post or another structural feature used to support stopper 58 without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus disclosed herein is merely one example of a means for structurally supporting the stopper, and it should be appreciated that any structure, apparatus or system for structurally supporting the stopper that performs functions the same as, or equivalent to, those disclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of a means for structurally supporting the stopper, including those structures, apparatus or systems for structurally supporting a stopper that are presently known, or that may become available in the future. Anything which functions the same as, or equivalently to, a means for structurally supporting the stopper falls within the scope of this element.

Referring now to FIGS, 2, 3, 7 and 9, the container 60 may generally comprise a main body portion 62, a base portion 64 as well as the at least one protrusion 66 referred to previously. It will be appreciated that the container may be a vase, bin, bottle, bowl, can, canister, capsule, jar, pot, pottery, urn or other receptacle without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. A hole 68 may be formed within the base portion 64. It will be appreciated that the hole 68 may be any shape, including circular, oblong, oval, polygonal, square, rectangular, star or any other shape without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The hole 68 of the container 60 may be sized and shaped to accommodate the stopper 58 of the housing 40, such that when those two features engage each other a substantial seal may be formed between the stopper 58 and the hole 68 to essentially plug the container 60. Thus, the stopper 58 of the housing 40 may be sized and dimensioned to seal the hole 68 of the container 60 when the container 60 may be standing in an upright position as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 9. It will be appreciated that as the shape of the hole 68 or the stopper 58 is modified, the other feature will also need to be modified accordingly to allow the sealing function to occur.

It will be appreciated that the container 60 may be located within the housing 40 in generally two positions, an upright, standing position (as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 9) and a lowered, storage position (as illustrated in FIG. 3). A handle 70 may be provided on the container 60 to allow a user to lift the container 60 within the housing 40 from the stored position to the upright, standing position. The handle 70 may also be used to help lower the container 60 within the housing 40 into the stored position. The handle 70 may comprise a hinge 74 at each end of the handle where said handle 70 may attach to the container 60. The hinging of the handle 70 allows the handle 70 to be raised when in use and lowered during non-use in a stored position. The hinges 74 also allow the handle 70 to be stored in a substantially flush manner with respect to a top ledge 72 of the container 60 due to the pivoting movement of the handle 70 allowed by the hinge.

The assembly 10 may also comprise a removable cap 80 having at least one relief 84 for allowing removal of the cap 80 via a user's finger or a tool or an instrument (illustrated best in FIG. 8). The cap 80 may be attachable to the housing 40 and may function to cover and uncover the first opening 43 of the housing 40. The cap 80 may also be located on a top 76 of the container 60, while being attached to the housing 40. It will be appreciated that the cap 80 may be rotatable about a pivot connection 82 about the housing 40, such that when the container 60 may be in a lowered, stored position within said housing 40 the cap 80 may be covering the first opening 43 of the housing 40. Further, when the container 60 may be in an upright, standing position the first opening 43 of the housing 40 may then be uncovered by said cap 80 by pivotally moving the cap 80 about the pivot connection 82. It will be appreciated that the pivot connection 82 may be any type of pivot connection known in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

It is to be understood that the container 60 may be securable to an underside portion of the collar 46 of the housing 40, as illustrated best in FIG. 9, to locate the container 60 in the upright, standing position. To aid in the securement process, the base 64 of the container 60 may include at least one protrusion 66 extending outwardly therefrom as referred to previously. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the at least one protrusion 66 may include three (3) protrusions 66. The number of protrusions 66 formed on the base 64 of the container may be modified and may, but does not necessarily have to, match the number of recesses 51 formed in the collar 46 of the housing 40, to allow the protrusions 66 to enter into the slot 52. If more than one protrusion 66 is utilized, each of the protrusions 66 may be equally spaced from each other and may radially extend outward from the base 64 of the container 60. It will be appreciated that if one or more countersunk depression 54 is present, then the number of countersunk depressions 54 should match the number of protrusions 66, since the protrusions 66 may be located therein. If more than one countersunk depression 54 is utilized, each of the depressions 54 may be equally spaced from each other and may be arranged to match the spacing of the protrusions 66 in a mating engagement. Likewise, the protrusions 66 may be spaced and arranged to match the spacing and arrangement of the recesses 51.

Attachment of the container 60 to the housing 40 may occur as follows. A user may lift the handle 70 using the hinging action to pivot the handle 70 into a useable position, and then lifts the container 60 up through the hollow 55 interior of the housing 40. The at least one protrusion 66 of the container may be aligned with and inserted into the at least one recess 51 of the collar 46 and pulled upward until contact with the collar 46 occurs. Then, upon twisting of the container 60 via the handle 70 or some other mechanism, the protrusion 66 may move from the recess 51 into the slot 52 of the collar 46 thereby locking the container 60 to the housing 40, and into the upright, standing position. It will be appreciated that if countersunk depressions 54 are present, upon twisting of the container 60, the at least one protrusion 66 of the container 60 may be moveable within the slot 52 of the collar 46 and into the countersunk depression 54 of the collar 46, thereby locking the container 60 to the housing 40. When the container 60 is in the upright, standing position, e.g., when the at least one protrusion 66 may be located within the slot 52, a majority of the container 60 may extend above the collar 46 of the housing 40. To lower the container 60 within the housing 40, the above process is simply reversed. For example, the container 60 may be lowered into a stored position within the housing 40 by twisting and aligning the at least one protrusion 66 with the at least one recess 51 of the collar 46, such that the container 60 may be lowered within the hollow 55 of the housing 40 into the stored position. In the stored position, the container 60 may reside completely beneath the upper surface 48 of the collar 46, or substantially flush therewith, and completely within the housing 40, such that the top 76 of the container 60 may be substantially flush with the collar 46, as illustrated in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that the at least one protrusion 66 of the container 60 may be prevented from passing through the first opening 43 of the housing 40 due to the structural interference between the at least one protrusion 66 with and by the upper surface 48 of the collar 46, thereby deterring theft.

When the container 60 is in the upright, standing position, the stopper 58 may be securely located within the hole 68, thereby providing the seal. The seal between the container 60 and the housing 40 allows a user to put water into the container 60, thereby allowing live flora to be used to decorate the monument or memorial site. When the container 60 is lowered into the storage position, the stopper 58 may be held in place by the structural support 57 as the container 60 may be lowered into the housing 40, thereby releasing the seal between the stopper 58 and the hole 68. Once the seal is released the water or other liquid in the container 60 may also be released from the container 60 and into the housing 40. The second opening 45 of the housing 40 may be delineated by the base 56 and may be at least a partial opening formed in the base 56, such that as the water is pouring out from the container 60, the water is also releasable from the housing 40 due to the partial opening when the stopper 58 and the hole 68 are no longer in engagement with one another.

It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus disclosed herein above is merely one example of a means for locking the container to the housing from beneath the collar of said housing, and it should be appreciated that any structure, apparatus or system for locking the container to the housing from beneath the collar of said housing that performs functions the same as, or equivalent to, those disclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of a means for locking the container to the housing from beneath the collar of said housing, including those structures, apparatus or systems for locking the container to the housing from beneath the collar of said housing that are presently known, or that may become available in the future. Anything which functions the same as, or equivalently to, a means for locking the container to the housing from beneath the collar of said housing falls within the scope of this element.

In accordance with the features and combinations described above, a useful method for decorating a monument includes the steps of:

(a) providing a container located in a housing, wherein the resulting housing and container assembly may be insertable into a surrounding material, wherein the container may comprise at least one protrusion and the housing may comprise a collar having at least one recess communicating with a slot formed therein;

(b) lifting the container up through the housing, such that the at least one protrusion may be substantially aligned with the at least one recess;

(c) twisting the container relative to the housing such that the at least one protrusion may move within the slot, thereby locking the container underneath the collar of the housing.

Further, in accordance with the features and combinations described above, a useful method for decorating a monument includes the steps of:

(a) providing an assembly that may be insertable into a surrounding material, wherein a first component of the assembly may be located within a second component of the assembly, and wherein one of the first component and the second component may comprise a hole and the other component may comprise a stopper;

(b) lifting the component comprising the hole up through the other component, such that the stopper may be substantially aligned with the hole;

(c) sealing the hole by placing the stopper in said hole.

In accordance with the features and combinations described above, another useful method for decorating a monument includes the steps of:

(a) providing a housing that may be insertable into a surrounding material, the housing may comprise a collar, a stopper and a first end having a first opening;

(b) securing a container underneath the collar of the housing, wherein the container may comprise a base having a hole formed therein;

(c) sealing the hole of the container when said container is in an upright, standing position, such that the container may extend above the collar of the housing.

Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provided by the features of the present disclosure. For example, it is a potential feature of the present disclosure is to provide a locking mechanism that is easy to use and deters theft. It is a potential feature of the present disclosure to provide an assembly for decorating a monument that is simple in design and manufacture. Another feature of the present disclosure to provide such an assembly that may comprise a container and a housing having a collar. It is another potential feature of the present disclosure to provide a locking mechanism that can lock the container to the housing from underneath the collar. It is a further potential feature of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide a stopper and a structural support to plug a hole in the container thereby allowing water to be held in the container and also allowing water to drain from the container.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.

Claims

1. An assembly for decorating a monument, comprising:

a housing configured and dimensioned to be inserted into a surrounding material, the housing comprising a first end having a first opening and a collar attached to the first end of the housing; and
a container comprising at least one protrusion extending outwardly;
wherein the collar comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the lower surface comprises at least one recess communicating with a slot formed between the upper surface and the lower surface;
wherein the at least one protrusion of the container is insertable into the at least one recess of the collar, such that upon twisting, the protrusion moves from the recess into the slot of the collar thereby locking the container to the housing.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a base and the at least one protrusion extends outwardly from the base of said container.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one countersunk depression is formed within the slot of the collar of the housing, such that upon twisting of the container the at least one protrusion of the container is moveable within the slot of the collar and into the countersunk depression of the collar, thereby locking the container to the housing.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a stopper and the container further comprises a hole.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the stopper and the hole are sized and dimensioned such that the stopper substantially seals the hole.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a support that is attachable to a base of said housing, wherein the stopper is attached to the support.

7. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a second end having means for structurally supporting the stopper, wherein the stopper provides a substantial seal of the hole of the container.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the collar is continuous and is characterized by the absence of structural indentations, hollows, recesses, holes, slots, and niches.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the at least one protrusion of the container is prevented from passing through the first opening of the housing due to the structural interference of the at least one protrusion by the upper surface of the collar, thereby deterring theft.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a handle that is hinged, such that the container may be raised and lowered via the handle, and wherein the handle is storable in a substantially flush manner with respect to a top ledge of the container due to the hinge.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly comprises a cap that is attachable to the housing for covering and uncovering the first opening of said housing and that is rotatable about a pivot connection, such that when the container is in a lowered, stored position within said housing the cap is covering the first opening of said housing, and when said container is in an upright, standing position said first opening of said housing is uncovered by said cap.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the container is in an upright, standing position in which a majority of the container is standing above the collar when the at least one protrusion is located within the slot; and wherein the container is lowerable when the at least one protrusion is twisted and aligned with the at least one recess of the collar into a stored position within the housing, such that in the stored position said container resides completely beneath the upper surface of the collar and completely within said housing, such that a top of said container is substantially flush with said upper surface of said collar.

13. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one protrusion comprises three protrusions that are equally spaced from each other and radially extend outward from a base of the container, and wherein the at least one countersunk depression comprises three countersunk depressions that are equally spaced from each other and are arranged to match the spacing of the three protrusions in a mating engagement.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one recess and slot of the collar are inaccessible from the upper surface of said collar.

15. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the container is prevented from passing through the first opening of the housing due to the structural interference of the collar of the housing with the base of the container, thereby deterring theft.

16. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first opening of the housing comprises a first diameter and the container comprises a base having a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is less than the second diameter, such that the base of the container contacts an upper portion of the housing thereby preventing the container from being removed from the first opening of the housing.

17. An assembly for decorating a monument, comprising:

a housing configured and dimensioned to be inserted into a surrounding material, the housing comprising a collar and a first end having a first opening;
a container that is securable to an underside portion of the collar of the housing and comprising a base having a hole formed therein;
wherein the housing further comprises a stopper that is sized and dimensioned to seal the hole of the container when said container is in an upright, standing position, such that a majority of the container extends above the collar of the housing.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises a second end having a base and at least a partial opening formed in the base such that water is releasable from the housing when the stopper and the hole are not in engagement with one another.

19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the collar of the housing is secured to the first end of the housing and comprises an upper surface and a lower surface.

20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the container comprises at least one protrusion extending outwardly from the base of said container; wherein the lower surface of the collar comprises at least one recess communicating with a slot formed between the upper surface and the lower surface.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one protrusion of the container is insertable into the at least one recess of the collar, such that upon twisting, the protrusion moves from the recess into the slot of the collar thereby locking the container to the housing.

22. The assembly of claim 20, wherein at least one countersunk depression is formed within the slot of the collar of the housing, such that upon twisting of the container the at least one protrusion of the container is moveable within the slot of the collar and into the countersunk depression of the collar, thereby locking the container to the housing.

23. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the first end of the housing is configured to be substantially flush with the surrounding material.

24. The assembly of claim 17, wherein a support extends upwardly from the base of the housing and attaches to the stopper, such that the stopper is located in substantially the same position as the hole of the container when said container is in an upright standing position, thereby sealing the hole of the container.

25. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises a second end and a means for structurally supporting the stopper.

26. A method for decorating a monument, comprising:

(a) providing a container located in a housing, wherein the resulting housing and container assembly is insertable into a surrounding material, wherein the container comprises at least one protrusion and the housing comprises a collar having at least one recess communicating with a slot formed therein;
(b) lifting the container up through the housing, such that the at least one protrusion is substantially aligned with the at least one recess;
(c) twisting the container relative to the housing such that the at least one protrusion moves within the slot, thereby locking the container underneath the collar of the housing.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the container is releasable from the collar of the housing by twisting the container relative to the housing such that the at least one protrusion moves within the slot and is substantially aligned with the at least one recess, thereby unlocking the container from underneath the collar of the housing, and lowering the container down through the housing into a storage position.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein a removable cap is located on a top of the container and is attachable to the housing; wherein step (a) further includes removing the cap from the top of the container.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the container comprises a handle that is hinged for raising and lowering the container from the housing.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the collar comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the at least one recess is formed in the lower surface and communicates with the slot that is formed between the upper surface and the lower surface, and wherein at least one countersunk depression is formed within the slot of the collar.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein step (c) further comprises twisting the container such that the at least one protrusion moves from the recess into the slot of the collar and into the countersunk depression, thereby locking the container to the housing.

32. A method for decorating a monument, comprising:

(a) providing an assembly that is insertable into a surrounding material, wherein a first component of the assembly is located within a second component of the assembly, and wherein one of the first component and the second component comprises a hole and the other component comprises a stopper;
(b) lifting the component comprising the hole up through the other component, such that the stopper is substantially aligned with the hole;
(c) sealing the hole by placing the stopper in said hole.

33. A method of decorating a monument, comprising:

(a) providing a housing that is insertable into a surrounding material, the housing comprising a collar, a stopper and a first end having a first opening;
(b) securing a container underneath the collar of the housing, wherein the container comprises a base having a hole formed therein;
(c) sealing the hole of the container when said container is in an upright, standing position, such that the container extends above the collar of the housing.

34. An assembly for decorating a monument, comprising:

a container located within a housing that is configured and dimensioned to be inserted into a surrounding material, wherein the housing comprises a collar and a first opening;
a means for locking the container to said housing from beneath the collar of said housing, such that the container is prevented from being removed from the first opening of said housing.

35. The assembly of claim 34, wherein the housing comprises a first end including the first opening and the collar is attached to the first end of the housing; wherein the container comprises a base and at least one protrusion extending outwardly from the base;

wherein the collar comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the lower surface comprises at least one recess communicating with a slot formed between the upper surface and the lower surface;
wherein the at least one protrusion of the container is insertable into the at least one recess of the collar, such that upon twisting, the protrusion moves from the recess into the slot of the collar thereby locking the container to the housing;
wherein at least one countersunk depression is formed within the slot of the collar of the housing, such that upon twisting of the container the at least one protrusion of the container is moveable within the slot of the collar and into the countersunk depression of the collar, thereby locking the container to the housing;
wherein the housing further comprises a stopper and the container further comprises a hole;
wherein the stopper and the hole are sized and dimensioned such that the stopper substantially seals the hole when said stopper is brought into engagement with said hole;
wherein the housing comprises a means for structurally supporting the stopper, such that the stopper provides a substantial seal of the hole of the container;
wherein the upper surface of the collar is continuous and is characterized by the absence of structural indentations, hollows, recesses, holes, slots, and niches;
wherein the at least one protrusion of the container is prevented from passing through the first opening of the housing due to the structural interference of the at least one protrusion by the upper surface of the collar, thereby deterring theft;
wherein the container comprises a handle that is hinged, such that the container may be raised and lowered via the handle, and wherein the handle is storable in a substantially flush manner with respect to a top ledge of the container due to the hinge;
wherein the assembly further comprises a cap that is attachable to the housing for covering and uncovering the first opening of said housing and that is rotatable about a pivot connection, such that when the container is in a lowered, stored position within said housing the cap is covering the first opening of said housing, and when said container is in an upright, standing position said first opening of said housing is uncovered by said cap;
wherein when the container is in an upright, standing position a majority of the container is standing above the collar when the at least one protrusion is located within the slot;
wherein the at least one recess and slot of the collar are inaccessible from the upper surface of said collar;
wherein the container is prevented from passing through the first opening of the housing due to the structural interference of the collar of the housing with the base of the container, thereby deterring theft;
wherein the first opening of the housing comprises a first diameter and the container comprises a base having a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is less than the second diameter, such that the base of the container contacts an upper portion of the housing thereby preventing the container from being removed from the first opening of the housing; and
wherein the container is securable to an underside portion of the collar of the housing.
Patent History
Publication number: 20080034648
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 9, 2006
Publication Date: Feb 14, 2008
Inventor: Monica H. Rasmussen (Salt Lake City, UT)
Application Number: 11/502,316
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Embedded (47/41.1)
International Classification: A47G 7/06 (20060101);