MODERN GREEN ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC MAUSOLEUM/CEMETERY
The present invention relates to a public cemetery complex, which comprises at least one main burial unit comprising an underground portion and an overground portion, wherein the underground portion is a vertical structure of multiple layers, and each two adjacent layers are separated by a barrier compartment; while each layer contains a number of burial subunits for placement of coffins, the burial subunit is filled up to a predetermined height with a burial material; and the overground portion is a cover portion of the main burial unit for forming an identification sign of the main burial unit; wherein a ground floor for use as a working area and several upper floors for storage of niches and materials are included in interior of the overground portion, while a management area and a worship area are arranged peripherally around the overground portion.
The present invention claims the priority of Hong Kong Short-term Patent Application No. 11107563.9 as submitted on 20 Jul. 2011.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a public cemetery, and more particularly to a modern green environmental public cemetery complex.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTraditional burial is very common in China and worldwide. As population increasing, development of city and cemetery are limited by land resources. At present, a permanent cemetery in Hong Kong might cost about four to five hundred thousand dollars, and it is not definitely available. To avoid cremation, some elderly in Hong Kong even make a deposit of over ten hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars for a permanent cemetery in ShenZhen, China. A traditional burial cemetery provided by Hong Kong Government costs around a few thousand Hong Kong dollars only, but the bones must be taken out for re-burial or cremation after six years. In 1999, some cemetery management staffs have even been prosecuted since they have illegally reserved some cemeteries for personal use which are originally reserved for civil servants who died at their posts.
For example in Hong Kong, most of the burial cemeteries are built on hillsides, and there are large scale traditional burial cemeteries located in Happy Valley, Chai Wan, Aberdeen and Pokfulam etc. on the small Hong Kong Island. But, who would like to live beside these hundreds of old and new tombstones of burial cemeteries? Furthermore, insufficiency of niches has occasionally become a headline news. In addition, there are six crematoriums in Hong Kong such a small city, wherein the actual area of a crematorium is much larger than its floorage, because commercial and residential buildings will not likely be built nearby.
The defects of the present public burial and cremation policies:
Based on the external social costs (negative externalities) of cremation, and the reduced external social benefit (positive externalities) of burial based on the substitution of burial by cremation, the Government should relocate the current resources from cremation to green environmental burial which solves land occupying problem of burial. The charge of cremation should reflect the overall social costs. The Government should relocate the resources and formulate additional policies to support new burial since it can be developing in a sustainable manner, and to help acquirement of resources from international carbon trading market.
The external social costs of cremation:
1) The high temperature in cremation and the burning of thousands organic substances will affect the surrounding environment and accelerate global warming;
2) The exhaust emissions of cremation will cause air-pollution and have deep impact of damaging the ecology and atmosphere (Remarks: Any kind of standard of exhaust emissions is based on current technology, resources and allowed costs only, but it does not mean that there is no emission.);
3) The reduced external social benefit of burial based on the substitution of burial by cremation. For example, the decomposition and organic circulation of soil will nourish the soil and help the growth of plants and animals; and balance of the climate;
4) The substitute of burial by cremation increases unnecessary energy consumption and arising of the temperature.
The external social benefit of burial:
1) The decomposition and organic circulation of soil, for example, will nourish the soil and help the growth of plants and animals; and balance of the climate;
2) Can collect or produce of gas;
3) Substitute the external social costs of cremation;
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- To avoid any unnecessary energy consumption and reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide significantly;
- To avoid influence of the surrounding environment and acceleration of the global warming from high temperate;
- To avoid worldwide air-pollution from cremation of organic substances. Any kind of “standard of emissions” does not refer to non-emission; it is only based on the use of technology to reduce the pollution of emission.
- Therefore, there are serious misallocation of social resources in current burial and cremation.
To enhance the utilization rate of a cemetery, the Chinese Utility Model CN1827986A disclosed a fully closed and centralized cemetery comprised of an overground and underground portions, wherein the underground portion is a rectangular or circular air-tight burial chamber having a sealing cover, and a multi-layer modular setting support for placement of a plurality of urns or coffins; and the overground portion is comprised of a mounting base for the burial chamber and an identification tomb.
Chinese Utility Model CN1529027A disclosed a well type grave exclusively for placement of bone ashes, which is comprised of well pits of multi-layers, each layer of which could be partitioned into different regions for adaption to psychological need of peoples related to Feng Shui.
Chinese Utility Model CN101230760A disclosed a public cemetery and a funeral method; wherein the public cemetery is surrounded by plants and partitioned into several subareas in which drainage systems and water supply systems are arranged; wherein a management office is provided and a computerized and automated management is employed in the whole cemetery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a modern green environmental public cemetery complex. On the one hand, it could substantially increase the capacity of permanent cemetery of limited land resources, it is sufficient to substitute or reduce the current actual high total social costs of cremation, minimize the heat, energy consumption and pollution of cremation, and improve the land occupying problem of the existing single layer type cemetery and reduce its impact on ecological environment and townscape; and on the other hand, it could substantially increase the usage of worship area and facility of limited land resources, it could reduce the worship and management difficulties caused by the scattered family cemeteries built in different years and locations, facilitate worship and enable an sustainable centralized management, and there is no need to re-bury or re-cremate the bones buried in the burial cemetery provided by the government over the prescribed time limit, whereby raising the operations quality of the funeral industry and the level of the sanitation of the whole society; such that the present invention could avoid or reduce the external social costs of cremation, and it could overcome the land occupying problem and avoid causing disturbance to the ancestors.
The cemetery complex of the present invention can suit with the modern lifestyle, and it is specifically adapted for densely populated areas.
The present invention does not need to use chemical substances or expensive high-tech processing equipments; and it is being advantageous in that:
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- A) Use of modern technology—allow the sterilization and sanitation of burial could be as good as cremation.
- B) Use of modern architecture technology—allow the land occupying of burial or cremation similar.
- C) Use of modern technology—allow the actual costs of burial or cremation similar.
- D) Use of collective purchasing power to build public Cemetery Complex which similar to traditional Royal Mausoleum. It believes that modern people who accept cremation will not adhere to the old-kind burial which is very high in cost. To cope with the lifestyle of present multi-floors buildings, the green environmental permanent burial mausoleum/cemeteries solves problems of land occupying, costs, operations, management and security; avoids long processing time of procedures and enhances the overall level of sanitation of society.
The present invention provides a cost effective choice of permanent cemetery, which causes no long-term problem and bad impact against the ecology, amenity, environment and scenery.
The object of the present invention can be realized as below:
The present invention provides a public cemetery complex, which comprises at least one main burial unit comprising an underground portion and an overground portion, wherein the underground portion is a vertical structure of multiple layers, and each two adjacent layers are separated by a barrier compartment, which could be used for environmental control, such as drainage, ventilation, or the like; while each layer contains a number of burial subunits for placement of coffins, the burial subunit is filled up to a predetermined height with a burial material; and the overground portion is a cover portion of the main burial unit for forming an identification sign of the main burial unit; wherein a ground floor for use as a working area and several upper floors for storage of niches and materials are included in interior of the overground portion, while a management area and a worship area are arranged peripherally around the overground portion.
Alternately, various machineries for transportation might be arranged inside the underground portion of the main burial unit.
Each layer of the underground portion of the main burial unit might be about 1 meter in height, for example. The burial subunits in several layers or each layer of the underground portion of the main burial unit might be partitioned into different subareas based on religious or ethnics.
The cover portion of the main burial unit is used as an identification sign, and the cover portion is about ten meters or a few tens of meters higher than the management area and the worship area arranged peripherally around it.
The management area comprises several working regions and site regions, in each of which conveyor belts, mobile auxiliary transportation platforms and working entrances are located. The conveyor belts connect each working entrances of the working regions of the management area to the interior working area of the overground portion.
The interior working area of the overground portion comprises, for example, a temporary storage area, a pressure steam sterilization area, a frozen temporary storage area, and a lifting area, or the like; wherein the lifting area comprises a plurality of cranes located at entrances of the underground portion for lifting and moving the coffins and substances/materials into each of predetermined burial subunits of the underground portion.
The overground portion forming the identification sign is a multi-floor structure, which comprises the ground floor and the upper floors, wherein the upper floors of the overground portion are provided with partitions and/or shelves, and stairs, conveyor belts, lift platforms, and auxiliary machineries and facilities for connecting the upper floors and the working area of the ground floor.
The cemetery complex of the present invention further comprises a ventilation system located at top of the management area and the worship area.
The worship area comprises a plurality of worship rooms, each of which is provided with a platform for placing a reserved accessible ashes urn, a wall-mounted electronic screen for displaying a portrait of an ancestor, and a door.
In order to realize a computerized management of the cemetery complex, each of the working regions might be provided with a computer, a wall-mounted electronic screen, and a electronic network for use with the computer and the wall-mounted electronic screen and for connection with related electronic devices.
Alternatively, the cemetery complex might comprise two or more main burial units arranged adjacent to and matched with each other, wherein the management area and the worship area are arranged peripherally around the overground portion of each of the main burial units.
The advantages of the underground portion of the main burial unit according to the present invention are as follows:
In the underground portion, the burial subunits in several layers or each layer of the underground portion of the main burial unit for the placement of coffins might be partitioned with fitting assemblies into different subareas based on religious or occupied area of ethnics, and the size of each subarea could be adjusted based on actual need.
In the underground portion, adjacent layers are separated by a barrier layer for respecting the ancestors. It is also beneficial to the control of the environment of working region, such as the drainage and ventilation thereof. It can be also beneficial to the collection of gas for processing and converting into energy, whereby it is more cost-effective.
As the present invention provides a close spaced type permanent cemetery complex and suits with daily life, reduces the management and security difficulties of the existing single layer type cemeteries being scattered in different locations, facilitates a centralized management and sustainable development of the cemeteries, and avoids problems of being bitten by bugs and insects while worshipping in front of the existing single layer type cemeteries located generally in the howling wilderness and the problems related to the cleaning and maintenance thereof. The use of modern technology and theory will allow the modern green environmental public cemetery complex of the present invention to be more practical, environmental friendly, and cost effective than a traditional cremation and burial.
The worship area and management area (such as site regions, administrative regions, working regions, and the like) are arranged around the overground portion 2 of the main burial unit, these regions and areas are only located in the surroundings of the main burial unit for showing respect to the ancestors. Hence, there are only essential working area and related devices in the ground floor 23 inside the overground portion 2. The working area of the ground floor comprises regions for temporary storage of human dead bodies or ashes or materials and permanent coffins or ashes of ancestors. The upper floors 24 of the overground portion 2 are used for temporary storage of ashes of ancestors or relevant materials. As shown in
The conveyor belts 29 are connected with entrance of each working region 25, 26 and each working region inside the overground portion of the main burial unit. The working area of the ground floor comprise a temporary storage area 30, a pressure steam sterilization area with a plurality of pressure steam sterilization machine 31.1, a frozen storage area 33; and a lifting area 34 in which a plurality of cranes 35 are arranged, each of the cranes is located in the entrance 34.1 of underground unit. The cranes 35 can work alone or cooperate with transportation machineries arranged in the underground portion to move the coffin/niches and materials/substances into any predetermined burial subunits of the underground unit. In another embodiment of the public cemetery complex of the present invention, the cemetery complex might comprise two or more main burial units arranged adjacent to and matched with each other, wherein foregoing site regions, working regions 27, worship areas, shopping areas, or the like, could be arranged peripherally around the overground portion of the adjoining main burial units.
In order to realize a computerized management of the cemetery complex, the related electronic network for the computer, the wall-mounted electronic screen and other electronic devices might be arranged at the top of the working region 27; and host computers and relevant computing devices might be arranged in the working region 25.1 and host computer room 25.2, such that staffs might retrieve and set data and information for worship arrangement; and issue notices to each working region. According to an exemplary management method for the cemetery complex of the present invention, if any people, who might have already made an appointment or have yet to make an appointment, need to use a site region 25 or a worship area 28. They must first need to register their arrival and finishing the confirmation process in working region 25.1. The staff in working region 25.1 will then arrange the time of worship area or site region, confirm photo of ancestor and process other related arrangements, and then issue notices to related persons and notify other staff in worship area or site region after confirmation; and also give instruction to related person for queuing in related location. After reconfirmation of the arrangement, the staff will release the site to the related person. After a preset time of period, the staff will process booking schedule for next client.
There are some computer terminals inside the working region 25.1. Upon receiving the booking order of coffins or ashes of ancestors, it will perform classification or location reservation process; and then notify each related working region.
After the staff examines the documents, the permanent coffins or niches will be delivered into working region by conveyor belt. The staff in the working region will examine the document again and then deliver the coffins into the pressure steam sterilization region 31 for processing. Afterwards, the coffins will be delivered to the frozen temporary storage region 33 for temporary storage, or delivered to the lifting region 34.
After the staff re-examines the documents and the location, the coffins on the conveyor belt will be uplifted by the cranes and placed in the bottom of the reserved place in the underground portion of the main burial unit. At last, the staff will, by batch, to put burial material (such as sand, soil, rocks etc) into the bottom of the reserved place by the crane.
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described hereinbefore, the person skilled in the art should be understood that the above are merely several illustrative embodiments of the present invention without limiting the scope thereof, wherein various modifications, alterations or substitutions may be made to the specific components of the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its claims.
Claims
1. A public cemetery complex, characterized in that it comprises at least one main burial unit comprising an underground portion and an overground portion, wherein the underground portion is a vertical structure of multiple layers, and each two adjacent layers are separated by a barrier layer; while each layer contains a number of burial subunits for placement of coffins and niches; and the overground portion is a cover portion of the main burial unit for forming an identification sign of the main burial unit; wherein a ground floor for use as a working area and several upper floors for storage of ash niches and relevant materials are included in interior of the overground portion, while a management area and a worship area are arranged peripherally around the overground portion.
2. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the burial subunit is filled up to a predetermined height with a burial material.
3. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein each layer of the underground portion of the main burial unit is about 1 meter in height.
4. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein machineries for transportation are arranged inside the main burial unit.
5. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein area of the burial subunits in several layers or each layer of the underground portion of the main burial unit is partitioned into several subareas based on religious or ethnics.
6. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion of the main burial unit is used as an identification sign; and the cover portion is about ten meters or a few tens of meters higher than the management area and the worship area arranged peripherally around it.
7. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the management area comprises working regions and site regions, in each of which conveyor belts, mobile auxiliary transportation platforms and working entrances are arranged.
8. A cemetery complex according to claim 7, wherein the conveyor belts connect each of the working entrances of the working regions of the management area to interior working area of the overground portion.
9. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the interior working area of the overground portion comprises a temporary storage area, a pressure steam sterilization area, a frozen temporary storage area, and a lifting area; wherein the lifting area comprises a plurality of cranes located at entrances of the underground portion for lifting and moving the coffin or niche and relevant materials into each of predetermined burial subunits of the underground portion.
10. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the upper floors of the overground portion are provided with partitions and/or shelves, and stairs, conveyor belts, lift platforms, and auxiliary machineries and facilities for connecting the upper floors and the working area of the ground floor.
11. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, further comprising a ventilation system for the overground portion of the main burial unit being arranged at top of the management area and the worship area.
12. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, further comprising a ventilation and drainage system for the underground portion of the main burial unit.
13. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the worship area comprises a plurality of worship rooms, each of which is provided with a platform for placing a reserved accessible ash urn, a wall-mounted electronic screen for displaying a portrait of an ancestor, and a door.
14. A cemetery complex according to claim 7, wherein each of the working regions is provided with a computer, a wall-mounted electronic screen, and a electronic network for use with the computer and the wall-mounted electronic screen and for connection with related electronic devices, whereby enabling a computerized management of the cemetery complex.
15. A cemetery complex according to claim 1, wherein the cemetery complex comprises two or more main burial units arranged adjacent to and matched with each other, wherein the management area and the worship area are arranged peripherally around the overground portion of each of the main burial units.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 1, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2013
Inventors: See Ying Betty NG (Hong Kong), Chun Kwan Lam (Hong Kong)
Application Number: 13/363,624
International Classification: E04H 13/00 (20060101);