Angled Rail Burial Vault Cover Display Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for displaying and placing funeral vault covers at cemeteries are inefficient, as they require attendees to view features on the cover by looking down or walking close to the grave, risking accidental movement or obstruction of the cover, and existing attempts to angle the rails for better viewing lead to issues with stability and visibility due to the weight and size of the cover.
Innovation Solution
A support structure with angled rails extending downward from the main portion, allowing the vault cover to be secured and moved within tracks, enabling better viewing from the seating area while maintaining stability and preventing accidental movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tee rails are kept parallel to the ground for stability, then the vault cover remains stable, but attendees cannot view the cover features from the seating area and must walk close to the grave plot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to the rail system by incorporating an inclined plane that angles upward from the grave plot toward the seating area. This allows attendees to view the vault cover from a distance while maintaining stability through the structural support of the inclined rails, resolving the contradiction between stability and viewing accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the tee rails are angled upward to tilt the vault cover for better viewing, then attendees can observe features from the seating area, but the vault cover tends to roll down due to gravity and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs counterbalancing mechanisms including cables, pulleys, and weights that oppose the gravitational force on the inclined rails. These counterweight systems prevent the heavy vault cover from rolling down while allowing the inclined configuration to remain, thus maintaining both viewing accessibility and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary components such as pulleys, cables, and braking mechanisms that mediate between the inclined rails and the vault cover. These intermediaries transmit and control the forces acting on the cover, enabling the inclined configuration for viewing while preventing uncontrolled movement and maintaining stability.
3Ease of operation
If attendees walk close to the grave plot to view the vault cover, then they can observe features, but they risk accidentally bumping or hitting the cover causing it to move or fall
Solution Approach 1:
By angling the rails upward toward the seating area, the patent creates spatial separation between attendees and the vault cover. This dimensional change allows viewing from a safe distance, eliminating the need for attendees to approach the cover closely and thereby preventing accidental contact and damage.
4Reliability
If the vault cover is placed away from the attendees on parallel rails, then stability is maintained, but attendees must walk around the grave plot or casket to view the cover, and obstacles like wreathes interfere with viewing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent angles the rails upward from the grave plot toward the seating area, creating a diagonal viewing path that bypasses obstacles like wreathes and the casket. This dimensional change allows attendees to view the cover from their seats without navigating around the plot, maintaining stability while improving accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A burial vault assembly for displaying a vault cover and placing the cover onto a vault base. The assembly has a support structure with a first and second rail secured to the top of a support structure. Each rail has a first portion and a second portion that extends towards the seating area of the burial site and at a downward angle from the first portion. Each rail additionally at the end of its second portion has a stopping element. Thus, a burial cover is moveable along the first and second rails from a sealing position to a display position wherein the vault cover is stopped in place by the stopping element.