The subject of the invention is an environment- friendly coffin, resistant to bio-degradation and preventing bacteria- and fungi-containing substances occurring as a result of decomposition of a human corpse from penetrating into soil and ground waters. The invention represents an improved modification of technical solution revealed in Polish patent application for invention P-407427.

From Polish patent No. P-379949 known is a coffin, designed especially for cremation, having the structure of a coffin box and a coffin lid, comprising two and three spatial structural systems, whereas each of such structural systems is determined spatially with respect to the another structural system fitting tight to it. Spatial systems of the coffin box and the coffin lid are connected with each other by means of joints in the form of grooves and tongues.

Known from description of Polish utility model No. W- 121175 and invention No. P-399618 is also a coffin for fast self-assembly comprising a box and a top attached thereto, where the box comprises two side walls, two endwalls, and a bottom connecting them, while its lid comprises two side walls, two endwalls, and a cover. Side walls of the coffin's lid are connected with the two endwalls by means of metal I-section shaped connectors driven into milled seats, and the lid top is connected with said side walls and endwalls by means of an eccentric angle joint, whereas side walls of the coffin are connected with its endwalls by means of I-section shaped connectors, while bottom of the coffin is connected with side walls and endwalls of the box by means of metal 1-section shaped connectors, and all walls of both the coffin box and the coffin lid are made of a lacquered furniture board.

Known also from description of a Polish industrial design Rp- 10893 is a coffin made of organic glass designed for burying human corpses in tombs, having a frame skeleton welded out of metal angle section and walls made of inorganic transparent or dimmed glass mounted in the frame structure of said skeleton. The bottom of the coffin is lined with a wooden plate with a moisture-absorbing insert mounted in it, and two grip handles are attached to each of its longer glass walls.

Further, from patent descriptions CN203139025 and US2009188089A1 known is a glass coffin designed with the objective to extend the period of preserving a human corpse, with body of said coffin made of toughened glass and equipped with an air conditioning system maintaining temperature and humidity at a constant level. By using a toughened glass to fabricate the body of the coffin, the coffin prevents the corpse from decomposing extending thus the period for which the corpse is preserved.

An inconvenience characterising coffins known from the prior art made either of wood, wood-base materials, or glass, consists in that they allow the substances generated in the course of decomposition of a human corpse to permeate to soil and ground waters. An additional inconvenience of technical solutions used in environment-friendly coffins known to date consists also in difficulties related to lifting the heavy stone lid of the coffin up to open position and insufficient rigidity of the inner cuboidal element made of glass fibre mat.

For clarity, in the following there are explanations of meaning of some terms used in this patent description, namely:

- natural stone means also: granite, marble, quartzite, onyx, agglomerated marble, travertine, or natural stone veneer;

- glass fibre mat means also: kevlar-carbon fibre, roving fabrics, glass- fibre reinforced polyester sections

- a glue or a glue-based sealing mass means also: silicone, acrylic adhesive, a foam adhesive, an epoxy adhesive, epoxy resins, or polyurethane masses; - wood-base materials mean also: MDF boaras, tiur Doaras, cnipooaras, hardboard, fibreboards, or OSB boards;

- a grip handle means also: a single simple fixed handgrip made of metal and plastic, a single simple foldable handle, a simple flush-fitting handle or a handgrip with a jointing piece;

- a hard material for bottom, lid, and box means: a wood, a metal, a plastic, a sintered quartzite, a sintered quartz, or a glass;

- hard material for slat rectangular frames means: wood, a plastic, or a metal.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a design of environment-friendly coffin eliminating the above-mentioned inconveniences of coffins known to date by means of constructing it out of intentionally selected materials in well-though-out combinations, including materials entirely resistant to drying out, decaying, swelling, and rotting, as well as materials ensuring complete tightness of the coffin for a long period of time. A further objective of the present invention is to facilitate the operation of lifting the coffin lid, especially when it is made of hard and heavy material, and stabilising it in the open position.

According to the invention, the point of the environment-friendly coffin consists in that its box assembly comprises: a casing made of natural stone plates, plate-shaped flats provided with a tapped mounting bore fixed and to inner or outer surfaces of plate side walls of said casing, plate-shaped metal washers with tapped mounting bores and fixed to these inner side walls, and a tubular element made of glass fibre mat or a metal mounted inside said casing and fixed to inner surfaces of plate side walls and to bottom of said box, made of natural stone slab or made of natural stone slab and a board made of wood-base material glued to said bottom by means of a glue-based sealing mass. In turn, the profiled lid assembly of said coffin has an external casing made of natural stone in the form of a solid with a bottom cascade-shaped cavity or a trough-shaped cavity having a profile of the truncated pyramid, with a lower side offset in the form of a slab frame, whereas in the inner profiled surface of said casing there is an insert made of wood-base material with the same profile and fixed by means of a glue to which a glass fibre mat is glued. It is favourable when inside the box assembly there are flat-bar U-shaped stirrups made of glass fibre, situated opposue me ¾np iianuies, anu 95 vertical elements of these stirrups fit tight to inner flats and to metal washers, with a tubular element located in such stirrups. Moreover, there are angle-shaped feet made of natural stone situated in corners of said box assembly and fixed to the box assembly's bottom made of natural stone as well as tee-shaped feet made of natural stone situated opposite each other

100 at half of its length. It is also favourable when inner surface of the cuboidal element located inside the box is provided with two horizontally positioned slat rectangular frames fastened to said surface, of which one frame is situated on perimeter of the upper end of said element so that its upper face is flushed with upper face of said element and with upper face

105 of the box, and the second slat rectangular frame is situated on perimeter of the lower end of the cuboidal element so that its lower face is flushed with lower face of said element, which together fit tight to the plate bottom of the box, where both of the two slat rectangular frames are topped together in their corners by means of vertically oriented slat angle-

1 10 section shaped elements also fitting tight to walls of the cuboidal element, whereas each of both opposite longer lower slat of the slat frame is provided with three angle-section shaped elements evenly distributed along their lengths and situated opposite each other, fastened to said plate bottom and to said slats, whereas to the upper face of one of the longer

1 15 slat of the slat rectangular frame attached are horizontal members of angle hinges upper revolving members of which are fastened to inner side surface of the box's lid via plate-shaped rectangular elements fastened to said lid, and moreover to the side surface of said longer slats and to these rectangular elements attached are three sets of gas springs, while ends of

120 piston rods of these gas springs are fastened to the side surface of said longer slat, and ends of cylinders of said gas springs are attached to plate- shaped rectangular elements. It is also favourable when the angle hinge comprises a rectangular lower horizontal element ended with a sleeve element with a pin mounted in it and an angle upper element ended at the

125 bottom also with a sleeve element which is planted rotationally on said pin, and moreover also when both the box and its bottom and the lid, as well as both slat rectangular frames are topped together by means of angle-section shaped elements of the cuboidal element are made of hard material. 130 The coffin made of natural stone and

the invention ensures certainty that it will maintain its external appearance and meet requirements concerning its basic function and purpose for a long period of time counted in decades and even in centuries. Moreover, equipping the coffin's tubular rectangular element made of glass fibre mat

135 with slat rectangular frames situated on both opposite ends flushed with their faces and topped together in corners of said tubular element by means of angle-section shaped elements allowed to make said tubular element much more rigid and connect it directly with the plate bottom of the coffin box. Further, one of the longer slats of the upper rectangular slat

140 frame allowed to connect the box with the coffin's lid by means of hinges.

Moreover, equipping the coffin with three sets of gas springs connecting the box and the lid allowed to lift the heavy lid, especially when made of a made of natural stone in the large sense, to its upper position easily and without effort.

145 The subject of the invention is illustrated by means of example embodiments shown in the drawings of which Figs. 1-5 present the first version of embodiment of the environment- friendly coffin with a flat lid, whereas Fig. 1 shows the coffin in a perspective view, Fig. 2— the same coffin in the top view, Fig. 3— the same coffin in the longitudinal cross-

150 section along line A-A, Fig. 4— the same coffin in vertical cross-section along line B-B, and Fig. 5 — the same coffin with its component elements disassembled in a perspective view; Figs. 6-10 present the second version of embodiment of the environment-friendly coffin also with a flat lid, whereas Fig. 6 shows the coffin in the perspective view,

155 Fig. 7— the same coffin in the top view, Fig. 8— the same coffin in the longitudinal cross-section along line C-C, Fig. 9— the same coffin in the vertical cross-section along line D-D, Fig. 10— the same coffin with its component elements disassembled in a perspective view; Figs. 1 1-15 present the third version of embodiment of the environment-friendly

160 coffin with a lid in the form of a truncated pyramid, whereas Fig. 11 shows the coffin in the perspective view, Fig. 12— the same coffin in the top view, Fig. 13— the same coffin in the vertical longitudinal cross- section along line E-E. Fig. 14 — the same coffin in the vertical transverse cross-section along line F-F, Fig. 15— the same coffin with its

165 component elements disassembled in a perspective view; further, Figs.

16-20 present the fourth version of embodiment of the environment- friendly coffin with a lid also in the form oi a p ia uu, wuci as r¾, ι υ presents the coffin with component elements of its box and lid disassembled in a perspective view, Fig.17— the same coffin in the top

170 view, Fig. 18— the same coffin in the vertical longitudinal cross-section along line G-G. Fig. 19— the same coffin in the vertical transversal cross-section along line H-H, Fig. 20— the same coffin with all its component elements disassembled in a perspective view; Fig. 21 presents the fifth version of embodiment of the environment-friendly coffin with

175 the inner cuboidal element made of glass fibre mat and localised in the coffin's box casing by means of slat rectangular frames with all its basic elements disassembled in a perspective view, Fig. 22— detail "R" of the corner formed by the element made of glass fibre mat and slat elements in a view toward the inner corner, Fig. 23— detail "S" of the connection of

180 a angle-section shaped element with the box bottom and with longer lower slats of the lower rectangular frame attached to the inner cuboidal element made of glass fibre mat, Fig. 24— the same connection in the vertical cross-section along line K-K; Fig. 25— a variant of the coffin shown in Figs. 1-5 with its lid in open position and hinges and gas spring sets

185 connecting the box and the lid in a perspective view; Fig. 26— detail "T" showing an enlarged view of one of these hinge sets and gas springs sets connecting lid and coffin box elements; Fig. 27 — an angle hinge connecting the box of the coffin with its lid in a perspective view; Fig. 28 — upper element of the hinge in the front view; Fig. 29— the same

190 element of the hinge in the side view; Fig. 30— lower element of the angle hinge in the front view; and Fig. 31— the same lower element of the hinge in the side view.

The environment-friendly coffin according to the first version of its embodiment shown in Figs. 1-5 comprises the box assembly 1 and the flat

195 lit assembly 2 covering it, whereas the box assembly 1 is a cuboidal casing 3 made of natural stone plates the bottom 4 of which, made also of a natural stone plate, is connected with plate side walls 5 of said casing by means of metal fixing pins 6 planted tightly in bores made in said walls, and said box assembly rests on four angle-section shaped feet 7 made of

200 natural stone, connected permanently to and situated in corners of said bottom, and on two Tee-shaped feet 8 made of natural stone, situated opposite each other in the central portion of the plate bottom 4. Further, to each of the two inner surfaces 9 of longer side walls 5 of the casing 3 in upper portions of said walls there are two piaie-snapea nais ιυ rasienea opposite each other, with tapped bores 11 made in them, and below said flats, in central portion of each of said side walls, there are three plate- shaped metal washers 12 fastened opposite each other with tapped bores 13 made in them and situated opposite mounting bores 13' made in both plate side walls 5 of casing 3. Moreover, each of said washers is pressed by means of a U-shaped flat bar reinforcing stirrups 14 made of glass fibre mat resting also on the plate bottom 4, whereas said stirrups hold a cuboidal element 15 having a rectangular cross-section, made of glass fibre mat and connected with said washers and flats by means of resins and glues, and the circumferential slit 16 formed between them is filled with glue-based sealing mass 17, including also the plate bottom 4. Further, to each of the two longer plate side walls 5 of casing 3, through bores 14 in said walls and tapped bores 13 in plate-shaped washers 12, three grip handles 18 are attached by means of bolts.

Further, the flat lid assembly comprises an outer casing made of natural stone, formed by a lower rectangular plate frame 19 with external dimensions analogous to those of the box assembly 1 , provided on both of its longer sides with mounting holes 20 situated opposite tapped bores 1 1 in flats 10 of said box and further comprises a second rectangular plate frame 21 fixed to upper surface of frame 19 but having smaller external dimensions, and inner rectangular openings of both frames are covered from the above with a rectangular plate-shaped element 22 with external dimensions smaller than those of the plate frame 21 to the upper surface of which it is secured. Moreover, to lower surface of the cascade-shaped cavity 23 constructed from the above-described elements attached is, by means of the resin-glue mass 24, glass fibre mat 25 with profile identical to this of the cavity. The box assembly 1 of the coffin is connected with the flat lid assembly 2 by means of metal bolts 26, into which, through mounting holes 20 in plate frame 19 of the lid assembly are screwed into tapped bores 1 1 in flats 10 of the box assembly 1.

An improved version of the coffin is provided additionally with two vertically oriented slat rectangular frames 33 and 34 fastened to it, of which one is situated on perimeter of the upper end of said element so that its upper face 35 is flushed with its upper face 36 and lower face 37 of box 1, and the second slat rectangular frame 34 is situated on perimeter of 240 the lower end of the tubular rectangular element I maae or glass iiore mat so that its lower face 38 is flushed with lower face 39 of said element which together fit tight to the plate bottom 4 of the box, where both of the two slat rectangular frames 33 and 34 are topped together in their corners by means of vertically oriented slat angle-section shaped elements 40

245 fitting tight also to walls of the tubular rectangular element 15, and moreover each of lower longer opposite slats 41 and 42 of slat frame 34 is provided with three angle-section shaped elements 43, evenly distributed along their lengths and situated opposite each other, fastened to the plate bottom 4 and to said slats, whereas to the upper face 35 of one longer slat

250 44 of the slat rectangular frame 33 fastened are horizontal members 45 of angle hinges 46 evenly distributed along its length, and upper revolving members 47 of said hinges are fastened to inner side surface of lid 2 of the box 1 via plate-shaped rectangular elements 48. Further, three sets of gas springs 49 are fastened to side surface of the longer slat 44 and to said

255 rectangular elements next to angle hinges 46 so that ends 50 of piston rods 51 of said gas springs are fastened to side surface 52 of the longer slat 44, and ends 53 of cylinders 54 of these gas springs are attached to plate- shaped rectangular elements 48. The angle hinge 46 comprises a rectangular lower horizontal element 45 ended with sleeve element 55

260 with pin 56 mounted in it and an angle upper element 47 ended at its bottom also with a sleeve element 57 which is mounted rotationally on pin 56 of lower member 45.

The environment-friendly coffin according to the second version of its embodiment shown in Figs. 6-10 comprises also the box assembly 1

265 and the flat lid assembly 2 covering it, whereas the box assembly 1 represents a cuboidal casing 3 made of natural stone plates, to the plate bottom 4 of which, made also of natural stone, glued is board 7 made of wood-base material and connected with plate side walls 5 of said casing by means of metal fixing pins 6 mounted tightly in bores made in said

270 walls; said box assembly rests on four angle-section shaped feet 7 made of natural stone, situated in corners of said bottom, and on two Tee-shaped feet 8 made of natural stone situated opposite each other in the central portion of the plate bottom 4, where all the feet are permanently connected to said bottom. Further, to each of the two inner surfaces 9 of

275 longer side walls 5 of the casing 3 in upper portions of said walls there are two plate-shaped flats 10 fastened opposite each other, with tapped bores 1 1 made in them, and below said flats, in ctamai umun ui co i ui sam side walls, there are three plate-shaped metal washers 12 fastened opposite each other with tapped bores 13 made in them and situated opposite mounting bores 14 made in both plate side walls 5 of casing 3. Moreover, each of said washers is pressed by means of a U-shaped flat bar reinforcing stirrup 14 made of glass fibre mat resting also on the plate bottom 4, whereas the stirrups hold a cuboidal element 15 having a rectangular cross-section, made of glass fibre mat connected with these washers and flats by means of resins and glues, and circumferential slit 16 formed between them is filled with glue-based sealing mass 17, including also the plate bottom 4. Further, to each of the two longer plate side walls 5 of casing 3, through bores 14 in said walls and tapped bores 13 in plate- shaped washers 12, three grip handles 18 are attached by means of bolts.

Further, the flat lid assembly 2 in this version of the coffin, shown in

Figs. 6-10, has a structure identical to this described above for the flat lid employed in the first version of the environment-friendly coffin shown in Figs. 1-5.

The environment-friendly coffin according to the second version of its embodiment shown in Figs. 11-15 comprises the cuboidal box assembly 1 and the pyramidal lid assembly 2 covering it made in the form of a hollow truncated rectangular pyramid, where the box assembly 1 includes a cuboidal casing 3 made of natural stone plates, to the plate bottom 4 made also of natural stone glued is board 27 made of wood-base material, such board being connected with plate side walls 5 of said casing by means of fixing pins 6 planted tightly in bores made in such walls and rests on angle-section shaped feet 7 made of natural stone, connected permanently to and situated in corners of said bottom, and on two Tee- shaped feet 8 made of natural stone, situated opposite each other in the central portion of the plate bottom 4. Further, to each of the two inner surfaces 9 of longer side walls 5 of the stone casing 3 in upper portions of said walls there are two plate-shaped flats 10 fastened opposite each other, with tapped bores 1 1 made in them, while to each of inner surfaces of said two side walls, in central portions thereof, fastened are three plate-shaped metal washers 12 situated opposite each other with tapped mounting bores 13, situated opposite mounting bores 14, made in both plate side walls 5 of casing 3, inside which a cuboidal element 28 is located having a rectangular cross-section, made of wood-base maicnai, lvugci wans υι which fit tight to surfaces of flats 10 and washers 12, and within said

315 cuboidal element there is an analogous cuboidal element 15 having a rectangular cross-section, but made of glass fibre mat, assembled with the use of resins and glues, whereas circumferential slit 16 formed between them is filled with glue-based sealing mass 17, including also a double plate bottom 4 and 27. Moreover, to each of the both longer plate side

320 walls 5 of the casing 3, three grip handles 18 each are attached by means of bolts through bores 14 made in said walls and threaded bores 13 in plate-shaped washers 12

Further, the pyramidal lid assembly 2 comprises an outer casing made of natural stone composed of rectangular plate frame 29 made also

325 of natural stone, inner side walls of which are rigidly connected with trough- shaped element 30 with a profile of the truncated pyramid with a rectangular frame-shaped base, made of a wood-base material, to inner walls of which glued is glass fibre mat 31 by means of resins, whereas to the outer surface of the trough-shaped element 30 and to rectangular

330 frame 29 of the assembly, glued is an analogous trough-shaped element 32 with a profile of the truncated pyramid but made of natural stone, where on the upper surface of rectangular frame 29 through mounting holes 20 are made situated opposite the tapped bores 11 made in outer flats 10. The box assembly 1 of the coffin is connected with the pyramidal

335 lid assembly 2 by means of metal bolts 26, which, through holes 20 in rectangular plate frame 29 of said lid, are screwed into tapped bores 1 1 in outer flats 10 of the box assembly 1.

Further, the environment-friendly coffin according to the second version of its embodiment shown in Figs.16-20 comprises a cuboidal box

340 1 and a lid 2, also pyramidal in this versions, made in the form of a hollow truncated rectangular pyramid, where the box for this version of the environment- friendly coffin has a structure similar to this of boxes of the first and the third version of the environment-friendly coffin shown in Figs. 1-5 and Figs. 11-15. The difference between these coffins consists

345 only in that in the fourth version of embodiment of the environment- friendly coffin, plate-shaped flats 10 of the box assembly 1 with tapped bores 11 made in them are fastened to outer surfaces of both longer side walls 5 of the casing 3 made of natural stone, and its cuboidal element 15 having a rectangular cross-section fixed to inner surrace or saia sione

350 casing is made of metal, in view of which this version of embodiment lacks the cuboidal element (insert) 28 made of a wood-base material, whereas the pyramidal lid assembly 2 has construction identical to this of the pyramidal lid assembly 2 according to the third version of embodiment of the coffin, and the difference between them consists only

355 in that its trough-shaped element 30 with a profile of the truncated pyramid is made of sheet metal. An improved version of the coffin, apart from applying in its structure a trough-shaped element 32 of lid 2 and side walls 5 of casing 3 and bottom 4 of the box assembly 1 made of a hard material, its inner surface having the form of the tubular rectangular

360 element 15 made of glass fibre mat is additionally equipped with horizontally oriented slat rectangular frames 33 and 34 fastened to it, of which one is situated on perimeter of the upper element so that its upper face 35 is flushed with upper face 36 of cuboidal element and upper face 37 of box 1, and the second angle-section slat rectangular frame 34 is

365 situated on perimeter of the lower end of said tubular rectangular element 15 so that its lower face 38 is flushed with the lower face 39 of said element which together fit tight to plate bottom 4 of box 1 , whereas both of said slat rectangular frames 33 and 34 are topped together in their corners by means of vertically oriented slat angle-section shaped elements

370 40 fitting tight also to walls of the tubular rectangular element 15, and each of the two longer lower opposite slats 41 and 42 of the slat frame 34 is equipped with three angle-section shaped elements 43 evenly distributed along their lengths, attached to the plate bottom 4 and to said slats, as shown in Figs. 21-24.

375 The environment- friendly coffin in its improved according to the second version of its embodiment shown in Figs. 21-24 comprises a cuboidal box 1 and a pyramidal lid 2 covering it made in the form of a hollow truncated rectangular pyramid, where the box for this version of the environment- friendly coffin has a structure similar to this of the box in

380 the first and the third version of embodiment of the coffin shown in Figs.

1-5 and Figs. 11-15, and moreover both the outer trough-shaped element 32 of lid 2 as well as side walls 5 of casing 3 and the bottom 4 of the box assembly 1 are made of a hard material. The difference between these coffins consists in that in this version of embodiment of the environment-

385 friendly coffin, the plate-shaped flats 10 of the box assembly 1 with tapped bores 1 1 made in said flats fastened to outer surfaces of both longer side walls 5 of casing 3 are also made of a hard material and therefore this version lacks the cuboidal element called the insert and made of a wood-base material, whereas the pyramidal lid assembly 2 has the structure identical to this of the pyramidal lid assembly 2 according to the third version of embodiment of the coffin, and the difference between them consists only in that its trough-shaped element 30 with a profile of the truncated pyramid is made of sheet metal.