SARCOPHAGUS

The subject of the utility model relates to a sarcophagus, which has wall delimiting a closed space.

The general known methods of placing the dead in eternal peace include placing the corpse in a coffin in a grave under the ground surface; placing the coffin containing the corpse in a sarcophagus and then placing the sarcophagus in a crypt; and also cremating the corpse and keeping the ashes in an urn, or perhaps spreading the ashes in the open.

Burial in a coffin under the ground is widespread all over the world, however, in certain areas - primarily due to geographic/hydrographic features - the method cannot be used or only very restrictedly. For public health and other reasons the coffins have to be placed at a certain depth under the surface; however, this condition primarily in those areas where the groundwater level is periodically or permanently high cannot be satisfied. In certain low-lying flat territories, for example, in spring and summer the groundwater level may be so high to make, in practice, coffin burials impossible. Especially in those cases when you have to wait a long time for the groundwater level to drop, during the period until it is possible to carry out a burial the corpse has to be stored chilled. So besides the otherwise high burial costs, the costs of cooling and draining the groundwater cannot in practice be undertaken.

Frequently in locations with such geographical features the above-ground surface burial method is used, the essence of which is a long, horizontally arranged chambers are created in a structure - wall - above ground and the coffins are placed in these; for each individual coffin an individual separate appropriately sized chamber is created into which the coffin is pushed from outside, and the opening is then sealed from the outside. So-called sarcophagi may be constructed separately for each individual coffin. The costs of this above-surface burial method are huge.

The task to be solved with the utility model is to provide a sarcophagus that completely satisfies the funereal, aesthetic and health requirements in connection with above-surface burial, and at the same time which is significantly cheaper than the presently known individual sarcophagi mentioned above.

The utility model is based on the recognition that if the sarcophagi are created as prefabricated reinforced concrete box units, that is elements of space, the cost of these due to industrial manufacturing technology making their factory series production possible may be significantly lower than those known at present, but at the same time easily satisfying the aforementioned funereal, health and aesthetic requirements.

On the basis of this recognition we solved the set task with a sarcophagus that has a closed internal space suitable to accommodate a coffin, the essence of which is that it has a prefabricated reinforced concrete box unit, that has an

opening that can be covered with a cover plate. According to an advantageous embodiment, the box unit is a longish, right-angled rectangular shaped, advantageously an element with a square cross-section, which has a base plate, top plate and side walls, and at one end it is closed with a back wall, and at the end opposite to this end in the opening that has the same size as the internal cross-sectional area of the box unit making it possible to insert the coffin into the box unit there is a groove formed suitable to accommodate a cover plate. It may also be advantageous if the cover plate is located in the groove behind the faςade plane of the box unit, and fits up to the shoulder running around it with the insertion of a layer of mortar.

According to another embodiment the sarcophagus has a faςade plate fixed to the faςade-side surface of the box unit advantageously made of stone or cast stone suitable for the inscription of text(s) and/or decoration (s). It is preferable if there is an air gap between the cover plate and faςade plate; furthermore, if there are sockets concreted into the box unit faςade surface of the sarcophagus, which are threaded inside and open out to the plane of the surface, and the faςade plate is fixed to the box unit with bolts running through holes formed in it screwed into these sockets.

Hereinafter we describe the utility model in detail on the basis of the attached drawings, which contain an advantageous embodiment of the sarcophagus and examples of burial units that can be established from such sarcophagi. In the drawings

Figure 1 illustrates the sarcophagus in longitudinal cross-section along the

B - B line indicated in figure 2;

Figure 2 is the view of the sarcophagus from the direction A indicated in figure 1 , after removing the cover plate and the faςade plate;

Figure 3 is the cross-section taken along the

C - C line indicated on figure 1 ; Figure 4 shows the detail E in figure 2 in a larger scale; Figure 5 is the cross section taken along the

F - F line marked in figure 4; Figure 6 shows an outline plan view of a burial unit put together from the sarcophagi according to figures 1-

5;

Figure 7 shows the view from the direction indicated by the arrow G marked on figure 6;

Figure 8 shows the view from the direction indicated by the arrow H, marked on figure 6;

Figure 9 shows another burial unit also put together from the sarcophagi according to figures 1-5;

Figure 10 shows the view from the direction indicated by the arrow | marked on figure 9;

Figure 1 1 shows the view from the direction indicated by the arrow J marked on figure 9.

The sarcophagus according to figures 1-5 has a prefabricated reinforced concrete box unit or element of space referred to as a whole with reference number 1 , the external shape of which in the case of the present embodiment has a square cross-section: The box unit 1 has a base plate 3, a top plate A ₁ back wall 6 and side walls 2, and an opening 5 at the end opposite the back wall 6. The box unit 1 with longitudinal geometrical central axis X has a longish rectangular shape, and is constructed with dimensions taking into consideration usual coffin dimensions. So, for example, the total external length hi may be 2500, the internal length h ₂ may be 2310 mm, the external height mi may be 1 160 mm, and the internal height rn2 may be 1000 mm. In the case of this example the external and internal width dimensions are naturally the same as the height dimensions. The wall thickness of the box unit 1 here is 80 mm. There are corner ribs 13 running along the four longitudinal corner areas of the box unit 1 , naturally manufactured as a single member with the box unit 1.

Also forming part of the sarcophagus is the concrete or, possibly, reinforced concrete cover plate 10 located in the front opening 5 of the box unit 1 , only shown on figure 1 , and the external fagade plate 12 separated from the cover plate 10 by an air gap 1 1. In order to accommodate the cover plate 10 there is a groove 7 established running around the front opening 5 of the box unit 1 , which is

impressed into the side walls 2, the base plate 3 and the top plate 4; the thinner ridge is indicated with the reference number 8. The cover plate 10 - which may be, for example, 70 mm - fitted into the groove rests up against the faςade surface 9 of the groove 7 with the insertion of a layer of mortar. The depth s of the groove 7 is, for example, 90 mm, its width vi + v ₂ measured at the external faςade surface (figure 5) may be 45 mm; within this it may be true that γi = 35 mm, v ₂ = 10 mm, as the internal surface of the rib 8 is formed with a slope in the outwards direction. This makes the placing of the cover plate 10 in the square opening 5 easier, the size of which according to this example measured at the faςade surface of the space element is 1090 x 1090 mm, while the size of the obviously also square cover plate 10 may be 1070 x 1070 mm, and so its external edge lies 10 mm in from the ridge 8.

It is preferable if the faςade plate 12 or cover - which basically has an aesthetic and information-carrying function, if it carries the name of the deceased and other inscriptions - is made of a finer material than concrete, generally stone or cast stone; the thickness of the plate may be approx. 30 mm. In order to fix it to the faςade side of the space element there is one threaded socket 15 concreted into each of the four corner areas of the space element 1 opening out to this surface, while in each of the corner areas of the faςade plate 12 there is an penetrating opening - hole - formed in such a way that when fitting the faςade plate 12 to the faςade surface of the box unit 1 they fall in the same line as the threaded sockets 15. Following this the .

fαςαde plate 12 may be fixed to the box unit 1 with, for example, Mo bolts (not shown) pushed though these openings and screwed into the threaded sockets 15.

Figures 6-8 show a burial unit above the ground surface t which is established with the grouping of sarcophagi I now containing coffins in such a way so that in the lower row there are three and in the upper row two sarcophagi I with lateral and height gaps between them, placed in a laterally displaced way as compared to each other, and the group of sarcophagi I is covered with a roof 16, and we have only shown the plan view contour line of which on figure 6. There are spacers 17, which also ensure the gaps, between the sarcophagus rows placed on one another, just like under the lower sarcophagus row, on ground surface t, as it is preferable if the sarcophagi do not lie directly on the ground but on some sort of solid surface. In the case of the burial unit according to figure 6-8 the front of all the five sarcophagi, in other words the faςade plate 12 or cover with the inscription is on the same side, e.g. in the present case positioned in the plane of the drawing in figure 7.

The burial unit according to figures 9-1 1 differs from that according to figures 6-8 in that five sarcophagi I are arranged in two rows one above the other separated from one another laterally and in terms of height, and in such a way as can be seen in figure 10 that the sarcophagi positioned above one another are precisely in one line, and in the way seen in figures 9 and 1 1 , however, they are in a slightly displaced longitudinal position as compared to one

another. In this case as well the sarcophagi I placed below and above one another are separated from one another with spacers 17 or under plates, and there are such spacers 17 between the lower row and the soil or surfacing, which may be of reinforced concrete or cast stone. Another difference as compared to the burial unit according to figures 6-8 is that the faςade plates 12 containing the inscription are on the ends of those that protrude outwards as compared to the others, which is clearly shown by figure 10.

The advantage of the utility model is that the box units or elements of space may be produced in series production, so their cost is significantly lower than the cost of the known solutions with a similar purpose, at the same time, however, it is completely suitable for satisfying the aesthetic, funereal and public health requirements. A further advantage is that they may be lined up next to and above one another with minimal gaps between them, so the burial area may be used at a minimal price.

It is obvious that the utility model is not restricted to the embodiment of the sarcophagus detailed above, or to the establishment of the burial units given as an example, but it can be realised in various ways within the sphere of protection stated in the claims. The cross-section of the box unit, for example, may not be square, it may even have many sides; and the faςade plate or cover does not have to be stone or cast stone, it may be made of another material, and it may be fixed with a method other than bolts, etc.