PATRON-ACCESSIBLE MEMORIALIZATION STRUCTURES
Memorialization structures, niches, and methods for manufacturing niches having a recess or cavity that is accessible after installation of the memorialization structures and/or post-burial or post-entombment of a deceased are generally described. In some embodiments, a memorialization niche may include a recess and a door configured to enclose the recess. The door may include a lock configured to prevent public access to the recess. A patron associated with the niche may unlock the door and access the recess. The patron may remove objects from and/or insert objects into the recess post-burial or -entombment of the deceased without disturbing the memorialization structure and/or adjacent memorialization structures and/or requiring a memorial operator to unseal the recess. Accordingly, the patron may continually update the personalization effects of a memorialization structure and achieve a dynamic memorial for the deceased while maintaining the security of any bodily remains and/or personal objects stored in the recess.
1 . A memorialization structure comprising:
a niche arranged on a surface of the memorialization structure, the niche comprising:
a recess,
a door configured to enclose the recess, and
a lock configured to secure the door in a closed position enclosing the recess, the lock being configured to be unlocked via an unlocking mechanism to allow patron access to the recess post-entombment or post-burial of human bodily remains associated with the niche.
2 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the niche further comprises a niche surface configured to couple the niche to the memorialization structure.
3 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , further comprising at least one display component removably affixed to the niche.
4 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the niche is configured to overhang the surface of the memorialization structure.
5 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the niche is formed from bronze and a front surface of the door is formed from glass.
6 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the lock comprises at least one of an electronic keypad locking mechanism, a biometric locking mechanism, a voice-recognition locking mechanism, an iris-scanning locking mechanism, and a software-controlled locking mechanism.
7 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic media system coupled to the niche.
8 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the memorialization structure is formed as one of a grave stone, a grave marker, a crypt, a mausoleum, a columbarium, a burial vault, and a cremation niche.
9 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the memorialization structure is configured to store cremated human bodily remains entombed within the recess.
10 . The memorialization structure of claim 1 , wherein the memorialization structure is configured to store non-cremated, full-body remains entombed within an entombment cavity arranged within the memorialization structure.
11 . A memorialization niche for installation on a surface of a memorialization structure, the memorialization niche comprising:
a niche surface configured to be coupled to the surface of the memorialization surface;
a recess;
a door configured to enclose the recess; and
a lock configured to secure the door in a closed position enclosing the recess, the lock being configured to be unlocked via an unlocking mechanism to allow patron access to the recess post-entombment or post-burial of human bodily remains associated with the memorialization niche.
12 . The memorialization niche of claim 11 , further comprising at least one display component removably affixed to the memorialization niche.
13 . The memorialization niche of claim 11 , wherein the memorialization niche is configured to overhang the surface of the memorialization structure.
14 . The memorialization niche of claim 11 , wherein the memorialization niche is formed from bronze and a front surface of the door is formed from glass.
15 . The memorialization niche of claim 11 , wherein the lock comprises at least one of an electronic keypad locking mechanism, a biometric locking mechanism, a voice-recognition locking mechanism, and an iris-scanning locking mechanism, a software-controlled locking mechanism.
16 . A method of manufacturing a memorialization niche for installation on a surface of a memorialization structure, the method comprising:
providing a niche surface configured to be coupled to the surface of the memorialization surface;
providing a recess;
affixing a door configured to enclose the recess to the niche surface; and
installing a lock configured on the door, the lock being configured to secure the door in a closed position enclosing the recess, the lock being configured to be unlocked via an unlocking mechanism to allow patron access to the recess post-entombment or post-burial of human bodily remains associated with the niche.
17 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing a niche surface configured to couple the niche to the memorialization structure.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing at least one display component configured to be removably affixed to the memorialization niche.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming the memorialization to overhang the surface of the memorialization structure.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the lock comprises at least one of an electronic keypad locking mechanism, a biometric locking mechanism, a voice-recognition locking mechanism, and an iris-scanning locking mechanism, a software-controlled locking mechanism.