Method of assembling a casket from a foldable blank
A casket structure and method use features built into a corrugated paper blank to temporarily retain the assembled casket body configuration while a fastening element is administered to secure the corrugated paper blank into the casket body configuration. A blank configured for such a casket structure includes a bottom panel, side panels, end panels, and flaps foldably connected to the side panels. When the blank is assembled into the casket body configuration, each flap overlaps a corresponding end panel. The end panels and overlapping flaps include a key-receiver arrangement in which a receiver is configured to engage a foldable key to at least temporarily hold each overlapping flap in direct engagement with a corresponding end panel to retain the foldable blank in the casket body configuration.
1 . A method for constructing a casket from a foldable blank having a bottom panel, two end panels, two side panels and a flap at each opposite end of each side panel, in the blank, comprising:
folding the two end panels and two side panels upward relative to the bottom panel to define a box configuration;
folding the flap at each end of each side panel to overlap a corresponding end panel; and
for each overlapping flap, advancing a key, foldably connected to one of the corresponding end panel and the overlapping flap, into a through-hole defined in the other of the corresponding end panel and the overlapping flap to at least temporarily hold the overlapping flap in direct engagement with the corresponding end panel to retain the foldable blank in the box configuration; and
wherein the step of advancing the key creates a through-hole in said one of said corresponding end panel and said overlapping flap, and the method comprises an additional step of engaging a fastener that extends through each through-hole in the end panel and the through-hole in each overlapping flap.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said key defines a width and said through-hole defined in the other of the corresponding end panel and the overlapping flap has a dimension less than said width of said key to prevent said key from traversing said through-hole defined in the other of the corresponding end panel and the overlapping flap without temporarily deforming said key.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said key includes:
an elongated stem and integral enlarged head formed by a cut in said one of said flap and said corresponding end panel, wherein
said elongated stem is foldably connected at one end thereof to said one of said flap and said corresponding end panel;
said enlarged head is provided at an opposite end of said elongated stem, said head defining said width, and
said stem has a corresponding width less than said dimension of said through-hole defined in the other of the corresponding end panel and the overlapping flap.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said other of the end panel and the overlapping flap includes a foldable tab that is folded to form the through-hole in the other of the end panel and the overlapping flap when the key is advanced therethrough.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said blank is formed of corrugated paper.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a cable tie.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said other of the end panel and the overlapping flap includes a foldable tab that is folded to form the through-hole in the other of the end panel and the overlapping flap when the key is advanced therethrough.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said foldable tab is formed by a U-shaped cut in said other of the corresponding end panel and the overlapping flap.
9 . A method for constructing a casket from a foldable blank having a bottom panel, two end panels, two side panels and a flap at each opposite end of each side panel, in the blank, comprising:
folding the two end panels and two side panels upward relative to the bottom panel to define a box configuration, each of the two end panels including two spaced-apart through-holes;
folding the flap at each end of each side panel to overlap a corresponding end panel, in which the flap includes a key foldably connected thereto, and wherein the flap is folded so that the key is aligned with one of the through-holes in the corresponding end panel;
for each flap, advancing the key into the aligned through-hole to at least temporarily hold the overlapping flap in direct engagement with the end panel to retain the foldable blank in the box configuration, wherein advancing the key creates a through-hole in the overlapping flap; and
engaging a fastener between each through-hole in the end panel and the through-hole in each overlapping flap.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the fastener is a cable tie.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the end panel includes a foldable tab that is folded to form the through-hole in the end panel when the key is advanced into the through-hole in the end panel.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the end panel includes a U-shaped cutout that forms the foldable tab.