U.S. patent application number 12/806402 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-16 for stackables.
This patent application is currently assigned to Syndicate Sales, Inc.. Invention is credited to Trent A. Harshman.
Application Number | 20120036771 12/806402 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45563735 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120036771 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Harshman; Trent A. |
February 16, 2012 |
Stackables
Abstract
The present invention relates generally to a stackable series of
holders of different sizes and shapes. More particularly it relates
to a holder with integral riser in the center and a universal
stacking support between each level of holder primarily for floral
applications.
Inventors: |
Harshman; Trent A.;
(Galveston, IN) |
Assignee: |
Syndicate Sales, Inc.
Kokomo
IN
|
Family ID: |
45563735 |
Appl. No.: |
12/806402 |
Filed: |
August 12, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
47/41.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01G 9/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
47/41.01 |
International
Class: |
A47G 7/02 20060101
A47G007/02 |
Claims
1. A stackable holder comprising: a riser with a top side, a bottom
end and side walls where said riser side walls taper outward and
downward from said top side connecting, a display platform on said
top side that has a security rib around the perimeter of said
display platform to, a display holder on said bottom end, where
said riser has an opening on said bottom end large enough to allow
nesting of stackable holder risers into adjacent risers, minimizing
required space for storage and shipping.
2. The stackable holder as in claim 1, where said risers with
holders are chosen from a group of holders that have a common riser
shape and size but where said holders are chosen from a group that
includes different sizes of different shapes such as round,
half-round, oval, square, triangular, and rectangular.
3. The stackable holder as in claim 1 where said risers are chosen
from round or square shapes.
4. The stackable holder as in claim 1, where said risers with
holders are fabricated from clear or opaque materials.
5. A stackable holder assembly comprising: risers with top sides
and bottom ends and side walls where said riser side walls taper
outward and downward from said top sides connecting, display
platforms on said top sides that have a security rib around the
perimeters of said display platforms to, display holders on said
bottom ends, where said risers have openings on said bottom ends
large enough to allow nesting of said risers into adjacent risers,
whereby required space for storage and shipping is minimized,
further comprising: universal stacking supports placed over said
risers, where said universal stacking supports have top lips that
extend radially inward and that rest on said display platform
security ribs and bottom lips that extend radially outward where,
when said universal stacking supports are placed over said tops of
said first risers, and when second risers with holders are placed
over said first stacking supports, said bottom surfaces of said
second risers with holders rests on said first stacking support's
lower lip and additional stacking supports and risers with holders
are placed until desired height of display is attained.
6. The stackable holder assembly as in claim 5, where said risers
with holders are chosen from a group of holders that have a common
riser shape and size but where said holders are chosen from a group
that includes different sizes of different shapes such as round,
half-round, oval, square, triangular and rectangular.
7. The stackable holder assembly as in claim 5 where said risers
are chosen from round or square shapes.
8. The stackable holder assembly as in claim 5, where said risers
with holders are fabricated from clear or opaque materials.
9. The stackable holder assembly as in claim 5, where said stacking
supports are of different heights whereby variation in height
between holders is obtained.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a design system
of several different sizes and shapes of holders for flowers and
plants with risers that can be stacked for multiple presentation
options. More particularly it relates to holders that completely
surround a presentation platform and holders that allow
presentations to be placed against a flat wall or in a corner or
mixed for various design options.
[0003] 2. Prior Art
[0004] Cut flowers are often inserted in blocks of foam soaked in
water and other plant preservatives in various shaped containers
such as wreaths, crosses, hearts and such. They have not, however,
been placed in one-piece stackable holders with the variety of
design options shown in present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] One of the objectives of the Stackables invention is to
provide a display platform that can be stacked to provide varying
heights of presentation platforms. Stackables can contain water
soaked foam for cut flower insertion, dry foam for dried or silk
flowers, or be available for snacks, condiments, gifts or any other
items that compliment the rest of the presentation platform.
[0006] Another objective is for the container to be inexpensive to
fabricate, transport, assemble and be reusable.
[0007] Another objective is for the material selection and wall
thickness to be sufficiently strong as to withstand the weight of
water soaked foam filled holders with flowers inserted or heavy
gifts or featured presentation items placed on top of display
platform.
[0008] Another objective is for there to be a plurality of
different size and shapes holders with riser available, some
completely encircling the center riser and some only proceeding
half-way around the center riser.
[0009] Another objective is for there to be stacking supports which
allow the various holders with risers to stack on top of each other
with several optional fixed spacing heights between levels.
[0010] Another objective is for there to be round, half-round,
square, rectangular, oval or triangular holder shapes with standard
risers.
[0011] Stackables are holders with central risers that can be used
as stand-alone display platforms. They also can be used for various
sizes and shapes of holders with riser and stacking supports to be
stacked, one on top of the other, forming a tower of holders. The
holders can hold water soaked foam for cut flowers, dry foam for
dried or silk flowers or any combination of appropriate materials
that fit in the holders and enhance the design impact. Stackables
can be used for floral arrangements, as gift baskets, sympathy
arrangements or celebration center pieces. All the different size
holders with risers utilize either a common round or square riser
shape. Therefore all sizes of round, half-round and oval shapes can
be safely stacked on one another utilizing universal round stacking
supports and all sizes of square, rectangular or triangular shapes
can be stacked on one another utilizing universal square stacking
supports. Round, half-round and oval holders nest in each other
reducing the space requirements for storage and shipping. Square,
rectangular, and triangular holders also nest within each other
minimizing the space required for storage and shipping. Either a
round or square riser may be used on all of the various shapes such
that all shapes using the common riser could then be intermixed as
the designer desires and nested for shipping and storage space
reduction.
DRAWINGS
[0012] In order that the invention is fully understood it will now
be described with reference to the following drawings in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a stack of three
different size round holders with risers.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a stack of three
different size half round holders with risers.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a stack of three
different size square holders and one rectangular holder with
risers.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a stack of three
different size triangular holders.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a top view showing a stack of two different size
round holders.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a section view showing stacking supports mounted
on holders with round risers taken along cutting line 6-6 from FIG.
5.
[0019] FIG. 6A is an enlarged partial section view showing a
universal round stacking support between holders.
[0020] FIG. 7 is top view of a stacking support on an oval
holder.
[0021] FIG. 7 A is a front view showing a stacking support mounted
over riser on an oval holder.
[0022] FIG. 8 A is a front view showing a stack of different size
round holders with a framed photo as the design feature.
[0023] FIG. 8 B is a front view showing a stack of different size
round holders with a bundle of gifts as the design feature.
[0024] FIG. 8 C shows a stack of one round and two half round
holders with a pumpkin as a design feature.
[0025] FIG. 8 D shows a stack of round holders with an urn as a
design feature.
[0026] Design features are shown in broken lines for illustrative
purposes only as they form no part of this invention.
DESCRIPTION
[0027] In order that Stackables 10 are fully understood they will
now be described by way of the following examples. This new
invention is a convenient and easily adaptable set of stackable
display holders for use in floral presentations or any other
materials that fit into stackable display holders
11,12,13,17,18,19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30 and 31. Stackables 10
can have various informative, decorative or greeting cards placed
at the top of display platforms 14 or 15 indicating the donor, the
celebration cause, or a trophy, an urn or any other design feature
20 suggested by the occasion. Stackables 10 may be made from a
transparent or opaque material of various colors. Risers and
holders can be fabricated as a single piece or attached using
standard material attachment processes and can be fabricated from
either plastic or metal materials. The wall thickness and shear
strength of the plastic material are selected such that with
universal stacking supports in place; Stackables 10 assembly will
support the weight of water soaked foam with flowers inserted in
all assembled holders 11,12,13,17,18,19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30
and 31.
[0028] FIG. 1 describes a preferred embodiment of Stackables 10 in
which 3 holders 11, 12 and 13 with risers 22 are stacked together.
Holders 11, 12 and 13 have approximately a 12-inch diameter, a
16-inch diameter and a 20-inch diameter respectively. Riser 22 has
a 67/8-inch height, is in the center of each holder and has an
approximately 67/8-inch diameter at the base that tapers up to an
approximately 6-inch diameter at display platform 14. There is an
approximately 1/8-inch high by 1/8-inch thick security rib 29
around the periphery of display platform 14 to assist in keeping
design feature 20 in place.
[0029] FIG. 2 describes a Stackables 10 embodiment with half-round
holders 26, 27 and 28 again with standard risers 22. FIG. 3 shows a
Stackables 10 embodiment with 3 sizes of square holders 17, 18, and
19 and one size of rectangular holder 30 with riser 23 and stacking
support 32 in between risers 23. FIG. 4 shows a Stackables 10
embodiment with 3 sizes of half-square or triangular holders 21, 24
and 25 with risers 23.
[0030] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a stack of round holders with
cutting plane 6-6. The sectional view in FIG. 6 shows universal
stacking support 16 between holders 11 and 12 stacked together.
Universal stacking support 16 has a matching draft to riser 22 and
has a slip fit set of diameters larger than riser 22 as is shown in
enlarged partial section view 6A. It is approximately 2 inches tall
although different height stacking supports are available if more
separation between levels of a Stackables 10 arrangement is
desired. FIGS. 1 and 7A show oval holder 31 with stacking support
16.
[0031] FIG. 8 A-D show front views of different combinations
illustrative of, but not limited to, various Stackables 10
embodiments.
Operation:
[0032] An exemplary embodiment of a Stackables 10 assembly with
more than one holder is assembled by placing first holder 13 with
riser 22 on a flat surface. Universal stacking support 16 is
slipped over the top of first riser 22 until its upper lip 34 rests
on the top surface of first riser 22 with holder 13. Second riser
22 with holder 12 is slipped over the top of first universal
stacking support 16 until the bottom surface of second riser 22
rests on universal stacking support lower lip 36. Second universal
stacking support 16 is slipped over second riser 22 with holder 12
and the stacking continues until the desired height of Stackables
10 embodiment has been reached. Floral foam can be glued into
holders 11, 12 and 13 and flowers inserted, creating a floral
display. The various levels can be disassembled at the florist for
ease of handling and delivery and reassembled at the display site.
Floral arrangements can be combined with other elements as in gift
baskets, food or condiment trays or used in any manner limited only
by the imagination of the designer. They can completely surround
presentation platforms 14 or 15 with round holders or square.
Half-round holders or triangular holders allow presentation
platforms 14 or 15 to be placed against a wall or curtain, in front
of, behind or to either side of display platform 14 or 15. Since
risers 22 and 23 are common to the round and rectilinear holders
respectively, regardless of their size, different sizes of holders
can be nested together, minimizing required space for storage and
shipping.
[0033] The descriptions in the above specification are not intended
to limit this invention to given shape holders or risers but they
are shown for exemplary purposes only. Any combinations of full,
half-round or oval holders with risers 22 and rectangular,
triangular and square holders with risers 23 are intended to be
covered in this application. One skilled in these arts could easily
scale the invention's dimensions and materials to work with any
diameter or shape of tray and height of riser. Stackables 10 are
also not limited to the dimension or wall thickness of the holders
with risers shown here. Stackables 10 may be configured using any
or all of the features disclosed here in any combination without
diverging from the design intent of this disclosure.
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