Flower delivery holder

Abstract

A flower delivery holder is provided for accepting a wide variety of vases employed in the floral trade and is conveniently formed of corrugated board which, when folded to the proper configuration, provides a wide mouth that will accept a variety of vases and particularly the bottom portions thereof and grip the same so as to prevent tipping during transportation and delivery of the floral arrangement contained in the vase.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past it has been rather common to utilize a flat cardboard base and to place the foot of a vase on this cardboard base and then secure the same to the cardboard vase by utilizing strings, elastics, and tape. This does not provide a secure holder for the vase and is of course quite time consuming in order to secure the bottom of the vase to the cardboard base. Certain types of arrangements have been suggested in the prior art for solving the general problem of tipping over of a vase in a truck when the same is filled with some moisture for keeping the cut flowers in proper condition, as, for example, the plastic carrier disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,350 and a cardboard delivery holder as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,289. This latter mentioned patent is a corrugated cardboard type of delivery holder and it when in assembled relationship must be stapled together, thus necessitating another operation and unstapling in order to remove the vase from the delivery holder. This is another operation. Additionally, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,350 which is directed to a cast plastic holder has certain disadvantages in that it will not readily adapt itself for re-use, the delivery holders being maintained by the floral shop in its truck and not delivered to the customer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A floral vase holder is provided which may be made out of cardboard and suitably cut so that a bottom wall and a hinged-over top wall are provided, the top wall having a V-shaped cutout section which forms a mouth to receive and press against the pedestal portion of the vase, the top wall being embraced against the bottom wall by a flap section which has a tongue that is adapted to fit into the mouth portion and lie normally underneath the bottom of the vase when the same is inserted into the mouth thereof. In this manner the folded-over flap portion of the bottom wall maintains the top wall in proper position. The present invention provides a holder for flower vases which will maintain a vase or other type of stemware or footed container upright during the delivery thereof and which provides an inexpensive holder which is readily adaptable for holding various sizes of flower containers. It is therefore one of the primary objects achieved by this invention to provide a holder for flower vase containers which will save packing time during the preparation of the flowers for delivery and which can be readily re-used by the florist for the next delivery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the floral delivery holder in its assembled relationship with a typical vase shown in phantom in the proper position with a portion broken away to show the locking tab;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank for the floral holder made in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawing 10 designates the blank from which the floral holder is made and which conveniently may be made out of one or two ply corrugated cardboard or any other similar stiff material that will stand up in the handling during delivery and trucking and be sufficiently durable to be re-usable on a number of occasions. The holder 10 is made up basically of a base portion 11 and an upper wall portion 12. Between the base portion and upper wall portion are a pair of parallel fold lines 13 and 14 which are provided in the usual fashion with a creaser impressing the corrugated board at the location shown by the dotted lines 13 and 14. Medially of the outer edge 15 of the top wall 12 is a V-shaped recess denoted at 16 and this V-shaped recess conveniently terminates in an arcuate inner end at 17. The recess 16 is cut in such a way that it has a pair of stepped portions 18 and 19 therealong which protrude inwardly from the general V shape of the recess 16 and these portions form flaps which are impressed respectively at 20 and 21 by a creaser bar of a forming machine so that the same may be bent along the lines 20 and 21 that are denoted by the dotted line showing which indicates the fold line. Parallel to and adjacent the outer edge 15 of the top wall 12 and extending generally parallel to the extent thereof are a pair of slits 22 and 23, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The base section 11 has an outer edge 25 and protruding from this outer edge 25 is a tongue 26. Just inwardly from the outer edge 25 is a fold line or crease 27 so that between the outer edge 25 and the fold line or crease 27 there is formed a flap designated 28. The base section 11 just adjacent the fold line or crease line 27 is provided with a pair of tabs 30, 31 which are formed by slitting the base section along the lines 32, 33 so that they are free to be bent upwardly along fold lines 34, 35.

In FIG. 1 it is shown how the device may be used to hold a flower vase designated 40. From the base 11 the top wall is bent thereover about the fold lines 13 and 14 so as to overlie the bottom wall. The tabs 30 and 31 are inserted into the slits 23 and 22 respectively to assist in holding the top and bottom walls together and the flap 28 is then folded over the outer edge 15 of the top wall and the tongue 26 inserted into the V-shaped recess 16. The flaps 18 and 19 are also bent upwardly slightly about their crease lines 20 and 21 respectively. In the example as illustrated, the base of the vase 40 is large enough so that it will slip under the tabs 18 and 19 and underneath the top wall 12 and be held by frictional engagement of the top wall onto the configured pedestal of the vase 40. The flaps 18 and 19 also assist in pressing downwardly on the pedestal of the vase and hold it in position. The base of the vase which rests on the tongue 26 also assist in holding the entire holder together so that the tabs 30 and 31 being received in the slits 23 and 22 is not relied on as the sole securing means when the device is in use.

After the vase has been secured in the holder as shown in FIG. 1, wax paper or the like or other protective paper may be placed over the floral arrangement in the vase in a fashion that is normally performed by florists and the complete structure can then be delivered to the truck for the delivery to the customer. In this fashion the cut flowers received in the vase may be maintained upright during delivery and the water that is used for keeping the flowers fresh that is in the vase will not be spilled during delivery. Further the vase will not tip over and damage the floral arrangement during delivery by the use of the instant invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A floral holder comprising a blank having a base portion and a top wall portion, at least one fold line separating said portions, the top wall portion being foldable over the base portion about the fold line, the top wall portion having a free end with a V recess medially thereof, the bottom wall having a free end with a tongue, a fold line adjacent the tongue, said tongue being folded about its adjacent fold line and received in the V recess juxtaposed to the bottom wall.

2. A floral holder as in claim 1 wherein the base portion and the top wall portion are separated by a pair of spaced fold lines.

3. A floral holder as in claim 1 wherein an integral flap portion is formed adjacent the free end of the bottom wall, said flap being foldable over the free end of the top wall.

4. A floral holder as in claim 1 wherein a pair of tabs are cut from the bottom wall and are bendable out of the planar extent of the bottom wall, said top wall having slits, the tabs engaging in said slits.