Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2197010
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DECORATIVE PLANT COVER
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to protective
coverings for plants, bushes, shrubbery, and so forth
- during harsh or cold weather, and, more particularly, to an
improved, more aesthetic covering which is more conformal
to the shape of the plant to be protected, and one which is
more easily stored during periods of non-use.
Background of the Invention
During harsh or cold weather, it is a good
practice to protect plants from the wind and the elements.
Although some gardeners believe it is advantageous to "keep
a plant warm," this is actually incorrect. In fact, if a
plant is allowed to warm up at the wrong time, premature
spring growth may occur, resulting in dieback in the event
of a cold snap. Without protection, winter plant injury may
be caused by severe cold or loss of moisture from shoots or
branches. Although it is normal for plant moisture to
slowly evaporate throughout the winter, during periods of
bright winter sunshine, the effect of strong winds may
accelerate this drying process to an unacceptable level.
Thus, is it best to protect plants from
fluctuations in temperature, which may be accomplished
through some form of wind-break. Two devices currently
used for this purpose, burlap and Styrofoam "rose cones,"
both have drawbacks. Burlap is dirty, difficult to drape
over plants without an additional supporting structure, and
it eventually rots out. Also, its darker color may absorb
solar energy and cause unwanted heating, particularly if
wrapped too tightly.
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The typical rose cone, shown in Figure 1, is
unattractive and non-recyclable. Although these units are
designed to be stacked on top of one another, being rigid
and non-collapsible, they consume a considerable amount of
volume when stored. In addition, the cone or pyramid shape
defined by the interior of such covers is not conformal to
the shape of most plants, forcing users to prune the plant
in an undesirable way just to fit the cover over the plant.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention overcomes limitations of
existing devices and techniques by providing a protective
plant covering comprising a sheet of flexible material
having two opposing side edges, each with a plurality of
fasteners, such that, with the material wrapped around the
plant, the two side edges may be brought proximate to one
another and adjustably fastened around and in physical
conformity with the plant using the fasteners.
In the preferred embodiment, a durable spun-
bonded material is used in conjunction with fasteners in
the form of strings and string-capture devices in the form
of disks. Preferably, the fasteners are vertically spaced
apart along one or both of the side edges in a way that
allows the material to at least partially overlap upon
itself for improved conformity with plant shape and
enhanced wind protection. Also in the preferred embodiment,
the outer surface of the material includes visual indicia
in the form of decorative floral imagery, enabling the
invention to be less conspicuous when installed.
In alternative embodiments, the wrapping may
further include one or more fasteners along the upper edge
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of the material, enabling portions of the upper edge to be
brought proximate to one another and fastened, for example,
to create a closed top. One or more fasteners may also be
associated with the lower edge, enabling the lower edge to
be cinched together and/or anchored to one or more ground
stakes or to the plant itself. The various fasteners may
also be used to gang separate wrappings together to create
a more extensive sheet for larger plant varieties or
groupings. In a tree-wrapping application, the material
may further include a pest-attracting and/or insect-
capturing substance applied to the inner surface of the
material, which is preferably exposed through the removal
of a release layer.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIGURE 1 illustrates, from an oblique
perspective, a prior-art rose cone of the type which is
ordinarily constructed of Styrofoam;
FIGURE 2 is a drawing of a plant wrap according
to the invention utilizing strings and string-capture
devices in the form of capture disks;
FIGURE 3 is a drawing of a plant covering
according to the invention installed on a plant to be
protected and having decorative floral visual indicia
imprinted on an outer surface;
FIGURE 4 is a drawing which shows how a plurality
of material sheets according to the invention may be
interconnected to provide for a larger covering; and
FIGURES 5A to 5P illustrate a variety of
fasteners according to this invention.
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Detailed Description of the Invention
Now making reference again to the drawings,
Figure 2 illustrates a plant wrap according to the
invention indicated generally at 20 in unfolded form.
Definitionally, the wrap 20 comprises a flexible sheet of
material 22 having a top edge 23, a bottom edge 24, and two
side edges 25 and 26, respectively. In a preferred
embodiment, a plurality of fasteners 27 are provided around
the entire periphery of the material 20, including one or
more vertical rows of fasteners 28, enabling the edge 26 to
overlap the edge 25 when the material is wrapped around the
plant, as indicated by the larger arrows 21.
In the preferred embodiment, the fasteners take
the form of string and string-capture devices such as the
disks shown in Figure 5A, in which case strings 29 are
provided in association with at least a subset of the
fasteners 27. Such strings 29 may either be wrapped around
the capture-disk by a user of the invention during
installation, in which case the strings may be provided in
loose form, or, alternatively, knowing that certain of the
fasteners will require a string for use, one end of each
string may be affixed in place along with, or under, an
appropriate set of fasteners, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 3 illustrates a covering according to the
invention now installed onto a plant to be protected. Some
advantages of the covering, shown generally at 30, are
evident when the material is in place. In practice, during
the installation process, the fasteners may first be used
to close the bottom portion of the material, then, with the
edge 32 overlapping onto the outer surface of the material
itself, to close the fasteners in bottom-up fashion until
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the top is reached. Conveniently, any loose strings
resulting from the closure process may simply be wound onto
any available string-capture device nearby, as evident
through the use of string 34.
When the top of the material has been reached,
the fasteners associated with the upper edge 23 in Figure
2, may be closed upon themselves, if so provided, to create
an enclosed wrap around the entire plant. Again, it is not
necessary that strings be attached to any particular
capture device, but rather, side and top fasteners, for
example, may be intermixed so as to better conform to the
physical shape of the plant.
Note that if fasteners are associated with the
lower edge of the material, they may be used to "cinch-up"
the bottom edge of the material, as depicted with fasteners
36, or, an available string 35 may be attached to the plant
itself or used in conjunction with a ground stake 33, if so
desired. Among other advantages of the invention are that,
in contrast to existing rigid devices, mulch may be easily
added, particularly if the wrapping is secured around the
bottom and worked upwardly, in which case the mulching
material can simply continue to be packed in and around the
plant, until the top edge is either closed or left open, at
the user's option. Additionally, portions of the plant
being protected may protrude through the covering of the
invention, if the user chooses to have such features remain
exposed instead of pruning them off. As one example, a
cane 39 of a climbing rose may simply be left on a trellis
without having to trim it off. For that matter, the wrap
according to the invention may be placed around the trellis
itself, thereby eliminating the need to disturb plants in
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their growing environment.
Figure 3 also illustrates that, in a preferred
embodiment, to make the wrapping more aesthetically
pleasing, visual indicia 38 are preferably applied to the
outer, exposed surface of the wrap such that when it is
positioned around a plant to be protected, thus giving the
appearance of a live plant, in pleasing contrast to the
stark white cone of Figure 1. Such plant visual indicia
may be representative of plants in various stages,
including a green leafy appearance, dormant or semi-
dormant, snow covered, and so forth, depending on market
and/or climatic conditions. At least two sizes of the wrap
will preferably be provided, a smaller size primarily for
rose bushes, and a larger size for rhododendron, azaleas,
holly, and other potentially larger bushes. Accordingly,
the smaller size may preferably have rose-related visual
indicia associated therewith, whereas the larger size may
depict a rhododendron or evergreen, for example.
In terms of materials, the wrap is preferably
composed of a spun-bonded polypropylene such as Style 3351
Typar~ available from the Reemay Corporation of Old
Hickory, Tennessee. This Typar material offers certain
advantages, including a breathable nature, and the ability
to make cuts in the material, if desired, for better
conformity with a plant structure, without the risk of
tearing, as there is no "grain" with spun-bonded materials
of this type. In addition, in the event that silk-
screening is used to apply the visual indicia, it has been
found that, although the polypropylene does not withstand
high oven temperatures for ink drying purposes, water-based
and vinyl inks nevertheless penetrate entirely through the
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material, resulting in a very permanent design pattern.
In addition, as hot-melt glue is preferably
utilized for fastener bonding, as discussed in further
detail below, it has also been found that with the correct
viscosity of glue in the liquid state, it also penetrates
through the polypropylene fibers resulting in substantial
adherence. The Style 3351 and certain other colors of
Typar~ are also somewhat reflective in nature, which can
assist in blocking solar energy that could otherwise be
responsible for overwarming. It should be apparent that
various other materials, both organic and inorganic, may be
substituted for the spun-bonded polypropylene, yet function
equally well according to the invention. In particular,
recycled plastics of different compositions may be used,
and, in place of silk screening the outer design, different
colors of plastic may simply be melted together to create
floral imagery, for example.
Now turning to Figure 4, an advantage of having
fasteners optionally disposed around the entire perimeter
of the material, is that such an arrangement allows
multiple sheets to be joined along their edges, both
horizontally and vertically, to accommodate larger plants
or groupings of plants. For example, multiple sheets may
be joined vertically to surround tall, narrow evergreens
such as climbing roses, arbor vitae, and the like, or, the
sheets may be joined horizontally, to accommodate plants
with larger girths such as certain types of spruce, quince,
and so forth. As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of sheets
may be joined both horizontally and vertically for even
larger plant types, including tree trunks.
Figures 5A to 5P illustrate various alternative
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fasteners which may be used according to the invention,
with the understanding that other fastener types are also
applicable. Figure 5A, however, illustrates the preferred
mechanism, which uses a string and one or more capture
devices, preferably in the form of a two-part disk. One
portion of each disk, 51, is bonded or adhered to the outer
surface of the wrapping material, whereas a second portion
52 is preferably attached to the first portion 51 through
the use of a rivet 53. Various materials may be used for
the string-capture device, such as vinyl or other plastics,
and the rivet may also be plastic, or metal or other
suitable alternatives. The string-capture structure
consisting of elements 51, 52 and 53 may be made as a unit
and glued onto the outer surface of the wrapping material,
with the portion 51 preferably including a number of small
apertures, around its periphery, for example, enabling the
adhesive, such as hot-melt glue, to seep through a provide
a better bond. Alternatively, an additional disk may be
placed on the inner side of the material, with the rivet 53
being applied through the entire stack of elements, so as
to bind the resulting structure on both sides of the wrap
for a strong attachment. Various other bonding mechanisms
may be used, with the general principle being that, in the
preferred embodiment, the fasteners may undergo quite a bit
of use without compromising their structural integrity. As
mentioned earlier, the string used in conjunction with the
capture devices may either be provide separately, in which
case it will be wound around two or more of the capture
devices to provide closure or, alternatively, the strings
may be made available through a separate attachment to the
material itself. That is, without necessarily using a
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capture device as the point where the string actually
attaches to the material.
Figures 5B and 5C illustrate hook-and-loop or
Velcro-type material in use as a closure mechanism, noting
that at least one aspect (54) may be provided in a vertical
manner as opposed to a horizontal stripe. Figure 5D shows
how buttons may be used. As with the string-capture
devices of Figure 5A, reinforcement areas 55 are preferably
used to ensure that the buttons do not pull off or that the
slots do not readily tear. Figures 5E and 5F illustrate
the use of plastic barb-type connector mechanisms, whereas
Figures 5G and 5H illustrate the use of ball-capture-type
devices. Figure 5I shows how coated metal wires or
"twister ties" may be used, whereas Figure 5J shows how
strings, without capture devices, may alternatively be
employed.
In the event that the invention is intended to be
discarded after use, permanent, as well as temporary
closure devices may be used, including adhesive tape, as
shown in Figure 5K. In Figure 5L, plastic snaps are used
to adjustably close the material around the plant to be
protected. Figure 5M shows the use of a buckle; Figure 5N
shows the use of a string and eyelets; Figure 50 shows the
eyelets in use with a spring-loaded type of manually
adjustable capture device; and Figure 5P illustrates how
slits and pegs may alternatively be utilized.
Although the wrap may be constructed of single-
ply material, multiple plies may alternatively be employed
to create a more insulating barrier. Specifically, two or
more plies of may be quilted together, with the internal
pockets formed thereby being left unfilled, that is
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containing only air. Indeed, in one embodiment of the
invention certain types of commercially available bubble-
wrap materials may be used. As an alternative to air-
filled pockets, a second, insulating layer may be bonded to
a decorative outer material. For example, a layer of
closed- or open-cell foam may be bonded to one or more
outer layers, either continuously or with heat welding
being used to create a quilted pattern, if desired. In a
tree-wrapping application, the material may further include
a pest-attracting and/or insect-capturing substance applied
to the inside surface of the wrapping material, this
substance being preferably exposed through the removal of
a release layer.
That which is claimed is:
