Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02207~10 1997-06-12
DISPOSABLE VASE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vase for holding cut flowers and is intended to be
5 made from inexpensive materials so that the vase may be thrown out or recycled
after use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cut flowers are commonly displayed as a bouquet in attractive containers
10 which complement or enhance the visual appeal of the flowers. Conventionally, a
vase for holding cut flowers is made of transparent or translucent glass.
When cut flowers are purchased, they have usually been stored in a container
which holds water, such as a pail, in order to preserve the flowers in an attractive
condition and to prevent wilting and decay. The purchaser is given a bouquet of
15 selected flowers which sometimes are already bundled and is given the option of
wrapping the bouquet in decorative paper which is taped or stapled to form a cone.
The recipient of the bouquet is presented with the paper cone which conceals
the flowers from view and which often is wet at the bottom from water dripping
from the stems of the flowers. It is not always convenient for the recipient to
20 transfer the bouquet into a vase, particularly since it is recommended to give the
stems of the flowers a fresh cut before immersion into fresh water. The recipient
may be in a public venue where access to a vase is limited, or the recipient may be
at home and be too preoccupied with other functions, such as hosting a party, to
CA 02207~10 1997-06-12
immediately place the bouquet in water so that it can be displayed and enjoyed. As
a result, considerable time may lapse in which the flowers of the bouquet are out of
water, from the time of purchase of the bouquet to the time the flowers are received
m a vase.
It is known to the Applicant that some flowers, such as roses, are often
delivered with the stems received in respective ampoules which hold water and keep
the rose fresh. This expedient is expensive and has not been widely adopted for use
with other less valuable flowers. The recipient is also required to remove the
ampoules and arrange the flowers into a vase for display.
An object of the invention is to provide a disposable vase whereby a cut
flower bouquet may be given to a recipient without some of the aforementioned
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a vase comprising an open
container made from self-supporting paperboard and having a waterproof liner which
is closed at the bottom and which overhangs a top peripheral edge of the container.
A cap is associated with a top open end of the container and has a central opening
through which the stems of the flowers in a bouquet are received.
Preferably, a lightweight, water-retaining foam block is disposed at the bottom
of the liner and a similar, apertured block is disposed at the top of the liner adjacent
to the cap.
Conveniently, the paperboard container will be imprinted with a decorative
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exterior and selected messages or greetings to suit any desired occasion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, a preferred
5 embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a bouquet comprising flowers in association
with a vase in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of Fig. 1 showing the assembly of the vase;
~0 Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the top of the vase of Fig. 1 with a cap removed
and in a partially-assembled configuration; and
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a blank for forming a cap forming part of the vase of
Fig. 1.
15 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT WITH REFERENCE TO
THE DRAWINGS
A bouquet made in accordance with the invention is indicated generally by
reference numeral 20 in Fig. 1. The bouquet comprises selected cut flowers 22
20 arranged to complement one another for display and could include additional
decorative elements such as ribbons and the like. The flowers are received in a vase
24 made in accordance with the invention from inexpensive materials so that the
vase may be thrown out or recycled after use.
-4-
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The components of the vase 24 are shown in more detail in Fig. 2 and
comprise a paperboard enclosure 26, a removable liner 28, a block of water-ret~ining
foam 30, a retainer 32, and a cap 34.
The enclosure 26 is preferably made of self-supporting paperboard and, in this
5 case, has been formed into a box of rectangular cross-section which is open at a top
end and has a closed bottom end. Conveniently, the closed bottom of the enclosure
26 may comprise a "Hyme's" bottom lock so that the enclosure may be collapsed
during shipping and storage or when the vase 24 is provided in a kit form as shown
in Fig. 5. The enclosure 26 will advantageously be printed with a decorative exterior
10 and convey a greeting, sentiment or social expression, which is selected in accordance
with the occasion for which the bouquet is being presented. The liner 28 comprises
a polyethylene bag with a thickness of appro~im~tely .006 in. (O.lmm), of which the
length exceeds the height of the enclosure 26, the liner 28 having sufficient width to
overhang a top peripheral edge 36 of the enclosure 26 and drawn in ghost outline15 in Figs. 2 and 3. The liner 28 is waterproof and contains water indicated by
numeral 38 for sustaining the cut flowers 22 and the overhang of the liner 28
protects the enclosure 26 from water spills and any resulting damage.
The block 30 is made of floral foam and is adapted to hold water. The block
30 is located inside the liner 28 adjacent the bottom of the liner, where it protects
20 the liner from accidental damage arising from the flower stems 40 (Fig. 1) coming
into contact directly with the liner 28. The block 30 also operates as an anchor to
locate the flowers.
The retainer 32 is similarly provided in the form of a floral foam block having
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a central opening 42 through which the stems 40 of the bouquet 22 are received.
The retainer 32 is disposed inside the liner 28 adjacent to the top peripheral edge 36
of the enclosure 26. The retainer 32 operates as a splash guard or water dam to
retain the water 38 within the enclosure 26 and also helps to locate the flowers 22
S so that the arrangement of the bouquet 20 will be maintained.
The cap 34 is similarly constructed from paperboard and comprises four
panels, a, b, c, d (Fig. 4) of which a first section lies adjacent to an associated side of
the enclosure 26 and a second section forms a top 44, the cap being dimensioned to
receive the top peripheral edge 36 of the enclosure and to partially block the open
10 end of the enclosure. A central opening 46 is formed in the top 44 and receives the
stems 40 of the cut flowers 22. The central opening 46 is inscribed in an annulus
defined by an outer circle 48 remote from the opening 46, the annulus being divided
into a series of sectors 50, each separable from adjacent sectors. As seen in Fig. 2,
the sectors may be lifted to increase the effective size of the opening 46 to the
15 diameter of the outer circle 48. In this way, a larger bouquet of flowers 22 may be
accommodated in the same vase 24.
It will be appreciated that the vase 24 may be provided as a kit comprising the
paperboard enclosure 26, the liner 28 and the cap 34 in collapsed form, optionally
with a foam block 30 and retainer 32. In this way, purchasers of the kit may create
20 their own floral arrangements before presenting a bouquet. The configuration of the
enclosure 26 is known and will not be described in any detail. However, the cap
34 has been specifically designed for cooperation with the enclosure 26 and could be
used in association with other waterproof enclosures, for example, made from
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synthetic plastic material.
The cap 34 is conveniently made from a blank 54 drawn in Fig. 4. The blank
54 comprises four panels, a, b, c, d disposed in seriatim along parallel fold lines 56
scored into the paperboard, each panel comprising two sections separated by a
5 continuous fold line 58 n1nning the length of the panels and orthogonal to theparallel fold lines 56. A first panel "a" has a first section 60 of rectangular shape
bound on one side by the continuous fold line 58 and on another side by one of the
parallel fold lines 56. The other two sides are free and parallel to a respective one
of said fold lines.
A second section 62 of the panel "a" has a free edge which is spaced from the
continuous fold line 58 by a minimum distance x, the free edge having a centrally-
disposed arcuate portion severed from the blank to leave an arc 64 that defines half
of the perimeter for the central opening 46 of the cap 34. A second arcuate portion
66 concentric with the arc 64 corresponds to the outer circle 48 and has been edge-
punched so as to define the sectors 50 of which the free edges extend on respective
radii from the second arcuate portion 66.
The second section 62 of panel "a" is also defined by two straight edges 67
orthogonal to the continuous fold line 58 and aligned, in one case, with a free edge
of the first section 60, and in a second case with the associated parallel fold line 56.
A pair of slots 68 lanced into the second section 62 are provided to receive
cooperating tabs 70 in an adjacent panel "b", "d".
A second panel "b" adjacent to panel "a" has a first rectangular section 72
which has one free edge in parallel to the continuous fold line 58 and is bound on
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the other two sides by a pair of the parallel fold lines 56. A second section 74 of the
second panel "b" has a free edge which is spaced from the continuous fold line 58
by a m~ximum distance x and has a centrally-disposed arcuate portion severed
therefrom to form an arc 76 having a radius which is commensurate with the radius
5 of the second arcuate portion 66 in panel "a". A pair of free edges extend
transversely from the continuous fold line 58 at approxim~tely 45~ and contain the
tabs 70 which cooperate with the slots 68, also disposed at 45~ to the continuous fold
line 58 so as to form an interlock.
A third panel "c" adjacent to panel "b" is similar to panel "a" and like parts
10 have been identified by like reference numerals in Fig. 4, the only difference between
panel "c" and panel "a" being that panel "a" has a free edge parallel to a fold line 56
whereas panel "c" is disposed between panels "b" and "d" and therefore has no such
free edge. The first section of panel "c" is identified by reference numeral 78 and
the second section is identified by reference numeral 80.
Similarly, panel "d" is identical to panel "b" and like parts have been
identified by like numerals. The first section of panel "d" is identified by reference
numeral 82 and the second section is identified by reference numeral 84. In addition,
panel "d" has a glue tab 86 extending from the associated parallel fold line 56 and
which is adapted to be adhesively secured to the parallel free edge of panel "a" in
20 order to form the cap 34. The assembly of the cap 34 is completed by folding the
second sections of panels "a", "b", "c", "d" downwardly as indicated by arrows 88
in Fig. 3 and by securing the tabs 70 into the associated slots 68.
In use, a bouquet 20 may be presented to a recipient for immediate enjoyment
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and display. The bouquet may be kept in the vase of the invention for an indefinite
period and it is entirely at the discretion of the recipient whether to transfer the
flowers into a vase of a more permanent nature. Trials conducted by the Applicant
have demonstrated that bouquets held in a vase according to the invention have a5 prolonged life and it is believed that such life is prolonged because the enclosure
does not permit light to enter the water and evaporation of water from the vase is
.
mln~m1.sed.
It will be understood that several variations may be made to the above-
described embodiment of the invention without departure from the scope of the
10 appended claims. In particular, it will be appreciated that the enclosure 26 is not
required to have a closed bottom end, although this may be preferred to provide
additional support to the liner 28, depending on the size of the bouquet and theamount of water contained by the vase.
It will also be appreciated that the afore-mentioned advantages may be realised
15 with a container made from more permanent materials such as an enclosure and a
cap made from synthetic plastic. The floral foam block and retainer are optionaland could be provided in other forms. In particular, it is envisaged that the retainer
32 may comprise a synthetic plastic cap with perforations or slots to receive flower
stems. These variations and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
