Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DECORATIVE PLANT COVER
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.
During harsh or cold weather, it is a good
practice to protect plants from the wind nd 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
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it eventually rots out. Also, its darker color may absorb
solar energy and cause unwanted heating, particularly if
wrapped too tightly.
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.
The present invention overcomes limitations of
existing devices and techniques by provi~ing a protective
plant covering comprising a sheet of flexible material
having two opposing side edges, and 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 sheet of
material is provided having' a decorative floral pattern
imprinted onto at least one side thereof. The sheet has a
peripheral edge preferably defining an area sized to permit
wrapping of the sheet in full, uncut form around a single,
larger plant, or cutting of the sheet into multiple pieces
to wrap a plurality of smaller plants on an individual
basis. A non-woven material may be used so that it will
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not unravel if cut into sections. The material may also be
at least semi-transparent to permit floral features of the
plant to show through so that the material is less
conspicuous when installed. The fasteners, which are
preferably removable, may take the form of safety-pin type
fasteners, clothes-pin type fasteners, skewers or other
devices that may be selectively re-postioned onto the
sheet to enhance conformity with the shape of the plant
during installation.
The decorative floral pattern may be applied
using silk-screening, flexographic printing, or other known
processes. Preferably a design element defining a cell is
used having an area substantially less than that of the
sheet, which is then replicated in a repeating manner to
permit slitting, sectioning, and installation without
regard for the orientation of the design. If the material
used is sufficiently porous, the ink used for printing will
also bleed through, enabling the sheet to be installed with
either side facing outwardly without visual ill-effects.
To cause the installed sheet to appear more
convincing, a process of producing the final product may
include the steps of generating an image of a living plant,
converting the image into a form suitable for printing, and
printing the converted image onto the sheet. To correct
for compression of the image on either side when the image
is gathered, the aspect ratio of the image may be adjusted
so that the printed image appears more life-like when the
sheet is wrapped around the plant.
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In the dxawinQS,
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 having a repeating floral pattern and an
area sufficient to cover one larger plant or sectioned into
pieces to cover a plurality of smaller plants;
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;
FIGURES 5A to 5T illustrate a variety of
fasteners according to this invention;
FIGURES 6A to 6D illustrate different multi-ply
material constructions according to the invention,
including structures with and without air gaps, quilting,
and a foam insulating layer;
FIGURE 7A is a top-down view illustrating how a
living plant may be photographed in order to generate an
image useful in printing floral indicia onto a sheet of
material according to the invention; and
FIGURE 7B is a front-view of a living plant image
illustrating how side-to-side image compression may be
expanded for a more life-like appearance.
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Figure 7C is a drawing which shows how a plurality
of images may be gathered from different angles.
Now making reference again t~ 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. The sheet is
preferably provided such that the edges define an area
large enough to wrap around a single larger plant such as
a rhododendron; magnolia, evergreen or small tree, or
sectioned into pieces to cover a plurality of smaller rose
bushes, azaleas, and so forth.
In a preferred embodiment, the sheet is imprinted
with a decorative floral pattern created through the
replication of cells creating a continuous pattern that may
be cut or sectioned along any direction without. noticeable
visual ill-affect.
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 (32) may first be
used to close the bottom portion of the material, then, the
outer edge of the material may be overlapped or rolled to
close the fasteners in bottom-up fashion until the top is
reached . When the top of the material has been reached,
the fasteners associated with the upper edge 23, may be
used to create an enclosed wrap around the entire plant.
Fasteners associated with the lower edge of the material
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may also be used to "cinch-up" the bottom edge of the
material around the base of the plant. Conveniently, any
unused fasteners may simply be left attached to the fabric
during use or storage.
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
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 th. trellis itself,
thereby eliminating the need to disturb plants in their
growing environment.
In terms of materials, the wrap is preferably
composed of a non-woven material such as spun-bonded
polypropylene or other synthetic fabrics, including "CLAF."
Such materials offer 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." The lightest-weight versions also tend to be at
least semi-transparent. In addition, in the event that
silk-screening is used to apply the visual indicia, it has
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been found that, although the material does not withstand
high oven temperatures for ink drying purposes, water-based
and vinyl inks nevertheless penetrate entirely through the
material, resulting in a very permanent design pattern. It
should be apparent that various other materials, both
organic and inorganic, may 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 the
invention is that multiple sheets may 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 5T illustrate various alternative
fasteners which may be used according to the invention,
with the understanding that other fastener types are also
applicable. Figure 5A illustrates the use of 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
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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
capture device as the point where the string actually
attaches to the material.
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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 wE~l as temporary
clasure devices may be used, including adhesive tape, as
shown in Figure SK. Disposable versions of the invention
are preferably made with a biodegradable material such as
cellulose fiber that decomposes after one season. In
Figure 5L, plastic snaps are used to adjustably claw 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 removable pegs or
other elements may alternatively be utili~ed.
Figure 5Q illustrates how the removable element
segment of Figure 5P may, in fact, represent a portion of
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a longer elongated element such as a spike, nail, skewer or
stake, preferably having a sharpened or semi-sharpened
distal end 56 and a proximal end featuring some sort of
loop or bend 57 to ensure that the device does not
penetrate and fall through the overlapped material sheets.
Figure 5R illustrates yet a further example of the removal
fastener of Figure 5P, wherein the peg of Figure 5P forms
part of a safety-pin fastener or kilt ~in which may be
opened for installation and closed upon itself for
securement. Such safety-pin fasteners are available in a
variety of wire thicknesses, and usually contain an outer
zinc, tin, brass or chrome plating to assist with rust
prevention. Even large diaper pins or stapling may be used
as alternatives.
Figure 5S shows yet a further alternative
fastener according to the invention, in this case a spring
clip preferably having jaws with teeth to grab the material
when installed. Spring-steel "binder clips" may be used,
so may certain types of hair clips, though a sufficiently
strong spring should be incorporated into the device to
guarantee holding power throughout seasons of bad weather.
Figure 5T illustrates how, instead of a spring-loaded clip
of the type shown in Figure 55, a clip having a separable
applier may instead be used. In this case a tool 58 of
some kind is used to spread apart, or to close a clip 59
again, preferably having teeth, with the tool being removed
once the clip is in place. Certain types of garment
fasteners are suitable according to this alternative
embodiment, as are industrial versions of the types of
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fasteners used for "ace bandages," and the like.
Although the wrap may be constructed of single-
ply material, multiple plies may alternatively be employed
with or without an air gap (Figures 6B and 6A,
respectively) to create a more insulating barrier.
Specifically, two or more plies of material may be quilted
together as shown in Figure 6C, with the internal pockets
formed thereby being left unfilled, that is 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, as illustrated in Figure 6D. 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.
Now turning to Figure 7A, there is shown a method
of obtaining an image suitable for use on a sheet of
material according to the invention, wherein a camera 702
is used to gather an image of a living plant 704, which is
then converted to a form for printing purposes. It should
be understood that the camera 702 may be of the film type,
or may be electronic and all digital, depending upon the
technology available. In taking a photograph of a bush,
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however, which has a modified cylindrical shape, the
portion of the center of the bush represented by "C" in
Figure 7A will have a flat appearance, whereas the two
edges El and E2, will be compressed as the foliage follows
its way around either side of the plant.
To correct for this apparent distortion, the
aspect area shown in Figure 7B may be modified, such that
the two side areas may be expanded so as to flatten them
out in agreement with the area C. Having performed this
image manipulation, once printed on to the material, and
wrapped around the plant to be protected, a more life-like
appearance should be realized. As a further alternative,
one may image a large grouping of plants at a distance, for
example, using a telephoto lens, which would create a
substantially flat image which could be used without
further modification or a plurality of images may be
gathered from different angles, as shown in Figure 7C, and
merged to produce an expanded image such as that depicted
in Figure 7B.
