GB2114883A - Flower holders - Google Patents

Abstract

A wreath base comprising a trough-like container (10) in the form of a cross, and having therein a body (14, 15) of water-absorbent material for supporting the stems of flowers, is connected to one or more extension containers (20) so as to increase the length of one or more limbs thereof. A channel shaped connection member (30) affords slots (36) which are slidably engageable with lips (16, 26) on the sides of the containers, the latter having wedge-shaped projections (18, 28) which are received in openings (38) so arranged in the connection member to hold the containers in end-to-end abutting relation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Flower holders This invention relates to flower holders and particularly, although not exclusively, to flower holders in the form of bases for funeral wreaths.

Specifically, the invention relates to flower holders of the type comprising a water-impermeable supporting container and a body of water absorbent material disposed in the container for receiving and supporting the stems of flowers in well known manner. One particularly suitable form of such flower holder is disclosed and claimed in out British Patent No. 1,544,630.

Such flower holders, particularly when intended for use as wreath bases, may be shaped in the form of a cross, and it is desirable for such crosses to be available in a range of sizes. Previously, this requirement has been met by manufacturing cross-shaped containers as one piece mouldings in a range of differing sizes, however, the moulds required for the production of such containers, particularly the larger sizes, are expensive to manufacture and the need to stock a range of sizes of holders also imposes a financial burden on florists requiring same.

To alleviate these problems, a system has been developed employing a small number of standard flower holder units which can be assembled together in various ways to form virtually any shape and size of wreath base. However, because of the relatively complicated way in which such units require to interlock to give the required versatility, they are relatively expensive to manufacture. Moreover, as all sizes of wreath base require to be assembled from several such units, even for a simple design like a cross, this system is generally less convenient to use for the most commonly required designs.

According to the present invention, we provide a flower holder construction system comprising at least one main flower holder member of the type comprising a water-impermeable container and a body of water-absorbent material therein and affording one or more free end portions, one or more extension flower holder members of the type comprising a water-impermeable container and a body of water-absorbent material therein and each affording at least one free end portion, and a connecting member whereby one or more of said extension members may be secured by a respective free end portion thereof to a corresponding free end portion of the main flower holder member.

Preferably, the extension members are adapted to be joined to one another by means of such connection member so that two or more extension members may be secured in succession at one end of the main member by means of respective connection members.

Conveniently, the connection member comprises a channel section member in which the end portions of adjacent main and/or extension members can be received in end-to-end abutting relation. The flower holder members may incorporate outwardly directed flanges or lips at opposed longitudinal edges of said end portions, and the connection member may afford complementary inwardly opening slots in longitudinal side walls thereof to receive such flanges or lips slidably. To prevent longitudinal separation of the flower holder members from the connecting member, the flower holder member containers are preferably formed with outward projections adapted to engage in complementary recesses formed in the connecting member. Such projections and recesses are preferably formed in the side walls of the container and the connecting member respectively.

The main flower holder member may be formed as a cross comprising intersecting limbs, and such projections may be provided adjacent to one or both ends of at least one such limb.

The extension members may be of straight form, with said projections provided at one or both ends thereof.

The invention also resides in a flower holder of the type comprising a water-impermeable container and a body of water-absorbent material therein, wherein the container comprises a main container member affording one or more free end portions, and one or more extension container members each affording at least one free end portion, secured to the main container member by means of respective channel section connection members which hold a free end portion of the extension member in abutting relation with a corresponding free end portion of the main member.

The invention further resides in a container for a flower holder of the type comprising a waterimpermeable container and a body of waterabsorbent material therein, and comprising a main container member affording one or more free end portions, and one or more extension container members each affording at least one free end portion, secured to the main container member by means of respective channel section connection members which hold a free end portion of the extension member in abutting relation with an adjacent free end portion of the main member.

From a further aspect, the present invention also resides in a combination of a main trough-like container made of water-impermeable material and having at least one free end portion, one or more trough-like extension containers made of water-impermeable material and having at least one free end portion, and one or more channel section connection members whereby said extension members may be held with a free end portion thereof in abutting relation to a corresponding free end portion of said main container.

In all cases, it will be understood that the main container will support a substantially greater quantity of water-absorbent material than any one of the extension containers, and typically the length of the main container will be at least twice that of an extension container associated therewith.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to one embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a main flower holder member of cruciform shape, one straight extension flower holder member, and a connection member for securing such members together in end-to-end abutting relation; FIGURE 2 is a side view of such connecting member; FIGURE 3 is an end view of such connecting member; FIGURE 4 is a side view of the container of the extension member illustrated in Figure 1; FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section on the line V-V of Figure 4; FIGURE 6 is a side view, to smaller scale, of the container of a double length extension member; and FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side view of one end portion of the main container member shown in Figurel.

As shown in Figure 1, a main flower holder member 10 comprises a trough-like main container 12 supporting a block 14 of waterabsorbent material. The container 1 2 has opposed lateral extensions 1 3 which support further blocks 1 5 of water-absorbent material. The member 10 may be utilised on its own for the construction of a cross-shaped wreath of corresponding dimensions. However, in accordance with the invention, one or more extension flower holder members 20 comprising an extension container 22 and a block 24 of water-absorbent material may be assembled with the main member 10 by means of connection members 30.

For this purpose, at least the free end portions of the main container 12 at which it is desired to be able to provide such extensions are formed with outwardly directed lips 1 6. As illustrated, such lips extend along the entire lengths of all sides of the main container 12, but they may be confined to the extremities where the connection member 30 can be engaged. Additionally, adjacent to each free end of the main container 12, the opposed side walls are formed with wedge-shaped projections 1 8 which afford an abutment edge 1 9 facing away from the adjacent end of the container.

Likewise, the side walls of the extension container 22 afford outwardly directed lips 26 and projections 28 with an abutment edge 29.

The connection member 30 is of channel shape and so dimensioned as to receive the end portions of the main and extension members 20 with the ends thereof in abutting relation. The side walls of the connection member 30 afford respective inwardly direct slots 36 to receive the lips 1 6 and 26, and opposed pairs of rectangular recesses in the form of openings 38 to receive the projections 18 and 28.

In use, the open-ended channel section connecting member 30 can be pushed over the end portion of the main container 12, and to assist this the ends of the lips 16 may be chamfered as shown at 1 6a. The tapered section of the projections 1 9 causes the side walls of the extension member 30 to spread slightly until the projections 1 9 register with, and engage in, the openings 38, Withdrawal of the connection member 30 is then prevented by engagement of the abutment edge 1 9 with the corresponding edges of the openings 38.

In a similar manner, the extension member 20 can then be engaged with the connection member 30, the openings 38 being so positioned that when the projections 1 8 and 28 are engaged therein, the ends of the main container 12 and extension container 22 are in abutting relation.

The lips 26 of the container 22 are chamfered as shown at 26a at the ends remote from the abutment edges 29 afforded by the projections 28.

A double length extension member 40 may also be provided, having two pairs of projections 48 spaced inwardly from opposite ends thereof with inwardly facing abutment edges 49 whereby on connection member 30 may be used to secure the longer extension member 40 the main member 10, whilst a further extension member 30 may be used to secure either another longer extension member 40, or a shorter extension member 20 to the outer end of the member 40.

Thus, the basic flower holder 10 can be extended by means of various combinations of extension members 20 and 40, both as regards the height and width of the cross. Nevertheless, it is not essential to make provision for extension of both limbs of the cross, or even both ends of the longer limb. Thus, the projections 19 may be provided on only one end portion of the member 10.

In a typical case, the cross-shaped main member 10 may be approximately 50 cms to 100 cms in length and the extension member 20 may be some 10 cms to 1 5 cms long. The main member 10 is thus of a size such that it can be used on its own for a basic cross, but can be extended particularly as regards its length, by the addition of one or more short or long extension members at one or both ends, to produce a range of sizes.

Whilst the invention is most conveniently applied to flower holders of simple straight or cruciform shape, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be used, providing they afford free end portions which can be secured by means of a suitable connector member, and for this purpose such free end portions may be curved for use with a correspondingly curved connection member.

Conveniently, the main flower holder member and extension members are supplied complete with the water-absorbent material, but alternatively the containers may be supplied alone.

Claims (11)

1. A flower holder construction system comprising at least one flower holder member of the type comprising a water-impervious container and a body of water-absorbent material therein and affording one or more free end portions, one or more extension flower holder members of the type comprising a water-impervious container and a body of water-absorbent material therein and each affording at least one free end portion, and a connection member whereby one or more of said extension members may be secured by a respective free end portion thereof to a corresponding free end portion of the main flower holder.

2. A system according to Claim 1 wherein the extension members are adapted to be joined to one another by means of such connection member, so that two or more of said extension members may be secured in succession on one end portion of the main member by means of respective connection members.

3. A system according to Claim 1 wherein the connection member comprises a channel section member in which the end portions of adjacent main and/or extension members can be received in end-to-end abutting relation.

4. A system according to Claim 3 wherein the flower holder members incorporate outwardly directed flanges or lips at opposed longitudinal edges of said end portions, and the connection member affords complementary inwardly opening slots in longitudinal side walls thereof to receive such flanges or lips slidably.

5. A system according to Claim 3 wherein the flower holder member containers are formed with outward projections which are adapted to engage in complementary recesses formed in the connecting member.

6. A system according to Claim 5 wherein said projections and recesses are formed in the side walls of the containers and the connecting members respectively.

7. A system according to Claim 5 wherein the main flower holder member is formed as a cross comprising intersecting limbs, and said projections are provided at one or both ends of at least one such limb.

8. A system according to Claim 5 wherein the extension members are of straight form and said projections are provided at one or both ends thereof.

9. A flower holder of the type comprising a water-impervious container and a body of waterabsorbent material therein, wherein the container comprises a main container member affording one or more free end portions, and one or more extension container members each affording at least one free end portion, secured to the main container member by means of respective channel section connection members which hold a free end portion of the extension member in abutting relation with a corresponding free end portion of said main container member.

10. A container for a flower holder of the type described comprising a water-impervious container and a body of water-absorbent material therein, wherein the container comprises a main container member affording one or more free end portions, and one or more extension container members each affording at least one free end portion, secured to the main container member by means of respective channel section connection members which hold a free end portion of the container member in abutting relation with a corresponding free end portion of said main container member.

11. In combination a main trough-like container made of water-impervious material and having at least one free end portion, one or more trough-like extension containers made of water-impervious material and each having at least one free end portion, and one or more channel section connection members adapted to connect a free end portion of a respective extension container in end-to-end abutting relation with a corresponding free end portion of said main container.

1 2. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.