EP3661859B1

EP3661859B1 - Floral products

Info

Publication number: EP3661859B1
Application number: EP18758815.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Aveline O'SULLIVAN
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-07-31
Filing date: 2018-07-31
Publication date: 2021-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-31
Also published as: GB201712291D0; GB2565077A; WO2019025448A1; GB2565077B; EP3661859A1

Description

This invention relates to the packaging, transportation and presentation of floral products such as floral gifts.
Floral gifts take various forms, ranging from a single bloom or flowering plant to an arrangement or bouquet comprising several cut flowers or plants. Such gifts may be presented in various ways, for example in a pot or vase of earthenware, glass or plastics, or with stems of flowers bunched together within a plastics wrapper or bag.
In general, floral gifts are delicate and so require careful handling to arrive at their destination fresh and undamaged. This applies to the flowers or plants themselves and also to any easily-breakable pot or vase that accompanies them during transit. Such gifts must therefore be packaged in a manner that suits the chosen mode of delivery.
When delivered locally near a source of supply, floral gifts are apt to be carried by a specialist delivery service that will take proper care of them during their short journey. In that case, flimsy packaging such as a soft bag or a wrapping film may suffice. Also, if they can be delivered promptly, flowers or plants can stay fresh for a short time even without their stems or roots being kept in water or in damp soil or compost.
It is a much greater challenge to deliver floral gifts over longer distances using postal services or national courier services, as this may involve a journey of a day or more in the custody of non-specialist handlers. In that case, such gifts must be surrounded by rigid protective packaging such as a box and must contain a source of water. Also, that water must be held in a manner that is unlikely to spill even if the package is inverted for some time during transit. Otherwise, the flowers or plants may wither for lack of water or the packaging may be ruined.
Generally, if transported in water, soil or compost, flowers or plants should be kept upright to avoid spillage. In principle, a bag containing water can be sealed around the stems of flowers but this is still susceptible to leakage and is messy to remove after delivery.
Another problem with sending floral gifts by post or courier is the cost of delivery. In this respect, if the cost is determined by the size of a package, the sender may have to pay to transport a box that contains considerable empty space. Or, if the cost is determined by weight, the sender may have to pay to transport not just the flowers or plants but also the weight of water, soil or compost and possibly also the weight of a vase or a pot. The weight of the protective packaging itself may also add significantly to the cost of delivery.
No matter how a floral gift is delivered, another problem arises upon delivery. This is that the gift must be unpackaged and then various awkward and messy steps may be necessary to display and take care of the gift. For example, receiving a bouquet of flowers may necessitate a hunt for a suitable vase, followed by preparing the stems of the flowers and then adding plant food to water in the vase. All of these irritants detract from the pleasure of receiving a floral gift, and make it more likely that the gift will not last as long as it should after delivery.
Various packages for floral products are disclosed in US 2012/048761 , BE 874 730 , WO 2007/011224 and US 2001/0035364 .
It is against this background that the invention has been devised.
US 2001/0035364 , which is taken to be the closest prior art, discloses a floral product package comprising an open-topped hollow rigid housing; a reservoir within the housing defined by a vial that can be placed into the housing, the vial having an upwardly-facing opening; and a support within the housing that defines a recess for receiving and supporting the vial.
Broadly, the invention provides a package for a floral product that is characterised over US 2001/0035364 by a cover panel that substantially conceals the vial in a compartment defined between the cover panel and a base of the housing, the cover panel being penetrated by at least one aperture that communicates with the upwardly-facing opening of the vial in the compartment. The package is further characterised over US 2001/0035364 in that the support supports the vial in the compartment and also supports the cover panel.
In use of the package, the aperture accommodates the stem or root of a flower or plant, which extends into a sustaining liquid or gel contained in the vial.
The cover panel may suitably be supported by the vial and may be attached to one or more side walls of the housing upstanding from the base. Preferably, the cover panel is substantially level with a top edge of the or each side wall.
The aperture may be a slot that opens to an edge of the cover panel. For example, the slot may extend from the edge to a substantially central point of the cover panel.
The package may further comprise an insert that is configured to close an outer portion of the slot while leaving a reduced aperture on an inner side of the insert. An inner end of that insert is suitably shaped to embrace a neck of the vial.
Preferably the insert is arranged to be positioned between the cover panel and the vial, whereupon the insert supports the cover panel while bearing upon the vial. For this purpose, a lower side of the insert may comprise a resilient pad.
The slot and the insert suitably have respective pairs of parallel edges that enable the insert to be slid along the slot. Elegantly, the housing may hold the insert in the slot.
The insert may comprise a body that is arranged to lie under the cover panel. An upper side of the insert preferably comprises an infill strip that corresponds in width to the slot. The infill strip suitably corresponds in thickness to the cover panel and may be of the same material as the cover panel.
Preferably, the vial is shaped to be free-standing. The vial may be elongate, in which case the opening may be offset toward one end of the vial. This allows the vial to be placed into the housing in either of two orientations, one of which places the opening at an inboard position and the other of which places the opening at an outboard position with respect to the cover panel.
The opening of the vial is suitably surrounded by a neck. A stopper can fit into the neck of the vial to seal around the opening, the stopper having one or more bores to communicate with the interior of the vial. There may be a selection of stoppers providing various bore configuration options. Elegantly, the cover panel may be supported by the neck of the vial.
The support may comprise a base and at least two walls upstanding from the base to define the recess between them and to cradle the vial.
The recess is preferably open to at least one side of the support. In that case, elegantly, the housing may close the or each open side of the support to hold the vial in the recess.
The cover panel may comprise a skirt that bears against the support. More generally, the cover panel may comprise a skirt that supports the cover panel relative to the housing.
The package of the invention preferably further comprises a hollow rigid lid that is coooperable with the housing to close the package while leaving a headspace above the cover panel. The headspace accommodates a plant or the head of a bloom that has the cover panel as a backdrop.
Also disclosed is a method of packaging a floral product. That method comprises: inserting a stem or root of the floral product into an aperture that penetrates a cover panel; and displaying the floral product above the cover panel while substantially concealing a reservoir under the cover panel, into which reservoir the stem or root extends to sustain the floral product.
Where the aperture opens to an edge of the cover panel, the stem or root may conveniently be inserted into the aperture from that edge. Preferably, the stem or root is inserted into the reservoir before being inserted into the aperture. This allows sealing between the stem or root and the reservoir to be leak-tested. For example, the reservoir holding the floral product may be inverted before inserting the stem or root into the aperture.
The stem or root is preferably inserted into a bore of a sealing stopper, more preferably before engaging the stopper with the reservoir. Advantageously, the bore may be matched to the stem or root by selecting a stopper from a set of such stoppers that provides a range of different bores.
An insert may be placed into the aperture to close a portion of the aperture, preferably after inserting the stem or root into the aperture. This leaves a reduced aperture that accommodates the stem or root. The reservoir may then be placed into a hollow rigid housing that cooperates with the cover panel to conceal the reservoir.
In summary, therefore, preferred embodiments of the invention provide a package for a floral product. That package comprises an open-topped hollow rigid housing and a vial disposed within the housing. A cover panel that conceals the vial is penetrated by an aperture such as a slot, through which a stem or root of a bloom or plant extends into the vial.
A lid may be coooperable with the housing to close the package while leaving a headspace above the cover panel to accommodate the bloom or plant, which is displayed on top of the cover panel when the package is opened by lifting the lid.
Thus, the invention solves the problems of the prior art and provides a new, attractive and intriguing way of delivering and presenting a floral gift in the form of a bloom or plant.
The floral gift package of the invention is inexpensive and yet is of high visual and tactile quality. It is easy and quick to assemble in any florist's premises, allows for leaks to be detected and remedied, and can be adapted to suit different types of blooms.
The package of the invention is compact, lightweight and robust enough to send by post or by courier. Of course, if desired, the package can instead be delivered by local delivery services alongside other floral gifts.
By virtue of the invention, a bloom is packaged attractively in a jewellery-like presentation box that not only delights the recipient upon opening but can also present and sustain the bloom for several days after opening. The recipient needs to do nothing other than to open the package and then to continue to enjoy the bloom displayed within. After use, the package can then be recycled or reused.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support for use in a presentation box of the invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the support shown in Figure 1, taken on line II-II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows a cover arranged to be placed on top of the support;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a vial and a selection of stoppers that can be fitted into a neck of the vial;
Figure 5 is a side view of a bloom having a stopper fitted around the stem of the bloom;
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing how the vial shown in Figure 4 can be placed into a recess of the support shown in Figures 1 to 3;
Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 6 but shows how the vial may be reversed in orientation when being placed into the recess of the support;
Figure 8 is a sectional end view of the vial of Figure 4, the vial being fitted with a stopper selected to seal around the stem of a bloom extending into a liquid within the vial;
Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 8 but shows the vial inverted to check for leakage of liquid around the stem of the bloom;
Figure 10 is a top plan view of an insert that is arranged to be inserted between the cover and the support on top of a vial placed in the recess of the support;
Figure 11 is an end view of the insert shown in Figure 10;
Figure 12 is a sectional view taken on line XII-XII of Figure 10;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of the cover shown in Figure 3 placed on top of the support, in a first step of an assembly process;
Figure 14 corresponds to Figure 13 but shows the start of a second step of the assembly process, where a vial holding a bloom as shown in Figure 7 is about to be placed into the support under the cover;
Figure 15 corresponds to Figure 14 but shows the start of a third step of the assembly process, where an insert like that shown in Figures 9 to 11 is about to be inserted above the vial now placed in the support;
Figure 16 corresponds to Figure 15 but shows the third step of the assembly process now completed, leaving the bloom exposed on top of the cover and the stem of the bloom extending through the cover into the vial;
Figure 17 shows the start of a fourth step of the assembly process, where the assembly shown in Figure 16 of the support, cover, insert and vial supporting the bloom is being placed into an open-topped bottom shell of a presentation box;
Figure 18 corresponds to Figure 17 but shows the fourth step of the assembly process now completed;
Figure 19 is a perspective view of a presentation box of the invention, closed for delivery;
Figure 20 corresponds to Figure 19 but shows the presentation box being opened upon delivery to expose the bloom displayed within;
Figure 21 is a perspective view that shows a variant of the cover shown in Figure 3; and
Figure 22 is a perspective view that corresponds to Figure 16 but omits the bloom and shows the cover of Figure 21 placed on top of the support of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a support 10 for use in a presentation box of the invention comprises a flat base 12 whose periphery is generally rectangular in top view, in this example substantially square. Three walls upstanding from the base 12 surround and define a central recess 14, leaving one open end. The base 12 closes the bottom of the recess 14 to define a flat-bottomed cradle.
The walls comprise a pair of side walls 16 joined by an end wall 18 to form a C-shape in top view. This leaves an end opening between the side walls 16 that provides lateral access to the recess 14. More specifically, the side walls 16 are generally parallel to each other and the end wall 18 extends generally orthogonally with respect to the side walls 16.
The walls 16, 18 are hollow, double-skinned structures that taper upwardly away from the base 12. The walls 16, 18 have rounded upper faces that together define a correspondingly C-shaped upper edge 20, which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the base 12.
The inner sides of the upper faces of the walls 16, 18 are shaped to define a shoulder 22 that extends continuously as a C-shape around the side walls 16 and end wall 18. The shoulder 22 lies between, and in a plane substantially parallel to, the planes of the upper edge 20 and the base 12. The opposed ends of the shoulder 22 atop the side walls 16 define an insertion channel for an insert component, as will be described.
The support 10 is apt to be moulded from cardboard or plastics in view of the hollow, tapering, rounded walls 16, 18. Inexpensive, recycled materials may be used because the support 10 will be concealed in use and therefore does not require a good surface finish. In this respect, Figure 3 shows a cover 24 that may be placed on top of the support 10 to lie on the upper edge 20 of the walls 16, 18.
The cover 24 shown in Figure 3 comprises a flat central panel 26 that generally matches the shape and size of the base 12 of the support 10, hence also being generally rectangular and in this example, substantially square. As the walls 16, 18 of the support 10 taper inwardly from the periphery of the base 12, the cover 24 overlaps the upper faces of the walls 16, 18.
The central panel 26 is surrounded by integral fold-down flaps 28 that may be turned orthogonally with respect to the plane of the panel 26 as shown. Thus, the flaps 28 together define a skirt around the panel 26.
A slot 30 that penetrates the central panel 26 of the cover 24 extends inwardly from an edge 32 of the panel 26 to just beyond the centre of the panel 26. The slot 30 has parallel sides that are parallel to opposed side edges 34 of the panel 26. The slot 30 terminates inwardly in a rounded end, whose radius of curvature is substantially centred on the centre of the panel 26.
As shown in Figure 3, the cover 24 is aligned with the support 10 so that the slot 30 extends along the recess 14 and opens to the same side as the recess 14, between the side walls 16 of the support 10.
The cover 24 is apt to be made of rigid cardboard or plastics. The upper surface of the central panel 26 will be exposed in use and therefore should be of high visual and tactile quality, for example having a smooth satin finish.
Turning next to Figure 4, this drawing shows a vial 36 that is arranged to fit into the recess 14 defined between the side walls 16 of the support 10, as particularly shown in Figures 6 and 7. The vial 36 serves as a reservoir for holding a liquid comprising plant food, such as a water-based solution or gel, for sustaining a bloom whose stem extends into the liquid within the vial 36. Thus, the vial 36 is a hollow impermeable container that may conveniently be blow-moulded or injection-moulded of plastics.
In this example, the vial 36 is an elongate self-standing cuboid with rounded edges, which is symmetrical about a central longitudinal upright plane. The vial 36 is therefore flat-bottomed, conveniently to rest stably upon the flat base 12 that closes the bottom of the recess 14 of the support 10. Side faces 38 of the vial 36 then bear against the side walls 16 of the support 10, which serve to locate the vial 36 against lateral movement relative to the support 10. Similarly, an end face 40 of the vial 36 bears against the end wall 18 of the support 10, which locates the vial 36 against longitudinal movement relative to the support 10.
The vial 36 has a top face 42 that lies in a plane parallel to the flat bottom. As best appreciated in the sectional view of Figures 8 and 9, an opening 44 penetrates the top face 42 of the vial 36 and is surrounded by an integrally-moulded tubular neck 46 that extends orthogonally from the top face 42. The neck 46 is offset longitudinally toward one end of the vial 36.
The overall height of the vial 36 including the neck 46 substantially matches the height of the side and end walls 16, 18 above the base 12 of the support 10. Thus, when the vial 36 has been placed into the recess 14 of the support 10, the top of the neck 46 conveniently forms a bearing surface that supports the central panel 26 of the cover 24 laid upon the support 10.
A selection of stoppers 48 is shown in Figure 4. They all have the same outer diameter to fit tightly within the neck 46, for example 25mm. Each stopper 48 is a thick-walled tubular disc of liquid-impervious elastomeric material that must be compressed radially inwardly to fit into the neck 46. The stopper 48 then expands resiliently to apply radially-outward pressure against the interior of the neck 46, hence forming a seal with the neck 46. The stopper 48 is penetrated by a central lumen or bore 50 that receives the stem 52 of a bloom 54 as shown in Figure 5.
The stem 52 is an interference fit within the bore 50 so as to expand the bore 50, which causes the stopper 48 to contract resiliently and conformingly to apply radially-inward pressure around the stem 52. This forms a seal with the stem 52, and also fixes and supports the stem 52 protruding from the vial 36 so as to present the head 56 of the bloom 54 to best advantage.
Preferably the stopper 48 is fitted to the stem 52 as shown in Figure 5, before the stem 52 and the stopper 48 are inserted together into the neck 46 of the vial 36. This helps to ensure a good seal between the stem 52 and the bore 50 of the stopper 48. However it would be possible instead to fit the stopper 48 into the neck 46 and then to insert the stem 52 into the bore 50 of the stopper 48.
The stoppers 48 of the selection shown in Figure 4 differ in the diameters of their bores 50, ranging from a small bore 50 at the top to a large bore 50 at the bottom. An appropriate one of the stoppers 48 is chosen to suit the thickness of the stem 52 of a bloom 54. Three such stoppers 48 are shown here by way of example. However, there could be four or more such stoppers 48 in the selection, with bore diameters ranging from say 3mm to 10mm and with intermediate bore diameters of say 5mm and 7mm.
It will be noted from Figures 6 and 7 that the vial 36 may be placed into the recess 14 of the support 10 in either of two longitudinal orientations. Specifically, the preferred orientation of the vial 36 is as shown in Figure 6, where the neck 46 is in an inboard position. This substantially aligns the neck 46 and the opening 44 with the centre of the support 10 when viewed from above, which suits a bloom 54 whose stem 52 is centrally disposed with respect to its head 56. However it is also possible to reverse the vial 36 and hence to place the neck 46 in an outboard position as shown in Figure 7. This orientation may be chosen where the shape of a bloom 54 is elongate, such that its stem 52 is offset from its head 56.
As can be appreciated in the sectional views of Figures 8 and 9, the opening 44 is narrower than the interior of the neck 46, hence defining a shoulder or flange 58 that extends radially inwardly around the opening 44. The flange 58 serves as a seat for a stopper 48 that is fitted into the neck 46 to retain liquid 60 within the vial 36.
The opening 44 in the top face 42 of the vial 36 within the neck 46 is wider than any of the bores 50 of the selection of stoppers 48. Thus, advantageously, the same vial 36 can be adapted to suit various blooms 54 simply by choosing an appropriate one of the stoppers 48. This reduces tooling costs for moulding the vial 36.
Optionally, as shown in Figure 9, once the stem 52 of a bloom 54 has been seated within the bore 50 of a resilient stopper 48 that is seated, in turn, into the neck 46 of a vial 36, the vial 36 may be inverted to check for leakage of the liquid 60 within. If a leak is detected, remedial action may be taken before dispatch. For example, a tighter-fitting stopper 48 with a smaller bore 50 may be tried around the stem 52 instead.
Moving on now to Figures 10 to 12, these drawings show an insert 62 that is arranged to close the slot 30 in the central panel 26 of the cover 24 and to surround the stem 52 of the bloom 54, while providing additional support 10 to the cover 24 and location for the vial 36 beneath.
The insert 62 comprises a flat body panel 64 of rigid cardboard or plastics, which will not be visible in the final assembly and so can be of recycled materials if desired. The body panel 64 is generally rectangular, in this example substantially square. Thus, opposed side edges 66 of the body panel 64 are substantially parallel.
The width of the body panel 64 between the side edges 66 is chosen to sit upon and within the C-shaped shoulder 22 between the side walls 16 of the support 10. The thickness of the body panel 64 is slightly less than the height of that shoulder 22. Thus, the body panel 64 has clearance to be slid under the cover 24, between the cover 24 and the shoulder 22 of the support 10.
A leading edge 68 of the body panel 64 between the side edges 66 has a part-circular cut-out 70 whose radius of curvature is chosen to match the external diameter of the neck 46 of the vial 36. This limits the extent of insertion of the body panel 64 and also locates the neck 46 against lateral movement. Thus, the insert 62 holds the vial 36 and the bloom 54 held by the vial 36 against tipping over within the support 10.
The body panel 64 supports a relatively thin, elongate infill strip 72 that extends centrally along an upper face of the body panel 64, in layered relation, between, and parallel with, the side edges 66 of the body panel 64. The infill strip 72 has parallel side edges 74 and a width between those edges 74 that fits closely within the slot 30 in the central panel 26 of the cover 24. Thus, the infill strip 72 slides along the slot 30 as the body panel 64 of the insert 62 is slid between the cover 24 and the vial 36. Elegantly, the infill strip 72 matches the thickness of the central panel 26 and is suitably made of the same high-quality material so as to present a substantially flush, uniform upper surface once the insert 62 is in place.
A distal end 76 of the infill strip 72 overlaps the part-circular cut-out 70 in the leading edge 68 of the body panel 64, and itself has a part-circular concave shape. The radius of curvature of that end 74 suitably matches the curvature of the inboard end of the slot 30 in the cover 24. On assembly, this defines a neat, substantially circular hole that accommodates the stem 52 of the bloom 54.
A proximal end 78 of the infill strip 72 extends orthogonally between the side edges 74 and may be level with a trailing edge 80 of the body panel 64 as shown in Figures 10 and 12, although it may instead substantially overlap that edge 78 as shown in Figures 15 and 16. The length and positioning of the infill strip 72 is such that when the part-circular cut-out 70 in the leading edge 68 of the body panel 64 encounters the neck 46 of the vial 36, the proximal end 76 of the infill strip 72 lies substantially flush with the adjacent edge 32 of the central panel 26 of the cover 24.
The body panel 64 of the insert 62 also supports a resilient block or pad 82, suitably of elastomeric foam, that is positioned centrally under a lower face of the body panel 64. The thickness of that pad 82 approximates to the height of the neck 46 above the upper face 42 of the vial 36. Thus, the pad 82 supports the insert 62 and hence the central panel 26 of the cover 24 by resting on top of the vial 36 outboard of the neck 46, and urges the infill strip 72 upwardly into flush engagement with the slot 30 in the central panel 26. The pad 82 also bears down onto the upper face 42 of the vial 36 to hold the vial 36 against the base 12 of the support 10 at the bottom of the recess 14.
Figures 13 to 18 show an assembly sequence for bringing together the components described above.
Firstly, Figure 13 shows the cover 24 placed on top of the walls 16, 18 of the support 10, with the slot 30 extending along the recess 14 between the side walls 16 of the support 10. The cover 24 can simply rest on top of the support 10 or may be glued on its underside to the support 10 around the C-shaped upper edge 20 defined by the walls 16, 18 of the support 10.
Next, when satisfied that an effective seal has been established between the stem 52 of the bloom 54 (shown here in dotted lines), the stopper 48 and the neck 46, Figure 14 shows the vial 36 being placed into the recess 14 under the cover 24. The vial 36 is inserted through the open end of the recess 14 defined between the side walls 16 of the support 10 and hence slides in a direction parallel to the slot 30 in the cover 24.
The stem 52 of the bloom 54 that protrudes from the vial 36 therefore slides along the slot 30 until a leading end of the vial 36 reaches the end wall 18 of the support 10, which defines the limit of insertion. The trailing end of the vial 36 then lies substantially level with the ends of the side walls 16 of the support 10, just within the perimeter of the base 12 of the support 10 when viewed from above.
The stem 52 then lies close to the inboard end of the slot 30 as shown in Figure 15, holding the head 56 of the bloom 54 substantially centrally over the central panel 26 of the cover 24.
Figure 15 also shows the insert 62 about to be slid between the cover 24 and the vial 36, which process has been completed in Figure 16. Here, the part-circular cut-out 70 in the leading edge 68 of the body panel 64 has engaged the neck 46 of the vial 36 and the infill strip 72 has substantially filled the slot 30, leaving the proximal end 78 of the infill strip 72 level with the adjacent edge 32 of the central panel 26 of the cover 24.
Figure 17 shows the resulting assembly being placed into an open-topped rigid housing or bottom shell 84 of a presentation box. The bottom shell 84 in this example is substantially square in top view to match the support 10 but, like the support 10, could have another shape such as an oblong.
The base 12 of the support 10 fits snugly between the side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84 and may be held in place there by gravity, by an interference fit, by friction, by adhesive or by any combination of these. The flaps 28 surrounding the central panel 26 of the cover 24 are also received within the side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84 and may also be held in place there by an interference fit, by friction and/or by adhesive.
The depth of the skirt defined by the flaps 28 may be varied from that shown so as to suit the mode of attachment of the cover 24 to the bottom shell 84. For example, the depth of the skirt may be increased to maximise frictional contact with the side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84. Such a variant is shown in Figures 21 and 22, to be described later.
Elegantly, as shown in Figure 18, the central panel 26 of the cover 24 then preferably lies substantially flush with the tops of the side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84. Thus, the combined height of the support 10 and the cover 24 substantially matches the internal height of the side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84. The support 10 and the vial 36 are concealed under the cover 24 and within the surrounding side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84.
When the assembly of the support 10, the vial 36, the cover 24 and the insert 62 has been placed into the bottom shell 84, the side walls 86 of the bottom shell 84 help to hold the vial 36 relative to the support 10 and the insert 62 relative to the cover 24.
To complete the presentation box of the invention, a complementary rigid hollow top shell or lid may then be placed over the bottom shell 84 while maintaining a headspace within the box to accommodate the head 56 of the bloom 54 without crushing. The box is apt to be delivered by mail or by courier while preserving and protecting the bloom 54 in transit. Optionally, the box may be encircled by a ribbon to hold the box closed and may be surrounded by a protective outer box or wrapper for transit.
Figures 19 and 20 show a variant of the completed presentation box 88, in which a top shell 90 seats onto a shoulder 92 that surrounds the bottom shell 94. This preserves the necessary headspace within the box 88 to accommodate the head 56 of the bloom 54. When closed as shown in Figure 18, the box 88 can be dispatched for delivery. On being opened by a recipient at its destination, the top shell 90 is lifted from the bottom shell 94 as shown in Figure 20 to reveal the head 56 of the bloom 54.
The central panel 26 of the cover 24 forms a backdrop for the head 56 of the bloom 54, presenting the bloom 54 to its best advantage like a piece of jewellery. The bloom 54 may then be displayed in the open box 86 for several days while being sustained by the liquid 60 in the vial 36. So, the recipient enjoys the surprise and delight of receiving a beautiful gift in an unconventional format. The recipient also enjoys ongoing pleasure from seeing the bloom 54 kept in good condition for a considerable time after delivery, without having to take additional steps to prepare or to care for the bloom 54.
Eventually the bloom 54 will die and so can be discarded. The support 10, vial 36, insert 62 and cover 24 can then be removed and recycled, as can the top and bottom shells 90, 94 of the box 88. Alternatively the recipient can keep the top and bottom shells 90, 94 of the box 88 for re-use as a high-quality container.
Turning finally to Figures 21 and 22, these drawings show a cover 96 that is a variant of the cover 24 shown in Figure 3. Otherwise, like numerals are used for like features.
In this variant, the integral fold-down flaps 28 that surround and extend orthogonally from the central panel 26 of the cover 96 are deeper than the flaps 28 shown on the cover 24 of Figure 3. Advantageously, as shown in Figure 22, the skirt defined by these deeper flaps 28 extends down far enough from the panel 26 to sit on top of a flange 98 at the bottom of the support 10. The flange 98 is integral with, and protrudes outwardly from, the bottom of the side and end walls 16, 18 of the support 10.
The enlarged flaps 28 bear against the flange 98 of the support 10 to strengthen the assembly. Thus, the cover 96 may derive stability from the support 10 and may serve to hold the support 10 within the bottom shell of a presentation box. Enlarging the flaps 28 also increases the interface area between the flaps 28 and the surrounding bottom shell. This is also beneficial to strength, whether the attachment of the cover 96 to the bottom shell is effected by an interference fit, by friction and/or by adhesive.
In another arrangement, it would also be possible for the enlarged flaps 28 to bear instead against the internal or upper surface of a base panel of the bottom shell.
Many other variations are possible within the inventive concept. For example, whilst the resilience and impermeability of a stopper should be sufficient to avoid significant leakage of liquid from the vial in transit, it would be possible also to apply a sealant compound such as a silicone sealant to improve sealing. Such a compound could be injected between the bore of the stopper and the stem of a bloom and/or between the outside of the stopper and the neck of the vial. Similarly, a stopper may be deformed plastically, like a putty or a dough, to conform to and seal around one or more stems or to seal within the neck of the vial.
In case some minor leakage should occur in transit, it is advantageous for the support to be of liquid-absorbent material. This may be achieved by virtue of a porous or fibrous structure which, for example, characterises recycled moulded cardboard. It would be possible also, or instead, to place liquid-absorbent material such as silica gel beside the vial. The aim of both measures is to draw any moisture away from the exposed surfaces of the presentation box and so to maintain a high-quality appearance even if some internal leakage should occur.
Whilst it is advantageous for the support to be separate from the bottom shell of the box, it would be possible instead to integrate equivalent support formations with the interior of the bottom shell. Indeed, in a broad sense, it would also be possible to integrate the vial with the support or with the bottom shell to define an integral or self-supporting reservoir.
The box may be opened in various ways, for example by hinging movement of the top shell relative to the bottom shell rather than by removing the top shell. Also, the box may have various shapes and sizes. For example, the box could have an upright cylindrical shape of circular, elliptical, oval or prismatic cross-section.
Whilst the embodiment illustrated in the drawings has a single bloom and hence a single stem, multiple blooms and multiple stems may be accommodated within a box or other package of the invention. Thus, multiple blooms can be positioned and supported in relation to each other to form a floral arrangement that is revealed upon opening the package.
To support multiple blooms and stems, a vial or other reservoir could be provided with two or more openings, each surrounded by a respective tubular neck that receives a respective stopper and stem. Alternatively, two or more reservoirs could be provided side-by-side or end-to-end, each having a respective tubular neck that receives a respective stopper and stem. Another approach is for a single stopper to accommodate two or more stems that extend into the reservoir side-by-side. In that case, the stopper may be penetrated by two or more parallel bores; alternatively, a single bore may have a lobed cross-section to fit closely around two or more parallel bundled stems.

Claims

A package (88) for a floral product (54), the package (88) comprising:
an open-topped hollow rigid housing (84);

a reservoir within the housing (84) defined by a vial (36) that can be placed into the housing (84), the vial (36) having an upwardly-facing opening (44); and

a support (10) within the housing (84) that defines a recess (14) for receiving and supporting the vial (36);

the package (88) being characterised by a cover panel (24) that conceals the vial (36) in a compartment defined between the cover panel (24) and a base of the housing (84), the cover panel (24) being penetrated by at least one aperture (30) that communicates with the upwardly-facing opening (44) of the vial (36) in the compartment; and

the package (88) being further characterised in that the support (10) supports the vial (36) in the compartment and also supports the cover panel (24).
The package (88) of Claim 1, wherein the cover panel (24) is attached to one or more side walls (86) of the housing (84) upstanding from the base.
The package (88) of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the aperture is a slot (30) that opens to an edge of the cover panel (24).
The package (88) of Claim 3, further comprising an insert (62) that is configured to close an outer portion of the slot (30) while leaving a reduced aperture on an inner side of the insert (62).
The package (88) of Claim 4, wherein the housing (84) holds the insert (62) in the slot (30).
The package (88) of any preceding claim, wherein the vial (36) is shaped to be free-standing.
The package (88) of any preceding claim, wherein the vial (36) is elongate and the opening (44) is offset toward one end of the vial (36).
The package (88) of Claim 7, wherein the vial (36) can be placed into the housing (84) in either of two orientations, one of which places the opening (44) at an inboard position and the other of which places the opening (44) at an outboard position with respect to the cover panel (24).
The package (88) of any preceding claim, wherein the cover panel (24) is supported by the vial (36).
The package (88) of any preceding claim, wherein the opening (44) of the vial (36) is surrounded by a neck (46).
The package (88) of Claim 10 when appendant to Claim 9, wherein the cover panel (24) is supported by the neck (46) of the vial (36).
The package (88) of Claim 10 or Claim 11, further comprising a stopper (48) arranged to fit into the neck (46) of the vial (36) to seal around the opening (44), the stopper (48) having one or more bores (50) to communicate with the interior of the vial (36).
The package (88) of any preceding claim, wherein the recess (14) is open to at least one side of the support (10).
The package (88) of Claim 13, wherein the housing (84) closes the or each open side of the support (10) to hold the vial (36) in the recess (14).
The package (88) of any preceding claim, further comprising a hollow rigid lid (90) that is coooperable with the housing (84) to close the package (88) while leaving a headspace above the cover panel (24).