FR2768038A1 - Grading, mounting and filling of flexible vase for cut flowers - Google Patents

Abstract

The cut flowers are placed in a flexible vase, which is supported mechanically by a ring holding the edges of the vase. An adjustable height plate under the bottom of the vase is raised or lowered to suit the volume of the bouquet. A flexible tube is inserted into the vase to fill it with water after the bouquet has been inserted. The ring is supported on flat aluminum rails (18,19,20) that slide horizontally, one relative to the other to adjust to different sizes of vase.

Description

 The invention relates to a device for calibrating, crimping and filling flexible vases for bouquets of cut flowers.

 Until now, only interior supports are known which allow the bouquet to be stabilized in a flexible sase. The calibration, crimping and filling operations are carried out by hand, which is physically very painful, even traumatic for the hands in the short term.

 The design of the flexible vase requires too much time manually for an unsatisfactory result in the regularity of the volume of the flexible vase, or also causes a loss of water during filling, which causes a lack of stability of the bouquet in its flexible vase.

 Unfortunately, the time and the difficulty of realization often push the florist to refuse this service.

 The object of the invention is to solve the drawbacks mentioned above by proposing a practical device which can be easily used by the entire profession of florists.

In accordance with the invention, this result is achieved with a device for calibrating, crimping and filling beautiful flexible vases, characterized in that it essentially comprises:
- a calibration plate,
- a crimping head,
- a mechanical body,
- a tube holder stock with a flexible tube fitted with a
rigid and smooth filling, with a solenoid valve and switch.

The interest will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. I is a general view of a device according to the invention,
- Figure 2 is a view of a calibration plate, - Figures 3a and 3b are top and side views of a head
crimping according to the invention,
- Figure 4 is a view of a mechanical body according to the invention.

- Figure 5 is a view of a tube holder stock according to the invention
- Figures 6a and 6b show fixing feet according to the invention
* We will refer to figure 1.

The device makes it possible to calibrate, to crimp and to fill with water flexible reference shaves, general (1) consists of a calibration plate (2), a crimping head (3), a body mechanical (4), a tube holder stock (5 days next to fixing feet (6).

 * We will refer to figure 2.

The calibration plate is in the form of an aluminum plate (7) on which a plastic container (8) is fixed and a centering pin (9) fixed in the center of the plate, the calibration plate being adjustable in height thanks to an adjustment system (10) and a bracket (1 1) sliding plate support on the fixing foot (6a).

* We will refer to figure 3-
The crimping head is formed of a rigid and fixed circle (17), of a flexible circle (13) which is located on the internal face of the rigid circle (12), of a plastic cover (14) coming to lock on the rigid circle (12), the said plastic cover (14) being provided with a window (15) intended to receive the locking spout (16) of the flexible circle (13) making it possible to maintain the latter horizontally and two guides (17) for a horizontal blocking of said flexible circle (13).

Two fixing lugs (35) make it possible to fix the rigid circle (12) on the mechanical body and horizontally. The crimping head has a link block (37).

 * We will refer to figure 4.

The mechanical body (4) is formed of four pieces (18,19,20,21) produced from flat aluminum profiles, namely a first base rail (18). a second rail (19) provided with a concave plastic end piece (22) hollowed out in its center in order to allow the flexible hoop (13) to pass, a third rail (20) sliding on the second rail (19) and sliding on the first base rail, a fourth rail (21) sliding on the third rail (20) and supporting the inner end of the flexible circle (13) of the crimping head (3), said mechanical body being actuated by a handle (34) articulated via an axis (23) on the fourth rail (21), an axis (24) joining the push bar (25) connected by an axis (26) to the third rail (20) and a adjustable stopper (27) for the second rail (19).

 * We will then refer to Figure 5.

 The tube holder stock (5) and fixed to the mechanical body (4) by an axis (38) which allows a rotary movement of said stock, a flexible tube (28) being held on said tube holder stock by rings ( 29), said flexible tube being provided with a rigid and smooth end piece (30), a solenoid valve (31) being fixed as well as a switch (32) on the base rail of the mechanical body.

 * We will then refer to Figures 6.

 The fixing foot (6) of the mechanical body (4) comprises a first fixing foot (6a) supporting the calibration plate and provided with a fixing (33a) on the work surface (36) and a second fixing foot (6b) provided with a fixing (33b) on the work surface (36).

The device (1) according to the invention makes it possible to carry out the following operations:
- the calibration of the flexible vase made thanks to the height-adjustable plate, saving time, regularity of the flexible vase obtained, working comfort avoiding medical problems due to tedious and long handling,
- The crimping of flexible vase carried out in a simple, regular, rapid and economical manner avoiding the physical problems due to the production of flexible vases which, until now, were made by hand, the device according to the invention being provided a mechanical crimping head (3) composed of a rigid circle (12) and a flexible retractable circle (13),
- filling the flexible vessel quickly and economically thanks to the solenoid valve system (31) and the tube holder stock (5), the filling tube being provided with a rigid and smooth end piece (30) which allows you to include it inside the vase before seaming and extract it. no problem after filling said vase. The result is still a saving of time and water on the finished product.

Claims (5)

 1. Device (1) for calibrating, crimping and filling flexible vessels with water, characterized in that it comprises  - a calibration plate (2),  - a crimping head (3),  - a mechanical body (4),  - a tube holder stock (5) comprising a flexible tube (28) provided with a rigid and smooth filling nozzle (30), a solenoid valve (31) and a switch (32),  - fixing feet (6).  2. Device according to claim l, characterized in that the calibration plate (2) is formed of an aluminum plate (7) on which is fixed a plastic container (8) and a centering pin (9) fixed to the center of the plate, the plate being adjustable in height thanks to an adjustment system (10) and a plate support bracket (11).  3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crimping head (3) is formed of a rigid and fixed circle (12), of a flexible circle (13) which is located on the internal face of the rigid circle (12) a plastic cover (J 4) blocking on the rigid circle, said cover (14) being provided with a window S) intended to receive the blocking spout (16) of the flexible circle (13) which holds the latter horizontally and two guides (17) for blocking said flexible circle (13) also horizontally.  4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical body (4) is formed of four parts in flat aluminum profile, a first base rail (18), a second rail (19) provided with a concave plastic end piece (22) and hollowed out in its center in order to allow the flexible circle (13) to pass, a third rail (20) fixed on the second rail (19) is sliding on the first base rail (18), a fourth rail (21) sliding on the third rail (20) is supporting the inner end of the crimping head fixed in the rail, being actuated by a handle (34) articulated via an axis (23) on the fourth rail, an axis (24) joining a push bar (25) retained by an axis (26) to the third rail (20) and an adjustable stop (27) for the second rail (19).  5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube-holder stock (5) comprises rings (29) holding the flexible tube (28), said flexible tube (28) being provided with a rigid and smooth end piece ( 30), said tube holder stock (5) being fixed to the mechanical body (4) by an axis (38) which allows a rotary movement of the stock, said tube holder stock (5) further comprising a solenoid valve (31 ) and a switch (32) on the base rail of the mechanical body.