FR2848796A1 - Ballast device for artificial flower pots is constituted from a mixture of sand and mineral material of great density than sand and placed in the body of pot - Google Patents

Abstract

The ballast for artificial flower (6) pots (1) is constituted from a mixture composed of sand (4) and a mineral material (5) of greater density than the sand. The ballast is placed in the pot body and a foam block (3) occupies the upper part of the pot.

Description

I

  The present invention relates to a device for ballasting pots for artificial flowers, and other similar floristry articles, such as cups, planters, barrettes, wreaths, etc. of all shapes and sizes. This invention relates, in general, to the field of floral decoration and, more particularly, to pots and other articles which include a block of foam, in which are stuck or "pricked" the stems of artificial flowers.

  Insofar as these floristry articles are placed in an external environment, they are subjected to bad weather, in particular to wind, and possibly also to shocks. It is therefore advisable to stabilize these articles, so as to avoid their overturning. untimely, for example in the event of a strong gust of wind To achieve this stabilization, the process usually used consists in ballasting the floristry items in question.

  A ballasting process consists of placing a ballast of sand in such a pot, or other similar container, below the block of foam. The sand here has the advantage of being able to be crossed by the stems of the artificial flowers, and of allowing the withdrawal and "transplanting" of the flowers, so as to be able to renew and modify the floral composition However, the partial filling of the pot with sand constitutes, taking into account the low density of the sand, a too light ballast, insufficient to ensure a good pot stability.

  Another known ballasting method consists of filling the pot with cement or plaster. The stability of the pot is thus improved, but, the flower stems being embedded in the cement or hardened plaster, it becomes impossible to remove and replace. these flowers, therefore to modify the floral composition. The present invention aims to eliminate these drawbacks, by providing an improved ballasting system which, while improving the stability of pots and the like, without increasing their volume, leaves the possibility of modifying the floral compositions.

  To this end, the invention relates to a device for ballasting pots for artificial flowers and other similar floristry articles, this device essentially consisting of a ballasting mixture composed, on the one hand, of sand and, on the other hand, a mineral material in divided form, with a density greater than that of sand.

  In the ballast mixture, the mineral material can in particular be a metal or a metal alloy or a metal oxide, or even another type of metal compound, in the form of powder, shot, grapeshot, filings or balls.

  These are, for example, iron filings, iron or steel balls, or even cast iron, possibly elements made of zinc or blende or sphalerite (zinc sulfide) or baryte (oxide of barium).

  It is also conceivable to use, as mineral material in the ballasting mixture of quartz, or else cement, in particular in the form of cement beads.

  In general, these mineral elements can have a thickness of between 0.5 mm and 3 mm approximately. Satisfactory results are obtained by providing, in the ballast mixture, a proportion by weight of the mineral matter of the order of 25% to 30%, the rest 15 being sand.

  In the case of a pot for artificial flowers or other similar container, such as a cup or planter, the ballasting mixture is placed in the volume delimited by the shell of the pot or the like, and by the underside of a block of foam. occupying the upper part of the pot or the like The ballasting mixture 20 thus takes the usual place of the ballast in sand.

  On the other hand, in the case of an article of floristry of the bar, crown or similar type, having a body produced as a foam block, the ballasting mixture is placed in a recess hollowed out in the lower part of said foam block. In this case, the ballast mixture is preferably placed between two wings of a profile, joined by a base face of the profile taking place at the level of the lower part of the foam block, this foam block coming to cap the assembly formed. by the profile and by the ballast mixture.

  Thanks to its characteristics, the ballasting device, object of the invention, has the following advantages: The use of a mixture, composed of sand and another material of higher density, makes it possible to ballast more strongly. a pot or other similar article of floristry, without increasing the volume of the pot and without modifying the structure of this pot itself.

  The material mixed with the sand being in a sufficiently divided form, it is always possible to "prick 'the stems of the artificial flowers in the ballasting mixture, to remove these flowers and to" transplant "others, to renew and modify the floral composition, reusing the same pot.

  Depending on the proportions of the ballast mixture, it is possible to easily vary the total weight of a pot, in order to provide more or less heavily weighted pots.

  The ballast mixture is obtained from common, particularly economical materials. Thus, the sand which remains the majority component of this mixture can be sea, river or quarry sand. As for the other component, if it is for example iron filings or a similar material, this may be a recovery or recycling material, commonly available in the industry.

  Since the grain size of the sand is usually smaller than the average size of the elements of the other component, the 15 grains of sand fill the interstices between the elements of the other component, which makes it possible to obtain maximum ballast density, while improving its cohesion.

  Overall, the ballasting device that is the subject of the invention thus makes it possible to economically obtain pots and other particularly stable floristry items 20, therefore resistant to wind, and nevertheless reusable at will. Anyway, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing representing, by way of examples, some embodiments of this ballasting device: FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section of a pot for artificial flowers, with ballasting device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, with indication of "stung" flower stems in the pot; Figure 3 is a perspective view in section of a bar 30 for floral decoration provided with the ballasting device according to the invention; FIG. 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the bar of FIG. 3.

  In Figures i and 2 is shown a pot 1 for artificial flowers, which includes a rigid outer shell 2 Inside the shell 2, in the upper part of the pot 1, is placed a block of foam 3, in particular a block of polyurethane foam, in the general shape of a disc of a certain thickness, anchored by its periphery to the inside of the shell 2.

  In the central and lower part of the pot 1, more particularly in the volume delimited by the shell 2 and by the lower face of the block of foam 3, is put in place a ballast which is constituted by a mixture of two components 4 and 5 , symbolized respectively by small dots and small circles.

  The first component 4 of the ballast mixture is sand The second component 5 of this mixture is a mineral material in divided form 10, metallic or otherwise, of density greater than that of sand.

  As illustrated in Figure 2, the stems 6 of artificial flowers can be "pricked" through the foam block 3 and also sink to a certain depth in the ballast mixture 4-5 described above These flowers can be removed , and replaced by other "transplanted" flowers in the same pot 1.

  For example, in the ballast mixture, the second component 5 is iron filings, or iron balls, the proportions of the mixture being able to vary.

  For a pot 1 with a volume of two liters for example, using a mixture of 75% sand and 25% filings or iron balls, the total weight of the pot is approximately 3.65 kg.

  For the same pot 1, using a mixture of 70% sand and% metal filings or iron balls, the total weight of the pot is approximately 4.67 kg.

  By way of comparison, a jar with a volume of two liters, ballasted in a conventional manner only with sand, has a weight of approximately 2.13 kg, therefore a weight clearly less than the weight of a jar ballasted with the mixture. recommended by the present invention.

  In the case of a pot always of a volume of two liters, but ballasted with cement, as currently proposed by some resellers, the weight obtained is approximately 4.55 kg, but in this case we lose the possibility of replacement of flowers.

  Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the application of the invention to a bar for floral decoration, such as those used in the field of mortuary decoration.

  The bar shown has an elongated body made as a foam block 7, provided with an elongated recess 8 hollowed out in its lower part. The recess 8 receives a ballasting device, constituted by a profile 9 and by the ballasting mixture.

  The profile 9 has a base face 10, and two parallel wings 11, spaced As indicated in 12, the wings 11 have on their outer faces ribs or grooves, for anchoring the foam of the block 7. The mixture of ballasting, consisting of two components 4 and 5 (as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2), is placed between the two wings 11 of the profile 9.

  The bar described above can be manufactured by first preparing the profile 9 with the ballasting mixture 4-5, then by overmolding this assembly with the foam to form the foam block 7, the overmolding operation being carried out in a suitable mold and leading to the anchoring of the foam block 7 on the profile 9.

  When using this bar, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the stems 6 of the artificial flowers are inserted through the block of foam 7 and also into the ballasting mixture 4-5, these flowers also being able to as previously described, be removed and replaced.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this ballasting device which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and of applications respecting the same principle.

  It is thus, in particular, that one would not depart from the scope of the invention: by modifying the proportions of the ballast mixture; by replacing, in this mixture, the iron filings or balls by any analogous mineral manner, metallic or not, in sufficiently divided form: grains, powder, scrap, filings, balls or various fragments, of metal, alloy, oxide, quartz, cement beads, etc; by applying the same ballasting system to pots of all capacities, or other similar containers, of various shapes and volumes, such as bowls and planters, usually used in the field of floral decoration; on the principle of the bar previously described, also applying the same ballasting system to similar floristry articles, such as crowns and crosses used for mortuary decoration, or to other articles of the same kind, which may have the most diverse shapes and sizes, and intended for all uses of floral decorations.

Claims (5)

  1 Ballasting device for pots for artificial flowers, and other similar floristry articles, characterized in that it consists of a ballasting mixture composed, on the one hand, of sand (4) and, on the other part, of a mineral matter (5) in divided form, of density greater than that of sand (4).   2 ballasting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the ballasting mixture, the mineral material (5) is a metal or a metal alloy or an oxide or other metallic compound, in the form of powder, shot, scrap metal , filings, logs.   3 ballasting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the ballasting mixture, the mineral material (5) is cement, in particular in the form of cement beads.   4 ballasting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the ballasting mixture, the mineral material (5) is quartz. 20 ballasting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in the ballasting mixture, the proportion by weight of the mineral material (5) is of the order of 25% to 30%, the rest being sand. 6 ballasting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the case of a pot (1) for artificial flowers (6) or other similar container, such as cup or planter, the mixture of ballasting (4-5) is placed in the volume delimited by the shell (2) of the pot (1) or the like, and by the underside of a block of foam (3) occupying the upper part of the pot (1) or the like.   7 ballasting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the case of a floristry article of the kind 35 bar, crown or the like, having a body made as a block of foam (7) , the ballasting mixture (4-5) is placed in a recess (8) hollowed out in the lower part of said foam block (7) 8 Ballasting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the ballasting mixture (4 -5) is placed between two wings (11) of a profile (9), joined by a base face (10) of the profile taking place at the lower part of the foam block (7), this foam block (7) covering the assembly formed by the profile (9) and by the ballasting mixture (4-5).