GB2308976A - Plant pot holder - Google Patents

Abstract

A plant pot holder 10 is formed from a single sheet of waterproofed, cardboard, material and providing external faces upon which decorative patterns may be printed. The holder is preferably of comparable height to a plant pot residing therein, and includes retaining means 25 which engage with the upper rim of the plant pot to securely attached the holder thereto. Decorative flaps extending from the upper edges of the sides may provide the retaining means as an integral part thereof. Adjacent folded wall parts may be adhered to one another.

Description

PLANT POT HOLDER The present invention relates to holders for plant pots which holders are suitable for retention of water and debris which may escape from the plant pot.

It is generally required that plant pots must be placed in or on a suitable container which will retain any water which may escape through holes in the base of the plant pot, and which can catch overspill of water or soil debris from the top of the pot.

In normal domestic use, plastic or ceramic trays or saucers are generally used. In some circumstances, where the pot is of cheap plastic design, full pot-height decorative ceramic plant pot holders are often used to conceal the plant pot.

During the display and sale of potted flowers or plants, the use of ceramic, full pot-height holders would normally be regarded as prohibitively expensive, while display and sale of the plant in the pot alone has the disadvantages of poor presentation and lack of provision for catching water. The use of separate saucers or cups also has a disadvantage in that the saucer may well become inadvertently separated from the plant pot.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant pot holder which is cheap to manufacture. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plant pot holder upon which suitable decorative designs or literary matter may be printed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plant pot holder which will remain in place around the plant pot when the plant pot is picked up and moved about.

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a plant pot holder formed of a single flexible sheet of waterproofed cardboard material folded to form a base portion, a plurality of side portions and connecting portions joining adjacent side portions, the connecting portions adapted to ensure that the lowest open end of a seam is at least threequarters of the way up a side of the plant pot holder.

According to another aspect the present invention provides a plant pot holder formed from a flexible sheet of waterproofed carboard material folded to form a base portion and a plurality of side portions, and including plant pot retaining means proximal to a top edge of a side portion which top edge is opposite to the base portion, said plant pot retaining means adapted to engage with an upper edge of a plant pot installed in the plant pot holder.

Throughout the present specification, the expression "cardboard" should be interpreted to include other similar materials having the requisite stiffness and foldability required for the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a plant pot holder according to the present invention, housing a plant pot therein; Figure 2 shows a side view of the plant pot holder of figure 1; Figure 3 shows a centre-line cross-sectional view of the plant pot holder of figure 1 with plant pot installed therein; Figure 4 shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of a plant pot holder according to the present invention; Figure 5 shows a centre-line cross-sectional view of the plant pot holder of figure 4, with plant pot installed therein; and Figure 6 shows an unfolded, planar cardboard blank for forming a plant pot holder similar to that of figures 1 to 3.

With reference to figures 1 to 3, there is shown a plant pot holder 10 according to one aspect of the present invention. A plant pot 5 resides therein. The plant pot holder 10 is formed from a stiff cardboard based material which is laminated on the inside surface thereof with a waterproofing material. Examples of this are polyethylene laminates which are known in, for example, the catering industry for the manufacture of fast-food packaging cartons.

The plant pot holder is preferably of square-based construction to suit circular pots, having sides 11,12,13,14 rising to a height approximately equal to the height of the plant pot to be installed therein.

On the four faces of sides 11-14 may be printed any suitable decorative design so that the plant pot holder may be appealing to the buyer. The sides may also be printed with suitable literary matter, eg. indicating plant name, care instructions etc.

At the top of each side of the plant pot holder 10 are formed decorative or plain flaps 16,17,18,19 which project upwards therefrom, but which are divided from their respective sides by two fold lines 20,21 on opposite sides of a curved shaped cut line 22. Thus, when a flap 16-19 is folded out of the plane of its respective side 11-14, the curved shaped cut line 22 enables the formation of a projecting lug 25. In the preferred embodiment, the curved shaped cut line extends over between one-third and one-quarter of the width of side, and is approximately centrally positioned along the side.

As shown most clearly in figure 3, when the flaps 16-19 are folded backward out of the plane of the respective sides, the lugs 25 project inwardly. The upper rim 31 of a plant pot 5 installed in the plant pot holder 10 is thereby retained under the lugs 25. Thus, even if the plant in the plant pot is picked up by the stem, the plant pot holder will stay in place.

As an additional advantage, it will be noted that an appropriate height of plant pot will serve to maintain the flaps 16-19 at a splayed angle to the respective sides, which feature may be desirable to maintain a decorative effect of the flaps. In particular, the flaps may be cut to ornate shapes, eg. symbolic of leaves or foliage in respect of which the splayed attitude is particularly suitable.

It will be recognised that the lugs need not be of curved shape, but could be square, rectangular or angular.

It will be recognised that although the container has been shown with lugs 25 on each of the four sides of the plant pot holder, the pot retaining feature of these lugs would still be effective were there fewer than four. In a presently preferred embodiment, only two lugs, on opposite sides of the plant pot holder, are formed. The lug or lugs generally embody a retaining means adapted to locate with an upper lip 31 of the plant pot 5 installed in the plant pot holder 10.

With reference to figures 4 and 5, an alternative arrangement will now be described. In this embodiment, no flaps are required, although these may be included if desirable for aesthetic reasons. Figures 4 and 5 show a plant pot holder 40 similar to plant pot holder 10, but at an upper extent and centrally of each of the sides 11-14 is formed a slit 42 into which an upper portion 30 of the plant pot 5 in the plant pot holder 40 is able to project, the slit 42 thereby engaging with the upper lip 31 of the plant pot.

Preferably, the sides of the plant pot holder 40 are slightly closer to a vertical plane than the sides of the plant pot, ensuring that a good engagement is obtained. Alternatively, the width of the plant pot holder 40 at the upper extent is made slightly smaller than the diameter of the upper lip 31 of the plant pot 5 such that the plant pot protrudes through the slit 42, and/or some flexing of the cardboard sides 11-14 occurs.

A preferred method of construction of the plant pot holder is described with reference to figure 6. The plant pot holder 10 is formed from a single sheet 50 of cardboard having at least one surface 51 laminated with a suitable waterproof or water resistant material. For the square-based plant pot holder 10 with decorative flaps and retaining lugs, the single sheet 50 is cut to have an outer shape as shown by solid line 52, with cut lines 53,54 to form two lugs 25 (or more if desired).

Fold lines are represented by dotted lines. To form the plant pot holder 10, the fold lines are used to fold portion Al onto portion A2; portion B1 onto portion B2; portion C1 onto portion C2; and portion D1 onto portion D2. In doing so, the sides 11,12,13 and 14 are effectively raised to their near vertical position (see figure 1) with respect to base portion 55. The reverse faces of portions A1 and B1 are then folded right back and adhered to the reverse face of portion E, and the reverse faces of portions C1 and D1 are folded right back and adhered to the reverse face of portion F.

The advantage of this configuration is that the lowest point of an open end of a seam which might leak fluid is at least two thirds of the way up the sides of the plant pot container, and will be defined by fold points 58. In the preferred embodiment, the open ends of the seams are over four-fifths (85 %) of the way up the sides. This is shown on figure 1 where the reverse faces of portions A1 and D1 are adhered to the reverse face of side portion E (side 12) such that the reverse faces of portions A2 and B2 are showing; the open ends of the seams are shown at 60, the lowsst point thereof indicated at 58.

Claims (14)

1. A plant pot holder formed of a single flexible sheet of waterproofed cardboard material folded to form a base portion, a plurality of side portions and connecting portions joining adjacent side portions, the connecting portions adapted to ensure that the lowest open end of a seam is at least three-quarters of the way up a side of the plant pot holder.

2. A plant pot holder according to claim 1 further including at least one plant pot retaining means proximal to a top edge of a side portion which top edge is opposite to the base portion, said plant pot retaining means adapted to engage with an upper edge of a plant pot installed in the plant pot holder.

3. A plant pot holder according to claim 2 including at least one flap extending from the top edge of the side portion, the flap separated from the side portion by a fold line along the top edge, and a cut line departing from the fold line axis.

4. A plant pot holder according to claim 3 in which the cut line extends along approximately the centremost one-third of the width of the side.

5. A plant pot holder according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the portion of the flap bounded by the cut line and the axis of the fold lines forms a lug.

6. A plant pot holder according to claim 2 in which the plant pot retaining means comprises a slot cut into the side.

7. A plant pot holder according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which at least two sides include said retaining means.

8. A plant pot holder according to claim 5 including a plant pot installed therein, the plant pot having an upper rim engaged beneath the lug, which lug extends inwardly from its respective side.

9. A plant pot holder according to claim 6 including a plant pot installed therein, the plant pot having an upper rim projecting through the slot.

10. A plant pot holder formed from a flexible sheet of waterproofed carboard material folded to form a base portion and a plurality of side portions, and including plant pot retaining means proximal to a top edge of a side portion which top edge is opposite to the base portion, said plant pot retaining means adapted to engage with an upper edge of a plant pot installed in the plant pot holder.

11. A plant pot holder according to claim 10 including at least one flap extending from the top edge of the side portion, the flap separated from the side by a fold line along the top edge, and a cut line departing from the fold line.

12. A plant pot holder according to claim 10 in which the plant pot retaining means comprises at least one slot cut into the side.

13. A plant pot holder substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A waterproofed cardboard blank sheet having cut lines and fold lines substantially as shown in figure 6.