WO2015170977A1

WO2015170977A1 - Vase

Info

Publication number: WO2015170977A1
Application number: PCT/NL2015/050311
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marcel Willem VAN DER PLAS
Original assignee: Van Der Plas Marcel Willem
Priority date: 2014-05-06
Filing date: 2015-05-06
Publication date: 2015-11-12

Abstract

The invention relates to a vase, comprising a container (12) suitable for containing a plurality of flowers (13), said container (12) comprising a central longitudinal axis (17) and an opening (16) at an upper end thereof for receiving said flowers (13), wherein said container (12) is held in an inclined upward direction by a supporting means (18) such that the central longitudinal axis (17) extends in said inclined upward direction.

Description

VASE

The invention relates to a vase, comprising a container suitable for containing a plurality of flowers, said container comprising a central longitudinal axis and an opening at an upper end thereof for receiving said flowers.

Such a vase is known per se. Such a vase may for example be used for displaying flowers in a flower shop, at home, or at any other desired place. A disadvantage of such a vase is that the flowers are displayed in such a manner, that viewers have a clear view on the stems, but not on the petals.

It is an object of the invention to at least partially overcome the above described disadvantage. In particular it is an object of the invention to display flowers in such a manner that viewers or buyers may have a clear(er) view on the flowers.

This object is achieved by a vase according to the preamble, wherein said container is held in an inclined upward direction by a supporting means such that the central longitudinal axis extends in said inclined upward direction.

The stems of the flowers are supported in said inclined upward direction by said container, such that the petals of the flowers extend under an angle with respect to the horizontal. In such an orientation, the viewer may have a direct view on the petals and not or less on the stems. It is noted that the orientation upper is meant in a use position of the vase.

The vase may hereby be positioned such, that the container is inclined in a desired display direction.

In an embodiment of the vase according to the invention said opening extends under an angle with respect to the horizontal in the use position of the vase.

Such a vase offers the advantage that the inside and/or the content of the vase may also be better visible by a viewer or buyer.

In another embodiment of the vase according to the invention said supporting means are a mechanical supporting means.

Such mechanical supporting means offer the advantage of easily and/or constantly supporting said container in its inclined upward direction. The vase is thereby held inherently stable in its inclined position by said supporting means.

Said mechanical supporting means may comprise a support element extending from any surface, for example a circumferential or side surface, or example an upper surface, of said container, wherein said support element comprises a support zone or area that is arranged to be placed on a substantially horizontal surface on which the vase is arranged to be positioned. In such an embodiment at least a part of a bottom of the vase and said support zone or area are both arranged to be placed or positioned on a same substantially horizontal surface, wherein the support element supports the container in its inclined position with respect to said substantially horizontal surface on which the vase is positioned. Said at least part of the bottom of the vase and said support zone or area thus extend in one plane.

Said support element preferably at least partly extends from a part of the surface of the container that is at a certain distance larger than zero from said bottom. The larger the distance from the bottom the more stable the container may be held in its inclined position.

It is noted that the support element may explicitly not be a hook or the like with which the container may be hanged on or suspended from a surface.

Said supporting means may be integrally formed with said container.

Alternatively, said supporting means may not be integrally formed with said container. In such an embodiment the supporting means may for example be (removably) connectable to said container. Such a vase has the advantage that, for example for storing said vase, the supporting means may be removed from said container.

In yet another embodiment of the vase according to the invention, said container comprises a supply opening in its upper inclined surface in said use position for supplying water to said container, said supply opening being arranged near the upper end of the container.

Such a supply opening offers the advantage that the vase may easily be (re)filled with water. The supply opening is preferable formed in the upper inclined surface in said use position of the vase. This upper inclined surface is usually the surface with a relatively long length as compared to the lower inclined surface.

In yet another embodiment of the vase according to the invention, said container comprises positioning or centering means for positioning or centering a bouquet of flowers in the container.

An advantage of such positioning or centering means is that the bouquet of flowers may be held in a desired position, for example a center position, of said container.

Such positioning or centering means may for example comprise at least one element extending from an inner surface of said container and protruding inwards in said container.

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to figures shown in a drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a vase according to the prior art;

Figures 2 and 3 show a vase according to a first embodiment of the invention, wherein figure 2 is s side view and figure 3 is a frontal view;

Figure 4 shows a vase according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 shows a vase according to a third embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 6 shows a vase according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a vase 1 known per se. The vase 1 has a container 2 containing a plurality of flowers 3. The flowers 3 are inserted in said container 2 via an opening 6. Said flowers 3 comprise stems 4 and petals 5. The container 2 extends in a vertical direction. With such a vase, as is clear from figure 1, a viewer has a clear view on the stems 4, but not on the petals 5, which are usually the most beautiful part of the flowers.

Figures 2 and 3 show a vase 11 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The vase 11 has a container 12 containing a plurality of flowers 13 with stems 14 and petals 15. The flowers 13 are inserted in said container 12 via an opening 16. The container 12 extends in an inclined upward direction such that central longitudinal axis 17 and also the lower support wall 25 of the container 12 that supports the flowers 13 extend in said inclined upward direction. The lower support wall 25 is defined as the lower wall in the use position of the vase 11. The central longitudinal axis 17 extends under an angle a of approximately 50° with respect to the vertical y- axis and an angle β of approximately 40° with respect to the horizontal x-axis. The horizontal x- axis may be formed by the bottom 26 of the vase standing on a substantially horizontal support surface 19, for example a floor, table, cabinet, or the like on which the vase may be positioned and that supports the vase. That the container 12 is held in an inclined upward direction may thus also be seen as the container 12 being held under an angle β with respect to a bottom of the vase and/or with respect to a support surface in a use position of the vase.

The container 12 is supported in its inclined position by means of a mechanical support 18. The support 18 may be fixed to the container 12 or integrally formed therewith, as well as being releasably connected thereto. The mechanical support 18 supports the container 12 in a stable manner in its inclined position. As a result of said container 12 and especially the lower support wall 25 thereof extending in the inclined direction, the flowers 13 are supported by said container 12 in this inclined direction. With such a vase, as is clear from figure 3, a viewer may have a clear view on the petals 15. If no or less flowers 13 are contained in the container 12, the viewer may have a clear view on the inner side of the container 12, which inner side may be an aesthetically pleasing inner side. This is a result of the opening 16 extending under an angle of approximately 90° with respect to the horizontal x-axis or to the support surface 19. The mechanical support 18 comprises a support zone or area 27 that is placed on the support surface 19 on which the vase is positioned. The support zone or area 27 and the bottom 26 of the vase 1 extend in one plane, such that the vase 1 can be held stable in its inclined position on the support surface 19.

A supply opening 20 is provided in the upper inclined surface 22 of the container 12. The upper inclined surface 22 is defined as the upper surface in the use position of the vase 11. This upper inclined surface 22 is usually the long surface of the container 12, wherein the lower support wall 25 is usually shorter. Said supply opening 20 may be used for easily supplying water to said container 12, which supply opening 20 is arranged near the upper end of the container 12. The maximum water level of the water 21 contained in the container 12 is delimited by the opening 16 or the supply opening 20, whichever is arranged lowest seen in the vertical direction of the y-axis.

Figures 4 and 5 show a second and third embodiment of the vase 11 according to the invention. Only the differences with respect to the vase of figures 2 and 3 will be described and for a description of the other features of the vase the reader is referred to the description of figures 2 an d3. Similar reference numerals denote similar elements.

The vase 11 of figure 4 has an opening 16 extending under an angle 23 of approximately 20° with respect to the horizontal. The angles a and β of the central longitudinal axis 17 are approximately 45°. The support 18 has a slightly different form as compared to the support 18 of figure 2.

The vase 11 of figure 5 has an opening 16 extending under an angle 23 of approximately 30° with respect to the horizontal. The angles a and β of the central longitudinal axis 17 are approximately 45°. The support 18 has a slightly different form as compared to the support 18 of figure 2 and the support 18 of figure 4. The vase 11 further differs in that the container 12 comprises a bottom 24 that is not the bottom of the vase 11 , but extends at a distance from the bottom of the vase 11. The container 12 therefore has a more limited volume and a smaller length as compared to the vases 11 of figures 2 and 4.

Figure 6 shows a vase 1 with a container 12 having an element 28 extending from an inner surface of said container and protruding inwards in said container. Such an element 28 centers the bouquet of flowers in the container 12. The support element 18 is in this embodiment a rod-like element, extending from the outer surface of the vase 1 in the direction of the surface 19. The support element 18 thus has a relatively small support zone 27 that is placed on the surface 19 and that extends in the same plane as said bottom 26 of the vase 1.

It is noted that the invention is not limited to the shown embodiments but also extends to variants within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, it is clear from the figures that all angles α, β and 23 may be chosen as desired. For example, angle a may be chosen larger than 0°, for example between 10° and 80°, more in particular between 20° and 70°, even more in particular between 30° and 60°, even more in particular between 40 ° and 50°. Angle β may thereby be chosen smaller than 90°, for example between 80° and 10°, more in particular between 70° and 20°, even more in particular 60° and 30°, even more in particular between 50 ° and 40°. Angle 23 may be chosen between 0° and 90°, and is preferably larger than 0°, for example larger than 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70° or 80°.

For example, it is also clear that the shape and/or size of the support may be chosen as desired as long as it is suitable for supporting the container in its inclined position.

Claims

1. Vase, comprising a container suitable for containing a plurality, in particular a bouquet, of flowers, said container comprising a central longitudinal axis and an opening at an upper end thereof for receiving said flowers, characterized in that said container is held in an inclined upward direction by a supporting means such that the central longitudinal axis extends in said inclined upward direction.

2. Vase according to claim 1 , wherein said opening extends under an angle with respect to the horizontal in a use position of the vase.

3. Vase according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said supporting means are a mechanical supporting means.

4. Vase according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said supporting means are integrally formed with said container.

5. Vase according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said container comprises a supply opening in its upper inclined surface in said use position for supplying water to said container, said supply opening being arranged near the upper end of the container.

6. Vase according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container comprises positioning or centering means for positioning or centering said bouquet of flowers in the container.