Special receptacle or package – For a plant – flower – or tree
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-01
2003-05-13
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For a plant, flower, or tree
C206S490000, C224S572000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561353
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to receptacles adapted for securing in an upright position vases, pots, and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to such receptacles having further adaptations for securing vases and pots upon car seats.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commercial retail floral shops commonly engage in over the counter sales to consumer customers of bouquets of flowers contained within glass or pottery vases. Typically, such customers will carry a vase containing a bouquet away from the flower shop in an automobile. Where the automobile transports a passenger in addition to a driver, the passenger may conveniently manually support the vase and bouquet in an upright position upon the automobile's seat. Where there is no passenger to perform such function, the vase and bouquet is difficultly supported in an upright position by the driver while occupied with driving.
The instant inventive apparatus and method provides means for supporting such bouquet and vase upon a automobile's seat without the assistance of a passenger, and without occupying and distracting the vehicle's driver. Such objectives are achieved by providing a panel board constructed vase receiving receptacle having a car seat engaging panel for securely positioning the receptacle, and vase and bouquet contained therein, upon a car seat.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The vase holding apparatus of the instant inventive apparatus and method comprises a ceiling panel having a forward end, a rearward end, a right end, a left end, and having an annular inner edge, said edge defining a vase receiving aperture. Preferably, the ceiling panel is substantially square, and preferably the vase receiving aperture is circular, having a diameter between four inches and six inches for acceptance of common vase widths. A plurality of triangular vase centering panels are preferably pivotally attached to the annular inner edge of the vase receiving aperture by means of living hinges, such attachments arranging the vase centering panels so that they are radially spaced around the periphery of the vase receiving aperture, and so that they extend inwardly.
A further element of said apparatus comprises a front wall panel having a upper end, a lower end, a right end, and a left end; the upper end of the front wall panel being pivotally attached to the forward end of the ceiling panel by a living hinge. Preferably, the front wall panel is trapezoidal, having parallel upper and lower ends, the lower end being wider than the upper end, and the upper end being centered over the lower end.
A further element of said apparatus comprises a rear wall panel having an upper end, a lower end, a right end, and a left end, the upper end of the rear wall panel being pivotally attached to the rearward end of the ceiling panel by means of a living hinge. The rear wall panel preferably has a shape and a size identical to those of the front wall panel.
A further element of said apparatus comprises a first floor panel having a forward end and a rearward end; the forward end of the floor panel being pivotally attached to the lower end of the front wall panel by means of a living hinge. Preferably, the floor panel is substantially square.
A further element of said apparatus comprises a car seat engaging panel having a forward end and a rearward end, the car seat engaging panel being pivotally positioned at the lower end of the rear wall panel by means of a living hinge. The forward end of the car seat engaging panel may be suitably hingedly attached to the rearward end of the first floor panel. Suitably, though less desirably, where third and fourth floor panels as described below are provided, the forward end of the car seat engaging panel may be hingedly attached to either of the rearward ends of such floor panels. Preferably, the forward end of the car seat engaging panel is attached by a living hinge to the lower end of the rear wall panel. Preferably, the car seat engaging panel has a shape and size identical to those of the first floor panel.
A final structural element of the instant inventive vase holding apparatus comprises attaching means adapted for, upon downward pivoting motion of the forward and rear wall panels respectively about their hinged attachments to the ceiling panel, and upon rearward pivoting motion of the first floor panel about its hinged attachment to the lower end of the front wall panel, positioning the rearward end of the first floor panel at the lower end of the rear wall panel. Suitably, such attaching means may comprise “VELCRO” hook and loop pads which may be respectively attached, for example, to the rearward end of the first floor panel and to the lower end of the rear wall panel. Also suitably, such attaching means may comprise an adhesive. Suitably, though less desirably, said attaching means may comprise metal staples. Numerous other attaching means having varying levels of suitability may be utilized for positioning the rearward end of the first floor panel at the lower end of the rear wall panel, all such means falling within the scope of the invention. Preferably, said attaching means comprises a tab panel pivotally attached to the rearward end of the first floor panel by a living hinge, the tab panel being extendable into and through a tab receiving slot situated at the lower end of the rear wall panel. Preferably, such slot is partially co-extensive with the preferred living hinge attachment of the car seat engaging panel to the rear wall panel, such slot constituting a break in such living hinge.
Method steps which are preferably executed in assembly of the inventive vase holder comprise pivotal downward movements of the front and rear wall panels with respect to the ceiling panel, such motions preferably positioning said wall panels so that the side profile of the vase holder matches the preferred trapezoidal shapes of the front and rear wall panels. Thereafter, where the car seat engaging panel is hingedly attached to the lower end of the rear wall panel, the car seat engaging panel is extended rearwardly therefrom. The first floor panel is then rotated downwardly and rearwardly, and the attaching means is utilized to fixedly position the rearward end of the first floor panel at the lower end of the rear wall panel.
Execution of the above method steps configures the vase holder to include at least a ceiling, a floor, a front wall, and a rear wall, they together defining a vase receiving space, and to include a rearwardly extending car seat engaging panel. Upon such configuration, usage steps include rearward extension of the car seat engaging panel into a cleft which commonly exists at the juncture of a car seat bench and a car seat back rest. Such extension allows upholstered surfaces of the car seat at such cleft to securely hold such panel. Such engagement securely positions the vase holder (and a vase and bouquet contained therein) upon the upper seating surface of the car seat.
While many car seats form a cleft which will securely receive a single thickness of cardboard or other sheet material, some include a slight gap between the lower edge of the car seat's back rest and the upper surface of the rear of the car seat's bench. In order to allow such gapped clefts to securely receive the car seat engaging panel of the instant inventive vase holder, such panel preferably comprises a plurality of thickness adjusting panels connected in series by a plurality of living hinges, such panels and hinges allowing the rear end of the car seat engaging panel to be folded into a multiple thickness stratum for secure engagement with such gapped cleft.
Upon completion of the assembly and installation steps described above, a vase containing a bouquet of flowers may be inserted downwardly through the vase holder's vase receiving aperture, allowing the base of the vase to rest upon the upper surface of the first floor panel. Upon such insertion, the vase centering panels lining the vase receiving aperture prevent tipping of the vase with respect to the va
Levieux Deborah
Rouse Robyn
Bui Luan K.
Davis & Jack, LLC
Jack Kenneth H.
Levieux Deborah
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