Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – With shipment package
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-08-14
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
With shipment package
C047S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272792
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a combination shipping and display container for various types of plants, including flowering plants, and more specifically is directed to an inexpensive, hollow, bottomless container used to ship and display seed balls containing plants of the above-mentioned types formed of an elongate strip of a printable material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As flowers and plants are often sent to individuals for various reasons, such as birthdays and anniversaries, it is necessary to place the plants within a container that protects the plants during shipment. In many cases, the plant to be shipped includes a seed ball. The seed ball is formed of an amount of soil bound about the roots of the plant by a breathable material, such as a piece of burlap. The seed ball enables the plant to survive the time period during which the plant is in transit.
In order to protect the seed ball during shipment, the seed ball is positioned within a container suitable for enclosing and preventing damage to the seed ball. Normally, these containers take the form of rigid flower pots that are used to display the plant after delivery as well as to protect the plant during shipment. However, due to the weight of a flower pot, containers of this type significantly increase the overall weight of the plant to be shipped. This increases the cost of shipping the plants to a point where the cost of sending a plant to someone becomes undesirably expensive.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a container for the shipment of a plant including a seed ball that is lightweight, but able to protect the seed ball during shipment, and that also may be used as an attractive display container for the plant after the delivery of the plant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shipping container for a plant that is lightweight in order to reduce the shipping costs normally associated with the shipment of plants.
It is another object of the invention to provide a container for the shipment of a plant which may also be used as an attractive display for the plant once delivered.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a container which is very inexpensive to manufacture, enabling a further reduction in the costs of shipping the plant.
The present invention is a hollow, bottomless shipping and display container for a seed ball. The container is comprised of a single strip of a resilient, printable material that includes a number of longitudinal wall sections extending substantially the length of the strip that are separated by fold lines positioned perpendicularly to the wall sections. The wall sections are folded about a first supporting wall section at one end of the strip to form a container of the desired shape. The strip also includes a closure tab disposed opposite the supporting wall section. When folded about an adjacent fold line, the tab engages the exterior surface of one wall section forming the container and enables the container to retain its shape when stressed, such as when a seed ball is positioned in the container, in order to frictionally grip the object in the container.
Furthermore, as the strip is formed of a resilient, printable material, each wall section of the support may also contain printed matter on the exterior surface of the wall section, enabling the container to provide a message or advertisement.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2079116 (1937-05-01), Gardner
patent: 2290117 (1942-07-01), Mulford
patent: 2340373 (1944-02-01), Gardner
patent: 2797041 (1957-06-01), Rondone
patent: 3035751 (1962-05-01), Brown
patent: 4400910 (1983-08-01), Koudstaal et al.
patent: 4662107 (1987-05-01), Van Den Kieboom
patent: 4863015 (1989-09-01), Toltzman
patent: 5029708 (1991-07-01), Alonso et al.
patent: 5332610 (1994-07-01), Weder et al.
Andrus Sceales Starke & Sawall LLP
Jakel Kevin
Poon Peter M.
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