GB2167045A

GB2167045A - Container for cut flowers

Info

Publication number: GB2167045A
Application number: GB08429407A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frederick William Paton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-11-21
Filing date: 1984-11-21
Publication date: 1986-05-21
Also published as: GB8429407D0; GB2167045B

Abstract

A container for use in transporting cut flowers comprising a base (10) having upwardly extending outwardly inclined side walls (11), said base being provided with troughs (13) for containing liquid in which the bottom ends of the stems of the flowers are received, the upper end of the walls (11) being provided with handles (14) which can be moved about a pivot (15) between a position in which they extend across the container to support a similar container stacked thereon and a position in which they extend down the side walls (11) to allow another similar container to be nested in the container when empty. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container for cut flowers This invention relates to a container for use in transporting cut flowers in bulk.

It is known to transport cut flowers in cardboard boxes, but the flowers tend to wither if kept in the boxes for long periods without water. In order to overcome the deficiency of cardboard boxes, it is known to place the flowers in a disposable bucket placed in the bottom of a container, the bucket containing a liquid for feeding the flowers during transportation. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the bucket is liable to tip during transportation, thus spilling the liquid. The cardboard boxes have a very short life (often only one trip) and are expensive. It is also known to provide a container with a tray in its bottom for holding liquid, but again the liquid is lost if the container is tipped.

According to the present invention there is provided a container for use in transporting cut flowers, comprising a base from which extends an upwardly extending wall or walls which is or are outwardly inclined to enable the container to be nested within a similar container when empty, said base being provided with a trough or troughs for holding a quantity of liquid into which the bottom portion of the stems of the flowers are received when placed in the container, the upper end of the wall or walls being provided with handles which can be moved between a position in which they extend across the container and are capable of supporting another container stacked thereon and a position in which they extend down the side of the container and allow another container to be nested therein when empty.

Preferably the container is rectangular in plan view.

Preferably there is an arrangement to prevent the containers from locking together when nested.

By providing the liquid in a trough or troughs instead of the container having a flat bottom reduces the quantity of liquid required for a given depth of liquid in which the stems are received and this reduces the weight of the container in use and the cost of the liquid which may contain a preservative or other expensive material used for treating the blooms.

Such containers are suitably dimensioned so that a filled container can be lifted by one man and the dimensions are such that they can fit closely sideby-side in a standard size of vehicle body with minimum loss of load space.

Preferably the container is formed by a plastics injection moulding process, but it may be made of a fibre-reinforced plastics material.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single Figure is a diagrammatic perspective view of a container according to the present invention.

The container comprises a base 10 and upwardly extending side walls 11, which are outwardly inclined. The base 10 is stepped at 12 and is provided with two parallel troughs 13. At its upper end the container is provided with two handles 14, which are pivoted at 15 to opposed side walls 11 and are movable about the pivot 15 from a position, shown in full lines, in which they extend across the upper end of the container and a position, shown in broken lines, in which they extend down the side of the container. When the handles 14 extend across the upper end of the container they serve to support another similar container stacked thereon. When stacked, the stepped recesses 12 of the upper container engage the handles 14 of the lower container and therefore the two containers are restrained against relative transverse movement.In use of the container, liquid, such as water, is contained in the troughs 13 and the bottom ends of stems of cut flowers are received in the troughs 13. The troughs 13 may be sub-divided into compartments to prevent the liquid from surging during transportation. The troughs may have baffles, e.g. horizontal flanges (not shown), to prevent the liquid from slopping up the sides and/or ends of the container. It will be appreciated that the base 10 may be provided with only one trough or it may have two or more troughs.

The container as illustrated is rectangular in plan view, but it may be circular or elliptical in plan view.

The container may be provided with a lid.

1. A container for use in transporting cut fiowers, comprising a base from which extends an upwardly extending wall or walls which is or are outwardly inclined to enable the container to be nested within a similar container when empty, said base being provided with a trough or troughs for holding a quantity of liquid into which the bottom portion of the stems of the flowers are received when placed in the container, the upper end of the wall or walls being provided with handles which can be moved between a position in which they extend across the container and are capable of supporting another container stacked thereon and a position in which they extend down the side of the container and allow another container to be nested therein when empty.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the base is provided with two or more parallel troughs.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the or each trough is sub-divided into compartments.

4. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each trough is provided with horizontal baffles.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the base is stepped at each end, the stepped portions fitting over a handle of a similar container when stacked thereon.

6. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, which in plan view is rectangular.

7. A container as claimed in any one of claims

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Container for cut flowers This invention relates to a container for use in transporting cut flowers in bulk. It is known to transport cut flowers in cardboard boxes, but the flowers tend to wither if kept in the boxes for long periods without water. In order to overcome the deficiency of cardboard boxes, it is known to place the flowers in a disposable bucket placed in the bottom of a container, the bucket containing a liquid for feeding the flowers during transportation. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the bucket is liable to tip during transportation, thus spilling the liquid. The cardboard boxes have a very short life (often only one trip) and are expensive. It is also known to provide a container with a tray in its bottom for holding liquid, but again the liquid is lost if the container is tipped. According to the present invention there is provided a container for use in transporting cut flowers, comprising a base from which extends an upwardly extending wall or walls which is or are outwardly inclined to enable the container to be nested within a similar container when empty, said base being provided with a trough or troughs for holding a quantity of liquid into which the bottom portion of the stems of the flowers are received when placed in the container, the upper end of the wall or walls being provided with handles which can be moved between a position in which they extend across the container and are capable of supporting another container stacked thereon and a position in which they extend down the side of the container and allow another container to be nested therein when empty. Preferably the container is rectangular in plan view. Preferably there is an arrangement to prevent the containers from locking together when nested. By providing the liquid in a trough or troughs instead of the container having a flat bottom reduces the quantity of liquid required for a given depth of liquid in which the stems are received and this reduces the weight of the container in use and the cost of the liquid which may contain a preservative or other expensive material used for treating the blooms. Such containers are suitably dimensioned so that a filled container can be lifted by one man and the dimensions are such that they can fit closely sideby-side in a standard size of vehicle body with minimum loss of load space. Preferably the container is formed by a plastics injection moulding process, but it may be made of a fibre-reinforced plastics material. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single Figure is a diagrammatic perspective view of a container according to the present invention. The container comprises a base 10 and upwardly extending side walls 11, which are outwardly inclined. The base 10 is stepped at 12 and is provided with two parallel troughs 13. At its upper end the container is provided with two handles 14, which are pivoted at 15 to opposed side walls 11 and are movable about the pivot 15 from a position, shown in full lines, in which they extend across the upper end of the container and a position, shown in broken lines, in which they extend down the side of the container. When the handles 14 extend across the upper end of the container they serve to support another similar container stacked thereon. When stacked, the stepped recesses 12 of the upper container engage the handles 14 of the lower container and therefore the two containers are restrained against relative transverse movement.In use of the container, liquid, such as water, is contained in the troughs 13 and the bottom ends of stems of cut flowers are received in the troughs 13. The troughs 13 may be sub-divided into compartments to prevent the liquid from surging during transportation. The troughs may have baffles, e.g. horizontal flanges (not shown), to prevent the liquid from slopping up the sides and/or ends of the container. It will be appreciated that the base 10 may be provided with only one trough or it may have two or more troughs. The container as illustrated is rectangular in plan view, but it may be circular or elliptical in plan view. The container may be provided with a lid. CLAIMS

7. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, which is circular or elliptical in plan view.

8. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, provided with a lid.

9. A container for use in transporting cut flowers, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.