GB2362569A

GB2362569A - A flower holder

Info

Publication number: GB2362569A
Application number: GB0012568A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Virginia Catherine Bliss
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-05-25
Filing date: 2000-05-25
Publication date: 2001-11-28
Also published as: GB0012568D0

Abstract

A flower holder is divided into at least two concentric compartments 17, 18 and 19, for the arrangement of flowers therein. The compartments may be coaxial (figs 1-6) and may have separate bases (11-13, fig 5) so they can also be used as separate containers (figs 4-6). The heights of the walls 21-26 of the compartments 17, 18 and 19 may vary progressively with the innermost tallest and the outermost shortest, (figs 2, 5 and 7) thus aiding the shaping of the floral decoration.

Description

Flower Holder This invention relates to a flower holder or vase.

2362569 Flower holders or vases are items in common use for displaying flowers or other vegetation. The sides of the flower holder help to support the stems of the flowers in a generally upright position, but the degree of support offered is not always sufficient for careful arrangement. Other means of support are therefore used. For example, an object which has vertical spikes or hollows may be placed within a flower holder, and the stems of flowers or other vegetation pressed onto the spikes or arranged in the hollows so as to keep the stems held in a generally upright position.

The present invention provides another means of supporting flowers through the form of the flower holder itself, without the need for additional devices. An advantage of the present invention is that it allows flower stems to be arranged easily in a variety of patterns. In one embodiment the flower holder, if desired, may also be used- as two or more independent conventional flower holders.

Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a flower holder which is divided into at least two separate compartments or partitions, formed by the presence within the flower holder of at least one substantially upright element or wall, which wall is positioned so that when the flower holder is viewed in horizontal cross section the upright element or wall encircles or otherwise encloses an inner area of the flower holder to form a compartment or partition, leaving a surrounding area outside the upright element or wall which in turn is encircled or otherwise enclosed, either by the outer wall of the flower holder if there are only two compartments, or by another interior wall if there are more than two compartments. such enclosed area forming the second compartment or partition, such second compartment in turn being- encircled or otherwise enclosed in a like manner if there is a further compartment or partition, and so on, each successive compartment or partition, if any, when viewed in horizontal cross section, surrounding the previous one; wherein each compartment is sufficiently wide along at least part of its length, and in the case of the innermost compartment, is sufficiently wide, for the stems of flowers or other vegetation to be accommodated comfortably therein, but at the same time sufficiently narrow for those stems to be supported in an upright or near upright position; said configuration of compartments aiding the arrangement of flowers or other vegetation within the flower holder, and in particular their arrangement in such patterns as may accord with the height, shape and disposition of the compartments.

Three particular examples of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG 1 shows a side perspective of the flower holder in an embodiment which has three concentric compartments. FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG 1 in vertical cross section. FIG 3 shows the embodiment of FIG 1 in horizontal cross section. FIG 4 shows a side perspective of the flower holder in an embodiment in which it can be disassembled into three independent units.

1 1 FIG 5 shows the Power holder of FIG 4 in vertical cross section. FIG 6 shows the flower holder of FIG 4 in horizontal cross section. FIG 7 shows a vertical cross section of the flower holder in an embodiment which has three compartments which are not concentric. FIG 8 shows the embodiment of FIG 7 in horizontal cross section.

FIGS 1-3 show an embodiment of the flower holder which is divided into three concentric compartments. The innermost compartment, 1, when viewed in horizontal cross section as in FIG 3, is surrounded by an outer compartment, 2, which in turn is surrounded by an outermost compartment, 3. As best seen in the vertical cross section in FIG 2, the innermost compartment, 1, is constructed from the base of the flower holder, 4, and the compartment wall,5, the outer compartment, 2, is constructed from the base, 4, and the compartment wall, 6; and the outermost compartment, 7, is constructed from the base, 4, and the compartment wall, 7.The wall of the outermost compartment is also the outer wall of the flower holder.

The gap between the wall 5 and the wal I next to it 6, and the gap between the wal 16 and the wall 7, is in each case sufficiently wide along the whole of its length for the stems of flowers or other vegetation to be accommodated comfortably therein, but sufficiently narrow for those stems to be supported in an upright or near upright position. The configuration of compartments aids the arrangement of flowers or other vegetation within the flower holder, particularly in a tiered and concentric pattern.

In this embodiment the walls of the compartments are vertical, and sinuous in outline when viewed in horizontal cross section as shown in FIG 3, so that the stems of flowers or other vegetation will tend to settle in those parts of the walls which are convex when viewed from within the flower holder. However, in other embodiments the walls of the compartments need not be vertical but may assume any form whether vertical or more or less sloping or a combination of these, provided that they offer sufficient support to the stems of flowers or other vegetation; and they may assume any form, not necessarily sinuous.

A second embodiment is illustrated in FIGS 4-6. This shows a flower holder which is divided into three concentric compartments, 8, 9 and 10, in which each compartment has a separate base, 11, 12 and 13, and with its walls 14 15 and 16, constitutes an independent unit. As best seen in the vertical cross section at FIG 5,to assemble the flower holder the compartments or units are nested one inside another so that the compartment or unit, 10, With the base 13), which is largest in area forms the outermost compartment. The wall, 16, of this compartment forms the outer wall of the flower holder. The compartment or unit, 9, with the base, 12, which is next largest in area nests inside the compartment, 10; and the compartment or unit, 8, with the base 11, which is smallest in area nests inside the compartment,9, forming the innermost compartment of the flower holder.

When desired, the flower holder may be disassembled into its three constituent compartments or units, in which state each unit can be used independently as a conventional flower holder.

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The gap between the wall 8 and the wall next to it 9, and the gap between the wall 9 and the wall 10, is in each case sufficiently wide along the whole of its length for the stems of flowers or other vegetation to be accommodated comfortably therein, but sufficiently narrow for those stems to be supported in an upright or near upright position. The configuration of the compartments aids the arrangement of flowers or other vegetation within the flower holder, particularly in a tiered and concentric pattern.

In this embodiment the walls of the units are vertical at their lower ends but along part of their length they slope outwards towards their upper ends, and the walls vary in height at different points along their length, so that each wall bears the appearance of a pair of leaves. However, in other embodiments the walls of the compartments may assume any form whether vertical or more or less sloping or a combination of these, provided only that the walls offer sufficient support for the stems of flowers or other vegetation; and they need not vary in height.

FIGS 7 and 8 show an embodiment in which the flower holder is divided into three compartments which are not concentric. The innermost compartment, 17,when viewed in horizontal cross section as in FIG 8, is surrounded by an outer compartment, 18, which in turn is surrounded by an outermost compartment, 19. As best seen in the horizontal cross section in FIG 8, the innermost compartment, 17, is formed from the base of the flower holder, 20, and the compartment wall, comprising two sections designated 21 and two sections designated 22'. The outer compartment, 18, is formed from the base, 20, and the compartment wall, comprising two sections designated 23 and two sections designated 24, and the outermost compartment, 19, is formed from the base, 20, and the compartment wall, comprising two sections designated 25and two sections designated 26. The gap between the sections of wall 22 and 24 and between the sections of wall 24 and 26 is sufficiently wide for the stems of flowers or other vegetation to be accommodated comfortably therein, but sufficiently narrow for those stems to be supported in an upright or near upright position. The gap between the sections of wall 21 and 23 and between the sections of wall 23 and 25 is too narrow to accommodate the stems of flowers or other vegetation. The configuration of the compartments aids the arrangement of the flowers or other vegetation within the flower holder, particularly in a tiered pattern.

In all the embodiments described the heights of the walls of the compartments vary progressively with the innermost tallest and the outermost shortest, thus aiding the distribution of the flowers or other vegetation in a pyramid shaped arrangement. In other embodiments the heights of the walls of the compartments may not vary, or may vary in different ways.

In all the embodiments described the flower holder is made of fired earthenware. However the flower holder may be made of other material, provided that at least the base and the wall of the outermost compartment, which is also the outer wall of the flower holder, are constructed of watertight material, such material being any used in this art. Where the flower holder is intended to be disassembled into three separate units, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS 4-6, the entire flower holder must be made of such material.

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Claims

1 A flower holder which is divided into at least two separate compartments or partitions, formed by the presence within the flower holder of at least one substantially upright element or wall, which wall is positioned so that when the flower holder is viewed in horizontal cross section the upright element or wall encircles or otherwise encloses an inner area of the flower holder to form a compartment or partition, leaving a surrounding area outside the upright element or wall which in turn is encircled or otherwise enclosed, either by the outer wall of the flower holder if there are only two compartments, or by another interior wall if there are more than two compartments, such enclosed area forming the second compartment or partition, such second compartment in turn being encircled or otherwise enclosed in a like manner if there is a further compartment or partition, and so on, each successive compartment, if any, when viewed in horizontal cross section, surrounding the previous one; wherein each compartment is sufficiently Wide in at least part of its length, and in the case of the innermost compartment, is sufficiently wide, for the stems of flowers or other vegetation to be accommodated comfortably therein, but at the same time sufficiently narrow for those stems to be supported in an upright or near upright position; said configuration of compartments aiding the arrangement of flowers or other vegetation within the flower holder, and in particular their arrangement in such patterns as may accord with the height, shape and disposition of the compartments.

2 A flower holder as in claim 1, wherein each compartment has a separate base so that it is capable of being separated from the other compartments or partitions and used independently as a conventional flower holder.

3 A flower holder as in claim 1, wherein at least two of the compartments or partitions have the same base and cannot be separated from each other.

4 A flower holder as in claim 1, wherein the heights of the walls of the compartments vary progressively with the innermost tallest and the outermost shortest, thus aiding the distribution of the flowers or other vegetation in pyramid shaped or other patterns.

A flower holder substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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