Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6405871
-
Patent Number
6,405,871
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, August 30, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 18, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Dunlap Codding & Rogers PC
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 206 386
- 206 493
- 206 499
- 053 399
- 053 597
- 053 447
- 053 443
- 053 445
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International Classifications
-
-
Disclaimer
Terminal disclaimer
Abstract
An apparatus and method for shipping a plurality of preformed flower pot covers is provided. Each preformed flower pot cover including a base formed into a shape sized to receive a flower pot. The preformed flower pot cover having a closed lower end and an open upper end with an object opening extending therethrough for receiving the flower pot. The apparatus includes a container provided with a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sidewalls cooperating to define an inner packing compartment. Each of the top, bottom and sidewalls have an interior surface and an exterior surface. The apparatus includes at least a first stacking shell configured to receive the base of the preformed flower pot cover. The first stacking shell extending from the interior surface of the bottom of the container. The apparatus further includes at least a second stacking shell configured to be received in the object opening of the preformed flower pot cover. The second stacking shell extending from the interior surface of the top of the container.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the shipping of articles in a container, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved apparatus and method of shipping and transporting preformed flower pot covers.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Decorative covers for flower pots have been used for many years to accentuate or complement the aesthetic appearance of a floral grouping disposed in the flower pot. Such decorative covers are often preformed flower pot covers made by forming a flexible sheet of material into a shape adapted to receive the flower pot.
In the process of forming the sheet of material into the flower pot cover, a plurality of overlapping folds are formed in the material. The overlapping folds cooperate to form a base portion which provides structural strength to keep the preformed shape of the flower pot cover. In addition, flower pot covers are often formed to have a skirt portion which is designed to extend beyond the upper end of the flower pot and functions to cover the soil and the lower portion or stem portion of a floral grouping which can be unattractive and thus draw away from the attractiveness of the combination of the blooms of the floral grouping and the flower pot cover.
To ship flower pot covers after the forming process, a plurality of the preformed flower pot covers are typically stacked or nested relative to one another and the stack is placed in a cardboard box which is then closed and sealed. While the use of cardboard boxes have been widely accepted in the packaging and shipping of preformed flower pot covers, they are not without disadvantages.
For reasons of economy and efficiency, a large number of flower pot covers are stacked together and placed in a container for shipping. However, the base portion of the flower pot covers near the bottom of the stack become stretched and deformed from the weight of the remainder of the stack. The deformed flower pot covers are unattractive and do not properly form about the flower pot.
Also, shipping containers are frequently subjected to abuse during transport which disrupts the contents. When the stack of flower pot covers within the container shifts about the interior of the container, the skirt portion of the flower pot covers become matted and deformed while resting against one side of the shipping container. Flower pot covers with a deformed base and skirt are either repaired or discarded.
To this end, an apparatus and method of packaging preformed flower pot covers is needed that permits easy transport of a large quantity of flower pot covers while overcoming the disadvantages mentioned above. It is to such an apparatus and method that the present invention is directed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for shipping a plurality of preformed flower pot covers. Each preformed flower pot cover includes a base formed into a shaped sized to receive a flower pot. The preformed flower pot cover includes the base having an opened upper end, a closed lower end, object opening extending through the upper end, and a decorative skirt which extends angularly upwardly and outwardly from the upper end of the base. The apparatus includes a container provided with a top, a bottom, and a plurality of the preformed flower pot cover. The first stacking shell to receive the base of the preformed flower pot cover. The first stacking shell is disposed within the inner packing compartment and extends from the bottom of the container upwardly into the inner packing compartment. Additionally, the apparatus may further includes a second stacking shell configured to be received in the object opening of the base of the preformed flower pot cover. The second stacking shell is disposed within the inner packing compartment and extends from the top of the container.
The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a prior art preformed flower pot cover.
FIG. 2
is a partially cutaway perspective view of a shipping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention for use in transporting a plurality of preformed flower pot covers.
FIG. 3
is a partial cross-sectional view of the shipping apparatus of
FIG. 2
taken along line
3
—
3
thereof.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stacking shell of the shipping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5
is a partially cutaway perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus illustrating the use of a plurality of stacking shells with a plurality of stacks of preformed flower pet covers supported thereon.
FIG. 6
is a partially cutaway perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention for use in transporting a plurality of preformed flower pot covers.
FIG. 7
is a partial cross-sectional view of the shipping apparatus of
FIG. 6
taken along line
7
—
7
thereof.
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stacking shell of the shipping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9
is a partially cutaway perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus illustrating the use of a plurality of stacking shells with a plurality of stacks of preformed flow covers supported thereon.
FIG. 10
is a partially cutaway perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention depicting oppositely disposed stacking shells for use in transporting a plurality of preformed flower pot covers.
FIG. 11
is a partially cutaway perspective view of the shipping apparatus depicted in
FIG. 10
shown in an inverted position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus for packaging a plurality of preformed flower pot covers formed from a flexible sheet of material. The sheet of material used to form the flower pot covers is typically fabricated from a polymeric material selected from a group consisting of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, combinations thereof, or laminates of such polymeric materials. However, it will be appreciated that the sheet of material can be fabricated of paper, metal foil, cloth, denim, burlap, or laminates of such materials including laminates of one or more of such materials and polymeric materials, such as a laminate of paper and a polymeric material or metal foil and a polymeric metal. The sheet of material contemplated to be used with the present invention is also relatively thin having a thickness in a range from about 0.5 mil to about 30 mils, and the sheet of material is very flexible and flimsy so that the sheet of material will not normally maintain or hold a predetermined formed shape.
Referring now to
FIG. 1
, shown therein is a preformed flower pot cover
10
formed from a generally square-shaped sheet of material
12
. It should be understood that the sheet of material may be of any shape, such as circular or other suitable configurations. The preformed flower pot cover
10
includes a base
14
having an opened upper end
16
, a closed lower end
18
, an object opening
20
extending through the upper end
16
, and a decorative skirt
22
which extends angularly upwardly and outwardly from the upper end
16
of the base
14
.
The decorative skirt
22
includes four accentuated and sculptured flared petal-like portions
24
. Each flared petal-like portion
24
terminates with a pointed end which is formed by one of the four corners of the square-shaped sheet of material
12
. Further, each flared petal-like portion
24
extends a distance angularly upwardly and outwardly from the open upper end
16
of the base
14
terminating with the pointed end of the flared petal-like portion
24
. The flared petal-like portions
24
are spaced apart circumferentially about the decorative skirt
22
with the flared petal-like portions
24
being spaced apart at about ninety degree intervals, and a flare connecting portion
26
disposed between each pair of adjacent flared petal-like portions
24
. Each of the flare connecting portions
26
extends a distance angularly upwardly and outwardly from the open upper end
16
of the base
14
less than the distances which the pointed ends of the flared petal-like portions
24
extend from the open upper end
16
of the base
14
.
The object opening
20
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
is shaped and sized to receive a flower pot (not shown). When a flower pot is disposed in the object opening
20
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
, the base
14
substantially encompasses the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot extending generally between the open upper and the closed lower ends of the flower pot with the upper end
16
of the base
14
being disposed generally near the upper end of the flower pot and the closed lower end
18
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
being disposed generally near the lower end of the flower pot. The closed lower end
18
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
extends across and encompasses the lower end of the flower pot. When the preformed flower pot cover
10
is disposed about the flower pot, the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
extends a distance angularly upwardly and outwardly from the upper end of the flower pot and the preformed flower pot cover
10
extends generally circumferentially about the upper end of the flower pot.
The base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
includes a plurality of overlapping folds
28
. A substantial portion of the overlapping folds
28
extend at angles to a vertical direction and at angles to a horizontal direction, the various angles being arbitrary and varying from one overlapping fold
28
to another overlapping fold
28
. Further, the base
14
includes a plurality of overlapping folds
28
with the various overlapping folds
28
being positioned at various positions about the entire outer peripheral surface of the base
14
and at various positions between the upper and the lower ends
16
and
18
of the base
14
.
The overlapping folds
28
provide an overall decorative appearance to the base
14
. However, more significantly, the overlapping folds
28
provide a mechanical strength to the base
14
for enabling the base
14
to stand upright on the closed lower end
18
of the base
14
. In this manner, the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
has sufficient mechanical strength to stand upright about a flower pot without the necessity of mechanically connecting the base
14
to a flower pot, other than the connection normally provided when the lower end of a flower pot engages the closed lower end
18
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
when the preformed flower pot cover
10
is disposed about a flower pot. The base
14
has a height
29
extending from the closed lower end
18
to the open upper end
16
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. The preformed flower pot cover
10
has an overall height
30
from the closed lower end
18
of the base
14
extending to the upward most portion of the decorative skirt
22
.
The sheet of material
12
from which the preformed flower pot cover
10
is constructed is provided with a bonding material so that at least a portion of the overlapping folds
28
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
are bondingly connected so as to provide the desired structural strength to the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. A method and apparatus for producing the preformed flower pot cover
10
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,412, issued to Weder et al. on Jul. 9, 1991, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,072, issued to Weder et al. on Oct. 19, 1993, both of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
For aesthetic purposes, it is preferable that the decorative skirt
22
and particularly the flared petal-like portions
24
remain substantially free of bonded overlapping folds. Also, it is desirable that the flare connecting portions
26
also remain substantially free of bonded overlapping folds.
Referring now to
FIG. 2
, a shipping apparatus
50
for shipping a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The shipping apparatus
50
provides a simple and low cost device for packing and shipping a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
in a convenient and cost effective manner. The shipping apparatus
50
comprises an container
52
which has a plurality of sidewalls
54
which have been designated alphanumerically, for the sake of clarity, as the sidewalls
54
a,
54
b,
54
c,
54
d
and are constructed in substantially identical manner. The container has a top
56
and a bottom
58
. The plurality of sidewalls
54
, the top
56
and bottom
58
cooperate to define an inner packing compartment
59
. The container
52
may be a standard cardboard shipping box wherein the plurality of sidewalls
54
are constructed of a cardboard material which is substantially rigid and suitable for the demands of shipping. However, the container
52
may be a wooden crate, plastic carton or other substantially square or rectangularly formed device whereby the plurality of sidewalls
54
are formed from wood, plastic, or other suitable materials. Thus it can be seen that the sidewall
54
a
which is adjacent to the sidewall
54
b
is connected at a line
60
in a manner well known to shipping containers such as a fold in the cardboard material or attachment by fasteners or bonding materials of wood, plastic or other materials. The construction of shipping containers, such as the container
52
, are well known, therefore, no further description of the shipping container
52
is believed necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the method of construction and use of the container
52
of the shipping apparatus
50
of the present invention.
The shipping apparatus
50
is further provided with a stacking shell
66
which is disposed on an interior surface
62
of the bottom
58
of the container
52
. The stacking shell
66
extends upward from the interior surface
62
of the bottom
58
within the inner packing compartment
59
of the container
52
. The stacking shell
66
is configured to be disposed in the object opening
20
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
, described above, so that a stack of the preformed flower pot covers
10
may be stacked on the stacking shell
66
in an inverted position, as illustrated in FIG.
2
.
The stacking shell
66
may be constructed of any suitable material and configured in any desirable shape provided it is capable of supporting a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
. However, a preferable material is a light weight, durable plastic or cardboard and a preferable shape is frusto-conical whereby the preformed flower pot covers
10
, which are typically formed to have a frusto-conical shape for receiving a frusto-conically shaped flower pot, substantially conform to at least the contour of an upper portion of the stacking shell
66
. By way of example, the stacking shell
66
could alternatively be a flower pot or a cardboard tube or styrofoam form having the necessary size and configuration to support a stack of preformed flower pot covers.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the stacking shell
66
has a bottom end
68
, a top end
70
, a height
72
extending from the bottom to the top end
68
and
70
, and an interior base support member
74
extending between the bottom end
68
and the top end
70
. To provide more stability, the stacking shell
66
may be secured to the interior surface
62
of the bottom
58
of the container
52
in any suitable manner, such as with a bonding material, i.e. an adhesive, a cohesive, double-sided tape, and combinations thereof.
In operation, a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
are provided nested one within another to form a stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
. The object opening
20
of the lower most preformed flower pot cover
10
is disposed on the stacking shell
66
so as to provide support for and prevent crushing and damage to the decorative skirt
22
and base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
and each of the remaining preformed flower pot cover
10
in the stack of preformed flower pot cover
10
. Thereafter, the top end
70
of the container
52
is closed and sealed. The shipping apparatus
50
containing the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
can then be transported to a predetermined destination.
Referring now to
FIG. 3
, a cross-sectional view of the shipping apparatus
50
of
FIG. 2
taken along line
3
—
3
thereof is shown to more clearly illustrate the position of the preformed flower pot cover
10
on the stacking shell
66
. The frusto-conical configuration of the stacking shell
66
for supporting the frusto-conically shaped base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
can be more clearly seen. Additionally, the stacking shell
66
can be seen to be shaped and sized to be disposed in the object opening
20
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
while preventing contact of the decorative skirt
22
with the bottom
58
of the container
52
and thereby preventing damage to the decorative skirt
22
caused by contact with the interior surface
62
of the bottom
58
of the container
52
. Thus it can be seen that the stacking shell
66
is configured to substantially conform to the shape of the object opening
20
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
Upon providing a stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
, the preformed flower pot covers
10
are supported on the stacking shell
66
so that the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
is in a non-load bearing relationship with respect to the interior surface
62
of the bottom
58
of the container
52
. To prevent damage to the decorative skirt
22
it is necessary for the height
72
of the stacking shell
66
to exceed in measurement the height
30
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. In this manner, the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
maintains a position disposed substantially above the interior surface
62
of the bottom
58
and thus prevents damage to the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
Referring now to
FIG. 4
, a perspective view of another embodiment of a stacking shell
66
a
of the shipping apparatus
50
is shown. The stacking shell
66
a
may be formed from conventional flower pots. As such, the stacking shell
66
a
comprises a first flower pot
84
having an upper end
85
and a second flower pot
86
having a upper end
87
. The first pot
84
is disposed in an upright position relative to the second pot
86
which is inverted such that an upper end
85
of the first flower pot
84
contactingly engages the upper end
87
of the second flower pot
86
.
In this manner, the first and second flower pots
84
and
86
may be attached at a point
88
of contact of the upper ends
85
and
87
, respectively, with a bonding material such as an adhesive, a cohesive, single and double-sided tape or any other means suitable for connecting the first flower pot
84
to the second flower pot
86
in the manner depicted in
FIG. 4. A
cohesive or removable tape is preferable as that the first flower pot
84
may be readily detached from the second flower pot
86
after the shipping apparatus
50
has reached its destination and the preformed flower pot covers
10
have been removed therefrom.
The benefits of the configuration of the stacking shell
66
a
of
FIG. 4
are numerous. For example, the receiver of the shipping apparatus
50
(see
FIG. 2
) provided with a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
may remove the stacking shell
66
a
from the container
52
and detach the first flower pot
84
from the second flower pot
86
and use the first and second flower pots
84
and
86
in a conventional manner in their floral operations. Also, this configuration reduces waste material by providing the stacking shell
66
a
that is valuable and readily reusable. While it has been shown that the first and second flower pots
84
and
86
are of similar size, it should be understood that they can be of varying sizes so long as the second flower pot
86
is disposable in the object opening
20
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
Referring now to
FIG. 5
, a perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus
94
is illustrated using a plurality of stacking shells
66
b
each of which is adapted to receive a plurality of a preformed flower pot covers
10
supported thereon. The apparatus
94
includes a container
96
constructed substantially similar to the container
52
described above except that the container
96
is provided with a larger interior packing compartment
98
so that the plurality of stacking shells
66
are supported therein. The stacking shells
66
b
are substantially similar in construction to the stacking shell
66
herein before described with reference to
FIGS. 2 and 3
except that the plurality of the stacking shells
66
b
are supported in the interior packing compartment
98
of the container
96
. That is, the shipping apparatus
94
is depicted as containing four stacking shells
66
b
each supporting a stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
in less overall shipping space than four individual shipping apparatuses
50
(see
FIG. 2
) which is provided with only the single stacking shell
66
. Although the shipping apparatus
94
is shown having four stacking shells
66
any number of stacking shells
66
may be provided to optimally suit the needs of the shipper so long as the shipping apparatus
94
is suitably sized to retain a greater number of stacking shells
66
and stacks of preformed flower pot covers
10
.
Referring now to
FIG. 6
, a perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus
100
is shown which is constructed in accordance with the present invention for use in transporting a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
. The shipping apparatus
100
is provided with a container
102
which has a top
103
, a bottom
104
, and a plurality of sidewalls
105
which are substantially similar in construction and operation have been alphanumerically denoted
105
a,
105
b,
105
c,
and
105
d,
for the sake of clarity. The top
103
, the bottom
104
, and the plurality of sidewalls
105
cooperate to define an inner packing compartment
106
The container
102
is constructed substantially similar to the container
52
(shown in FIG.
2
).
The shipping apparatus
100
is also provided with another embodiment of a stacking shell
110
. The stacking shell
110
is disposed on an interior surface
112
of the bottom
104
of the container
102
and extends upwardly within the inner packing compartment
106
thereof. The stacking shell
110
is provided with a bottom end
114
, a top end
115
, and height
116
extending from the bottom end
114
to the top end
115
. The stacking shell
110
is further provided with an exterior base support member
118
extending from the bottom end
114
to the top end
115
, the exterior base support member
118
, the bottom end
114
and the top end
115
defining an opening
117
. The exterior base support member
118
being configured to supportingly receive the contours of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
such that the decorative skirt
22
extends upwardly from the top end
115
of the stacking shell
110
.
That is, upon providing a stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
, the base
14
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
are laterally supported in the opening
117
of the stacking shell
110
so as to prevent damage or distortion to the overlapping connecting folds
28
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
as well as the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
It will be appreciated that when a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
are nested relative to one another, the preformed flower pot covers
10
near the bottom of the stack are subjected to pressures from the weight of the preformed flower pot covers
10
higher in the stack. The effect of these pressures is to put lateral stress on the overlapping connecting folds
28
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
. The lateral support provided by the stacking shell
110
prevents these detrimental effects on the preformed flower pot covers
10
The stacking shell
110
is attached to the interior surface
112
of the bottom
104
of the container
102
by any means suitable such as using a bonding material of an adhesive material, a cohesive material, double-sided tape or other materials suitable for such attachment. The bondable attachment stabilizes the stacking shell
110
securely to the bottom
104
of the container
102
.
Referring now to
FIG. 7
, a cross-sectional view of the shipping apparatus
100
of
FIG. 6
taken along line
7
—
7
thereof is shown. It is readily apparent that the frusto-conical shape of the stacking shell
110
is well suited to substantially conform to the contours of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. Additionally, the height
116
of the stacking shell
110
is best suited to support the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
when the height
116
of the stacking shell
110
is at least sufficient to support the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. This construction provides for optimal support of the overlapping folds
28
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
disposed within the opening
117
of the stacking shell
110
while preventing damage to the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
Referring now to
FIG. 8
, a side elevational view of another embodiment of stacking shell
119
for supporting a plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
in a container, such as the container
102
, hereinbefore described, is shown. In this embodiment the stacking shell
119
is a flower pot
120
having an upper end
122
, a lower end
124
, and a height
126
extending from the upper end
122
to the lower end
124
. The flower pot
120
has an opening
128
extending from the upper end
122
to the lower end
124
. The optimal size of the flower pot
120
is such that the height
126
of the flower pot
120
measures at least half, but more preferably, is substantially the same height
29
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
(shown above in FIG.
1
).
Additionally, the opening
128
of the flower pot
120
should be configured so as to substantially conform to the configuration of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. When the flower pot
120
is used as the stacking shell
119
it is attached to the interior surface
112
of the bottom
104
of the container
102
(see
FIG. 6
) in any manner suitable, as previously described.
The advantages to employing the flower pot
120
as the stacking shell
119
are numerous. For example, as previously mentioned the flower pot
120
may be reused by the receiver of the plurality of preformed flower pot covers
10
, the reduction of waste, as well as, a reduction in the cost for otherwise manufacturing the stacking shells
110
(see FIG.
6
). The flower pot
120
may be constructed of any material suitable for retaining the preformed flower pot covers
10
disposed in the shipping apparatus
100
so long as the opening
128
of the flower pot
120
provides suitable lateral support for the plurality of overlapping folds
28
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
Referring now to
FIG. 9
, a perspective view of another embodiment of the shipping apparatus
140
is shown employing a plurality of stacking shells
110
a
, each of which is similar in construction and function to the stacking shell
110
hereinbefore described with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7
. The shipping apparatus
140
is provided with a container
142
which is constructed substantially similar to the container
102
(see
FIG. 6
) except that the container
142
is larger so as to accommodate the plurality of stacking shells
110
a.
The container
142
is provided with a top
144
, a bottom
145
and a plurality of sidewalls
146
, only one sidewall
146
being denoted for sake of brevity while cooperating to define a inner packing compartment
143
of the container
142
.
In the present embodiment the plurality of stacking shells
110
a
are disposed on an interior surface
147
of the bottom
145
of the container
142
. Although four stacking shells
110
a
are depicted, any number of stacking shells
110
a
may be employed to provide for an optimum number of stacks of preformed flower pot covers
10
. The number of stacking shells
110
a
is determined by the size of the preformed flower pot covers
10
to be shipped, as well as, the size of the container
142
of the shipping apparatus
140
.
It is readily apparent that providing a plurality of stacking shells
110
a
is a more efficient use of shipping space when it is necessary to ship a plurality of stacks of preformed flower pot covers
10
. In this manner, the stacking shells
110
a
are configured to substantially conform to the contours of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
. Thus, the preformed flower pot covers
10
are laterally supported by the exterior base support member
118
of the stacking shell
110
a
so as the prevent the overlapping connecting folds
28
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
from becoming unconnected and to prevent distortion or crushing of the base
14
and decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
. Thus, the embodiment of the invention depicted in
FIG. 9
is well suited to carry out the objectives of the invention of shipping a plurality of stacks of preformed flower pot covers
10
securely and efficiently.
Referring now to
FIG. 10
, a perspective view of another embodiment of a shipping apparatus
160
is shown. The shipping apparatus
160
is provided with a container
162
. The container
162
is constructed substantially similar to the container
52
(see FIG.
2
). The container has a top
164
, a bottom
166
, and a plurality of sidewalls
168
, each of the sidewalls
168
are substantially similar in construction and operation have been alphanumerically denoted
168
a,
168
b,
168
c,
and
168
d,
for the sake of clarity. The top
164
, the bottom
166
, and the plurality of sidewalls
168
cooperate to define an inner packing compartment
170
. The shipping apparatus
160
further includes a first stacking shell
180
and a second stacking shell
182
.
The first stacking shell
180
is disposed on an interior surface
184
of the bottom
166
of the container
162
and extends upwardly within the inner packing compartment
170
. The first stacking shell
180
is constructed substantially similar to the stacking shell
66
(see FIG.
2
). In such construction, the first stacking shell
180
is configured to be disposed within the object opening
20
of the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
and substantially conform to the contours thereof. The preformed flower pot covers
10
are thereby supported on the first stacking shell
180
so that the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
is in a non-load bearing relationship with respect to the interior surface
184
of the bottom
166
of the container
162
so as to prevent crushing, damage and distortion to the base
14
and the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
.
The second stacking shell
182
is constructed substantially similar to the stacking shell
110
(see FIG.
6
). The second stacking shell
182
is disposed on an interior surface
186
of the top of the container
162
and extends outwardly within the inner packing compartment
170
of the container
162
. The second stacking shell
182
is adapted to receive the base
14
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
and substantially conform to an opening in the second stacking shell
182
.
However, when the second stacking shell
182
is disposed above the first stacking shell
180
, as depicted in
FIG. 10
, relative to a hardened surface
190
, the second stacking shell
182
acts only to retain the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
centrally disposed about the top
164
of the container
162
. In this manner, the second stacking shell
182
aids in retaining the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
within the inner packing compartment
170
such that none of the decorative skirts
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
are in contact with the plurality of sidewalls
168
and to further stabilize the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
within the inner packing compartment
170
of the container
162
.
Additionally, this unique configuration continues to provide such protection and support for the entirety of the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
even when the shipping apparatus
160
becomes inverted during shipping, as shown in FIG.
11
. Thus, the inverted disposition of the shipping apparatus
160
does not effect the protection and support provided to the preformed flower pot covers
10
by the first stacking shell
180
and second stacking shell
182
.
In this manner, the top
164
of the container
162
is adjacent the hardened surface
190
and the weight of the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
rests upon the second stacking shell
182
. The second stacking shell
182
provides lateral support for the base
14
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
so as to prevent the overlapping connecting folds
28
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
from becoming unconnected and prevents crushing or distortion to the base
14
of the decorative skirt
22
of the preformed flower pot covers
10
.
For this reason, the first stacking shell
180
acts only to retain the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
centrally disposed about the bottom
166
, now inverted, of the container
162
. In this manner, the first stacking shell
180
aids in retaining the stack of preformed flower pot covers
10
within the inner packing compartment
170
such that none of the decorative skirts
22
of the preformed flower pot cover
10
are in contact with the plurality of sidewalls
168
.
The advantage of this configuration is readily apparent since shipping containers frequently become inverted during the shipping process which causes the contents, in this instance the preformed flower pot covers
10
, to become dislodged within their respective shipping devices. Although only a first stacking shell
180
is shown oppositely disposed a second stacking shell
182
it should be understood that a plurality of first stacking shells
180
oppositely disposed a plurality of second stacking shells
182
may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
From the above description it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A method for shipping a plurality of preformed flower pot covers, each preformed flower pot cover sized to receive a flower pot, the method comprising:providing a container having a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sidewalls cooperating to define an inner packing compartment, each of the top, bottom, and sidewalls having an interior surface and an exterior surface; providing at least one stacking shell extending from the interior surface of the bottom of the container, the stacking shell adapted to support the preformed flower pot covers disposed within the inner packing compartment of the carton; and forming a stack of preformed flower pot covers on each of the stacking shells such that the preformed flower pot covers of the stacks are nested within one another and supported by the stacking shells; and transporting the container to a predetermined destination.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stacking shell is attached to the bottom of the container with a bonding material selected from a group consisting of an adhesive, a cohesive, double-sided tape and combinations thereof.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the preformed flower pot covers is provided with a base formed into a plurality of overlapping connecting folds and wherein at least a first stacking shell is defined as having an exterior base support member defining an opening in the stacking shell which is configured to substantially conform to the contours of the base of the preformed flower pot cover such that upon providing a stack of preformed flower pot covers disposed in the opening of the stacking shell, the preformed flower pot covers are laterally supported so as to prevent the overlapping connecting folds of the preformed flower pot covers from becoming unconnected.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the base of each of the preformed flower pot covers is further defined as having a height extending from a lower end to an upper end of the base of the preformed flower pot cover and wherein the exterior base support member of the first stacking shell is further defined as having a height extending from a lower end to an upper end of the exterior base support member of the first stacking shell, the height of the exterior base support member of the first stacking shell measuring at least half the height of the base of the preformed flower pot covers.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first stacking shell is a flower pot having a closed lower end, an open upper end and a substantially conically shaped exterior base support member between the lower and upper ends.
- 6. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the preformed flower pot covers is further provided with a base and a decorative skirt extending from the base of the preformed flower pot cover and wherein at least a first stacking shell is defined as having an interior base support member configured to substantially conform to the contours of the base of the preformed flower pot cover such that upon providing a stack of preformed flower pot covers, the preformed flower pot covers are supported on the first stacking shell so that the decorative skirt is in a non-load bearing relationship with respect to the bottom of the container so as to prevent damage to the decorative skirt.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the preformed flower pot cover is further deifined as having a height extending from a lower end of the base to the decorative skirt of the preformed flower pot comer and wherein the interior base support member of the first stacking shell is further defined as having a height extending from a lower end to an upper end of the interior base support member of the first stacking shell, the height of the preformed flower pot cover measuring less than the height of the interior base support member of the first stacking shell.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first stacking shell is a flower pot having a closed lower end, an open upper end and a substantially conically shaped interior base support member between the lower and upper ends.
- 9. An apparatus for shipping a plurality of preformed flower pot covers, each preformed flower pot cover including a base having a closed lower end, an open upper end and an object opening for receiving a flower pot, the reformed flower pot cover having a skirt extending from the open upper end of the base of the preformed flower pot cover, the preformed flower pot cover having a height extending form the closed lower end to an upper end of the skirt, the apparatus comprising:a container having a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sidewalls cooperating to define an inner packing compartment, each of the top, bottom, and sidewalls having an interior sufface and an exterior surface; at least one first stacking shell configured so as to correspondingly receive the base of at least one of the preformed fllower pot covers, the first stacking shell extending from theinteror surface of the bottom of the container; and at least one second stacking shell comprising a flower pot having a closed lower end, an open upper end and a substantially conically shaped interior base support member extending between the closed lower end and the open upper end of the flower pot, the substantially conically shaped interior base support memeber of the flower pot configured to conform to the contour of the bse of the preformed flower pot covers such that the substantially conically shaped interior base support member of the flower pot is disposable in the object opening of one of the preformed flower pot covers, the open upper end of the flower pot attached to the top of the container with a bonding material selected form the group consisting of an adhesive, a cohesive, double-sided tape and combinations thereof and the flower pot having a height extending from the close dlower end to the open upper end therof such tat the heisht of the reformed flower pot cover is less than the height of the flower pot whereby, upon providing as tack of preformed flowerf pot covers, the preformed flower pot covers are supported by the flower pot so that the skirt of the preformed flower pot covers are supported in a non-load bearing relationship with respect top the top, bottom and sidewalls of the container thereby preventing damage to the skirts of the preformed flower pot covers.
US Referenced Citations (12)