Claims
- 1. A holder for receiving and retaining a foam block used to support floral arrangements, said holder comprising:
- a hollow base having a water retaining outer shell portion extending upwardly to a top lip and a water retaining inner support portion interiorly mounted within said outer shell portion and together defining a substantially hollow interior therebetween, with said inner support portion having an upper surface shaped to receive said foam block in supporting relation below said top lip of said outer shell portion so as to permit retention of water on said upper surface;
- retaining means mounted on said hollow base for holding a foam block in place on said upper surface;
- at least one drain hole communicating between the hollow interior of said base and the upper surface thereof; and,
- at least one elongated water retaining recessed reservoir channel disposed in said upper surface for permitting water to flow to a substantial portion of a foam block when in place on said upper surface.
- 2. The holder of claim 1, further comprising a filling area extending outwardly at a portion of said top lip of said outer shell portion.
- 3. The holder of claim 2, wherein a portion of said at least one recessed reservoir channel is disposed adjacent said filling area.
- 4. The holder of claim 3, wherein said at least one recessed reservoir channel comprises a plurality of recessed reservoir channels.
- 5. The holder of claim 4, wherein said plurality of recessed reservoir channels converge at said said filling area.
- 6. The holder of claim 5, wherein said base has a plurality of finger recesses in its underside.
- 7. The holder of claim 6, wherein said plurality of finger recesses are disposed substantially directly below said filling area.
- 8. The holder of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of raised projections disposed around the perimeter of said upper surface such that a foam block supported on said upper surface is retained laterally in place by said plurality of raised projections.
- 9. The holder of claim 8, wherein at least one of said plurality of raised projections has a drain hole disposed therein.
- 10. The holder of claim 9, wherein said base and said upper surface are each substantially rectangular so as to receive two rectangular foam blocks in end-to-end fashion, said base including an extended portion at one end thereof to provide increased water-storage capacity.
- 11. The holder of claim 10, further comprising an apertured tab extending from an end of said holder opposite said end with said extended portion.
- 12. The holder of claim 9, wherein said base and said upper surface are each substantially rectangular so as to receive a correspondingly rectangular foam block.
- 13. The holder of claim 12, wherein said plurality of raised projections comprises six raised projections dispersed one at each end and two at each side of said upper surface.
- 14. The holder of claim 13, wherein the two raised projections disposed one at each end of said upper surface each have one of said drain holes disposed therein.
- 15. The holder of claim 14, wherein said plurality of recessed reservoir channels comprise a central transverse channel and two "Y"-shaped channels disposed one toward each end of said upper surface.
- 16. The holder of claim 15, wherein said retaining means comprises at least one inverted "U"-shaped hold-down clip mounted in removably securable relation to said base, for holding a foam block in place on said upper surface of said base.
- 17. The holder of claim 16, wherein said at least one inverted "U"-shaped hold-down clip comprises two inverted "U"-shaped hold-down clips.
- 18. The holder of claim 17, wherein each of said two inverted "U"-shaped hold-down clips has two bifurcated mounting posts disposed one at each end of the respective clip, each bifurcated mounting post being shaped and dimensioned for fitment into a co-operating hole in one of said raised projections.
Parent Case Info
Claims provisional application Ser. No. 60/027,751 filed on Oct. 1, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3099 |
Feb 1898 |
GBX |