Patent Application
20180168371
This invention relates generally to a support device for holding ornamental arrangements and more specifically, to an improved support device and method for creating floral and ornamental arrangements with increased efficiency.
The process by which wearable floral arrangements are created is a time consuming, labor intensive endeavor. Typically, select cut flowers, filler greenery, and ornamental items are precisely placed in an attractive arrangement using varying gauges of wire and floral tape. The completed arrangement may then be pinned directly to an item of clothing or affixed to an attachment device for wearing about the wrist.
While this process has served the floral industry well, the limited resources and demand on a florist's time in creating one-of-a-kind arrangements is such that business must be restricted at peak times of the year. These peak times usually occur when special occasions such as prom, homecoming, and weddings all converge creating a strain on the human capital necessary to produce large quantities of unique arrangements. The strain is further exacerbated simply because these one-of-a-kind arrangements require the expertise of an experienced florist who understands the intricacies of wiring and taping floral, ornamental arrangements.
Therefore, there exists a need for a device and method that increases the efficiency and productivity of creating one-of-a-kind arrangements.
The present invention provides for a support device for the creation of an ornamental arrangement. The support device includes a recessed top surface forming a cavity for receiving an ornamental arrangement and a bottom surface configured to receive an attachment article. There are at least two apertures formed in the device for receiving an attachment article. An adhesive may be pre-applied or applied by the end user to the cavity formed by the recessed top surface. The adhesive secures the ornamental arrangement to the top surface of the device.
In some embodiments, the attachment article includes a locking mechanism. The attachment article and locking mechanism may be modular creating interchangeability of the attachment article.
In some embodiments, the support device includes a top surface for receiving an ornamental arrangement and a bottom surface configured to receive an attachment article. There are at least two apertures formed in the device for receiving an attachment article. The top surface may have a thin layer of adhesive pre-applied or may have no adhesive pre-applied. In the latter, a variety of flowers and/or decorative accoutrements of the peel-and-stick variety are supplied for affixing to the top surface of the support device to create an ornamental arrangement. In the former, a variety of flowers and/or decorative accoutrements can be applied directly to the top surface with a pre-applied adhesive that may be exposed by removing a protective layer. The flowers may be fresh cut flowers or artificial. The decorative accoutrements may be those items known to one of ordinary skill in the art that may be included in an ornamental arrangement. For example, the decorative accoutrements may be dictated by the event and include event specific items such as hearts for Valentine's day, etc.
The support device of the present invention is advantageous over the prior art by providing for a device and method that eliminates the need for wiring and taping traditionally required when creating an ornamental arrangement. At peak times of the year, experienced florists can increase their efficiency and productivity. In addition, the present invention allows the inexperienced to create their own unique ornamental arrangements by simplifying the process and tools required. The present invention also allow for unique configurations of the device to create themed ornamental arrangements.
The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the objects and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the ensuing descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings briefly described as follows.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention and their advantages may be understood by referring to
The support device of the present invention is configured to create a cavity within which an adhesive is contained to facilitate creation of the ornamental arrangement. In an embodiment, the support device is formed from thermoplastics including but not limited to nylon, acrylic, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride. In an alternative embodiment, the support device may be formed from hard-pressed cardboard or pressed wood products such as medium density fiberboard or the like. The adhesive may be any adhesive known to one of ordinary skill in the art sufficient to secure floral items as well as decorative accoutrements in a creative arrangement. In an embodiment, the adhesive is a glue including but not limited to pressure sensitive glues such as Catchmaster® Pressure Sensitive Glue. The adhesive may be pre-applied to the support device or may be applied by the end user. If the adhesive is a pre-applied adhesive, a removable protective layer may be included to maintain the integrity of the adhesive as well as prevent unwanted adhesion to unintended items.
In an alternative embodiment, the support device does not include a pre-applied adhesive glue. In this embodiment, the various flowers and/or decorative accoutrements are supplied with a peel-and-stick adhesive for affixing directly to the support device. This is an ideal embodiment for the novice florist and/or avid floral craftsman.
The number and location of the at least two apertures may be dictated by the end-product of the ornamental arrangement. For example, a large ornamental arrangement requiring a larger surface area of the top surface 105 may require more than two apertures to provide sufficient support for the ornamental arrangement about a wrist or other article. A smaller ornamental arrangement consisting of a singular item, for example, may be sufficiently supported by the at least two apertures.
The top surface 105 may also include a protrusion 130 created by a recessed area in the bottom surface (not shown) configured to received an alternative attachment article. In some embodiments, the attachment article is a unitary article with at least two locking tabs configured to removably attach the attachment article to the support device 100. For example, in the illustrative
The embodiment of
As described above, there are alternative embodiments including the peel-and-stick alternative. In this embodiment, the support device does not include a top edge 110 as illustrated in
An alternative aspect and advantage of the present invention is the ability of a novice to create unique ornamental arrangements without the hassle of developing a skill set in wiring and taping floral designs. No additional materials are required other than the various flowers and/or decorative accoutrements comprising the arrangement.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
Moreover, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention.
The invention has been described herein using specific embodiments for the purposes of illustration only. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that the principles of the invention can be embodied in other ways. Therefore, the invention should not be regarded as being limited in scope to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but instead as being fully commensurate in scope with the following claims.
