Apparatus for providing a decorative cover for a flower pot using a collar

USING A COLLAR; which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 07/773,474 filed on Oct. 9, 1991, entitled APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A DECORATIVE COVER FOR A FLOWER POT USING A COLLAR, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,794, issued Aug. 3,1993; which is a divisional of U.S. 15 Ser. No. 07/404,955, filed on Sep. 8, 1989, entitled APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A DECOARTIVE COVER FOR A FLOWER POT USING A COLLAR, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,937, issued Jan. 7,1992; which is a continuationin-part of 07/365,767, filed Jun. 13, 1989, entitled DECO- 20 RATTVE COVER FOR HANGING BASKET, now abandoned.

Said application Ser. No. 07/404,955 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 327,996, filed on Mar. 21,1989 entitled METHOD OF SHAPING AND HOLDING A 25 SHEET OF MATERIAL ABOUT A FLOWER POT WITH A COLLAR, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,423, issued Feb. 20, 1990; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 232,541, filed Aug. 11, 1988, titled METHOD OF SHAPING AND HOLDING A SHEET OF MATERIAL ABOUT A 30 FLOWER POT WITH A COLLAR, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,834, issued Jun. 6, 1989; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 876,405, filed on Jun. 20, 1986, entitled FLOWER POT ACCESSORY, now abandoned.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a flower pot with a decorative cover connected thereto by way of a collar.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a collar constructed in 45 accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a modified collar constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another modified collar 50 constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top plan, partial sectional view of yet another modified collar constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a modified flower pot with 55 a sheet of material secured thereto by way of a collar to provide a decorative cover.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another modified flower pot with a sheet of material connected thereto by way of a collar constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another collar constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another modified collar including the means for holding a card. 65

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of another modified collar with means for holding a bow.

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FIG. 11 is a view of a modified flower pot with a sheet of material secured thereto by way of a collar to provide a decorative cover and with a sleeve removably connected to the flower pot by way of the collar.

FIG. 12 is a view of the modified flower pot of FIG. 11 with the sheet of material secured thereto by way of a collar and with a sleeve removably connected to the decorative cover.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of another modified flower pot with a sheet of material secured thereto by way of a collar to provide a decorative cover.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of still another modified collar.

FIG. 15 is a view of a decorative cover made using a collar constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown in FIG. 15 secured to a flower pot.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a flower pot with a decorative cover made using a collar constructed in accordance with the present invention disposed thereabout.

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of a sheet of material with collar segments secured thereto for use in forming the decorative cover for the flower pot.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of a flower pot with a decorative cover secured thereto made using the sheet of material of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the flower pot with the sheet of material of FIG. 17 connected thereto to provide a decorative cover.

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of a decorative cover made using a sheet of material like the sheet of material in FIG. 17 with modified collar segments secured thereto, the decorative cover being shown in FIG. 20 connected to a flower pot.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of a decorative cover made using the collar constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of a flower pot cover, similar to FIG. 21, but made using a modified collar.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view of a decorative cover, similar to FIGS. 21 and 22, but made using still another modified collar.

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of a modified collar. FIG. 25 is a schematic view of a system for constructing the collars of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Shown in FIG. 1 and designated therein by the general reference numeral 10 is a decorative cover connected to a flower pot 12.

The flower pot 12 has an upper end 14, a lower end 16, an outer peripheral surface 18 and an object opening 20 formed through the upper end 14 and extending the distance through the flower pot 12 forming an inner peripheral surface 22. The object opening 20 is adapted to receive and accommodate a floral grouping such as potted plants or potted flowers.

The decorative cover comprises a sheet of material 24 having an upper surface 26 and a lower surface 28. The sheet of material may be a cellophane, man-made organic polymer film, paper, metal, foil, cling wrap, burlap, fabric or combinations thereof.

The term "man-made organic polymer film" means a man-made resin such as a polypropylene as opposed to naturally occurring resins such as cellophane.

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A man-made organic polymer film is relatively strong and not as subject to tearing (substantially non-tearable), as might be the case with paper or foil. The man-made organic polymer film is a substantially linearly linked processed organic polymer film and is a synthetic linear chain organic 5 polymer where the carbon atoms are substantially linearly linked. Such films are synthetic polymers formed or synthesized from monomers. Further, a relatively substantially linearly linked processed organic polymer film is virtually waterproof which may be desirable in many applications 1Q such as wrapping a floral grouping.

The term "floral grouping" as used herein means cut fresh flowers, artificial flowers, other fresh and/or artificial plants or other floral materials and may include other secondary plants and/or ornamentation which add to the aesthetics of 15 the overall floral grouping.

Additionally a relatively thin film of substantially linearly linked processed organic polymer does not substantially deteriorate in sunlight. Processed organic polymer films having carbon atoms both linearly linked and cross-linked, 20 and some cross-linked polymer films, also may be suitable for use in the present invention provided such films are substantially flexible and can be made in a sheet-like format for wrapping purposes consistent with the present invention.

The term "cling wrap" as used herein means any material 25 which is capable of connecting to the sheet of material and/or itself upon contacting engagement during the wrapping process and is wrappable about an item whereby portions of the cling material contactingly engage and connect to other portions of the wrapping material for 30 generally securing the sheet of material wrapped about at least a portion of the item. This connecting engagement is preferably temporary in that the wrapping material may be easily removed without tearing same, i.e., the cling material "clings" to the wrapping material. A wrapping material 35 which remains securely connected to and about the wrapped item until the wrapping material is torn therefrom. The cling material is constructed and treated if necessary, from polyethylene such as Cling Wrap made by GladN, First Brands Corporation, Danbury, Conn. The thickness of the cling 40 material will, in part, depend upon the thickness of the sheet of material utilized, i.e., generally, the thicker and therefore heavier sheet of material may require a thicker and therefore stronger cling material. The cling material will range in thickness from less than about 0.2 mils to about 10 mils, and 45 preferably less than about 0.5 mils to about 2.5 mils and most preferably from less than about 0.6 mils to about 2 mils. However, any thickness of cling material may be utilized in accordance with the present invention which permits the cling material to function as described herein. 50

Shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a collar 30 constructed in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the collar 30 is constructed of a relatively rigid material, such as a metal or plastic 55 material, and, preferably, the material also is such that the collar 30 is resilient. The collar 30 has an outer peripheral surface 32 and an opening 34 formed through a portion thereof providing or forming an inner peripheral surface 36.

The collar 30 is generally circularly shaped and the go opening 34 has a size or diameter 38 in a closed position of the collar 30, as shown in FIG. 2. As mentioned before, the collar 30 is resilient and the collar 30 is movable from the closed position (shown in FIG. 2) in directions 40 and 42 to an opened position wherein the size (diameter 38) of the 55 opening 34 is increased.

In this particular embodiment of the collar 30, the collar

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30 has a first end 44 and a second end 46. The first and the second ends 44 and 46 are spaced a distance 48 apart in the closed position of the collar 30.

The first and the second ends 44 and 46 are moved in the directions 40 and 42 for moving the collar 30 from the closed position to the opened position, the first and the second ends 44 and 46 being moved generally apart as the collar 30 is moved from the closed to the opened position. When the collar 30 is in the opened position and the collar 30 is released, the resilient nature of the collar 30 springs the ends 44 and 46 generally toward each other in directions 50 and 52 moving the collar 30 back to the closed position. The distance between the ends 44 and 46 increases as the collar 30 is moved from the closed to the opened position and the distance between the ends 44 and 46 decreases as the collar 30 is moved from the opened to the closed position.

In operation, the sheet of material 24 is formed and extended about the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12. The collar 30 is moved from the closed position to the opened position, thereby increasing the size (diameter) of the opening 34 so that the flower pot 12 with the sheet of material 24 disposed thereabout can be inserted through the opening 34 and the collar 30. The size (diameter of the opening 34) in the opened position of the collar 30 is larger than the size (diameter) of the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12 to permit the collar 30 to be easily disposed about the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12 with the sheet of material 24 disposed thereabout. The collar 30 is positioned on the flower pot 12 with the sheet of material 24 disposed thereabout and the collar 30 is released, thereby moving the collar 30 from the opened to the closed position. In the closed position, the opening 34 in the collar 30 has a size (diameter) slightly smaller than the size (diameter) formed by the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12 so that the collar 30 clampingly engages the flower pot 12 with the sheet of material 24 disposed thereabout. The collar 30 clamps the sheet of material 24 to the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12, thereby securing the sheet of material 24 to the flower pot 12 to provide the decorative cover 10.

EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 3

Shown in FIG. 3 is a modified collar 30a. The collar 30a is generally circularly shaped and constructed of a relatively rigid, resilient material in the manner like that described before with respect to the collar 30.

The collar 30a has a first end 54 and a second end 56. A portion of the collar 30a, generally near the first end 54 thereof overlaps a portion of the collar 30a generally near the second end 56 thereof. The first and the second ends 54 and 56 are moveable in directions 58 and 60 to move the collar 30a from the closed position (shown in FIG. 3) to an opened position for increasing the size (diameter 38). The ends 54 and 56 are also movable in directions 62 and 64 for moving the collar 30a from the opened position to the closed position. It should be noted that the overlapping portions of the first and the second ends 54 and 56 remain overlapped in the opened and the closed positions of the collar 30a.

The collar 30a has an outer peripheral surface 66 and an opening 68 formed through a portion thereof forming or providing an inner peripheral surface 70.

In operation, the sheet of material 24 is placed about the flower pot 12. The collar 30a is moved from the closed position to the opened position. In the opened position, the collar 30a is positioned about the outer peripheral surface 18 5

of the flower pot 12 with the sheet of material disposed thereabout. The collar 30a then is released and moved to the closed position for clamping the sheet of material 24 to the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12.

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EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 4

Shown in FIG. 4 is another modified collar 302> which is constructed exactly like the collar 30 shown in FIG. 2, except the collar 30b also includes a spring 72 which is 10 connected to the first and the second ends 44 and 46 of the collar 30b. The spring 72 biases the collar 30b toward the closed position, thereby providing additional assurance that the collar 30b will be moved to the closed position for clamping the sheet of material 24 to the outer peripheral 15 surface 18 of the flower pot 12. It should be noted that the spring 72 comprises a spring means which may be a mechanical spring as shown in FIG. 4 or a rubber band or any other means for biasing the collar 30b from the opened to the closed position. 20

EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 5

Shown in FIG. 5 is another modified collar 30c. The collar 30c comprises a plurality of collar segments 74. Each of the 25 collar segments 74 is identical in construction and only two of the collar segments 74 are designated with a reference numeral in FIG. 5.

Each collar segment has opposite ends 76 and 78 and an opening 80 extending therethrough intersecting the opposite ends 76 and 78 thereof. The collar segments 74 are disposed in an end to end relationship to form a generally circularly shaped collar 30c having a size (diameter 82). The collar 30c has an outer peripheral surface 84 with an opening 86 formed through a portion thereof forming or providing an inner peripheral surface 88.

A spring 90 is disposed and extended through the openings 80 and the collar segments 74 for connecting the collar segments 74 in an assembled position to form the collar 30c. 40 The spring 90 permits the collar segments 74 to be moved generally apart for increasing the opening 80 in the collar 30c and for moving the collar 30c to the opened position. The spring 90 resiliently biases the collar segments 74 from the opened position to the closed position (shown in FIG. 5). 45

The collar segments 74 are moved to the opened position and the collar 30c is disposed about the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12 with the sheet of material already disposed about the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12. The collar segments 74 are then released and 50 the spring 90 biases the collar segments 74 to the closed position for clampingly engaging the sheet of material 24 and clamping the sheet of material 24 to the flower pot 12 to provide the decorative cover in a manner like that described before with respect to the decorative cover 10 55 shown in FIG. 1.

EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 6

Shown in FIG. 6 is a flower pot 92 having an upper end 60 94, a lower end 96, an outer peripheral surface 98 and an object opening 100 extending a distance therethrough intersecting the upper end 94 thereof and forming or providing an inner peripheral surface 102. The object opening 100 is sized and shaped to accommodate a floral grouping such as a 65 potted plant or potted flowers for example in a manner like that described before with respect to the flower pot 12.

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A groove 104 is formed in the outer peripheral surface 98 of the flower pot 92, generally near the upper end 94 thereof. The groove 104 extends circumferentially about the outer peripheral surface 98. The groove 104 provides a snap means, for reasons which will be made apparent below.

A collar 106 is disposed about the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot 92 with a sheet of material 24 already disposed about outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12. The collar 106 is moved to a position wherein the collar 106 engages the groove 104 and is disposed in the groove 104, thereby securing the sheet of material 24 to the outer peripheral surface 18 of the flower pot 12 to provide a decorative cover. The collar 106 and groove 104 provide a more secure means for positioning the collar 106 on the flower pot 92.

The collar 106 may be constructed in the manner like that described before with respect to the collar 30 or the collar 30a or the collar 30b or the collar 30c or the collar shown in FIG. 8 and described below.

EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 7

Shown in FIG. 7 is a flower pot 116 having an upper end 118, a lower end 120, an outer peripheral surface 122 and an object opening 124 formed through a portion thereof intersecting the upper end 118 and extending a distance therethrough thereby forming or providing an inner peripheral surface 126. The object opening 124 is adapted and shaped to provide and accommodate a floral grouping such as a potted plant or potted flowers in a manner for reasons like that described before with respect to the flower pot 12.

A modified collar 30e is snappingly connected to the outer peripheral surface 122 of the flower pot 116. The collar 30e has an outer peripheral surface 128 and an opening 130 extending through a portion thereof forming an inner peripheral surface 132. A groove 134 is formed in the inner peripheral surface 132 of the collar 30e. The groove 134 extends circumferentially about the inner peripheral surface 132.

A ridge 136 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 122 of the flower pot 116. The ridge 136 extends circumferentially about the outer peripheral surface 122 of the flower pot 116. The ridge 136 cooperates to form a snap means for snapping the collar 30e into position on the flower pot 116.

In operation, the sheet of material 24 is placed about the outer peripheral surface 122 of the flower pot 116. The collar 30e is moved to the opened position and the flower pot 116 is disposed through the opening 130 and the collar 30e. The collar 30e is moved onto the flower pot 116 to a position wherein the collar 30e snaps onto the ridge 136 on the flower pot 116, the ridge 136 being disposed in the groove 134 thereby securing the collar 30e to the flower pot 116 and connecting the sheet of material 24 to the flower pot 116 to provide a decorative cover therefore.

The collar 30e may be constructed like the collars 30,30a, 30b, 30c or 30d, except, in each instance, the groove 134 must be formed in the inner peripheral surface of the collar.

EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 8

Shown in FIG. 8 is another modified collar 30d which is constructed of relatively rigid, yet resilient material. The collar 30d has an outer peripheral surface 108 and an opening 110 formed through a portion thereof, thereby providing or forming an inner peripheral surface 112. The opening 110 in the collar 30a' has a size (diameter 114). The