Abstract:
A container for plants in which an outer container includes an inner carrier that carries a plant. The inner carrier supports a pot or a wrapped root ball and is slidably inserted within the outer container. The outer container encloses and protects the inner carrier and the plant during shipment, and it includes an integral carrying handle to allow the container to be conveniently carried.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,163, filed on May 26, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to carrying containers for carrying and shipping plant material, such as small trees, small bushes, and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a carrying and shipping container for plant material in which an outer container slidably receives an inner carrier that supports the plant material within the outer container. 
     2. Description of the Relation Art 
     Small trees, of the order of about two to three feet in height, small bushes, and the like, are normally provided with the root system in a plastic pot, or the like, or the root system is wrapped in burlap or in some other material to retain earth around the roots. Typically, the plants are not enclosed within a container, but are simply transported and carried by grasping the pot or the wrapped root system. 
     At times, people wish to give gifts to others of small trees that can serve as a memento or as a remembrance. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a carrying and shipping container whereby such plant gifts can be easily transported and shipped, and without injury to the plant. 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art approach and to provide a convenient and safe arrangement for carrying and shipping plant materials. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a container for plants is provided in which an outer container defines an enclosure and includes a carrying handle. An inner carrier is positioned within the outer container for supporting plant material, the plant material including a root system, a trunk or primary stalk, and a leafy crown. The inner carrier is non-rotatably but slidably received within the outer container and includes a root system enclosure and an opening in the root system enclosure to allow the primary stalk of the plant to extend therethrough. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container for plants in accordance with the present invention and showing an outer container in assembled form. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inner carrier in accordance with the present invention, which is adapted to carry plant material and to fit within the outer container shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a container blank for the outer container forming part of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a blank for the inner carrier forming part of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a display plaque that can be carried within the outer container along with the plant material. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a display plaque support that can be carried within the outer container. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an assembled outer container  10  in accordance with the present invention for transporting and carrying a plant, such as a small tree having a height of from about two to about three feet. Outer container  10  includes a pair of opposed, rectangular side panels  12  (only one of which is visible in FIG.  1 ), a pair of opposed, rectangular face panels  14  (only one of which is visible in FIG.  1 ), a base  16 , and a top  18 . Top  18  is defined by a pair of end panels  20 , each including a pair of side-by-side handle flaps  22  that each have an opening  24  to provide a carrying handle. Handle flaps  22  are received in and are retained by a pair of opposed handle retainer flaps  28 . 
     The arrangement of the several panels of outer container  10  are shown in FIG. 3, in which a blank  11  from which outer container  10  is formed is shown in its flat state before assembly into a container. As shown, side panels  12  and face panels  14  are rectangular and alternate with each other. Side panels  12  and face panels  14  are separated by parallel, longitudinally-extending score lines  13 . One of the outermost longitudinal edges of one of side panels  12  includes a narrow, outwardly extending joinder flap  30  to provide a manufacturer&#39;s joint when flap  30  is adhesively joined along a longitudinal edge of the inner face of the endmost face panel  14  to provide a tubular outer container having a rectangular cross section, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Base  16  of outer container  10  includes a pair of inner end flaps  32  connected with one end of each of side panels  12  by laterally-extending score line  15 , and a pair of outer end flaps  34  connected with one end of each of face panels  14  by score line  15 . 
     Blank  11  for outer container  10  includes a pair of top end panels  20  that are hingedly connected with and that extend from respective ends of face panels  14  along laterally-extending score line  17 . Each of end panels  20  includes a laterally-extending handle flap  22  that has an elongated opening  24  to permit container  10  to be easily carried. Extending from one edge of each of side panels  12  and hingedly connected thereto by score line  17  is a handle retainer flap  28  that includes a narrow, longitudinally-extending slot  36 . As shown in FIG. 3, each of handle flaps  22  includes a pair of laterally-spaced end tabs  38  that are receivable within and are engageable with respective slots  36  formed in retainer flaps  28  to provide a closed, upper container end of the form shown in FIG.  1 . Base  16  of outer container  10  is defined by overlapping and interconnecting end flaps  32  and  34 . 
     Outer container  10  receives and encloses an inner carrier  40  that is shown in assembled form in FIG.  2  and is shown in the form of a flat blank in FIG.  4 . As shown in FIG. 2, inner carrier  40  includes a plant root system enclosure  42  to enclose the root system  44  of a plant and that has an opening  46  to allow trunk  48 , or the primary stalk or main branches of a plant, to extend therethrough. A pair of opposed, elongated, rectangular carrier panels  50  extend upwardly from root system enclosure  42  and preferably include respective hand openings  52  to facilitate insertion into and removal from outer container  10  of inner carrier  40 . The longitudinal lengths of carrier panels  50  are preferably substantially the same longitudinal length as that of side panels  12  and face panels  14  of outer container  10 , so that the upper and lower ends of carrier panels  50  contact top  18 , and base  16 , respectively, of outer container  10  to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of inner carrier  40  relative to outer container  10  when the outer container is in its closed condition as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     As best seen in FIG. 4, inner carrier  40  also includes four end flaps for forming a bottom wall of enclosure  42 . The bottom wall is defined by inner end flaps  54  and outer end flaps  56 , provided in a form similar to end flaps  32  and  34  of outer container  10 , to interengage with each other and to provide with base  16  of outer container  10  a multiple-thickness bottom support wall for supporting the weight of the plant and root system when the plant is positioned within container  10  for carrying. Inner end flaps  54  and outer end flaps  56  are hingedly connected with inner carrier  40  along score line  53 . 
     Inner carrier  40  includes a pair of side panels  58  that alternate with and have a shorter longitudinal length than do carrier panels  50 . Side panels  58  and carrier panels  50  are hingedly connected by respective longitudinally-extending score lines  51 . An optional end panel  55  can be hingedly connected with endmost side panel  58 . Carrier panels  50  and side panels  58 , as well as end panel  55  when present, together with the adjacent end portions of carrier panels  50  define the longitudinally-extending walls of root system enclosure  42 . 
     Hingedly connected with each of side panels  58  by score lines  59  is a generally rectangular retainer panel  60 . Each retainer panel  60  includes a pair of parallel, rectangular extensions  62  that define vertical support legs for maintaining retainer panels  60  in substantially coplanar relationship when inner carrier  40  is in assembled form. Extensions  62  are hingedly connected with retainer panels  60  by means of score lines  61 . One portion of score line  61  at one extension  62  extending from each of retainer panels  60  includes a cut section that defines a connecting tab  64 , while at another portion of score line  61  the remaining extensions  62  that extend from retainer panels  60  each include a connection slot  66  to receive the connecting tab  64  of the opposite extension  62 . 
     A series of radially-extending cuts  68  through retainer panel  60  that radiate from a common point  67  are provided in each of retainer panels  60  to allow downward deflection of the respective sectors  69  that are thereby formed. Score lines  71  extend between and interconnect the radial ends of cuts  68  to define opening  46  (see FIG. 2) that serves to provide a supporting ring for a pot or a root ball when inner carrier  40  is assembled. One of retainer panels  60  can include a rectangular slot  70  that defines a rectangular opening to receive and retain a plaque, as will be hereinafter described. The other retainer panel  60  can include a narrow slot  72  to receive a plaque holder, as will be hereinafter described. 
     Outer container  10  is assembled in a well-known manner by pivoting side panels  12  and face panels  14  relative to each other and by adhesively securing joinder flap  30  with the inner surface of outermost face panel  14  to define a tubular enclosure. Base  16  is formed by interconnecting the several end flaps  32  and  34  to define the outer container bottom wall or base  16 . 
     Inner carrier  40  is formed into a tubular structure of the type shown in FIG. 2 by pivoting the respective carrier panels  50  and side panels  58  relative to each other along score lines  51 . Retainer panels  60  are each pivoted toward each other, inwardly relative to side panels  58 , with the respective extensions  62  further pivoted inwardly relative to retainer panels  60  to a position substantially perpendicular to retainer panels  60  so that their outermost ends contact the end wall defined by end flaps  54 ,  56 . Extensions  62  provide vertical support to retainer panels  60  to maintain them in a substantially coplanar or horizontal position, parallel with the base of inner carrier  40  as defined by folded-over end flaps  54  and  56  when inner carrier  40  is in assembled form. 
     The respective sectors defined by cut lines  68  can then be pivoted inwardly about score lines  71 , to provide opening  46  to receive a pot, or to allow a wrapped root system to be positioned within root system enclosure  42  defined by side panels  58  of inner carrier  40 . As shown in FIG. 2, trunk  48  of the plant extends through opening  46  and leafy crown  49  is to be positioned between opposed carrier panels  50 . Inner carrier  40  is then slidingly inserted into outer container  10  through the open top end thereof by grasping the inner carrier by the hand openings  52  formed in respective carrier panels  50  and lowering inner carrier  40 , with the plant within it, into outer container  10 . The vertical height of respective carrier panels  50  is slightly less than the longitudinal length of side and face panels  12 ,  14  of outer container  10 , so that end panels  20  of outer container  10  can be folded inwardly to form a top wall and to close the container. As will be appreciated, hand openings  52  also facilitate removal of inner carrier  40  when it is desired to remove the plant from outer container  10 . 
     A plate-like plaque, such as a thin, rectangular plaque  74  shown in FIG. 5, can be provided to accompany the plant and can be inscribed with a suitable message, such as the name of the recipient of the plant, the date of the gift, the occasion for which the gift is given, and the like. When it is provided, plaque  74  can be carried within plaque slot  70  defined in one of retainer panels  60  of inner carrier  40  to hold plaque  74  during shipment of the plant. 
     Additionally, when a plaque  74  is provided, a plaque support  76  can also be provided. Plaque support  76  is shown in FIG.  6  and includes a stake portion  78  to penetrate the ground adjacent to the plant when it is planted, a plaque back support panel  80  against which the plaque can rest, and a plaque shelf  82 , against which a peripheral edge of plaque  74  can rest to provide support for an edge of the plaque. Plaque back support panel  80  can be disposed at an angle relative to stake portion  78 , and that angle can be any convenient angle, between about 10° and about 75°. Plaque support  76  can also be carried within inner carrier  40  during shipment of the plant, by sliding stake portion  78  into slot  72  that is formed in the other retainer panel  60  forming part of inner carrier  40 . 
     As can be seen, the present invention provides a convenient container for carrying and shipping a plant, without damage, and also for enclosing and holding a plaque and a plaque support when the plant is intended as a gift or is to include an identifying element when the plant is permanently planted. 
     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended to encompass within the appended claim all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.