Flower holder

A holder for a water saturable block of the kind used for holding the stems of cut flowers, greenery and the like in floral displays. A preferred holder is box-like and watertight, except for a hole in the central portion of its top wall for receiving water and into which a water saturable block is insertable. Lips at the edge of the hole slope toward the bottom wall of the holder and laterally inward toward the center of the hole for fixedly holding a block in the hole, retarding water leakage out of the holder past the block, helping guide insertion of a block into the hole, reinforcing the edge of the hole and helping retain water in the holder upon tilting of the holder with or without a block in the hole. Depending legs at the corners of the holder help support it on, for example, flat table tops or convex casket tops.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a flower holder. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Floral trays, dishes, or holders are typically, but not exclusively, used 
for retaining water absorbent saturable blocks which are then impregnated 
with the stems of cut flowers or similarly attractive live or synthetic 
products for use on coffins, party tables, shelves, or furniture. 
Several prior types of products have been, or are being, used to secure the 
saturable block to a paper mache or plastic tray, holder or container. 
One group of these prior products secures the absorbent saturable block by 
means of tape, straps, wires, glue or similar securing assists. The use of 
wires, straps, etc. involves labor time, questionable securing quality, an 
inventory of materials--all of which are costly and therefore undesirable. 
Another group of prior products merely supports the water saturable block 
between the upstanding sidewalls of a simple upward opening rectalinear 
tray. Positioning of the block between the sidewalls of papier mache or 
plastic trays is an effort to minimize cost. However the physical securing 
of the block to the tray or holder is at best limited. 
Some prior products make an effort to store excess water in a double bottom 
of the tray or holder. However, water stored in the double bottom does not 
wet the block, or, if allowed to escape, is easily spilled. 
My invention is intended to avoid these and other disadvantages of such 
prior devices. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A holder for a water saturable block of the kind useable for supporting the 
stems of cut flowers, greenery and the like. The holder has a bottom wall, 
sidewalls and a top wall defining a water tight chamber but with a hole in 
the top wall wherein the top wall defines a strip between the hole and the 
sidewalls. Structure on the top wall strip bounds the hole to facilitate 
placement of a block in the hole and to retard water leakage from inside 
the holder through the hole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, a water saturable block i has the property of wicking 
and saturating itself if immersed in water. It is easily impregnable with 
the stems of cut flowers F and greens G, and acts as a nourishment for the 
flowers and greens placed therein. The blocks 1 are available in standard 
sizes and shapes, but may be formed to any other shape and size by simple 
saw, wire, Marvin Avenue, P.O. Box 118, Kent, Ohio 44240, and for further 
discussion will be assumed to be of a size about 
31/8".times.41/4".times.91/8" within manufacturing tolerances. 
A holder 100 embodying the invention comprises a deck 2 fixed atop a dished 
tray 5. The deck 2 and tray 5 have sidewalls 101 and 102 terminating 
respectively in opposed radially outward extending flanges 103 and 104 in 
turn having opposed sealing surfaces 8. The holder 100 can be made by 
various commercially common manufacturing methods such as injection, blow, 
and thermal molding, of a suitable plastic material. 
In this invention, polystyrene is the preferred plastic since it has 
greater latitude for sealing the deck 2 to the tray 5 via sealing surfaces 
8. 
Acceptable sealing may be accomplished by vibration welding, heat sealing, 
solvent or cement sealing, or other conventional means. FIG. 1 illustrates 
the joining of the deck 2 to the tray 5 near the middle of the height of 
the holder 100. This position may be varied either up or down as desired 
for ease of manufacture. This fixing of the flanges increases structural 
rigidity. 
FIGS. 1 and 7 show a central hole 107 in the deck 2 which hole is bordered 
by sloped lips 3. For ease of positioning the saturated block 1 in the 
hole 107, of deck 2, the space between the top portion 2a of the lips 3 
must be larger than the block 1. My experimentation has determined that 
1/8" to 3/8" larger is satisfactory. 
To assure that the block 1 is firmly held by the lips 3 after insertion, 
the width between the bottom edges 2b of the lips 3 must be smaller than 
the width of the block 1 by about 1/8" to 3/8". 
The distance between the bottom 2b of the lips 3 and the floor 110 of the 
tray 5 preferably is at least 1/2" to assure that the fragile structure of 
the block 1 does not break away. In one unit constructed in accord with 
the invention, the height from the floor 110 of trays 5 to the top wall 
111 of the deck 2 was about 1.5" to 2.0", and the slope 112 was about 60 
degrees. 
When the saturated block 1 is inserted into the holder 100 after adding 
water to the holder 100, the water in the holder 100 will be displaced by 
the block 1 to the other areas of the holder 100, causing the level in the 
holder 100 to rise. This assures continued good contact of the saturated 
block 1 with the water in the holder 100, resulting in excellent continued 
saturation by wicking, thereby prolonging floral arrangement life. If a 
holder 100 is to be used for a fresh cut arrangement, a prescribed amount 
of water is added to the holder 100. The deck 2 seals to the tray 5 to 
resist spillage despite handling and tilting. This property is further 
augmented after the saturated block 1 has been inserted into the hole 107 
in the deck 2. 
A substantial amount of water can be held without spillage during normal 
handling and tilting. The quantity is estimated by establishing the 
severity of the handling and tilting anticipated. For example, with the 
above mentioned 1.5" to 2.0" height of a holder 100 and a 1.5" to 2.0" 
wide deck 2 top surrounding a 41/4.times.91/8" block 1, a pint of water in 
the holder 100 will not be spilled by a 60 degree tilt of the holder 100, 
as indicated in FIG. 5. If a less severe tilt is acceptable, a greater 
quantity of water 9 may be stored, even to the full capacity of the holder 
100, for example, 0.5 gallon. 
As seen in FIG. 6, the lip 3 will resiliently deflect slightly upon snug 
insertion of the bottom portion of block 1, therepast, thereby tending to 
frictionally (and with a soft block 1, mechanically) grip and entrap the 
block 1 and, at the same time, create a water seal between the block 1 and 
the lower edge 2b of the lip 3. 
This invention is the result of many observations in a retail florist shop 
and it addresses the near instantaneous securing of the saturable or 
saturated block 1 to the deck 2 via insertion into a hole 107 in the deck 
2 bonded to the tray 5. Because the deck 2 and the block 1 act as a cover 
for the holder 100, spillage of water is minimalized during severe 
handling conditions. 
Added water 9 in the holder 100 continuously contacts with the saturated 
block 1 so the water lost from the block 1 by evaporation or fresh flower 
draw is replaced in the block 1. 
The hole 107 in the deck 2 is so designed that physical fixing of the block 
1 to the holder 100 occurs when the user hand presses the block 1 into the 
hole 107 of the deck 2, making accidental withdrawal almost impossible. 
Introduction of the block 1 into the hole 107 of the deck 2 effectively 
closes the holder 100 so spillage during normal handling is minimized. 
In the embodiment shown, portions of the holder 100 sidewalls extend down 
to form legs 120 having resilient feet 121 (FIG. 2) for nonskid support of 
the holder 100 on a flat or shaped (e.g. upwardly convex) surface such as 
a table or casket top.