Holder for displaying, as well as a method for making, a floral bouquet

A transportable floral holder in the nature of a wettable floral foam mass received within a water impervious shell, or sheath. The floral foam mass serves as a reservoir as well as a coupling device. The shell not only circumscribes the floral foam reservoir but also has oppositely disposed, open first and second ends. The open first end serves primarily to permit the cut stem bearing buds, blossoms and/or leaves to be inserted into a first implanting area of the floral foam mass so that the cut stem is provided with access to moisture that will extend the life of the attached buds, blossoms and/or leaves. The oppositely directed second open end of the shell primarily permits a bare cut stem to be inserted into a second implanting area of the floral foam mass, thereby allowing the shell encased floral foam mass to serve as a coupler that camouflages the fact that the stems have been cut so that the overall appearance of the floral presentation simulates an uncut, long stemmed bouquet in the nature of a sheaf that one can carry, or support, across the crook of an arm.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates generally to floral bouquets. More 
particularly, the present invention relates to floral holders filled with 
floral foam that allows a floral bouquet to be presented as though the 
flowers were a bound sheath. Specifically, the present invention relates 
to foam filled bouquets that are truly couplers in that the opposed ends 
of the holder are open to receive the cut stems of flowers in such a 
manner that the overall appearance of the floral bouquet emulates cut, 
long stemmed flowers that are merely secured in the configuration of a 
sheaf by the structure of the holder at what appears generally to be the 
medial portion of the stems. This invention is also directed to a unique 
method for making the aforesaid floral bouquets. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
To impart an extended period of time during which cut flowers may appear 
fresh, the stems of the cut flowers are most frequently insertably 
received in, and supported by, a floral foam material such as the premier 
product marketed under the trade mark Oasis. Such floral foam material is 
capable of retaining and supplying moisture to the cut flower stems so 
that any buds, blossoms, leaves and even the stems themselves will remain 
fresh for extended periods of time. The moisture can, therefore, well be 
water with or without chemical additives to extend the life of the 
flowers. The use of the floral foam material also inhibits spillage. 
Because Oasis floral foam will retain the desired fluid without spillage, 
bouquets, or other displays, using such foam frequently do not require a 
container, although when a container is employed, the container will have 
side walls and a base wall that are impervious to the passage of 
liquid--primarily water. 
One such foam filled container for presenting a floral arrangement is 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,654 which issued on Nov. 28, 1995. That 
patent discloses a cut flower container having a shell that is water 
impervious and which surrounds the floral foam on the vertical sides as 
well as the bottom thereof. At least a portion of the top side remains 
open to facilitate receiving the stems of the flowers that comprise the 
floral arrangement. As will become apparent, that container does not have 
a structural configuration which lends itself to providing a bouquet in 
the nature of a floral sheaf. 
With the foregoing introduction serving as a general background, attention 
may now be given to the considerations that led to the present invention. 
Historically, brides, and even their attendants, would carry a floral 
"sheaf"--i.e., a plurality of long stemmed, cut flowers that would be 
carried, or supported, in the crook of the arm. Quite often the stems of 
the flowers assembled as a sheaf were wrapped in tissue paper, generally a 
waxed tissue paper that was often green. In addition, a ribbon was often 
tied in a bow to embrace the medial portions of the long stems wrapped in 
the tissue paper and thereby hold the sheaf together. Many florists would 
also use a foil that could be molded by hand to conform to the exterior 
disposition of the stems. The foil was capable of being used alone but 
more commonly it was used in combination with waxed tissue and perhaps a 
ribbon tied with a bow. 
As beautiful and as traditional as the floral sheaf has historically been, 
the use of floral sheaves has fallen into disfavor primarily because fresh 
cut flowers, even those that have been "hardened," will begin noticeably 
to wilt after only a few hours--and particularly in warm or hot 
weather--without continuous access to water. The short life one expects 
from a floral sheaf has been a major contributing factor in the 
replacement of floral sheaves with bouquets of relatively short stemmed 
flowers inserted in floral foam which serves to extend the life of the 
flowers. Relatively short stemmed flowers inserted in a floral foam such 
as the aforementioned Oasis brand foam which can, in turn, be supported in 
a cage that may be hand held. A representative support using such floral 
foam is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 2,765,585 issued on Oct. 9, 1956, to the 
assignee of the subject invention. 
Whenever floral foam can be used, the flowers will maintain their fresh 
appearance for time periods measured in days rather than hours, but it 
has, heretofore, been highly impractical to use floral foam with 
sheaf-like floral bouquets. Even a relatively small mass of floral foam at 
the end of a long stem detracts from the desired appearance of a sheaf, 
and such use of a floral foam makes it awkward to carry and virtually 
impossible to camouflage. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a 
new and novel floral bouquet. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel 
floral bouquet, as above, that fully simulates an assemblage of long 
stemmed flowers and wherein the stems remain unsupported at their distal 
ends. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel 
floral bouquet, as above, that emulates long stemmed flowers which may be 
carried as a sheaf while affording extended life for the flowers. 
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
novel "holder" for achieving a floral bouquet, as above, wherein the 
unique water-impervious holder presents a first, or upper, open end 
through which to access a surface of the floral foam with which the holder 
is filled and into which at least flower stems can be inserted--the holder 
also presents a second, or lower, open end through which to access another 
surface of the foam into which at least bare flower stems can be inserted 
such that the overall impression is that the flowers have continuously 
extending, and longer, stems than they actually have. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and 
novel method for making a sheaf-like floral bouquet. 
These and other objects of the invention, as well as the advantages thereof 
over existing and prior art forms, which will be apparent in view of the 
following detailed specification, are accomplished by means hereinafter 
described and claimed. 
At least one or more of the foregoing objects, together with the advantages 
thereof over the known prior art relating to foam filled floral 
containers, and even holders, which shall become apparent from the 
specification which follows, are accomplished by the invention as 
hereinafter described and claimed. 
In general, a floral holder embodying the concepts of the present invention 
utilizes a moisture impervious shell having a first open end and a second 
open end. A foam mass having a first foam end and a second foam end is 
received within the shell. The first foam end substantially fills the 
first, open end of the shell, and the second foam end substantially fills 
the second, open end of the shell. The first foam end presents a first 
implanting area primarily for receiving stems to which the flower buds, 
blossoms and/or leaves remain attached. The second foam end presents a 
second implanting area primarily for receiving bare cut stems. 
The present invention is also directed to a method for manufacturing a 
floral bouquet according to which one provides a floral bouquet holder 
having a moisture impervious shell, an inner volume of a moisture carrying 
foam mass, a first implanting area and a second implanting area. One then 
implants primarily that portion of a floral bouquet including the buds, 
blossoms and leaf portions of flowers in the first implanting area, and 
implants primarily that portion of the floral bouquet including the 
generally bare flower stems in the second implanting area. 
To acquaint persons skilled in the arts most closely related to the present 
invention, one preferred and three alternative embodiments of a floral 
holder that illustrate the best modes now contemplated for putting the 
invention into practice are described herein by, and with reference to, 
the annexed drawings that form a part of the specification. The method by 
which such a floral bouquet may be fabricated is also disclosed herein. 
The exemplary floral holder, and the method for making the specific style 
of a floral bouquet, are described in detail without attempting to show 
all of the various forms and modification in which the invention might be 
embodied. As such, the embodiments, including the method, shown and 
described herein are illustrative, and as will become apparent to those 
skilled in these arts can be modified in numerous ways within the spirit 
and scope of the invention; the invention being measured by the appended 
claims and not by the details of the specification.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT 
One representative form of a sheaf-like floral bouquet incorporating a 
holder/coupler embodying the concepts of the present invention is depicted 
in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. The floral bouquet is 
designated generally by the numeral 10, and the unique holder/coupler 
(hereinafter simply the "holder") is designated generally by the numeral 
12. As the structure of the holder 12 is described, it must be remembered 
that the resulting floral bouquet 10 simulates long stem flowers arranged 
as a sheaf that may be readily carried, or supported, in the crook of the 
arm of the person carrying the floral bouquet 10. 
Accordingly, the holder 12 comprises a water-impervious outer shell 14 that 
circumscribes a compatible piece, or mass, of floral foam 16. The shell 14 
is preferably a semi-rigid plastic member, and the floral foam mass 16 
that at least substantially fills the interior of the shell 14 is 
preferably Oasis brand floral foam. The hereinafter more fully described 
holder 12 camouflages not only the fact that a water reservoir is 
contained therein but also the fact that the stems do not extend in 
unbroken continuity through the holder 12. 
With more particular reference to FIG. 2, the shell 14 has a first, or 
upper, open end 18 such that the floral foam mass 16 encapsulated 
interiorly of the shell 14 presents a first implanting area 20 to the 
atmosphere through the first open end 18 of the shell 14. The implanting 
area 20 is intended primarily to receive a plurality of those portions of 
the stems 22 from which the buds, blossoms and/or leaves (collectively 
designated by the numeral 24) emanate. With the floral foam mass 16 having 
been wetted to provide a reservoir of water, to which, perhaps, some 
floral preservative may have been added, it will be apparent that the 
stems 22 insertably received within the floral foam mass 16 within the 
holder 12 will be able to supply the sundry portions 24 of the flower 
presented from each stem 22 with the necessary fluid to sustain the 
desired freshness of the flower. It must be understood that the length of 
the stems 22, as depicted, does not appear to have the graceful length one 
might expect from a sheaf, but the relative length of the stem 22 
vis-a-vis the length of the holder and the size of the blossoms 24 are not 
intended to be dimensionally accurate inasmuch as the size of the holder 
12 had to be at least slightly exaggerated in order conveniently to apply 
the numerical designations and the lead lines in such a way as to 
designate the structure identified thereby with the greatest clarity. 
The shell 14 also has a second, or lower, open end 26 such that the floral 
foam mass 16 encapsulated interiorly of the shell 14 presents a second 
implanting area 28 to the atmosphere through the second open end 26 of the 
shell 14. The implanting area 28 is intended primarily to receive a 
plurality of those typically bare stem portions 30 that had been cut from 
the stems 22. To prepare a sheaf-like floral bouquet 10, the long stems of 
the flowers utilized in the floral bouquet 10 are severed at a selected 
location--typically medially of the uncut flowers stems--to present 
portions 22 from which the buds, blossoms and/or leaves 24 are presented 
and portions 30 that will generally be bare. Here, too, the length of the 
stems 30 may be dimensionally longer than represented--and for the same 
reasons heretofore mentioned with respect to the length of the stems 22 
relative to the length of the holder 12. 
When all the desired stems 22 and 30 are inserted within the floral foam 
mass 16 the resulting floral bouquet 10 appears to incorporate long stem 
flowers, the stems of which appear to penetrate the holder 12 (as viewed 
in FIG. 1) in unbroken continuity but which, as clearly depicted in FIG. 
2, do not. Hence, the floral foam mass 16 encased within the shell 14 
serves as a coupler which camouflages the fact that the stems have been 
cut (into portions 22 and 30) so that the overall appearance of the floral 
bouquet 10 simulates uncut, long stemmed flowers arranged in the nature of 
a sheaf that one can readily carry, or support, across the crook of an 
arm. 
It should also be understood that the first and second implanting areas 20 
and 28 are not limited to receiving only the specific stems 22 or 30 
described. Certainly, a floral arranger may insert ends of a wide variety 
of "greenery" into either implanting area. Typically, therefore, fern 
fronds, leaves, dried materials and other decorative items may well be 
included in either the first or the second implanting areas 20 and 28. 
A first alternative floral bouquet 10A shown in FIG. 3 also employs a 
holder/coupler 32 (hereinafter also simply the "holder")--in this 
embodiment a frusto-conical shell 34, the interior of which may also be 
substantially filled with a mass of floral foam 36. The shell 34 also has 
a first, or upper, open end 38 such that the floral foam mass 36 
encapsulated interiorly of the shell 34 presents a first implanting area 
40 to the atmosphere through the first open end 38 of the shell 34. Here, 
too, the implanting area 40 is intended primarily to receive a plurality 
of those portions of the stems 42 from which the buds, blossoms and/or 
leaves (collectively designated by the numeral 44) emanate. 
The alternative shell 34 also has a second, or lower, open end 46 such that 
the floral foam 36 encapsulated interiorly of the shell 34 presents a 
second implanting area 48 to the atmosphere through the second open end 46 
of the shell 34. The implanting area 48 is intended primarily to receive a 
plurality of those typically bare stem portions 50 that had been cut from 
the stems 42. The first, open end 38 is of larger diameter than the 
second, open end 46 and for that reason the floral foam mass 36 has a 
larger, exposed, first implanting area 40 than the second, implanting area 
48. Other than the size of the two implanting areas 40 and 48 resulting 
from the conical shape of the shell 34, the floral bouquet 10A depicted in 
FIG. 3 permits the facile fashioning of a substantially identical 
appearing bouquet to that shown and described as the floral bouquet 10 in 
FIG. 1. 
Yet a third floral bouquet 10B shown in FIG. 4 utilizes a holder 52 that 
differs in that the shell 54, while also hollow, is in the shape of the 
frustum of a pyramid, and it too houses a mass of floral foam 56 that 
substantially fills the shell 54. The shell 54 also has a first, or upper, 
end 58 through which one has access to a first implanting area 60 on the 
floral foam mass 56 within shell 54 to receive those portions of the stems 
62 from which the buds, blossoms and/or leaves (collectively 64) emanate. 
The second, or lower, open end 66 of the shell 54 similarly permits access 
to a second implanting area 68 on the floral foam mass 56 contained within 
the shell 54 that is intended primarily to receive a plurality of the 
typically bare stem portions 70. The implanting area 60 accessible in 
holder 52 is larger than the implanting area 68. However, similarly to 
holder 10A (FIG. 3), the holder 10B (FIG. 4) is functionally the same as 
the holder 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
The floral bouquet 10C depicted in FIG. 5 is yet a further alternative 
which utilizes a holder 72 that differs from the previously described 
alternative configurations in that the shell 74, which is also hollow, is 
generally amorphous in its exterior appearance. That is, the exterior 
surface 76 of the shell 74 may be fabricated to simulate a conforming 
fabric, lace or foil cover, or the shell 74 may be sufficiently flexible 
that it can be circumscribed by a ribbon 78 which, when tightened, folds 
the shell 74 about the floral foam mass 80 as though it was actually a 
fabric, lace or foil sheath and then the ribbon 78 may be tied in a bow 
82. It should be appreciated that actual fabric, lace and/or foil and 
ribbon may be employed to decorate any other holder configuration 
embodying the concepts of the present invention in order to present a 
configuration similar to that depicted in FIG. 5. Otherwise, the shell 74 
presents a first, or upper, end 84 through which one has access to a first 
implanting area 86 on the floral foam mass 80 within which to insert those 
portions of the stems 88 from which the buds, blossoms and/or leaves 
(collectively 90) emanate. The second, or lower, open end 92 of the shell 
74 also permits access to a second implanting area 94 on the floral foam 
mass 80 contained within the shell 74 that is likewise intended primarily 
to receive a plurality of typically bare stem portions 96. 
As should now have been observed by comparing the structural configurations 
of the various alternative embodiments of the holders disclosed in the 
several figures, the general shape and sizes do not affect the 
functionality of the present invention. What the present invention 
provides that the prior art does not are the dual implanting areas that 
are located at axially opposite ends of the holder such that a 
satisfactory bouquet that simulates a sheaf of fresh cut flowers may be 
provided which obviates the primary negative aspect of heretofore known 
sheaf bouquets. 
While only a preferred embodiment and three variations of our present 
invention are disclosed, it is to be clearly understood that the same is 
susceptible to numerous further changes apparent to one skilled in the 
art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not to be limited to 
the details shown and described but is intended to include all changes and 
modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims. 
As should now be apparent, the present invention not only teaches that a 
floral holder embodying the concepts of the present invention is capable 
of permitting the simulation of a floral sheaf in which the apparent long 
stem flower stems are unsupported at their distal ends and yet a fluid 
reservoir is provided for the buds, blossoms, leaves and/or other greenery 
included in the bouquet. Moreover, the other objects of the invention, 
including a unique method for making such a floral bouquet, are likewise 
accomplished.