Artificial flower bloom insert

A new artificial flower bloom insert for inserting into a stem of a live plant to simulate a bloom of the plant. The inventive device includes a bloom portion formed to resemble a flower bloom and an elongate tubular stem portion coupled to the flower bloom at one end of the stem portion. The other end of the stem portion is adapted for insertion into a stem of a plant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to artificial flowers and more particularly 
pertains to a new artificial flower bloom insert for inserting into a stem 
of a live plant to simulate a bloom of the plant. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of artificial flowers is known in the prior art. More specifically, 
artificial flowers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist 
basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, 
notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art 
which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and 
requirements. 
Known prior art artificial flowers include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,099,604; 
3,041,766; Des. 246,232; 5,395,664; 4,937,109; and 501,134. 
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and 
requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new artificial 
flower bloom insert. The inventive device includes a bloom portion formed 
to resemble a flower bloom and an elongate tubular stem portion coupled to 
the flower bloom at one end of the stem portion. The other end of the stem 
portion is adapted for insertion into a stem of a plant. 
In these respects, the artificial flower bloom insert according to the 
present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and 
designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily 
developed for the purpose of inserting into a stem of a live plant to 
simulate a bloom of the plant. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
artificial flowers now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a new artificial flower bloom insert construction wherein the 
same can be utilized for inserting into a stem of a live plant to simulate 
a bloom of the plant. 
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described 
subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new artificial flower 
bloom insert apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the 
artificial flowers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that 
result in a new artificial flower bloom insert which is not anticipated, 
rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art 
artificial flowers, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a bloom portion 
formed to resemble a flower bloom and an elongate tubular stem portion 
coupled to the flower bloom at one end of the stem portion. The other end 
of the stem portion is adapted for insertion into a stem of a plant. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional 
features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which 
will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new 
artificial flower bloom insert apparatus and method which has many of the 
advantages of the artificial flowers mentioned heretofore and many novel 
features that result in a new artificial flower bloom insert which is not 
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the 
prior art artificial flowers, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new artificial 
flower bloom insert which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new artificial 
flower bloom insert which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new 
artificial flower bloom insert which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such artificial flower bloom insert economically available to the 
buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
artificial flower bloom insert which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
artificial flower bloom insert for inserting into a stem of a live plant 
to simulate a bloom of the plant. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new artificial 
flower bloom insert which includes a bloom portion formed to resemble a 
flower bloom and an elongate tubular stem portion coupled to the flower 
bloom at one end of the stem portion. The other end of the stem portion is 
adapted for insertion into a stem of a plant. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
artificial flower bloom insert that keeps a simulated bloom on a flower 
long after the real bloom of the plants has died. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 
thereof, a new artificial flower bloom insert embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the artificial flower bloom 
insert 10 generally comprises a bloom portion 20 formed to resemble a 
flower bloom and an elongate tubular stem portion 23 coupled to the flower 
bloom at one end 24 of the stem portion 23. The other end 25 of the stem 
portion 23 is adapted for insertion into a stem of a plant 11. 
In closer detail, the artificial flower bloom insert 10 comprises a bloom 
portion 20 formed to resemble a flower bloom such as, for example: a tulip 
bloom, a daisy bloom or a rose bloom. The bloom portion 20 has a plurality 
of artificial petals 21 which are formed to resemble the petals of a 
flower bloom. The bloom portion 20 also has an artificial base 22 formed 
to resemble the base of a natural flower bloom. Preferably, the bloom 
portion 20 comprises silk and/or plastic. 
The insert 10 also includes an elongate tubular stem portion 23 having a 
pair of opposite ends 24,25. One of the ends 24 of the stem portion 23 is 
coupled to the base 22 of the bloom portion 20 such that the stem portion 
23 outwardly extends from the base 22 of the bloom portion 20. Another end 
25 of the stem portion 23 is adapted for insertion into a stem of a living 
plant 11. Preferably, the other end 25 of the stem portion 23 tapers to a 
point to aid the insertion of the other end into a stem of a living plant 
11. 
The length of the stem portion 23 is defined between the ends 24,25 of the 
stem portion 23. Preferably, the length of the stem portion 23 is greater 
than about 1 inch. Ideally, the length of the stem portion 23 is about 
31/2 inches. 
In use, a plant 11 having a stem 12 is provided. Preferably, the stem 12 
has a dead or dying bloom on it. A portion of the stem 12 of the plant 11 
(including the dead or dying bloom if it is provided on the stem 12) is 
removed from the top of the stem 12 of the plant 11 to form a cut end 13 
on the remainder of the stem 12 of the plant 11. The free end 25 of the 
stem portion 23 of the artificial flower bloom insert 10 is inserted into 
the cut end 13 of the remainder of the stem 12 of the plant 11 such that 
the artificial flower bloom insert 10 resembles a flower bloom on the stem 
12 of the plant 11. 
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the 
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. 
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and 
operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.