Pressed flower ornament

Abstract: A pressed flower arrangement (3) is sealed in an airtight manner between a transparent plate (5) and a damp-proof base (2) by a peripheral adhesive (4) so that it remains intact for a long period without changing or fading. The assembly (1) may be mounted in a frame for display.

Description: The present invention relates to a pressed flower ornament containing a pressed flower(s) and capable of being mounted in a frame for display. A traditional pressed flower ornament is fabricated by setting a pressed flower assortment on a base board with an adhesive or pieces of string and, if desired, enclosing it in a transparent bag made of e.g. polyethylene. However, if the pressed flower assortment is not protected with a bag or cover, it will quickly change or fade in color and be stained with dust. Also, the pressed flower assortment has to be protected in an appropriate size of the transparent bag. Otherwise, its appearance will be impaired by gaps and wrinkles on the transparent bag. If the airtightness in the transparent bag is poor, the pressed flower assortment will gradually be deteriorated and faded with time. It would be desirable to be able, in view of the foregoing aspects, to provide an improved pressed flower ornament which has a pressed flower assortment airtightly sealed in between a transparent plate and a damp-proof base board so that the pressed flower assortment remains intact for long without changing or fading its colors. Also, the pressed flower ornament of the present invention can be mounted in a frame for display. EP-A-0 342 248 discloses a pre-dried pressed flower arrangement sealed in between a transparent sheet and a base to which the sheet is adhesively attached along its entire periphery. JP-A-5 065 000 discloses a pressed flower ornament in accordance with the pre-characterising part of claim 1. The present invention provides a pressed flower ornament as set forth in claim 1. Preferred and optional features are set forth in the subsidiary claims. The invention will be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pressed flower ornament showing a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing the application of an adhesive agent to a base board which supports a pressed flower assortment of the pressed flower ornament; Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing the coupling of the base board to a transparent plate; Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing the pressed flower ornament of the first embodiment mounted in a frame; Figs. 6 and 7 are explanatory views showing a second embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 8 and 9 are explanatory views showing a third embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 10 and 11 are explanatory views showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 12 and 13 are explanatory views showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 14 and 15 are explanatory views showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 16 and 17 are explanatory views showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 18 and 19 are explanatory views showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. 20 and 21 are explanatory views showing a ninth embodiment of the present invention; DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described referring to the accompanying drawings. Figs. 1 to 5 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a pressed flower ornament 1 comprises a base board 2 made of a damp-proof material, a pressed flower assortment 3 disposed on the front surface of the base board 2, and a transparent plate 5 closely coupled to the base board 2 by an adhesive tape or adhesive agent 4 of no solution type applied throughout the hem of the base board 2 so that the pressed flower assortment 3 is airtightly sealed in between the transparent plate 5 and the base board 2. As best shown in Fig. 3, the base board 2 comprises a base body 6 made of a paper board coated or saturated with a desiccant, e.g. calcium chloride or lithium chloride, and a damp-proof sheet 7 of e.g. polypropylene or KOP material bonded to the base body 6 so that it can cover the entire back surface and a hem portion of the front surface of the base body 6. The transparent plate 5 may be selected from transparent glass, acrylic, polyester, and polycarbonate plates. The pressed flower ornament 1 can be assembled starting with, as shown in Fig. 3, setting the pressed flower assortment 3 in place on the front surface of the base board 2 and applying the adhesive agent 4 of non solution type to the hem of the base board 2. Then, the transparent plate 5 is Placed to cover the front surface of the base board 2 and bonded to the base board 2, as shown in Fig. 4. As the result, the pressed flower assortment 3 sandwiched between the transparent plate 5 and the base board 2 is airtightly retained, being constantly dried with the desiccant of the base board 2. Accordingly, the pressed flower ornament 1 can be mounted in a frame 8 with no glass, for display on the wall, as shown in Fig. 5. Other embodiments of the present invention shown in Figs. 6 to 21 will now be described. Throughout the drawings, like components are denoted by like numerals as those of the first embodiment and will no more be explained. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a second embodiment which differs from the first embodiment by the fact that the base board 2 is replaced with a modified base board 2A. The modified base board 2A comprises a base body 6 coated or saturated with a desiccant and a protective cover sheet 9 bonded to the base body 6 to cover its entire front surface by application of an adhesive agent 4 of non solution type to the outer edge of the base body 6. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1A of the second embodiment will be characterized in which the protective cover sheet 9 of the base board 2A prevents loss or declination in the dehydrating effect of the desiccant. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a third embodiment which differs from the first embodiment by the fact that the base board 2 is replaced with a modified base board 2B. The modified base board 2B comprises a base body 6 coated or saturated with a desiccant and having a recess 10 arranged in the front surface thereof, and a deoxidant 11 contained in the recess 10. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1B of the third embodiment will be characterized in which the deoxidant 11 of the base board 2B prevents the colors of a pressed flower assortment 3 from fading and changing rapidly with time. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a fourth embodiment which differs from the first embodiment by the fact that the base board 2 is replaced with a modified base board 2C. The modified base board 2C comprises a base body 6A not coated nor saturated with a desiccant and having two recesses 10 and 12 arranged in the front surface thereof, and a desiccant 13 and a deoxidant 11 contained in the two recesses 10 and 12 respectively. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1C of the fourth embodiment will provide the effects equal to those of the third embodiment. Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate a fifth embodiment which differs from the first embodiment by the fact that the base board 2 is replaced with a modified base board 2D. The modified base board 2D comprises a base body 6 coated or saturated with a desiccant and formed to a smaller size than the transparent plate 5, and a damp-proof sheet 7 of an aluminum foil material formed equal in the size to the transparent plate 5 and fixedly or detachably mounted to the back surface of the base body. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1D of the fifth embodiment will provide the effects equal to those of the first embodiment. Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate a sixth embodiment which differs from the fifth embodiment by the fact that the base board 2D is replaced with a modified base board 2E. In the base board 2E, the base body 6 is fixedly coupled by an adhesive or the like to the damp-proof sheet 7 and covered at front surface with a protective cover sheet 9 which is bonded by the adhesive 4 to a hem portion of the damp-proof sheet 7 extending outwardly of the base body 6. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1E of the sixth embodiment will provide the effects equal to those of the second embodiment. Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate a seventh embodiment which differs from the sixth embodiment by the fact that the base body 6 is replaced with a modified base body 6A which is not coated nor saturated with the desiccant. For compensation, a desiccant 13 and, if desired, a deoxidant 11 are disposed between the base body 6A and the damp-proof sheet 7, constituting a base board 2F. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1F of the seventh embodiment having the base board 2F will provide the effects equal to those of the sixth embodiment. Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate an eighth embodiment which differs from the seventh embodiment by the fact that the base board 2F is replaced with a modified base board 2G. In the base board 2G, the base body 6A is completely coated at front surface with the adhesive agent 4 of non solution type for ease of setting the pressed flower assortment 3. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1G of the eighth embodiment will provide the effects equal to those of the seventh embodiment. Figs. 20 and 21 illustrate a ninth embodiment which differs from the first embodiment by the fact that the base board 2 is replaced with a modified base board 2H. In the base board 2H, the base body 6 is completely covered at front surface with a cushion sheet 14 made of a sponge material or the like. Accordingly, a pressed flower ornament 1H of the eighth embodiment having the base board 2H will provide the effects equal to those of the first embodiment. The base board 2H may fixedly be coupled to the transparent plate 5 with a length of an adhesive tape 15 made of a damp-proof material extending the entire edge of the base board 2H so that the resistance to moisture for the pressed flower assortment 3 is increased. As set forth above, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: (1) The pressed flower ornament comprises a base board made of a damp-proof material, a pressed flower assortment disposed on the front surface of the base board, and a transparent plate coupled to the base board by means of an adhesive tape or adhesive agent extending the entire edge of the base board so that the pressed flower assortment is sealed in between the transparent plate and the base board. More specifically, the pressed flower assortment is airtightly retained without suffering from dust or dirt while being confined in the dryness created by the desiccant which is coated on or contained in the base board. Hence, the pressed flower assortment will remain intact for long without changing or fading its colors. (2) According to the teaching of the paragraph (1), when the pressed flower ornament is placed in a frame with no glass, its pressed flower assortment will remain protected from dust or dirt. (3) According to the teaching of the paragraph (1), the pressed flower assortment is fixedly sealed in between the transparent plate and the base board and will be well preserved. Also, it will be easy to handle the pressed flower ornament for use. (4) According to the teaching of the paragraph (1), the pressed flower ornament is simple in structure and will be fabricated with ease and less cost.

Claims: A pressed flower ornament which comprises a pressed flower arrangement comprising at least one flower (3) disposed on the front surface of a damp-proof base board (2), and a transparent plate or sheet (5;9) attached to the base board (2) by adhesive means (4;15) along the entire periphery of the base board (2) so that the pressed flower arrangement is sealed in between the transparent plate or sheet (5;9) and the base board (2), characterised in that the base board (2) is provided with a desiccant within the sealed space between the plate or sheet (5,9) and the base board (2). A pressed flower ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein desiccant is carried on the front surface of the base board, in the vicinity of the pressed flower arrangement. A pressed flower ornament as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the front surface of the base carries a deoxidant in the vicinity of the pressed flower arrangement. A pressed flower ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base board comprises a base body (6), coated or impregnated with the desiccant, and a damp-proof sheet (7) bonded to the back surface of the base body (6). A pressed flower ornament as claimed in claim 4, wherein the damp-proof sheet (7), e.g. an aluminum foil, has a greater size than the base body (6), is mounted on the back surface of the base body (6) and extends beyond the periphery of the base body (6), the said adhesive means (4) coupling the base body (6) and/or the damp-proof sheet (7) to the transparent plate (5). A pressed flower ornament as claimed in claim 5, wherein the front or back surface of the base body (6) carries the desiccant. A pressed flower ornament as claimed in claim 6, wherein the front or back surface of the base body (6) carries a deoxidant. A pressed flower ornament as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transparent plate (5) is a glass or acrylic plate. A pressed flower ornament as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base (2) is coated with an adhesive at the surface where the pressed flower arrangement is disposed.

Inventors: SUGINO NOBUO, SUGINO, NOBUO
Applicants: SUGINO NOBUO, SUGINO, NOBUO
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B44C5
IPC codes: A01G5, B44C5