Abstract:
This invention generally relates to expandable containers, more importantly, to expandable containers having a housing with at least one chamber devoid of a fill material in an unexpanded condition and in an expanded condition the chamber having a fill material disposed therein.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     This invention generally relates to expandable containers, more importantly, to expandable containers having a housing with at least one chamber and at least one fill material.  
         [0005]     2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention  
         [0006]     Many prior art containers are constructed from relatively heavy rigid materials, while other containers are formed from flexible materials such as a plastic fashioned into rigid or semi rigid configurations. Still other containers are constructed from materials, such as cardboard, that unfold into the shape of a container. Significant disadvantages of such containers are the difficulties encountered in erecting the containers, excessive weight, and space required to store and ship such containers and the lack of protection provided articles disposed within such containers unless dunnage is added to the interior of the container to assist in protecting the article from forces typically encountered during shipping. The disadvantages of requiring the use of dunnage in containers are dunnage compression, migration, disposal, and cost. To these ends, a container is needed which overcomes the before mentioned disadvantages of prior art containers. It is to such an expandable container that the present invention is directed.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Broadly, the present invention relates to a container for floral groupings, the container having a collapsed condition and an expanded condition. In the expanded condition, the container includes a fill material and a housing. The housing has at least one chamber adapted to receive the fill material and at least one inlet for permitting introduction of the fill material into the chamber of the housing. The fill material can be any suitable material capable of expanding the chamber so as to move the container from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container for a floral grouping constructed in accordance with the present invention, the container shown in an expanded condition and having a pump connected thereto.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the container of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of the container of  FIG. 1  in a collapsed condition and without the pump connected thereto.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4 a  perspective view of another embodiment of a container for a floral grouping constructed in accordance with the present invention, the container shown in an expanded condition.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the container of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is an elevational view of the container of  FIG. 4  in a collapsed condition.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the container of the presently disclosed invention, the container shown in a collapsed condition.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the container of  FIG. 7  in an expanded condition.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     Before explaining in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description (e.g., text, examples, data, and/or tables) or illustrated or shown in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting, and one of ordinary skill in the art, given the present specification, would be capable of making and using the presently claimed and disclosed invention in a broad and non-limiting manner.  
         [0017]     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1-3 , shown therein and designated by the general reference number  10  is a container for a floral grouping  12 . The container  10  is selectively movable between a collapsed condition ( FIG. 3 ) and an expanded condition ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). In the expanded condition the container  10  has a substantially open upper end  16 , a sidewall  18 , a substantially closed lower end  22 , an outer peripheral surface  26 , an inner peripheral surface  28 , and a retaining space  30 . The retaining space  30  is defined by the substantially closed lower end  22  and the sidewall  18 . The retaining space  30  is typically sized and shaped so as to contain a flower pot  32 . The flower pot  32  may be filled with a floral holding material  34  for supporting the floral grouping  12 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will also readily recognize and understand that the container  10  and retaining space  30  may also be sized and shaped so as to contain a wide variety of other articles, such as a box, or a vase, or any other object having a mass.  
         [0018]     The container  10 , in the expanded condition, includes a fill material  38  and a housing  40 . The housing  40  is provided with a chamber  42  and an inlet  44 , wherein the inlet  44  is in fluid communication with the chamber  42  such that the fill material  38  may be introduced into the chamber  42  through the inlet  44 . The inlet  44  and the chamber  42  are also configured such that the fill material  38  can be evacuated from the chamber  42  through the inlet  44 . In the expanded condition of the container  10 , the chamber  42  is substantially filled with the fill material  38 .  
         [0019]     The housing  40  may be constructed, at least in part, from at least one flexible sheet of material  43 . The at least one flexible sheet of material  43  is sized, shaped, and sealed so as to create the chamber  42 . The important aspect of the seal is that it substantially seals the chamber  42  of the housing  40  such that the chamber  42  is capable of containing the fill material  38 . The chamber  42  is constructed of a material and in such a manner that it is substantially impermeable to the fill material  38 . Examples of materials that can be sized, shaped, configured, sealed, and fitted with the inlet  44  so as to form the chamber  42 , include but are not limited to rubber, plastic, mylar, foil, treated paper or pvc, and combinations and derivations thereof.  
         [0020]     The at least one flexible sheet of material  43  may be constructed of a single layer of material or a plurality of layers of the same or different types of materials. The plurality of layers of material comprising the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  may be laminated together or connected together by any method described herein or known to one of at least ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0021]     The inlet  44  of the housing  40  is constructed such that the fill material  38  is introduced and disposed into the chamber  42  of the housing  40  through the inlet  44  and the fill material  38  is contained and retained within the chamber  42  of the housing  40  for so long as it is desired that the container  10  remain in the expanded condition. The fill material  38  may also be evacuated from the chamber  42  of the housing  40  through the inlet  44  so as to return the container  10  to the collapsed condition in order to conserve storage space until it is desired to use or reuse the container  10 . To reuse the container  10 , the inlet  44  is reopened and the fill material  38  is again introduced into the chamber  42  of the housing  40  via the inlet  44 . In one embodiment, the inlet  44  may be a valve similar to an air valve typically found on an automobile, motorcycle, or bicycle tire—i.e., an air valve having a valve stem and a cap. The inlet  44  may be of the type typically found on a beach ball or other inflatable object (such as an air mattress or pool flotation device)—i.e., the inlet  44  having a hollow tube, a leak prevention gasket, and a leak proof cap.  
         [0022]     In the collapsed condition, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the chamber  42  of the housing  40  is substantially free of the fill material  38  such that the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  from which the housing  40  is constructed folds upon itself forming a plurality of overlapping folds  46 . In the collapsed condition, the housing  40  typically assumes a substantially planar or flat configuration (i.e., being flattened along and in conjunction with the plurality of overlapping folds  46 ) to thereby provide a space saving functionality to the container  10  for convenient, economic shipping and storage.  
         [0023]     In the expanded condition, the chamber  42  of the housing  40  is sufficiently pressurized and/or sufficiently filled with the fill material  38  to overcome atmospheric pressure, diffuse the plurality of overlapping folds  46 , and expand the chamber  42  of the housing  40  to thereby articulate the container  10  into the expanded condition.  
         [0024]     Examples of materials that are utilized as fill materials include gases, liquids, granular solids, and combinations thereof. Examples of granular solids include but are not limited to sugar, salt, plastic, metal beads, wire, sand, bicarbonate of soda, or combinations and derivations thereof. Examples of gases include, but are not limited to air, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, or carbon dioxide. Examples of liquids include but are not limited to water, hydraulic fluid, mercury, or vinegar.  
         [0025]     Typically, (and as shown in  FIG. 3 ) if the fill material  38  is a granular solid, the inlet  44  is a hollow tube  47  in fluid communication with the chamber  42  of the housing  40  and a cap  48  capable of sealing the hollow tube  47  and, thus, also the chamber  42  of the housing  40 . Typically, if the fill material  38  is a gas or liquid, the inlet  44  is a valve  49 , having a valve stem  50  and a cap  51  of a type substantially similar to the type of valve typically found on an automobile, motorcycle, or bicycle tire which automatically opens and shuts in response to air or liquid pressure.  
         [0026]     The shape of the container  10 , at least in part, in the expanded condition is provided by the shape of the chamber  42  of the housing  40  and the balance between the expansive forces of the fill material  38  and the resistance of the at least one flexible sheet of material  43 . It is important to note that the expansive force of the fill material  38  should not exceed the flexing limit of the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  used to construct the container  10 , for example, the expansive force of the fill material  38  should not be so great so as to burst or rupture the chamber  42  of the housing  40 .  
         [0027]     “Floral grouping” as used herein means cut fresh flowers, artificial flowers, a single flower, other fresh and/or artificial plants, or other floral materials that may include other secondary plants and/or ornamentation or artificial or natural materials which add to the aesthetics of the overall floral arrangement. Floral grouping may comprise a bloom or foliage portion and a stem portion. However, it will be understood that the floral grouping may consist of only a single bloom or only foliage. The term “floral grouping” may be used interchangeably herein with the term “floral arrangement.” 
         [0028]     The term “floral grouping” may be used interchangeably herein with the terms “plant” and/or “flower.” The term “floral grouping” may also be used interchangeably herein with the terms “botanical item” and/or “propagule.” The floral grouping may be cut flowers, a potted plant, or propagules.  
         [0029]     The term “botanical item” when used herein means a natural herbaceous or woody plant, taken singly or in combination. The term “botanical item” also means any portion or portions of natural herbaceous or woody plants including stems, leaves, flowers, blossoms, buds, blooms, cones, or roots, taken singly or in combination, or in groupings of such portions such as a bouquet or floral grouping.  
         [0030]     The term “propagule” when used herein means any structure capable of being propagated or acting as an agent of reproduction including seeds, shoots, stems, runners, tubers, plants, leaves, roots, or spores.  
         [0031]     The term “floral holding material” may be any type of material commonly referred to in the art as floral foam or Oasis™ or may be soil or artificial soil (organic or inorganic) or other earth composition so long as the material is capable of holding its predetermined shape and capable of receiving and supporting the floral grouping without any additional structural means such as, but not by way of limitation, a pot. The floral holding material may also be, in one embodiment, capable of receiving and holding water for the purpose of supplying water to the floral grouping. The floral holding material may also be, in one embodiment for example, sand, soil, fibrous material such as peat moss, or other materials used in the art of supporting plants or floral groupings. The floral holding material may also be a hollow conical or frusto-conical structure with a retaining space suitable for disposing at least a portion of a floral grouping therein, such as, a flexible sheet of plastic formed into a conical or frusto-conical configuration having an opening therein to form the retaining space and also to provide means for supporting and/or holding the floral grouping in place.  
         [0032]     The floral holding material may be any desired shape suitable for any particular application or may be particulate, granular, or in a “gel” type state. The floral holding material is preferably constructed of a material capable of receiving a portion of a floral grouping and holding or supporting the floral grouping. In some instances the floral holding material is capable of supporting the floral grouping without the need for a pot or other supporting type of assemblies.  
         [0033]     The flower pot  32  is provided with an upper end  52 , a bottom end  54 , and a substantially continuous sidewall  56  extending between the upper end  52  and the bottom end  54  so as to form a substantially frusto-conical shaped item. The bottom end  54  and the substantially continuous sidewall  56  cooperate to define a receiving space  58  within the flower pot  32 . The receiving space  58  is sized and shaped so as to receive the floral holding material  34  (see  FIG. 1 ) for supporting the floral grouping  12  in the container  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flower pot  32  is generally frustconically shaped. However, the flower pot  32  may be any shape as may be desired in a particular application—i.e., conical, cylindrical, coniform, spherical, cubic, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, fanciful, or combinations and derivations thereof.  
         [0034]     Although the chamber  42  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  as being formed between the outer peripheral surface  26  and the inner peripheral surface  28  of the container  10 , those skilled in the art will also readily understand and appreciate that the housing  40  could be designed and configured such that the chamber  42  is formed between only a portion of the inner peripheral surface  28  and a portion of the outer peripheral surface  26  of the container  10 —i.e., cells may be created in the housing  40  so as to create a quilting effect.  
         [0035]     Although the outer peripheral surface  26  and the retaining space  30  of the container  10  are shown in  FIG. 1  as essentially frusto-conical in configuration those skilled in the art will readily appreciate and understand that a plurality of different housings could be designed with each different housing providing a different configuration for the outer peripheral surface  26  and the retaining space  30  of the container  10 , such as conical, cylindrical, coniform, spherical, cubic, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, fanciful, or combinations and derivations thereof.  
         [0036]     Although the housing  40  is described and shown in  FIG. 1  as having only one chamber  42  and one inlet  44 , those skilled in the art will also readily understand and appreciate that the housing  40  could be designed and configured so as to provide a plurality of chambers with each chamber having at least one inlet.  
         [0037]     The container  10  may have a decorative surface ornamentation such as colorings, coatings, embossings, flocking and/or metallic finishes, or other decorative surface ornamentation applied separately or simultaneously, or may be characterized totally or partially by pearlescent, translucent, transparent, iridescent, or the like qualities. Each of the above-named characteristics may occur alone or in combination and may be applied to the inner peripheral surface  28  and/or the outer peripheral surface  26  of the container  10 . Moreover, each surface of the sheet of material may vary in the combination of such characteristics. The container  10  may be opaque, translucent, clear, tinted, transparent, or any combination thereof.  
         [0038]     A decorative pattern  60 , such as a color, a decal and/or an embossed pattern, and/or other decorative patterns may be applied to the housing  40  or the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  from which the housing  40  is constructed. For instance, the decorative pattern  60  may be a printed design, coatings, colors, flocking, or metallic finishes. The at least one flexible sheet of material  43  also may be a totally or partially clear or tinted transparent material. In the event the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  is clear, partially clear, tinted, or tinted transparent material it may be desirable that the fill material  38  have a color or decorative appearance for decorative purposes.  
         [0039]     The decorative pattern  60  on the container  10  may be printed, etched, and/or embossed thereon using inks or other printing materials. The decorative pattern  60  may also be one or more decorative patterns alone or in combination. When two or more decorative patterns are present, they may be in register with one another, out of register with one another, or partially in register and partially out of register with one another. Examples of printed designs other than decorative designs include, for example, but not by way of limitation, UPC information, price information, care and handling information, and company or brand logos. An example of an ink which may be applied to the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  to provide the decorative pattern  60  is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,706, entitled, “Water Based Ink On Foil And/Or Synthetic Organic Polymer,” issued to Kingman on Sep. 15, 1991, the contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0040]     A pump  62  can be utilized to add the fill material  38  through the inlet  44  into the chamber  42  of the housing  40  to expand the container  10  into the expanded condition. Although the pump  62  has been shown as an electric pump, it should be understood that the pump  62  may be a hand pump, a foot pump, a pressurized reservoir of fill material  38  such as by way of example a pressurized CO 2  gas cartridge or a pressurized helium cartridge. The pump  62  may also include a hose  64  and a nozzle  66  capable of being opened and closed. The nozzle  66  is configured such that it is matingly compatible with the inlet  44  and substantially does not allow for the fill material  38  to escape from the hose  64  when in operable connection. Pumps, hoses, nozzles, and valves are well known by those of ordinary skill thus further discussion herein is not deemed necessary and these terms should be understood as having their broadest everyday art meaning.  
         [0041]     In one method of use, the housing  40  and sufficient quantities of the fill material  38  (such as a granular type) are provided. The inlet  44  is disposed in the open position. The housing  40  is at least partially expanded manually by gripping the housing  40  at or near the top  67  of the housing  40  with one hand and grasping the housing  40  at or near the bottom  68  of the housing  40  with the other hand and thereafter applying opposing forces such that the housing  40  assumes a partially expanded condition. The fill material  38  is then poured through the inlet  44  and into the chamber  42  so as to more fully expand the housing  40 . A funnel, not shown, can be utilized to assist in pouring the fill material  38  through the inlet  44  and into the chamber  42 . Preferably, while pouring the fill material  38  into the chamber  42 , the housing  40  is partially elevated such that the weight of the fill material  38  fully expands the housing  40  and, in turn, the container  10 .  
         [0042]     After a sufficient quantity of fill material  38  has been poured into the chamber  42  so as to fully expand the housing  40 , the inlet  44  is closed so as to prevent the fill material  38  from leaking out of the chamber  42 . Typically, when utilizing a granular solid type fill material  38  to expand the housing  40 , the inlet  44  is the hollow tube  47  with the cap  48 .  
         [0043]     In another embodiment of the use of the container  10 , the housing  40  and the pump  62  are provided, and sufficient quantities of liquid or gaseous materials are used as the fill material  38 . The pump  62  is placed in contact with the fill material  38  such that upon activation of the pump  62  the fill material  38  is pumped through the pump  62  into the hose  64  and thereafter to the nozzle  66 . The inlet  44  is opened and the nozzle  66  of the pump  62  is matingly connected to the inlet  44 . The nozzle  66  of the pump  62  is opened and the pump  62  is activated such that the fill material  38  (i.e., the liquid or gaseous fill material) is forced through the hose  64 , through the nozzle  66 , through the inlet  44 , and into the chamber  42 . The chamber  42  is expanded by the pressure of the fill material  38  being forced into the chamber  42  until the chamber  42  is substantially in the expanded condition. After introduction of the fill material  38  into the chamber  42 , the inlet  44  is closed such that the chamber  42  remains in the substantially expanded condition to thereby provide the fully articulated container  10 . The nozzle  66  is thereafter closed and removed from the inlet  44 . Typically, when utilizing a liquid or gaseous fill material as the fill material  38  to expand the housing  40 , the inlet  44  utilized is of the type described hereinabove as including the hollow tube  47  that includes a valve stem  50  that is capable of automatically opening and shutting in response to increased or decreased pressure.  
         [0044]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4-6  shown therein is an expandable container  70  constructed in accordance with the present invention similar to the container  10 . The expandable container  70  has an expanded condition as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  and a collapsed condition as shown in  FIG. 6 . The expandable container  70  in the expanded condition includes at least one fill material  76  similar to the fill material previously described. The collapsed condition of the expandable container  70  is similar to the collapsed condition of the container  10 .  
         [0045]     The expandable container  70  includes a multi-chambered housing  78 . The multi-chambered housing  78  has at least a first chamber  80  and a second chamber  82 . The multi-chambered housing  78  of the expandable container  70  is constructed from at least one flexible sheet of material  84  substantially impermeable to the fill material  76  similar to the at least one sheet of flexible material  43  from which the housing  40  of the container  10  is constructed. The multi-chambered housing  78  has a first inlet  86  and a second inlet  88  similar to the inlet  44  of the housing  40  of the container  10 . The first and the second chambers  80  and  82  of the housing  78  can be any size and shape and be formed by any method known in the art. The first and second chambers  80  and  82  may be formed, for example, by sealing an inner sidewall  90  of the multi-chambered housing  78  to an outer sidewall  91  of the multi-chambered housing  78  in a substantially horizontal line circumferentially approximately midway between a top  92  and a bottom  94  of the multi-chambered housing  78 .  
         [0046]     In the expanded condition  72 , typically the first and second chambers  80  and  82  of the housing  78  are sufficiently pressurized and/or sufficiently filled with the fill material  76  to overcome atmospheric pressure, thereby, expanding the first and second chambers  80  and  82 . The expandable container  70  in the expanded condition  72 , has a substantially open upper end  96 , the inner sidewall  90 , the outer sidewall  91 , a lower end  102  which is substantially closed, a retaining space  104  defined by the inner sidewall  90  and the lower end  102 , an outer periphery  106  substantially defined by the outer sidewall  91  and the lower end  102 , and an inner peripheral surface  108  substantially defined by the lower end  102  and the inside sidewall  98 . It should be noted that a hole  110  optionally extends through the lower end  102  to allow for drainage of water or other liquids from the retaining space  104 . The multi-chambered housing  78  of the expandable container  70  is configured such that the hole  110  in the lower end  102  of the expandable container  70  does not allow fill material  76  to escape from the chambers  80  and  82 . The retaining space  104  is similar to the retaining space  30  of the container  10  and is also typically sized and shaped to contain or cover a floral grouping  112 , a floral holding material  114 , a flower pot (not shown), or combinations and derivations thereof.  
         [0047]     The shape of the expandable container  70 , at least in part, in the expanded condition  72  is provided by the shape of the first and second chambers  80  and  82  formed in the multi-chambered housing  78 , the configuration and weight of the floral grouping  112 , floral holding material  114  and/or flower pot disposed in the retaining space  104 , the horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or arcuate orientation of the chambers  80  and  82 , the expansive forces of the fill material  76  disposed within the first and second chambers  80  and  82 , and the resistance of the at least one sheet of flexible material  84 . Those skilled in the art will readily recognize and understand that the multi-chambered housing  78  can include any number of chambers.  
         [0048]     In this embodiment of the expandable container  70  the first chamber  80  and the second chamber  82  each surround a portion of the retaining space  104  of the expandable container  70 . For instance, by sealing the inner sidewall  90  of the multi-chambered housing  78  to the outer sidewall  91  of the multi-chambered housing  78  in a substantially horizontal line circumferentially approximately midway between the open upper end  96  and the lower end  102  of the multi-chambered housing  78  the first chamber  80  is created and the second chamber  82  is created. It should be noted the first chamber  80  can be filled with a first fill material  122  such as a gas and the second chamber  82  can be filled with a second fill material  124 , different from the first fill material  122  such as a granular solid for decorative or functional purposes. For instance, the second chamber  82 , may be constructed of a transparent material and filled with a colored granular solid or a colored liquid in order to provide stability and a decorative effect to the expandable container  70  and the first chamber  80  may be filled with a gas to provide a smooth outer periphery  106  to the upper portion of the expandable container  70 .  
         [0049]     It should also be noted that although the expandable container  70  is shown and described as having first and second chambers  80  and  82 , any number of chambers may be formed in the multi-chambered housing  78  in either a horizontal orientation and/or in a vertical orientation.  
         [0050]     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8  shown therein is a self inflating expandable container  130  constructed in accordance with the present invention similar to the expandable container  10 . The self inflating expandable container  130  has an expanded condition as shown in  FIG. 8  and a collapsed condition as shown in  FIG. 7 . The collapsed condition of the self inflating expandable container  130  is similar to the collapsed condition of the container  10 . The self inflating expandable container  130  includes a multi-chambered housing  136  and at least a first fill material  138  and a second fill material  140 . The multi-chambered housing  136  is constructed of at least one flexible sheet of material  141  similar to the at least one flexible sheet of material  43  used to construct the housing  40 .  
         [0051]     The multi-chambered housing  136  has an outer chamber  142  and an inner chamber  144  disposed within the outer chamber  142 . The first fill material  138  is disposed in the inner chamber  144 . The second fill material  140  is disposed in the outer chamber  142 . The first fill material  138  and the second fill material  140  are capable of producing a chemical reaction when they contact each other thereby producing an amount of gas, foam, or solid or semi-solid material to inflate the multi-chambered housing  136  into the expanded condition  132 .  
         [0052]     The inner chamber  144  is constructed, at least in part, of a material and of a thickness such that the inner chamber  144  will break, rupture, tear, or separate without disrupting or disturbing the outer chamber  142  and before the outer chamber  142  breaks, ruptures, tears, or separates when similar forces are applied to the inner chamber  144  and the outer chamber  142 . The material from which the inner chamber  144  is constructed can include one or more separating elements  150 . The separating elements  150  are impermeable to the first and second fill materials  138  and  140  when the separating elements  150  are intact. The separating elements  150  can be, for instance, thin or weakened areas or weakened seals, indentations, or combinations and derivations of the same designed to facilitate and insure that the inner chamber  144  breaks, ruptures, tears, or separates before the outer chamber  142  breaks, ruptures, tears, or separates when the inner chamber  144  and the outer chamber  142 , are placed under similar simultaneous pressures, forces, or stresses. The first fill material  138  and the second fill material  140  are isolated from each other until the inner chamber  144  is selectively broken, ruptured, torn, or separated by an operator. The breaking, rupturing, tearing, or separation of the inner chamber  144  allows the first fill material  138  and second fill material  140  to combine and mix.  
         [0053]     The first fill material  138  is a first chemical and the second fill material  140  is a second chemical that, when combined, produce an expanding reaction which results in an expanding material  151 . Such chemical combinations are well know in the art. The selection, quantity, and concentration of the first and second fill materials  138  and  140  are dependent, among other things, upon the amount of expanding material  151  desired. For example, the first fill material  138  may be manganese dioxide and the second fill material  140  could be an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide or the first fill material  138  could be sodium bicarbonate and the second fill material  140  could be acetic acid. Preferably, the first and second fill materials  138  and  140  are selected so as to not chemically react with each other at a high temperature, nor produce a gas which could damage the multi-chambered housing  136 , or which could be harmful to humans and/or animals if exposed thereto.  
         [0054]     The first and second fill materials  138  and  140  could be artificially colored for a decorative effect in the event the outer chamber  142  and/or inner chamber  144  or any portions thereof are transparent or translucent. Coloring agents such as food coloring, dyes, and paints are well known in the art and need not be described herein.  
         [0055]     In the expanded condition the outer chamber  142  is sufficiently pressurized or sufficiently filled with the expanding material  151  to overcome atmospheric pressure, expand the outer chamber  142  and thereby expand the multi-chambered housing  136 .  
         [0056]     The self inflating expandable container  130  in the expanded condition has a substantially open upper end  152 , an inside sidewall  154 , an outside sidewall  156 , a substantially closed lower end  158 , a retaining space  160  defined by the inside sidewall  150  and the closed lower end  158 , an outer peripheral surface  162  substantially defined by the outside sidewall  156  and closed lower end  158 , and an inner peripheral surface  164  substantially defined by the closed lower end  158  and the inside sidewall  154 . The retaining space  160  is typically sized and configured to contain or cover a floral grouping, a floral holding material, a flower pot, or combinations and derivations thereof similar to the floral grouping  12 , floral holding material  34 , and flower pot  32  previously described and shown.  
         [0057]     In use, the multi-chambered housing  136  with the first fill material  138  in the inner chamber  144  and the second fill material  140  in the outer chamber  142  is provided. The operator applies a compressive force to the multi-chambered housing  136  of sufficient magnitude (such as a squeezing between one or two hands) to cause the inner chamber  144  to rupture but of insufficient magnitude to cause the outer chamber  142  to rupture. As the inner chamber  144  with the first fill material  138  ruptures the first fill material  138  flows from the inner chamber  144 , mixes with the second fill material  140  in the outer chamber  142 , and produces the expanding material  151  thereby causing the multi-chambered housing  136  to expand and provide the self inflating expandable container  130  in its expanded condition.  
         [0058]     Thereafter, an item, such as the flower pot  32 , the floral holding material  34 , and the floral grouping  12 , can be disposed into the retaining space  160  of the self inflating expandable container  130 .  
         [0059]     Changes may be made in the various elements, components, parts, and assemblies described herein or in the steps or sequences of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.  
         [0060]     From the above description, it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made to various elements, components, parts, and assemblies described herein or in the steps or sequences of steps of the methods described herein which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.