Abstract:
A bloom support device for protecting a cut flower during shipping, the bloom support device having a concave body providing a substantially closed proximal end clearingly disposed about a stem of the flower and a substantially open distal end compressingly folding a bloom of the flower into a folded arrangement and retaining the folded arrangement in a secure shipping arrangement. The concave body has a stress intensification feature for tearing the bloom support device off of the bloom.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to the field of shipping and storage devices for blooming flowers, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a device for protecting a flower bloom during shipping and storage.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention provides a bloom support device for protecting the bloom of a cut flower during shipment and storage. The bloom support device has a concave body, substantially closed at a proximal end and forming an open distal end for receiving engagement of the bloom. An aperture is provided at the proximal end through which a stem portion of the flower is disposed as the concave body is moved along the stem toward the bloom in operatively placing the bloom support device about the bloom. In the operative position the concave body encapsulates the bloom, providing a compressive support to the bloom&#39;s delicate petals which are urged into a folded arrangement. A stress-intensification member is provided in the concave body to facilitate a tearing away of the bloom support device from the bloom in such a manner that in response to an applied tearing force, the stress-intensification member imparts a tearing of the concave body along a tear line extending between the distal end of the concave body with the aperture of the proximal end of the concave body. The stress intensification member can be a notch formed in the concave body extending a distance from the distal end and having an apex directed toward the aperture in the proximal end. A plurality of notches so arranged can be provided at the distal end of the concave body to facilitate the presentation of a notch to an operator. The stress-intensification member can also be a plurality of perforations defining such a tear-line.  
           [0003]    The stress intensification member permits an effective tearing action from a vantage point most likely to be used by an employee who is unpackaging a batch of flowers. Namely, it is most likely that one unpackaging the flowers will tear the bloom support device from the outermost extremity, that is, from the more accessible distal end, because the operator is typically motivated to unpackage the flowers quickly. The stress intensification member provides the ability to tear away the bloom support device so as to unpackage the flowers in a minimal amount of time while preventing damage to the flower bloom and stem. These and other advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawings and appended claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a flower well-suited to receive a bloom support device of the present invention for protection during shipment and storage.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of a cut flower of FIG. 1 having a bloom support device constructed in accordance with the present invention disposed about a bloom portion of the cut flower.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 3 is a pictorial representation of a bloom support device constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration of a stress distribution imparted to the stress intensification member of the bloom support device of FIG. 3.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 5 is a pictorial representation of a bloom support device constructed in accordance with the present invention having a plurality of stress intensification members.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation of a bloom support device constructed in accordance with the present invention having a plurality of longitudinal perforations.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]    Referring to the drawings in general, and more particularly to FIG. 1, shown therein is a cut flower  10  having a stem portion  12  and a bloom portion  14 . The bloom portion  14  is illustrated as having a plurality of petals  16  which are susceptible to damage during shipping.  
         [0011]    Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, to prevent damage to the bloom portion  14  of the cut flower  10  during shipping, the petals  16  of the bloom portion  14  are folded toward each other, that is, in an arrangement of the petals  16  like a budded arrangement and a bloom support device  18  is positioned about the folded petals  16 . The bloom support device  18  is provided with a concave body having a proximal end  22  with an aperture  24  through which the stem portion  12  (See FIG. 2) passes to allow the proximal end  22  to abut the bloom portion  14 . An upwardly-extending, concave body  26  extends from the proximal end  22  and terminates in an open-ended distal end  27 , the concave body  26  in this manner encapsulating the petals  16  in the folded arrangement. Thus, the concave body  26  is clearingly disposed about the stem portion  12  and supportingly disposed about the bloom portion  14 .  
         [0012]    The concave body  26  in this manner provides a cavity  29  for receiving engagement of the bloom portion  14 . The open distal end  27  communicates with the cavity  29  for passage of the bloom portion  14  into the cavity  29 . The aperture  24  in the proximal end permits passage of the stem portion  12  as the bloom portion  14  passes into the cavity  29 .  
         [0013]    It should be understood that removal of the bloom support device  18  from the bloom portion  14  can be achieved without damage to the stem portion  12  or the bloom portion  14 , as described hereinbelow.  
         [0014]    The concave body  26  can be provided by any of a number of conventional manufacturing methods. The bloom support device  18  can be made of a polymeric material and cut into a flat pattern, then thermoformed to provide the concave shape. Alternatively, the bloom support device  18  made of a polymeric material may be cut from a stack of two sheets that are appropriately seamed together. The bloom support device  18  may also be made of paper, foil, laminations and combinations thereof.  
         [0015]    To enhance removal of the bloom support device  18  from the cut flowers, the open distal end  27  of the concave body  26  is provided with a notch  28 . The notch  28  provides a stress intensification member facilitating a tearing action. The tearing action may be directed along a tear line, as defined by another stress intensification member along the concave body  26  such as a crease  38  shown in FIG. 3. In this manner, an operator removing the bloom support device  20  grasps it on opposing sides of the notch  28  and pulls the concave body  26  apart. FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the resultant stress field  30  that acts on the distal end  27  as a tearing force “F” is applied in opposite directions across the notch  28 , the force denoted by arrows  32 ,  33 . The stress vectors act orthogonally to the sloping edges  34  of the notch  28 , the apex  36  of which creates a stress intensification member to decrease the magnitude of the force “F” necessary to shear the material to propagate a tear. Once the tear forms, it will be noted the stress field acts on the material in a substantially parallel direction to that of the applied force “F,” such that an even lesser magnitude of force “F” is necessary to continue the tearing action once the tear is initially propagated. A relatively sharp notch  28 , having steeply sloped edges  34 , provides a relatively large stress intensification member. By providing a sharp notch  28 , the resulting force “F” necessary to initiate a tear can be provided as substantially the same force “F” that is required to continue the tear once initiated.  
         [0016]    It will be noted that in tearing the concave body  26  of the bloom support device  18  along the tear line that extends between the notch  28  with the aperture  24 , the notch  28  is formed with the apex  36  at a desired axial plane  40  that includes the axial center line of the concave body  26 . The edges  34  of the notch  28  are substantially equilaterally disposed about the axial plane  40 . By selecting an appropriate material for the bloom support device  18 , the tear propagates in a tear line along the axial plane  40  and thereby separates the bloom support device  20  from the flower  10  by tearing along a line extending between the notch  28  and aperture  24  without the aid of a stress intensification member along the concave body  26 , such as the crease  38  in FIG. 3.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 shows a bloom support device  18   a  wherein the distal end  27   a  has a plurality of notches  28   a,  at least one of which can be selected for use in initiating the tearing action as discussed above. Although shown as a plurality of notches, only one of the notches is designated by the reference numeral  28   a.  By providing a number of notches  28   a  it is contemplated that the operator will use the one most accessible and therefore not need to reposition the flower to access one of the notches  28   a.  This is beneficial where a number of flowers  10  are typically bulk packaged closely together, wherein providing a number of notches  28   a  makes it more likely the operator will initiate the tearing action at a notch  28   a  as desired.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 shows yet another bloom support device  18   b  wherein a plurality of perforations  42  is provided between the notch  28   b  and the aperture  24   b.  Like the crease  38  of the concave body  26  of FIG. 3, the plurality of perforations  42  provides a stress intensification member defining the tear line extending between the notch  28   b  and the aperture  24   b  independent of the material characteristics associated with the direction of the tear line. Other stress intensifications will work as well, such as a seam. It will be noted that a longitudinal stress intensification member along the concave body  26  may be used in conjunction with one notch  28   b  as in FIG. 6, as well as a plurality of stress intensification members each used with a corresponding notch  28   a  as in FIG. 5.  
         [0019]    The foregoing description thus provides a method for packaging one or more flowers, and hence a batch of flowers in like manner, at a shipping location and subsequently unpackaging the flowers at a destination location. The bloom support device  18  is placed onto the bloom portion  14  to urge a folded arrangement of the petals  16  to prevent damage. The flower is then shipped to the destination in the folded arrangement. At the destination the bloom supports  18  are removed quickly and easily by tearing the bloom support device as facilitated by a stress intensification member, that is, at an accessible notch or perforation.  
         [0020]    It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments of the invention, and changes may be made in details especially in matters of structure and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.