Patent Publication Number: US-2023146491-A1

Title: Floral Cage Device And System

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit and priority of This application claims the benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 63/263,764 filed 9 Nov. 2021. The entire disclosure(s) of (each of) the above application(s) is (are) incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to the display of flowers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a floral cage that can be used for the display of flowers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
     Various structures are known for the display of flowers. For example, it is generally known to provide a container that contains a foam block. Such containers are often referred to as floral cages. The foam block conventionally holds water and receives the stems of flowers and related plants for display. While known floral cages may generally serve their intended purposes, all are associated with disadvantages. As such, a need for continued improvement in the art remains. 
     SUMMARY 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
     It is a general object of the present teachings to provide a floral cage that can cooperate with other, similar floral cages to create an arrangement for the display of flowers. 
     It is a related object of the present teachings to provide a floral cages that can be connected with one or more similar floral cages with fins extending from the floral cages. 
     It is another general object of the present teachings to provide a floral cage bracket for holding two floral cages and providing a handle for the cages to be suspended from an easel or the like. 
     In accordance with one aspect, the present teachings provide a floral cage including a bottom panel, a top panel, and a plurality of side panels. The side panels vertically extend between the bottom panel and the top panel. Each side panel formed to include a plurality of horizontally extending fins and a plurality of slots configured and arranged for coupling of the floral cage with a similarly constructed further floral cage. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the present teachings provide a floral cage includes a bottom panel; a top panel; and a plurality of side panels. The side panels vertical extending between the bottom panel and the top panel, each side panel is formed to include cooperating structures for coupling with corresponding features of a similarly constructed further floral cage. The floral cage is selectively configurable in an unassembled condition and an assembled condition, the floral cage planar in configuration in the unassembled condition, the plurality of side panels folded perpendicular to the bottom panel and the top panel in the assembled condition and the floral cage rectangular in configuration in the assembled condition and defining a rectangular opening for receiving a foam block. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, the present teachings provide floral cage assembly including a first floral cage, a second floral cage, and a floral cage bracket connecting the first and second floral cages. Both of the first and second floral cages are rectangular in shape and include a top panel, a bottom panel and a plurality of side panels. The floral cage bracket includes first and second side panels extending from a bottom panel, both of the first and second side panels including a first portion coupling with the first floral cage and a second portion coupling with the second floral cage. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a floral cage constructed in accordance with the present teachings, the floral cage shown in an assembled condition. 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of the floral cage of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a rear view of the floral cage of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a left side of the floral cage of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5    is a right side view of the floral cage of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  6    is a top side view of the floral cage of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  7    is a bottom view of the floral cage of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of the floral cage of  FIG.  1    shown in an unassembled condition. 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view similar to  FIG.  1   , further illustrated with a foam block in the floral cage. 
         FIG.  10    is a top view of a floral cage bracket in accordance with the present teachings, the floral cage bracket shown in an unassembled or flat condition. 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of the floral cage bracket of  FIG.  10   , the floral cage bracket shown folded and ready to receive first and second floral cages. 
         FIG.  12    is an assembly view illustrating first and second floral cages connected with the floral cage bracket of  FIGS.  10  and  11   . 
         FIG.  13    is an assembly view similar to  FIG.  12   , illustrated with foam blocks within the first and second floral cages. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that the example embodiment should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described herein in detail. 
     With initial reference to  FIGS.  1 - 9   , a floral cage constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is illustrated and generally identified at reference character  10 . In  FIGS.  1 - 7   , the floral cage  10  is shown in an assembled or folded condition for receiving a foam block  12 . In  FIG.  8   , the floral cage  10  is shown in an unassembled or unfolded condition. In  FIG.  9   , the floral cage  10  is shown operatively associated with the foam block  12 . It will be understood that the foam block  12  is conventional in construction insofar as the present teachings are concerned. Various known foam blocks may be used within the scope of the present teachings. 
     The floral cage  10  may be unitarily constructed of plastic or other suitable material. For example, the floral cage  10  may be injection molded of plastic. The floral cage  10  may be manufactured in the generally flat condition or unassembled condition shown in  FIG.  8   . In this condition, the floral cage  10  is shown to include a bottom panel  10 A, a top panel  10 B, and four side panels  10 C. The bottom panel  10 A may be a solid panel defining a pan. The floral cage  10  may be formed such that one of the side panels  10 C directly connects the bottom panel  10 A and the top panel  10 B. The other three (3) side panels  10 C may depend directly from the top panel  10 B, for example. Upon folding or assembly, the side panels  10 C (e.g., plurality of side panels) vertically extend between the bottom panel  10 A and the top panel  10 B. The top panel  10 B, bottom panel  10 A and side panels  10 C cooperate to define a rectangular structure having a correspondingly shaped, rectangular hollow interior  14  for receiving the foam block  12  (as shown in  FIG.  9   , for example). 
     Each of the top panel  10 B and the side panels  10 C is formed to include one or more windows for providing access to the foam block  12 . In this regard, the stems of flowers and related plants for display may be passed through these windows to anchor in the foam block  12 . In the embodiment illustrated, each of the top panel  10 B and the side panels  10 C is formed to include a plurality of windows for providing access to the foam block  12 . 
     The floral cage  10  of the present teachings is particularly designed to couple to one or more similarly constructed floral cages  10 . In this regard, each side panel  10 C may be formed to include cooperating structures for coupling to similar floral cages  10 . In this regard, each side panel  10 C may be formed to include at least one male structure and at least one female structure. In the embodiment illustrated, each side panel  10 C is shown to include a plurality of one male structures and a plurality of female structures. The male structures may be a plurality of horizontally projecting fins  16  and the female structures may be a plurality of slots  18 . As shown in the side view of  FIG.  2   , for example, each side panel  10 C includes a plurality of vertically extending webs  20 . The vertically extending webs  20  connect a top side  22  and a bottom side  24 . Windows  26  are defined between adjacent webs  20 . In the embodiment illustrated, each side panel  10 C includes four webs  20 . It will be understood, however, that a greater or lesser number of webs  20  may be included within the scope of the present teachings. The web  20  adjacent a first side (e.g., on the right as shown in  FIG.  2   ), may include fins  16 . The adjacent web may include slots  18 . The pattern continues to alternate such that the web  20  at the second side (e.g., on the right as shown in  FIG.  2   ) includes slots  18 . As illustrated, the webs  20  including fins  16  include one or more fins  16 , and preferably a plurality of fins  16 . Similarly, the webs  20  include slots  18  include one or more slots  18 , and preferably a plurality of slots  18 . As such, when similar floral cages  10  are arranged adjacent to one another, the fins  16  align with the slots  18 . 
     Turning to  FIGS.  10 - 13   , a floral cage bracket  28  in accordance with the present teachings is illustrated. The floral cage bracket  28  is adapted to hold the floral cage  10  and a further floral cage  10  to create a floral cage assembly  29 . In  FIG.  10   , the floral cage bracket  28  is shown in a flat or unassembled condition. In  FIG.  11   , the floral cage bracket  28  is folded to a use or assembled condition. In  FIG.  12   , the floral cage bracket  28  is operatively shown with a pair of floral cages  10 . In  FIG.  13   , the floral cages  10  of  FIG.  12    are shown loaded with foam blocks  12 . As with the floral cage  10 , the floral cage bracket  28  may be unitarily formed of plastic or other suitable material. 
     The floral cage bracket  28  may include a bottom panel  30  and first and second side panels  32 . The side panels  32  may be folded from the unassembled condition of  FIG.  10    to the assembled condition of  FIG.  11   . The side panels  32  of the floral cage bracket  28  are each adapted to cooperate with two floral cages  10 . In this regard, each side panel  32  includes a first plurality of fins  16  and a first plurality of slots  18  arranged and sized to cooperate with corresponding slots  18  and fins  16  of a first floral cage, and a second plurality of fins  16  and a second plurality of slots  18  arranged and sized to cooperate with corresponding slots  18  and fins  16  of a second floral cage  10 . Each side panel  32  defines a first window  34  arranged to align with a window of the first floral cage  10  and a second window  36  arranged to align with a window of the second floral cage  10 . 
     The floral cage bracket  28  may include a handle  38  extending from the lower panel  30  and in the same plane as the lower panel. The handle  38  may be used for hanging a floral cage assembly  29 . 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.