Patent Publication Number: US-10773876-B2

Title: Packaging system for shipping floral arrangements

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/289,869 filed Feb. 1, 2016. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to packaging systems and in particular to a packaging system for shipping of a floral arrangement. 
     Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Floral arrangements, such as an arrangement of long stem roses, are frequently shipped in an elongated box which, when opened, reveals the entire arrangement. There are several problems with this traditional method of shipping a floral arrangement. 
     Flowers are inherently fragile, so the normal jostling experienced by a floral arrangement during shipping can damage or degrade it. The life of a cut flower can be minimized if the flower is not properly hydrated, kept at a cool temperature, and ventilated. Hydration tubes can be used to provide a supply of water to the stem of each flower, but they tend to move around in the box, which can disturb the arrangement such as by pushing the flowers against one end of the box. Boxes used for shipping floral arrangements have made no provision for keeping the floral arrangement cool or ventilated because humidity can weaken the paper material forming the box and vents in the box can weaken it structurally. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a packaging system for delivery of a floral arrangement according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the assembled presentation box and of the shipping box thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view thereof with the lids of the presentation and shipping boxes open. 
         FIG. 3A  is an exploded sectional view of the packaging system of  FIG. 3  taken along lines  3 A- 3 A thereof. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the presentation box thereof shown with the inner id closed and the outer lid open. 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the shipping box with the lids open and the presentation box in it. 
         FIG. 5A  is a sectional view of the assembled packaging system taken along lines  5 A- 5 A of  FIG. 5  showing the presentation box in the shipping box. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded side elevation and partially sectional view of the presentation box, with a representative floral arrangement, and an exploded view of the shipping box thereof. 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of the back side of a backing plate in another embodiment of the invention holding a note card. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the opposite side of the backing plate shown in  FIG. 7  to which the wedge-shaped support pad that retains the floral arrangement is attached. 
         FIG. 9A  is an elevation view of the front side of a support block in another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9B  is a top perspective view thereof. 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the presentation box with the support block of  FIGS. 9A and 9B  inserted therein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     A packaging system for delivery of a floral arrangement is indicated generally in  FIGS. 1 and 2  at numeral  10 . The system  10  comprises an elongated presentation box  12  and a shipping box  14  for shipping the presentation box. The presentation box  12  is sized for holding a floral arrangement  16  such as a dozen long stem roses, and includes two long side panels  18 , a floor panel  20 , a head end panel  22  and a stem end panel  24  forming an elongated container having a head end  26 , a stem end  28 , a top opening  30 , and inner and outer lids  32 ,  34  for closing over the top opening  30 . 
     The inner lid  32  is hingedly connected on one of its long sides to one of the side panels  18  allowing it to close over the top opening  30 . With additional reference now to  FIG. 4 , it is seen that the inner lid  32  extends longitudinally from its first end  35  adjacent the stem end  28  of the presentation box  12  to a second end  36  terminating well short of the head end  26  thereof. In the closed configuration shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5A , inner lid  32  is folded over a portion of the top opening  30  of the presentation box  12  thereby creating a presentation opening  39  at the head end  26  thereof for display of the flowers  37  of a floral arrangement  16  placed therein. A closure panel  38  is hingedly attached to the other of the long sides of the inner lid  32  and is frictionally engaged with the inner face of the other side panel  18  of the presentation box to hold inner lid  32  in the closed position shown. 
     The outer lid  34  is hingedly connected on one of its long sides to the upper end of the other of the side panels  18  of the presentation box  12  for folding over and closing the top opening  30 . Two end flaps  40  are hingedly attached to the short sides of outer lid  34 , a locking panel  42  is hingedly attached to the other long side of outer lid  34 , and two locking flaps  44  are hingedly attached to the ends of the locking panel  42 . In the closed configuration shown in  FIG. 5A , outer lid  34  is secured over top opening  30  by the two end flaps  40  which tuck into the head end  26  and stem end  28  of the presentation box. Locking panel  42  folds alongside one of the side panels  18  of the presentation box  12  and locking flaps  44  are inserted snugly in locking slots  46  formed in the head end and stem end panels  26 ,  28  to fix locking panel  42  in place and secure outer lid  34  in the closed position over the top opening  30 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 3 , a bottom support pad  48  is provided on the head end of the floor panel  20  of the presentation box  12  to provide a protective surface on which the flowers  37  of a floral arrangement can be supported. An optional tube-supporting pad  49  is provided on the floor panel  20  near the stem end  28  of the box  12  (see  FIG. 6 ). An array of vents  50  in the floor panel  20  are located for disposition immediately below the stems  51  of a floral arrangement  16  placed in the box  12 . Similarly, with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , a stem-holding support pad  52  is provided on the underside of inner lid  32 . Pad  52  includes a thicker stem-holding portion  54  for holding the stems  51  of the floral arrangement  16 , and a tube-holding portion  56  thinner than the stem-holding portion  54  for holding hydration tubes  58 , each tube containing one of the stems  51  of the floral arrangement  16  when the inner lid  32  is in the closed position. Pads  48 ,  49  and  50  can be made of foam, cardboard or any other material that is suitably lightweight and supportive. 
     With particular reference to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A , it will be seen that the floral arrangement comprises a plurality of horizontal layers wherein the stems of each flower  37  in each of the top layers is cut shorter than the stems of the flowers in the layer below allowing the flowers to be arranged in an attractive inclined bed as shown. A wedge-shaped support pad  60  is provided on the underside of outer lid  34  and has a sloped surface  62  corresponding to the incline of the bed of flowers  37 . In the illustrated embodiment, a relatively thin backing pad  64  is interposed between pad  60  and outer lid  34  and a relatively thin end pad  66  is interposed between the end of wedge-shaped pad  60  and one of the end flaps  40 , but those of skill in the art will appreciate that inclusion of thin pads  64  and  66  is optional and that the wedge-shaped pad  60  may be attached directly to the outer lid  34  as seen in  FIG. 3A . In another embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , wedge-shaped pad  60  is attached to a detached backing plate  104  on the back side  106  of which are provided a plurality of slots  108  for attaching a note card  110 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 6 , it can be seen that, when inner and outer lids  32 ,  34  are closed over the top opening of the presentation box  12 , stem-holding pad  52  will hold the stems  51  and hydration tubes  58  of a floral arrangement  16  securely in position, and wedge-shaped pad  60  will gently hold the delicate flowers  37  of the arrangement  16  in their inclined configuration and prevent excess jostling. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 , it is seen that the shipping box  14  is an elongated container comprising a bottom panel  68 , elongated side panels  70 , end panels  72  extending between side panels  70 , end lids  74  hingedly connected to end panels  72 , and elongated side lids  76  hingedly connected to side panels  70 . A floor pad  78  is affixed to the bottom panel  68  and includes a recess  80  for holding a cold pack  82 . A spacer  84  in a folded configuration has top panel  86  and elongated side walls  88  and end walls  90  depending from the outer edges of top panel  86 . A rectangular opening  92  in top panel  86  is inset from the outer edges thereof and sized to correspond to the width and length of the presentation box  12 . Guide flaps  94  are extend inwardly from and are hingedly attached to the inside edges of top panel  86 . 
     A floral arrangement  16  is packaged for shipping by placing the floral arrangement  16  in the presentation box  12  as shown. Inner lid  32  is then closed over the floral arrangement with closure panel  38  introduced between the floral arrangement  16  and adjacent side panel  18 . Closure panel  38  holds inner lid  32  in place when the outer lid  34  of the presentation box  12  is opened so that only the flowers  37  of the arrangement  16  are shown. 
     The outer lid  38  is then closed over the inner lid  32  thereby positioning wedge-shaped pad  60  directly over flowers  37 , and end flaps  40  are tucked into the head and stem ends  26 ,  28  of the presentation box  12  adjacent end panels  22 ,  24 . In the alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the wedge-shaped pad  60  and detached backing plate  104  are placed directly over flowers  37  before closing outer lid  38 . In either embodiment, the locking panel  42  is then folded over and against side panel  18  and locking flaps  44  are pressed into slots  46  in the head and stem ends  26 ,  28  of the box thereby securing outer lid  38  over the top opening  30  of the presentation box. 
     The shipping box  14  is prepared to receive the presentation box  12  by inserting spacer  84  into it, placing a cold pack  82  in the recess  80  of floor pad  78 , and then inserting the presentation box  12  in rectangular opening  92  formed by spacer  84  until it is seated on floor pad  78 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , vents  50  in the floor panel  20  of presentation box  12  overlay cold pack  82  allowing cooling air into the interior of presentation box  12  during shipping. Guide flaps  94  press inwardly on presentation box  12  to help hold it in position in opening  92 . Finally, end and side lids  74 ,  76  are closed over presentation box  12  as indicated by arrows A in  FIG. 5A . 
     As seen in  FIG. 5A , when the presentation box  12  is fully inserted in shipping box  14 , the outer lid  34  is flush with the upper edges of the side panels  70  of the shipping box  14 , but top panel  86  of spacer insert  84  is disposed at a lower level such that a circulation channel  96  extending around the upper end of the presentation box  12  is defined by the side panels  70  of the shipping box, the top panel  86  of the spacer insert  84 , the side panels  18  of the presentation box  12  and the end and side lids  74 ,  76  of the shipping box  14  when it is closed. Closed lids  74 ,  76  press directly on presentation box  12 , holding it in position vertically in shipping box  14 . 
     It can be seen in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  that ventilation slots  98  are provided in the side panels  18  of the presentation box  12  and in the closure panel  38  and locking panel  42  thereof. When the presentation box  12  is closed as described above, with the closure and locking panels  38 ,  42  disposed adjacent side panels  18 , the ventilation slots  98  in side panels  18 , closure panel  38  and locking panel  42  are brought into alignment. When the presentation box  12  is enclosed in the shipping box  14 , the ventilation slots  98  are in direct communication with circulation channel  96  as shown in  FIG. 5A . Ventilation holes  100  in the upper end of side panels  70  of shipping box  14  allow circulation of outside air  102  into and around the circulation channel  96  and into the interior of the presentation box  12  providing a constant supply of fresh air for the flowers. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a support block  120  is provided for holding the stems of the flowers of the floral arrangement in parallel alignment with each other and for preventing shifting of the floral arrangement during shipment of the packaging system. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the support block has a width correspond with the width of the floor panel of the presentation box  12  such that the support block fits snugly into the presentation box  12 . Alignment slots  122  on the top surface of the support block extend along the entire length thereof and have sufficient depth to receive one or more layers of flower stems.  FIG. 10  shows the support block  120  inserted into the presentation box  12  and being used to hold multiple layers of flower stems securely in parallel alignment with each other. 
     The presentation box  12 , shipping box  14 , spacer  84  and support block  120  comprise cardboard, card stock, foam, plastic or other materials commonly known in the art of manufacturing folded boxes, shipping containers and spacer inserts. 
     There have thus been described and illustrated certain embodiments of a packaging system for shipping floral arrangements according to the invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be clearly understood that the disclosure is illustrative only and is not to be taken as limiting.