Patent Description:
Foldable paper vases are known from the prior art. <CIT> discloses a blank, stored in a flat condition including fold lines and cuts to form a paper vase having a flat triangular bottom, tapered sides and an irregular sculptured upper edge.

<CIT> discloses a vase made of a thin foldable material and having a wall, an upper opening and a lower bottom, provided with a foot. The bottom is, by gluing, joined to a central panel of the first plane unfolding to secure the foot to the vase. The vase is especially applicable as packaging during transport of a flower bouquet.

<CIT> discloses a flower shipment packaging including a generally cylindrical outer container with a lid, wherein a support for the vase of a floral arrangement is inserted at the lower portion of the inner chamber of the outer container. Above the vase support, a bouquet support is provided and the package is completed by inserting the ends of the stems of the bouquet into a foam hydration system enclosing the hydration system and the stems of the bouquet within a plastic bag and securing the sub-assembly together. Although the package can potentially be posted, there is a risk that the recipient may not be present to receive the package and that it may be returned to the depot for later collection. Although this may be acceptable for non-perishable deliveries, it will be understood that for the delivery of a bouquet of flowers, it is essential that they reach their destination directly.

<CIT> discloses a flower gift kit comprising an enclosure, a presentation tray for a flower, and an insert configured to be generally flat beneath the presentation tray, between the tray and a flower of the enclosure. The insert can be erected by a user into a 3D stand for the flower through a series of folding operations.

<CIT> describes a flower vase made of a watertight, cardboard-like material. Starting from a blank, after fold lines suitably applied have been introduced, a vase is obtained, which is watertight without glue or sealing techniques. In particular it is proposed to design the folding structure such that there are elastic material flaps in the middle of the vase for accommodating a bouquet of flowers closely fitting therein. Because of the folding inwards, a stiff outside of the vase is created. Optional carrying handles, such as cords, can be applied such that this inward-moving effect for retaining a bunch of flowers is reinforced. A vase of this type can be provided with any desired printing and can have any desired dimension.

Despite low costs of such vases, much material is wasted by cutting out the unnecessary parts to create a vase template. Furthermore, the assembly of such vases may be complex and require additional fastening means to hold the vase in place. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a sheet and a method for producing a vase with minimal material waste, that can be delivered in a package together with a floral arrangement without occupying much of the package space, such that the combined package can be delivered through a domestic sized letter box and that can be used directly without first requiring time consuming and complex assembly of the vase.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a foldable vase for postal delivery as defined in claim <NUM>. The vase comprises a sheet of waterproof paper provided with folds arranged to form the vase. In this context, waterproof is intended to define that the paper is able to hold water for up to <NUM> days without leakage or loss of structural integrity. Furthermore, reference to paper is intended to denote a paper or pulp based product, covering paper, card, paperboard, cardboard and combinations of the same.

The sheet has a generally square outer periphery with zones defined thereon by fold lines to define: a square base, side faces and corner regions. The square base is located at a centre of the sheet. The four side faces of the vase are adjacent to the base and extend to the outer periphery of the sheet such that together with the base form a shape of a cross. The side faces may be generally quadrilateral and bound by a base edge, two side folds, and the outer periphery. A ratio of a height dimension of the side faces to their width at the base is between <NUM>:<NUM> and <NUM>:<NUM>, preferably <NUM>:<NUM>. The corner regions are formed between adjacent side faces and the periphery of the sheet. They may be triangular and bound by two side folds belonging to neighbouring side faces and the outer periphery. Each of the corner regions is bisected by a diagonal fold line extending from a corner of the base to the outer periphery. The diagonal fold lines are aligned with diagonals of the base. On folding the side faces upwards from the base, the corner regions can fold at the diagonal fold line to form outwardly protruding wings, wherein a first wing can fold flat against the side face of the vase and a second wing can fold over the first wing and engage therewith to form the vase.

The sheet further comprises a central fold line bisecting the base and two opposite side faces, whereby on folding the vase at the central fold the vase can collapse to a flattened form suitable for postal delivery. The sheet according to present invention is advantageous with respect to the prior art as it efficiently uses sheet area for vase elements. Furthermore, starting from a standard rectangular blank of paper almost no material is wasted in a process of making the sheet with folds for the vase according to the present invention. All the fold lines are straight and simple to imprint by a standard automatic cutting and creasing machine resulting in an affordable and fast production process.

In an embodiment, the base is oriented on a diagonal of the sheet or, in other words, the base is rotated <NUM> degrees with respect to the sheet and oriented such that the diagonals of the sheet bisect the base edges. Additionally, corners of the sheet may be folded or cut to form straight upper edges of the side faces. The upper edges may then be substantially parallel to the base edges.

In an alternative embodiment, the base may have the same orientation as the sheet, wherein the diagonals of the base are aligned with the diagonals of the sheet. In this case, the upper edges will already be parallel to the base edges.

The second wing can engage with the first wing in any suitable manner. It will be understood that the vase will also have third and fourth wings which can engage in the same manner and will not be further referenced. Engagement can be by gluing or by application of an adhesive sticker or the like. In particular, since the vase is collapsed in the assembled state, the wings can be permanently engaged during a production step prior to postal delivery. It is however not excluded that the vase may be delivered in a disassembled state whereby the recipient folds the sheet to form the vase.

According to the invention, the first wing comprises a slit into which an end of the second wing may be tucked upon folding the sheet. The slit may be located close to but sufficiently away from the side fold to form a stable connection with the end of the second wing in order to fasten the vase. The connection may be strong enough to withhold a floral arrangement and an amount of water placed inside the vase without use of any additional fastening means such as a ribbon, glue, band, or similar. The slit may be parallel to the side fold. Preferably, the vase according to the present invention has two such slits. The slits may be located on opposite wings and further, the slits may be oriented anti-symmetrically with respect to the centre of the sheet.

In an embodiment, each corner region further comprises a triangular notch formed at the periphery of the sheet around the diagonal fold. The triangular notch is added to limit a protruding dimension of the wing and to ensure that upon folding the first wing against the side face, an end of the first wing does not pass the side fold of the side face, which would prevent the second wing from folding over it. The notch may be formed such that upon folding a wing flat against the side face, the end of the wing lies along the side fold of that side face.

In an embodiment, at least one side face comprises at least one water opening and wherein the water opening is no higher than a lowest end of the slit when the vase is assembled. The water opening may be used as a water level indicator to prevent the user from pouring too much water into the vase in use. Alternatively, the sheet may have markings on the paper or any other suitable indicator to signal to the user a recommended water level. Preferably, the two opposite side faces bisected by the central fold line comprise one or more water openings each placed symmetrically around the central fold line.

The ratio between the width at the base and the height of the side faces helps to ensure adequate stability of the vase. In an embodiment, the width of the side faces at the base is larger than a width of the side faces at their upper or peripheral edge. The width of the side faces at the base is the same as the size of the base edges and can be in the range between <NUM> and <NUM>, preferably around <NUM>. The width of the side faces at the peripheral edge may be less than <NUM>, preferably around <NUM>. Having a vase that tapers inwards from the base makes for a still more stable structure, especially when partially filled with water.

In an embodiment, the sheet has a width and a length in a range between <NUM> and <NUM>, preferably around <NUM>. As discussed below, maximum sizes for postal delivery to the public limits the width dimension of the package and hence the size of the bloom. This also determines a sensible size of vase in order to ensure desirable proportions between the flowers and the vase.

In an embodiment, the paper comprises recycled material such as flowers and/or coffee cups, preferably coming from a single recycling stream. The use of recycled material is desirable as it can lower the material costs and positively contributes to waste management. The thickness of the paper may be in a range between <NUM> and <NUM>. In terms of weight, it may have a weight of between <NUM>/m2 and <NUM>/m2. The sheet may be made of an inherently waterproof paper or a non-waterproof paper wherein a water protective layer has been added to at least a surface of the sheet intended to form an inner vase space. Alternatively or additionally, the protective layer may be added only to a portion of the surface of the sheet intended to be in contact with water, i.e. below the water opening when the vase is in use. The water protective layer preferably comprises bio-based and eco-friendly materials that do not hinder recyclability and composability of the sheet such as polylactic acid (PLA). However, the water protective layer may also comprise wax, microglaze, adhesives, fiberglass resin, lacquer, acrylic, or similar. When in the flattened form, the vase may have a thickness of no more than <NUM>.

Although the present description is directed to a square cross-section vase, it is not excluded that the sheet may be triangular or pentagonal or similar. The base can have the same shape as the sheet and a number of side faces corresponds to a number of peripheral edges of the sheet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product according to claim <NUM>, comprising a sheet of waterproof material configured to be folded to form such a vase and a floral arrangement, wherein the product is configured to fit through a mailbox slot according to EN <NUM> (<NUM>) standard. The product may further comprise a package to accommodate the vase and the cut flowers within a package space. The sheet may be placed under, or next to the cut flowers. Due to its small thickness, the package space occupied by the sheet is minimal, allowing the package space to be efficiently used for the cut flowers. The product according to the present invention offers an affordable and fast form of delivering the cut flowers together with the vase via a postal service.

In an embodiment, the product has a width of no more than <NUM>, preferably no more than <NUM>, a length of no more than <NUM>, preferably no more than <NUM>, and a thickness of no more than <NUM>, preferably no more than <NUM>, and most preferably no more than <NUM>.

Preferably, the collapsed vase, i.e. the foldable vase in its flattened form, is placed within the package. The collapsed vase may be placed next to stems of the floral arrangement to utilize the package space. The package may comprise attachment means to fasten the collapsed vase to the package. Furthermore, the package my comprise floral attachment means to fix the cut flowers within the package and secure it during transport. Additionally, the product may comprise a greeting card and/or a small gift.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a foldable vase according to claim <NUM>.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a blank, according to claim <NUM>, for folding a vase by the method according to claim <NUM>.

The fold lines may be created on a standard paper cutting and creasing machine such as an Heidelberg cylinder press. Additionally, during the step of creating the folds, the sheet may be cut to create slits, water openings, triangular notches and/or straight upper edges as defined in the first aspect of the invention. The sheet with defined folds may be packed and distributed in its flat form while the folding may be performed by a distributor such as a florist prior to shipping the cut flowers with the vase to an end user or by the end user prior to using the vase. Alternatively, the sheet with defined folds may be folded in the assembly line and packed and distributed in a flattened vase form suitable for postal delivery.

Further advantages of the disclosed invention will become evident in the following.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to drawings in which illustrative embodiments thereof are shown. The drawings are intended exclusively for illustrative purposes and not as a restriction of the inventive concept which is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the definitions presented in the appended claims.

<FIG> illustrates a sheet of paper <NUM> with a plurality of folds arranged to form a base <NUM>, side faces <NUM>, and corner regions <NUM> of a vase according to the present invention. The sheet <NUM> is substantially square with sides of width W. Corners of the sheet <NUM> have been cut to form upper edges <NUM> of the side faces <NUM>. Each side face <NUM> is further defined by a base edge <NUM> and two side folds <NUM> extending between end points of the upper edge <NUM> and the base edge <NUM>. The base <NUM> is located in the centre of the sheet <NUM>, between the side faces <NUM>, such that the base <NUM> and side faces <NUM> together form a shape of a cross. The base <NUM> is oriented such that the base edges <NUM> are parallel to the upper edges <NUM> while diagonals of the base <NUM> lie on a first diagonal fold line L1 and a second diagonal fold fine L2. The diagonal fold lines L1, L2 extend from the base <NUM> to the corner regions <NUM> and divide each of them into two mirror-symmetric corner portions 17a, 17b. The corner regions <NUM> are located between the side faces <NUM>. They are substantially triangular and have a triangular notch <NUM> located at a periphery of the sheet <NUM>, around the diagonal fold lines L1, L2. Two corner regions <NUM> have a slit <NUM> running parallel to the side fold <NUM>. The slits <NUM> are located in corner portions that lie anti-symmetrically with respect to the diagonal fold lines L1, L2. Additionally, the sheet <NUM> has a central fold L3 that divides the sheet <NUM> into two symmetric parts and bisects the base <NUM> and two opposite side faces 13b, 13d. The opposite side faces 13b, 13d further have two water openings <NUM> each, placed close to the base edge <NUM> as an indicator of a recommended water level.

The sheet <NUM> is oriented such that the first diagonal fold line L1 extends in a transversal direction X while the second diagonal fold line L2 is perpendicular to the first diagonal fold line L1 and extends in a longitudinal direction Y. A direction perpendicular to the transversal direction X and the longitudinal direction Y is denoted a vertical direction Z.

Folding of the sheet <NUM> to form a vase will now be explained with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. To form the vase according to the invention one needs to first fold the sheet <NUM> along the base edges <NUM> to raise all side faces <NUM> in the vertical direction Z, as shown in <FIG> by arrows F1.

<FIG> depicts that upon folding upwards, the side faces <NUM> are brought together such that the side folds <NUM> of neighbouring side faces <NUM> abut. Simultaneously, the corner regions <NUM> are folded outwards and creased along the diagonal fold lines L1, L2 such that the corner portions <NUM> form outwardly protruding wings <NUM>. To further assemble the vase, a first wing 31a is folded against the side face 13a as indicated by an arrow F2 and a second wing 31b is folded against the first wing 31a as indicated by an arrow F2', such that an end of the second wing <NUM> is tucked inside the slit <NUM> of the first wing 31a. The same is done with the other first wing 31c and the other second wing 31d. These folds are indicated in <FIG> by arrows F2" and F2‴, respectively.

<FIG>, shows a vase <NUM> after folding the sheet <NUM> completely. The upper edges <NUM> form a vase opening <NUM> arranged to receive a floral arrangement and an amount of water. Water can be poured into the vase <NUM> up to the water openings <NUM>. A height h0 of the water opening <NUM> aligns with a height hs of the slit <NUM>.

The vase <NUM> of <FIG> can also be folded at the central fold line L3 to collapse the vase <NUM> to a flattened form <NUM>', as illustrated in <FIG>. The central fold line L3 divides the opposite side faces 13b and 13d into two symmetric portions 13b';13b" and 13d';13d", respectively, as well as the base <NUM> (not shown). Upon folding the vase along the central fold line L3, the divided elements are folded towards the inside the vase opening <NUM> until the symmetric portions of each element overlap and the vase <NUM> collapses to the flattened form <NUM>'. In the flattened form <NUM>', the vase <NUM> is suitable to be packed together with the cut flowers and sent by post. Dimensions of a package are chosen to fit through the mailbox slot. Consequently, dimensions of the vase in the flattened form <NUM>', a length Lp and a width Wp, are arranged to fit inside the package.

<FIG> depicts a product <NUM> for postal delivery comprising a package <NUM>, a plurality of flowers <NUM> and the collapsed vase <NUM>'. The collapsed vase <NUM>' is placed over the stems of the flowers <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A foldable vase (<NUM>) for postal delivery, comprising a sheet (<NUM>) of waterproof paper provided with folds arranged to form the vase, wherein the sheet (<NUM>) has a generally square outer periphery with zones defined thereon by fold lines to define:
a square base (<NUM>) located at the centre of the sheet (<NUM>),
side faces (<NUM>) of the vase forming with the base, the shape of a cross and extending to the outer periphery, wherein a ratio of a height dimension (H) of the side faces (<NUM>) to their width (<NUM>) at the base (<NUM>) is between <NUM>:<NUM> and <NUM>:<NUM>;
corner regions (<NUM>), formed between adjacent side faces (<NUM>) and the periphery of the sheet (<NUM>), the corner regions (<NUM>) each being bisected by a diagonal fold line (L1, L2) extending from a corner of the base (<NUM>) to the outer periphery, whereby on folding the side faces (<NUM>) upwards from the base, the corner regions (<NUM>) can fold at the diagonal fold line to form outwardly protruding wings (<NUM>),
wherein a first wing (31a, 31c) can fold flat against the side face (<NUM>) of the vase and a second wing (31b, 31d) can fold over the first wing and engage therewith to form the vase, wherein the sheet (<NUM>) further comprises a central fold line (L3) bisecting the base (<NUM>) and two opposite side faces (<NUM>) whereby on folding the vase at the central fold the vase can collapse to a flattened form (<NUM>') suitable for postal delivery,
characterized in that the first wing (31a, 31c) comprises a slit (<NUM>) into which an end of the second wing (<NUM>) may be tucked upon folding the sheet (<NUM>).