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The present invention relates to stands for flower arrangement and for storage of bouquets. The present invention is particularly directed towards an assembly stand for flower arrangement having multiple stations for maintaining bouquet holders stable during design and assembly of flower arrangements. The stand can also be used for storage and transport of the bouquets.
Most florists who assemble bouquets and floral arrangements use a bouquet holder. The holders are usually an open plastic or wire frame encasing a plastic core which accepts insertion of flower stems and ends of other bouquet materials. The holders can have straight or slanted handles and can be decorative. Other holders, commonly referred to as a “pew bow,” are designed to be hung over the back of a church pew or similar support, and can have box-shaped flower mounting frames. Examples of holders are shown, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,464 to Cumby, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,813 to Hendrix.
Therefore, the present invention provides a light, compact, and foldable stand for arranging a plurality of bouquets simultaneously. Furthermore, the stand of the present invention can also be used to store the bouquets and for delivery. Thus, the present invention provides a stand for maintaining holders stable during bouquet arrangement and for storing the finished bouquets, all in one light, compact, and foldable apparatus.
The stand of the present invention contains a frame and a top surface attached to the frame. The frame preferably has foldable legs extending away from the top surface. The top surface contains a plurality of openings into which bouquet holders are placed to initiate the bouquet arrangement. The handle of the bouquet holder slides into one of the opening of the top surface while the cylindrical upper section of the holder is retained on top of the opening. In this arrangement, the stand holds the bouquet holder in place so that the floral designer can add flowers and decorations to the bouquet holder to create a bouquet. With the multiple openings of the present invention, one or more floral designers can simultaneously create a plurality of bouquets with ease and cut production time.
It is one object of the present invention is to provide a light, compact, and foldable stand for holding flower bouquets during arrangement, storage, and delivery. Another object of the present invention is to provide a stand for flower arrangement that is capable of supporting a plurality of flower bouquet arrangements simultaneously.
These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the bouquet arrangement stand;
FIG. 2 shows the top view of the top surface; and,
FIG. 3 shows the top view of the frame.
Referring to the drawings, the bouquet stand 100 of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 1. The stand 100 contains a frame 102 and a top surface 104. The top surface 104 has a plurality of openings 106 therein. Each opening 106 bores completely through the top surface 104 to accommodate the bouquet holder therein.
The stand 100 is designed to be placed on a surface, such as a table, counter, floor, or the like. The flowers (or other plant or matter that is arranged) can then be arranged within the openings 106. The stand 100 raises the flowers off the table so that the flowers are generally in an upright position raised off the table. The stand allows the user to arrange the flowers in a hands-free operation, so that the user need not hold the flowers as they are being arranged within the opening. Preferably, the openings 106 are used with a bouquet holder that is positioned within the openings 106. The bouquet holder makes it easy to assemble the flowers and to remove the assembled bouquet from the opening 106 upon completion. However, the openings 106 can be used to arrange flowers without the use of a bouquet holder or the like and the flowers can rest directly on the table.
The openings 106 are sized such that the bouquet holder (and its handle, if any) can pass therethough while retaining the upper portion of the holder. Thus, the openings preferably have a diameter smaller that that of the upper portion of the bouquet holder. In an embodiment of the present invention, each opening has a diameter of about 2 to about 4 inches, most preferably about 2 inches. The openings are preferably arranged in a line (linear) extending along the length of the stand 100. This configuration allows for efficient, assembly-typed bouquet arrangement.
In the preferred embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the stand has about 2 to about 12 openings, more preferably about 3 to about 7 openings, and most preferably about 4 openings. The openings 106 are sufficiently spaced apart so that the finished bouquets do not touch each other. To this end, the distance separating one opening from another is about 5 to about 8 inches, preferably about 6 to about 7 inches. However, it should be appreciated that the stand can have any number of openings that is suitable for one or more bouquet designers to simultaneously arrange multiple bouquets. In addition, the stand 100 can have a single opening for arranging a single bouquet.
Further to the preferred embodiment, the openings 106 are arranged linearly at approximately the center of the top surface 104. However, the openings 106 can be offset with one another, or positioned towards the sides or corners of the top surface 104. In addition, the top surface 104 can have any suitable size and shape, and need not be rectangular in shape. Likewise, although the openings 106 are circular in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the openings 106 can have any size and shape.
Turning to FIG. 3, the frame 102 is shown having four sides 108, 110, 112, and 114. In a preferred embodiment, the four sides 108, 110, 112, and 114 are constructed of PVC pipes, preferably having 0.5 inch inner diameter, which are connected at the corners 116 of the frame 102 with 90° angle fittings 118, 120, 122, and 124. The frame 102 can be made of any materials; however, because it can get wet during the bouquet arrangement, it is preferred that the material be waterproof and resistant to water damage. It is also desirable that the material be durable, and relatively lightweight so that it can be easily moved. Polymeric materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, polyethylene (PE), etc., are most desirable since it does not deteriorate when exposed to water and since it is light.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the frame 102 contains legs 126 for supporting the stand 100 during operation and for stacking of the stands during bouquet storage and delivery. The legs 126 are mounted on the frame 102 extending downwardly from the top surface 104. The legs 126 are sized so that the bouquet holder hangs freely within the opening 106. The legs 126 should be sufficiently long so that the holder does not touch the surface on which the stand 100 is placed. Preferably, the legs 126 are about 6 inches to about 12 inches, and most preferably about 7.5 inches, in length, so that the stand 100 can be placed on a table. The legs, however, can be longer if the stand 100 is to be placed on the floor.
The legs 126 are also preferably foldable so that the stand 100 can be folded flat for storage when not in use. This is accomplished by attaching the leg 126 to a swivel T-fitting on the frame 102. The fittings allow the legs 126, in a closed position, to fold up into the plane of the frame so that the stand is flat and can easily be stored. In an open position, the legs 126 extend downwardly from the top surface 104 (as shown in FIG. 1) and are approximately perpendicular to the plane of the top surface 104. In the open position, the legs also allow one stand 100 to be stacked on top of another stand 100 for bouquet storage and delivery. Alternatively, the legs can be removably fitted into the corner pieces 118, 120, 122, and 124.
The top surface 104 is attached to the frame to form a working surface. The user can keep tools on the top surface 104, such as scissors, tape, twine, or the like. The top surface 104 also catches any flower pieces that are cut during the arrangement, and can be quickly and easily cleaned, especially once the floral arrangements are removed. As a working surface, the top surface 104 can be used as a surface for cutting flowers, holding vases and the like, and for other related work such as hammering, fastening. In addition, tools and supplies can be stored on the top surface 104, or on the table top beneath the top surface 104 of the stand 100.
The attachment of the top surface 104 to the frame 102 can be by fasteners, such as screws, rivets, glue, or combinations thereof. The top surface 104 can be made of any materials; however, because it can get wet during the bouquet arrangement, it is preferred that the material be waterproof and resistant to water damage. It is also desirable for the top surface 104 to be relatively lightweight, easy to clean, durable, and resistant to cuts and breaking. Polymeric materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, polyethylene (PE), plexiglass, acrylic, etc., are most desirable. The most preferred material is flexiglass. Those materials do not deteriorate when exposed to water, are lightweight, and are durable. The flexiglass top surface 104 can conveniently attach to the PVC pipe frame 102 by screws 128 located at the four corners of the top surface 104.
Since the stand 100 is lightweight (under 3 pounds), it is portable. The stand 100 can be used to arrange the bouquets, store the bouquets in a refrigerator, and to transport the bouquets in a vehicle to the recipient. The stand 100 holds the flowers, so that production time is drastically reduced, and the user need not worry about the flower holder tipping over, such as might occur with a vase. The openings 106 also securely hold the flowers (or the flower holder, or a vase or the like), so that the user need not worry about the flowers (or holder) slipping out. The stand 100 elevates the flowers or bouquet holder so that the flowers or bouquet holder do not touch the surface of the table on which the stand 100 is placed, which facilitates arrangement of the flowers.
Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.