Flower bloom protective device

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.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bloom support device for protecting a flower during shipment, the flower having a stem and a bloom with a plurality of petals, the bloom support device comprising: 
 a concave body defining a cavity, the concave body having a proximal end, a substantially open distal end, and a sidewall extending in a concave configuration from the proximal end to the open distal end, the proximal end having an aperture adapted to provide an opening to receive a stem of a flower which passes through the aperture as the sidewall is moved to a position adjacent the bloom, the cavity adapted to receive the bloom and the sidewall adapted to urge the petals of the bloom into a folded arrangement and compressingly retain the petals in the folded arrangement so as to protect and maintain the bloom in a substantially protected configuration; and    a stress intensification member in the concave body for tearing the bloom support device along a tear line in the concave body from the distal end to the aperture in order to remove the bloom support device from the flower.    
     
     
         2 . The bloom support device of  claim 1  wherein the stress intensification member comprises an edge in the distal end forming a notch.  
     
     
         3 . The bloom support device of  claim 2  wherein the notch forms a substantially triangular aperture in the distal end with an apex directed toward the proximal end of the concave body, the apex positioned on a desired axial plane between the proximal and distal ends and the notch formed of a pair of opposing angular edges that extend from the apex toward the distal end substantially equilaterally relative to the axial plane.  
     
     
         4 . The bloom support device of  claim 1  wherein the stress intensification member comprises an edge in the distal end forming a plurality of notches.  
     
     
         5 . The bloom support device of  claim 4  wherein each notch forms a substantially triangular aperture in the distal end with an apex directed toward the proximal end of the concave body, each apex positioned on a desired axial plane between the proximal and distal ends and each notch formed of a pair of opposing angular edges that extend from the apex toward the distal end substantially equilaterally relative to the respective axial plane.  
     
     
         6 . The bloom support device of  claim 1  wherein the stress intensification member comprises a plurality of longitudinally extended perforations in the concave body connecting the distal end and the aperture in the proximal end of the concave body.  
     
     
         7 . The bloom support device of  claim 6  in combination with a notch in the distal end formed of angled edges connected at an apex that is contiguous with the perforations.  
     
     
         8 . The bloom support device of  claim 3  wherein the notch provides a stress intensification characteristic in the concave body in response to a pulling force applied in substantially opposite directions across the notch, the stress intensification characteristic reducing the pulling force necessary to initiate a tear in the concave body at the apex of the notch.  
     
     
         9 . The bloom support device of  claim 8  wherein the stress intensification characteristic provides for a pulling force necessary to initiate a tear in the concave body that is substantially the same as a pulling force necessary to continue the tear after the tear has been initiated.  
     
     
         10 . The bloom support device of  claim 1  wherein the concave body is formed of a polymeric material that is thermoformed to provide the concave characteristic.  
     
     
         11 . The bloom support device of  claim 1  wherein the concave body is formed of a pair of polymeric sheets that are seamed together to provide the concave characteristic.  
     
     
         12 . The bloom support device of  claim 3  wherein a selected pulling force applied substantially in opposite directions across the notch initiates a tear in the concave body that propagates from the apex of the notch to the aperture in the proximal end.  
     
     
         13 . A method for packaging a flower to protect the flower from damage, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing at least one flower having a stem and a bloom, the bloom having a plurality of petals;    providing a bloom support device having a thermoformed concave polymeric body, the thermoformed concave polymeric body having a proximal end with an aperture for receiving the stem of the flower, a substantially open distal end, a sidewall extending in a concave configuration between the proximal end and the open distal end and a cavity for receiving the bloom of the at least one flower, a notch formed at the open distal end for facilitating a tearing action, and a stress intensification member extending along the thermoformed concave polymeric body from the notch to the aperture; and    disposing the stem through the aperture and slidingly moving the bloom support device along the stem such that the sidewall urges the petals of the bloom into a folded arrangement, supports the bloom's pedals, and encapsulates the bloom so as to protect and maintain the bloom in a substantially protected configuration.    
     
     
         14 . The method for packaging of  claim 13  further comprising the step of unpackaging the bloom support device at the destination location by initiating a tear in the bloom support device from the stress intensification member on the bloom support device.  
     
     
         15 . A packaged and subsequently unpackaged flower in accordance with the method of  claim 14  wherein the bloom support device is torn from a distal end adjacent the bloom toward a proximal end adjacent the stem.  
     
     
         16 . The packaged and subsequently unpackaged flower of  claim 15  wherein in the step of providing the bloom support, the stress intensification member comprises a notch formed in the distal end of the bloom support device.  
     
     
         17 . The packaged and subsequently unpackaged flower of  claim 15  wherein in the step of providing the bloom support, the stress intensification member comprises a plurality of perforations connecting the distal end and the proximal end.  
     
     
         18 . The packaged and subsequently unpackaged flower of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing the bloom support, the stress intensification member further comprises a plurality of perforations connecting the notch and the proximal end.  
     
     
         19 . The packaged and subsequently unpackaged flower of  claim 15  wherein in the step of providing the bloom support, the stress intensification member is selected from a group consisting of a notch, crease, seam, plurality of perforations, and combination thereof.