Preformed flower pot cover having a matte or textured finish on a surface thereof

Abstract

A decorative preformed flower pot cover having a matte finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof is disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A decorative preformed flower pot cover having a matte finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the decorative preformed flower pot cover comprising: 
 a base having a lower end, an open upper end, an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface and a retaining space, the base of the decorative preformed flower pot cover having a plurality of overlapping folds of which at least a portion are permanently connected so that the decorative preformed flower pot cover may be substantially flattened and then unflattened to assume the original shape of the decorative preformed flower pot cover;    a decorative border extending outwardly from the open upper end of the base; and    wherein the decorative preformed flower pot cover is formed of at least one sheet of polymeric material having at least a portion of one surface thereof modified to provide a matte finish such that at least a portion of one surface of at least one of the base and the decorative border of the decorative preformed flower pot cover is provided with a matte finish, and wherein the matte finish is provided by at least one of printing the sheet of polymeric material with a matted ink, lacquering the sheet of polymeric material with a matting lacquer, extruding the sheet of polymeric material onto a matted chill roll, laminating a second sheet of material to the sheet of polymeric material, and combinations thereof.    
     
     
         2 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 1  wherein a substantial portion of the overlapping folds in the decorative preformed flower pot cover extend over different distances and at various and arbitrary angles.  
     
     
         3 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 1  wherein the decorative border of the decorative preformed flower pot cover is substantially free of permanently connected overlapping folds.  
     
     
         4 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 1  wherein the sheet of polymeric material comprises: 
 a polymeric film having an upper surface, a lower surface and a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 10 mil, at least a portion of the lower surface of the polymeric film being modified so as to provide the lower surface of the polymeric film with a matte finish; and  
 an acrylic heat sealable lacquer disposed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the polymeric film whereby, upon forming the polymeric film into the decorative preformed flower pot cover, at least a portion of the overlapping folds formed in the base of the decorative preformed flower pot cover are connected via the acrylic heat sealable lacquer.  
 
     
     
         5 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 1  wherein the sheet of polymeric material comprises: 
 a polymeric film having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 10 mil, at least a portion of one surface of the polymeric film having a matte finish; and  
 a substantially water impervious polymeric film laminated to the polymeric film, the substantially water impervious polymeric film having a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 10 mil.  
 
     
     
         6 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 5  wherein at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the polymeric film is printed with a matted ink or lacquered with a matted lacquer to provide the matte finish.  
     
     
         7 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 5  wherein the polymeric film and the substantially water impervious polymeric film are laminated with a colored adhesive.  
     
     
         8 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 5  wherein the polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil and the substantially water impervious polymeric film laminated to the polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil.  
     
     
         9 . A decorative preformed flower pot cover having a matte finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the decorative preformed flower pot cover comprising: 
 a base having a lower end, an open upper end, an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface and a retaining space, the base of the decorative preformed flower pot cover having a plurality of overlapping folds of which at least a portion are permanently connected so that the decorative preformed flower pot cover may be substantially flattened and then unflattened to assume the original shape of the decorative preformed flower pot cover;    a decorative border extending outwardly from the open upper end of the base; and    wherein the decorative preformed flower pot cover is formed of a laminated polymeric material comprising: 
 a polymeric film having an upper surface and a lower surface;  
 a sheet of material laminated to at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the polymeric film to form the laminated polymeric material; and  
 wherein at least a portion of one surface of one of the polymeric film and the sheet of material laminated thereto is modified to provide a matte finish so that at least a portion of one surface of the laminated polymeric material and at least a portion of one surface of at least one of the base and the decorative border of the decorative preformed flower pot cover formed therefrom are provided with a matte finish, and wherein the matte finish is provided by at least one of printing with a matted ink, lacquering with a matting lacquer, extruding the polymeric film onto a matted chill roll, laminating a second sheet of material to the sheet of material or the polymeric film, and combinations thereof.  
   
     
     
         10 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 9  wherein the polymeric film and the sheet of material are laminated with a colored adhesive.  
     
     
         11 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 9  wherein the polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil, the sheet of material laminated to the polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil, and the laminated polymeric material has a thickness in the range of from about 1.5 mil to about 2.5 mil.  
     
     
         12 . A decorative preformed flower pot cover having a matte finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the decorative preformed flower pot cover comprising: 
 a base having a lower end, an open upper end, an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface and a retaining space, the base of the decorative preformed flower pot cover having a plurality of overlapping folds of which at least a portion are permanently connected so that the decorative preformed flower pot cover may be substantially flattened and then unflattened to assume the original shape of the decorative preformed flower pot cover;    a decorative border extending outwardly from the open upper end of the base; and    wherein the decorative preformed flower pot cover is formed of a laminated polymeric material comprising: 
 a polymeric film having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the polymeric film is modified to provide a matte finish such that at least a portion of one surface of at least one of the base and the decorative border of the decorative preformed flower pot cover formed therefrom is provided with a matte finish, and wherein the matte finish is provided by at least one of printing the polymeric film with a matted ink, lacquering the polymeric film with a matting lacquer, extruding the polymeric film onto a matted chill roll, laminating a second sheet of material to the polymeric film, and combinations thereof; and  
 a substantially water impervious polymeric film laminated to one surface of the polymeric film to form the laminated polymeric material such that the matte finish of the polymeric film is visible on at least a portion of one surface of the laminated polymeric material.  
   
     
     
         13 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 12  wherein the polymeric film and the substantially water impervious polymeric film are laminated with a colored adhesive.  
     
     
         14 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 12  wherein the polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil and wherein the substantially water impervious polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil.  
     
     
         15 . A decorative preformed flower pot cover having a matte finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the decorative preformed flower pot cover comprising: 
 a base having a lower end, an open upper end, an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface and a retaining space, the base of the decorative preformed flower pot cover having a plurality of overlapping folds of which at least a portion are permanently connected so that the decorative preformed flower pot cover may be substantially flattened and then unflattened to assume the original shape of the decorative preformed flower pot cover;    a decorative border extending outwardly from the open upper end of the base; and    wherein the decorative preformed flower pot cover is formed of a sheet of flexible, substantially non-shape sustaining laminated material wherein at least a portion of one surface of the sheet of flexible, substantially non-shape sustaining laminated material is modified so as to provide a matte finish so that at least a portion of the decorative preformed flower pot cover is provided with a matte finish on a surface thereof, and wherein the matte finish is provided by at least one of printing with a matted ink, lacquering with a matting lacquer, extruding onto a matted chill roll, laminating a second sheet of material, and combinations thereof, the sheet of flexible, substantially non-shape sustaining laminated material comprising: 
 at least one sheet of polymeric film; and  
 at least one sheet of paper or metallized foil laminated to the sheet of polymeric film.  
   
     
     
         16 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 15  wherein the sheet of polymeric film has a thickness of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil and the sheet of paper or metallized foil laminated to the sheet of polymeric film has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil.  
     
     
         17 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 16  wherein the sheet of polymeric film and the sheet of paper or metallized foil are laminated with a colored adhesive.  
     
     
         18 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 16  wherein the sheet of polymeric film is a sheet of an expanded core polymeric film or polypropylene film.  
     
     
         19 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 15  wherein the decorative border of the substantially flexible, shape-sustaining cover is substantially free of permanently connected overlapping folds.  
     
     
         20 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 15  wherein the sheet of polymeric film is a sheet of expanded core polymeric film having an upper surface, a lower surface modified so as to provide the sheet of expanded core polymeric film with a matte finish, and an acrylic heat sealable lacquer disposed on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet of expanded core polymeric film whereby, upon forming the sheet of flexible, substantially non-shape sustaining polymeric material into the substantially flexible, shape-sustaining cover, at least a portion of the substantially flexible, shape-sustaining cover is provided with a matte finish and at least a portion of the overlapping folds formed in the substantially flexible, shape-sustaining cover are connected via the acrylic heat sealable lacquer.  
     
     
         21 . The decorative preformed flower pot cover of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the sheet of polymeric film and the sheet of paper or metallized foil is provided with printed or lacquered patterns, designs or materials, and combinations thereof.