Floral bouquet bag

Abstract

A bag sleeve that provides a protective packaging for a floral bouquet contained therein while providing a convenient way to pick-up and carry the bouquet. The bag sleeve has a shield portion defining a bouquet receiving space made of a rigid paper layer and a water-resistant layer attached to said paper layer. At least one handle is attached to a blossom end of the shield portion. A water-resistant base portion extends from a stem end of the shield portion, wherein the base portion has an opening which permits stems of the floral bouquet to protrude from the bag sleeve.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bag sleeve for a floral bouquet, the bag sleeve comprising: 
 a shield portion having a blossom end and a stem end; and    a first v-grip backbone, the v-grip backbone comprising attached overlapping sections of the shield portion, the v-grip backbone running substantially from the blossom end to the stem end and configured to permit the shield portion to bow outwardly.    
     
     
         2 . The bag sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the shield portion comprises first and second side panels such that a space between the side panels defines a space for receiving the bouquet, and the v-grip backbone comprises overlapping sections of the first and second side panels attached to one another along their lateral edges.  
     
     
         3 . The bag sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein the v-grip backbone further comprises a crease that runs substantially from the blossom end to the stem end, the crease configured to provide a bias against the expansion of the bouquet receiving space.  
     
     
         4 . The bag sleeve of  claim 3 , wherein the overlapped portions of the lateral edges of the panels are bonded together, the bonded portions and the creases configured to provide a bias against the expansion of the bouquet receiving space.  
     
     
         5 . The bag sleeve of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional v-grip backbones.  
     
     
         6 . The bag sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein one of the additional v-grip backbones is substantially diametrically opposed to the first v-grip backbone.  
     
     
         7 . The bag sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the panels comprises at least two layers, wherein at least one of the layers is made of a material that is dissimilar to the material one of the other layers.  
     
     
         8 . The bag sleeve of  claim 7 , wherein one of the layers comprises a rigid paper material.  
     
     
         9 . The bag sleeve of  claim 7 , wherein one of the layers comprises a water-resistant layer.  
     
     
         10 . The bag sleeve of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one handle attached to the blossom end and wherein a portion of the handle projects away from the blossom end.  
     
     
         11 . The bag sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein the panels have a frusto-conical shape.  
     
     
         12 . The bag sleeve of  claim 4 , wherein each of the v-grip backbones comprises at least a three-ply seam.  
     
     
         13 . A bag sleeve for a floral bouquet, the bag sleeve comprising: 
 a shield portion having a blossom end and a stem end, the shield portion having a first opening in the blossom end and a second opening in the stem end;    wherein the shield portion comprises: 
 a first side panel having top, bottom, and side edges;  
 a second side panel having top, bottom and side edges;  
 wherein the panels attach to one another along their side edges such that the top edges of the panels cooperate to define the first opening and the bottom edges of the panels cooperate to define the second opening, and  
 wherein the attachments along the side edges form v-grip backbones configured to permit the shield portion to bow outwardly.  
   
     
     
         14 . The bag sleeve of  claim 13 , wherein each v-grip backbone comprises overlapped portions of the side edges of the panels bonded together.  
     
     
         15 . The bag sleeve of  claim 14 , wherein each v-grip backbone comprises a crease that runs substantially from the blossom end to the stem end, wherein the bonded portions and the creases are configured to provide a bias against the expansion of the first opening.  
     
     
         16 . The bag sleeve of  claim 13 , further comprising a water-resistant base portion extending from the stem end, the base portion having an opening configured to permit stems of the bouquet to protrude from the bag sleeve.  
     
     
         17 . The bag sleeve of  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of slits in the stem end, the slits configured to run vertically along a portion of the bag sleeve to allow for expansion of the second opening.  
     
     
         18 . The bag sleeve of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the side panels comprises a paper layer and a water-resistant layer having at least a portion bonded to the paper layer.  
     
     
         19 . The bag sleeve of  claim 13 , further comprising at least one handle that projects away from the first opening.  
     
     
         20 . A sleeve for a floral bouquet, the sleeve comprising: 
 a first side panel having top, bottom, and side edges;    a second side panel having top, bottom, and side edges, the second panel substantially similar in shape to the first panel;    wherein the panels are configured to form a space for receiving the bouquet; and    wherein the panels are attached to each other along their side edges so as to form v-grip backbones configured to permit the space for receiving the bouquet to bow outwardly.    
     
     
         21 . The sleeve of  claim 20 , wherein each of the v-grip backbones comprises overlapped portions of the side edges of the panels, the overlapped portions bonded together.  
     
     
         22 . The sleeve of  claim 21 , wherein each of the v-grip backbones comprises a crease that runs substantially from the top edges to the bottom edges of the panels.  
     
     
         23 . The sleeve of  claim 22 , wherein the bonded portions and the creases are configured to provide a bias against the expansion of the space for receiving the bouquet.  
     
     
         24 . The sleeve of  claim 20 , wherein the v-grip backbones are configured to be substantially diametrically opposed to one another.  
     
     
         25 . The sleeve of  claim 20 , wherein the v-grip backbones are configured to permit the panels to rest flat when the sleeve is not in use.  
     
     
         26 . The sleeve of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the v-grip backbones comprises a three-ply seam.  
     
     
         27 . The sleeve of  claim 20 , wherein at least one panel comprises at least two layers, and wherein one of the layers is made of a material dissimilar to the material of the other layers.  
     
     
         28 . The sleeve of  claim 27 , wherein one layer defining an internal surface of the space for receiving the bouquet is made of a water resistant material, and wherein one layer defining an exterior surface of the sleeve is made of a rigid paper material.  
     
     
         29 . The sleeve of  claim 20 , further comprising a plurality of slits in the bottom edges of the panels, wherein the slits are configured to run vertically along a portion of the sleeve to allow for expansion of an opening defined by the bottom edges of the panels.  
     
     
         30 . A bouquet, comprising: 
 one or more floral materials;    a shield portion having a blossom end and a stem end, the shield portion configured to receive the floral materials; and    a first v-grip backbone, the v-grip backbone comprising attached overlapping sections of the shield portion, the v-grip backbone running substantially from the blossom end to the stem end and configured to permit the shield portion to bow outwardly.    
     
     
         31 . The bouquet of  claim 30 , wherein the v-grip backbone further comprises a crease that runs substantially from the blossom end to the stem end, the crease configured to provide a bias against the expansion of the shield by the floral materials.  
     
     
         32 . The bouquet of  claim 30 , further comprising a second v-grip backbone positioned in the shield portion and substantially diametrically opposed to the first v-grip backbone.  
     
     
         33 . The bouquet of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more floral materials comprise flowers.  
     
     
         34 . The bouquet of  claim 30 , wherein the shield portion further comprises: 
 a first side panel having top, bottom, and side edges;    a second side panel having top, bottom and side edges;    wherein the first and second side panels attach to one another along their side edges such that the top edges of the panels cooperate to define a first opening configured to display a blossom portion of the one or more floral materials, and the bottom edges of the panels cooperate to define a second opening.    
     
     
         35 . The bouquet of  claim 30 , further comprising a tying member configured to secure the one or more floral materials to the shield portion.