Transportation and display assembly for floral bouquets and other items

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a transportation and display assembly for floral bouquets and plants. The assembly includes a collapsible vase and optionally a water impermeable liner. The collapsible vase may be constructed from a single sheet of flexible material and includes suitable folds or cuts so that it can be manipulated from a flattened configuration to an operational configuration. Also provided are methods of constructing such collapsible vases and methods of shipping flowers with such collapsible vases.

1 . A collapsible container for a floral bouquet comprising: 
 at least three side panels foldably coupled to each other at respective longitudinally extending fold lines, each side panel having top and bottom edges and first and second, longitudinally extending, opposed side edges that converge toward each other from the bottom edge to the top edge of the respective side panel;    at least one bottom panel foldably coupled to the bottom edge of one of said side panels;    wherein the container can be alternately folded and unfolded between a folded, collapsed state and a useable, expanded state so that the floral bouquet can be placed therein, wherein when the container is in the expanded state, the side panels form the sides of the container and the bottom panel forms the bottom of the container.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement flap foldably coupled to the top edge of each side panel, each reinforcement flap being configured to fold against a respective side panel when the container is unfolded to the expanded state so as to increase the rigidity of the container.  
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises at least first and second bottom panels, each foldably coupled to the bottom edge of one of said side panels and formed with complimentary notches allowing the bottom panels to interlock with each other when the container is unfolded to the expanded state.  
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the side panels and the bottom panel are formed from a single blank.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the blank has a unitary construction.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein when the container is in the collapsed state, the container is substantially flat and has an overall size that the same as or less than the overall size of a side panel.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the at least three side panels comprise first, second, third, and fourth side panels, the second panel being disposed between and connected to the first and third panels, the third panel being disposed between and connected to the second and fourth panels;    the at least one bottom panel comprises first, second, third, and fourth bottom panels, the first bottom panel being foldably coupled to the bottom edge of the first side panel, the second bottom panel being foldably coupled to the bottom edge of the second side panel, the third bottom panel being foldably coupled to the bottom edge of the third side panel, and the fourth bottom panel being foldably coupled to the bottom edge of the fourth side panel;    wherein the second and fourth bottom panels each includes a foldable bottom flap defining a respective notch, such that when the container is unfolded to the expanded state, the second and fourth bottom panels interlock with each other at the notches.    
   
   
       8 . A method of shipping a floral bouquet comprising: 
 placing the floral bouquet in a standard shipping container;    placing the container of  claim 1  in the standard shipping container;    placing a waterproof liner in the standard shipping container; and    shipping the standard shipping container to a recipient;    wherein the recipient may unfold the container into the expanded state, place the liner in the container, and place water and the floral bouquet in the liner.    
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the blank is made of paperboard.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a water impermeable liner that is adapted to contain water in the container when it is in the expanded state.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the blank comprises a side tab connected to one of the side panels that can be connected to an opposing edge portion of the blank.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the side panels comprise an accordion construction such that each side panel can be folded against an adjacent side panel when the container is in the collapsed state.  
   
   
       13 . A method of shipping a floral arrangement or plants comprising: 
 placing a flower or plant in a standard shipping container;    placing a collapsible vase formed from a single blank in the standard shipping container;    placing a waterproof liner in the standard shipping container; and    shipping the standard shipping container to a recipient; and    wherein the collapsible vase has a plurality of sides and the recipient can expand the collapsible vase into an operational position by pushing on at least a portion of the plurality of sides.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the recipient can secure a tab adjacent a first side of the plurality of sides located at a first edge of the blank to a second side of the plurality of sides located at a second edge of the blank.  
   
   
       15 . A method of making a preformed collapsible container for flowers or plants from a single sheet of material comprising: 
 forming a plurality of side folds in the sheet of material, the plurality of side folds extending from a top portion of the sheet to a bottom portion of the sheet, the plurality of side folds defining a plurality of side panels, each side panel having a top portion and a bottom portion; and    forming a first bottom fold adjacent the bottom of a first side panel of the plurality of side panels, the first bottom fold extending substantially from a first longitudinal edge to a second longitudinal edge of the first side panel, the first bottom fold defining a first bottom section; and    forming a side tab fold adjacent to, and extending substantially from the bottom to the top of, a side panel of the plurality of side panels, the side tab fold defining a side tab that can be secured to another of said side panels.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 forming a reinforcement fold adjacent a top portion of, and extending substantially from a first longitudinal edge to a second longitudinal edge of, a second side panel of the plurality of side panels, which may be the same as the first side panel, thereby defining an upper reinforcement section;    bending the upper reinforcement section to contact the top portion of the second side panel; and    attaching the upper reinforcement section to the top portion of the second side panel.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  15 , further comprising: 
 forming a second bottom fold adjacent the bottom of a second side panel of the plurality of side panels and extending substantially from a first longitudinal edge to a second longitudinal edge of the second side panel, the second bottom fold defining a second bottom section;    forming mating notches in an edge of each of the first and second side panels;    forming third and forth bottom folds adjacent the bottom of third and fourth side panels of the plurality of side panels and extending substantially from a first longitudinal edge to a second longitudinal edge of the respective third or fourth side panel, the third and fourth bottom folds defining third and fourth bottom sections;    attaching the first bottom section to the third bottom section; and    attaching the second bottom section to the fourth bottom section.