CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
INFORMATION
Not Applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 10
This invention relates to sleeves, covers or containers used to wrap flower pots, contain or display floral groupings, or cultivate or display botanical items and methods of use thereof and methods of their manufacture. 15
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a square sheet of material used to form a decorative cover in accordance with the present 2Q invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the sheet of material of FIG. 1 having a first folded portion.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet of material of FIG. 2 taken along line 3—3. 25
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the sheet of material of FIG. 2 having a second folded portion.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet of material of FIG. 4 taken along line 5—5.
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the sheet of material of FIG. 4 having a third folded portion.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet of material of FIG. 6 taken along line 7—7.
FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the sheet of material of FIG. 6 having a fourth folded portion forming a decorative cover.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the decorative cover formed by the sheet of material of FIG. 8 taken along line 9—9.
FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the decorative cover of FIG. 8 after it is formed into an open position.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the opened decorative cover of FIG. 10 having a pot and floral grouping disposed therein.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of an alternate version of a sheet of material used to form a decorative cover in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an elevational view of a decorative cover formed using the sheet of material of FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 is a plan view of an alternate version of a sheet of material used to form a decorative cover in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 15 is an elevational view of a decorative cover formed using the sheet of material of FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is a plan view of an alternate version of a sheet of material used to form a decorative cover in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 17 is an elevational view of a decorative cover formed using the sheet of material of FIG. 16.
securing portions of the sheet of material in a particular sequence into the shape of a tubular sleeve which is then formed into an opened container to contain a pot, floral grouping, botanical item or growing material. It will be appreciated that the examples of the invention provided herein are not intended to limit the scope and extent of the claimed invention but are only intended to exemplify various of the embodiments of the invention contemplated herein.
Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-9 show a process of folding a sheet of material 10 into a decorative cover 108 (FIGS. 8-11) which can be used to contain a potted plant, floral grouping or botanical item.
The sheet of material 10 (also referred to herein as sheet 10) shown in FIG. 1 and in FIGS. 2-9 in various stages of folding, has a first apex 12, a second apex 14, a third apex 16, a fourth apex 18, a first edge 20, a second edge 22, a third edge 24, and a fourth edge 26. The sheet 10 has a first fold line 28 (which may or may not constitute an actual crease or scored line) which extends between third apex 16 and fourth apex 18. The first fold line 28 effectively separates the sheet 10 into a first triangular portion 30 which comprises the portion of sheet 10 between the first fold line 28 and the first apex 12, and a second triangular portion 36 which comprises the portion of the sheet 10 between the first fold line 28 and the second apex 14. The first triangular portion 30 has an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 34 (e.g., FIG. 2). The second triangular portion 36 has an inner surface 38 and an outer surface 40 (e.g., FIG. 3). A first connecting bonding material 42 such as an adhesive is disposed upon a portion of the inner surface 38 of the second triangular portion 36, preferably near the fourth apex 18 for bondingly connecting the first triangular portion 30 to the second triangular portion 36. Alternatively, the first connecting bonding material 42 could be disposed upon a portion of the inner surface 32 of the first triangular portion 30 for bonding the first triangular portion 30 to the second triangular portion 36. Alternately, when the first connecting bonding material 42 is a cohesive material, it may be disposed on portions of both the first triangular portion 30 and second triangular portion 36.
In a first folding step, the first triangular portion 30 is folded upon the second triangular portion 36 in a direction 44 resulting in the sheet 10 being folded into two triangular halves: a first folded portion 48 and the second triangular portion 36, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The first folded portion 48 is the first triangular portion 30. The sheet 10, now folded, has a first corner 50, generally in the same location as the third apex 16 and, a second corner 52, generally in the same location as the fourth apex 18. The connecting bonding material 42 connects the first folded portion 48 to the second triangular portion 36. The first edge 20 is adjacent and parallel to the third edge 24, and the second edge 22 is adjacent and parallel to the fourth edge 26. The first apex 12 is adjacent the second apex 14. A bottom edge 54 of the sheet 10 extends between first corner 50 and second corner 52.
A second fold line 56 (which may or may not constitute an actual crease or score line) extends between first edge 20 and second edge 22 in the first folded portion 48. The portion of the first folded portion 48 between first apex 12 and the second fold line 56 comprises an upper triangular portion 58. In a second folding step, the upper triangular portion 58 is folded in a second direction 60 to lie against a portion of the outer surface 34 of the first folded portion 48 to form a second folded portion 62 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The second folded portion 62 (also referred to herein as the "apical portion") has a left edge 64, a right edge 66, an upper edge 68, a first
