GB2213693A

GB2213693A - Plant pot covers

Info

Publication number: GB2213693A
Application number: GB8730156A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert James Holloway
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-24
Filing date: 1987-12-24
Publication date: 1989-08-23
Also published as: GB8730156D0

Abstract

The invention provides a plant pot cover 11 which comprises a substantially arcuate blank 10 of flexible sheet material. The blank 10 has interengageable means 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 21a, 21b, at respective ends of the arc which permit the blank to be formed into an open-bottom cone, whereby the blank can be used to form a decorative cover for a plant pot. <IMAGE>

Description

PLANT POT COVERS This invention provides improved covers for plant pots. In view of the popularity of houseplants, the supply of which is of great commercial importance, it has become common practice to put the pots in which the houseplants are growing into other containers.

These containers are typically made of brass, copper or other metals, china or pottery, glass, wood or many other materials and are intended to hide the plastics or earthenware plant pots and provide a more attractive assembly. One considerable disadvantage of conventional plant pot containers is their expense.

The invention remedies this disadvantage and provides attractive covers for plant pots, which are a practical and inexpensive alternative for known types of plant pot containers.

According to this invention, a plant pot cover comprises a flat blank in the form of an arcuate portion of flexible sheet material, having interengageable means at the ends of the arc which permit the blank to be formed into an open-bottom cone, the interengageable means preferably permitting a blank to be formed into two or more cones of different sizes corresponding to different sizes of pot plants, whereby the flat blank can be used to form an attractive cover for a plant pot.

Preferably, the flat blanks are made from sheet material in the form of water-resistant paper or card. An important and preferred feature of the plant pot covers of the invention is the provision, on the side of the blank visible in use, of a decorative pattern or design. In one form of this feature, designs, which preferably are different, are printed or otherwise provided on both sides of the covers. These decorative patterns or designs, whether on one or on both sides, can be provided either by using suitably decorated sheet material to make the flat blanks, or by applying the designs to one or both surfaces of the sheet portions when they have been cut, stamped or otherwise made from the sheet material. The decorative pattern or design, if required with any desired written matter, can appear on all or on part only of the visible surface(s) of the plant pot cover.Also, simple illustrated instructions for use of the flat blanks can be printed or otherwise applied to the covers, if required, for instance by being incorporated in what is intended to be the inside of the assembled blanks.

The means for securing together the ends of the arcuate strips can take many forms. Preferably, these means allow the ends to be attached to one another at one or other of at least 2 different positions, so that a given size of plant pot cover can be made up to fit one or other of at least 2 different sizes of pot. The attachment means are preferably separable and can take the form, for instance, of portions of a touch-and-close fastener material, e.g.

that known by the Regd. Trademark "VELCRO".

Alternatively and preferably, the separable attachment means can be incorporated in the flat blank per se. By way of example, one end of a blank can include one or more tabs which can lock into one or more corresponding slots provided adjacent the other end. Two or more slots or sets of slots at different distances from the adjacent end of the blank allow the tab or set of tabs adjacent the opposite end to be interengaged selectively, so as to assemble a cover for use, say, either with a 4 inch, a 4 1/2" or a 5 inch flower-pot.

In order to illustrate the invention in more detail, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, showing a preferred form of plant pot cover, made of a decoratively printed water-resistant heavy-gauge paper; the cover is shown in Fig. 1 as a flat blank and in Fig. 2 in assembled form, having a plant pot inside it.

In the drawings, the reference numerals indicate the following; 10 - the flat blank; 11 - the assembled plant pot cover; 12 - the decorative design or pattern; 14 - the outside curved edge of the main arcuate portion of the blank 10; 15 - the inside curved edge of the blank 10; 16 - one end of the blank 10; 17 - the other end of the blank 10; this end 17 includes means for attachment to the end 16; 18a,18b - a spaced pair of integral tabs provided at the end 17, each tab 18a,18b having a curved periphery which includes a re-entrant or undercut locking portion 19; 19 - the re-entrant or undercut locking portion of each of the tabs 18a, 18b.

20a,20b - a first pair of slots, for receiving the tabs 18a,18b, the slots being adjacent the end 16 of the blank 10; 21a,21b - a second pair of slots, for receiving the tabs 18a,18b; it will be seen that the pot cover 11 is smaller if the ends 16,17 are detably joined together by inserting the tabs 18a,18b into the slots 21a,21b, rather than into the slots 20a, 20b; 22 - a plant, e.g. a houseplant, placed in soil in a flower-pot or other plant pot 24; 24 - the plant pot containing the plant 22.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A plant pot cover which comprises a substantially arcuate blank of flexible sheet material, having interengageable means at respective ends of the arc which permit the blank to be formed into an openbottomed cone, whereby the blank can be used to form a decorative cover for a plant pot.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interengageable means allow the blank to be formed into a cone having one of a plurality of sizes.

3. A cover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the interengageable means are provided on respective surfaces of the sheet material so as to be pressed into mutual engagement.

4. A cover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the interengageable means are formed from the sheet material and comprise a tab and a slot at respective ends of the arc.

5. A cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interengageable means are formed form the sheet material and comprise a pluarlity of slots and tabs respective ones of which engage so as to form a cone of the required size.

6. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheet material comprises water-resistant paper.

7. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein both sides of the sheet material include decorative features.

8. A plant pot cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompany drawings.