GB2379874A

GB2379874A - Collapsible vase

Info

Publication number: GB2379874A
Application number: GB0122726A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard William Tozer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-20
Filing date: 2001-09-20
Publication date: 2003-03-26
Also published as: GB0122726D0

Abstract

A flower vase is collapsible so as to form a substantially flat structure for storage or transport. The vase has at least one sidewall and a bottom 12 provided with folds to facilitate folding into the flat structure. The vase may have a single sidewall which is cylindrical, frusto-conical (Fig 1 ns) or frusto-pyramidal, or two non-foldable opposing sidewalls 40 separated by two foldable opposing sidewalls 30 as shown. Preferably the vase tapers in an upward direction for stability. The vase is fabricated from a light and flexible material such as coated cardboard or plastics, which is either water-resistant or lined with a water-resistant material. A clip may be provided to hold the vase in its flat position. The vase may be placed in an envelope and posted by mail as a greetings card. A message may be written on message panel 17 so that it is not visible until the vase is unfolded.

Description

Collapsible Vase The present invention relates to a vase, and in particular, to a vase which is collapsible and can accordingly also be used as a greeting card.

Vases are commonly designed as household ornaments and so care must be taken to ensure that they are rigid and sufficiently heavy to ensure that the vase is stable even when the vase is empty. Vases cannot therefore be easily folded for storage or transportation. Moreover, for the aforesaid reason, a common vase cannot be flat packed to enable it to be sent easily by post or carried in a pocket of a bag or article of clothing.

This problem is alleviated by the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vase which is collapsible down to a flat structure which is easy to store away or transport by mail or otherwise and can accordingly also be used as a greeting card.

According to one aspect, the present invention consists in a collapsible vase having at least one sidewall and a bottom which are adapted to be collapsible together so as to form a substantially flat structure.

According to another aspect, the present invention consists in a greeting card comprising the collapsible vase.

An advantage of the present invention is that the vase is collapsible to a substantially flat structure which occupies significantly less space than it does when deployed for use as a vase and which is therefore much easier to store and transport.

A significant advantage of an aspect of the present invention is that the vase can also be used as a greeting card. For example, in its collapsed state, the vase can be posted by mail or delivered with a bunch of flowers and the recipient, upon receipt of the vase, can unfold the vase so as to erect the vase and thereby open the greeting card.

The vase may be adapted to hold liquid either by fabricating the vase from, or lining its interior with, a water resistant material. The sidewalls of the vase may taper inwardly in an upward direction so as to increase the stability of the vase. The vase may include clamping means which is attached to the vase so that the panels can be clamped together once they have been folded flat. The vase may be made from a suitably light and flexible material, such as coated cardboard or plastics material, so that, in its collapsed state, the vase can be posted by mail without the need for any packaging other than an envelope.

Preferably, the or each sidewall consists of at least one sidewall panel and folding means separating the sidewall panels which are arranged relative to one another so that the panels are foldable flat. Also preferably, the bottom of the vase includes bottom panels which are joined by folding means and which are arranged relative to one another so that the bottom panels are foldable flat together with the sidewall panels. When it is desired to use the vase, the vase can be re-erected from its collapsed state by unfolding the panels so as to form the shape of the vase. Preferably, the folding means are folds which are formed in the sidewall (s).

In one embodiment, the vase has a single sidewall which is substantially cylindrical, substantially frusto-conical or substantially frusto-pyramidal.

When opposing portions of the sidewall are pushed towards each other, two opposing and substantially axially disposed folds are formed in the sidewall which allow opposite halves of the sidewall, together with the bottom, to be folded flat on to each other.

Preferably, at least one of the sidewalls includes a message portion which has a surface which is adapted for writing on and which is viewable at least when the vase is in its erect or deployed state. Also preferably, some or all of the message section is positioned on the sidewall (s) so as to be hidden when the vase is collapsed flat and is revealed when the collapsed sidewalls are unfolded and the vase is erected. The message section may alternatively be visible when the vase is collapsed and when unfolded and deployed for use.

In another embodiment, the vase includes two foldable sidewalls and two non-foldable sidewalls. The non-foldable sidewalls are opposite one another and separated by the foldable sidewalls which also oppose one another. The non-foldable sidewalls each consist of a single panel and the foldable sidewalls each consist of a plurality of axially extending panels. The bottom also includes panels which are connected by folding means. The folding means are arranged along axially extending edges of the sidewall panels and across the bottom so that, when the single panels of the non-foldable sidewalls are pushed together, the plurality of panels of the foldable sidewalls, together with the bottom panels, fold flat onto each other so that the vase forms a substantially flat structure. Ideally, the panels of the foldable sidewalls and the bottom fold inwardly between the non-foldable sidewall panels so that the non-foldable sidewall panels form the front and back faces of the flat structure.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a perspective side view of a vase in its erect state according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the vase of Figure 1 which has been folded down to form a flat structure; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a vase in its erect state showing a single panel sidewall and two panels of an adjacent sidewall all of which are separated by folds ; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the vase of Figure 3 folded down to form a flat structure and showing the single panel sidewall ; Figure 5 is a plan view of the bottom of the vase of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a collapsible vase 1 according to one embodiment having a bottom 2 and a sidewall 4 which is frustro-conical in form and which extends upwardly and tapers inwardly from the bottom 2 and defines an opening 3. A graphic (not shown), typically shown on greeting cards, is printed on the exterior surface of the sidewall 4 by known techniques. Also formed on the exterior surface of the sidewall 4 is a message panel 6 which is left blank so that a message can be written thereon using an ink pen or pencil.

The sidewall 4 is fabricated from a material which is sufficiently rigid so that the sidewall 4 supports itself in an upright position, as shown in Figure 1, and so that the bottom 2 and sidewall 4 are flexible enough to fold together flat when opposing portions of the sidewall 4 are pushed towards one

another. In this particular embodiment, the vase 1 is made from two sheets of plastics material such as polyethylene or plastic coated cardboard. The sidewall 4 is formed from one sheet and the bottom 2 is formed from the other sheet. The periphery of the bottom 2 is formed with a lip (not shown) which is bonded to the bottom end of the interior surface of the sidewall 4 using an epoxy resin or other suitable bonding means. The interior surface of the sidewall 4 and bottom 2 are coated with a waterproof material if necessary and the bottom 2 and sidewall 4 are sufficiently sealed together using the epoxy resin so that the vase 1 is capable of holding liquid, such as water. If the sidewall 4 and bottom 2 are made of plastics material bonding may be by means of heat welding or ultrasonic bonding.

Figure 2 shows the vase of Figure 1 collapsed flat. The method of collapsing the vase 1 and using it as a greeting card according to this embodiment will now be described. When two opposing portions of the sidewall 4 are pushed towards one another, the two opposing portions together with the bottom 2 begin to collapse onto one another and cause two opposing folds 5 to be formed along the length of the sidewall 4 which separate the sidewall into two halves. The two halves of the sidewall 4 then fold together onto one another about the two folds 5 and the bottom 2 continues to collapse onto itself so that the vase 1 forms a substantially flat structure. The vase can be re-erected by folding the sidewall 4 and bottom 2 out so as to form the shape of the vase 1. When the vase is in its flat, collapsed state, it is much easier to store away or transport. For example, the collapsed vase can be posted by mail or stored in a pocket of a bag or item of clothing.

When it is desired to use the vase 1 as a greeting card, the vase is collapsed flat and a message is written in the message panel 6. The vase is then sent by post to the recipient of the card and the recipient effectively opens the card by re-erecting the vase as previously described.

Referring to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a vase 1 according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the vase 1 includes two foldable sidewalls 30 and two non-foldable sidewalls 40 which are arranged together so as to form a square at the bottom of the vase 1 and which extend upwardly and taper inwardly from the bottom. The vase is accordingly substantially frusto-pyramidal. The two non-foldable sidewalls 40 each consist of a single panel 13 and are separated by the two foldable sidewalls 30 which each consist of a pair of half panels 14 separated by a half panel fold 15 which extends along the length of the centre of the foldable sidewall 30. A square bottom 12 is bonded to the sidewalls 30,40 adjacent to or at their bottoms and the tops of the sidewalls 30,40 define a square opening 3. The half panels 14 of the foldable sidewalls 30 are separated from the non-foldable sidewall panels 13 by corner folds 16 which extend along the length of the sidewalls. In this embodiment, a message panel 17 is formed on one of the foldable sidewalls 30.

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the bottom 12 of the vase 1 of Figure 3 as seen from below. The square bottom 12 is separated into six triangular panels 20 by two diagonal folds 18 extending between diagonally opposite corner folds 16, a centre fold 19 extending between the half panel folds 15 of the foldable sidewalls~30 and folds 21 extending adjacent to the outer edges of the bottom 12 which separate a peripheral lip 22 from a main body portion of the bottom. The bottom~panels 20 are individually labelled A-F in

Figure 5. Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the vase of Figure 3 showing the lip 22 bonded to the sidewalls. A clamping means possibly in the form of a metal clip (not shown) may be-connected to the bottom edge of one of the non-foldable sidewall panels 13 which clip is adapted to clip onto the other non-foldable sidewall panel 13 so as to clamp all of the panels together flat.

Figure 4 shows the vase of Figure 3 collapsed flat. The method of collapsing the vase 1 and using it as a greeting card according to this embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The folds 15,16 in the sidewalls 30,40 are arranged so that when the nonfoldable sidewall panels 13 are pushed towards one another, half panels 14 of each the foldable sidewalls 30 fold inwardly together and onto each other between the non-foldable sidewall panels 13, the bottom panels 20 A and B fold inwardly and upwardly onto bottom panel 20 C and bottom panels 20 D and E fold inwardly and upwardly onto bottom panel 20 F until all the panels 13,14, 20 are folded onto one another so that the vase 1 forms a substantially flat structure with the non-foldable sidewall panels 13 defining the front and back face of the structure. Since the foldable sidewall panels 14 fold flat onto each other, the message panel 17 is not viewable when the vase 1 is collapsed flat. The clip is clipped onto the other non-foldable sidewall panel 13 so as to clamp all the panels flat together. When it is desired to open the greeting card and use the vase 1, the clip is unfastened so as to release the panels 13,14, 20 and the vase 1 can be re-erected by unfolding the panels 13,14, 20 out so as to form the shape of the vase 1.

As the foldable sidewall panels 14 are unfolded, the message panel 17, and any message written thereon, is revealed so that the greeting card is opened.

It is not intended that the invention be restricted to a vase having the sidewalls, bottom, folding means and panels arranged as described herein. It is recognised that those skilled in the art will be capable of designing other vases having any number of sidewalls, folding means and panels which are in a different arrangement without departing from the scope of the invention. It would be obvious to the skilled man that the vase could be made as a one-piece unit, or alternatively, the sidewall (s) and bottom could be made from two different materials. For example, the sidewall (s) could be made from cardboard and the bottom from a more flexible material, such as polythene. He would also realise that water proof lining, such as a polythene bag, could be inserted into the vase so as to make the interior of the vase waterproof and thereby capable of holding liquid without having to provide a waterproof coating on the surfaces of the bottom and sidewall (s) as described herein. The sidewalls may be made of a flat piece of material joined along a seam for example an axially disposed seam.

The term axial has been used to denote a direction extending generally along a central longitudinal axis of the vase but may not be vertical when the vase is orientated for use due to the sloping form of the sidewalls.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A collapsible vase comprising at least one sidewall and a bottom which are adapted to be collapsible together so as to form a substantially flat structure.
2. A vase as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vase is fabricated from a water-resistant material.
3. A vase as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the interior of the vase is lined with a water-resistant material.
4. A vase as claimed in claim 1,2, or 3, wherein the sidewall (s) taper inwardly in an upward direction so as to increase stability of the vase.
5. A vase as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sidewall (s) and bottom include folding means for folding them together so as to form the substantially flat structure.
6. A vase as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including at least two sidewall panels which are separated by folding means and which are arranged relative to one another so as to be foldable substantially flat together with the bottom.
7. A vase as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottom of the vase includes bottom panels which are separated by folding means and which are arranged relative to one another to enable the bottom panels to be foldable substantially flat together with the sidewall (s).
8. A vase as claimed in any preceding claim, including clamping means for clamping the bottom and sidewall (s) together once they have been folded substantially flat.
9. A vase as claimed in claims 5,6 or 7, wherein the folding means comprises folds which are formed in the material of the vase.

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10. A vase as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the vase is fabricated from a light flexible material such that, in its collapsed state, the vase can be posted by mail.
11. A vase as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vase comprises a single sidewall which is substantially cylindrical, frusto-conical or frustopyramidal.
12. A vase as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, wherein the vase comprises two non-foldable opposing sidewalls which are separated by two foldable opposing sidewalls.
13. A vase as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the sidewalls includes a message portion having a surface for writing on.
14. A vase as claimed in claim 13, wherein the message portion is positioned on the sidewall (s) so as to be hidden when the vase is collapsed substantially flat and revealed when the vase is unfolded and erected.
15. A greeting card comprising a collapsible vase as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
16. A collapsible vase constructed and arranged as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
17. A greeting card constructed and arranged as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.