Method and apparatus for packaging horticultural products

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for packaging a horticultural product, especially cut flowers, for transportation, one or more stems are inserted through a flexible foam block formed from a low density, low compression force material disposed in an opening of container such that the foam is compressed. The compression of the foam forms a water-tight seal around each stem to prevent water or other liquid inside the container from leaking during shipment of the horticultural product and insulates each stem from each other stem. A tube may be placed in the foam block to provide fluid communication between an interior of the container and an exterior of the container.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 866,147 with a filing date of Jun. 14, 2004, and this application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 533,021, entitled “Device For Shipment of Horticultural Products,” filed Dec. 27, 2003. The entireties of both applications are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates generally to horticultural products, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for packaging horticultural products such as cut flowers. [0004] 2. Discussion of the Background [0005] The market for horticultural products, particularly cut flowers, is large and continues to grow. In this industry, it is important that the horticultural product be fresh when it is presented to a consumer. The freshness of the horticultural product will determine both (1) how the product initially appears to the consumer, and (2) how lon...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] In one aspect of the invention, the use of compression provides a significant advantage as compared to prior art devices in that it allows flower stems to be tightly packed during shipping. This reduce...

Problems solved by technology

Both of these methods have obvious drawbacks.

Shipping the flowers dry reduces their life no matter how well they are refrigerated.

Shipping the flowers in an open container partially filled with water requires that the containers not be overturned during shipping, which increases shipping costs and distribution time.

However, each of these alternative devices has drawbacks and, to the knowledge of the inventor, none of the alternative devices has met with any commercial success.

First, the requirement for the flexible diaphragm increases the packaging cost.

Second, the “resilient material” illustrated in the '906 patent does not appear to be very resilient.

The problem with a material of such a resiliency is that it requires a relatively close match between the size of the bore in the stopper and the diameter of a plant stem inserted therein.

This is not a practical alternative for two reasons.

First, flower stems are not regularly shaped and often have protrusions (e.g., rose stems have protrusions where thorns are removed).

However, considering the relatively inflexible material of '906 patent, the walls of bore may not contact the st...

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