Cut flower transport and display vessel

Abstract

A vessel for transporting cut flowers and displaying the cut flowers at the point of sale comprises an outer cardboard carton and inner waterproof liner to hold water within the vessel in which the stems of cut flowers are placed. The outer cardboard carton has a full transport height extending above the heads of the cut flowers to protect the flowers and the wall of the carton has a line of weakness along which the wall can be torn to reduce the height of the carton to expose the flower heads at the point of sale.

1 . A combined transport and display vessel for cut flowers, comprising an outer cardboard carton and an inner waterproof liner for holding water and cut flower stems in a substantially upright attitude, in which the walls of the outer cardboard carton have a full transport height extending above the heads of the cut flowers but having defined thereon at least one line of weakness along which the carton wall may be readily torn to reduce the height of the carton walls to a display condition in which the heads of the cut flowers are exposed.  
   
   
       2 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the inner waterproof liner is a plastic coated cardboard.  
   
   
       3 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the outer cardboard carton is of corrugated cardboard.  
   
   
       4 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the outer cardboard carton is cuboid and the inner liner is of trapezoidal cross-section so that its outer walls taper inwards towards the base.  
   
   
       5 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 4  wherein the cross-sectional area of the base of the inner liner is between 0.33 and 0.5 of the area of the base of the outer cardboard carton.  
   
   
       6 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the line of weakness is a perforated cut.  
   
   
       7 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the line of weakness comprises a tear tape.  
   
   
       8 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the height of the inner liner is substantially the same or less than the distance from the base of the carton to the predetermined tear line of the outer cardboard carton.  
   
   
       9 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the inner liner is made from a blank having no cuts.  
   
   
       10 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the inner liner is made from corrugated cardboard, one face of which is formed by paper laminated with a plastic film.  
   
   
       11 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 10  wherein the plastic film is polyester film adhered to the paper by a polyethylene layer.  
   
   
       12 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the tear line is at the same height from the base across each wall.  
   
   
       13 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 12  wherein the tear line is arranged to be halfway down the wall.  
   
   
       14 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the tear lines are arranged to be at different heights on different walls.  
   
   
       15 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the outer cardboard carton is printed with indicia.  
   
   
       16 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 15  wherein the indicia comprise information or decoration.  
   
   
       17 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the inner liner comprises one unitary space within the outer cardboard carton.  
   
   
       18 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the inner liner includes one or more dividers to separate the cut flowers into groups.  
   
   
       19 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the outer carton walls are provided with ventilation holes.  
   
   
       20 . A combined transport and display vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the outer carton walls are provided with handles.