Party riser

• US 5,577,344 A
• Filed: 04/22/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James Blankfield
• Original Assignee: PIA, Inc.
• Inventors: Zaremba, George J., Blankfield, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raduazo, Henry E.
• Application Number:
  US08/233,614
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 108/150, 108/156, 108/158, 47/36, 47/36 C, 47/82, 47/83, 211/186, 211/205
• US Class Current: 47/39
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 7/041 Flower tables or stands

Abstract

A portable party riser, or pedestal-type stand, is provided, consisting of several container-bases and a thin cylindrical rigid stem for support. The container-bases are manually connected to this stem by fitting either of the two ends of the support tightly into the appropriate socket or hub on either surface of the flange of each container-base. The structure is generally supported by a bottom container acting as the base, and resting upon a horizontal surface such as a floor or table top. As such, it is an excellent device for placing decorative arrangements, because it is leakproof without a gluing or other adhesive means.

Claims

1. A kit adapted to form a floral display arrangement comprising in combination,

at least two container-base elements each having a hub with predetermined height, and a top and a bottom surface and defining upper socket and lower sockets, each container-base element also having a flange extending from said bottom of said lower socket to a peripheral rim, said rim extending upward from said flange to a height equal to that of said hub whereby said hub, said flange and said rim define a basin adapted to hold water and a floral display,

said kit further including at least one cylindrical stem having an upper and lower end adapted to form a friction fit with either of said upper and lower sockets.

2. The kit as defined in claim 1 wherein a first and second said container-base are completely interchangeable with all said ends of said stems.

3. The kit as described in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said stems are hollow and fit over all said hubs, said hubs thus functioning as male members when said floral arrangement is assembled.

4. The kit as described in claim 1 wherein a first plurality of said cylindrical stems each have a greater length than a second plurality of said stems.

5. The method for producing a kit according to claim 1 comprising the step of injection molding said stems and said container-bases with said plastic resins.

6. A kit adapted to form a floral display arrangement comprising in combination,

at least two container-bases each having a hub with a predetermined height, each said hub having a web, said web further comprising a top and bottom surface defining an upper and a lower socket, each said container-base element also having a flange extending from the lower surface of said hub to a peripheral rim, said rim extending upward from said flange to a height approximately equal to that of said hub whereby said hub, said flange and said rim define a basin adapted to hold water and a floral display, said kit further comprising at least one cylindrical stem, said stem having an upper and lower end adapted to form a friction fit with either of said upper and lower sockets.

7. A kit as described in claim 6 wherein

(A) said flange has

(i) an upper and lower surface

(ii) a predetermined two dimensional area and

(iii) predetermined thickness and

(B) said rim has a predetermined interior height.

8. The kit as described in claim 6 wherein said hub and said sockets are cylindrical in shape.

9. The kit as described in claim 7 wherein said lower surface of said flange is recessed to form said lower socket, and said upper socket is coaxial with said lower socket within said hub.

10. The kit forming a floral display arranged when assembled, as described in claim 7, consisting solely of one said stem and two said container-bases,

(a) said container-bases being identical to each other in shape and two-dimensional area of said flanges,

(b) said container- bases each further comprising a centrally located said hub upon said upper surface of said flange

(i) said hub containing said web and two said sockets in coaxial alignment

(c) said floral display arrangement approximately 24 inches in height when assembled.

11. The kit as described in claim 7 consisting solely of one said stem and a first and a second said container-bases,

(a) said first container-base having a larger two-dimensional area of said flange than said second container-base,

(b) said container-bases each further comprising a centrally located said hub on said upper surface of said flange

(i) each said hub containing said web and two said sockets in coaxial alignment.

12. The kit as described in claim 7 wherein said container-base comprises spikes protruding from said upper surface of said flange, said spikes being shorter than the interior height of said rim.

13. The kit as described in claim 6 comprising a floral disaply arrangement when assembled, wherein said web comprises

(A) a substantially leakproof barrier between said stems and said container-bases and

(B) a mechanical barrier between said stems after said floral display arrangement is assembled.

14. The kit as described in claim 7 wherein

(A) said hub is approximately one and one-half inches in height and approximately one and one quarter inches in interior diameter, and

(B) said flanges are circular and approximately eight inches in diameter and approximately 1.5 inches in thickness, and

(c) said assembled floral display is approxiomately 24 inches high.

15. The kit as described in claim 6 wherein

at least one said flange is rounded with short legs.

16. The kit as described in claim 7 wherein said hub protrudes from said upper surface of said flange to approximately the height of said rim.

17. The kit as described in claim 6 wherein said container-bases and said stems are comprised of hot-stamped plastic resins.

18. The kit as described in claim 6 wherein a plurality of said flanges each contain more than one said hub.

19. The kit as described in claim 6 wherein at least two said hubs are located on each of a plurality of said flanges, said upper and lower sockets coaxial to each other within each said hub.

20. The kit as described in claim 7 wherein a first plurality of said container-bases have flanges each of a greater two dimensional area from a second plurality of said container-bases.

21. The kit as described in claim 7 comprising:

(A) a first plurality of said container-bases,

(B) a second plurality of said container-bases, said second plurality having a greater two dimensional area for each flange than said first plurality,

(C) a third plurality of container-bases, said third plurality having a greater two dimensional area for each said flange than said second plurality,

(D) a first plurality of said stems,

(F) a second plurality of stems, said second plurality having a greater length of each said stem than said first plurality,

(G) a third plurality of stems, said third plurality having a greater length of each said stem than said second plurality.

22. A kit adapted to form a display arrangement with components comprising in combination:

(A) container-bases, each said container-base further comprising at least one hub, each said hub having a predetermined height

(1) each said hub further comprising a web with a top and bottom surface,

said top and bottom surfaces defining upper and lower sockets respectively

each said container-base further comprising a flange

(i) said flange extending each said web to a peripheral rim, each rim having an inner and outer surface,

(ii) each such flange having an upper and lower surface,

(iii) each said rim extending upwardly from said upper surface of said flange to a height approximately equal to that of each said hub, as measured from said upper surface of said flange, wherein said hubs, said flange, and said rim define a container-base,

(3) a second plurality of said container-bases each individually having a greater area than a first plurality,

(ii) a third plurality of said container-bases each individually having a greater area than said second and first pluralities,

(B) cylindrical stems, each said stem having an upper end and a lower end adapted to form a frictional fit with either of said upper or said lower sockets, there being at least a first, second and third plurality cf said stems

(i) said second plurality of stems each having a greater length than said first plurality,

(ii) said third plurality of said stems each having a greater length than said second plurality

whereby said stems and container-bases are assembled to form a variety of rigid structures known as party risers, each said container-base adapted to support a floral display or to function as a base.