IP Library Granted Patent US 10,939,622
Granted Patent B2
US 10,939,622 · App. 15/645,542 · Granted Mar 9, 2021

Horticultural container with tag slot

Inventor: Robert Quinlan (Stow, OH)
Assignee: THE HC COMPANIES, INC.
A01G9/006A01G9/02A01G9/021G09F3/02G09F3/04G09F2003/0272
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,939,622
App. No.
15/645,542
Granted
Mar 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a horticultural container including a body, a base extending from a bottom of the body, and an upper rim extending from a top of the body. The upper rim has a tag slot extending therethrough for receiving a tag and a chamfer radially outwardly spaced from and adjacent to the tag slot for receiving ears of the tag when the tag is in the tag slot. In this way, the tag is received in the tag slot and chamfer to secure the tag to hinder or prevent unauthorized removal of the tag.

Claims (32)

1. A horticultural container comprising:

a body defining a chamber;

a base extending from a bottom of the body to form with the body a closed end of the chamber; and

an upper rim extending from a top of the body, the upper rim having:

a plurality of spaced tag slots extending therethrough for receiving a respective tag, each tag slot having a length in a circumferential direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the body, and

a chamfer having a radially innermost edge radially outwardly spaced from and adjacent to a radially outermost edge of each tag slot for receiving ears of the respective tag when the tag is in the tag slot, each chamfer being formed in the upper rim such that the chamfer extends into the upper rim and angles downward toward the base and away from the tag slot to form a respective interrupted area of the upper rim, and each chamfer having a length in the circumferential direction greater than the length of the respective tag slot.

2. The horticultural container according to claim 1 , wherein the upper rim has a horizontal portion that extends radially outward from the top of the body and a downwardly projecting portion that extends downwardly from an outer edge of the horizontal portion towards the bottom of the body, and wherein the tag slot extends through the horizontal portion.

3. The horticultural container according to claim 2 , wherein the chamfer is formed in the horizontal portion and downwardly extending portion.

4. The horticultural container according to claim 2 , further including a plurality of guide ribs on an underside of the horizontal portion for guiding the tag when inserted through the tag slot from underneath the upper rim.

5. The horticultural container according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of guide ribs include a rib on opposite ends of the tag slot to circumferentially align the tag, and a plurality of ribs between the body and the tag slot and/or between the tag slot and the outer edge of the horizontal portion to radially align the tag.

6. The horticultural container according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of ribs between the body and the tag slot and/or between the tag slot and the outer edge of the horizontal portion are angled towards the tag slot.

7. The horticultural container according to claim 1 , wherein the tag slot has a width in a radial direction less than a width of the chamfer in the radial direction.

8. A horticultural display system comprising:

a horticultural container comprising:

a body defining a chamber;

a base attached to a bottom of the body; and

an upper rim extending from a top of the body, the upper rim having at least one tag slot extending therethrough and at least one chamfer having a radially innermost edge radially outwardly spaced from and adjacent to a radially outermost edge of the at least one tag slot, the at least one chamfer being formed in the upper rim such that the at least one chamfer extends into the upper rim and angles downward toward the base and away from the at least one tag slot to form an interrupted area of the upper rim; and

a tag inserted into one of the tag slots, the tag having a body, a neck extending upward from the body, a head extending upward from the neck, and a pair of ears on opposite sides of the head,

wherein the head of the tag extends above the tag slot such that the neck is disposed in the tag slot and the ears extend radially outwardly from the tag slot to angle downward toward the base and radially overlap the chamfer adjacent the tag slot to secure the tag in the tag slot.

9. The horticultural display system according to claim 8 , wherein the chamfer has a length in a circumferential direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the body that is greater than a length of the tag slot in the circumferential direction.

10. The horticultural display system according to claim 8 , wherein the tag slot has a slot length in a circumferential direction of the upper rim relative to a longitudinal axis of the body, the neck has a first width less than the slot length, the head has a second width greater than the slot length, and the body of the tag has a third width greater than the second width.

11. The horticultural display system according to claim 10 , wherein the chamfer has a length in the circumferential direction that is greater than the slot length.

12. The horticultural display system according to claim 8 , wherein the body of the horticultural container is conical and the upper rim circumscribes the body.

13. The horticultural display system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced tag slots in the upper rim, and the at least one chamfer comprises a plurality of chamfers, each chamfer radially outwardly spaced from and adjacent to a respective one of the tag slots.

14. The horticultural display system according to claim 8 , wherein the upper rim has a horizontal portion that extends radially outward from the top of the body and a downwardly projecting portion that extends downwardly from an outer edge of the horizontal portion towards the bottom of the body, and wherein the tag slot extends through the horizontal portion.

15. The horticultural display system according to claim 14 , wherein the chamfer is formed in the horizontal portion and downwardly extending portion.

16. The horticultural display system according to claim 14 , further including a plurality of guide ribs on an underside of the horizontal portion for guiding the tag when inserted through the tag slot from underneath the upper rim.

17. The horticultural display system according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of guide ribs include a rib on opposite ends of the tag slot to circumferentially align the tag, and a plurality of ribs between the body and the tag slot and/or between the tag slot and the outer edge of the horizontal portion to radially align the tag.

18. A horticultural container comprising:

a body defining a chamber and having a longitudinal axis; and

an upper rim extending from a top of the body, the upper rim having a horizontal portion that extends radially outward from the top of the body, a downwardly projecting portion that extends downwardly from an outer edge of the horizontal portion towards the bottom of the body, a plurality of circumferentially spaced tag slots extending through the horizontal portion for receiving a respective tag, and a chamfer having a radially innermost edge radially outwardly spaced from and adjacent to a radially outermost edge of each of the tag slots for receiving ears of the respective tag when the respective tag is in the tag slot, each chamfer being formed in the horizontal portion and the downwardly extending portion and angling downward to form a respective interrupted area of the upper rim,

wherein each chamfer has a length in a circumferential direction relative to the longitudinal axis that is greater than a length of the respective tag slot in the circumferential direction.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2023
From: THE HC COMPANIES, INC.
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 064552/0280 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: THE HC COMPANIES, INC.
To: TCW ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064455/0907 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: THE HC COMPANIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 064457/0257 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2022
From: THE HC COMPANIES, INC.
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 061279/0167 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2017
From: QUINLAN, ROBERT
To: THE HC COMPANIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 042954/0602 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,290,036