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EP-3522700-B1 - FOLDING BOX WITH PRESTRESSED WALLS

EP3522700B1EP 3522700 B1EP3522700 B1EP 3522700B1EP-3522700-B1

Inventors

  • CALDAS, RAPHAEL

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20171002

Claims (16)

  1. Box (1) with foldable walls, without the need for handling, mainly intended to accommodate animal litter, and comprising a bottom and at least 4 vertical walls on which several folds (2) have been pre-marked with the tool to make bellows (16) enabling the folding and unfolding of the walls of the box (1), this box (1) is folded following its manufacture, and said box (1) is manufactured with several materials in the form of sheets adhering strongly to each other, thus forming a rigid and flexible multilayer complex (15) that is obtained thanks to the choice of the properties of the adhesives (8) and the resistance of the materials in terms of flexibility and compression to make prestressed walls, said box (1) being characterised in that the prestressed walls have an arc shape memory (17), which is obtained from the initial multilayer complex (15) and thanks to at least one adherent sheet (7) of dimensions slightly larger than the sheet it covers and to which it adheres.
  2. Box (1) according to claim 1 characterised in that the successive manufacturing steps make it possible to obtain a spring effect and a shape memory (17) of the walls in an arc prestressed towards the outside to ensure that said box (1) has good rigidity in the unfolded position.
  3. Box (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that it is equipped with a folded edge (3) from 45° to 90° inwards thanks to a stress with an arc shape memory (17), said folded edge (3) being advantageously obtained by marking 2/3 of the thickness of the walls with a non-cutting tool and made on a peripheral strip of about 20 millimetres, so as to constitute a solution against litter projections on the one hand, and to contribute to accentuating the rigidity of the box (1) in the unfolded position on the other hand.
  4. Box according to claims 1 and 2 characterised in that the adherent sheet is formed by a plastic sheet (7) with an adhesive side (8) which is heated by thermoforming and is placed on a prestressing matrix: following the cooling and hardening of the plastic sheet (7), we obtain stressed walls with shape memory (17) of said box (1).
  5. Box (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the multilayer complex (15) is composed of 2 to 5 sheets, the thickness of each of which can vary from 0.05 millimetres to 5 millimetres depending on the desired degree of rigidity.
  6. Box (1) according to claims 1 and 5 characterised in that at least one sheet of said multilayer complex (15) is a cardboard sheet (9) and is microporous in the natural state, allowing air to pass under pressure through its thickness to enable the heat-sealing or thermoforming of one of the sheets making up the complex (15).
  7. Box (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that at least one sheet of said multilayer complex (15) is a biodegradable plastic film (7).
  8. Box (1) according to claims 1 and 5 characterised in that said multilayer complex (15) comprises at least one sheet of corrugated cardboard (6) on which a sheet of waxed paper (5) with moisture resistance and anti-fouling properties has been previously laminated.
  9. Box (1) according to claims 1 and 5 characterised in that the multilayer complex (15) comprises at least one sheet printed with a decoration (13).
  10. Box (1) according to claims 1 and 5 characterised in that at least one sheet of said multilayer complex (15) is a co-laminated polyethylene (PE) bilayer plastic film (7) on one of its faces.
  11. Box (1) according to claims 1 and 5 characterised in that at least one sheet of said multilayer complex (15) is a micro-perforated sheet that allows air to pass under pressure through its thickness to enable the heat-sealing or thermoforming of one of the sheets making up the complex (15).
  12. Box (1) according to claims 1 and 5 characterised in that the multilayer complex (15) comprises at least one sheet covered with a varnish with microporous characteristics.
  13. Box (1) according to claim 1 having a square or rectangular shape characterised in that the 4 corners are cut sections (4).
  14. Box (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the thickness of said box (1) in the folded position is less than 15 millimetres for a low standard version, and less than 100 millimetres for an enhanced version (18) allowing animal litter to be included before folding.
  15. Box according to claims 1 characterised in that it is equipped with a lid (10), the top of which has pre-cutting dotted lines (11) and fold markings (2) enabling the obtaining of prefabricated flat accessories related to the use, such as at least one shovel (12) for removing excrement from the litter.
  16. Method of obtaining the box (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15 characterised in that a part of the multilayer complex (15) is prefabricated, marked at the location of the folds (2), and cut to form a flat semi-product (19), said semi-product (19) being subsequently positioned on a form serving on the one hand as a matrix (14) and on the other hand as tools for modifying the initial geometry of said flat semi-product (19) where it is force-plated on the walls of the matrix (14) by an air vacuum to receive at least one plastic sheet (7) with an adhesive face (8) stretched and hot-formed, then, after cooling, the entire complex (15) previously placed under stress becomes rigid and is cut to the dimensions of the finished product, consisting of a box (1) presented in the folded position thanks to the intervention of folding means using pressure.

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of collapsible boxes for all uses and more particularly those intended for animals. Cleaning pet litter boxes, which involves direct or indirect contact with waste, is unpleasant and poses health risks, particularly for pregnant women. It also becomes complicated when traveling outside the home. Products with a hinged grid, as well as those equipped with a drawer or sieve system, are well-known. These products are generally bulky and difficult to transport. Furthermore, since they are not intended to be thrown away, they only partially eliminate contact with soiled litter. Foldable and disposable products offer savings in cleanliness, time, and space. They also better address cleaning issues. The following methods are known in this area: GB2305348 which describes a collapsible litter container but whose volume in the closed position does not save any space and therefore does not facilitate transport. FR2742308 which describes a device where a plastic bag with an absorbent and foldable cardboard base can be closed and disposed of, but requires use with a receiving bin. FR2718607 which describes a collapsible and watertight container equipped with a bag for sealing and disposing of the container and its contents, WO2000032493 which describes a container made up of modules which, once folded, allow for a container with no openings, FR3013560 which describes a foldable and disposable set consisting of a tray and absorbent litter with reinforced corners, closed by assembly, FR2754421 which describes a disposable litter box with a litter tray, the assembly of which requires gluing or stapling, FR2666194 which describes a disposable container with bedding, waterproofed on the inside and glazed on the outside, the lid of which can be opened on three of its four sides and simply folded down under said container without any other means of fastening, WO2006072674 which describes a disposable, airtight litter box whose walls are held together by tabs on the front and rear flaps that snap into the side flaps, US 4164314 which describes a ready-to-use package whose walls are held together by the mutual engagement of tabs and slots formed by perforations in the upper sections, FR2706243 which describes a device by which a briefcase is transformed into a box by the articulated action of the hinges of bellows, nesting, lattice, folding, or other types of the side walls. The documents US 2011/308991 A1 , US 3,343,660 A And US 2003/102363 A1 They reveal a box with prestressed walls. The documents FR 2 933 329 A1 And US 3,756,495 A describe a process for obtaining a box. These various techniques have drawbacks and only offer partial solutions to the problem. Their main disadvantage lies in their design, which forces the manufacturer or end user into manual tasks such as folding, gluing, or stapling. These tasks are often difficult to understand and perform, and may require additional supplies (scissors, glue, stapler) or extra parts to ensure the overall rigidity. Furthermore, improper execution of these operations can compromise the container's watertightness and stability, rendering it unsuitable for animal use and jeopardizing its hygienic effectiveness. Of the known techniques, only those with very low side walls, even at the minimum litter level required, allow for assembly without manual labor. However, such low side walls do not effectively contain the litter inside the tray by preventing it from being scattered, and again call into question the hygienic effectiveness of the solution. From an economic point of view, the multitude of components and rework required for assembly significantly increases the cost price of this disposable product, which tends to make it difficult to distribute via a classic distribution chain due to the number of intermediaries. The prior art of temporary litter boxes does not sufficiently address the qualitative aspects of an industrially manufactured product in terms of design, hygiene, odor control, moisture resistance, and end-of-life product recycling. The present invention makes it possible to overcome the difficulties of the prior art. The present invention relates to a temporary litter box that eliminates the need for cleaning and thus reduces contact with excrement in a simple, efficient, and hygienic manner. Its simple design and construction require no additional parts or manipulation to assemble the litter box. Such a litter box can be used, for example, as a travel solution when taking your pet away from your home, or as a solution for everyday use at home. This litter box can be used with or without litter, creating an all-in-one solution that is immediately ready to use. The litter box according to the invention is defined in claim 1 and provides a novel solution to the construction problem by imposing a spring effect and shape memory in the form of a prestressed arc on the side walls of said box, such that they adopt a rigid