JPWO2022088846A5 - - Google Patents

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This international application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/107457, filed in the U.S. Patent Office on October 30, 2020, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17/1821632, filed in the U.S. Patent Office on February 22, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this international application.

The present invention relates to a collapsible and assemblable container for use in sterilization or other functions and having a drive element which cooperates with two or more switches so that the switches are turned off and the drive element is operable only when the box is fully assembled, thus ensuring safety of operation.

There are a variety of known applications for collapsible containers in the packaging industry.

However, many collapsible containers have multiple movable panels that can deploy incorrectly or only partially, resulting in an incompletely formed container that needs to be sealed. When performing UV sterilization, improperly formed containers can emit harmful UV radiation that can cause eye damage, skin cancer, etc.

In addition, once the container is folded into the unfolded configuration, the user must use tape, adhesive, or other mechanisms to secure and hold the container in the unfolded configuration. Therefore, in view of the shortcomings of conventional foldable containers, there is a need in this technology to provide a foldable container that is extremely safe.

The inventors therefore believed that the above-mentioned shortcomings could be improved, and after extensive research, they came up with the present invention, which effectively improves the above-mentioned issues through rational design.

The present invention was developed through intensive research by the inventor in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a foldable and collapsible container that solves the problems of poor portability, poor formation, and safety of conventional foldable containers.

Furthermore, the foldable container of the present invention is lightweight, easily folds compactly and flat for easy storage and transport.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a foldable and collapsible container, comprising: a first movable panel having a first sensing element; a second movable panel including an electronic circuit board with one or more actuation elements cooperating with at least three interlock switch elements, the at least three interlock switch elements controlling the one or more actuation elements; a third movable panel partially having a second sensing element; and a fourth movable panel having a third sensing element. When assembling the container, the third movable panel and the fourth movable panel form an inner encapsulation case part, the first movable panel and the second movable panel are arranged as a top cover of the container, and the first movable panel is positioned on the second movable panel. The second sensing element of the third movable panel interacts with a second interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements, and the third sensing element of the fourth movable panel interacts with a third interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements. When the first sensing element of the first movable panel does not interact with a first interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements, the electronic circuit board maintains an off state, and when the first sensing element of the first movable panel interacts with a third interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements, one or more of the actuating elements are actuated.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more of the actuation elements comprises a sterilization element, a heating element, an ejection element, or a laser element.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sterilization element includes at least three UV LEDs.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least three interlock switch elements include a reed switch, a magnetically activated switch, an optical sensor activated switch, a mechanically activated switch, or a temperature activated switch. Note that the present invention does not preclude the use of less commonly used interlock switch elements, such as only one interlock switch element or two interlock switch elements.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electronic circuit board further comprises a power element and a connector, and the power element includes a rechargeable battery.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connector includes a USB port or a Type-C port.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, all panels are made from insulating or waterproof materials.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insulating material includes one or more of glass fiber, silicone resin, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), carbon fiber, aluminum, and stainless steel.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the waterproof material includes one or more of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), glass fiber, silicone resin, polyurethane (PU), aluminum, stainless steel, and polycarbonate.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensing element is magnetic, and when the container is fully formed, the magnetic material is attracted to a corresponding magnetic material on an adjacent panel. Alternatively, mechanical fasteners may be employed, such as clasps, hook-and-loop fasteners such as VELCRO®, zippers, knots, or other fasteners.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electronic circuit board further comprises one or more sensors, the one or more sensors inhibiting activation of the one or more actuation elements unless the foldable container is fully and correctly unfolded.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first panel and the second panel are connected by a plurality of intermediate panels.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the third and fourth panels are positioned above a plurality of intermediate panels.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate panels form an outer encapsulating case portion that surrounds an inner encapsulating case portion formed by the third and fourth panels.

Other objects, configurations and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments of the invention below.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the collapsible container in its smallest and most compact stage. FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing the collapsible container in a first unfolding stage of the box. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a fully flat collapsible container. FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing a collapsible container beginning to approach the box stage. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a collapsible container that is an open-top box. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a magnetically assembled container configured in a folding box with a top opening closed but not completely sealed. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a magnetically assembled container configured in a fully enclosed folding box. 1 illustrates a functional layout of an electronic circuit board including a germicidal UV element according to one embodiment of the present invention. 13 is another embodiment showing a collapsible and collapsible container with two interlock switches and a removable cover. 13 is another embodiment showing a collapsible and collapsible container with two interlock switches and a removable cover. 13 is another embodiment showing a collapsible and collapsible container with two interlock switches and a removable cover.

In the following description, the depiction of a collapsible and collapsible container is a preferred example. Modifications, including additions and/or substitutions, may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Certain details may be omitted to avoid obscuring the present invention. However, the disclosure is written to enable one skilled in the art to practice the teachings herein without undue experimentation.

The present invention solves the radiation leakage problem of imperfectly formed containers. On the one hand, the present invention uses an electronic circuit board with one or more actuating elements, such as UV LEDs, which cooperate with at least three interlock switch elements, which allow activation of the actuating elements only when the formed container is correctly closed.

The foldable and collapsible container employs an innovative folding process and can be assembled into a box or unfolded flat into a planar shape and is ready for storage. The foldable container offers advantages over non-foldable containers, at least in that the foldable container can be folded from a flat configuration into a three-dimensional configuration.

Next, a foldable and collapsible container according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to attached Figures 1 to 8 as appropriate.

Returning to FIG. 1, the container comprises a first movable panel 1 and a second movable panel 2. Preferably, as can be seen in FIG. 5, the movable panels 1 and 2 are assembled as a covering portion of an enclosed case assembled with foldable panels 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, a third movable panel 3 and a fourth movable panel 4 are shown. The third movable panel 3 and the fourth movable panel 4 are assembled as the enclosed case portion best seen in FIG. 4. Each one of the foldable panels 3 and 4 includes an area approximating a rectangle and a triangle, where the rectangular area forms the end of the enclosed case and the triangular area is assembled together to form the side of the enclosed case (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 3, the foldable container is opened from the first folded configuration of FIG. 1 to an open configuration that approximates flat. The foldable container has two main folding sub-assembly elements. The first sub-assembly element includes movable panels 1 and 2 that are interconnected by a plurality of intermediate panels 13, 14, and 15. A third movable panel 3 and a fourth movable panel 4 are positioned on the plurality of intermediate panels 13, 14, and 15, each one of the panels 3 and 4 includes two triangular areas interconnected by a rectangular area. A user opens the movable panels 3 and 4 and assembles them to form the inner enclosed case portion best seen in FIG. 4. In the assembled container configuration of FIG. 5, the foldable areas 13, 14, and 15 surround the inner enclosed case portion assembled with the third movable panel 3 and the fourth movable panel 4.

The first movable panel 1 includes a first sensing element 5A, and the second movable panel 2 includes interlock switch elements 6A, 6B, and 6C. As used herein, the term "interlock" or "interlock switch" broadly refers to any mechanical, electro-mechanical, magnetic, or electromagnetic element that cooperates with other elements to prevent or allow operation of the actuation element of the present invention (e.g., a sterilization element such as a UV LED). In some situations, the interlock device cooperates with a sensor, and in other embodiments, the interlock device may be any commercially available two-part interlock device. When the two parts are separated, the switch is in an open state, and when the two parts are in contact, the switch is in an off state, allowing operation of the actuation element. The third movable panel 3 includes a second sensing element 5B. The third movable panel 3 includes a second sensing element 5B, and the fourth movable panel 4 includes a third sensing element 5C.

In one embodiment, the second movable panel 2 includes an electronic circuit board 100 and is located as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 8, the circuit board 100 includes one or more driving elements, e.g., UV LEDs, that cooperate with the interlock switch elements 6A, 6B, and 6C. The interlock switch elements 6A, 6B, and 6C are connected by wire or wireless to cooperate with the electronic circuit board 100 and control the one or more driving elements. To form a fully assembled container, the second sensing element 5B of the third movable panel 3 interacts with the second interlock switch element 6B of the at least three interlock switch elements, and the third sensing element 5C of the fourth movable panel 4 interacts with the third interlock switch element 6C of the at least three interlock switch elements.

In such a case, if the first sensing element 5A of the first movable panel 1 does not interact with the first interlock switch element 6A of the at least three interlock switch elements, the electronic circuit board 100 will remain in the OFF state.

In such a case, when a first sensing element 5A of a first movable panel 1 interacts with a first interlock switch element 6A of the at least three interlock switch elements, one or more of said actuating elements are actuated.

Referring to FIG. 1, when the foldable container is folded, the sensing elements 5A, 5B, and 5C do not interact with the interlock switch elements 6A, 6B, and 6C connected to the electronic circuit board integrated in the second movable panel 2. Therefore, the electronic circuit board 100 cannot be joined and remains in the OFF state. The foldable container is portable and occupies little space.

Referring to FIG. 2, when panels 1, 2, 3, and 4 are deployed, sensing elements 5A, 5B, and 5C do not interact with interlock switch elements 6A, 6B, and 6C connected to electronic circuit board 100 integrated into second movable panel 2. Therefore, electronic circuit board 100 cannot be joined and remains in the OFF state.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the container is formed three-dimensionally but incompletely sealed. When the container is assembled, the third movable panel 3 and the fourth movable panel 4 are pulled outward to form an internal encapsulating case portion (see Figure 4), and the first movable panel 1 and the second movable panel 2 become the top cover of the container (see Figure 5). In this case, the sensing elements 5A, 5B, and 5C do not interact with the interlock switch elements 6A, 6B, and 6C. Therefore, the electronic circuit board 100 cannot be joined and remains in the off state.

Referring to FIG. 6, the container is manufactured but incomplete. The first movable panel 1 and the second movable panel 2 are the top lid of the container, and the first movable panel 1 is positioned on the second movable panel 2. In this case, the second sensing element 5B interacts with the interlock switch element 6B connected to the electronic circuit board 100 integrated in the second movable panel 2, and the third sensing element 5C interacts with the interlock switch element 6C connected to the electronic circuit board 100 integrated in the second movable panel 2. However, at this time, the first sensing element 5A does not interact with the interlock switch element 6A connected to the electronic circuit board 100 integrated in the second movable panel 2. This is because not all the sensors are connected, and the electronic circuit board 100 cannot be connected and remains in the off state.

FIG. 7 shows a fully assembled container. In a fully formed state, the second sensing element 5B interacts with the interlock switch element 6B, the third sensing element 5C interacts with the interlock switch element 6C, and the first sensing element 5A interacts with the interlock switch element 6A. The collapsible container is precisely formed to provide a fully enclosed container, so that all the sensing elements are bonded and the electronic circuit boards are bonded and conductive. Simply by correctly assembling and sealing the container, the actuation element or elements are actuated.

According to one embodiment, the one or more actuated elements include, but are not limited to, a sterilization element, such as a UV LED, a heating element, a jetting element, or a laser element. In applications other than sterilization, the actuated element may be a heating element, an optical element, a liquid applicator, or any other actuated element that operates in a closed vessel environment.

According to one embodiment, the at least three interlock switch elements may be reed switches, magnetically activated switches, optical sensor activated switches, mechanically activated switches, or temperature activated switches.

According to one embodiment, the sensing element is a closed magnetic body positioned on the panel, and when the container is fully formed, the magnetic body is attracted to a corresponding magnetic body on a neighboring panel. These magnetic bodies may cooperate with a switch, for example a reed switch that responds to a magnetic field. A reed switch is one type of interlock switch element used in this example, however, other mechanical, electromechanical, or magnetic switches for preventing activation of the actuation element may also be used as interlock devices. In this example, the switch includes a sensing characteristic because it responds to the magnetic field generated by the closed magnetic body. In this manner, the field generated by the closed magnetic body activates a reed switch, which in turn activates an actuation element, such as a UV sterilization element, thus allowing sterilization of items placed in the container by a UV lamp. These switches wirelessly transmit a signal to a receiver on the actuation element circuit board to allow the actuation element to conduct.

As shown in FIG. 8, the functions between the interlock switch element to drive one or more actuation elements are interoperable. The interlock switch element cooperates with an electronic circuit board having one or more actuation elements positioned thereon or connected thereto, for example, a UV LED. Other than a UV LED, the actuation element may be a heating element, a jetting element, a laser element, or other sterilizing element or other non-sterile actuation element.

According to one embodiment, the interlock switch element may include, but is not limited to, a reed switch, a magnetically activated switch, an optical sensor activated switch, a mechanically activated switch, or a temperature activated switch.

According to one embodiment, the one or more sensing elements may be positioned on the electronic circuit board or elsewhere on the container. In one example, the sensing element is a magnetic sensor within the switch itself that cooperates with an interlock switch to activate an actuation element, such as a UV LED. Other sensing elements, such as mechanical, electromechanical, optical, or magnetic sensors, may be used to determine when the container is fully assembled. It is important to note that an interlock or other switch may prevent a user from activating an actuation element, such that activation of one or more of the actuation elements may be inhibited unless the collapsible container is fully and correctly assembled.

The electronic circuit board also includes power elements such as a rechargeable battery and a connector such as a USB port or Type-C port for receiving external power.

Although the above has been described with reference to UV sterilization, it should be noted that the collapsible container of the present invention may be used in other applications and includes an interlock to prevent activation of the functional element if the container is assembled incorrectly. For example, a heating element, injection element, laser element, or other actuation element may replace the sterilization element, making the container a self-contained portable heating device, application device (e.g., to apply a disinfectant), or other portable functional device. In the case of a heat-related element, the sides of the collapsible container may be made of a thermally insulating material. In the case of an injection element, the sides of the collapsible container are made of a waterproof material.

In one embodiment, the sides of the collapsible container may be made of insulating materials, including, but not limited to, fiberglass, silicone, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), carbon fiber, aluminum, and stainless steel.

In other embodiments, the sides of the collapsible container may be made of waterproof materials, including, but not limited to, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fiberglass, silicone, polyurethane (PU), aluminum, stainless steel, and polycarbonate.

The foldable and collapsible container of the present invention has a dual safety mechanism of "light induction" and "magnetic induction". After completely sealing the top lid to ensure there is no light leakage, sterilization is carried out to ensure there is no UV leakage during operation.

Figures 9-11 show another embodiment of the present invention. Two interlock switches are employed, each having two parts. In this embodiment, a removable lid/closure element is provided. Although the collapsible container has a specific folding arrangement, it should be noted that many other collapsible containers may be used to form a sterilizer fixture according to this embodiment of the present invention. That is, in this embodiment, any collapsible arrangement that can be folded into a basically flat arrangement can be the container part of the sterilization fixture.

In the example of FIG. 9, the box element includes folding panels 3 and 4 that form a "pop-up" box arrangement. In this embodiment, the interlock includes two parts, one part on the box and one part on the closing lid. As shown in FIG. 9, there are one interlock-containing part 10A and 10B and one interlock-containing part 11A and 11B. As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, each one of parts 10A and 10B and 11A and 11B is combined by simply assembling the container completely and positioning the closing lid correctly. In this manner, the interlock is combined to activate the sterilization element positioned at any position under the closing lid (not shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 11) by simply assembling the container and closing it, ensuring the safety of the user. However, each one of the corresponding two parts of the interlock is located at a position other than the closing lid element on the various folding panels. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the driving element of FIG. 8 may be used, for example, to position at least one sterilization element, such as a UV LED, at any position on the closing lid element or the base of the box portion.

The foregoing description of the invention is provided to provide further explanation and illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The embodiments selected and illustrated are intended to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby facilitating others skilled in the art to understand each embodiment of the invention and various modifications that may be made to suit the particular applications anticipated.

<Definition>
Throughout this specification, unless otherwise specified herein, variations of the term "comprise" such as "comprises" or "comprising" are understood to indicate the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. It should be noted that in this disclosure, and particularly in the claims and/or paragraphs, terms such as "comprises" have the meaning given to them in U.S. patent law. For example, U.S. patent law allows for the indefinite recitation of elements, but excludes elements that are already present in the prior art or that the prior art affects the basis or novelty of the invention.

Throughout this specification and the claims, unless otherwise specified in this specification, variations of the word "comprise" such as "comprises" or "comprising" should be understood to indicate the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

As used herein, the terms "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like refer to a depicted embodiment that includes a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment need not include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases need not refer to the same embodiment. It should be understood that when embodiments are combined to depict a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to combine other embodiments to affect that feature, structure, or characteristic, even if not explicitly depicted.

Other definitions of terms selectively used herein are within and apply throughout the specific embodiment of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, all other technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs .

Claims (18)

a first movable panel including a first sensing element;
a second movable panel including an electronic circuit board having at least three interlock switch elements and one or more actuating elements cooperating therewith, the at least three interlock switch elements being disposed on the electronic circuit board, and the at least three interlock switch elements controlling the one or more actuating elements;
a third movable panel including a second sensing element;
a fourth movable panel including a third sensing element;
When assembling the container, the third movable panel and the fourth movable panel form an inner encapsulating case portion, the first movable panel and the second movable panel are disposed as a top cover of the container, and the first movable panel is positioned on the second movable panel;
the second sensing element of the third movable panel interacts with a second interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements, and the third sensing element of the fourth movable panel interacts with a third interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements;
If the first sensing element of the first movable panel does not interact with a first interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements, the electronic circuit board remains in an off state;
A foldable and collapsible container, characterized in that when the first sensing element of the first movable panel interacts with a first interlock switch element of the at least three interlock switch elements, one or more of the actuation elements are actuated. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, wherein one or more of the actuation elements comprises a sterilization element, a heating element, an ejection element, or a laser element. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 2, characterized in that the sterilization element includes at least three UV LEDs. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, wherein the at least three interlock switch elements include a reed switch, a magnetically activated switch, an optical sensor activated switch, a mechanically activated switch, or a temperature activated switch. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, characterized in that the electronic circuit board further comprises a power element and a connector, and the power element includes a rechargeable battery. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 5, characterized in that the connector includes a USB port or a Type-C port. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, characterized in that all panels are made of insulating or waterproof material. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, characterized in that the insulating material includes one or more of glass fiber, silicone resin, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), carbon fiber, aluminum, and stainless steel. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, characterized in that the waterproof material includes one or more of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), glass fiber, silicone resin, polyurethane (PU), aluminum, stainless steel, and polycarbonate. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, characterized in that the sensing element is a magnetic material, and when the container is fully formed, the magnetic material is attracted to a corresponding magnetic material on an adjacent panel. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, characterized in that the electronic circuit board further comprises one or more sensors that inhibit activation of one or more of the actuation elements unless the foldable container is fully and correctly unfolded. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 1, wherein the first and second panels are connected by a plurality of intermediate panels. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 12, wherein the third and fourth panels are positioned above the plurality of intermediate panels. The foldable and collapsible container of claim 13, characterized in that the intermediate panels form an outer encapsulating case portion, the outer encapsulating case portion surrounding the inner encapsulating case portion formed by the third and fourth panels. an electronic circuit board including one or more sterilizer elements in cooperation with at least two interlock switches positioned thereon, said at least two interlock switch elements controlling said one or more sterilizer elements;
a foldable and collapsible container having a plurality of folding and/or removable panels, the electronic circuit board being attached to one of the folding panels or one of the removable panels;
At least a portion of each one of the at least two interlock switches is positioned on a different folding panel, and when the container is in a folded state, the interlock switch is open , and when the container is in an assembled state, the interlock switch is closed ;
if at least one of the at least two interlocks is in an open state, the sterilizer element is inoperable;
A collapsible and collapsible sterilization container, characterized in that when all of said interlock switches are in a closed state, said container is fully assembled and said sterilizer elements are operational. The foldable and collapsible sterilization container of claim 15, characterized in that the sterilizer element is a light emitting element. The foldable and collapsible sterilization container according to claim 16, characterized in that the light-emitting element is a light-emitting diode. The foldable and collapsible sterilization container according to claim 17, characterized in that the light-emitting diode is an ultraviolet light-emitting diode.