WO2005042363A1

WO2005042363A1 - Versatile and foldable box

Info

Publication number: WO2005042363A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/002337
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dong-Bin Seo
Original assignee: Invitroplant Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2003-11-04
Filing date: 2003-11-04
Publication date: 2005-05-12
Also published as: AU2003277692A1

Abstract

The present invention discloses a versatile and foldable box which can be easily made and maintained, of which manufacturing cost is low, and which can be used for various purposes. The versatile and foldable box according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a bottom wall, side walls, and flanges. The bottom wall has a polygonal shape, which is placed in the center of the polygonal plate. The side walls are bent at each edge of the bottom wall, and then extend from the bottom wall. The versatile and foldable box constructed as described above keep its shape since the flanges are fixed onto the side walls by means of clips. In order to use the versatile and foldable box for a flowerpot, a plurality of drain holes may be made on the low part of the box.

Description

VERSATILE AND FOLDABLE BOX

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a container, more particularly to a versatile and foldable box which can be easily made and maintained, and which can be used for various purposes.

BACKGROUND In general, freely foldable containers, which form a desired shape, are already known. Such containers can be used as food containers, receptacles for articles such as office appliances, or flowerpots, etc. For example, U.S. Patent No. 6,237,845 (issued to Masaru Hashimoto et al. on May 29, 2001) discloses a paper container and a method for manufacturing the same. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper container according to the patent issued to Masaru Hashimoto et al., FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the paper container shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the paper container shown in FIG. 1, which shows a partially folded blank. Referring to FIG. 1, the paper container comprises a bottom face of the paper container (1), peripheral walls (2) raised up from a peripheral edge of the bottom face (1), and an upper face (3) (which serves as the mouth of the container) opened at an upper portion of the peripheral walls (2), wherein the bottom face (1) is formed, for example, in a regular twelve-angle shape, and an upper face opening edge 3A is subjected to outward curling. The faces of peripheral walls (2) comprise a plurality of pleats (4) and a plurality of division faces (5) formed alternately about the bottom face (1). Referring to FIG. 2, a blank B has a regular twelve-angle shape, which is congruent to the bottom face (1) (the annular ruled line (6)), and symmetry axial lines (9) for making the pleats by double-folding a gusset portion 8 between the respective corners of the blank B, and the respective corners of an annular ruled line 6 are formed in the blank B. Referring to FIG. 3, respective branch-like ruled lines (7) are folded upwardly and the symmetry axial lines (9) are folded downwardly so that the respective gusset portions (8) are double folded. The annular ruled line (6) is folded upwardly so that side edges 5A, formed by the branch-like ruled lines (7) of the respective division faces (5), are gathered. At this time, the respective pleats (4) formed by the double-folded gusset portions (8) are folded upon the inner faces of the respective division faces (5). Then, an upper face opening edge 3A of cylindrical body is folded back outwardly by curling, and then the paper container as shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained. However, previously mentioned paper container according to the patent issued to Masaru Hashimoto et al. has problems in that it is inconvenient to maintain it when not using it, and in that it is not possible to reuse the container. That is because it is not possible to reshape the paper container to the original shape since the shape of container is formed by curling the opening edge. Besides, when using the paper container as a flowerpot, the paper container has a problem in that it cannot offer an advantageous environment for growing plants, because it does not have any drain holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is contrived to solve the foregoing problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable box which can be easily made and maintained, for which its manufacturing cost is low, and which can be used for various purposes such as food containers, receptacles for articles or flowerpots, etc. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, one embodiment of the present invention provides a versatile and foldable box comprising a polygonal shaped bottom wall, which is placed in the center of the plate having the predetermined shape; sidewalls which are bent at respective edges of the bottom wall, and then extended vertically upward from the bottom wall; and a plurality of flanges formed by contacting one sidewall to its adjacent sidewall partially, and which are fixed and attached onto the opposing sidewalls of all sidewalls. The plate is made of freely foldable material like paper or plate made of synthetic resin material and so on. The plurality of flanges can be fixed onto the sidewalls by means of clips. The clips comprise a rectangular plate shaped supporting part having a hole on its center portion, and hook shaped finger part having predetermined width, which is extended from one side of the supporting part to another side of the supporting part. The corners, where the bottom wall and the sidewalls contact each other, are partially folded and put inwardly, and then a plurality of drain holes are formed on the corners. In the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment constructed as described above, the bottom wall, sidewalls and flanges are formed by folding the plate, so that the ruled lines are formed therein, and then the flanges are fixed to sidewalls by using clips, glue, pinchers or an adhesive tape, etc. With the receiving space formed in this way, the box can receive the writing implement or office appliances, and with the drain holes formed by being folded and put inwardly, the box may provide an appropriate environment for growing plants therein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES The above-mentioned objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper container according to the conventional art. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the paper container according to the conventional art shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the paper container according to the conventional art shown in FIG. 1, which shows the container in which the blank is partially folded. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a spread drain holes of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 show the process of making the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a clip for fixing the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the clip for fixing the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the clip holding the sidewalls and flanges of the box for keeping the shape of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which the drain holes formed on corners between the bottom wall and respective sidewalls are shown. FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the drain hole formed in the box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the versatile and foldable box according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a polygonal shaped bottom wall (110), which is placed in the center of the plate (100) having the predetermined shape; sidewalls (120) which are bent at respective edges of the bottom wall (110), and then extended vertically upward from the bottom wall; and a plurality of flanges (130) formed by contacting one sidewall (120) to its adjacent sidewall (120) partially, and which are fixedly attached onto the opposing sidewalls (120) of all sidewalls (120). The flanges can be fixed to the sidewalls by means of clips, glue, pinchers or an adhesive tape, etc. The versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention constructed like the above can change its shape so as to be used as a flowerpot. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a spread drain holes of the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is made of a plate (100) having a plurality of ruled lines and perforated lines. The plate (100) has a polygonal shape, and its respective vertexes are rounded like the shape of the circular arc. The plate (100) according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has a polygonal shape, but the shape of the plate (100) is not limited. The plate (100) is made of freely foldable plate shaped material like paper and sheet material made from synthetic resin and so on, including Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC),

Polypropylene (PP), and Poly ethylene (PE), and on the surface of the plate (100), advertisement phrases for stating the name of the manufacturer and ornamental designs for enhancing the aesthetic value can be printed. The ruled lines (140) are configured to the plate (100) for dividing the bottom wall (110) and sidewalls (120). Respective ruled lines (140) are arranged in parallel with the plate (100) spaced at predetermined gap in order to form the polygonal bottom wall (110) and a plurality of sidewalls (120) from the polygonal shape of the bottom wall (110). According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the four ruled lines (140) are configured, and such ruled lines (140) are arranged to meet one another perpendicularly, the bottom wall (110) is formed on the center of the plate (100) and the four sidewalls are formed by bending the edges of the plate (100) vertically upward around the four ruled lines (140). Four flanges (130) overlapping one another are formed by bending the sidewalls

(120) vertically upward so as one sidewall (120) contacts its adjacent sidewalls (120) formed as above-mentioned. The flanges (130) have the ruled lines (150) dividing the center of the flanges (130), which are extended radially from respective vertexes. The shape and color of the flanges (130) can be changed. The drain holes (160a) are provided on four corners, where the bottom wall (110) and the sidewalls (120) join, and these drain holes (160a) are formed by arranging two ruled lines (170) and two perforated lines (180) between the edges. In the bottom wall (110), at least one drain holes (160b) are provided by perforated lines (180), and the drain holes can be separated from the bottom wall (110). Referring to FIG. 6, the two ruled lines (170) are configured to make a predetermined spacing so as to parallel the corners in which the bottom wall (110) and the sidewalls (120) are connected, and the perforated lines (180) are configured in the shape of connecting the end points of the two ruled lines (170). Referring to FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the drawings show the process of making the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing method of the versatile and foldable box according to the present invention is described as follows. Referring to FIG. 7, first, the sidewall (120) is folded vertically upward on the basis of one ruled line (140a) forming the edges of the bottom wall (110). Afterwards, also another sidewall (140b) is folded vertically upward on the basis of the other ruled line (140b), which is vertically connected with the ruled line (140a). In this way, by folding the sidewalls (120) vertically upward on the basis of the two ruled lines (140a) and (140b), the flanges (130), on which the faces of the plate being folded vertically upward are overlapping each other, are formed. The flanges (130) overlap in half, by folding the flanges (130) inward on the basis of the ruled lines (150) dividing the flanges (130). Referring to FIG. 8, two sidewalls (120) forming the edges of the bottom wall (110), which were not folded previously, are folded vertically upward on the basis of the ruled lines (140c) and (140d), respectively. Then, the flanges (130) are formed on every part connecting the sidewalls (120) which are folded vertically upward from the edges of the bottom wall (110). The flanges (130) have an overlapping area formed by folding inwardly every flange (130) again on the basis of the ruled lines (150) dividing the flanges (130). Referring to FIG. 9, the four flanges (130) formed on every part on which the sidewalls (120) are overlapping are entirely folded in half. The flanges (130) folded in half are folded outward so that two flanges (130) turn toward the one sidewall (120). As shown in FIG. 10, the flanges (130) folded toward one sidewall (120) are made not to spread by fixing the flanges (130) onto the sidewall (120) by means of the clips (190), and thereby the box can keep its shape. Fixing the flanges (130) is possible by various means like pinchers, glue or an adhesive tape, besides clips (190). The box having predetermined space inside thereof, and enabling to keep articles in the predetermined space, is formed by going through such process. FIG. 11 to FIG. 13 show the clip (190) according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to the FIG. 11 to FIG. 13, the clip (190) comprises a rectangular plate shaped supporting part (191) having a square hole on its center portion, and a hook shaped finger part (192) having predetermined width, which is extended from one side of the supporting part (191) to another side of the supporting part (191). The clip (190) is made of material having the sufficient strength so that it can support the plate (100) in front and rear, when the folded plate (100) is overlapped and held between the supporting part (191) and finger part (192), and there is no limitation to the shape and color of the clip (190). The clip (190) according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is made of synthetic resin. FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 show the drain holes (160a, 160b) according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the process forming the drain holes (160a, 160b) in order to use the box as a flowerpot is illustrated. The ruled lines (170a) and (170b) and perforated lines (180) are configured between respective corners of the bottom wall (110) by turning over the foldable box, which is walled up with the bottom wall (110) and sidewalls (120) like FIG. 14. All the sidewalls (120) are pushed inside on the basis of the ruled lines (170a) of the bottom wall (110) and the ruled lines (170b) of the sidewalls (120). Then, on the basis of the ruled lines (140) of the comers connecting the bottom wall (110) with the sidewalls (120), small steps are formed toward the inside of the box while the sidewalls (120) are folded vertically. In the both ends of the small steps formed as mentioned above, two drain holes (160a) are formed as shown in FIG 15. One or more drain holes (160b) formed along the perforated lines (180) in the bottom wall (110) can be separated from the bottom wall (110). One can prepare four drain holes

(160a) following the edges between bottom wall (110) and sidewalls (120) and/or prepare one or more drain holes (160b) in the bottom wall (110), according to the characteristics of the plants to be grown in the box. As stated above, after all the desired drain holes (160a, 160b) are formed along the edges and in the lower part of the bottom wall (110), the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided by turning down the bottom side. Thus, the versatile and foldable box of the present invention can keep articles and food, etc., in the state (FIG. 4) in which the drain holes (160a, 160b) are not made in the lower part of the box. And, with the drain holes (160a, 160b), it can be used as a flowerpot.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The versatile and foldable box according to the present invention designed as aforementioned can be easily manufactured, since the box is made by folding the predetermined shaped plate wherein ruled lines and perforated lines are configured. In addition, it is convenient, since it can be maintained by developing the box into the shape of the plate repeatedly when not using it. Further, the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that the manufacturing cost is low, because the box is made of low-priced material such as paper or synthetic resin. Further, the versatile and foldable box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has advantage in that the box can store food and office appliances for convenience and that it can be used as a flowerpot since the drain holes are provided in the lower part of the box. While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be effected therein without departing from - li ¬

the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A versatile and foldable box, comprising: a bottom wall placed in the center of the predetermined shaped plate; sidewalls bent at respective edges of the bottom wall, and then extended vertically upward from the bottom wall; and a plurality of flanges, which are formed by contacting one sidewall to its adjacent sidewalls partially, and which are fixed and attached onto the opposing sidewalls.

2. The versatile and foldable box of claim 1, wherein the plate is folded freely, and is made of paper or sheet material selected from a group of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE).

3. The versatile and foldable box of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flanges are fixed onto the sidewalls by means of clips.

4. The versatile and foldable box of claim 3, wherein the clip comprises: a rectangular plate shaped supporting part having a square hole on their center portion; and a hook shaped finger part having predetermined width, which is extended from one side of the supporting part to another side of the supporting part.

5. The versatile and foldable box of claim 1, wherein a plurality of drain holes are formed by folding the parts of the edges between the bottom wall and the sidewalls.

6. The versatile and foldable box of claim 1 , wherein one or more drain holes are provided in the bottom wall in order to use the box as a flowerpot.