Box-shaped housing, kit for manufacturing such box-shaped housing and use thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a box-shaped shell (1) for shipping and / or storing goods, such as a transport box, which is cost-effective to produce and easy to assemble, while having considerable strength. The box-shaped shell comprises a tray-shaped bottom member (2) and two wall members (7, 8), each wall member having three interconnected shell walls (9, 10a-b, 13, 14a-b). The wall members can be folded into a position upright in the bottom member and can be folded into a substantially flat state to lie flat on the bottom member for converting the box-shaped shell between an assembled state and a collapsed state. Each wall member comprises a corner element (15), which is configured to hold the shell wall in place by an elastic function. The invention also relates to a kit for manufacturing such a box-shaped shell and the use of such a box-shaped shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a box-shaped housing.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to such box-shaped housings intended for use in the field of commercial logistics, such as boxes, pallet collars or similar structures for storing goods in warehouses, for transporting parts from subcontractors to manufacturers or for transporting final products from manufacturers to stores. Background Art

[0003] Conventional box-shaped shells of this type are, for example, conventional transport boxes made of corrugated board, which comprise four side walls, a bottom and a lid. Important features of such box-shaped shells are, for example, low production costs, low weight and good wear resistance, recyclability and stacking capability.

[0004] Common corrugated boxes of this type are cheap to produce, lightweight, and easily recyclable. However, these common corrugated boxes are not suitable for holding heavy loads or stacking on top of each other. These common corrugated boxes also have poor wear resistance, which makes them risky when transporting expensive and fragile goods. Therefore, heavy, fragile, or expensive goods are usually transported in wooden or plastic boxes. However, these wooden or plastic boxes are much more expensive to produce and weigh a lot, making them difficult to handle and resulting in higher fuel costs during transportation.

[0005] A solution for increasing the wear resistance and stacking capacity of conventional corrugated boxes is proposed in document US 3,368,736, which discloses a box-shaped shell of the type defined in the known introduction. This solution consists in simply providing, at each corner of the corrugated box, reinforcing corner elements which are attached to the outside of the box ( Figure 5 ) or inside ( Figure 3 ) are fixed to the side walls of the box. Disadvantages of this box are, for example, that once assembled, it is difficult to restore it to the collapsed state without damaging it, and that the assembly time of the box is relatively long.

[0006] Due to the ever-increasing demands on the transport of goods and the fact that logistics is becoming an increasingly important part of the product value chain, efforts are constantly being made to improve box-shaped housings of this type, for example with regard to the features mentioned above. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a box-shaped housing of the type defined in the introduction which is improved at least in some respects with respect to such box-shaped housings as are known, for example, from said document.

[0008] According to the present invention, this object is achieved by providing a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped housing for transporting and / or storing goods.

[0009] The simple structure of the box-shaped housing makes it easy and cost-effective to produce, and the drive function of the corner elements on the lateral housing walls of the wall members makes the box-shaped housing easy to assemble in a short time without the need for any tools, fastening devices, etc. At the same time, due to its simple structure, this design provides an unexpectedly strong box-shaped housing.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the angle between the plate-like parts of each corner element formed in the first wall member and the second wall member is approximately 90° or 90° in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell, and is greater than 90°, preferably greater than 100°, more preferably greater than 120°, and even more preferably greater than 150° in the static state of the flexible part of the corner element.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the corner element of the first wall member and the second wall member comprises: one plate-shaped member of the plate-shaped members of the corner element, namely, the first plate-shaped member; and another plate-shaped member, namely, the second plate-shaped member, the first plate-shaped member being respectively fixed on the rear shell wall, the first lateral shell wall and the second lateral shell wall of the first wall member and the front shell wall, the first lateral shell wall and the second lateral shell wall of the second wall member; in the static state of the flexible part of the corner element, the second plate-shaped member is preferably approximately parallel to or parallel to the first plate-shaped member and freely protrudes from the first plate-shaped member, and each second plate-shaped member is configured to be moved by the lateral shell wall or the front shell wall or the rear shell wall adjacent to the second plate-shaped member, while storing potential energy in the flexible part connected to the second plate-shaped member, so as to obtain an assembled state of the box-shaped shell, in which the corresponding second plate-shaped member extends approximately perpendicularly to or perpendicularly to the first plate-shaped member connected to the second plate-shaped member. This structure provides foldability of the wall member, making it easy to fold the wall member between the assembled state and the collapsed state without applying tension in the corner elements in the collapsed state that could damage the wall member. Therefore, the innovative foldability of the wall member means that the box-shaped shell is easy to assemble and disassemble, while being beneficial to the life of the box-shaped shell.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first plate-shaped parts of the corner elements of the first wall member and the second wall member are fixed to the rear shell wall and the front shell wall respectively. This structure provides the foldability of the wall member, so that the wall member can be advantageously folded, so that the box-shaped shell can be folded to a collapsed state.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lateral housing walls of each of the first wall member and the second wall member are configured to pivotally move away from each other and fold toward the outer surfaces of the rear housing wall and the front housing wall, respectively, and to extend close to and overlap each other in planes extending substantially parallel, the planes forming an angle of less than 10° with the outer surfaces, for example, in the collapsed state of the box-shaped housing. This foldability of the wall members means that a very thin box-shaped housing can be made in the collapsed state to be cost-effective for transportation.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the invention, the first lateral housing wall of the first wall member and the second wall member and the second lateral housing wall of the first wall member and the second wall member are respectively configured to overlap each other over at least 50% of the longitudinal extension of each lateral housing wall in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing. This structure forms a strong box-shaped housing in a simple way. Therefore, a strong and cost-effective box-shaped housing is provided.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the box-shaped housing further comprises:

[0016] - A top member, the top member having a rectangular top surface and further provided with a frame structure, the frame structure surrounding the top surface on each side of the top surface by vertical front frame wall, rear frame wall, first lateral frame wall and second lateral frame wall at the front edge, rear edge, first lateral edge and second lateral edge of the top member respectively, to provide the top member with a tray-like shape, the top member being configured to close a loading space of a box-shaped shell defined by a loading surface of a bottom member and shell walls of a first wall member and a second wall member through the top surface, wherein the frame wall extends downward along the outer side of the shell wall past the upper edge of the shell wall in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell.

[0017] Such a top element further strengthens the box-shaped housing in the assembled state and also serves to protect goods transported or stored in the box-shaped housing.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first lateral housing wall of the first wall member is provided with a locking device, which is configured to engage with the associated locking device on the first lateral housing wall of the second wall member to fixedly interlock these first lateral housing walls in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing, and the second lateral housing wall of the first wall member is provided with the following locking device, which is configured to engage with the associated locking device on the second lateral housing wall of the second wall member to fixedly interlock these second lateral housing walls in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing. This interlocking of these lateral housing walls increases the strength and stability of the box-shaped housing in the assembled state.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the locking device of the first lateral shell wall and the second lateral shell wall includes a pre-cut tab arranged on each lateral shell wall in an upper area of ​​each lateral shell wall, the pre-cut tab being located at such a position that in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell, at least one tab on the first lateral shell wall of the first wall member is aligned with at least one tab on the first lateral shell wall of the second wall member, and at least one tab on the second lateral shell wall of the first wall member is aligned with at least one tab on the second lateral shell wall of the second wall member, and the at least one tab on the first lateral shell wall of the first wall member is configured to be folded into the loading space of the box-shaped shell together with the associated tab on the first lateral shell wall of the second wall member so as to lock the lateral shell wall into the loading space of the box-shaped shell. At least one tab is folded away from the lateral housing wall to engage at least one tab on the first lateral housing wall of the first wall member with an opening formed in the first lateral housing wall of the second wall member, thereby fixedly interlocking the first lateral housing walls in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing, and at least one tab on the second lateral housing wall of the second wall member is configured to be folded into the loading space of the box-shaped housing together with the associated tab on the second lateral housing wall of the first wall member to engage at least one tab on the second lateral housing wall of the second wall member with an opening formed in the second lateral housing wall of the first wall member by folding at least one tab on the lateral housing wall away from the lateral housing wall, thereby fixedly interlocking the second lateral housing walls in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing. In this way, a locking mechanism that is cost-effective to produce and easy to operate is provided.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the invention, the bottom member has a base surface corresponding to the upper loading surface of the pallet, the base surface having standard dimensions defined by EUR, ISO or GMA.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the box-shaped housing is made of only one or more biodegradable materials. The box-shaped housing according to the present invention can be made without any metal fastening devices, such as nails or stapler needles, plastic parts or harsh chemicals due to its structure, making the box-shaped housing very environmentally friendly because the box-shaped housing can be recycled as paper and eliminates the risk of personal injury caused by unhealthy substances.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rigid plate-like component of each corner element is made of straw board material. This material is very suitable for forming a rigid plate-like component due to its strength, durability and moisture resistance. In addition, the plate-like component is environmentally friendly and can be recycled as paper, which is a common main material of this type of box-shaped shell.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the housing walls and the bottom member is made of corrugated board.

[0024] According to another embodiment of the invention, the box-shaped housing has a load volume of at least 50 liters, at least 100 liters, at least 250 liters, at least 500 liters, preferably at least 1000 liters.

[0025] The invention also relates to a kit for producing a box-shaped housing according to the invention and to the use of such a box-shaped housing.

[0026] Further advantages as well as advantageous features of the invention will emerge from the following description of embodiments of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] With reference to the accompanying drawings, following is a detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

[0028] In the attached picture:

[0029] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a box-shaped housing according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from above,

[0030] Figure 2 Seen from above Figure 1 A perspective view of the box-shaped housing in a collapsed state without the top member,

[0031] Figure 3 It shows that from Figure 2 Start assembly by showing the collapsed state Figure 1 Figure 1 of the first step of the method of box-shaped housing,

[0032] Figures 4 to 7 is a diagram showing the second step of the assembly method,

[0033] Figure 8 is a diagram showing the third step of the assembly method,

[0034] Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view from above showing Figure 1 The upper corners of the box-shaped housing in the assembled state without the top member, and

[0035] Fig.10 Seen from above Figure 1 A perspective view of the box-shaped housing in the assembled state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In the attached Figures 1 to 10 A box-shaped housing 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and will now be described with reference to all of these drawings simultaneously.

[0037] The box-shaped housing 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped transport box intended for use in the field of commercial logistics, for example for storing goods in warehouses, for transporting components between parties in a production chain, or for transporting products from manufacturers to stores. As expected, this box-shaped housing has a load volume of at least 50 liters, but most often between 1000 and 2000 liters, and is usually used on a pallet. Therefore, the box-shaped housing 1 according to the invention preferably has a base surface corresponding to the upper loading surface of a pallet, which base surface has standard dimensions defined by EUR, ISO or GMA.

[0038] The box-shaped housing 1 comprises a bottom member 2 having a rectangular loading surface 3 configured to form the bottom of the box-shaped housing in its assembled state. The bottom member is also provided with a frame structure which surrounds the loading surface 3 on each side of the loading surface by vertical front frame walls 4, rear frame walls 5 and first and second lateral frame walls 6a, 6b at the front edge, rear edge, first and second lateral edges of the bottom member 2, respectively, so that the bottom member has a tray-like shape. The bottom member is folded from a single sheet of corrugated cardboard.

[0039] The box-shaped housing 1 further comprises two independent wall members, namely a first wall member 7 and a second wall member 8. The first wall member 7 comprises a rear housing wall 9, which is configured to rest on the bottom member 2 (see FIG. 1 ) through the lower end inside the rear frame wall 5 in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1. Figure 8 ) on the loading surface 3 of the bottom member 2 and extends along the rear frame wall. The first wall member 7 also includes a first lateral shell wall 10a and a second lateral shell wall 10b, which are hingedly connected to the first outer end 12a and the second outer end 12b of the rear shell wall 9 at the rear end portions 11a, 11b, respectively. The first lateral shell wall and the second lateral shell wall of the first wall member 7 are configured to be placed on the loading surface 3 of the bottom member 2 by the lower end portions on the inner sides of the first lateral frame wall 6a and the second lateral frame wall 6b, respectively, in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell 1, and extend along the first lateral frame wall and the second lateral frame wall.

[0040] All three housing walls 9, 10a and 10b of the first wall member are made of corrugated board, and the hinge connection between the rear housing wall 9 and the first lateral housing wall 10a and between the rear housing wall and the second lateral housing wall 10b is provided by a portion of a single thin flexible paper such as kraft paper arranged on the outside and / or inside of all these walls to connect them to each other. Thus, the rear ends 11a, 11b of the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b are arranged at the paper at a distance from the first outer end 12a and the second outer end 12b of the rear housing wall 9, respectively, so that the portion of the paper located between these walls acts as a hinge between the ends along its longitudinal (vertical) extension.

[0041] Therefore, the first wall member 7 is configured to stand upright on the tray-shaped bottom member 2 (see FIG. Figure 8 ) wherein angles of approximately 90° or 90° are formed between the rear shell wall 9 and the first lateral shell wall 10a and between the rear shell wall 9 and the second lateral shell wall 10b, respectively, so that each pair of adjacent walls of these walls forms a right-angled inner angle of the assembled box-shaped shell.

[0042] The first lateral housing wall 10a and the second lateral housing wall 10b of the first wall member 7 are configured to be foldable to a position overlapping with the rear housing wall 9 in the collapsed state of the box-shaped housing by pivotally folding the first lateral housing wall and the second lateral housing wall away from each other and toward the outer surface of the rear housing wall 9 (see Figures 4 to 7 ), so as to extend close to and overlap each other in a plane extending substantially parallel to each other, which plane, for example, forms an angle of less than 10° with the outer surface of the rear housing wall in the collapsed state of the box-shaped housing 1 (see Figure 3 ). Thus, the first wall member 7 can be made substantially flat in the retracted state.

[0043] The second wall member 8 has a structure corresponding to that of the first wall member 7 and is arranged in the bottom member 2 in the same manner, but is opposite (i.e., mirrored) to the first wall member in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1. The second wall member 8 includes a front housing wall 13, which is configured to rest on the loading surface 3 of the bottom member 2 on the inner side of the front frame wall 4 through the lower end in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1, and extends along the front frame wall. The second wall member 8 also includes a first lateral housing wall 14a and a second lateral housing wall 14b, which are hingedly connected to the first outer end and the second outer end of the front housing wall 13 at the front end, respectively. The first lateral housing wall and the second lateral housing wall of the second wall member 8 are configured to rest on the loading surface 3 of the bottom member 2 on the inner side of the first lateral frame wall 6a and the second lateral frame wall 6b, respectively, through the lower end in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1, and extend along the first lateral frame wall and the second lateral frame wall.

[0044] Each lateral shell wall of the first wall member 7 and the second wall member 8 has a (horizontal) length which is greater than 50% of the length of the lateral frame walls 6a, 6b of the bottom member 2, for example 80% or 90% of the length of the lateral frame walls, so that in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell, the first lateral shell walls 10a, 14a of the first wall member and the second wall member overlap with each other over more than 50% of the length (i.e. the longitudinal extension) of each first lateral shell wall, and the second lateral shell walls 10b, 14b of the first wall member and the second wall member overlap with each other over more than 50% of the length (i.e. the longitudinal extension) of each second lateral shell wall.

[0045] This means that, in the assembled state, the first lateral housing wall 10a of the first wall member 7 is positioned between the first lateral frame wall 6a and the first lateral housing wall 14a of the second wall member 8, so that the first lateral wall of the assembled box-shaped housing 1 has a double-wall structure along most of its length. The same applies to the second lateral housing walls 10b, 14b, wherein, in the assembled state, the second lateral housing wall 14b of the second wall member 8 is positioned between the second lateral frame wall 6b and the second lateral housing wall 10b of the first wall member 7, so that the second lateral wall of the assembled box-shaped housing 1 has a double-wall structure along most of its length. The lateral housing walls 10a, 10b, 14a and 14b can also be arranged in the opposite manner, that is, the first lateral housing wall 14a of the second wall member 8 is positioned closest to the first lateral frame wall 6a, and the second lateral housing wall 10b of the first wall member 7 is positioned closest to the second lateral frame wall 6b.

[0046] As on the first wall member 7, the housing walls 13, 14a, 14b of the second wall member 8 are made of corrugated board and attached to a single thin flexible paper that acts as a hinge between these housing walls, that is, these housing walls are pivotally foldable relative to each other. Like the first wall member 7, the second wall member 8 stands upright in the tray-shaped bottom member 2 in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1, while forming two right-angled internal corners of the assembled box-shaped housing, and the second wall member 8 can be folded into a substantially flat state in the same way as the first wall member 7.

[0047] For each inner corner of the box-shaped housing 1 in the assembled state, which is defined by two adjacent housing walls 9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b of the same wall member, each of the first wall member 7 and the second wall member 8 further comprises a corner element 15 having two rigid plate-like parts 16a, 16b made of straw board material, which are hingedly interconnected by a flexible part 17. Each plate-like part is configured to be arranged in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1 inside a single one of the two adjacent housing walls 9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b, while extending along the corner from the bottom area to the top area of ​​the wall. Therefore, two corners of the assembled box-shaped shell provided by the first wall member 7 (i.e., the corner provided by the first lateral shell wall 10a and the rear shell wall 9, and the corner provided by the second lateral shell wall 10b and the rear shell wall 9) and two corners of the assembled box-shaped shell provided by the second wall member 8 (i.e., the corner provided by the first lateral shell wall 14a and the front shell wall 13, and the corner provided by the second lateral shell wall 14b and the front shell wall 13) are both provided with corner elements 15.

[0048] The straw board material is mainly made of straw glued together by straw lignin under heat and pressure. The board made of this material has the same corresponding bending strength and moisture resistance as poplar plywood, but can be recycled as paper. Therefore, the straw board material contained in the corner element 15 is excellent for providing a box-shaped shell 1 with sufficient strength and environmental protection.

[0049] The flexible portion 17 of each corner element 15 is formed by a central portion of a sheet of paper to which the plate-like parts 16a, 16b of the respective corner element are attached by adhesive, wherein the opposite longitudinal edges 24a, 24b of the plate-like parts are arranged at a distance from each other so as to define the flexible portion 17 between them. The distance between the opposite edges 24a, 24b of the plate-like parts is selected so that the plate-like parts cannot move towards each other to a position in which the plate-like parts form a right angle with each other without applying tension and / or pressure in the flexible portion 17 (i.e., a portion of the paper) between the plate-like parts. Thus, the corner element 15 is configured to store potential energy in the flexible portion when the corner element is folded from a rest state, in which the angle formed between the plate-like parts 16a, 16b of the corner element is greater than 90°, preferably greater than 100°, to a use state (in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing), and in the use state, by tightening and / or pressing the flexible portion between the opposite edges 24a, 24b of the plate-like parts, the angle is substantially 90° or 90°.

[0050] Thus, each corner element 15 is configured to drive its plate-like parts away from each other (towards a resting state) by the potential energy stored in the flexible portion in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell 1, thereby making the associated lateral shell walls 10a, 10b, 15a and 15b towards the adjacent lateral frame walls 6a, 6b of the bottom member 2. The corner elements 15 are configured in this way to hold the wall members 7, 8 in place in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell 1, which means that the box-shaped shell can be kept in an upright assembled state even without any separate fastening means.

[0051] The flexible portion 17 of each corner element 15 may also be formed of a fairly rigid but bendable paper-based material, a very thin layer of straw board or any other material suitable for providing the portion with an inherent unique elastic function. In this way, or by means of additional components, such as elastic blocks arranged on the paper of the flexible portion 17 between the plate-like components 16a, 16b so as to be compressed by the plate-like components by folding the corner element towards the use state, the corner element 15 can be constructed so that in the rest state of the flexible portion, the angle formed between the plate-like components of the corner element is greater than 120°, greater than 150° or approximately 180°.

[0052] The corner element 15 of the first wall member 7 and the second wall member 8 comprises: a first plate-like component 16a among the plate-like components of the corner element, which is fixed to the rear shell wall 9 and the front shell wall 13 respectively by adhesive; and another plate-like component among the plate-like components of the corner element, i.e., a second plate-like component 16b, which freely protrudes away from the first plate-like component 16a in a specific direction when the flexible part 17 of the corner element 15 is in a static state, and the specific direction depends on the angle between the plate-like components in the static state, for example, when the angle between the plate-like components 16a and 16b in the static state is 180°, the specific direction is approximately parallel to or parallel to the first plate-like component 16a.

[0053] During assembly of the box-shaped housing 1, each second plate-shaped member 16b is configured to be moved by the associated lateral housing wall 10a, 10b, 14a and 14b while storing potential energy in the flexible portion 17 connected thereto, so as to obtain an assembled state of the box-shaped housing in which the corresponding second plate-shaped member 16b extends approximately perpendicularly to or perpendicularly to the first plate-shaped member 16a connected thereto (see Figure 7 and Figure 8 ). However, the first plate-shaped component may also be fixed to the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b, 14a, 14b of the first wall member 7 and the second wall member 8, and the other second plate-shaped component is not fixed to the front housing wall 13 and the rear housing wall 9, but is configured to be detachably adjacent to the front housing wall and the rear housing wall in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1.

[0054] The box-shaped housing 1 also includes a top member 18, which has exactly the same structure as the bottom member 2, but is intended to be inverted relative to the bottom member so as to serve as a lid of the box-shaped housing in the assembled state. The top member 18 has a rectangular top surface 19, and is also provided with a frame structure, which surrounds the top surface on each side of the top surface by vertical front frame walls 20, rear frame walls, first lateral frame walls 21 and second lateral frame walls at the front edge, rear edge, first lateral edge and second lateral edge of the top member, respectively, to provide the top member with a tray-like shape. The top member 18 is configured to enclose a loading space 22 of the box-shaped housing 1 through the top surface 19, the loading space being defined by the loading surface 3 of the bottom member 2 and the housing walls 9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b of the first wall member 7 and the second wall member 8, wherein the frame walls 20, 21 extend downward along the outer side of the housing wall past the upper edge of the housing wall in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (see Fig.10 ). However, the box-shaped housing 1 according to the present invention may be provided with or without such a top member 18, depending on its use.

[0055] The box-shaped housing 1 is also provided with a locking device, which is configured to interlock each pair of first lateral housing walls 10a, 14a and second lateral housing walls 10b, 14b of the first wall member 7 and the second wall member 8 in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing. The locking device includes a pre-cut tab 23a, 23b arranged in the upper region of each lateral housing wall on each lateral housing wall. More specifically, two fold lines are cut from the upper edge of the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b, 14a, 14b to define the side ends of the tabs, which are integrally connected to the majority of the corresponding lateral housing walls through their bottom ends. Tabs 23a, 23b are arranged in such a position that in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1, at least one tab 23a on the first lateral housing wall 10a of the first wall member 7 is aligned with at least one tab 23b on the first lateral housing wall 14a of the second wall member 8.

[0056] In order to interlock the first lateral housing walls 10a, 14a in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing 1, at least one tab 23a on the first lateral housing wall 10a of the first wall member 7 is folded by clamping together at least one tab 23a on the first lateral housing wall 10a of the first wall member 7 and the associated tab 23b on the first lateral housing wall 14a of the second wall member 8 and pushing them into the loading space 22 of the box-shaped housing 1. Then, the first lateral housing walls 10a, 14a are fixedly interlocked by folding the tab 23b on the first lateral housing wall 14a of the second wall member 8 away from the lateral housing wall so that the tab 23a on the first lateral housing wall will enter and engage with the opening formed in the first lateral housing wall 14a of the second wall member 8 (i.e., the tab 23b is accommodated in the opening before folding) (see Fig. 9 ). The second lateral housing walls 10b, 14b are provided with corresponding tabs for interlocking these lateral housing walls in the same manner as described. This locking mechanism is used to help the corner element 15 to hold the housing walls 9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b in place in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing.

[0057] The adhesive used to fix the different parts of the box-shaped housing to each other, for example the adhesive used to fix the plate-like parts 16a, 16b of the corner element 15 to the paper forming the flexible part 17 of the corner element and to fix the first plate-like part 16a of the corner element 15 to the front housing wall 13 and the rear housing wall 9, is an adhesive suitable for recycling with paper and does not contain toxins or harsh chemicals. As an example, such an adhesive can be based on corn starch.

[0058] Now, special reference will be made to Figures 2 to 10 A method of assembling the box-shaped housing 1 before using the box-shaped housing is described.

[0059] The box-shaped housing 1 is intended to be delivered to the customer as a kit for manufacturing a box-shaped housing, the kit comprising a base member 2, a first wall member 7 and a second wall member 8 in a collapsed state, the first wall member and the second wall member being laid flat on top of each other on the loading surface 3 of the base member and inside its frame walls 4, 5, 6a, and 6b. Figure 2 However, the kit may also include a top member 18 laid flat on top of the bottom member to form a thin box-like package together with the top member.

[0060] In order to assemble the box-shaped housing 1, that is, to put the box-shaped housing in an assembled state, the first wall member 7 is first lifted from the bottom member 2 to be unfolded (see Figure 3 ).

[0061] The lateral housing walls 10a, 10b of the first wall member 7 are pulled away from the rear housing wall 9 (see Figure 4 ) and the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b are each connected around and to the rear housing wall (see Figure 5 and Figure 6 ) are pivotally folded by approximately 270° to reach a position in which each side housing wall 10a, 10b extends vertically away from the rear housing wall 9 (see Figure 7 ).

[0062] When the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b move past the point where the plate-like parts 16a, 16b are located in the rest state of the flexible part 17 (in the example shown, on an imaginary plane extending parallel to the rear housing wall 9), the lateral housing walls are free to protrude from the outer ends of the rear housing wall (see Figure 5 ) comes into contact with the rigid plate-like parts 16b of the housing and pushes the rigid plate-like parts in front of the lateral housing wall, while storing potential energy in the flexible parts 17 connected to these plate-like parts 16b. Figure 6 This is a bit misleading because Figure 6 The plate-like parts 16b are shown extending vertically away from the rear housing wall 9, whereas in reality they will at this stage be in contact with and move through the respective lateral housing walls 10a, 10b.

[0063] The same process is then performed for the second wall element 8. Thereafter, the bottom element 2 is typically placed on a pallet and the first wall element 7 is placed in the bottom element (see Figure 8), and are automatically fixed in the base member by the corner elements 15, which drive the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b against the corresponding lateral frame walls 6a, 6b of the base member. Now, the loading space 22 of the box-shaped housing 1 with an open front end can be easily loaded with goods, and then the second wall element 8 is placed in the base member 2, opposite the first wall element 7.

[0064] Then, the lateral housing walls 10a, 10b, 14a, 14b overlapping each other are interlocked by pre-cut tabs 23a, 23b, and finally, the top member is placed to cover the housing walls 9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b to close the loading space 22, and the box-shaped housing 1 is in an assembled state for transportation. Optionally, for further safety, the box-shaped housing can also be provided with a separate fastening device, such as a belt arranged around it.

[0065] It goes without saying that the method of disassembling the empty box-shaped housing 1, for example for storage after use or for returning to a logistics provider, is carried out in the same way but in reverse (i.e. from Figure 10 to Figure 2 )conduct.

[0066] The box-shaped housing 1 according to the invention is therefore cost-effective due to its simple structure and at the same time has superior strength compared to box-shaped housings in the same price range. This is achieved in particular by the reinforced corner elements 15 in combination with the double-walled structure of the lateral walls of the box-shaped housing in the assembled state.

[0067] The design and arrangement of the corner elements 15 facilitate the foldability of the wall members 7, 8, which enables the box-shaped shell to be folded in the retracted state into a very thin package that requires little space, which is beneficial to transportation costs and is also beneficial to the environment. The simple structure of the box-shaped shell 1 and the elastic properties of the flexible parts 17 of the corner elements 15 contribute to the easy assembly and disassembly of the box-shaped shell 1, wherein the elastic properties give the corner elements the function of automatically retaining the walls. Therefore, no separate fastening devices or tools are required to assemble the box-shaped shell. The structure of the box-shaped shell with two independent wall members 7, 8 further facilitates the loading and unloading of goods, because the box-shaped shell can be loaded / unloaded using the open front (such as Figure 8 Last but not least, the box-shaped housing 1 is made only of biodegradable materials that can be recycled as paper, which saves time and is environmentally friendly.

[0068] The invention is of course not in any way limited to the embodiments described above, but many possibilities for modifications thereof will be apparent to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appending claims.

[0069] The box-shaped shell may comprise more reinforcement components than the described corner elements, for example further panels made of straw panels reinforcing the shell walls, the bottom element or the top element.

[0070] In the present disclosure, a box-shaped housing is interpreted as any parallelepiped-shaped box or a part of such a box defining a space suitable for accommodating objects to be stored or transported in the box-shaped housing. Thus, the box-shaped housing may consist of four lateral walls and a bottom member of any size and an optional top member / lid.

[0071] The flexible part of the corner element is considered to be an intermediate part between the two rigid plate-like parts of the corner element, and the flexible part is configured to serve as a hinge between the two rigid plate-like parts. As multiple examples, the flexible part may include one or more layers of flexible material, such as paper or very thin straw boards, or a plurality of elongated flexible elements. The flexible part may also include other parts, such as elastic blocks arranged between the plate-like parts of each corner element. Each rigid plate-like part of each corner element may independently have a shape and appearance different from that described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, such as having the appearance of a grille. Of course, the plate-like parts may also be made of another material other than straw boards, such as wood or a paper-based material, although straw boards are preferred due to their advantageous properties as described above.

[0072] Where a component is described as being “connected” to or “interconnected” with another component, this will be construed as the components being directly interconnected or indirectly interconnected via an intermediate component such as an edge profile or another connecting element, unless otherwise specified.

[0073] That one component is "hinged / pivotally connected" to another component means that there is some type of hinge arrangement interconnecting the components, either directly or indirectly. Unless otherwise stated, such hinge arrangements may be of any suitable type.

[0074] The terms upper, lower, front, rear, horizontal and vertical used in the present disclosure to define various components or parts thereof are to be interpreted as referring to a box-shaped housing (e.g. Fig.10 As shown) is effective. Fig.10 As shown, the front part of the box-shaped housing is oriented obliquely to the left and obliquely toward the observer of the drawing.

Claims

1. A rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped housing (1) for transporting or storing goods, characterized in that: The box-shaped housing (1) comprises: - a bottom member (2), the bottom member having a rectangular loading surface (3), the loading surface being configured to form the bottom of the box-shaped shell (1) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell, and the bottom member is further provided with a frame structure, the frame structure enclosing the loading surface (3) on each side of the loading surface by vertical front frame walls (4), rear frame walls (5), first lateral frame walls (6a) and second lateral frame walls (6b) at the front edge, rear edge, first lateral edge and second lateral edge of the bottom member (2), respectively, to provide the bottom member (2) with a tray-like shape, - a first wall member (7), comprising: a rear housing wall (9), which is configured to rest on the loading surface (3) on the inner side of the rear frame wall (5) with its lower end in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1), and extends along the rear frame wall; and a first lateral housing wall (10a) and a second lateral housing wall (10b), which are hingedly connected to the first outer end (12a) and the second outer end (12b) of the rear housing wall (9) at the rear end (11a, 11b), respectively. The second outer end portion (12b) is configured to rest on the loading surface (3) through the lower end portions on the inner sides of the first lateral frame wall (6a) and the second lateral frame wall (6b) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1), and to extend along the first lateral frame wall and the second lateral frame wall, and the first lateral shell wall (10a) and the second lateral shell wall (10b) of the first wall member (7) can be folded to a position overlapping with the rear shell wall (9) in the collapsed state of the box-shaped shell (1), - a second wall member (8), the second wall member comprising: a front housing wall (13), the front housing wall being configured to rest on the loading surface (3) via a lower end portion inside the front frame wall (4) in an assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1), and extending along the front frame wall; and a first lateral housing wall (14a) and a second lateral housing wall (14b), the first lateral housing wall and the second lateral housing wall of the second wall member being hingedly connected at the front end portions to the first outer end portion and the second outer end portion of the front housing wall (13), respectively, so as to be configured to be in the box-shaped housing ( 1), the first lateral frame wall (6a) and the second lateral frame wall (6b) are placed on the loading surface (3) by the lower end portions on the inner sides of the first lateral frame wall (6a) and the second lateral frame wall (6b) respectively, and extend along the first lateral frame wall and the second lateral frame wall in an overlapping manner with the first lateral shell wall (10a) and the second lateral shell wall (10b) of the first wall member (7), and the first lateral shell wall (14a) and the second lateral shell wall (14b) of the second wall member (8) can be folded to a position overlapping with the front shell wall (13) in the collapsed state of the box-shaped shell (1), Wherein, for each inner corner defined by two adjacent shell walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b) of the box-shaped shell (1) in the assembled state and being formed by the same wall member (7, 8), each of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) further comprises a corner element (15), the corner element comprising two rigid plate-like components (16a, 16b) hingedly interconnected by a flexible portion (17), each plate-like component (16a, 16b) being configured to be arranged inside a single shell wall of the two adjacent shell walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1), while extending along the corner element from a bottom region to a top region of the shell walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b), and The corner element (15) is configured to store potential energy through the flexible portion (17) of the corner element, and the potential energy drives the plate-like components (16a, 16b) away from each other, thereby driving the lateral shell walls (10a, 10b, 14a, 14b) to abut against the frame walls (6a, 6b) of the bottom member (2) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1).

2. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the plate-like parts (16a, 16b) of each corner element (15) formed in the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) is 90° in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1), and is greater than 90° in the static state of the flexible part (17) of the corner element (15).

3. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The corner element (15) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) comprises: one of the plate-shaped parts of the corner element, namely, a first plate-shaped part (16a); and another plate-shaped part, namely, a second plate-shaped part (16b), wherein the first plate-shaped part is respectively fixed to one of the rear shell wall (9), the first lateral shell wall (10a) and the second lateral shell wall (10b) of the first wall member (7) and one of the front shell wall (13), the first lateral shell wall (14a) and the second lateral shell wall (14b) of the second wall member (8); and a flexible part (16a) of the corner element (15) is provided. 7), the second plate-like parts protrude freely from the first plate-like parts (16a), and each second plate-like part (16b) is configured to be moved by the lateral shell wall (10a, 10b, 14a, 14b) adjacent to the second plate-like part, or the front shell wall (13) or the rear shell wall (9), while storing potential energy in the flexible part (17) connected to the second plate-like parts, so as to obtain an assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1), in which the corresponding second plate-like parts (16b) extend perpendicularly to the first plate-like parts (16a) connected to the second plate-like parts.

4. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first plate-shaped parts (16a) of the corner elements (15) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) are fixed to the rear housing wall (9) and the front housing wall (13), respectively.

5. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lateral housing walls (10a, 10b, 14a, 14b) of each of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) are configured to pivotally move away from each other and fold toward the outer surfaces of the rear housing wall (9) and the front housing wall (13), respectively, and to extend close to a plane that forms an angle of less than 10° with the outer surface in the collapsed state of the box-shaped housing (1) and overlap each other within the plane.

6. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first lateral housing walls (10a, 14a) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) and the second lateral housing walls (10b, 14b) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) are respectively configured to overlap each other over at least 50% of the longitudinal extension of each lateral housing wall (10a, 10b, 14a, 14b) in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1).

7. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The box-shaped housing (1) further comprises: - a top member (18) having a rectangular top surface (19) and further provided with a frame structure, the frame structure enclosing the top surface (19) on each side of the top surface by vertical front frame walls (20), rear frame walls, first lateral frame walls (21) and second lateral frame walls at the front edge, rear edge, first lateral edge and second lateral edge of the top member (18) respectively, so as to provide the top member (18) with a tray-like shape, the top member (18) being structured A loading space (22) defined by the loading surface (3) of the bottom member (2) and the housing walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) is closed by a top surface (19), wherein the frame walls (20, 21) extend downward along the outer side of the housing walls past the upper edges of the housing walls (9, 10a, 10b, 3, 14a, 14b) in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1).

8. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first lateral shell wall (10a) of the first wall member (7) is provided with a locking device, which is configured to engage with an associated locking device on the first lateral shell wall (14a) of the second wall member (8) so as to fixedly interlock these first lateral shell walls (10a, 14a) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1), and the second lateral shell wall (10b) of the first wall member (7) is provided with the following locking device, which is configured to engage with an associated locking device on the second lateral shell wall (14b) of the second wall member (8) so as to fixedly interlock these second lateral shell walls (10b, 14b) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1).

9. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that: The locking device of the first lateral housing wall (10a, 14a) and the second lateral housing wall (10b, 14b) comprises a pre-cut tab (23a, 23b) provided on each lateral housing wall (10a, 10b, 14a, 14b) in the upper region of each lateral housing wall, the pre-cut tab being located in such a position that in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1), at least one tab (23a) on the first lateral housing wall (10a) of the first wall member (7) is in contact with the first lateral housing wall (10a) of the second wall member (8). The at least one tab (23b) on the first lateral shell wall (14a) of the first wall member (7) is aligned with at least one tab (23a) on the second lateral shell wall (10b) of the second wall member (8), and the at least one tab (23a) on the first lateral shell wall (10a) of the first wall member (7) is aligned with at least one tab (23b) on the second lateral shell wall (14a) of the second wall member (8), and the at least one tab (23a) on the first lateral shell wall (10a) of the first wall member (7) is configured to be folded together with the associated tab (23b) on the first lateral shell wall (14a) of the second wall member (8) into the loading space of the box-shaped shell (1). The first wall member is provided with a first lateral shell wall (22) so that at least one tab (23b) on the first lateral shell wall (14a) of the first wall member is engaged with an opening formed in the first lateral shell wall (14a) of the second wall member (8) by folding at least one tab (23b) on the lateral shell wall (14a) away from the lateral shell wall, thereby fixedly interlocking the first lateral shell walls (10a, 14a) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1), and at least one tab on the second lateral shell wall (14b) of the second wall member (8) is configured to engage with the opening formed in the first lateral shell wall (14a) of the second wall member (8). The associated tabs on the second lateral shell wall (10b) of a wall member (7) are folded together into the loading space (22) of the box-shaped shell (1) to engage at least one tab on the second lateral shell wall of the second wall member with an opening formed in the second lateral shell wall (10b) of the first wall member (7) by folding at least one tab on the lateral shell wall (10b) away from the lateral shell wall, thereby fixedly interlocking the second lateral shell walls (10b, 14b) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1).

10. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The bottom member (2) has a base surface corresponding to the upper loading surface of the pallet, the base surface having standard dimensions defined by EUR, ISO or GMA.

11. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The box-shaped housing (1) is made only of biodegradable material that can be recycled as paper.

12. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The rigid plate-like part (16a, 16b) of each corner element (15) is made of straw board material.

13. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Each housing wall (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b) and the bottom member (2) are made of corrugated board.

14. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The angle formed between the plate-like parts (16a, 16b) of each corner element (15) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) is greater than 100° in the static state of the flexible portion (17) of the corner element (15).

15. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The angle formed between the plate-like parts (16a, 16b) of each corner element (15) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) is greater than 120° in the static state of the flexible portion (17) of the corner element (15).

16. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The angle formed between the plate-like parts (16a, 16b) of each corner element (15) of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) is greater than 150° in the static state of the flexible portion (17) of the corner element (15).

17. The box-shaped housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that In the rest state of the flexible portion (17) of the corner element (15), the second plate-like part freely protrudes from the first plate-like part parallel to the first plate-like part (16a).

18. A kit for manufacturing a box-shaped housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the kit comprising the bottom member (2) and the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) in a retracted state, the first wall member and the second wall member being laid flat on top of each other on the loading surface (3) of the bottom member (2) and inside the frame wall (4, 5, 6a, 6b) of the bottom member, the first wall member comprising a rear housing wall (9), a first lateral housing wall (10a) and a second lateral housing wall (10b), the second wall member comprising a front housing wall (13), a first lateral housing wall (14a) and a second lateral housing wall (14b), in, For each inner corner of the box-shaped housing (1) in the assembled state, which is defined by two adjacent housing walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b) of the same wall member (7, 8), each of the first wall member (7) and the second wall member (8) further comprises a corner element (15), the corner element having two rigid plate-like components (16a, 16b) hingedly interconnected by a flexible portion (17), each plate-like component (16a, 16b) being configured in the assembled state of the box-shaped housing (1) to be arranged inside a single housing wall of the two adjacent housing walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b) while extending along the corner element from a bottom region to a top region of the housing walls (9, 10a, 10b, 13, 14a, 14b), and The corner element (15) is configured to store potential energy through the flexible portion (17) of the corner element, and the potential energy drives the plate-like components (16a, 16b) away from each other, thereby driving the lateral shell walls (10a, 10b, 14a, 14b) to abut against the frame walls (6a, 6b) of the bottom member (2) in the assembled state of the box-shaped shell (1).

19. Use of a box-shaped housing (1), which is a box-shaped housing according to any one of claims 1 to 17 and is used for shipping or storing goods.

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