A folding box, a set of folding boxes, and a method of making a folding box

Abstract

A folding box (1) comprising four side sections (2) interconnected by hinges and at least two bottom sections (3) is disclosed. The folding box can be transformed from a collapsed state, where the side sections extend substantially in parallel to the bottom sections, and a use state, where the bottom sections extend in a bottom plane and the side sections extend in a height direction away. Each bottom section is connected to at least one side section by at least one hinge (63), and each comprises an engagement element (34a) for engagement with another bottom section. All side sections (2), bottom sections (3) and hinges (61, 62, 63) form part of one box body being a coherent polymer unit, and each of the four side sections are permanently connected to two other side section. The set of folding boxes and a method of making a folding box are also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding box comprising four side sections and at least two bottom sections, said folding box being configured for being transformed from a collapsed state where the side sections extend substantially in parallel to the bottom sections and a use state where the bottom sections extend in a bottom plane defining a length axis and width axis and the side sections extend in a height direction away from the bottom plane. The invention further relates to a set of folding boxes comprising at least two folding boxes and a method of making a folding box.Background Art

[0002] Folding boxes made from polymers are well known and widely used for storage and transportation. They comprise side sections and bottom sections interconnected by hinges, so that the folding box can be transformed from a collapsed state to a use state and back to the collapsed state when the folding box is no longer to be used.

[0003] One problem associated with prior art folding boxes is that they are made from several parts, requiring a manual assembly step in the production, leading to costs, long production times and error sources. Furthermore, the joints between parts may be at risk of breaking when the folding box is in use.

[0004] Another problem associated with prior art folding boxes is that they may unintentionally collapse during use.

[0005] To reduce the risk of unintentionally collapse, several different folding patterns have been attempted and it has also been suggested to use separate bottom inserts applied in the use state for reinforcing the box bottom. Many of these attempts have, however, resulted in boxes, which take up a lot of space in the collapsed state, making them less attractive to users.

[0006] It is therefore a first object of the present disclosure to provide a folding box, which can be made in one piece by moulding, while remaining easy to transform between a collapsed state and a use state, having good structural stability in the use state, so that it does not collapse unintentionally, and ideally being compact in the collapsed state. A second object of the present disclosure is to provide a method of manufacturing such a folding box.Summary of Invention

[0007] In a first aspect of the invention, at least the first object is achieved with a folding box comprising four side sections and at least two bottom sections, said folding box being configured for being transformed from a collapsed state, where the side sections extend substantially in parallel to the bottom sections, and a use state, where the bottom sections extend in a bottom plane defining a length axis and width axis and the side sections extend in a height direction away from the bottom plane; where each side section and each bottom section has an interior side facing an interior space of the folding box in the use state and an exterior side opposite the interior side facing away from the interior space of the folding box in the use state; where each of the at least two bottom sections are connected to at least one of the side sections by at least one hinge; where hinges are provided between the side sections; where at least two of said bottom sections each comprises an engagement element configured for being in engagement with an engagement element of another of the at least two bottom sections when the folding box is in the use state; where all side sections, bottom sections and hinges of the folding box form part of one box body, said box body being a coherent polymer unit; and where each of the four side sections are permanently connected to two other side section in the box body.

[0008] By hinges being provided between the side sections, i.e. at corners of the folding box, the angling of the side sections in relation to each other can be changed, and, likewise, the hinges between the bottom sections and the side sections allow angling of the bottom sections relative to the side sections to be changed. Thereby the folding box can be brought into the collapsed state.

[0009] It is to be understood that the box bottom formed by the bottom sections in the use state will usually be rectangular, but a folding box where the box bottom is trapezoidal or has the shape of a parallelogram is also possible.

[0010] The engagement elements on the bottom sections allows the bottom sections to be fixated or at least retained in relation to each other when the folding box is in the use state, thereby contributing to hindering unintentional collapse of the folding box. The engagement between the engagement element may be frictional, mechanical or a combination thereof, for example a snap-locking engagement. Engagement elements may also be used for connecting a bottom section to a side section, which may especially be advantageous in embodiment with only two bottom sections without hinges, apart from those connecting to the side sections. Is it also possible to have engagement elements on adjacent side sections and / or corner sections to provide the folding box with dimensional stability in the use state. Such engagement elements may for example configured for abutting on each other, when the corner reaches a 90 degrees angle during unfolding of the folding box, these engagement element being provided either on the exterior side or on the interior side depending of the pattern of movement at the specific corner during unfolding. Additionally, or alternatively, such engagement element may interlock with each other.

[0011] By all side sections, bottom sections, and hinges of the folding box forming part of one box body, said box body being a single coherent polymer unit, and each of the four side sections being permanently connected to two other side section in the box body, the risk of unintentional collapse is further reduced and the joint between the bottom sections in the use state is the only joint needed in the folding box, thereby reducing the risk of joint failure and simplifying manufacture of the folding box. When such a folding box is in its use state and when a weight is arranged in the interior space, the weight will hinder an upwards movement of the bottom sections, thereby reducing even further the risk of unintentional collapsing of the folding box.

[0012] The box body being a single coherent polymer unit means that it comprises no joints when in the collapsed state. It is presently preferred that the box body is a moulded unit made from one material, but it could also be made by drawing or printing and / or from two or more materials. As an example, reinforcement elements made from one material may be embedded in a second material defining the shape of the box body. A folding box made from two or more materials may for example be made by overmoulding a box body or parts of a box body made from one material with another material, involving two separate moulding steps and two separate moulds. This could for example allow for a reinforcement of side sections or bottom sections of for the hinges to be made from a softer material than main parts of the side sections..

[0013] The side section and the bottom sections preferably has a material thickness of at least 0.8 mm, and preferably less than 5 mm.

[0014] The folding box in the use state preferably has a length along the length axis of at least 15 cm and a width along the width axis of at least 7 cm, and preferably a length of less than 120 cm and a width of at less than 100 cm.

[0015] The hinges between side sections at the corners of the folding box do not need to interconnect side sections directly. Corner sections may be arranged between side sections and connected to side sections by hinges. A corner section may be provided with a hinge on each side of the corner section connecting to a respective side section. A corner section may be provided at one end of each side section, while the other end of each side section is connected directly to another side section via a hinge.

[0016] In the collapsed state of the folding box, the corner sections may extend substantially perpendicularly to the side sections, thereby keeping side sections to which these corner sections are connected at a distance from each other. This distance may facilitate folding of the folding box into the collapsed state and / or reduce the risk of damage to the folding box while stored or transported in the collapsed state by functioning as a spacer keeping the side section to which it is connected at a distance from each other, providing space for bottom sections and / or other side sections between them. This may for example allow the bottom sections to be stored in a protected position between side sections in the collapsed state of the folding box and / or may reduce the loads affecting the hinges in the collapsed state of the folding box.

[0017] It is presently considered advantageous that the folding box is configured for being folded such that all side sections and bottom sections extend in parallel to each other in the collapsed state.

[0018] It is presently considered advantageous that each side section extends from one corner of the box to another corner of the box in the use state, said box having four corners, and that hinges are provided at all four corners.

[0019] To facilitate folding, at least one bottom section comprises a first part and a second part interconnected by a hinge. This allows the bottom section to be coherent in the use state, but able to fold and / or bend during folding and unfolding of the folding box.

[0020] In one embodiment, each of the first part of a first bottom section, the second part of the first bottom section, the first part of a second bottom section, and the second part of the second bottom section extends from one corner of the box to another corner of the box in the use state, each first part and each second part extending along a side section, and where the hinges interconnecting the first and second parts of the bottom sections extend from a corner of the folding box in the use state. The hinge axes formed by the hinges in the bottom sections may extend at an angle of 45 degrees to the width axis and the length axis.

[0021] In the use state of the folding box, the side sections may be angled relative to the box bottom so that the distance between side sections increases with the distance to the box bottom in the height direction, i.e., the side sections are not parallel to each other and extend at an angle to a height axis, which is perpendicular to the length axis and the width axis. This may for example be achieved by the side sections having a trapezoidal shape, by hinges between side sections having a trapezoidal shape or a wedge-shaped, and / or by providing corner section having a trapezoidal shape or a wedge-shaped. The angling of the side section may facilitate manufacture by making the folding box easier to remove from a mould than a folding box with parallel side sections. Additionally or alternatively, the angling of the side section may contribute to facilitating folding of the folding box. Additionally or alternatively, the angling of the side section may facilitate stacking of folding boxes in the use state, as the increasing distance between side sections may allow the box bottom of one folding box to fit into an opening between side sections of another folding box.

[0022] The provision of corner sections may contribute to facilitating stacking of folding boxes in the use state in that a corner section may support the box bottom at the corner of another folding box. In one embodiment, corner sections are provided only at two corners of the folding box which are diagonally opposite to each other in the use state whereas the side sections are interconnected directly by a hinge at the other two corners of the folding box.

[0023] The folding box will primarily be described with reference to embodiments, where one hinge is used between two side sections, between a side section and a corner section, between a side section and a bottom section, or in a bottom section between the first part and the second part. It is, however, to be understood that the such a hinge may be composes of several hinges, also referred to as sub-hinges, arranged in continuation of each other, possibly with a space between them.

[0024] It is presently envisaged that all hinges are made from same material as the side sections and the bottom sections, said material being weakened to provide a hinge function. The weakening may be achieved by the hinges being thinner than the side sections and the bottom sections. Additionally or alternatively, the weakening may be achieved by the provision of one or more openings and / or depressions along the intended hinge axis of the hinge.

[0025] The engagement elements may comprise a male engagement element on a first bottom section and a female engagement on a second bottom section, said male engagement element fitting into the female engagement element in the use state of the folding box. The female engagement element may for example be an opening in the second bottom section. The male engagement element may project from the bottom plane and / or may comprise a projection, a hook, or a barb engaging an edge of the female engagement element in the use state. It is presently considered advantageous that the male engagement element and the female engagement element are embodied such that they will automatically engage with each other when the folding box is unfolded from the collapsed state to the use state.

[0026] In one embodiment, sub-sections of the bottom sections are configured for overlapping in the use state of the folding box. The overlap may provide stability to the box bottom and reduce the risk of the bottom sections coming apart when a heavy load is arranged in the folding box in the use state.

[0027] The engagement elements are preferably provided on the overlapping sub-sections. The overlap may facilitate the engagement between the engagement elements.

[0028] In one embodiment at least one of the sub-sections has an offset or a recess, or has a reduced material thickness compared to adjacent parts of the respective bottom section. This may allow the overlap between the sub-sections to be established without resulting in a thicker box bottom, which may increase the volume capacity of the folding box in a stacked state.

[0029] In one embodiment the reduced material thickness of the overlapping sub-section(s) of the bottom section(s) is such that in the use state, the interior side of the box bottom formed by the interior sides of the bottom sections, i.e., the side of the box bottom facing in the same direction as the side sections project away from the box bottom, is plane. By plane is meant without any substantial projections or depressions at the overlap(s). Joint lines between bottom sections in the use state are not in themselves regarded as depressions. It is to be understood that the interior side of the box bottom may still be regarded as plane even if provided with a pattern, for example to provide friction, ventilation, or drainage when the folding box is in use. The pattern may for example be formed by a plurality of through openings in the bottom sections or a plurality of grooves and / or ridges extending across the box bottom.

[0030] In one embodiment, at least one of the sub-sections overlaps a hinge interconnecting a first part and a second part of a bottom section. This overlap may contribute to stability of the folding box in the use state.

[0031] The folding box may form part of a set of folding boxes comprising at least two folding boxes, where the length along the length axis of each folding box is longer than the width along the width axis of each folding box, and where the length of a first folding box is twice the width of a second folding box and the width of a first folding box is equal to the length of a second folding box.

[0032] In one embodiment, each of the first folding box and the second folding box has corner sections at two corners, which are diagonally opposite to each other in the use state, and the corner sections in the first folding box are provided at the opposite diagonal than the corner section of the second folding box, so that when the second folding box is arranged on top of the first folding box with the length axis of second folding box extending along the width axis of first folding box, the corner sections of the second folding box extend in continuation of the corner sections of the first folding box in the height direction. This is also known as "mirrored" folding boxes, and it may facilitate stacking of the folding boxes and / or provide stability to the stack.

[0033] In a second aspect of the invention, at least the second object is achieved with a method of making a folding box comprising four side sections and at least two bottom sections, said folding box being configured for being transformed from a collapsed state, where the side sections extend substantially in parallel to the bottom sections, and a use state, where the bottom sections extend in a bottom plane defining a length axis and width axis and the side sections extend in a height direction away from the bottom plane, each side section and each bottom section having an interior side facing an interior space of the folding box in the use state and an exterior side opposite the interior side facing away from the interior space of the folding box in the use state, and at least two of said bottom sections each comprising an engagement element configured for being in engagement with an engagement element of another of the at least two bottom sections when the folding box is in the use state, where one box body is formed by moulding as a coherent polymer unit, so that each of the four side sections are permanently connected to two other side section in the box body, where a hinge is formed between each of the at least two bottom sections and at least one of the side sections, where hinges are formed between the side sections, and where all side sections, bottom sections, and hinges of the folding box are formed as part of the box body.

[0034] Embodiments and advantageous described with reference to the first aspect also applies to the second aspect and vice versa unless otherwise stated.

[0035] In one embodiment of the method, the box body is formed in an intermediate state, where the bottom sections are arranged at an angle of 30-70 degrees, preferably 40-60 degrees, more preferred 50 degrees, in relation to the side sections as measured between the interior side of each bottom section and the interior side of the side section(s) to which it is connected. Where the bottom sections comprise hinges, the parts of the bottom section on each side of each hinge are non-parallel when the box is in the intermediate state.

[0036] All side sections, bottom sections, hinges, and, if any, corner sections, can be demoulded or ejected from the mould as one coherent body while positioned in the intermediate state of the folding box.

[0037] The folding box may be made from any polymer or mixture of polymers having sufficient strength and dimensional stability, but other factors such as UV-resistance and visual appearance may also be taken into consideration. Examples of suitable materials are polyvinylchloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and a mixture of 80%-95% PP, preferably 85%-90% PP, more preferably 85% PP, with 5%-20% PE, preferably 15% PE. These intervals may set according to the size of the folding box, as smaller folding box may benefit from a higher percentage of PE.

[0038] The folding box may be made by injection moulding, but other methods such as 3D printing or CNC machining are also possible.Brief Description of Drawings

[0039] In the following description, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the schematic drawings, in which Fig. 1a shows a folding box in a use state, Fig. 1b shows the folding box in Fig. 1a turned upside-down, Fig. 2 is a side view of the folding box in Fig. 1a, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view II-II' of the folding box in Fig. 1a, Fig. 4 shows the folding box in Fig. 1a in an intermediate state, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the folding box in Fig. 4, Figs. 6a and 6b show a top view and a bottom view, respectively, of the folding box in Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a side view of the folding box in Fig. 1a and Fig. 4 in a collapsed state, Fig. 8 is a top view of the folding box in Fig. 7, Fig. 9 is a side view of the folding box in Fig. 7, where corner sections are visible, Fig. 10 is an isometric view of the folding box in Fig. 7, showing hinges and connections between sections, and Fig. 11 shows the stacking of folding boxes. Description of Embodiments

[0040] Referring initially to Fig. 1a, a folding box 1 is shown in its use state, also referred to as its unfolded state. This folding box has four side sections 2 and two bottom sections 3 forming a box bottom 11. When the folding box 1 is in the use state, the bottom sections 3 extend in a bottom plane P. The bottom plane is defined by a length axis L and a width axis W. The side sections extend along in a height direction along a height axis H, said height axis being perpendicular to the bottom plane. Two side sections, also referred to as longitudinal side sections, extend along the length axis L and two side section, also referred to as end side sections, extend along the width axis W.

[0041] The folding box 1 has an interior space 4 defined by the interior sides 42, 43 of the side sections 2 and the bottom sections 3, respectively. The opposite sides to the interior sides are the exterior sides 52, 53.

[0042] The exterior sides 52 of the side sections have flanges 21, 22, 23 extending perpendicular to the exterior sides. These flanges extend in two directions perpendicular to each other, flanges 21 and 22 extending along the length axis L on the longitudinal side section and along the width axis W on the end side sections, and flanges 23 extending along the height direction. When the folding box is in the use state and arranged with the bottom plane extending horizontally, flanges 21 and 22 extend horizontally and flanges 23 extend vertically. Flanges 21 are located at a lower area of the side sections 2, flanges 22 are located at an upper edge of the side sections, and flanges 23 extend between flanges 21 and flanges 22.

[0043] Flanges 21 are configured for resting on another folding box 1 when stacking boxes as will be explained in more detail below, resting on flanges 22 of the other folding box. In the embodiment shown, the horizontal flanges 21 have projections 27 at both ends. These projections 27 extending perpendicularly to the exterior side of the side sections 2 and are intended to provide additional support in a stacked state, possibly reducing the risk of one box tipping or falling into another. These projections are particularly advantageous when the side sections 2 are not perpendicular to the bottom plane P as will be described below.

[0044] Flanges 21, 22 and 23 provide strength and stability to each side section and to the folding box as such. The flanges 24 extending around openings 25 serving as handles in the end side sections also serve to provide strength and stability, in addition to improving the ergonomics for a user carrying the folding box.

[0045] Each side section 2 is shown with plurality of smaller openings 26 forming a pattern. These openings serve decorative purposes, but may also influence strength and stability of the side section, reduce material consumption, and / or provide functionality, such as ventilation or drainage, of the interior space 4 of the folding box.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 1b, each of the two bottom sections 3 is composed of a first part 31 and a second part 32 connected by a hinge 61. The bottom sections are each connected to two side sections by hinges 63. The first part 31 of the bottom sections is connected to one side section, and the second part 32 to another side section. In this way, the box bottom 11 is connected to all of the four side sections 2. In the embodiment shown, the hinge axes of the hinges 61 in the bottom sections extend at an angle of 45 degrees to the width axis W and the length axis L.

[0047] Each of the four side sections 2 are permanently connected to two other side sections by hinges 62. At two corners 12, 13 of the folding box, which are diagonally opposite to each other, the side sections are interconnected directly via the hinge, and at the other two corners, a corner section 7 is present between the side sections. A hinge on each side of the corner section connects to each of the side sections. The function of the corner section will be described below.

[0048] The joint lines between bottoms sections 3 in the use state, i.e., the free edges of the bottom sections in a folded state, extend from the corners 12, 13 without corner sections, and the hinges between the first and second parts 31, 32 of each bottom section extend from the corners with corner sections 7. This facilitates the folding pattern leading the collapse state shown and described with reference to Figs. 7-10 below.

[0049] Each hinge forms a hinge axis A, shown only for one of the hinges at a corner section 7 in Fig. 1b. It is to be understood that "a hinge" here means a unit forming a hinge axis, even if composed of several sub-hinges as in the embodiment shown, where each of the hinges 61, 62, 63 is composed of three to seven sections of bendable material, one such section being indicated by 64 in Fig. 1b.

[0050] The folding box 1 as seen in Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b is manufactured as one coherent polymer unit. This means that all side sections 2, bottom sections 3, and hinges 6 form one box body. This one box body is made as one single piece, made of the same material. This means that all hinges are made from same material as the side sections and the bottom sections.

[0051] In Fig. 2, a side view of the folding box 1 in its use state can be seen. As mentioned previously for Fig. 1a, the side sections 2 extend in a hight direction along the height axis, and away from the bottom plane P. As is seen more clearly in this figure, the end side sections 2a are angled relative to the height direction by an angle α. The angling may facilitate manufacture of the folding box as will be described below. In this embodiment the angling is achieved by the longitudinal side section 2b having a trapezoidal shape, being wider at the upper edge than at the lower area, closest to the bottom. It could, however, also be achieved by the use of corner section and / or hinges of an appropriate shape, such trapezoidal or wedge-shaped. In the embodiment shown, the longitudinal side sections are angled in the same way as the end side sections, but the angling of the end side sections may be different from the angling of the longitudinal side sections, or some or all side sections could be perpendicular to the bottom plane.

[0052] As can be seen in Fig. 1b each of the two bottom sections 3 have sub-sections 33, which overlap with a corresponding sub-section of the other bottom section in the use state, and in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, showing the folding box in an intermediate and partially folded state, the sub-sections 33a and the corresponding sub-sections 33b are seen disengaged. Each of the sub-sections 33a, 33b is offset in relation to the adjacent parts of the bottom sections 3, while still having the same thickness as the rest of the bottom section. The offset of the sub-sections 33a, 33b allows for a uniform thickness and hence a uniform strength and stability throughout the bottom sections 3. Alternatively, the sub-sections 33a, 33b could have a continuous reduction of the thickness towards the free edge of the bottom section, or they could be recessed, having half the thickness of the rest of the bottom sections, each sub-section and its corresponding sub-section being recessed in opposite directions, i.e., one being recessed from the interior side 43 and one from the exterior side 53. The offsets result in the box bottom having a flat interior side 43 in the use state as is clearly seen in Fig. 3, but if a flat exterior side 53 of box bottom is also desired, the sub-sections will have to have a reduced thickness.

[0053] Furthermore, each of the bottom sections 3 comprises three engagement elements 34 placed one on each of the sub-sections 33. Each engagement element is in engagement with a corresponding engagement element 34 of the other bottom section, when the folding box 1 is in the use state as shown in Fig. 1b. The engagement elements 34 lock onto each other and lock the box bottom 11 its use state.

[0054] The engagement elements 34 are also seen in Fig. 4, which is presenting a view of the folding box 1 in its intermediate state. Here the engagement elements are female engagement elements in the form of through openings 34b and male engagement elements in the form of projections 34a. When moving the folding box from its intermediate state to its use state, the projections will automatically pass through the openings due to the folding pattern of the folding box and engage with the opposite side of the box bottom. If having a projection extending in the bottom plane of the folding box in the use state, the male engagement element 34a may hook onto the opposite bottom section by projecting on the opposite side of the opening. Additionally, or alternatively, male engagement element may snap-lock with the female engagement element 34b. In the embodiment shown, one bottom section has two female engagement elements and one male engagement element, while the other bottom section has one female engagement elements and two male engagement elements. The engagement elements may be embodied in other ways allowing a mechanical engagement between and the number and position of the engagement elements may differ from what is shown, as long as they allow the two bottom sections to be kept in place in the use state.

[0055] The intermediate state of the folding box 1 shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b, each part 31, 32 of each the bottom section 3 extend at an acute angle β relative to the side section 2 to which it is connected by a hinge 63, and the parts of each bottom section are angled in relation to each other at the hinges 61. The angle between the respective parts of the bottom sections and the corresponding side sections and are here substantially the same, but this may be different in other embodiment, depending on the relative dimensions of the parts of the folding box and the position and design of the hinges.

[0056] In the intermediate state, the sub-sections 33, which were overlapping in the use state, are apart and consequently the engagement elements are not in engagement with each other. The recesses in the bottom section are clearly seen in this state and so are the engagement elements 34. As is seen best in Fig. 1b and Fig. 6a, an overlapping sub-section at the centre of the box bottom extends over both parts 31, 32 of a bottom section, thereby extending over the hinge 61 between the parts of the bottom section. This may potentially contribute to the stability of the folding box in the use state.

[0057] The intermediate state is reached during the collapsing of the folding box, when it is moved from the use state to a collapsed state, also referred to as a folded state, or vice versa. As is seen in Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b, in a top view, the upper edges of end side sections 2a remain parallel in the intermediate state and through the folding process and so does the upper edges of the longitudinal side sections 2b. However, from a side view, the edges are not parallel in the intermediate and collapsed state, as it can be seen in Fig. 7. This is due to the angle α, mentioned previously with reference to Fig. 2.

[0058] The folding box 1 in its collapsed state is shown in Fig. 7-10.

[0059] As seen in Fig. 7 and Fig. 10 the trapezoidal shape of the side sections 2 entail that the folding box in the collapsed state is not entirely rectangular.

[0060] As seen in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the two corner sections 7 are positioned at opposite ends of the folding box 1 in the collapsed state, and one end side section 2a and one longitudinal side section 2b extend in continuation of each other on opposite sides of the collapsed folding box. The corner sections 7 keep the two sets of side sections on opposite sides of the collapsed folding box at a distance from each other, thereby creating a space for the bottom sections 3 between the side sections. The width of the corner sections 7 is such that all of the bottom sections 3 can be accommodated between the side sections 2, while keeping the collapsed box 1 in a flat structure. The creation of the space also reduces the risk of the folding box becoming damaged while in the collapsed state, for example by reducing the risk of excessive loads on hinges. In the collapsed state, the side sections 2 and the bottom sections 3 all extend substantially in parallel with each other.

[0061] To bring the folding box 1 from the collapsed state to the use state, a user simply pushes on the ends at the corner sections 7, thereby bringing the folding box into the intermediate state and further into the use state. The final stage of the unfolding of the folding box may require the user to press down on the box bottom to make the engagement elements 34 come into proper engagement with each other. To bring the folding box back into the collapsed state it may be necessary to push on the exterior side 53 of the box bottom and / or to pull on the edge of the overlapping sub-section 33 of the bottom sections to disengage the engagement elements 34.

[0062] The folding box 1 shown in Fig. 1-10 can be made by forming one box body by moulding as a coherent polymer unit, so that each of the four side sections 2 are permanently connected to two other side section in the box body, all side sections 2, bottom sections 3 and hinges 61, 62, 63 as well as the corner sections 7 of the folding box being formed as part of the box body. The box body may be formed in the intermediate state shown in Fig. 4-6b, where the parts 31, 32 of bottom sections 3 are arranged at an angle of about 40 degrees in relation to the side sections 2 as measured between the interior side 43 of each bottom section and the interior sides 42 of the side section to which it is connected. By moulding the box body in this state it is possible to mould all parts in one moulding step and possible to remove the box body from the mould in one piece. Moulding and removing the entire box body as a single box body, eliminates the need for subsequent manual assembly of the folding box.

[0063] Above the folding box 1 has been described only with reference to an embodiment comprising two bottom sections 3 each comprising two parts 31, 32, but in other embodiment the folding box could be made with a different number of bottom sections. As an example, a folding box may be made with four bottom sections without hinges, apart from the hinges connecting to the side sections. These four bottom sections may each be provided with sub-sections configured for overlapping with sub-sections of another bottom section as described above and / or with engagement elements.

[0064] The folding box 1 shown in Fig. 1-10 is designed for being stacked with other similar folding boxes as shown in Fig. 11 and mentioned previously with reference to Fig. 1a. In the stacked state, the horizontal flanges 21 at the lower area of the side sections 2 of one folding box rest on flanges 22 at the upper edges of the side sections 2 of another folding box. The length along the length axis L of the lowermost folding box 1' of the stack is here twice the width of other folding boxes 1" along their respective width axis W and the width of a lowermost folding box is equal to the length of the other folding boxes. Folding box 1' is mirrored in reference to folding box 1", so that each of the folding boxes has corner sections 7 at two diagonally opposite corners as described above, and the corner sections in the lowermost, larger folding box 1' are provided at the opposite diagonal than the corner section of the other, smaller folding boxes 1". This means that the corner sections 7 of the larger folding box 1' and the smaller folding boxes 1" are positioned in continuation of each other in the stacked state, even though the smaller boxes are arranged with their width axes W extending in parallel to the length axis L of the larger box 1". This allows the smaller boxes to fit onto the larger box and provides stability to the stack.List of reference numerals

[0065] 1, 1', 1"folding box 11box bottom 12, 13corners 2side sections 2aend side sections 2blongitudinal side sections 21horizontal lower flange 22horizontal upper flange 23vertical flanges 24flanges around handle 25handle 26pattern 27projections 3bottom sections 31first part 32second part 33, 33a, 33bsub-sections 34engagement elements 34amale engagement elements 34bfemale engagement elements 4interior space 42interior side of side sections 43interior side of bottom sections 52exterior side of the side sections 53exterior side of the bottom sections 6hinges 61bottom-to-bottom hinges 62side-to-side hinges 63side-to-bottom hinges 64sub-hinges 7corner sections LLength axis Wwidth axis Hheight axis Ahinges axis PBottom plane αangle of separation between side sections and H axis βacute angle

Claims

1. A folding box (1) comprising four side sections (2) and at least two bottom sections (3), said folding box being configured for being transformed from a collapsed state, where the side sections extend substantially in parallel to the bottom sections, and a use state, where the bottom sections extend in a bottom plane defining a length axis (L) and width axis (W) and the side sections extend in a height direction away from the bottom plane, where each side section and each bottom section has an interior side (42, 43) facing an interior space (4) of the folding box in the use state and an exterior side (52, 53) opposite the interior side facing away from the interior space of the folding box in the use state, where each of the at least two bottom sections are connected to at least one of the side sections by at least one hinge (63), where hinges (62) are provided between the side sections, where at least two of said bottom sections each comprises an engagement element (34a) configured for being in engagement with an engagement element (34b) of another of the at least two bottom sections when the folding box is in the use state, where all side sections (2), bottom sections (3) and hinges (61, 62, 63) of the folding box form part of one box body, said box body being a coherent polymer unit, and where each of the four side sections are permanently connected to two other side section in the box body.

2. The folding box according to claim 1, further comprising corner sections arranged between side sections and connected to side sections by hinges.

3. The folding box according to claim 1 or 2, each side section extends from one corner of the box to another corner of the box in the use state, said box having four corners, and where hinges are provided at all four corners.

4. The folding box according to one or more of the preceding claims, where at least one bottom section comprises a first part and a second part interconnected by a hinge.

5. The folding box according to claims 3 and 4, where each of the first part of a first bottom section, the second part of the first bottom section, the first part of a second bottom section, and the second part of the second bottom section extends from one corner of the box to another corner of the box in the use state, each first part and each second part extending along a side section, and where the hinges interconnecting the first and second parts of the bottom sections extend from a corner of the folding box in the use state.

6. The folding box according to one or more of the preceding claims, where the side sections may be angled relative to the box bottom so that the distance between side sections increases with the distance to the box bottom in the height direction.

7. The folding box according to one or more of the preceding claims, where all hinges are made from same material as the side sections and the bottom sections.

8. The folding box according to one or more of the preceding claims, where sub-sections of the bottom sections are configured for overlapping in the use state of the folding box.

9. The folding box according to claim 8, where at least one of the sub-sections comprises an offset, or a recess, or a reduced material thickness compared to adjacent parts of the respective bottom section.

10. The folding box according to claim 8 or 9 when depending on claim 4, where at least one of the sub-sections overlaps the hinge interconnecting the first part of the bottom section and the second part of the bottom section.

11. The folding box according to one or more of the preceding claims, where the box body is made from a single material.

12. A set of folding boxes comprising at least two folding boxes according to one or more of claim 1-11.

13. The set of folding boxes according to claim 12, where the length along the length axis of each folding box is longer than the width along the width axis of each folding box, and where the length of a first folding box is twice the width of a second folding box and the width of a first folding box is equal to the length of a second folding box.

14. The set of folding boxes according to claim 12, where each of the first folding box and the second folding box has corner sections at two corners, which are diagonally opposite to each other in the use state, and where the corner sections in the first folding box are provided at the opposite diagonal than the corner section of the second folding box.

15. A method of making a folding box comprising four side sections and at least two bottom sections, said folding box being configured for being transformed from a collapsed state, where the side sections extend substantially in parallel to the bottom sections, and a use state, where the bottom sections extend in a bottom plane defining a length axis and width axis and the side sections extend in a height direction away from the bottom plane, each side section and each bottom section having an interior side facing an interior space of the folding box in the use state and an exterior side opposite the interior side facing away from the interior space of the folding box in the use state, and at least two of said bottom sections each comprising an engagement element configured for being in engagement with an engagement element of another of the at least two bottom sections when the folding box is in the use state, where one box body is formed by moulding as a coherent polymer unit, so that each of the four side sections are permanently connected to two other side section in the box body, where a hinge is formed between each of the at least two bottom sections and at least one of the side sections, where hinges are formed between the side sections, and where all side sections, bottom sections and hinges of the folding box are formed as part of the box body.

16. A method according to claim 14, where the box body is formed in an intermediate state, where the bottom sections, or parts thereof, are arranged at an angle of 50 degrees in relation to the side sections as measured between the interior side of each bottom section and the interior side of the side section(s) to which it is connected.

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