CONTAINER

The invention relates to a container formed of a panel, in particular for interring or cremating a human or animal body therein, which container can be moved from a flat position to an extended position and which is at least substantially made of paper/cardboard. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing said container. It is noted that the term "paper" is generally used for lighter paper types, whilst the term "cardboard" is frequently used for heavier qualities. Within the framework of the present invention no limitation is intended as regards the type of material in those cases where the terms paper, cardboard and weight are used.

Such a container is known from German patent publication No. 100 34 047 (Orkus KG) . The container that is known therefrom is made up of two panels, each consisting of a core of one layer of pressed corrugated paper, with a harder cover layer of cardboard glued to either side thereof. Each panel comprises a base panel and side panels pivotally connected thereto, with the base panel of one panel forming the bottom of the container and the base panel of the other panel forming the actual lid of the container. The two panels can be folded from the flat position to the extended position, in which the side panels extend perpendicularly to the respective base panels.

A drawback of the above-described container as disclosed in the aforesaid German patent publication No. 100 34 047 is that it appears to be hardly resistant, if at all, to external influences, such as moisture from bodily fluids from the corpse or from rain. Another drawback of the container

known from said document is furthermore the fact that it lacks the required sturdiness, so that it is not capable of carrying any weight of, for example, a deceased human being or animal.

The object of the invention is to obviate the drawbacks of the prior art, i.e. to provide a sturdy container which is resistant especially to moisture, in particular for interring or cremating a human or animal body therein.

In order to accomplish that object, a container of the kind mentioned in the introduction is according to the invention characterised in that the panel comprises a core of layers of paper/cardboard, wherein the core is impregnated, in particular with a resinous material, and wherein the panel comprises a paper/cardboard inner layer and a paper/cardboard outer layer, which are bonded to the core on either side thereof by means of an adhesive. Said impregnating preferably takes place by means of vapour deposition, spraying or immersion, with said vapour deposition, spraying or immersion being carried out in a direction parallel to the direction of the "cell structure" of the corrugated paper/cardboard that is used. The advantage of impregnation is not only that protection against external influences, such as moisture from the bodily fluids from the corpse or from rain is obtained, but also that the structural strength is increased. As a result, fewer layers of corrugated paper/cardboard are in principle needed for realising the required sturdiness. The impregnation agent is preferably an epoxy resin, a polyurethane resin, a polyester resin or a phenol resin.

In a preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention, the layers of paper are/cardboard of the core form a honeycomb structure.

In another preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, each layer of paper/cardboard of the core is at least substantially made up of a corrugated sublayer and a flat sublayer applied to one side thereof.

It is noted that the corrugated sublayer and the flat sublayer of a layer of paper/corrugated cardboard are bonded together by the cured impregnation agent. Prior to impregnation, an adhesive, such as a glue, may be used, which is applied to the tops of the corrugations of the corrugated sublayer so as to bond the flat sublayer thereto.

In another preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the panel comprises a base panel and side panels pivotally connected to the base panel along a longitudinal edge thereof. More in particular, the side panels can be pivoted from a flat position to a position in which they extend at an angle ( which may or may not be a right angle) to the base panel.

In another preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the outer layer is flexible, with the inner layer comprising at least two inwardly oriented edge portions, which edge portions are provided on either side of a predefined fold line so as to form walls of a groove having a substantially V-shaped cross-section, which groove extends into the core, up to the outer layer, and which edge portions adjoin the outer layer so as to form a hinge in the outer layer to enable pivoting movement of the side panels with

respect to the base panel. The fact that the inwardly oriented edge portions of the inner layer directly adjoin the outer layer achieves that only the outer layer forms a hinge, whilst no core material is present at that location. Consequently, folding of the panel, even through an acute angle, is readily possible at that location. The outer layer may be provided with a weakening at the location of the predefined fold line.

In another preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the core comprises an even number of layers of paper/cardboard. In this way a panel that is hardly deformable, if at all, is obtained. Preferably, the panel is mirror symmetrical relative to a central longitudinal plane of the panel in the flat position of the container. This leads to an increased shape stability, so that "warping" of the panel is prevented at all times.

In another preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention, the base panel forms the bottom of the container. In another preferred variant, the base panel forms the lid of the container.

As already said before, the invention also relates to a method for forming a container according to the invention, which method comprises the following steps:

d. forming layers of paper/cardboard; e. forming a core by arranging the layers of paper/cardboard one on top of the other; f . impregnating the core, in particular with a resinous material;

g. bonding a paper/cardboard inner layer and a paper/cardboard outer layer to the core on respective sides thereof by means of an adhesive; h. cutting a panel for the container from the whole of the core and the inner and outer layers; i. forming weakening lines in the panel for forming a base panel and side panels pivotally connected to the base panel along a longitudinal edge thereof.

In a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention, said forming of layers of paper/cardboard takes place by applying respective flat sublayers to one side of respective corrugated sublayers .

In another preferred variant, the core is formed in a honeycomb structure.

In another preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention, a flexible paper are/cardboard is selected for the outer layer, and a groove having a substantially V-shaped cross-section is formed on either side of a predefined fold line, which groove extends into the core, up to the outer layer, wherein at least two inwardly oriented edge portions are formed in the inner layer on either side of the groove, and wherein said edge portions adjoin the outer layer so as to form a hinge in the outer layer to enable pivoting movement of the side panels with respect to the base panel. Said grooves form the aforesaid weakening lines, as it were.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, in which

Figure 1 shows a panel in a flat position (figure Ia) for forming the present container, as well as another panel in a flat position (figure 1 b) for forming a lid for the container; - Figure 2 schematically shows the steps of the present method for forming the lid of figure 1 ;

Figures 3 and 4 show a detail of weakening lines as used in the panels of figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 5 shows the container and the lid of figure 1 in the extended position placed on one on top of the other (figure 5a) and separate from each other (figure 5b) .

In figures Ia and 5 a panel 1 is shown in a flat position (figure Ia) and in an extended position (figure 5), which panel consists of one bottom panel 2 and six side panels 3, which are pivotally connected to the bottom panel along an edge 4 thereof. The panel 1 is entirely made of paper/cardboard, as will be explained in more detail yet hereinafter. From the flat position, the six side panels 3 are pivoted to a position perpendicular to the bottom panel 2, after which adjoining side panels 3 are connected, for example glued, together. In this way a paper/cardboard container (figure 5) in the form of a coffin is obtained for interring or cremating a human or animal body therein. The container may be painted in any desired colour or pattern, if desired, for example an oak wood or beechwood pattern.

In the same way as the panel 1 of figure Ia is folded from the flat position to the extended position so as to form the container, the panel 1 ' of figure Ib is folded from a flat position (figure 1 b) to an extended position (figure 5) so as to form a lid (figure 5) for the container of figure 5. The lid fits with its edges in the container. The panel 1'

consists of a lid panel 2' and side panels 3', which are pivotally connected to the lid panel 2 ' along an edge 4 ' thereof. In this case, too, adjoining side panels 3' are attached, for example glued, together in the extended position (figure 5) .

As figures 3 and 4 show, both panels 1 and 1 ' are made up of a core 5 and layers 6,7, which are adhered, in particular glued, to the core 5 on either side thereof, thus forming a "sandwich structure". The core 5 consists of layers of paper/cardboard, each layer being formed by a corrugated sublayer 8 and a flat sublayer 9 applied to one side thereof, with the core 5 being impregnated with a resinous material, such as phenol resin. The layers 6,7 are in this case a paper/cardboard inner layer 6 and a flexible paper/cardboard outer layer 7, which, as already said before, are glued to the core 5 on either side thereof. The folding of the panels 1 and 1' takes place along weakening lines 10, which are shown in detail in figure 3. In this connection the inner layer 6 comprises two inwardly oriented edge portions 11,12 at the location of a weakening line 10 so as to form walls of a groove 13 having a substantially V-shaped cross-section. The groove 13 extends into the core 5, up to the outer layer 7. The edge portions 11,12 thus adjoin the outer layer 7, forming a hinge in the outer layer 7 to enable pivoting movement of the side panels 3 with respect to the bottom panel 2.

The method for forming the present container comprises the following steps:

forming the layers of paper/cardboard by glueing respective flat sublayers 9 to one side of respective

corrugated sublayers 8, with a glue being applied to the corrugations of the corrugated sublayer 8; forming the core 5 by glueing the layers of paper/cardboard together, with a glue again being applied to the corrugations of the corrugated sublayer 8; impregnating the core 5 with a resinous material; bonding the paper/cardboard inner layer 6 and the paper/cardboard outer layer 7 to respective sides of the core 5 by means of a glue; cutting the panel 1 from the whole of the core 5 and the inner and outer layers 6,7; forming weakening lines 10 in the panel 1 for forming the bottom panel and 2 and side panels 3 pivotally connected to the bottom panel 2 along the edge 4 thereof .

The invention is not limited to the embodiment as shown herein, but it also extends to other refer variants that fall within the scope of the appended claims.