The present invention relates to an element for producing a cover, folder or box.

In particular the invention is intended for producing a cover, folder or box. Such elements are already known in the form of a sheet of, for example, rigid paper or cardboard, which may or may not be provided with grooves that allow the element to be folded into a cover for, for example, a book, a folder for binding a bundle of leaves, for example, or a box to package an object in.

In many cases such aforementioned boxes are produced as a sheet and stocked and transported in flat condition and transformed into a box as a 3D~structure by the user.

Typically such boxes contain a V-shaped groove and/or a U- shaped groove along which the sheet can be folded or bent to make the 3D-structure of the box, The aforementioned sheets are usually coated on two sides with a finishing layer which is relatively flexible and/or easy to fold.

However, a disadvantage of this is that, the sheet is only bendable in the direction of one side, i.e. the side of the sheet with the opening of the groove. If a user were to bend or fold the sheet in a direction away from the side of the sheet with the opening of the groove, the finishing layer ’would tear,

Yet another disadvantage is that such grooves can only be bent or folded over maximum 90° in the direction of the side of the sheet with the opening of the groove. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to at least one of the aforementioned and other disadvantages ,

To this end, the invention relates to an element for producing a cover, folder, wrapper or box, whereby the element contains a sheet ^‘ which is coated on two sides with a finishing layer, said sheet being provided on at least one side with a U-shaped groove with a bottom and two upstanding edges each with a free end, whereby the groove splits the sheet in two sections whereby the side of the sheet with the free ends of the groove forms the first side and the facing side is the second side, and whereby at least one weakening is applied in the bottom of the groove and in the longitudinal direction of the groove such that upon folding the sheet, to form an angle of maximum 100 degrees between the two aforementioned sections, the bottom folds along the weakening, all this, such that the distance between the free ends of the upstanding edges of the groove is maximum as big as the distance between the free edges of the upstanding edges of the groove of an unfolded sheet. An advantage of this is that the element can be folded and/or bent in the direction of the side with the free ends without thereby tearing the finishing layer with which the sheet is coated.

/Another advantage is that the element can be folded and/or bent in a direction away from the side with the free ends.

According to a preferred characteristic of the invention the element can be folded over according to the groove over an angle of maximum 180 degrees in the direction of the second side.

An advantage of this is that this offers new possibilities for folding such element to make a 3D~structure,

Another advantage of this is that the aforementioned element can be used to make more different shapes and/or obj ects,

With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of an element according to the invention is described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: figure 1 schematically show _’ s a perspective view of an element according to the invention; figure 2 shows the element of figure 1 in uncoated condition; figure 3 shows a cross-section of figure 1 according to line Ill-Ill; figure 4 shows figure 3, but in folded condition; figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of figure 1; figure 6 shows the section indicated in figure 5 by the frame F6 on a larger scale; figure 7 shows the element in figure 5, folded over according to arrow F7; figure 8a shows a box, using an element according to the invention; figure 8b shows a cover, using an element according to the invent!on;

The element 1 shown in figure 1 contains a sheet 2 which is coated on two sides 3a and 3b -with a finishing layer 4.

Preferably the sheet 2 is finished all the way around with such finishing layer 4, The aforementioned sheet 2 is provided on at least one side 3a or 3b with a U-shaped groove 5, as shown in figures 2. and 3, with a bottom 6 and two upstanding edges 7a and 7b each with a free end 8a and 8b. Preferably, the U-shaped groove 5 of an unfolded sheet 2 is executed such that the distance A between the free ends 8a and 8b is as big or practically as big as the. width B of the bottom 6 of the groove 5. The side of the sheet 2 with the free ends 8a and 8b of the groove 5 forms the first side 3a and the facing side forms the second side 3b.

The first side 3a is hereinafter referred to as the outside 3a and the second side 3b the inside 3b.

In the example of figure 2 one weakening 9 is applied in the bottom 6 of the groove 5 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the groove 5 and is such that the folded sheet 2, as shown in figure 4, deforms the bottom 6 along the weakening 9 in such a way that the distance C between the free ends 8a and 8b of the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5 is maximum as big as the distance A between the free ends 8a and 8b of the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5 of an unfolded sheet 2, as shown in figures 2 and 3.

In a preferred embodiment _;, the weakening 9 in the bottom 6 is applied such that it splits the bottom 6 in two parts 10a and 10b, one part on either side of the -weakening 9, as shown in figures 3 and 4.

Preferably, the aforementioned weakening 9 is applied in the middle of the bottom 6 of the groove 5 such that the parts 10a and 10b on either side of the weakening 9 have the same width.

The groove 5 splits the sheet 2 in two sections 2a and 2b, whereby both sections of the unfolded sheet 2 extend in each other’s extension, Upon folding the sheet 2 in a direction away from the free ends 8a and 8b of the groove 5 in the sheet 2, the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5 can move toward each other and the bottom 6 of the groove 5 can deform, whereby the finishing layer 4 on the inside 3b of the sheet 2 moves along with the parts 10a and 10b of the groove 5.

After folding the sheet 2, the folded sheet 2 contains two sections 2a and 2b, one section on either side of the groove 5, said sections 2a and 2b forming an angle of maximum 100 degrees, preferably 90 degrees, on the inside 3b of the folded sheet 2.

Upon deforming the bottom 6 of the groove 5, as shown in figure 4, preferably the aforementioned parts 10a and 10b on the inside 3b of the sheet 2 come to be adjoining and the deformed bottom 6 moves toward the outside 3a of the sheet 2.

In the folded sheet 2 the deformed bottom 6 reaches up against the outside 3a and/or the finishing layer 4 of the element .

The element 1 can be folded over across the groove 5 over an angle D of, for example, at least 90 degrees in the direction of the inside 3b.

Preferably, the element 1 can be folded over across the groove 5 over an angle D of maximum 180 degrees in the direction of the inside 3b- The element 1 can also be folded over across the groove 5 over an angle of, for example 90 degrees in the direction of the outside 3a.

The element 1 can be folded over across the groove 5 over an angle of maximum approximately 180 degrees in the direction of the outside 3a. Figure 5 snows an alternative embodiment whereby the sheet 2 is provided with two weakenings 9a and 9b in the bottom 6 of the groove 5 which extend in the longitudinal direction of the groove 5. The aforementioned _' weakenings 9a and 9b are applied, in the example shown in figure 6, close to the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5,

Close here is understood to mean that the weakenings 9a and 9b are applied at maximum 2 mm and even more preferably at maximum 1 mm from the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5.

It is not excluded that the weakenings 9a and 9b are applied half a millimetre or less from the upstanding edges

7a and 7b or that the 'weakenings 9a and 9b are applied against the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5.

Upon folding the sheet 2 in the direction of the free ends 8a and 8b of the groove 5 in the sheet 2, as shown in figure 7, the upstanding edges 7a and 7b of the groove 5 can move toward each other and the bottom 6 of the groove 5 can come loose from the folded sheet.2 along the weakenings 9a and 9b. Preferably, the folded sheet 2 is provided with two or more grooves 5. The number of grooves 5 and their location depends on the object or product that is to be produced with the element 1. The weakening or weakenings can be formed by successive perforations and/or incisions and/or the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the perforations and/or incisions and/or the like are equidistant from each other.

Preferably, the folded sheet 2 is made of a rigid material such as a rigid paper and/or cardboard and/or synthetic material and/or the like. Rigid here is understood to mean that, the folded sheet 2 cannot bend or fold unintentionally.

It is not excluded that the folded sheet 2 is produced from a synthetic material. The aforementioned weakening or weakenings can then be realised using a living hinge.

In a practical embodiment, preferably, the width B of the bottom 6 of the groove 5 is at least twice as wide as the thickness F of the sheet 2 in which the groove 5 is applied. Consequently, the element I can be folded or bent over 180 degrees, whereby the finishing layer 4 on the visible side of the folded or bent over element 1 remains or is applied tightly and/or neatly to the sheet.

Preferably, the finishing layer 4 is a decorative paper and/or a printed paper and/or a laminated paper and/or a fabric and/or the like. Preferably, the aforementioned finishing layer 4 is applied to the sheet 2 by glueing by means of glue and/or hotmelt adhesive and/or the like.

As shown in figures 8a and 8b, the element. 1 can be used for producing a cover 11, folder, wrapper or box 12.

By folding and/or bending over the aforementioned element 1, a user can obtain a box 12 or the like. The folds can be realised very neatly and/or tightly.

Characteristic of the invention is that upon folding and/or bending over the element 1, the finishing layer 4 remains intact and the risk of tearing and/or breaking is minimal.

In other words, the finishing layer 4 around the folded sheet 2 is intact.

The grooves 5 in the element 1 allow the element 1 to be folded and/or bent 180° such that more different 3D-ofojects or shapes can be realised. However, it is not necessary that the first side 3a forms the outside 3a and the second side 3b forms the inside 3b of the formed cover, box, wrapper and/or folder. It can also be the other way around, depending on the direction in which the element 1 is folded or deformed.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described as an example and shown in the figures, however, such an element can be realised according to different variants, without departing from the scope of the invention.