Method of folding substantially smaller a disposable cat litter holding means

• US 8,869,744 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wallace E. Noonan
• Original Assignee: Wallace E. Noonan
• Inventors: Noonan, Wallace E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Son T
• Application Number:
  US13/374,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20120186527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 119/165, 119/168, 229/169, 229/170
• US Class Current: 119/168
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0125 Foldable or collapsible litter boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/42 Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks

Abstract

A combination structural addition for folding a disposable cat box smaller for packaging. In addition to the prior art die-cuts and fold-line creases enabling the box structures to be folded smaller for packaging, a new embodiment of fold-line creases is added comprising the combination of folding in both directions along at least one longitudinal and transversal fold-line crease across a length and width of the paperboard blank; the fold-line creases being located in the approximate center of the blank and intersecting in the approximate center of the bottom means of the blank. This new embodiment enables the folded box when combined with prior art folds to be further book folded approximately in-half in both directions along said longitudinal and transversal fold-line creases to enable the folded box to occupy a cubic area about one-tenth the area of the erected box.

Claims

1. A method of folding substantially smaller for packaging a one piece die-cut and creased paperboard blank, which can be assembled into a disposable cat litter box, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the one piece die-cut and creased paperboard blank having a bottom wall extending horizontally to bottom wall transversal fold-line creases and bottom wall longitudinal fold-line creases;

a plurality of end walls integral to the bottom wall, each end wall having an integral upper end wall member with end wall securing devices and an end wall fold-line crease scored between the end wall and the upper end wall member, wherein the bottom wall transversal fold-line creases are scored between the bottom wall and the end walls;

a plurality of side walls integral to the bottom wall, each side wall having an integral upper side wall member with side wall securing devices, a side wall fold-line crease scored between the side wall and the upper side wall member and corner end flaps with corner end flap securing devices, wherein the bottom wall longitudinal fold-line creases are scored between the bottom wall and the side walls, wherein the longitudinal fold-line creases are scored between the bottom wall and the side walls, wherein each of the corner end flaps having a corner end flap transverse fold-line crease scored between each of the corn end flap and each of the side walls;

a plurality of die-cuts between the corner end flaps and the end walls;

one or more longitudinal fold-line creases and one or more transversal fold-line creases across a length and a width of the blank approximately in a center of the blank and intersecting in the center of the blank;

then

(b) folding the plurality of end walls and the corner end flaps inwardly towards the bottom wall and along the bottom wall transversal fold-line creases to form bottom and end walls folded portions;

then

(c) folding the plurality of side walls and the upper side wall members inwardly towards the bottom wall and along the bottom wall longitudinal fold-line creases form bottom and side walls folded portions;

then

(d) folding one of the bottom and side walls folded portions inwardly along the one or more longitudinal fold-line crease towards the other one of the bottom and side walls folded portions to form a longitudinal folded portion; and

then

(e) folding the longitudinal folded portion in-half along the approximately centrally located transverse fold-line creases to form a transversal folded portion;

wherein the completely folded blank is configured to be stock onto approximately one square foot of retail shelf space, and configured to be inserted and carried in a standard supermarket size plastic shopping bag for convenient.

2. A method of folding substantially smaller for packaging a one piece die-cut and creased paperboard blank, which can be assembled into a disposable cat litter box according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the one piece die-cut and creased paperboard blank further includes the one or more transversal fold-line creases further defined by two fold-line creases disposed adjacent to one another at a distance less than one-inch apart to facilitate ease in folding the longitudinal folded portion into the transversal folded portion.