NL2035855B1

NL2035855B1 - Expandable container, in particular for waste

Info

Publication number: NL2035855B1
Application number: NL2035855A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Alexander Webb Ian
Original assignee: Hygienius Intellectual Property B V
Priority date: 2023-09-22
Filing date: 2023-09-22
Publication date: 2025-03-28
Also published as: WO2025062041A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a collapsed expandable container (10) which is expandable and comprises: - an outer part (12) from an outer sheet material, the outer part comprising a front and rear wall and a left and right side wall, - a liner (16) provided inside the outer part, wherein the liner is made from an inner sheet material which is liquid tight, wherein the liner comprises a liner bottom portion (37), a liner front portion (38) and a liner rear portion (39), 10 Wherein the collapsed expandable container can be expanded by pushing a left and a right edge toward one another, wherein during the expansion: - the front and rear wall become convex, and - the left and right side wall become concave, and - the liner bottom portion unfolds. 15

Description

P36130NLOO/WHA

Title: Expandable container, in particular for waste

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a collapsed expandable container, in particular for waste.

Such containers are known.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

WO2018135945A1 of the present applicant discloses a single use expandable waste container in different embodiments. It was recognized in the present invention that a drawback of at least some of these embodiments is that the expansion from the collapsed state into the expanded state is not as easy to ‘pop open’, as one should like. It was recognized that this is caused by the multiple layers of sheet material which are folded over one another in the region where the left wall meets the bottom wall and where the right wall meets the bottom wall. In this area, four layers of material are folded over one another.

However, it was found that this problem is quite difficult to solve because these folds are intentionally created to make the container liquid tight. The folds also make the bottom region somewhat bulky.

A further disadvantage of this container was recognized, namely that despite the multiple folded layers which are designed to prevent leakage, sometimes a leak may still occur. It was found that the deeper and better the creases are, the higher the chance of leakage.

US9758275B2 (Fitzwater) discloses a container which is made from sheet material such as paperboard. A bag is attached to the blank from which the container is made. The bag protrudes from the upper end of the container. The bag can be made from non-permeable material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

A drawback of the container of US9758275B2 is that the overall production process requires three separate sub-processes, namely a sub-process for manufacturing the container and a sub-process for manufacturing the bag and then to connect these two in third process.

Typically, a separate machine will be required for each sub-process.

US2007/0151888A1 (Bossel et al.) discloses another container which can be expanded from a collapsed state. The container has a liner bag that is connected to the outer liner carton.

The bag and the outer liner are two different structures require two different production processes and then a third process to join these together. Furthermore, the container of

US2007/0151888A1 has the same disadvantage as the container of US9758275B2.

Both Fitzwater and Bossel are designed to rigidise a bag with a card sleeve and base (Fitzwater) as a packaged goods container for hand held snacks and potentially drinks.

Neither have a re-close/reseal capability. It was recognized in the present invention that such a function is advantageous for waste. A re-close/reseal capability prevents spillage during transfer to any waste disposal and also reduces a potential cloud of infection caused by aerosolling of germs, pathogens and foul odours from waste such as urine or vomit.

US2007/0151888A1 has a sealed packaging pouch as an inner liner. This enables it to store food. It is not useful as a container where the user itself can add food, material or waste.

WO2018135945A1, US2007/0151888A1 and US9758275B2 could be useful for packaging (food)stuff, especially dry or pasty, non-liquid materials, but are less useful to be used as a closeable container to store product or store waste before disposal. The outer liners of

US2007/0151888A1 and US9758275B2 do not extend to the top of the container, which does not enable a capacity for closing off the container by pushing the outer liner edges towards each other.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsed, expandable container, in particular for waste, which can be expanded from a collapsed state into an expanded state with relative ease, and which is liquid tight.

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsed, expandable container, in particular for waste, which can be produced in a relatively simple production process, allowing relatively low complexity and highspeed production.

It is an objective of this invention to provide for a packaging container whereby the user can add material or waste into the container for later use or disposal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

At least one of the objects is achieved with a collapsed expandable container, in particular for waste, which is expandable from the collapsed state to an expanded state, the collapsed expandable container comprising: — an outer part made of an outer sheet material, in particular paperboard, the outer part comprising: o a front wall part comprising a left front wall part, a central front wall part configured to form a front wall of the expanded container, and a right front wall part, o arear wall part, comprising a left rear wall part, a central rear wall part configured to form a rear wall of the expanded container, and a right rear wall part, wherein the left front wall part and the left rear wall part are connected to one another and are folded onto each other about a left fold line, wherein the left fold line forms a left edge of the collapsed expandable container, wherein the right front wall part and the right rear wall part are connected to one another via a right fold line and are folded onto each other, wherein the right fold line forms a right edge of the collapsed expandable container, wherein the central front wall part and central rear wall part have a waist, wherein a lower part and an upper part of the central front wall part and central rear wall part have a greater width than the width of the waist, and wherein: o the left front wall part and the central front wall part are connected to one another via a left front fold line configured to form a left front edge of the expanded container, o the right front wall part and the central front wall part are connected to one another via a right front fold line configured to form a right front edge of the expanded container, o the left rear wall part and the central rear wall part are connected to one another via a left rear fold line configured to form a left rear edge of the expanded container, o the right rear wall part and the central rear wall part are connected to one another via a right rear fold line configured to form a right rear edge of the expanded container, — aliner provided inside the outer part, wherein the liner is made from an inner sheet material which is liquid tight,

wherein the collapsed expandable container can be expanded by pushing the left and right edge toward one another.

Advantageously, the collapsed expandable container is liquid-tight.

In some embodiments, the liner comprises a liner bottom portion, a liner front portion and a liner rear portion, wherein the liner front portion comprises a left front side region and a right front side region, wherein the liner rear portion comprises a left rear side region and a right rear side region, wherein at least a part of the front and rear left side regions are connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and wherein at least a part of the front and right rear side regions are connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and in particular form liquid tight left and right seams which are folded onto respectively the left and right rear wall parts.

The collapsed expandable container can be made in a single straightforward production process. There is no need for a separate sub-process for making a liner bag which simplifies the production process and allows a relatively high throughput.

The liner can be made directly connected to the outer sheet material and only forms a bag- shape when popping up the product itself. This can be done in one, simple, production process and produces a simple, yet effective design that is easy to “pop-up” and is watertight.

During this single production process, the liner and the outer part are connected, and an expandable and liquid-tight container is formed that can be readily expanded.

In some embodiments, at least a part of the front and rear left side regions are folded between two layers of outer sheet material and connected with adhesive to these two layers, and wherein at least a part of the front and rear right side regions of the liner are folded between two layers of outer sheet material and connected with adhesive to these two layers.

This is an effective way to make liquid tight seams along the left and right sides of the liner.

In some embodiments, the liner bottom portion comprises a liner front bottom portion and a liner rear bottom portion, which are folded onto each other about a liner bottom fold line, which may be located centrally and consequently be a central liner bottom fold line. The fold may be inward.

In some embodiments, during the expansion:

— a lower portion and middle portion of the front and rear wall become convex and an upper portion becomes concave, and — the left and right wall are formed and a lower portion and middle portion of the left and right wall become concave and an upper portion becomes convex, and 5 — the liner bottom portion unfolds.

In some embodiments, the liner front portion comprises a left front side region and a right front side region, wherein the liner rear portion comprises a left rear side region and a right rear side region, wherein the left front and rear side regions are folded onto one another and connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and wherein the right front and rear side regions are folded onto one another and connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and in particular form liquid tight seams.

In some embodiments, the liner forms a liquid tight bag inside the outer part.

In some embodiments, one of the rear wall part and front wall part is wider than the other, wherein the wider part comprises a left side flap and a right side flap which are folded about respectively a left flap fold line and a right flap fold line over respectively the left wall part and right wall part of the other of the rear wall part and front wall part and are connected to that part, in particular via adhesive. The left side flap and right side flap are folded and connected to the left and right wall parts to form the outer part of the expandable container and this connection is advantageously also used to form the liquid tight liner.

In some embodiments, at least a part of the front and rear left side regions of the liner are folded between the left side flap and the left wall part to which the left side flap is attached, and the front and rear right side regions of the liner are folded between the right side flap and the right wall part to which the right side flap is attached.

In some embodiments, a lower part of the liner is folded into an inner W-shape which comprises a left W-shaped portion and a right W-shaped portion and a central W-shaped portion, wherein the left and right W-shaped portion of the inner W-shape are folded between the left side flap of the rear wall part or the front wall part and the left wall part of the other of the rear wall part and front wall part and onto folded the central W-portion, and wherein the right portion of the inner W-shape is folded between the right side flap of the rear wall part or the front wall part and the right wall part of the other of the rear wall part and the front wall part onto the central W-shaped portion, in particular resulting in a left and right overlap region having eight layers of liner in a bottom section thereof.

In some embodiments, the shape of the left and right flap substantially corresponds to the shape of the left wall part and right wall part to which they are attached.

In some embodiments, the liner is not visible from the outside.

In some embodiments, the collapsed expandable container has an openable part at an upper end which is open.

In some embodiments, the collapsed expandable container has a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall part or an openable wall portion configured to be opened into a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall part.

In some embodiments, after expansion the container is a single-use container.

In some embodiments, the left front fold line, the right front fold line, the left rear fold line and the right rear fold line are smooth and arcuate.

In some embodiments, the collapsed expandable container has a super absorbent polymer (SAP) pad inside.

The SAP pad may have a waist. The SAP pad with the waist can also be used in other types of containers and can be regarded as an independent invention.

In some embodiments, during the expansion the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall each become curved in a respective single plane of curvature.

Bottom wall of outer part

In some embodiments, the collapsed expandable container comprises a bottom wall part comprising a front bottom wall part and a rear bottom wall part which are folded onto each other in an inward direction about a central bottom fold line, wherein the bottom wall part is connected to the front wall part via a front bottom fold line and to the rear wall part via a rear bottom fold line, wherein the central bottom fold line extends parallel to the front and rear bottom fold line, wherein during the expansion the bottom wall part unfolds, in particular into a base on which the container can stand.

In some embodiments, the front wall part, the rear wall part and the bottom wall part are folded into an outer W-shape, which is interlocked with the inner W-shape .

In some embodiments, the outer part is made from a single, integral blank, wherein the front wall part and the rear wall part are integral with the bottom wall part, the front wall being connected to the bottom wall via a front bottom fold line and the rear wall being connected to the bottom wall via a rear bottom fold line.

In some embodiments, the front bottom wall part and the rear bottom wall part are integral with each other.

In some embodiments, in the expansion process, the bottom portion of the liner is configured to be unfolded together with the unfolding of the bottom wall.

In some embodiments, the bottom wall part is configured to unfold into a square or rectangular base, in particular a flat base.

Holes in bottom wall part

In some embodiments, the bottom wall part comprises a left and right bottom wall part which are positioned respectively on the left and right side of the front and rear bottom wall part, wherein the left and right bottom outer wall part each have a hole and wherein the holes are covered by the inner liner.

In some embodiments, the front and rear bottom outer wall part and the left and right bottom wall part are integral with each other.

Lower corners

In some embodiments, corners of the bottom wall part are located at a distance inward from an outer edge of the outer blank from which the collapsed, expandable container and the expanded container are made.

In some embodiments, the liner covers four locations in the outer part which form the four bottom corners of the expanded container, and in particular also the direct surrounding of the corner locations.

Base cutaway

In some embodiments, the bottom wall part has a smaller width than the front wall part and the rear wall part and is only connected via the front bottom line to the central front wall part and via the rear bottom fold line to the central rear wall part, wherein the bottom wall part comprises two sides which are not connected to any other panel and which form an outer edge of the outer blank.

Recyclable expandable container

In some embodiments, the front wall and rear wall comprise a connector located below an upper portion of the outer part, wherein the liner forms a liner bag which is connected to the upper portion, wherein the connector is disconnectable, allowing a user to disconnect the upper portion together with the inner liner bag from the remainder of the outer part.

Advantageously, the inner liner bag with contents can be removed from the remainder of the outer part. This allows separate recycling of the outer part.

The connector may be tear strip, a rupture line, a zipper or a relatively weak wall portion.

Preferably the connector is a tear strip. Tearing the tear strip loose disconnects the upper portion and the liner bag including any contents from the remainder of the outer part of the collapsed expandable container.

In some embodiments, the connector extends from left to right over the front wall and rear wall

In some embodiments, the liner comprises left and right seams, wherein: a) the left and right seams are inverted, or b) the left and right seams are folded inward about a seam fold line onto a more central portion of the liner and connected with adhesive to the more central portion of the liner.

Both variants have the advantage that the seams are not attached to the outer part, allowing removal and separate recycling of the inner liner bag.

In some embodiments, left and right side flaps are folded onto the seams and onto the left and right rear wall part and are connected with adhesive to the left and right rear wall part but are not connected to the left and right side flaps. This has the advantage that the seams are not connected to the outer part or only with weak connections.

In some embodiments, adhesive is applied along opposite ends of the liner and end flaps of the outer blank are folded over the ends of the liner to connect the liner to the outer blank.

Advantageously, a form connection between the liner bag and the outer part formed from the outer blank is obtained.

In some embodiments, the liner bag is not connected to the outer part or only connected to the outer part with weak connections which can be torn loose by a user, except at an upper portion of the outer part where the liner bag is firmly connected to the outer part. This allows separate recycling of the inner liner bag.

EXPANDED CONTAINER

The present invention further relates to an expanded container, in particular for waste, the expanded container comprising: — an outer part made of the outer sheet material, in particular paperboard, the outer part comprising a front wall, a rear wall a left wall and a right wall, and wherein: o the front wall and the left wall part are connected to one another via a left front fold line which forms a left front edge of the expanded container, o the right wall and the front wall are connected to one another via a right front fold line which forms a right front edge of the expanded container, o the left wall and the rear wall are connected to one another via a left rear fold line which forms a left rear edge of the expanded container, o the right wall and the rear wall are connected to one another via a right rear fold line forming a right rear edge of the expanded container, — aliner provided inside the outer part, wherein the liner is made from an inner sheet material which is liquid tight, the expanded container being formed from the collapsed expandable container of any of the preceding claims by pushing the left and right side edges inward and unfolding the liner bottom portion about the central liner bottom fold line, wherein a lower portion and middle portion of the front and rear wall are convex and an upper portion is concave, and a lower portion and middle portion of the left and right wall are concave and an upper portion is convex.

The expanded container has the same advantages as the collapsed expandable container.

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the liner comprises a liner bottom portion.

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the liner comprises at least a liner front portion and a liner rear portion, wherein the liner front portion comprises a left front side region and a right front side region, wherein the liner rear portion comprises a left rear side region and a right rear side region, wherein the left front and rear side regions are folded onto one another and connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and wherein the right front and rear side regions are folded onto one another and connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and in particular form liquid left and right tight seams which are folded onto respectively the left and right rear wall parts.

In some embodiments, at least a part of the left wall and the right wall each comprise two layers of outer sheet material, which two layers are connected to one another via adhesive,

wherein two layers of liner are interposed between the two layers of outer sheet material, the two layers of liner being connected with adhesive to one another and to the two layers of outer sheet material .

In some embodiments, a lower left part of the liner and a lower right part of the liner are folded into respectively a left W-shaped portion and a right W-shaped portion and a central

W-shaped portion, wherein the left and right W-shaped portion of the inner W-shape are folded between the two layers on the left side and the two layers on the right side, in particular resulting in a left and right overlap region having eight layers of liner in a bottom section thereof.

In some embodiments, the expanded container comprises a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall part or an openable wall portion configured to be opened into a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall part.

In some embodiments, the expanded container is a single-use container.

In some embodiments, the expanded container has a super absorbent polymer pad inside.

In some embodiments, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall are each curved in a respective single plane of curvature.

In some embodiments, the liner is not visible from the outside.

In some embodiments, the expanded container has an openable part at an upper end which is open or openable.

In some embodiments, the liner covers the bottom wall.

In some embodiments, the left front edge, the right front edge, the left rear edge and the right rear edge have a smooth arcuate shape, without any sharp bends.

In some embodiments, the front wall and rear wall of the expanded container have a waist and wherein a width of the left wall and the right wall increases when travelling upward, reaches a maximum at or near the waist of the front wall and rear wall and decreases when travelling further upward.

In some embodiments, the expanded container the front wall and rear wall meet at an upper end of the expanded container.

In some embodiments, the liner forms a liquid tight bag inside the outer part.

Expanded container - Integral outer part

In some embodiments, the bottom wall which has a square or rectangular shape.

Expanded container - Holes in bottom wall part

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the bottom wall comprises a left and right bottom wall part, wherein the left and right bottom wall part section each have a hole and wherein the holes are covered by the liner.

Expanded container - Base cutaway

In some embodiments, the bottom wall is only connected via the front bottom line to the central front wall part and via the rear bottom fold line to the central rear wall part, wherein the bottom wall part comprises two sides which are not connected to the left and right walls.

Expanded container - Base patch

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the liner covers only a lower region of the front wall and the rear wall and in particular covers less than twenty percent of the front wall and less than twenty of the rear wall. This reduces the thickness and makes the folding of the side flaps easier. In combination with the holes in the left and right bottom wall part this is an efficient way to prevent leakage through the holes.

Expanded container - Split body

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the outer part is made from two separate pieces of sheet material, wherein the outer part does not comprise a bottom wall part.

Expanded container — recycling

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the front wall and rear wall comprise a connector located below an upper portion of the outer part, wherein the liner forms a liner bag which is connected to the upper portion, wherein the connector is disconnectable, allowing a user to disconnect the upper portion together with the inner liner bag from the remainder of the outer part. Advantageously, the inner liner bag with contents can be removed from the remainder of the outer part. This allows separate recycling of the outer part.

In some embodiments, the connector extends from left to right over the front wall and rear wall.

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the liner comprises left and right seams, wherein: — the left and right seams are inverted, or — the left and right seams are folded inward about a seam fold line onto a more central portion of the liner and connected with adhesive to the more central portion of the liner.

In some embodiments of the expanded container, adhesive is applied along opposite ends of the liner and end flaps of the outer blank are folded over the ends of the liner to connect the liner to the outer blank.

In some embodiments of the expanded container, the liner bag is not connected to the outer part or only connected to the outer part with weak connections which can be torn loose by a user, except at an upper portion where the liner bag is firmly connected to the outer part.

In some embodiments of the expanded container, left and right side flaps are folded onto the seams and onto the left and right rear wall part and are connected with adhesive to the left and right rear wall part but are not connected to the left and right side flaps.

The expanded container may be single-use and disposable. The expanded container may from cardboard.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing the collapsed expandable container, the method comprising: a) cutting an outer blank from outer sheet material, and b) bringing the liner and outer blank in contact with one another, thereby forming a blank assembly, wherein the liner contacts the inside of the outer blank, c) folding the blank assembly, wherein the liner and outer blank are folded together.

In some embodiments, the liner and outer blank are brought in contact with one another before a liquid tight bag is made from the liner. This allows an integrated production method.

In some embodiments, the liner is attached to the outer blank before the outer blank is folded.

In some embodiments, the liner is attached to the outer blank before a liquid tight bag is made from the liner.

In some embodiment, step b) comprises positioning the blank in an unfolded state with an inner side facing up and positioning the liner on top of the outer blank.

In some embodiments, the liner is formed into a liquid tight bag during the forming of the outer part.

In some embodiments, the liner is formed into a liquid tight bag by applying adhesive along a left front side region and/or left rear side region and along a right front side region and/or a right rear side region of the liner and folding the liner front portion onto the liner rear portion about a central liner bottom fold line together with the folding of the outer blank.

In some embodiments, the liner bottom portion comprises a liner front bottom portion and a liner rear bottom portion, which are folded onto each other in an inward direction, forming an inner W-shape which comprises a left W-shaped portion and a right W-shaped portion and a central W-shaped portion, wherein the left and right W-shaped portion of the inner W-shape are folded onto the central W-portion, wherein the left W-shaped portion of the inner W-shape is folded between a left side flap of the rear wall part or the front wall part and the left wall part of the other of the rear wall part and front wall part, and wherein the right portion of the inner

W-shape is folded between the right side flap of the rear wall part or the front wall part and the right wall part of the other of the rear wall part and the front wall, in particular resulting in a left and right overlap region having eight layers of liner in a bottom section thereof.

In some embodiments of the method, the outer blank comprises:

— the front wall part comprising the central front wall part and the left and right front wall parts, and — the rear wall part comprising the central rear wall part and the left and right side rear wall parts, — the bottom wall part,

In some embodiments of the method, the bottom part is folded onto itself over a central bottom fold line which is folded inwards, and wherein the front part and the rear part are folded onto each other about the front bottom fold line and the rear bottom fold line, thereby forming an outer W-shape and wherein the first and second W-shape are folded in an interlocked manner.

In some embodiments of the method, the adhesive is applied in strips along at least a left side region and a right side region, in particular along the full length thereof.

In some embodiments, the liquid tight bag is removable as a liquid tight bag, in particular including its contents. This may improve the recycling of the expanded container after use.

The outer part made of outer sheet material may be recycled in a separate bin or stream than the bag including its contents.

In some embodiments of the method, the left and right seams are formed by connecting the front and rear left side region to one another and by connecting the front and rear right side region to one another, wherein: a) the left and right seams are inverted by folding the left and right side regions inward prior to connecting the front and rear side regions to one another, or b) the left and right seams are folded inward about a seam fold line and connected with adhesive to a more central portion of the liner.

In some embodiments of the method, the liner is not connected to the outer part or only connected to the outer part with weak connections which can be torn loose by a user, except at opposite ends where the liner is firmly connected to the outer part. This allows easy removal of the liner bag with contents.

In some embodiments of the method, left and right side flaps are folded onto the seams and onto the left and right rear wall part and are connected with adhesive to the left and right rear wall part but are not connected to the left and right side flaps. In this way the liner bag is not connected to the outer part in a way which would prevent removal of the liner bag.

In some embodiments of the method, a first end of the liner is connected to an upper portion of the front wall part and a second, opposite end of the liner is connected to an upper portion of the rear wall part. The liner bag is advantageously connected to the upper portion which allows effective removal of the liner bag plus contents.

In some embodiments of the method, adhesive is applied along opposite ends of the liner and end flaps of the outer blank are folded over the ends of the liner to connect the liner to the outer blank.

RECYCLABLE CONTAINER

The container with the extra connector and liner bag as described above is considered an independent invention.

Therefore in an independent aspect the invention relates to a container, comprising: — an outer part comprising e side walls, e an upper portion, the upper portion comprising an opening or an openable part which allows a user to put something in the container, and e a connector, wherein the upper portion is connected to the side walls via the connector, — aliner bag located within the outer part and being attached to the upper portion of the outer part, wherein the connector is disconnectable, allowing a user to disconnect the upper portion together with the inner liner bag from the side walls.

The container can have multiple forms other than the specific form disclosed in the figures.

The container can for instance be square or rectangular when seen in top view. The side walls can be straight or curved. The container can be tapered or not. Various shapes are possible.

In some embodiments, the connector is a tear strip, a rupture line, a zipper or a relatively weak wall portion. Although a tear strip is preferred, each of these solutions would work.

In some embodiments, the connector extends around a circumference of the outer part. This allows complete disconnecting.

In some embodiments, the connector is located directly below the upper portion. IN this way a large portion of the outer part can be recycled.

In some embodiments, the container is collapsed and expandable. This allows efficient storage prior to use.

In some embodiments, the outer part is manufactured from sheet material, in particular cardboard. This improves the recycling capability.

In some embodiments, the liner bag is manufactured of liquid tight sheet material. This allows liquids to be stored in the container. In case dry waste or other dry materials need to be stored, another type of liner material may be used.

In some embodiments, the container may comprise a base on which the container can stand.

In some embodiments, the inner liner bag comprises a circumferential edge (213) which defines a liner opening wherein the circumferential edge is connected circumferentially to the upper portion. Anything that is put in the container via the opening or openable part enters the liner bag.

In some embodiments, the container is a single use container. However, the invention may also be used for containers for multiple use. The outer part may be reusable and the upper portion plus inner part may be a consumable which can be exchanged once full.

In some embodiments, the container is disposable.

In some embodiments, the side walls are formed by a single circumferential wall. The circumferential wall may be integral.

In some embodiments, wherein the liner bag is not connected to the outer part or only connected to the outer part with weak connections which can be torn loose by a user, except at an upper portion of the outer part where the liner bag is firmly connected to the outer part.

This facilitates easy removal of the upper portion plus liner bag.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below listed figures. It is within the scope of the present disclosure that the above-discussed aspects be provided both individually and in various combinations.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and other aspects of the invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description and considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols designate like parts.

According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.

Figures 1A, 1B and 1C show respectively an isometric view, a front view and a side view of an embodiment of the expanded container with a closed upper end.

Fig. 1D shows an isometric view of the bottom side of the expanded container.

Fig. 1E shows an isometric view of the expanded container.

Figures 1F, 1G and 1H show respectively an isometric view, a front view and a side view of an embodiment of the expanded container with an open upper end.

Figures 11 and 1J show isometric views of the collapsed expandable container from respectively the front side and rear side.

Fig. 2 shows a blank assembly according to the invention from the outside.

Fig. 3 shows a blank assembly according to the invention from the inside.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a detail of a blank assembly according to the invention.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 shows steps in the manufacturing process of the collapsed expandable container.

Fig. 11 shows a detail of a blank assembly of another embodiment according to the invention.

Fig. 12 shows a blank assembly according of another embodiment to the invention from the outside.

Fig. 13 shows a blank assembly according of another embodiment to the invention from the inside.

Fig. 14 shows an isometric view of another embodiment of the collapsed expandable container.

Fig. 15 shows an isometric view of the bottom side of the embodiment of figs. 11-14.

Figs. 16 and 17 shows isometric views of the expanded container of the embodiment of figs. 11-15.

Figs. 18 - 25 show views of another embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 26-33 show yet another embodiment of the invention.

Figures 34, 35 and 36 show another embodiment of the invention.

Figures 37 and 38 show a closure of the expanded container.

Figures 39, 40 and 41 show another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 42 shows a top view of outer blanks of further embodiments.

Figures 43-55F show different views of a further embodiment and a manufacturing process for the embodiment.

Figures 56-68 show different views of yet a further embodiment and its manufacturing process.

Figures 69-71 shows the outer blank, liner and SAP of again a further embodiment.

Figures 72-74 shows the outer blank, liner and SAP of again a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention relates to a collapsed expandable container 10 which is expandable into an expanded container 100. Figures 1A-1H show the expanded container 100 and figures 11-1J show the collapsed expandable container 10.

The expanded container 100 comprises an outer part 12 made of an outer blank 13 of outer sheet material, in particular paperboard. The expanded container 100 has a front wall 122, a rear wall 126, a left wall 121 and a right wall 123. A lower portion 300 and middle portion 301 of the front and rear wall 122, 126 are convex and an upper portion 302 are concave. A lower portion 304 and middle portion 305 of the left and right wall 121, 123 is concave and an upper portion 308 is convex. The expanded container 100 has a square base 310. The base may also be rectangular. The expanded container 100 has an openable part 410 at an upper end which may be openable to create an opening 411. The expanded container has four corners 170,171,172, 173.

The front wall and the left wall are connected to one another via a left front fold line which forms a left front edge 220 of the expanded container. The right wall and the front wall are connected to one another via a right front fold line which forms a right front edge 221 of the expanded container. The left wall and the rear wall are connected to one another via a left rear fold line which forms a left rear edge 222 of the expanded container. The right wall and the rear wall are connected to one another via a right rear fold line forming a right rear edge 223 of the expanded container. The left front edge 220, right front edge 221, left rear edge 222 and right rear edge 223 have a smooth arcuate shape, without any sharp bends. At the upper left side 250 of the container, the left wall becomes narrower and the left front and rear edge converge. At the upper right side 251 of the container, the right wall becomes narrower and the right front and rear edge converge.

The expanded container 100 has a liner on the inside. In this embodiment, the liner is not visible from the outside.

Turning to figures 11 and 1J, the collapsed expandable container 10 is shown, which can be expanded into the expanded container 100 by pushing the left and right edge 110, 111 toward one another.

Returning to figures 1A-1H, during the expansion the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall each become curved in a respective single plane of curvature. The skilled person will understand that with paperboard, some irregularities in the shape of the walls may occur in practice. During the expansion: — a lower portion 300 and middle portion 301 of the front and rear wall 122, 126 become convex and an upper portion 302 becomes concave, and — a lower portion 304 and middle portion 305 of the left and right wall 121, 123 are formed and become concave and an upper portion 306 becomes convex, and — the liner bottom portion unfolds.

The expansion process results in the expanded container 100, in particular for single-use.

The expanded container is used for waste and may be a urinal. To this end, the collapsed expandable container may have a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall part or an openable wall portion configured to be opened into a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall part. In the expanded container the urine opening can then be used to urine through. The expanded container may also have different uses, such as for packaging.

In this embodiment, the collapsed expandable container has an openable part 410 at an upper end 410 which is openable to create an opening 411. The upper end functions like a purse in the sense that the front and rear wall are biased to push the openable part 410 into a closed state. The user can open the openable part by pushing upper left and right sides 250, 251 of the container toward one another see the arrows F in fig. 1F. In the open state the front and rear wall are curved in two planes of curvature, at least at an upper area thereof. In another embodiment there may be an opening which is open by itself instead of an openable part.

Returning to figures 11 and 1J, the collapsed expandable container 10 (also called the collapsed container) comprises an outer part 12 made of an outer blank 13 which is cut from an outer sheet material 14, in particular paperboard. The collapsed container further comprises a liner 16 provided inside the outer part. The liner is made from an inner sheet material which is liquid tight.

The outer part 12 of the collapsed container comprises: o a front wall part 20 comprising a left front wall part 21, a central front wall part 22 configured to form a front wall 122 of the expanded container, and a right front wall part 23, and o a rear wall part 24, comprising a left rear wall part 25, a central rear wall part 26 configured to form a rear wall 126 of the expanded container, and a right rear wall part 27.

The left front wall part 21 and the left rear wall 25 part are connected to one another via a left fold line 108 and are folded onto each other, wherein the left fold line forms a left edge 110 of the collapsed expandable container. The right front wall part 23 and the right rear wall part 27 are connected to one another via a right fold line 109 and are folded onto each other, wherein the right fold line forms a right edge 111 of the collapsed expandable container,

The central front wall part 22 and central rear wall 26 part have a waist 32, wherein a lower part 33 and an upper part 34 of the central front wall part and central rear wall part have a greater width W2, W3 than the width W1 of the waist 32.

The left front wall part 21 and the central front wall part 22 are connected to one another via a left front fold line 40 configured to form a left front edge 220 of the expanded container 100.

The right front wall part 23 and the central front wall part 22 are connected to one another via aright front fold line 41 configured to form a right front edge 221 of the expanded container 100. The left rear wall part 25 and the central rear wall part 26 are connected to one another via a left rear fold line 42 configured to form a left rear edge 222 of the expanded container.

The right rear wall part 27 and the central rear wall part 26 are connected to one another via a right rear fold line 43 configured to form a right rear edge 223 of the expanded container.

The left front fold line 40, the right front fold line 41, the left rear fold line 42 and the right rear fold line 43 are smooth and arcuate. The left and right front fold lines 40, 41 are crease lines.

The left and right rear fold lines 42, 43 are crease lines. They are located adjacent the edges 142, 143 of the flaps 52, 51 which lie over the left and right rear wall parts 27, 25 and are connected thereto. Triple crease lines 230 and a double transverse crease line 231 are provided on respectively the front and rear wall parts 20, 24 to allow folding over of an upper portion 232 in order to close the expanded container. See also figs. 37 and 38 and the description thereof.

As is shown in figures 2 and 3, the collapsed expandable container 10 is manufactured by cutting an outer blank 13 from the outer sheet material and attaching the liner 18 to the inside of the outer blank, thereby forming a blank assembly 180. The liner 16 comprises a liner bottom portion 37, a liner front portion 38 and a liner rear portion 39.

In the embodiment of figs. 1-4, the outer part 12 is made from a single, integral blank. The front wall part 20 and the rear wall part 24 are integral with a bottom wall part 60, the front wall being connected to the bottom wall via a front bottom fold line 84 and the rear wall being connected to the bottom wall via a rear bottom fold line 63..

The liner 16 is attached to the outer blank before a liquid tight bag is made from the liner. The liner is formed into a liquid tight bag during the forming of the outer part. The liner 16 may be attached to the outer blank 13 before the outer blank is folded.

A super absorbent polymer (SAP) pad 35 is positioned on the liner in order to end up inside the collapsed container.

One of the rear wall part 24 and front wall part 20 is wider than the other, wherein the wider part, in this case the front wall part 20, comprises a left side flap 51 and a right side flap 52.

The shape of the left and right flap 51, 52 substantially corresponds to the shape of the rear left wall part 25 and rear right wall part 27 to which they are attached.

Turning to fig. 4, the collapsed expandable container 10 comprises a bottom wall part 60 comprising a front bottom wall part 61 and a rear bottom wall part 62 which are folded onto each other in an inward direction about a central bottom fold line 63. The bottom wall part is connected to the front wall part via a front bottom fold line 64 and to the rear wall part via a rear bottom fold line 85. The central bottom fold line 83 extends parallel to the front and rear bottom fold line 64, 65. During the expansion the bottom wall part 60 unfolds, in particular into a base on which the container can stand. The base is square or rectangular. The front bottom wall part 61 and the rear bottom wall part 62 are integral with each other.

The bottom wall part 60 comprises a left and right bottom wall part 66, 67 which are positioned respectively on the left and right side of the front and rear bottom wall part 61,62.

The front and rear bottom wall part 61, 62 and the left and right bottom wall part 66, 67 are integral with each other. The left and right bottom wall part each have a hole 88. The holes are covered by the liner. The holes improve the expansion process, because in the areas of the holes, the outer blank needs to deform significantly to allow expansion, and this creates resistance. By removing material there, there is less resistance.

The liner rear portion 39 is wider than the rear wall part 24. A left rear side region 81 and a right rear side region 83 of the liner are defined which extend beyond the rear wall part 24.

Turning to figure 5, four corner locations 70, 71, 72, 73 of the bottom wall part 60 are located at a distance A inward from an outer edge 75 of the outer blank 13 from which the collapsed, expandable container is made.

Turning to figures 6, 7 and 8, the liner 16 is formed into a liquid tight bag by applying adhesive 79 along a left front side region 80 and/or left rear side region 81 and along a right front side region 82 and/or a right rear side region 83 of the liner. The adhesive is applied in strips and extends along the full length of the left side and right side of the liner 16.

Turning to figs. 7 and 8, adhesive is also applied along opposite ends 85 of the liner and end flaps 86 of the outer blank 13 are folded over the ends 85 of the liner to connect the liner to the outer blank 13.

Subsequently, the liner front portion 38 is folded onto the liner rear portion 39 about a central liner bottom fold line together with the folding of the outer blank.

Turning to figures 9 and 10, the front and rear wall part 20, 24 are folded onto another, and the bottom wall part 60 is folded over a central bottom fold line which is folded inwards into an outer W-shape 193. Also shown in figs. 9 and 10, is that the liner bottom portion 37 is folded into a liner front bottom portion 90 and a liner rear bottom portion 91, which are folded onto each other in an inward direction about a central liner bottom fold line 88, forming an inner W- shape 93 which extends along the lower part of the collapsed container which is being formed. The inner and outer W-shape are interlocked.

Fig. © shows the collapsed container which is being formed from the rear side. The inner W- shape 93 comprises a left W-shaped portion 94 and a right W-shaped portion 95 (which are inversed because the rear side is up) and a central W-shaped portion 96.

The left front and left rear side regions 80, 81 of the liner are folded onto one another and connected to one another, in particular with adhesive. The right front and rear side regions are folded 82, 83 onto one another and connected to one another, in particular with adhesive, and in particular form liquid tight left and right seams 188, 181 (indicated in fig. 10). The liner forms a liquid tight bag inside the outer part.

Subsequently, the left side flap 51 and the right side flap 52 are folded about respectively a left flap fold line 53 and a right flap fold line 54 over respectively the left rear wall part 25 and right rear wall part 27 of the other of the rear wall part 24 and front wall part 20 and are connected to that part, in particular via adhesive.

As shown in fig. 9, at least a part of the front and rear left side regions 80, 81 of the liner are folded between the left side flap 51 and the left rear wall part 25 to which the left side flap is attached. As shown in fig. 10, the front and rear right side regions 82, 83 of the liner 16 are folded between the right side flap 51 and the right rear wall part 27 to which the right side flap is attached via adhesive. Here, side overlap areas 201, 202 are formed. Since the front and rear left side regions 80, 81 form a left seam 188, it can also be said that the left seam 188 is folded. The same applies for the right side regions 82, 83 and the right seam 181. The left and right seam 188, 181 are folded about respective fold lines 187.

In this way, in the expanded container 100 which is formed from the collapsed container 10, the left wall 121 and the right wall 123 each comprise two layers 52, 27 resp. 51, 25 of outer sheet material over at least a part thereof which are connected to one another via adhesive, wherein two layers 80, 81 resp. 82, 83 of liner are interposed between the two layers of outer sheet material, the two layers of liner being connected with adhesive to one another and to the two layers of outer sheet material .

The left and right W-shaped portion 94, 95 of the inner W-shape of the liner are folded between a left side flap 51 of the rear wall part or the front wall part and the left wall part 25 of the other of the rear wall part and front wall part and folded onto the central W-portion 98. The right portion 95 of the inner W-shape is folded between the right side flap 52 of the rear wall part or the front wall part and the right wall part 27 of the other of the rear wall part and the front wall part onto the central W-shaped portion 96. This results in a left and right corner overlap region 101, 102 at the bottom corners of the collapsed container having eight layers of liner in a bottom section thereof. This results in liquid tightness.

In the expansion process, the bottom portion of the liner is configured to be unfolded together with the unfolding of the bottom wall.

Base cutaway

Turning to figures 11, 12 and 13, in the shown embodiment the bottom wall part 60 has a smaller width W4 than the width W5, W6 of respectively front wall part 20 and the rear wall part 24 and is only connected via the front bottom fold line 64 to the central front wall part 22 and via the rear bottom fold line 65 to the central rear wall part 26. The bottom wall part 60 comprises two sides 106, 107 which are not connected to any other panel and which form an outer edge of the outer blank 13.

The width W4 of the bottom wall is equal to a width W7, W8 of the central front wall part 22 respectively the central rear wall part 26 at respectively the front and rear bottom fold line.

In this embodiment, the bottom wall 60 only consists of the front bottom wall part 61 and the rear bottom wall part 62 and does not comprise any other part.

The bottom wall 60 extends between the four locations 70, 71, 72, 73 which are intended to form the corners 170, 171, 172, 173 of the container in the expanded state.

Many features as the same as in the first embodiment.

Turning to figs. 14 and 15, in the finished collapsed expandable container, the bottom is ‘open’ on the left and right side, see the circle in fig. 15, meaning that the only layer here is the liner itself, i.e. there is no material of the outer blank. This makes the expansion process easier, because less material needs to deform, resulting in less resistance.

Turning to figs 16 and 17, in the expanded container 100, the difference with the first embodiment is not visible or not well visible.

Small liner

Turning to figs. 18, 19 and 20, in another embodiment, the liner 16 is smaller and covers only a relatively small portion of the outer blank 13. The liner 16 covers only a lower region of the front wall part 20 and the rear wall part 24. The liner may cover less than twenty percent of the front wall part and less than twenty percent of the rear wall part. The liner covers the entire bottom wall part.

In this embodiment, the outer blank 13 is also different from the first two embodiment. One of the front wall part and the rear wall part comprises left and right side flaps, referred to as relatively large side flaps. The other of the front wall part and the rear wall part comprises relatively small left and right side flaps 151, 152, which are smaller than the large side flaps.

Turning to fig. 21, a slightly larger version of the liner is shown.

The liner 16 is wider than the bottom wall part 60 and at least equally wide as a width W10 of the front wall part 20 or rear wall part 24 which includes the small left and right side flaps 151, 152. A width WS of the liner 16 is smaller than the width W11 of the front wall part or the rear wall part which comprises the relatively large left and right side flaps 51, 52, the width including the side flaps.

Turning to figures 22, 23, 24, 25, the manufacturing process has some difference with the first two embodiments. The adhesive strips are also placed on the inner side of the outer blank, see fig. 22. Turning to figures 24 and 25, the large side flaps 51, 51 are folded over and attached to respectively the left and right wall parts of the other of the front wall part and the rear wall part, wherein the relatively small side flaps 151, 152 are folded together with the large side flaps and are also attached to respectively the left and right wall parts of the other of the front wall part.

Turning to figures 26, 27 and 28, a combination of the bottom wall part 60 with reduced width

W4 and the smaller liner 16 is also possible.

Split outer blank

Turning to figures 29, 30 and 31, in another embodiment, the outer part 12 is made from two separate pieces 12A, 12B of the outer sheet material. The outer part 12 does not comprise a bottom wall part.

Turning to figures 32 and 33, in the expanded container 100, the bottom portion 37 of the liner 16 forms the bottom of the expanded container. This container will be more prone to damage and leakage, but is made with less material.

The liner 16 comprises a liner bottom portion 37, a liner front portion 38 and a liner rear portion 39. The liner interconnects the two pieces 12A, 12B.

SAP pad with waist

Turning to figures 34, 35 and 36, in another advantageous embodiment, the SAP pad 35 has a waist 329 in a middle region. At the waist the SAP pad has a smaller width 330 than in a front and rear area 331, 332 thereof. It was found that this brings an advantage in that the

SAP pad stays clear of the corner locations 70, 71, 72, 73 of the outer part 12. This makes the folding of the blank assembly 180 into the expandable collapsed container 10 easier and also results in easier ‘popping’, i.e. easier expansion. Also, cuts have been made in the SAP pad 35 to improve the absorption of liquid.

Sealing label

Turning to figures 37 and 38, a label 233 may be provided on the outside of the expanded container, in particular on the front wall. The label allows a user to fold the upper portion 232 about the transverse triple crease lines 230 (on the front side) and the double transverse crease line 231 (on the rear side) in order to close the expanded container. The label 233 is then used to seal the expanded container and keep the folded over upper portion 232 in place.

Holes with labels

Turning to figures 39, 40 and 41, a variant is shown having the same or similar holes as the variant of figures 4-6, but with a different liner. In this variant the liner 16 comprises two separate labels 190 which are attached to the inside of the outer part. The labels close off the holes 68. The outer part is similar to the outer part of the embodiment of figures 18-25 and the rear wall part comprises relatively small left and right side flaps 151, 152, which are smaller than the large side flaps. The relatively small side flaps 151, 152 are folded together with the large side flaps 51, 52 on the front wall and are also attached to respectively the left and right wall parts of the rear wall part. In this embodiment the labels 190 are circular but a different form is also possible. Also, a single label which extends over both holes instead of two separate labels 190 is possible. To this end the single label may have the shape of a dumbbell with two or more circular parts and a bridge part in between.

Recyclable expandable container

Turning to figures 42 and further, in another aspect the present invention provides a recyclable expandable container which, after expansion and after use, can be recycled in two separate parts. The outer part can be recycled separate from the inner liner bag, possible including the contents such as urine vomit or waste. The outer part is typically made of cardboard which can be reused. Also, other materials may be re-used as ‘mixed paper’. The liner bag, which forms only a small portion by weight of the collapsed expandable container, can be thrown in the general bin or discarded in a different way. Approximately 80 percent by weight of the container can be recycled in this way. A challenge of this embodiment is how to form the liner bag inside the outer part collapsed expandable container in such a way that it can be easily separated from the outer part and taken out of the outer part.

Figure 42 shows four different variants 201, 202, 203 and 204 which are discussed separately. Turning to figures 43 — 55F, the first variant 201 is shown. The outer blank 13 is similar to the earlier variants, but has an extra connector 205 below an upper region 232 of the front wall and an upper region of the rear wall. The liner forms a liner bag which is connected to the upper portion. The connector is disconnectable, allowing a user to disconnect the upper portion together with the inner liner bag from the remainder of the outer part.

The connector may be tear strip, a rupture line, a zipper or a relatively weak wall portion. In the shown embodiment the connector 205 is a tear strip. Tearing the tear strip loose disconnects the upper portion and the liner bag including any contents from the remainder of the outer part of the collapsed expandable container. The tear strip extends circumferentially, in particular from left to right over the front wall 122 and rear wall 126.

Turning to figures 46-48, the adhesive spots 206 are provided on the inside of the outer blank. Next, the liner 16 is brought into contact with the outer blank. In the figures, the liner is placed on top of the outer blank but an inverse orientation or a vertical or inclined orientation is also possible. Adhesive spots 206 are provided on the liner. Next, the SAP pad 35 is connected to the liner 16. Adhesive is also applied on end flaps 86 of the outer blank or on the ends 85 of the liner. Next, the end flaps 86 are folded over the ends 85 of the liner to create a firm connection between the liner and the outer part. The end flaps are narrower than the liner 16.

Turning to figures 49, 50, next, the left and right side regions 80,81,82,83 of the liner are folded inward and adhesive is applied on the side of the left and right side regions 80,81,82,83 that is now facing up. Turning to figures 51, 52, next the outer blank, liner and

SAP pad are folded so that the left front and rear side region 80, 81 are folded onto one another and the right front and rear side region are folded onto one another, thereby creating the left and seams 188, 181. The left and right seams are inverted, in other words, they project inwardly.

At the bottom, an inner W-shape 93 of the liner 18 and an outer W-shape 193 of the outer blank 13 are formed. Weight 207 is applied to create strong adhesive connections. Turning to figs. 53 and 54, the left and right side flaps 51, 52 are then folded and fixed to the rear wall part with adhesive similar to the earlier embodiments. The link tabs 210 are also folded and connected with adhesive. The tabs 212 for creating a strong upper region are also folded and connected with adhesive. Pressure is applied. In the finished expandable collapsed container 10, the liner bag 211 is not connected to the outer part 12 or only connected to the outer part with weak connections which can be torn loose by a user, except at an upper portion 232 where the liner bag 211 is firmly connected to the outer part. The liner comprises a circumferential edge 213 which is circumferentially connected to the upper portion 232 and defines a liner opening.

Turning to figures 55A-55D, the upper portion 232 forms a snap closure which can be opened by pushing on the outer edges in the directions marked with arrows and F. Waste, vomit or urine can be put inside the container 100. After the expanded container 100 has been used and needs to be discarded, the user can tear the tear strip loose. A link tab 210 interconnects the tear strip 205 from the front wall part and the tear strip from the rear wall part so that the entire tear strip comes loose. This disconnects the upper portion 232 with the liner bag 211 from the remainder of the outer part of the container and the use can lift the liner bag 211 out of the remainder of the container. The remainder is essentially the larger portion of the outer part 12. The remaining portion of the outer part can be recycled and the liner bag with content can be discarded in the bin.

With reference to figures 56-66, in another embodiment 202, the liner bag 211 is formed in a different way. Turning to figs. 56-59, the outer blank 13 had a front wall part 20 and a rear wall part 24. The rear wall part 24 is narrower than the front wall part and has smaller left and right side parts 25, 27 than the left and right side parts 21, 23 of the front wall part 20. The liner 16 has end portions which are narrower than a central portion of the liner.

Turning to figures 60-82, the production method is similar to the production method of the previous embodiment. Adhesive spots 206 are applied on the inside of the outer blank 12.

The liner 16 is place and the SAP pad is connected to the liner 18 with adhesive spots. The end flaps 86 are folded over the ends 85 of the liner. Turning to figs. 63 and 64, adhesive is applied on the left and right side regions of the liner. The blank assembly 180 is then folded wherein the bottom of the liner and the outer blank are folded into an inner and outer W- shape. Turning to figs. 65 and 66 the blank assembly 180 is then pressed flat and the seams 188, 181 are formed. Turning to figs. 66 and 67, next, adhesive 208 is applied on a side of the seams 188, 181, and the seams 188, 181 are folded inward about a seam fold line 215 onto a more central portion 216 of the liner. In this way the seams 188, 181 become significantly stronger and more liquid tight. The seams are not connected to the outer blank 12. The liner bag 211 is now formed.

Turning to fig. 68, next, the left and right side flaps 51, 52 are folded onto the seams 188, 181 and onto the left and right rear wall part 25, 27 and are connected with adhesive to the left and right rear wall part, but are not connected to the left and right side flaps 51, 52. The formed liner bag 211 is only connected to the outer part 13 at the upper region 232, except for optionally some relatively weak connections 209 between the liner and the outer blank 12 near the bottom region, see fig. 60.

Returning to fig. 42 and in view of fig. 69, the embodiment 203 is essentially the same as embodiment 201, except that the base of the outer blank 12 is narrower and does not have left and right bottom wall parts 66, 67 as embodiment 201 does.

Returning to fig. 42 and in view of fig. 72, the embodiment 204 is essentially the same as embodiment 202, except that the base of the outer blank 12 is narrower and does not have left and right bottom wall parts 66, 67 as embodiment 201 does.

The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising i.e., open language, not excluding other elements or steps.

Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims or the invention. It will be recognized that a specific embodiment as claimed may not achieve all of the stated objects.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

White lines between text paragraphs in the text above indicate that the technical features presented in the paragraph may be considered independent from technical features discussed in a preceding paragraph or in a subsequent paragraph.

Claims

CONCLUSIONS

1. Collapsed expandable container (10), in particular for waste, which is expandable from the collapsed state to an expanded state, the collapsed expandable container comprising: — an outer part (12) made of an outer sheet or plate material, in particular cardboard, the outer part comprising: o a front wall portion (20) having a left front wall portion (21), a central front wall portion (22) adapted to form a front wall of the expanded container, and a right front wall portion (23), o a rear wall portion (24) having a left rear wall portion (25), a central rear wall portion (26) adapted to form a rear wall of the expanded container, and a right rear wall portion (27), the left front wall portion (21) and the left rear wall portion (25) being connected to each other and folded over each other along a left fold line (53), the left fold line forming a left edge (108) of the collapsed expandable container, wherein the right front wall portion (23) and the right rear wall portion are connected to each other via a right fold line and folded over each other, the right fold line forming a right edge (109) of the collapsed expandable container, wherein the central front wall portion and central rear wall portion have a waist (32), wherein a lower portion (33) and an upper portion (34) of the central front wall portion and central rear wall portion have a greater width (W2, W3) than the width (W1) of the waist, and wherein: o the left front wall portion and the central front wall portion are connected to each other via a left front fold line (40) configured to form a left front edge of the expanded container, o the right front wall portion and the central front wall portion are connected to each other via a right front fold line (41) configured to form a right front edge of the expanded container, o the left rear wall portion and the central rear wall portion are connected to each other connected via a left rear fold line (42) arranged to form a left rear edge of the expanded container,

o the right rear wall section and the central rear wall section are connected to each other via a right rear fold line (43) adapted to form a right rear edge of the expanded container, — a liner (18) disposed on the inside of the outer section, the liner being made of an inner plate or sheet material which is liquid-tight, whereby the collapsed expandable container can be expanded by pushing the left edge and the right edge towards each other.

The collapsed expandable container of the preceding claim, wherein the liner comprises a liner front (38) and a liner back (39), the liner front comprising a left front region (80) and a right front region (82), the liner back comprising a left rear region (81) and a right rear region (84), at least a portion of the left front and rear regions (80, 81) being bonded together, in particular with adhesive, and at least a portion of the left front and rear regions (82, 84) being bonded together, in particular with adhesive, and in particular forming liquid-tight left and right seams (188, 181) folded over the left and right rear walls (25, 27), respectively.

The collapsed expandable container of the preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of the front and back of the left side regions (80, 81) are folded between two layers of outer sheet or plate material and are adhesively bonded to said two layers, and wherein at least a portion of the front and back of the right side regions (82, 84) of the liner are folded between two layers of outer sheet or plate material and are adhesively bonded to said two layers.

4. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein one of the rear wall portion and front wall portion is wider than the other, the wider portion comprising a left side flap (51) and a right side flap (52) folded over the left wall portion and right wall portion of the other of the rear wall portion and front wall portion, respectively, and connected to that portion, in particular by adhesive.

5. The collapsed expandable container of the preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of the front and rear of the left side regions (80, 81) of the liner are folded between the left side flap (51) and the left wall portion (25) to which the left side flap is attached and are connected to the left side flap and the left wall portion, and at least a portion of the front and rear of the right side regions (82, 83) of the liner are folded between the right side flap (52) and the right wall portion (27) to which the right side flap is attached and are connected to the right side flap and the right wall portion.

6. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the liner forms a liquid-tight pocket within the outer portion.

7. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the liner comprises a liner bottom portion (37), the liner bottom portion comprising a front bottom portion and a rear bottom portion folded over one another along a liner bottom fold line, the liner bottom portion being unfolded during expansion.

8. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a lower portion of the liner is folded into an inner W-shape (93).

9. The collapsed expandable container of the preceding claim, wherein the inner W-shape comprises a left W-shaped portion (95) and a right W-shaped portion (94) and a central W-shaped portion (96), the left and right W-shaped portions of the inner W-shape being folded between the left side flap of the rear wall portion or front wall portion and the left wall portion of the other of the rear wall portion and front wall portion and being folded onto the central W-shaped portion, the right sides of the inner W-shape being folded between the right side flap of the rear wall portion or front wall portion and the right wall portion of the other of the rear wall portion and the front wall portion and being folded onto the central W-shaped portion, in particular resulting in a left and right overlap region (101, 102) having eight layers of liner in a lower portion thereof.

10. The collapsed expandable container of any of claims 4 to 10, wherein the shape of the left and right flaps substantially corresponds to the shape of the left wall portion and the right wall portion to which they are attached.

11. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the liner is not visible from the outside.

12. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein during expansion: + a lower portion (300) and a middle portion (301) of the front and rear walls become convex and an upper portion (302) becomes concave, and e the left and right walls are formed and a lower portion (304) and a middle portion (305) of the left and right walls become concave and an upper portion (306) becomes convex.

13. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim having an openable portion (410) or an opening at a top.

14. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, having a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall portion or an openable wall portion adapted to be opened into a urine opening in the central front or central rear wall portion.

15. Collapsed expandable container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein after expansion the container is disposable.

18. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the left fold line, the right fold line, the left rear fold line and the right rear fold line are smooth and arcuate.

17. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, having a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) mat (35) on the inside.

18. The collapsed expandable container of the preceding claim, wherein the SAP mat has a waist.

19. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein during expansion the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall each become curved in a respective single plane of curvature.

A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the outer portion (12) comprises a bottom wall portion (60) having a front bottom wall portion (61) and a rear bottom wall portion (62) folded towards each other in an inward direction along a central bottom fold line (63), the bottom wall portion being connected to the front wall portion via a front bottom fold line (64) and to the rear wall portion via a rear bottom fold line (65), the central bottom fold line (63) being parallel to the front and rear bottom fold lines, the bottom wall portion being unfolded during expansion, in particular into a base on which the container can stand.

21. The collapsed expandable container of the preceding claim when dependent on claim 8, wherein the front wall portion, the rear wall portion and the bottom wall portion are folded into an outer W-shape that engages the inner W-shape of the liner.

22. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer portion is made from a single integral blank, the front wall portion and the rear wall portion being integral with the bottom wall portion, the front wall portion being connected to the bottom wall via a front bottom fold line and the rear wall portion being connected to the bottom wall via a rear bottom fold line.

23. The collapsed expandable container of any of claims 20-22, wherein the front bottom wall portion and the rear bottom wall portion are integral with each other.

24. A collapsed expandable container according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 23, wherein the outer portion (12) comprises the bottom wall portion, the lower portion of the liner being adapted to be deployed together with the deployment of the bottom wall portion during expansion.

25. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the bottom wall portion is adapted to unfold into a square or rectangular base, in particular a flat base.

26. The collapsed expandable container of any of claims 20 to 25, wherein the bottom wall portion comprises a left and right bottom wall portion (66,67) disposed on the left and right sides of the front and rear bottom wall portions, respectively, the left and right bottom wall portions each having a hole (68) therein and the holes being covered by the liner.

27. A collapsed expandable container according to the preceding claim, wherein the front and rear bottom wall portions and the left and right bottom wall portions are integral with each other.

28. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holes are covered by a single label or by two separate labels (190), the label(s) being adhesively bonded to at least the bottom wall portion (60) of the outer sheet or plate material in an area around the holes to form a liquid-tight seal of the holes.

29. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein corners of the bottom wall portion are located at a distance inward from an outer edge of the outer blank (13) from which the collapsed expandable container is made.

30. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the liner covers four locations (70, 71, 72, 73) in the outer portion forming the four lower corners of the expanded container, and in particular also the immediate vicinity of the corner locations.

31. A collapsed expandable container according to any of claims 20 to 30, wherein the bottom wall portion has a smaller width than the front wall portion and the rear wall portion and is connected only via the front bottom fold line to the central front wall portion and via the rear bottom fold line to the central rear wall portion, the bottom wall portion comprising two sides which are not connected to any other panel and which form an outer edge of the outer blank.

32. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the width of the bottom wall is equal to the width of the central front wall portion and the central rear wall portion at the front and rear bottom fold lines, respectively.

33. A collapsed expandable container according to any one of the preceding two claims, wherein the bottom wall consists only of the front bottom wall portion and the rear bottom wall portion and does not comprise any other portion.

34. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the liner covers only a lower portion of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, and in particular covers less than twenty percent of the front wall portion and less than twenty percent of the rear wall portion.

35. The collapsed expandable container of claim 1, wherein one of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion comprises left and right side flaps, referred to as relatively large side flaps, and the other of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion comprises relatively small left and right side flaps that are smaller than the large side flaps, the large side flaps being folded over and attached to the left and right wall portions of the other of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, respectively, the relatively small side flaps being folded over together with the large side flaps and also being attached to the left and right wall portions of the other of the front wall portion, respectively.

36. A collapsed expandable container according to the preceding claim, wherein the liner is wider than the bottom wall and at least as wide as the width of the front wall portion or rear wall portion where the small left and right side flaps are located.

37. A collapsed expandable container according to the preceding claim, wherein the width of the liner is less than the width of the front wall portion or the rear wall portion including relatively large left and right side flaps, the width including the side flaps.

38. Collapsed expandable container according to the preceding claim, wherein the liner covers the entire bottom wall. Split body

39. Collapsible expandable container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer portion is made of two separate pieces of the outer plate or sheet material, the outer portion not including a bottom wall portion. Recyclable expandable container

40. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a connector disposed beneath an upper portion of the outer portion, the upper portion being connected to the side walls via the connector, the liner forming a liner bag connected to the upper portion, the connector being releasable to enable a user to disconnect the upper portion together with the inner liner bag from the remainder of the outer portion.

41. Collapsible expandable container according to the preceding claim, wherein the connector is a tear strip, a tear line, a zipper or a relatively weak wall portion.

42. The collapsed expandable container of any preceding claim, wherein the liner includes left and right seams, wherein: e the left and right seams are reversed, or e the left and right seams are folded inward over a seam fold line on a more central portion of the liner and bonded by adhesive to the more central portion of the liner.

43. A collapsed expandable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein adhesive is applied along opposite ends of the liner and end flaps of the outer sheet are folded over the ends of the liner to bond the liner to the outer sheet.

44. The collapsed expandable container of any preceding claim, wherein the liner bag is not connected to the outer portion or is connected to the outer portion only with weak connections that can be torn by a user, except at an upper portion of the outer portion where the liner bag is firmly connected to the outer portion.

45. A collapsed expandable container according to any preceding claim, wherein left and right side flaps are folded over the seams and over the left and right rear wall portions and are bonded with adhesive to the left and right rear wall portions, but are not bonded to the left and right side flaps. EXPANDED CONTAINER

48. Expanded container (100), in particular for waste, the expanded container comprising: — an assembly (12) made of the outer sheet or plate material, in particular cardboard, the assembly comprising a front wall (122), a rear wall (126), a left wall (121) and a right wall (123), and wherein: o the front wall and the left wall are connected to each other via a left front fold line forming a left front edge (220) of the Expanded container, o the right wall and the front wall are connected to each other via a right front fold line forming a right front edge (221) of the Expanded container, o the left wall and the rear wall are connected to each other via a left rear fold line forming a left rear edge (222) of the Expanded container, o the right wall and the rear wall are connected to each other via a right rear fold line forming a right rear edge (223) of the expanded container, — a liner (16) provided on the inside of the assembly, the liner being made of an inner plate or sheet material which is liquid-tight, the expanded container being formed from the collapsed expandable container according to any of the preceding claims by pushing inward the left and right side walls and unfolding the lower portion of the liner, wherein a lower and middle portion of the front and rear walls are convex and an upper portion is concave, and wherein a lower and middle portion of the left and right walls are concave and an upper portion is convex.

47. The expanded container of the preceding claim, wherein the liner comprises at least a front (48) of the liner and a rear (39) of the liner, the front of the liner comprising a left front region (80) and a right front region (82), the rear of the liner comprising a left rear region (81) and a right rear region (83), the left front and rear regions being bonded together, in particular with adhesive, and the right front and rear regions being bonded together, in particular with adhesive, and in particular forming liquid-tight left and right seams (188, 181) which are folded over onto the left and right rear wall portions (25, 27), respectively.

48. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 47, wherein at least a portion of the left and right walls each comprise two layers of the outer sheet or plate material, the two layers being bonded together with adhesive, two layers of liner being located between the two layers of the outer sheet or plate material, the two layers of liner being bonded together and to the two layers of the outer sheet or plate material with adhesive.

49. An expanded container according to the preceding claim, wherein a lower left portion of the liner and a lower right portion of the liner are folded into a left W-shaped portion and a right W-shaped portion and a central W-shaped portion, respectively, the left and right W-shaped portions of the inner W-shape being folded between the two layers on the left and the two layers on the right, in particular resulting in a left and right overlapping region with eight layers of the liner in a bottom portion thereof.

50. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 49, wherein the liner comprises a liner bottom portion (37).

51. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 50, having a urine opening in the central anterior or central posterior wall portion or an openable wall portion configured to open to a urine opening in the central anterior or central posterior wall portion.

52. Expanded container of any of claims 46-51, being a one-way container.

53. Expanded container of any of claims 46 to 52, having a super absorbent polymer (SAP) pad (35) on the inside.

54. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 53, wherein the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall are each bent in a respective single bending plane.

55. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 54, wherein the liner is not visible from the outside.

56. Expanded container of any of claims 46-55, having an open top portion.

57. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 56, wherein the liner covers the bottom wall.

58. The expanded container of any of claims 48 to 57, wherein the left leading edge, the right leading edge, the left trailing edge and the right trailing edge have a smooth arc shape, without sharp bends.

59. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 58, wherein the front wall and the rear wall have a waist and wherein a width (W4) of the left wall and the right wall increases as they rise, reaches a maximum at or near the waist of the front wall and rear wall and decreases as they rise further.

60. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 59, wherein the front wall and rear wall meet at an upper end of the expanded container.

61. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 60, wherein the liner forms a liquid-tight pocket on the inside of the outer portion.

62. Expanded container of any of claims 46 to 61, wherein the upper end is openable, in particular by pushing the upper left and right sides (250, 251) of the container towards each other.

63. Expanded container of any of claims 46 to 62, wherein at the upper left side (250) of the container, the left wall narrows and the left front edge and left rear edge converge, and wherein at the upper right side (251) of the container, the right wall narrows and the right front edge and right rear edge converge.

64. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 63, wherein the outer portion is made from a single integral blank, the front wall portion and the rear wall portion being integral with the bottom wall portion, the front wall portion being connected to the bottom wall portion via a front bottom fold line and the rear wall portion being connected to the bottom wall portion via a rear bottom fold line.

65. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 64, wherein the front bottom wall portion and the rear bottom wall portion are integral with each other.

66. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 65, wherein the bottom wall portion has a square or rectangular shape. Holes in bottom wall portion

67. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 66, wherein the bottom wall portion comprises a left and right bottom wall portion, the left and right bottom wall portions each having a hole (68) therein and the holes being covered by the liner (16).

68. An expanded container according to the preceding claim, wherein the holes (68) are covered by a single label or by two separate labels (190), the label(s) being adhesively bonded to at least the bottom wall portion (60) of the outer sheet or plate material in an area around the holes to form a liquid-tight seal of the holes. Corners

69. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 68, wherein the corners of the bottom wall portion are spaced from an outer edge of the blank from which the expanded container is made.

70. The expanded container of any of claims 46 to 69, wherein the liner covers four locations in the outer portion which form the four bottom corner locations of the expanded container, and in particular also the immediate vicinity of the corner locations. Basic cutout

71. An expanded container according to any one of claims 46 to 70, wherein the bottom wall is connected only via the front bottom line to the central front wall portion and via the rear bottom fold line to the central rear wall portion, the bottom wall portion comprising two sides that are not connected to the left and right walls. Base patch

72. An expanded container according to any one of claims 46 to 61, wherein the liner covers only a lower portion of the front wall and the rear wall and in particular covers less than twenty percent of the front wall and less than twenty percent of the rear wall. Covers option 7 split body

73. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 72, wherein the outer portion is made from two separate pieces of sheet or plate material, the outer portion not including a bottom wall portion. Recyclable expanded container

74. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 73, comprising a connector (205) located beneath an upper portion of the outer portion, the upper portion being connected to the side walls via the connector, the liner forming a liner bag connected to the upper portion, the connector being releasable to enable a user to disconnect the upper portion together with the inner liner bag from the remainder of the outer portion.

75. A sagging expandable container according to the preceding claim, wherein the connector is a tear strip, a tear line, a zipper or a relatively weak wall portion.

78. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 75, wherein the liner comprises left and right seams (188, 181), wherein: + the left and right seams are reversed, or

+ the left and right seams are folded inwards over a seam fold line (215) on a more central part (216) of the lining and are connected with glue to the more central part of the lining.

77. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 76, wherein adhesive is applied along opposite ends (85) of the liner and end flaps (86) of the outer blank (13) are folded over the ends (85) of the liner to bond the liner to the outer blank (13).

78. An expanded container as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 77, wherein the liner bag (211) is not connected to the outer portion or is connected to the outer portion only with weak connections that can be torn by a user, except at a top portion (232) where the liner bag is firmly connected to the outer portion (12).

79. An expanded container according to any one of claims 46 to 78, wherein left and right flaps (51, 52) are folded over the seams (188, 181) and over the left and right rear wall portions (25, 27) and are bonded with adhesive to the left and right rear wall portions, but are not bonded to the left and right flaps (51, 52). Method

80. A method of manufacturing the collapsed expandable container of any one of claims 1 to 45, the method comprising: e cutting an outer blank from outer sheet or plate material, and + contacting the liner and outer blank with each other, thereby forming a blank assembly, the liner contacting the inside of the outer blank, + folding the blank assembly, thereby folding the liner and outer blank together.

81. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner and outer blank are brought into contact with each other before a liquid-tight bag is made from the liner.

82. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner is attached to the outer blank before a liquid-tight bag is made from the liner.

83. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner and outer blank are brought into contact with each other before the outer blank is folded.

84. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner and the outer blank are brought into contact with each other before the liner is folded.

85. A method according to the preceding method claim, wherein step b) comprises positioning the blank in an unfolded state, with an inner side facing upwards, and positioning the liner on top of the outer blank.

86. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner is formed into a liquid-tight bag during the formation of the outer portion.

87. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner is formed into a liquid-tight bag by applying adhesive along a left front side region and/or left rear side region and along a right front side region and/or a right rear side region of the liner and laying the front end of the liner onto the rear portion in conjunction with folding the outer blank, thereby forming liquid-tight left and right seams (188, 181).

88. A method according to the preceding claim, wherein the outer blank comprises a rear wall portion (24) having a left rear wall portion (25) and a right rear wall portion (27), the liquid-tight seams (188, 181) being folded over a fold line (187) on the left and right rear wall portions (25, 27) of the outer blank, respectively.

89. The method of the preceding claim, wherein the outer blank further comprises a front wall portion (20) having a left side flap (51) and a right side flap (52), the left side flap being folded over the left rear wall portion and secured to the left rear wall portion, the left seam being folded between the left side flap and the left rear wall portion and secured to the left side flap and the left rear wall portion, and the right side flap being folded over the right front portion and secured to the right front portion, the right seam being folded between the right flap and the right front portion and secured to the right side flap and the right rear wall portion.

90. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the outer blank and the base portion are folded together, a base portion of the outer blank being folded into an outer W-shape, a base portion of the liner being folded into an inner W-shape, the outer and inner W-shapes interlocking.

91. A method according to the two preceding claims, wherein the outer and inner W-shapes are formed simultaneously.

92. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the bottom portion of the outer blank is folded over itself over a central bottom fold line that is folded inward, and wherein the front portion and the rear portion are folded over each other over the front bottom fold line and the rear bottom fold line, thereby forming the outer W-shape.

93. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the bottom portion of the liner comprises a front bottom portion and a rear bottom portion, which are folded toward each other, forming the inner W-shape comprising a left W-shaped portion and a right W-shaped portion and a central W-shaped portion, wherein the left and right W-shaped portions of the inner W-shape are folded over the central W-portion, wherein the left W-shaped portion of the inner W-shape is folded between a left side flap of the rear wall portion or the front wall portion and the left wall portion of the other of the rear wall portion and the front wall portion, and wherein the right portion of the inner W-shape is folded between the right side flap of the rear wall portion or the front wall portion and the right wall portion of the other of the rear wall portion and the front wall portion, in particular resulting in a left and right overlap region having eight layers of liner in a lower portion thereof.

94. A method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the outer blank comprises: e the front wall section with the central front wall section and the left and right front wall sections, and « the rear wall section with the central rear wall section and the left and right side rear wall sections, + the bottom wall section.

95. A method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the adhesive is applied in strips along at least a left side region and a right side region of the lining, in particular along its entire length.

96. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the left and right seams (188, 181) are formed by joining the left and right side regions together and by joining the front and back sides of the side regions together, wherein: + the left and right seams are reversed by folding the left and right side regions inward before joining the front and back sides of the side regions together, + the left and right seams are folded inward over a seam fold line (215) and joined with adhesive to a more central portion of the lining.

97. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein the liner is not connected to the outer portion or is only connected to the outer portion with weak connections that can be torn by a user, except at opposite ends (85) where the liner is firmly connected to the outer portion.

98. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein left and right side flaps (51, 52) are folded over the seams (188, 181) and over the left and right rear wall portions and bonded with adhesive to the left and right rear wall portions, but are not bonded to the left and right side flaps (51, 52).

99. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein a first end (85) of the liner is connected to an upper portion of the front wall portion and a second, opposite end (85) of the liner is connected to an upper portion of the rear wall portion, in particular by applying adhesive along opposite ends (85) of the liner, end flaps (86) of the outer blank (13) being folded over the ends (85) of the liner to connect the liner to the outer blank (13).

100. A method according to any preceding method claim, wherein a SAP pad is contacted with the liner before the blank assembly is folded.

101. Super absorbent polymer (SAP) pad (35), with a waist (329), and in particular with a halter shape.

102. Container (100) or collapsed expandable container comprising the SAP path of the preceding claim.

103. A container (100), comprising: — an outer portion (12) having side walls (121, 122, 123, 126), — a top portion (232), the top portion including an opening or openable portion (410) through which a user can place something into the container, and — a connector (205), the top portion being connected to the side walls via the connector, — a liner bag (211) located within the outer portion and attached to the top portion of the outer portion, the connector being detachable, allowing a user to detach the top portion together with the inner liner bag from the side walls.

104. A container according to the preceding claim, wherein the connector (205) is a tear strip, a tear line, a zipper or a relatively weak wall portion.

105. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 104, wherein the connector extends around the periphery of the outer portion.

106. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 105, wherein the connector is located directly below the top portion.

107. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 106, wherein the container is collapsed and expandable.

108. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 107, wherein the outer portion defines an internal volume.

109. Container according to any of claims 103 to 108, wherein the outer part is made of sheet or plate material, in particular cardboard.

110. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 109, wherein the liner bag is made of liquid-tight sheet or plate material.

111. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 110, comprising a base on which the container can stand.

112. A container as claimed in any one of claims 103 to 111, wherein the liner bag includes a peripheral edge (213) defining a liner opening, the peripheral edge being circumferentially connected to the top portion, anything placed in the container entering the liner bag through the opening or openable portion.

113. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 112, wherein the container is disposable.

114. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 113, wherein the container is disposable.

115. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 114, wherein the side walls are formed by a single peripheral wall. 1186. A container according to any one of claims 103 to 115, wherein the liner bag is not connected to the outer portion or is connected to the outer portion only by weak connections that can be torn by a user, except at an upper portion of the outer portion where the liner bag is firmly connected to the outer portion.