Foldable Paperboard for Preparing a Paper Tube

Abstract

A paperboard comprises a plurality of folding lines and paper panels. The paperboard is either intact or perforated. The paperboard remains unfolded and flattened during the storage and transportation. When it is used, the paperboard is folded up and tightened into a paper tube with a polygonal cross section so that small animals are able to pass through or stay inside the tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A paperboard comprising at least two folding lines that separate the paperboard into at least three paper panels, which are either intact or perforated and can be folded up into a paper tube having a polygonal cross section for animal use. 
     
     
         2 . The paperboard in  claim 1  wherein the folding lines are parallel with each other. 
     
     
         3 . The paperboard in  claim 2  comprising four folding lines and five folding paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a tube with a triangular cross section. 
     
     
         4 . The paperboard in  claim 3  wherein the paper panel at one end of the paperboard is a paper flap and is inserted into a slot, which is made along the folding line between two paper panels at the opposite end of the paperboard, to form the triangular tube. 
     
     
         5 . The paperboard in  claim 2  comprising at least three folding lines and at least four folding paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a tube with a quadrilateral cross section. 
     
     
         6 . The paperboard in  claim 5  comprising five folding lines and six paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a paper tube comprising four paper walls and a rectangular cross section. 
     
     
         7 . The paperboard in  claim 6  wherein the paper panel at one end of the paperboard is a paper flap and a slot is made along the folding line between two paper panels at the opposite end of the paperboard. 
     
     
         8 . The paperboard in  claim 7  wherein the paperboard is folded up in a way that the paper panel next to the paper flap and the paper panel at the opposite end of the paperboard are overlapped with each other to form one wall of the rectangular tube. 
     
     
         9 . The paperboard in  claim 8  wherein the paperboard is folded up into the rectangular tube, which is fastened by inserting the paper flap into the slot. 
     
     
         10 . The paperboard in  claim 9  wherein a piece of paperboard having the same shape and size as the paper flap is removed from the paper panel at the opposite end of the paperboard. 
     
     
         11 . The paperboard in  claim 2  comprising six folding lines and seven folding paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a tube with a pentagonal cross section. 
     
     
         12 . The paperboard in  claim 11  wherein the paper panel at one end of the paperboard is a paper flap and is inserted into the slot, which is made along the folding line between two paper panels at the opposite end of the paperboard, to form the pentagonal tube. 
     
     
         13 . The paperboard in  claim 2  comprising seven folding lines and eight folding paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a tube with a hexagonal cross section. 
     
     
         14 . The paperboard in  claim 13  wherein the paper panel at one end of the paperboard is a paper flap and is inserted into a slot, which is made along the folding line between two paper panels at the opposite end of the paperboard, to form the hexagonal tube. 
     
     
         15 . The paperboard in  claim 2  comprising eight folding lines and nine folding paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a tube with a heptagonal cross section. 
     
     
         16 . The paperboard in  claim 15  wherein the paper panel at one end of the paperboard is a paper flap and is inserted into a slot, which is made along the folding line between two paper panels at the opposite end of the paper board, to form the heptagonal tube. 
     
     
         17 . The paperboard in  claim 2  comprising nine folding lines and ten folding paper panels wherein the panels are folded up into a tube with an octagonal cross section. 
     
     
         18 . The paperboard in  claim 17  wherein the paper panel at one end of the paperboard is a paper flap and is inserted into a slot, which is made along the folding line between two paper panels at the opposite end of the paperboard, to form the octagonal tube.