Combination Folding Hook for Carton Flaps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional folding box gluing machines require separate drives and shafts for front and rear folding hooks, leading to increased manufacturing costs and space requirements, as well as inefficiencies in processing cardboard blanks.
Innovation Solution
A combination folding hook with a convexly curved projection that serves both as a front and rear folding hook, utilizing a single drive shaft and rotating mechanism to fold flaps on both edges of a cardboard blank, allowing for multiple hooks to be arranged around a single shaft, reducing costs and space while enhancing processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate drives and shafts are used for front and rear folding hooks, then each folding function can be independently controlled, but manufacturing costs and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the front folding hook and rear folding hook onto a single drive shaft, merging two separate drive systems into one. The folding hook element is designed with both a front folding hook portion and a rear folding hook portion that rotate together on the same shaft, thereby reducing the number of drives and shafts while maintaining independent folding control through the integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The folding hook element is designed as a multi-functional component that serves both as a front folding hook and a rear folding hook. By making the folding hook element universal, it can perform both folding functions on a single shaft, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability through the integrated multi-functional design
2Reliability
If separate drives and shafts are used for front and rear folding hooks, then each folding operation can be independently optimized, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate drive systems into one shared drive shaft, reducing the total number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled. This consolidation directly reduces manufacturing costs while the integrated design allows both front and rear folding operations to be optimized through the single drive system
3Ease of operation
If separate shafts are used for front and rear folding hooks, then each folding mechanism can be independently positioned, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines both front and rear folding hooks onto a single rotating shaft, merging two separate positioning systems into one. This consolidation significantly reduces the space required for the folding mechanism while the integrated design on the single shaft allows both folding mechanisms to be properly positioned and coordinated
4Device complexity
If a single drive shaft is used for both front and rear folding hooks, then device complexity and manufacturing costs are reduced, but the folding hook design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The folding hook element is designed as a universal component with both front and rear folding portions integrated into a single element. This multi-functional design reduces device complexity by eliminating separate drives and shafts, while the geometric complexity of the folding hook itself is managed through its integrated structure that performs both folding functions
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a folding hook (22) of a folding carton gluing machine for automatically folding over flaps (34, 34') of a flat cardboard blank (28) prepared by cuts (42) and predetermined fold lines (44) during the production of a folding carton. The cardboard blank (28) is transported in the folding carton gluing machine. The folding hook (22) comprises a convexly curved projection (16) at its free end and thus acts as a front folding hook for folding over a front flap (34) of the cardboard blank (28) opposite to the transport direction (30). The folding hook (22) has, at least on its inner side, a substantially crescent-shaped and concave profile (20) and thus acts as a rear folding hook for folding over a rear flap (34') of the cardboard blank (28) in the transport direction (30).