Hinged Guiding Element and Extendable Pusher for Flap Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatically closing custom-sized cardboard boxes with separate lids is challenging due to the boxes' varying sizes and material tolerances, leading to issues with flap adhesion and stability, especially when items do not fully fill the box, causing side walls to bend inward and reducing adhesion between the lid flaps and side walls.
Innovation Solution
A flap folding unit with a hinged guiding element and an extendable pusher is used to softly contact and fold the flaps onto the side walls, allowing for adjustable tolerances and ensuring sufficient contact for glue application, which is facilitated by a piston-cylinder unit or electric actuator for precise flap attachment, and the units are arranged on a common rail for adjustable positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed flap folding mechanism is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate varying box sizes and material tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The flap folding mechanism employs movable components including a movable finger that can adjust its position along the flap, and a pusher that can be extended and retracted. These dynamic elements allow the mechanism to adapt to varying box sizes and flap dimensions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding mechanism is divided into separate functional elements: a guiding element with a movable finger for positioning, a pusher for applying force, and a hinge for movement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates adjustability without requiring complete redesign for different box sizes.
2Reliability
If high folding force is applied to ensure adhesion, then flap attachment is reliable, but the side walls bend inward when items do not fully fill the box
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism applies different characteristics to different parts of the flap folding process. The guiding element provides precise positioning and gentle contact, while the pusher applies concentrated force at specific points along the flap. This localized approach ensures reliable adhesion without excessive force that would cause side wall deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable finger acts as an intermediary between the pusher and the flap, distributing the folding force along the flap's length rather than applying it at a single point. This mediation prevents concentration of force that would cause side wall bending while maintaining sufficient pressure for adhesion.
3Productivity
If manual adjustment is used for each box size, then precision is achieved, but production speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism is designed to self-adjust to different box sizes through the movable finger and extendable pusher components. The guiding element automatically positions itself along the flap, and the pusher extends to the appropriate length, eliminating the need for manual reconfiguration while maintaining precise alignment and folding accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
A single flap folding mechanism is designed to handle multiple box sizes and configurations through its adjustable components. The movable finger can position at different locations along the flap, and the pusher can extend to different lengths, allowing one mechanism to perform the folding function across various product sizes without requiring separate dedicated mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A flap folding unit (90) for folding flaps of lids of boxes, comprising a hinged guiding element (94) adapted for contacting a flap to be folded upon relative movement of the guiding element and the flap and guiding the flap towards its intended final position and an extendable pusher (96) adapted for pushing the flap into its intended final position.