Folding Machine with Movable Guide for Card Carriers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing folding machines are not gentle on printed images and are unsuitable for quickly folding card carriers with attached cards, as they often require complex adjustments and are not designed for mechanical processes involving printed matter with cards.
Innovation Solution
A folding machine with a folding stamp and an independently movable folding tool that allows for precise placement of flat material into a fold before breaking, using a folding punch and anvil with perpendicular movement to create a fold break, ensuring the folding axis is accurately positioned for efficient and gentle folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional folding machines (plough/funnel type) are used to guide flat material parallel to the fold, then a fold and crease can be formed, but the machine is difficult to adjust and unsuitable for folding flat material with maps or cards attached
Solution Approach 1:
The folding process is divided into two independent stages: pre-folding (forming the fold shape) and fold-breaking (creating the crease). This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized separately, enabling the machine to handle diverse materials like cards and maps without complex adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The fold is pre-formed by guiding the flat material around a folding guide before the actual crease is made. This preliminary folding action prepares the material in a consistent manner, making the subsequent fold-breaking process simple and adaptable to different material types.
2Productivity
If compression or pocket folding machines are used to guide flat material into a pocket for compression, then a fold break can be created, but the process is not gentle on printed images and unsuitable for card carriers
Solution Approach 1:
A folding guide acts as an intermediary element that the flat material wraps around during pre-folding. This guide distributes the folding stress evenly and prevents direct contact between the material and harsh folding surfaces, protecting printed images while enabling fast processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If sword folding machines are used with a sword plunging into the gap between rollers, then a fold can be created easily and precisely, but the machine is not suitable for machine operations with printed materials containing cards
Solution Approach 1:
The folding guide is designed to be movable, allowing it to adapt to different material thicknesses and types (including cards and maps). This dynamic adjustment capability maintains folding precision across various materials without requiring complex machine reconfiguration.
4Reliability
If folding machines with pre-folding around a folding guide followed by roller gripping are used, then the fold can be made, but the process is too slow for quick folding of card carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The folding guide is extracted from the final crease-making process after serving its pre-folding purpose. By removing the guide before the fold-breaking stage, the material can be quickly processed through the fold-breaking mechanism without waiting for the guide to be repositioned, significantly increasing folding speed while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a folding and creasing machine (1) comprising a folding hammer (12) and a folding anvil (13), which allows also the rapid folding of card supports as the flat article (2) to be folded, said supports carrying cards.