| US 7,585,265 B2 | ||
| Fan-folding mechanism for a case erector | ||
| Wayne Al Gebhardt, Spokane, Wash. (US); Derick Charles Baker, Liberty Lake, Wash. (US); Christopher Carl Eickstadt, Spokane, Wash. (US); Douglas Alan Boozer, Greenacres, Wash. (US); and Troy Scott, Spokane, Wash. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Frito-Lay North America, Inc., Plano, Tex. (US) | ||
| Filed on May 15, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/749,026. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/803537, filed on May 31, 2006. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/747269, filed on May 15, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0293383 A1, Dec. 20, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B31B 1/48 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 493—70 [493/80; 493/183; 53/491] | 8 Claims |
| 1. A method of closing a case having four flaps to result in a fan fold configuration, each of the four flaps comprising a
leading corner and a trailing corner, the method comprising:
providing four shoes, each of the shoes comprising:
a finger defining a contact surface;
a first axis about which the shoe, including the finger, is pivotable; and
a second axis about which the finger is pivotable relative to its shoe, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis;
placing the four shoes in a case receiving position in which:
each of the fingers is in a retracted position in which the contact surface of the finger is parallel to the respective first
axis and perpendicular to the respective second axis; and
the shoes are located so that the contact surfaces of the fingers are not in contact with respective ones of the leading corners
of the flaps when the case is in an open position in which each flap is secured and oriented perpendicular to two adjacent
flaps and parallel to another of the flaps;
securing the respective trailing corners of the four flaps to place the flaps in the open position in which each flap is secured
and oriented perpendicular to two adjacent flaps and parallel to another of the flaps;
pivoting the four shoes about their respective first axes to thereby place the four shoes in a flap folding position in which:
each of the fingers is in the retracted position in which the contact surface of the finger is parallel to the respective
first axis and perpendicular to the respective second axis; and
the shoes are located so that the contact surfaces of the fingers are in contact with the respective ones of the leading corners
of the flaps when the case is in the open position in which each flap is secured and oriented perpendicular to two adjacent
flaps and parallel to another of the flaps;
after pivoting the four shoes about their respective first axes to thereby place the four shoes in the flap folding position,
pivoting the fingers relative to their respective shoes and about respective ones of the second axes to thereby push the leading
corners of the flaps;
releasing the trailing corner of each of the four flaps, wherein the releasing is timed to allow the leading corner of each
flap to pass the trailing corner of an adjacent one of the flaps during pivoting the fingers relative to their respective
shoes and about the respective ones of the second axes; and
closing each of the flaps such that the leading corner of each flap is covered by the trailing corner of the adjacent one
of the flaps to result in the fan fold configuration, comprising:
continuing to pivot the fingers relative to their respective shoes and about the respective ones of the second axes until
each of the fingers is placed in an extended position in which:
the finger is oriented 90 degrees from its orientation in its retracted position; and
the contact surface of the finger is perpendicular to the respective first axis and parallel to the respective second axis.
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