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US 8,830,223 B2Granted
Computer aided design of three-dimensional cartons with curved creases
AssigneeESKO Software BVBA
InventorLlewelyn John Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, a computer readable medium with instructions to execute a method, and a carton designed using a method. The method includes accepting a specification of a carton made up of a substrate and having at least one curved crease. The method further includes for a curved crease, accepting a folding angle at any point of the crease; and automatically calculating at least one shape of the folded carton in order to determine a three-dimensional model of the folded carton.
Claims26
A method of operating a processing system that includes at least one processor and a storage subsystem, the method comprising:
- accepting in the processing system a specification of a carton made up of a substrate and having at least one curved crease, and storing at least part of the specification in the storage subsystem of the processing system, wherein the specification includes at least cut lines and crease lines of a two-dimensional unfolded model of the carton;
- determining or accepting as part of the specification panels of the carton, the determining comprising for a crease that can have a panel on the left and on the right:
- starting at a start point along the crease, following a first path in a first direction, the first direction being clockwise or counterclockwise such that at each intersection, a right-hand turn is taken for the first direction being clockwise or a left-hand turn is taken for the first direction being counterclockwise until returning to the start point, such that a path that forms an outline of the panel on a first side of the crease is defined;
- starting at the start point along the crease, following a second path in a second direction, the second direction being counterclockwise or clockwise, and opposite the first direction, such that at each intersection, a left-hand turn is taken for the second direction being counterclockwise or a right-hand turn is taken for the second direction being clockwise, until returning to the start point, such that a second path that forms an outline of the panel on a second side of the crease is defined;
- and
- uniting any duplicate panels;
- dividing each panel into one or more domains so that the substrate of each domain only bends in one direction;
- for a curved crease, accepting in the processing system a folding angle at any point of the crease;
- and
- automatically calculating by at least one processor of the processing system at least one shape of the folded carton, including reading from the storage subsystem at least some of the stored part of the specification the calculating to determine a three-dimensional model of the folded carton,
- wherein the carton when unfolded to a flat two-dimensional surface includes at least one cut.
8 more elements
A method of operating a processing system that includes at least one processor, a display device, and a storage subsystem, the method comprising:
- accepting in the processing system a specification of a carton made up of a substrate and having at least one curved crease and storing at least part of the specification on the storage subsystem, the specification including at least cut lines and crease lines;
- accepting in the processing system specification of panels of the carton or determining panels of the carton, the determining comprising, for a crease that can have a panel on the left and on the right:
- starting at a start point along the crease, following a first path in a first direction, the first direction being clockwise or counterclockwise such that at each intersection, a right-hand turn is taken for the first direction being clockwise or a left-hand turn is taken for the first direction being counterclockwise until returning to the start point, such that a path that forms an outline of the panel on a first side of the crease is defined;
- starting at the start point along the crease, following a second path in a second direction, the second direction being counterclockwise or clockwise, and opposite the first direction, such that at each intersection, a left-hand turn is taken for the second direction being counterclockwise or a right-hand turn is taken for the second direction being clockwise, until returning to the start point, such that a second path that forms an outline of the panel on a second side of the crease is defined;
- and
- uniting any duplicate panels;
- determining by at least one processor of the processing system how any curved creases in each panel are connected, including;
- automatically calculating, using at least one processor of the processing system, the shape of at least some of the curved creases when folded, the calculating including reading at some of the stored part of the specification;
- aligning by at least one processor of the processing system the curved creases on opposite sides of each domain to obtain a three-dimensional model of the folded carton;
- rendering the carton in a selected view;
- and
- displaying the rendered carton's selected view on the display device.
9 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors of a processing system that includes at least one processor and a storage subsystem, cause execution of a method comprising:
- accepting a specification of a carton made up of a substrate and having at least one curved crease, and storing at least part of the specification in the storage subsystem of the processing system, wherein the specification includes at least cut lines and crease lines of a two-dimensional unfolded model of the carton;
- determining or accepting as part of the specification panels of the carton, the determining comprising for a crease that can have a panel on the left and on the right:
- starting at a start point along the crease, following a first path in a first direction, the first direction being clockwise or counterclockwise such that at each intersection, a right-hand turn is taken for the first direction being clockwise or a left-hand turn is taken for the first direction being counterclockwise until returning to the start point, such that a path that forms an outline of the panel on a first side of the crease is defined;
- starting at the start point along the crease, following a second path in a second direction, the second direction being counterclockwise or clockwise, and opposite the first direction, such that at each intersection, a left-hand turn is taken for the second direction being counterclockwise or a right-hand turn is taken for the second direction being clockwise, until returning to the start point, such that a second path that forms an outline of the panel on a second side of the crease is defined;
- and
- uniting any duplicate panels;
- dividing each panel into one or more domains so that the substrate of each domain only bends in one direction;
- for a curved crease, accepting a folding angle at any point of the crease;
- and
- automatically calculating on the processor at least one shape of the folded carton, including reading from the storage subsystem at least part of the stored part of the specification the calculating to determine a three-dimensional model of the folded carton.
7 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors of a processing system that includes at least one processor, a display device, and a storage subsystem, cause execution of a method comprising:
- accepting a specification of a carton made up of a substrate and having at least one curved crease and storing at least part of the specification on the storage subsystem, the specification including at least cut lines and crease lines;
- accepting specification of panels of the carton or determining panels of the carton, the determining comprising, for a crease that can have a panel on the left and on the right:
- starting at a start point along the crease, following a first path in a first direction, the first direction being clockwise or counterclockwise such that at each intersection, a right-hand turn is taken for the first direction being clockwise or a left-hand turn is taken for the first direction being counterclockwise until returning to the start point, such that a path that forms an outline of the panel on a first side of the crease is defined;
- starting at the start point along the crease, following a second path in a second direction, the second direction being counterclockwise or clockwise, and opposite the first direction, such that at each intersection, a left-hand turn is taken for the second direction being counterclockwise or a right-hand turn is taken for the second direction being clockwise, until returning to the start point, such that a second path that forms an outline of the panel on a second side of the crease is defined;
- and
- uniting any duplicate panels;
- determining how any curved creases in each panel are connected, including;
- automatically calculating, using the processor, the shape of at least some of the curved creases when folded, including reading at least part of the stored part of the specification;
- aligning the curved creases on opposite sides of each domain to obtain a three-dimensional model of the folded carton;
- and rendering the carton in a selected view;
- and
- displaying the rendered carton's selected view on the display device.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.