topic Re: Living Hinge box? in Inventor Forum

Living Hinge box?

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 23:46:41 GMT

How do you sketch a living hinge box, that animates and folds? I want to create a simple small box that I can use to store my glasses inside

Re: Living Hinge box?

Mark.Lancaster — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 23:56:45 GMT

Chancery808

Welcome to the community

What version of Inventor are you using?

Are you a student?

What have you learned so far? How long have you been using Inventor?

There's more than just sketching...

What have you started so far? Post what you have so far.

Re: Living Hinge box?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 23:18:43 GMT

I use autodesk inventor 2014.

I am a high school design tech 1 student

I have learned to assembly parts and create designs that assembles and animates and I also know how to use a lazercutter

I have been using autodesk for 8 months now

I have not started yet, I need to do some research on how to

Re: Living Hinge box?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 23:51:17 GMT

Are you looking to create a 3D model of a box with a hinged door and that folds/unfolds?

There are a few different approaches you can take, some easier to understand and follow for a beginner and others that are a lot more complicated.

I had a "test" like this for a prospective employer, they wanted to verify I knew Inventor (I guess my references and experince of being on it since release 3 wasn't enough). So the test was to create a box with another box inside as well as a hinged door. The idea was to create a box that would change in size dependant on the inner box. Well, I did such in the quickest and cleanest way possible, all while being watched by the interviewer. Looking over at him from time to time he was shaking his head in disagreement. When finished, he insisted I did it wrong and that it would never change size the way it's supposed to. I assured him it would and then put it thru the test. Sure enough it worked just as I expected, problem was, he wanted it done using skeletal modeling (note: that wasn't in the guidelines). I said, OK, no problem and made it accordingly while I mentioned some of the pitfalls of doing as such. But he still didn't care for the fact I was able to make it a different way that he hadn't thought about and still didn't trust it. Had me get up as he began changing parameters, hoping it would fail, it never did and he got more and more frustrated. I ended the interview and told him if he can't open his mind to other possibilities, then I simply didn't want to work for him.

Long story short, there's more than one way to skin a cat and Autodesk is known for having these options available.

So if you can. provide a bit more info and I'm sure numerous people here can and will give you many different ways to accomplish what you are looking to do.

Re: Living Hinge box?

mcgyvr — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:44:01 GMT

A "living" hinge feature can only be produced via injection molding.

As a student I doubt you have access/money to injection mold whatever you design

3d printing won't work (well maybe for a few cycles before it cracks but thats about it)

Googling "living hinge design" will yield you plenty of informations/calculations for materials,etc.. like this simplistic guide

https://revpart.com/living-hinge-design-guide/

You could "glue" a thin sheet of plastic to the sides of both boxes but thats about as "living hinge" as you are going to get without injection molding..

In Inventor a sketch of the hinge profile and then extrude it is all that is needed to model one..

Re: Living Hinge box?

mpatchus — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:07:38 GMT

One of the things I used to stress to my students all the time, was that there is ALWAYS more than one way to create a part.

Often I would have them create a part, then tell them to make the same part a different way, and then make it again using yet another method.

It would really get them thinking outside the box on how they could utilize the software.

Re: Living Hinge box?

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:35:12 GMT

Mike,

I fully agree. I was dumbfounded that this guy during the interview was so set on using skeletal modeling that he just refused to consider any other way. I honestly think he probably disqualified every person interviewed if they didn't use skeletal modeling.

I explained to him the pitfalls of doing such, especially in a department that works concurrently with a top level assembly....I've seen it bite numerous people in the butt doing such, but he didn't want to hear it.

I even have the main page of this test pinned on my wall here at my desk as a reminder of how closed minded people can be.

So glad I ended the interview at that point and walked out, no way I'd work for a place like that.

Re: Living Hinge box?

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:10:55 GMT

@mcgyvr

A "living" hinge feature can only be produced via injection molding.

This is actually false, you can produce living hinges by cnc milling/engraving on appropriate material. I did that in production. The quality is very good as long as machining is done correctly.