JP2001125935A - Device and method for aiding design - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly and easily design an intended shape and to flexibly correspond to a change in the design. SOLUTION: A basic shape selected from a data base is restricted on the end part of a design surface by a prescribed restriction condition, necessary dimensional adjustment is executed in accordance with dimensions on the design surface and then the restricted basic shape is moved along the outer edge of the end part of the design surface as shown in Fig. 3(a). Coordinate data constituting a shape surface swept by the movement of the basic shape are added to the surface data of the design surface as a flange surface to be designed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a design support apparatus and a design support method suitable for designing a product manufactured by, for example, press molding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, computer-aided design support technology has rapidly spread, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-148.
No. 543 discloses a technology for shortening the time required for product design by automatically calculating the rough shape of a product based on the finished shape of the product when obtaining the shape of the product manufactured by forging after forging. Has been proposed.

[0003]

However, in the above conventional example, when a change occurs in the final shape of a product in another department, for example, the entire rough land shape is calculated again based on the changed shape data. It has to be fixed, which is not efficient.

Further, a CAD system capable of three-dimensional modeling, which has become widespread in recent years, is a design operation using a conventional two-dimensional CAD system based on the thinking process of drafting drawings. Since methods and the like are greatly different, the three-dimensional model generated by the three-dimensional CAD system often varies depending on the operator's proficiency in the system.

Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a design support apparatus and a design support method capable of easily designing a target shape in a short time.

It is a second object of the present invention to provide a design support apparatus and a design support method capable of easily forming a target shape in a short time and capable of flexibly responding to a design change.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a design support apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, this is a design support apparatus for supporting the design of a member shape necessary for realizing a design shape of a product, in which a plurality of types of basic shapes which constitute the ends of the member shape to be designed are stored in advance. Database, a restricting means capable of constraining any of the basic shapes selected from the database to a desired end of the product design shape, and the basic shape in a state constrained by the restricting means is the design. A synthesizing means for integrating a region swept by being moved along the outer edge of the shape into the member shape to be designed.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a developing means for generating a two-dimensional manufacturing drawing by developing the member shape integrated by the synthesizing means.

In order to achieve the above object, a design support method for a design support apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, this is a design support method for supporting the design of a member shape necessary for realizing a product design shape, wherein a plurality of basic shapes to constitute the end of the member shape to be designed are previously stored in a database. A storage step of storing types, a constraint step of restricting any basic shape selected from the database to a desired end of the product design shape, and a basic shape in a state constrained in the constraint step, A combining step of integrating a region swept by moving along the outer edge of the design shape into the member shape to be designed.

Further, for example, when the design shape is changed, in the synthesizing step, the basic shape used in creating the member shape before the change corresponding to the changed portion is added to the outer edge of the changed portion. It is preferable that the swept region is moved by being constrained along the constraining condition along the constraining condition so as to be integrated with the member shape to be designed.

[0013]

According to the present invention, a design support apparatus and a design support method capable of easily designing a target shape in a short time, and a target shape can be easily designed in a short time. In addition, it is possible to provide a design support apparatus and a design support method capable of flexibly responding to a design change.

That is, according to the first and third aspects of the present invention, a target shape can be easily designed in a short time by using data of an existing basic shape.

According to the second and fifth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a manufacturing drawing expressed on a two-dimensional plane with which the user is familiar.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a target shape can be easily designed in a short time by using data of an existing basic shape, and a part of a design surface to be a master can be obtained. Is changed, the change can be dealt with by an easy operation without redesigning the member shape.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A design support apparatus and a design support method according to the present invention are applied to a case of designing a member shape at the time of manufacture necessary to realize a previously created three-dimensional design shape. An embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a design task using the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment.

In this embodiment, first, a three-dimensional surface model (surface data) as shown in FIG. 1A is obtained. This surface model is created in advance in, for example, another department as a design surface (design surface).

The obtained surface model of the design surface is copied and distributed to each person in charge of design (operator), and at a predetermined end of the distributed surface model,
As shown in FIG. 1B, each person in charge adds surface data of the flange surface required at the time of manufacturing. In the design work of adding the flange surface, shape data of a database (library) in which a plurality of basic shapes of the flange surface serving as a model are stored in advance (the details will be described later).

Next, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the surface model in which the flange surface is added to each of the predetermined ends has one model without overlapping portions (in this case, the shape portion of the design surface). It is summarized in.

Then, the surface model to which all necessary flange surfaces are added is developed as a two-dimensional manufacturing drawing that can be used in the manufacturing department as shown in FIG.

The reason that a plurality of surface models of the design surface are copied and a flange surface is added for each part in charge of each worker is to reduce the design time, and the processing capacity of the hardware used is limited. If the speed is sufficiently high and there is a margin in the design schedule, one person in charge may sequentially add all necessary flange surfaces to the obtained surface model of the design surface.

Next, a design support process capable of realizing the above-described design work and a design support device for executing the design support process will be described. It should be noted that the design support apparatus described below is described as an apparatus capable of performing all the operations of each step described with reference to FIG. 1 for convenience of explanation.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the design support apparatus according to this embodiment, and a general computer may be employed.

In the drawing, reference numeral 22 denotes a display such as a CRT,
Reference numeral 23 denotes a keyboard as input means. A ROM 24 stores a boot program and the like. 25 is
This is a RAM for temporarily storing various processing results. Reference numeral 26 denotes a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) that stores a program of a general three-dimensional CAD system (I-DEAS as an example in the present embodiment) and a program that implements a design support process described later. Reference numeral 27 denotes a communication interface for communicating with an external device via the communication line 30. Reference numeral 28 denotes a printer that prints processing results and the like. These components are connected via an internal bus 29, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 controls the entire design support device according to a program stored in a storage device 26.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the design support processing according to the present embodiment, and the CP of the design support apparatus shown in FIG.
10 shows the flow of a process executed by U21.

Step 1: A surface model of a design surface created in advance by another department is obtained via the communication line 30, for example. The function in this step is, for example, ID
You can use the EAS "Get from Library" function.

Step 2: In order to add a flange surface necessary for actually manufacturing the obtained design surface by press molding, a required number of surface models of the design surface are copied and distributed to each person in charge (operator). I do. The function in this step is, for example, the “Associative C” of I-DEAS.
You can use the "opy" function.

Step 3: Depending on which part of the design shape to be produced is the obtained design surface, one of the basic shapes from a database in which a plurality of generalized basic shapes are stored in advance. (For example, if it is the shape design of the front fender in the overall shape of the car body,
Obtain the basic shape representing the flange surface for realizing the shape of the front fender by press molding. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the operator defines a predetermined constraint condition (an angle with respect to the tangential direction, edge setting, etc.) at only one position with respect to the end of the design surface, as shown in FIG. Restrained by The function in this step may use, for example, the “Associative Copy” function and the “Constrain” function of I-DEAS.

Step 4: The size of the constrained basic shape is changed by the operator according to the size of the entire shape. The function in this process is described in, for example, "Modify Entit" of I-DES.
Use the "y" function.

Step 5: The basic shape after the size adjustment is moved along the outer edge of the end portion as shown in FIG. The function in this step is, for example, I-
You can use the "Variational Sweep" function of DEAS.

Step 6: The coordinate data constituting the shape surface swept by the movement of the basic shape is added to the surface data of the design surface (FIG. 3B). The functions in this process include, for example, the “Join” function of I-DEAS and the “Stitch” function.
Just use the "Surface" function.

Step 7: The overlapping part (in this case, the shape part of the design surface) is eliminated from the surface model to which the flange surface is added by each operator, and the surface model is integrated into one model as shown in FIG. 1 (c). The functions in this step include, for example, the “Loft” function of I-DEAS and “Surface by
Just use the "Bounary" function.

Step 8: Based on the surface model of the design surface to which all necessary flange surfaces have been added, it is developed into a two-dimensional manufacturing drawing in which distortion due to press molding and movement of members during pressing are taken into account. The function in this step may use, for example, the “DraftingDetail” function of I-DEAS.

The created shape data is treated as associated (ACF: Associate Copy Feature) copy data, so that if a change is made to the design surface obtained in step 1, the change is affected. The operator specifies the part to be received (flange surface), and performs steps 4 to 8 on the part to create a three-dimensional surface model corresponding to the changed design surface and a two-dimensional manufacturing drawing of the model. Can be easily created.

It should be noted that the design procedure described with reference to FIG. 5 and the adjustment procedure when a specification change occurs may be documented, for example, as a manual in which the above-described procedures are described, or an operation necessary for each of the steps may be performed. Alternatively, a macro may be formed using a simple language or a general-purpose programming language dedicated to the design support apparatus, and the macro may be executed at the time of design or change to support the operator.

According to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to easily design a member shape at the time of manufacture necessary to realize a design shape in a short time, and when a design change occurs in the design shape. Can respond flexibly.

Reference Example Here, a reference example related to the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

For example, as in the case where a bead shape for adjusting a wrinkle holding surface of a press die is defined as three-dimensional CAD data, a non-deformed shape at a disappearance portion of the bead shape is defined on a three-dimensional free-form surface. In this case (see FIG. 6), conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, a bead shape to be defined is regarded as a pipe, and a central axis of the pipe is generally defined.

However, a design task using three-dimensional data differs greatly from a design task using a two-dimensional CAD system which has been widely performed in the past, because the thinking process and the operation method of the system are greatly different. An operation of defining a central axis above and designing a bead shape according to the defined central axis and three-dimensional data generated by the operation often vary depending on the operator's proficiency in the system.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to eliminate such a variation in the shape, a sectional shape corresponding to a certain portion on a predefined three-dimensional curved surface (for example, three-dimensional CAD data of a press die) is used. On the two-dimensional plane as shown in FIG. 8, the operator sets the reference line of the desired bead shape, the size of the upper end (or lower end) of the bead shape to be defined, and the direction in which the bead shape is to be extended. By inputting a plurality of cross-sectional shapes at desired intervals, a desired bead shape can be defined on the three-dimensional curved surface. Furthermore, when creating a deformed shape, a desired shape is created by adding a cross-sectional shape to the change start position and the end position, and changing the dimensions of the cross-sectional shape.

Here, a function for obtaining a cross-sectional shape of a predefined three-dimensional curved surface, a reference line and an upper end (or lower end) input by an operator with respect to a two-dimensional plane obtained by the function. Since the processing procedure itself of the software relating to the function of calculating the center line of the bead shape (pipe) located on the three-dimensional plane based on the dimensions described above is general, detailed description is omitted.

According to the design support system having such a function, the operator can change the height of the bead shape, the size of the upper end portion (or the lower end portion), and the reference for the bead shape once defined. By simply re-inputting the line, it is possible to easily design the deformed shape at the disappearance portion of the bead shape after the change.

Therefore, when defining or changing the three-dimensional bead shape, the operator can easily think with a sense of design on a two-dimensional plane with which the operator is conventionally familiar, and according to the dimension input method, It is also possible to define a bead shape that gradually changes from a square shape as shown in FIG. 10 to a round shape as shown in FIG.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a design task using a design support apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state where a basic shape is constrained to an end of a design surface in a step 3;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating Steps 5 and 6 for creating a flange surface by moving a constrained basic shape.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a design support apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a design support process according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional bead-shaped view;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a conventional method for defining a bead shape.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method of defining a bead shape in a reference example.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method of defining a bead shape having a complicated shape.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional bead-shaped view defined by the operation shown in FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

 21: CPU, 22: display, 23: keyboard, 24: ROM, 25: RAM, 26: storage device, 27: communication interface, 28: printer, 29: internal bus, 30: communication line,

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Mutsuo Shido 3-1 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture F-term in Mazda Co., Ltd. (Reference) 5B046 AA05 BA10 DA02 FA18 GA01 HA01 KA06 5B050 AA03 BA07 CA07 EA28 FA02 FA09 FA19

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A design support apparatus for supporting design of a member shape necessary for realizing a design shape of a product, wherein a plurality of types of basic shapes to constitute an end of the member shape to be designed are stored in advance. A database, a constraint means capable of constraining any of the basic shapes selected from the database to a desired end of the product design shape, and the basic shape constrained by the constraint means is the design Combining means for integrating an area to be swept by being moved along the outer edge of the shape into the member shape to be designed, and guide means for guiding an input operation to the restraining means and the combining means. A design support device characterized by the following. 2. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a developing unit that generates a two-dimensional manufacturing drawing by expanding a member shape integrated by the combining unit. 3. A design support method for supporting design of a member shape necessary for realizing a design shape of a product, wherein a plurality of basic shapes to constitute an end of the member shape to be designed are previously stored in a database. A storage step of storing types, a constraint step of restricting any basic shape selected from the database to a desired end of a product design shape, and a basic shape constrained in the constraint step, A synthesis step of integrating a region swept by moving along the outer edge of the design shape into the member shape to be designed. 4. In the case where the design shape is changed, in the synthesizing step, the basic shape used in creating the member shape before the change corresponding to the changed portion is placed along the outer edge of the changed portion. 4. The design support method according to claim 3, wherein the swept area is moved by being moved in a state of being constrained in accordance with the constraining condition, so as to be integrated with the member shape to be designed. 5. The design support method according to claim 3, further comprising a development step of generating a two-dimensional manufacturing drawing by developing a member shape integrated in the synthesis step.