JP2012141858A - Design support device and design support method which manages rules concerning specification values - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a design support device which enables a new component to be utilized in a product of which a specification range cannot be determined in advance, and also enables efficient product design without requiring addition or modification of rules concerning specification values.SOLUTION: A design support device supporting product design in which specification value data indicating product characteristics is input, comprises a storage device and an operational device. The storage device comprises: specification value data storage means; specification value rule storage means for storing rules indicating relations of pieces of specification value data; component data storage means for storing data of a component candidate composing the product; and component specification value data storage means for storing component specification value data. The operational device comprises: first specification value changing means for changing the specification value data based on the rules indicating relations of pieces of specification value data; component selection means for identifying a component of the product based on the specification value data to create data; and second specification value changing means for changing the specification value data based on the data for identifying the component and component specification value data.

Description

  The present invention relates to a design support apparatus and a design support method for handling a rule relating to a specification value that represents a product requirement and a design value that supports a design for determining a component configuration. In particular, the present invention relates to a design support apparatus and a design support method that handle rules relating to specification values that express requirements of planning departments or customers, product characteristics by specification values and component configurations, and use these rules to determine the relationship between them.

  There are design support apparatuses and design support methods that input specification values and efficiently perform design using constraint conditions of the specification values.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-120249 discloses a technology related to a design support apparatus that outputs a product component list, a part cost, a three-dimensional CAD assembly model, and the like when a product specification value and addition of optional parts are input. Has been. (See JP-A-11-120249, page 7, paragraphs [0052], [0055], [0059], page 21, and FIG. 25)
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-155601 has a database of specification values corresponding to specification items, and the specification values are input based on the specification data stored in the database and the constraints that the specification values can take. A technology related to a design support apparatus that generates a configuration design screen for guiding a designer to input data is disclosed.

JP-A-11-120249 JP 2006-155601 A

  All of the conventional design support apparatuses need to organize the relationship between the product and the parts used in the product and the use conditions, and cover the parts to be used in advance. In other words, products that can be designed are limited to those that can be realized by combining previously arranged parts. Here, the arranged parts may have a constant specification value or dimension value, or a specification value or dimension value may have a range. In the latter case, the specification value and the dimension value have a predetermined range, and only parts within the range can be used.

  Depending on the product, it may not be possible to predetermine the range of specification values and dimension values of the parts. More specifically, when the usage of a product changes with the times, the realization technology improves and higher performance parts can be realized.

  However, such a product cannot be designed by a conventional design support apparatus. This is because the design support apparatus is created assuming only the parts for which the constraint conditions have been registered, and the product configuration cannot be determined if new parts are added.

  If a conventional design support apparatus is used, it is necessary to review existing constraints and add and modify them after reviewing existing constraints each time a new part not initially assumed is registered.

  The aim of these design support devices is to input constraint conditions in advance and to make the design more efficient by eliminating the need for studying the constraint conditions in each case design. For this reason, if it is necessary to examine, add, or modify a new constraint condition for each individual project, the design support device cannot be aimed.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-120249 describes that an assembly model of a three-dimensional CAD can be output. However, when a dimension differs depending on a part to be selected, a technique for arranging the part at an appropriate position. Is not disclosed.

  An object of the present invention is to enable the use of new parts for a product whose specification range cannot be determined in advance, and to improve the efficiency of product design without the need for adding or correcting rules relating to specification values. It is to provide a design support apparatus and a design support method for handling rules relating to specification values, which can be realized.

  The design support apparatus that handles the rules relating to the specification values of the present invention is provided with the rule relating to the specification values that support the design of the product provided with the storage device and the arithmetic unit by inputting / outputting the specification value data representing the product characteristics from the input / output means. A design support apparatus for handling, wherein the storage device stores specification value data storage means for storing the specification value data input from the input / output means, and a specification value rule for storing a rule representing a relationship between the specification value data A storage unit and a configuration data storage unit that stores candidate data of parts constituting the product, and the arithmetic unit is a rule representing a relationship between the specification value data stored in the specification value rule storage unit First specification value changing means for changing the specification value data based on the specification value, and a product component based on the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage means A part selection unit that identifies and creates the data, and an output that outputs the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit and data representing the component stored in the configuration data storage unit In the design support apparatus for handling the rules relating to the specification values, each having a control means, the storage device includes a part specification value data storage means for storing part specification value data representing specifications for each candidate part constituting the product. And the arithmetic unit stores in the specification value data storage means based on the data specifying the component stored in the configuration data storage means and the part specification data stored in the part specification value data storage means The second specification value changing means for changing the specified specification value data is provided.

  The design support method for handling the rules relating to the specification value of the present invention is based on the specification value data representing the characteristics of the product input / output from the input / output means, and the product is designed by the design support device including the storage device and the arithmetic unit. A design support method for handling a rule relating to a specification value to be supported, wherein the storage device includes a specification value data storage unit, a specification value rule storage unit, and a configuration data storage unit, and is input from an input / output unit. Specification value data is stored in the specification value data storage means, rules representing the relationship of the specification value data are stored in the specification value rule storage means, and candidate data of parts constituting the product are stored in the configuration data storage means The arithmetic unit is provided with first specification value changing means, part selection means, and output control means, respectively, and is stored in the specification value rule storage means. The specification value data is changed by the first specification value changing means based on the rule representing the relationship between the specified specification value data, and the part selecting means is based on the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage means. The component parts of the product are identified and data are created, and the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage means and the data representing the component parts stored in the configuration data storage means are output controlled. In the design support method for handling rules relating to the specification value output from the means, the part specification value data representing the specifications for each candidate part constituting the product is stored by the part specification value data storage means provided in the storage device. And specifying the component parts stored in the configuration data storage means by the second specification value changing means provided in the arithmetic unit. Data and on the basis of the part specification data that is stored in the component specifications data storage means is adapted to change the specification value data stored in the specifications data storage means, characterized in that.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to use a new part for a product whose specification range cannot be determined in advance, and the efficiency of product design without requiring the addition or correction of rules regarding the specification value. It is possible to realize a design support apparatus and a design support method that handle rules related to specification values, which can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic which shows the design support apparatus which handles the rule regarding the specification value which is one Example of this invention, and its peripheral device. The figure which shows an example of the table structure and data of the specification value data memorize | stored in the specification value data memory | storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the specification value data memorize | stored in the specification value data storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the specification value data memorize | stored in the specification value data storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the structure data memorize | stored in the structure data storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the fan specification data memorize | stored in the component specification data storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the specification data of the motor memorize | stored in the component specification data storage part in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the specification data of the control panel memorize | stored in the component specification data storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows another example of the table structure of the specification data of the installation stand memorize | stored in the component specification data storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. 1, and data. The figure which shows the three-dimensional CAD data of the motor of the type | mold M1 used as one of the object of the design assistance apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the table structure and data of a component selection rule memorize | stored in the component selection rule memory | storage part in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the table structure and data of a specification value rule memorize | stored in the specification value rule memory | storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the table structure and data of a structure rule memorize | stored in the structure rule memory | storage part in the design support apparatus of the present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the table structure and data of the arrangement | positioning rule memorize | stored in the arrangement | positioning rule memory | storage part in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows the flow of the process which the component selection part in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. 1 performs. The figure which shows the flow of the process which the structure change part in the design assistance apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. 1 performs. The figure which shows an example of the table structure and data of a structure reflection rule memorize | stored in the structure reflection rule memory | storage part in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows the flow of the process which the 2nd change part in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. 1 performs. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan of the type F1 used as one of the objects of the design support apparatus of the present embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan of the type F2 used as one of the objects of the design support apparatus of the present embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the motor of the type | mold M1 used as one of the object of the design assistance apparatus of a present Example. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan of the type F1 used as one of the objects of the design support apparatus of the present embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan of the type F2 used as one of the objects of the design support apparatus of the present embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the state which assembled the fan of the type F1 used as one of the object of the design support apparatus of a present Example, and the motor of the type M1. The figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional CAD data of the state assembled without performing the arrangement | positioning process of the fan of the type F2 and the motor of the type M1 which are one of the objects of the design support apparatus of a present Example. The figure which shows the three-dimensional CAD data of the state which assembled the fan of the type F2 used as one of the object of the design support apparatus of a present Example, and the motor of the type M1. The figure which shows an example of the screen at the time of inputting the specification value data in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen at the time of editing the configuration data in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen at the time of inputting the component specification data in the design support apparatus of a present Example shown in FIG.

  Next, a design support apparatus and a design support method for handling rules relating to specification values according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A design support apparatus and a design support method for handling rules relating to specification values according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a design support apparatus that handles rules relating to specification values according to an embodiment of the present invention and peripheral devices thereof.

  In the design support apparatus that handles the rules relating to the specification values of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the input / output device 101 inputs specification value data related to a product that is a target of design support to the design support apparatus 100, This is an input / output device that performs editing, additional input of part specification data, input of part CAD data, output of design status and design results, and the like.

  The input / output device 101 is preferably composed of a keyboard, mouse, display, printer, etc., which are general input / output devices of computers. However, the device configuration of the input / output device 101 is not limited to this.

  The input / output interface 110 provided in the design support apparatus 100 exchanges data between the input / output apparatus 101 and the design support apparatus 100.

  The remote input / output device 102 is for inputting / outputting data to / from the design support device 100 at a remote place. The processing contents of the remote input / output device 102 are the same as those of the input / output device 101, but are connected to the design support device 100 via the communication network 103 for data exchange with the design support device 100.

  A communication device 120 provided in the design support apparatus 100 is an apparatus for connecting the design support apparatus 100 to the communication network 103.

  The design support apparatus 100 includes a storage device 130 and an arithmetic device 140. The storage device 130 provided in the design support apparatus 100 includes the following storage units.

  That is, the specification value data storage unit 131 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores specification value data representing the characteristics of the product to be designed. For example, taking a blower composed of a fan, a motor, a control panel, and an installation stand as an example, the specification value data is composed of, for example, a requirement specification data as shown in FIG. 2 and a table describing design specification data. The The design ID of the table represents the distinction between designs.

  The design support apparatus 100 creates one or a plurality of design proposals for the product when there is an inquiry item or order for the product from a customer. The design ID is an identifier indicating one of them. Although the customer name, customer contact information, and the like may be included in this table, in the design support apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it is assumed that these are different general tables and are associated with the design ID.

  The flow rate, power supply, voltage, delivery date, and the like are customer's required specifications for the product, and the purpose of the design support apparatus 100 of this embodiment is to design a product that satisfies this specification value, for example, a blower. The required specification data is often known at the start of design, but some items may be determined by consulting with the customer as the design progresses, and others may be changed by consultation.

  The pressure, power, fan mass, motor mass, control panel mass, top mono mass, installation stand strength, etc. for the above products are specification values obtained during or based on the required specifications, depending on the design process. Are recorded sequentially. These may be presented to the customer, but there are also items that are used only by the side receiving the order. Here, the upper thing mass assumes the total mass of the mass of a fan, a motor, and a control panel not including the mass of an installation stand.

  The specification value data storage unit 131 constituting the storage device 130 included in the design support apparatus 100 stores the specification value data and the table configuration and data of the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit in FIG. As shown as an example, it can be stored in one table, but it can also be stored in a plurality of tables.

  For example, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are diagrams respectively showing another example of the table configuration and data of the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit 131. The specification values of FIG. The example of the table memorize | stored separately in a part and the part of the design specification shown in FIG. 4 is represented.

  The configuration data storage unit 134 that constitutes the storage device 130 is a part that stores data of parts that constitute a product. As the configuration data, for example, a table configuration of fan specification data stored in a data storage unit 134 that records component specification data and an example of the data are described as in the table shown in FIG. In the table of FIG. 5, the design ID is data corresponding to each specification item shown in FIGS.

  Parts in FIG. 5 represent parts included in the product corresponding to each design ID. In this example, each case of NEW, A, B, and C indicates that it is composed of four parts: a fan, a motor, a control panel, and an installation base.

  Candidate 1 to candidate n in FIG. 5 represent the types of parts that are candidates for each part. For example, in the design with the design ID NEW, five types of parts F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5 are used candidates for the fan that is a part.

  Similarly, in FIG. 5, the motor and the control panel each represent four types of parts, and the installation table indicates that two types of parts are use candidates. These multiple types of parts are excluded from use candidates when the design progresses and the specification value conditions are not met.

  Then, when the design is completed, it is finally determined to be one type of part. This example shows an example of a simple table configuration, but it is also possible to manage parts in a hierarchy, or to form a format that does not limit the number of candidates.

  The part specification data storage unit 136 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores specification value data for each part type. The component specification data includes, for example, tables shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 as an example of a table configuration of fan specification data stored in the component specification data storage unit and an example of the data. Each figure shows the specification values of parts for each type of fan, motor, control panel and installation base. For example, in the case of a motor, as shown in FIG. 7 as the table configuration and data of the motor specification data stored in the component specification data storage unit, it is configured by model, power, voltage, mass, price, delivery date, etc. ing.

  The part CAD data storage unit 137 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores three-dimensional CAD data for each part type. Specifically, data of each type of each part shown in FIG. 5 or FIGS. 6 to 9 is stored. If the shape is the same even if the specification values are different, the shape data may be shared by a plurality of types of parts. Each part data has local coordinates for each part.

  Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 as the three-dimensional CAD data of the motor of the type M1 that is the target of the design support apparatus of this embodiment, it is assembled with other parts such as the rotating shaft 1101 and the flange surface 1102. Names are given to straight lines, planes, etc., which become the reference when matching.

  The part selection rule storage unit 132 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores a rule for selecting a part type that matches a condition based on the specification value data. The part selection rule is constituted by, for example, a table as shown in FIG. 11 as an example of the table configuration and data of the part selection rule stored in the part selection rule storage unit.

  No. in the table shown in FIG. The item is data representing the order of the rules. The relationship item is data that represents the relationship between the value of the design specification or required specification of Table 1 and the fan specification of Table 2 or the value of the motor specification, which is the item that follows to the right. Tables 1 and 2 are data representing the target tables of the relationship. Each design specification value is data representing a specification item in a related table.

  For example, no. The rule of No. 4 is No. 4 represents the rule that the specification value of the power item in the design specification table is equal to or less than the specification value of the power item in the motor specification table. Although the processing method will be described later, according to this rule, in the design with the design ID NEW, in the design specification shown in FIG. 2 or 4, the power is 7 kW in the “design specification”. Therefore, in the motor specification shown in FIG. As a condition satisfying this condition, only M3 and M4 are applicable.

  The specification value rule storage part 133 which comprises the memory | storage device 130 is a part which memorize | stores the rule between specification value data. The specification value rule includes a table structure of specification value rules stored in the specification value rule storage unit and a table showing an example of data as shown in FIG. 12, for example.

  No. in the table of FIG. Is data representing the order of specification value rules. The result table in FIG. 12 is data representing a table of design specification values determined by the rules, and the result item in FIG. 12 is data representing items of specification values determined by the rules.

  Moreover, the calculation in the table of FIG. 12 is data representing the calculation for calculating the specification value of the result from the required specification value of the original table 1 which is the original following the right. Here, the names f, g, h, etc. of separately prepared processing programs are described, but in the simple case, an arithmetic expression may be described here.

  The original table 1, the original table 2, and the original table 3 in FIG. 12 represent tables that store specification values used for calculation, and items 1, 2, and 3 represent items of specification values that are used for calculation. Yes.

  The specification value used for the calculation may be single or plural. Although a simple example is shown here, a method of obtaining a result by referring to a numerical table as an operation, a method of defining a relationship between specification values by a logical expression, and the like are also conceivable.

  The configuration rule storage unit 135 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores rules between configuration data. The configuration rule is configured by a table that shows an example of the table configuration and data of the configuration rule stored in the configuration rule storage unit in FIG. 13, for example.

  No. Is data representing the order of rules. The relationship is data representing the type of the relationship between the component and model that follows to the right, “exclusive” indicates that the right component cannot be used at the same time, and “synchronization” indicates that the second component is used when the first component is used. This indicates that the component is an essential combination.

  In FIG. 13, parts 1 and 2 represent parts to be excluded or synchronized, and models 1 and 2 represent types of parts to be excluded or synchronized. For example, no. No. 1 indicates that fan F1 and motor M1 cannot be used simultaneously. 2 indicates that the use of the motor M2 is essential when the fan F2 is used.

  The configuration reflection rule storage unit 139 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores a rule for changing specification value data in accordance with the change of configuration data. The configuration reflection rule is configured by, for example, a table showing an example of the table configuration and data of the configuration reflection rule stored in the configuration reflection rule storage unit in FIG.

  No. Is data representing the order of rules. The result table is data representing a specification value table determined by the rule, and the result item is data representing a specification value item determined by the rule.

  The calculation in the table of FIG. 17 is data representing the calculation of a plurality of values of configuration items for a plurality of candidate components described on the right side. The component is data representing a calculation target component, and the configuration item is data representing a calculation target item.

  For example, No. shown in the table of FIG. The rule of No. 2 is the mass value corresponding to the “mass” of the part specification data shown in FIG. 7 for a plurality of types of candidate parts M1, M2, M3, M4 described in the motor row of the configuration data. 7, 8, 9, 10 is extracted, max calculation is performed between these values, mass 10 is obtained from them, and the result is recorded in the motor mass item column of the design specification table. ing.

  If there is only one candidate, the value is recorded as it is. When there is no candidate at all, it is recorded that there is no value. This rule is formally similar to the specification value rule, but the processing method is quite different. The specification value rule performs an operation between specific specification values regardless of the number of part type candidates. On the other hand, the configuration reflection rule processes different numbers of data each time depending on the number of type candidate data at the time of execution.

  The placement rule storage unit 138 constituting the storage device 130 is a part that stores rules for placing parts of the type selected in the three-dimensional CAD. For example, the arrangement rule is configured by a table as shown in FIG. 14 as an example of the arrangement rule table configuration and data stored in the arrangement rule storage unit.

  No. in the table of FIG. Is data representing the order of rules. The relationship indicates the type of positional relationship between the elements of the components to be arranged, the coaxial indicates that the axes are in a straight line, and the facing indicates that the plane faces at the same position. Parts 1 and 2 represent related parts, and elements 1 and 2 represent elements of the related parts.

  As shown in FIG. 10 showing the three-dimensional CAD data of the motor of the type M1, the same parts are defined with the same name even if the type is different. Even if they are different, they can be arranged according to the same rule.

  The arithmetic device 140 provided in the design support apparatus 100 includes the following processing units.

  The input control unit 141 constituting the arithmetic device 140 is a part that performs processing of dividing data input from the input / output device and the remote input / output device into commands, data, and the like, and transferring the data to each part of the storage device and the arithmetic device. .

  When the user inputs a specific specification value, the data is recorded at a corresponding position in the specification value data storage unit 131. FIG. 27 shows an example of the screen when inputting the specification value data. Since the name of the specification item and the input area are displayed in comparison, a value can be input to the input area.

  Further, when a specific type is selected as a component to be used by the user, only the data of the type in which the candidate for the corresponding component in the configuration data storage unit 134 is selected is deleted, and other candidate data is deleted. An example of a screen for performing this operation is shown in FIG. 28 as an example of a screen when editing the configuration data. The names of products, parts, and models are displayed hierarchically, and operations for adding and deleting model parts can be performed.

  Further, when a user inputs a specification value of a part when adding a new type of part as a candidate for use, the data is added to the part specification data storage unit 136 of the storage device 130. An example of a screen for performing this operation is shown in FIG. 29 as an example of a screen when inputting the component specification data. Since the name of the specification item and the input area are displayed in comparison, a value can be input to the input area.

  When new model three-dimensional CAD part data is input, the data is added to the part CAD data storage unit 137.

  The first specification value changing unit 142 constituting the arithmetic device 140 is based on the specification value rule (FIG. 12) stored in the specification value rule storage unit 133, and the specification value stored in the specification value data storage unit 131. This is a part for performing processing for changing data (FIG. 2).

  Specifically, the specification value rule is sequentially extracted, each calculation is performed, and the specification value data is changed according to the result. However, it is also possible to perform control such as not to repeat the process of the unchanged part in order to improve the process efficiency.

  The component selection unit 144 constituting the arithmetic device 140 stores the component specification data based on the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit 131 and the component selection rules stored in the component selection rule storage unit 132. This is a part that performs processing for extracting data of a type that matches the condition from the components stored in the unit 136 and recording the data in the configuration data storage unit 134. A detailed procedure of this process is shown in FIG. 15 as a flow of the process performed by the component selection unit.

  In step 1601 to step 1608 from the start to the return shown in FIG. 15 as a flow of processing performed by the component selection unit, the component data reading procedure 1602 includes component specification data (FIG. 15) stored in the component specification data storage unit 136. 6-9) is a process for reading out all models of all parts.

  The initial part data registration procedure 1603 is a process of recording all type data of all the extracted parts in the configuration data storage unit 134 in association with the design ID.

  The rule extraction procedure 1604 is processing for sequentially extracting the component selection rules stored in the component selection rule storage unit 132.

  The rule determination procedure 1605 is a process of reading out the part specification data stored in the part specification data storage unit 136 for each type of the part corresponding to the extracted rule and determining the rule condition.

  The non-applicable model deletion procedure 1606 is a process of deleting the data of the type determined as non-applicable by the determination process from the data stored in the configuration data storage unit 134.

  In step 1607, the processing after the rule extraction step 1604 is repeated until there are no more rules.

  The configuration change unit 145 constituting the arithmetic device 140 is a part that performs processing for changing data in the configuration data storage unit 134 based on the configuration rules stored in the configuration rule storage unit 135 of the storage device 130. The detailed procedure of this process is shown in FIG.

  It should be noted that the data of some components are deleted based on an instruction specified from the input / output device 101 or the remote input / output device 102 without following the configuration rule stored in the configuration rule storage unit 135. May be.

  In steps 1701 to 1706 from the start to the return shown in FIG. 16 as a flow of processing performed by the configuration changing unit, a rule extracting procedure 1702 is processing for sequentially extracting the configuration rules stored in the configuration rule storage unit 135. is there.

  The rule determination procedure 1703 is processing for determining the extracted rule with respect to the data stored in the configuration data storage unit 134.

  The non-applicable model deletion procedure 1704 is a process of deleting data of a type determined to be non-applicable by the determination process from the data stored in the configuration data storage unit 134.

Specifically, in the case of the exclusive rule, if there is only the part 1 and the part 1 of the type 1, the data of the part 2 and the type 2 is deleted, and in the case of the synchronization rule, the part 1 and the type 1 If there is only one part, it is a process of deleting all data of types other than type 2 from the candidate data of part 2.
In step 1705, the processing after rule extraction 1702 is repeated until there are no more rules.

  The second specification value changing unit 143 constituting the arithmetic device 140 includes a configuration reflection rule (FIG. 17) stored in the configuration reflection rule storage unit 139, configuration data (FIG. 5) stored in the configuration data storage unit 134, This is a part for performing processing for changing the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit 131 based on the component specification data (FIGS. 6 to 9) stored in the component specification data storage unit 136.

  This process is normally performed when the configuration data is changed. As an example, assuming that the number of motor candidate types is reduced, a detailed procedure of this processing is shown in FIG.

  In steps 1901 to 1909 from the start to the return shown in the flow of processing performed by the configuration changing unit in FIG. 18, the changed component specifying procedure 1902 is processing for specifying a component whose type candidate has changed, In this example, the motor is specified. Usually, it is passed by an argument when this process is called.

  The candidate type extraction procedure 1903 searches the configuration data (FIG. 5) stored in the configuration data storage unit 134, and lists the candidates after the change of the component (motor) for the design ID that is the current design target. Is a process of taking out In the example shown as another example of the table configuration and the data of the configuration data stored in the configuration data storage unit in FIG. 5, the list is M1, M2, M3, and M4. As the design progresses, the number of candidates may be decreasing.

  The rule extraction procedure 1904 is a process of extracting one rule corresponding to a component from the configuration reflection rules stored in the configuration reflection rule storage unit 139. In the example shown as an example of the table configuration and data of the configuration reflection rule stored in the configuration reflection rule storage unit in FIG. 2 is applicable.

  The part specification value extraction procedure 1905 searches the part specification data (FIG. 7) stored in the part specification data storage unit 136, and corresponds to the part item in the rule for the line whose model type is included in the above candidate. This is a process for retrieving item data. In the example where there are four candidates, the extracted result is a list of 7, 8, 9, and 10.

  The calculation procedure 1906 performs a process corresponding to the calculation in the rule on the above list. In this example, since the operation is max and the list is 7, 8, 9, 10, the result is 10 when the maximum is taken.

  The calculation result recording procedure 1907 is a process of recording the result in the result item column of the result table in the rule. In this example, the result 10 is recorded in the motor mass column of the design specification table. Further, if there is a rule regarding the component (motor), the above processing is repeated. In this example, since there is no corresponding rule, the process is completed.

  The totaling unit 147 constituting the arithmetic device 140 is a part that performs processing for obtaining the specification value of the entire product based on the specification value of each part, such as price, delivery date, and mass. In this embodiment, when a plurality of types of data exist as candidates in the configuration data storage unit 134, the maximum and minimum values are totaled.

  For example, for the price of the candidate fan stored in the configuration data storage unit 134, the price data is read from the corresponding model data stored in the part specification data storage unit 136. Take out the price of the cheapest and the cheapest. Similarly, the prices of motor candidates, control panel candidates, and installation base candidates are taken out, and the sum of the most expensive prices and the sum of the cheapest prices are totaled.

  This result is output from the input / output device 101 or the remote input / output device 102 by the processing of the output control unit 149 constituting the arithmetic device 140. By performing this tabulation process, the difference between the two prices is large at the initial stage of design where there are many candidates, but the difference decreases as the design progresses and the number of candidates decreases. If only one candidate is determined, the difference is zero.

  As for the price, the sum of the maximum and minimum values is totaled in the same way as the price. In the case of delivery date, the maximum and minimum values for delivery of different types of parts are based on the delivery date obtained for each candidate part. To get the delivery date of the whole product. As a result, it is possible to grasp when the earliest is completed and when it is the latest.

  The component placement unit 148 constituting the arithmetic device 140 is stored in the component CAD data storage unit 137 based on the placement rules stored in the placement rule storage unit 138 in order to create assembled three-dimensional CAD data. This is a part that performs processing for arranging three-dimensional CAD data for each part.

  In the present embodiment, since elements having the same name are given to parts of different types, they can be appropriately arranged regardless of which type is selected. In general, different models have different dimensions at each part of the part. Therefore, even if the position of each part is set in advance, a gap may be formed between the parts or the parts may interfere with each other if they are arranged as they are.

  In the present embodiment, by using the arrangement rule, product data can be appropriately created regardless of the type of component used. Detailed description will be given using a specific example.

  FIG. 10 shows the three-dimensional CAD data of the motor M1, FIG. 19 shows the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan F1 of the type F1, and FIG. 20 shows the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan F2 of the type F2. In both cases, the rotating shaft comes out from the main body, and a flange for connection is attached to the tip. Shape elements with names are defined on the central axes 1101 and 2001 and the flange surfaces 1102 and 2002, respectively. The origin of each coordinate system is black circle positions 1103 and 2003.

  21 to 23 show the three-dimensional CAD data of the motor of the type M1, the three-dimensional CAD data of the fan of the type F1, and the three of the fan of the type F2, respectively. Each is shown as dimensional CAD data. When only M1 as a motor and F1 as a fan are candidates in the configuration data, FIG. 24 shows an example of three-dimensional CAD data in a state where a fan of type F1 and a motor of type M1 are assembled. Show.

  In the design support apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the arrangement rules are used to arrange the axes and the surfaces, and thus the arrangement is such that the flanges face each other. If this placement processing is not performed, there may be no problem with the combination of fan F1 and motor M1, but when the fan model changes and F2 becomes a candidate, the two parts are placed without changing the origin. Then, as shown in FIG. 25 as an example of the three-dimensional CAD data in the state where the fan of the type F2 and the motor of the type M1 are assembled without being subjected to the arrangement process, the axis and the plane are shifted. The placement processing of the present embodiment places each component at an appropriate position using a placement rule represented by a table configuration as shown in FIG. For example, no. Using the rule No. 1, the rotation axis of the motor and the rotation axis of the fan are arranged coaxially, and the flange surface of the motor and the flange surface of the fan are arranged facing each other. When this processing is performed, it can be appropriately arranged as shown in FIG. 26 as three-dimensional CAD data in a state where the fan of type F2 and the motor of type M1 are assembled.

  The output control unit 149 configuring the arithmetic device 140 configures specification value data and products stored in the specification value data storage unit 131 and the configuration data storage unit 134 provided in the storage device 130 according to the progress of design. This is a part that performs control to output data of parts to be performed as needed, and transfers these output data from the design support apparatus 100 to the input / output apparatus 101 or the remote input / output apparatus 102.

  The specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit 131 is output together with the item name for user operation and output of results. Further, the configuration data stored in the configuration data storage unit 134 is output for user operation and output of results. Based on these output data, the user can select a part type having an optimum specification value from a plurality of candidates.

  The component specification data stored in the component specification data storage unit 136 is output for reference in component selection. The user edits the configuration data with reference to this. Then, the price data, mass data, delivery date data, and the like that are aggregated by the aggregation unit 147 constituting the arithmetic device 140 are output for determination of the validity of the design, presentation to the customer, and the like.

  The three-dimensional CAD data arranged by the component arrangement unit 148 constituting the arithmetic device 140 is output in a graphic format, and is used for confirming a product form, explaining to a customer, a manufacturing guide, and the like. It is also possible to create a 2D drawing from 3D CAD data.

  Although an example in which the design support apparatus 100 is configured as one apparatus has been described here, a configuration in which a plurality of devices are combined to perform equivalent processing may be employed. For example, the storage device is configured by a plurality of devices for each storage unit, the storage device is configured by a plurality of devices, and the arithmetic processing is configured by a plurality of devices. In these cases, the devices may be connected via a network.

  As described above, each element has been described based on the configuration shown in FIG. 1 as an outline of the design support apparatus and peripheral devices. However, in the following, how each operates in conjunction with the actual flow of design work. Will be explained.

  In the design support apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, when an inquiry about a new product comes from a customer, a required specification of a product that is a target of the design support apparatus 100 is input. Here, the fan product has specifications such as a flow rate of 10 cubic m / second and a delivery time of 3 months. These specifications are input to the design support apparatus 100 by the user from the input / output device 101 or the remote input / output device 102. The specification value is recorded in a specification value data storage unit 131 provided in the storage device 130 of the design support apparatus 100.

  At this time, since the product is a new item, the ID of this design is registered as NEW. When the NEW is registered, the component data is registered in the configuration data storage unit 134 in association with the NEW design ID. Also, as an initial value, all types are registered as candidates for each part.

  In the design support apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, when the specification value data of the target product is recorded, the first specification value changing unit 142 provided in the arithmetic device 140 is activated, and the specification value provided in the storage device 130. An applicable specification value rule is extracted from the specification value rule stored in the rule storage unit 133, and the specification value rule is processed. In this example, the specification value rule No. 1, no. 2 is processed, and the design specification pressure (4 kPa) and power (7 kW) are calculated and recorded.

  Next, the component selection unit 144 of the arithmetic device 140 is activated, and applicable rules are extracted from the component selection rules stored in the component selection rule storage unit 132 of the storage device 130 and are sequentially reflected in the configuration data. In this example, the fan specification pressure is higher than the design specification pressure. According to the specification value rule of 1, F1 whose pressure is less than 4 kPa is excluded from the candidates.

  The fan specification delivery date is less than the required specification delivery date. According to the specification value rule 2, F3 whose delivery date of 3 months is not satisfied is excluded from the candidates. No. The motor specification voltage is equal to the required specification voltage. The specification value rule 3 cannot be applied because the voltage of the specification value data is undetermined. Other specification value rules are processed in the same manner.

  If the candidate for each part constituting the product is uniquely determined, the design support is complete. Even if a plurality of candidates for each part constituting the product remain, the required specification items may increase due to a meeting with the customer. For example, although the customer was not conscious at first, the power supply frequency, voltage, etc. of the customer may be a limiting condition, and these must be handled as customer specifications. When a specification is added, the same processing as described above is additionally executed to narrow down candidates.

  When a candidate product is uniquely determined, the following processing is performed based on this result.

  The specification value data and the configuration data stored in the specification value data storage unit 131 and the configuration data storage unit 134 are output, respectively.

  These may be output in a simple table format or tree format, but a standard document can be created by inserting data corresponding to a corresponding portion of the template document data.

  In addition, the totaling unit 147 of the arithmetic device 140 is activated to perform totaling processing such as price, mass, and delivery date, and the result is output.

  In addition, the component placement unit 148 of the arithmetic device 140 is activated, the candidate types of components are placed, CAD data of the assembly state of the product is created, and the data is output.

  In addition, candidates are uniquely determined for some parts constituting the product, but a plurality of candidates may remain for some parts. In this case, the following processing is performed.

  The second specification value changing unit 143 provided in the arithmetic device 140 is activated, and the specification value data is changed based on the configuration reflection rule stored in the configuration reflection rule storage unit 139 of the storage device 130. In this example, for example, when the fan, motor, and control panel candidates are uniquely determined, the second specification value changing unit 143 changes the fan mass, motor mass, and control panel mass of the specification value data.

  Here, when the specification value data is changed, the first specification value changing unit 142 provided in the calculation device 140 is activated again, and the upper mono mass and the installation table strength are calculated and recorded. When the installation table strength is determined, the component selection unit 144 of the arithmetic device 140 is activated again, and the installation table candidate is uniquely determined.

  In this way, in the design support apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, even when a part cannot be specified only by the relationship between the specification value data, it can be specified by repeatedly reflecting the specification value data and the configuration data. If the processing described above is simply performed, mutual reflection is repeated infinitely. Therefore, the design support apparatus 100 of this embodiment incorporates a mechanism for stopping the reflection.

  Specifically, the reflection data is temporarily calculated, and when it is the same value as the reflection destination value, the reflection processing is stopped there. However, even with this method, there is a possibility that it will not stop if there is a contradiction in rules or data. Therefore, the number of times is counted every time the reflection process is performed, and the process after that is stopped after a certain number of times, for example, 10 times.

  In another example of the design support apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, there is a case where it is not finally decided only by the required specification data even if the above reflection is repeated. This is a state in which there are a plurality of configuration plans, and there is a method of outputting aggregate values such as price, mass, and delivery date for each, and comparing and selecting them.

  As yet another method, there is a method in which the user selects a model from parts having a plurality of candidates. In this method, a part can be selected in consideration of an element whose condition is difficult to express with a specification value such as a design of the part and a usage record. Also in this case, since the number of configuration data candidates decreases when selected, the subsequent processing of the second specification value changing unit 143 is activated.

  Conversely, the number of candidate types may become zero. This is a state in which a product that satisfies the required specifications cannot be configured with only the prepared parts. In such a case, there are a method of searching for a condition that can be relaxed by negotiating with a customer, and a method of searching for or developing a new part that satisfies the condition.

  In the former case, if the required specification value is changed and processing is performed from the beginning, the design support apparatus of this embodiment can cope with it. In the latter case, in the case of the latter, the specification value of the procured part or the developed part is registered in the part specification data storage unit 136, and the type of the part is added as a candidate to the configuration data storage unit 134. The processing can be continued.

  In addition, the data of this part can be used in subsequent designs and is used as a new candidate. In the design support apparatus according to the present embodiment, new parts can be added without registering or changing rules only by registering data regarding parts. However, when outputting three-dimensional CAD data, it is also necessary to register the three-dimensional CAD data of the part.

  According to this embodiment, a new part can be used for a product for which the specification range cannot be determined in advance, and the design of the product can be performed without the need for addition or correction of rules regarding the specification value. It is possible to realize a design support apparatus and a design support method that handle rules related to specification values, which enables efficiency.

  The present invention can be applied to a design support apparatus and a design support method that handle a rule relating to a specification value that represents a product requirement and a design value that supports design for determining a component configuration.

  100: Design support device, 101: Input / output device, 102: Remote input / output device, 103: Communication network, 110: Input / output interface, 120: Communication device, 130: Storage device, 131: Specification value data storage unit, 132: Component selection rule storage unit, 133: specification value rule storage unit, 134: configuration data storage unit, 135: configuration rule storage unit, 136: component specification data storage unit, 137: component CAD data storage unit, 138: placement rule storage unit 139: configuration reflection rule storage unit, 140: arithmetic unit, 141: input control unit, 142: first specification value change unit, 143: second specification value change unit, 144: component selection unit, 145: configuration change 147: totaling unit, 148: component placement unit, 149: output control unit, 1101: rotating shaft of motor, 1102: flange surface of motor, 110 : Origin position of the motor, 2001: the axis of rotation of the fan, 2002: flange surface of the fan, 2003: fan origin.

Claims (10)

A design support device that handles specification value data that supports the design of a product including a storage device and an arithmetic unit, in which specification value data representing product characteristics is input / output from the input / output means,
The storage device constitutes a product, specification value data storage means for storing the specification value data input from the input / output means, specification value rule storage means for storing a rule representing the relationship between the specification value data, and a product. Each is provided with configuration data storage means for storing candidate data of parts,
The computing device includes: first specification value changing means for changing the specification value data based on a rule representing a relationship between the specification value data stored in the specification value rule storage means; and the specification value data storage means. A component selection unit that identifies a component part of a product based on the stored specification value data and creates the data, and the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage unit and the configuration data storage unit In a design support apparatus for handling rules relating to specification values, each comprising output control means for outputting data representing the stored component parts,
The storage device includes part specification value data storage means for storing part specification value data representing specifications for each candidate part constituting the product,
The arithmetic unit is stored in the specification value data storage unit based on the data specifying the component stored in the configuration data storage unit and the part specification data stored in the component specification value data storage unit. A design support apparatus for handling a rule relating to a specification value, characterized by comprising second specification value change means for changing the specification value data. In the design support apparatus which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 1,
The arithmetic device includes a configuration change unit that receives an operation of deleting data of some candidate parts from a plurality of candidate part data and excluding them from candidates. Design support equipment to handle. In the design support apparatus which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 1,
The arithmetic unit comprises input control means for inputting candidate component data and specification value data of the component parts to the component specification value data storage means after a part of the specification value data is input. A design support apparatus for handling rules relating to specification values characterized by being provided. In the design support apparatus which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 1,
The arithmetic unit includes a totaling unit that totals and outputs the data of the maximum value and the minimum value of the price or mass when there are a plurality of candidates in the component stored in the configuration data storage unit. A design support device that handles rules relating to specification values characterized by that. In the design support apparatus which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 1,
The storage device includes a three-dimensional CAD data storage unit that stores the three-dimensional CAD data of the component parts, and the arithmetic unit includes a component placement unit that places a combination of the three-dimensional CAD data of the specified parts. A design support device that handles rules relating to specification values characterized by that. A design support method for handling rules relating to specification values for supporting product design by a design support device having a storage device and an arithmetic unit based on specification value data representing the characteristics of the product input / output from the input / output means. ,
The storage device is provided with specification value data storage means, specification value rule storage means, and configuration data storage means, respectively, and stores the specification value data input from the input / output means in the specification value data storage means. Rules representing the relationship of value data are stored in the specification value rule storage means, and candidate data of parts constituting the product are stored in the configuration data storage means,
The arithmetic device is provided with a first specification value changing means, a part selecting means, and an output control means, respectively, and based on a rule representing a relation of specification value data stored in the specification value rule storage means. The specification value data is changed by the specification value change means of 1, the component selection means is used to identify the component parts of the product based on the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage means, and the data is created. In a design support method for handling rules relating to specification values, wherein the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage means and data representing the component parts stored in the configuration data storage means are output from an output control means. ,
The component specification value data storage means provided in the storage device stores the component specification value data representing the specifications for each candidate component constituting the product,
Based on the data specifying the component stored in the configuration data storage means by the second specification value changing means provided in the arithmetic unit and the part specification data stored in the part specification value data storage means. A design support method for handling rules relating to specification values, characterized in that the specification value data stored in the specification value data storage means is changed. In the design support method which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 6,
The specification value is characterized in that an operation for deleting a part of candidate part data from a plurality of candidate part data by the configuration changing means provided in the arithmetic unit and removing it from the candidate is accepted. Design support method for handling rules. In the design support method which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 6,
After a part of the specification value data is input by the input control means provided in the arithmetic unit, the candidate new component data and the specification value data of the component are stored in the part specification value data storage means. A design support method for handling rules related to specification values characterized by input. In the design support method which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 6,
When there are a plurality of candidates for the component stored in the configuration data storage unit by the aggregation unit provided in the arithmetic unit, the data of the maximum value and the minimum value of the price or mass is totaled and output A design support method for handling rules related to specification values characterized by that. In the design support method which handles the rule regarding the specification value according to claim 6,
The three-dimensional CAD data storage means provided in the storage device stores the three-dimensional CAD data of the component parts, and the three-dimensional CAD data of the parts specified by the component arrangement means provided in the arithmetic device is combined and arranged. A design support method for handling rules related to specification values characterized by that.

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