JPH05298403A - Manifold block design supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate correction and alteration, and to save installation space by reducing finally block size down to a limit after designing a manifold block as leaving a margin in the initial stage of design. CONSTITUTION:A display means 1 to display the five-side drawing or the three- side drawing of the manifold block on a CRT display screen 6, a parts arranging means 2 to arrange plural hydraulic parts obtained from the drawing of a hydraulic circuit on the five-side drawing or the three-side drawing on the basis of the operation of an operator, and an automatic piping means 3 which pipes and connects between plural hydraulic parts by shortest path search processing when the connection points of plural arranged parts are designated are provided. In this case, a block reducing means 7 is provided, so that the size of the manifold block is reduced as keepting piping connection relation adapted to a design standard between each part and another on the basis of the instruction of the operator after the completion of piping connection by the automatic piping means 3. Accordingly, the manifold block can be optimized to the minimum size, and the installation space can be saved as following the reduction of the manifold block.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manifold block design support device for three-dimensionally designing a portion of a manifold block in a hydraulic circuit diagram.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the design work of a manifold block used for hydraulic equipment is performed by drawing a six-sided drawing corresponding to the manifold block at a full scale or a half scale on graph paper.
In addition, all the parts to be placed are cut into paper and the designer
We will proceed with the piping work while arranging the pattern of the parts, assuming a pattern that will be arranged well on the floor plan.

Then, when the piping state for the manifold block can be roughly seen, a manufacturing drawing is drawn to check whether there is any interference between the actual piping and parts or whether the design rules are satisfied. If you find a problem, you'll either have to fix it, or in some cases, try again.

[0004]

However, in the design work of such a conventional manifold block, it is extremely difficult to change the arrangement of parts, piping, size of the block, etc. There is a problem that it takes a lot of effort. In other words, the designer keeps his concentration for a long time while gazing at the drawing and proceeding with the design in his mind. Therefore, when designing a block having a large number of parts and a high density of piping, it may take about one week.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and takes in design work into a computer to provide various functions in accordance with the flow of the design work to support the design work, and particularly to design. An object of the present invention is to provide a manifold block design support device capable of reducing the block size to the limit while maintaining the pipe connection satisfying the specifications.

[0006]

FIG. 1 illustrates the principle of the present invention. First, the present invention is a display means 1 for displaying a five-view or three-view of a manifold block on a CRT screen 6.
And a component arranging means 2 for arranging a plurality of hydraulic components obtained from the hydraulic circuit diagram on a five-view or a three-view based on an operator's operation, and a connection point between the plurality of arranged hydraulic components. At this time, the object is a manifold block design support device provided with an automatic piping means 3 for connecting a plurality of hydraulic parts by piping by a shortest path search process.

According to the present invention for such a manifold block design support device, a pipe connection relationship that complies with the design standard between each component is established based on the operator's instruction after the pipe connection by the automatic pipe means 3 is completed. It is characterized in that a block reducing means 7 is provided for reducing the size of the manifold block while maintaining it. Here, the block reduction means 7 displays a scale showing the block reduction possible range outside the manifold block drawing on the CRT screen 6 when the block reduction mode is set.

Further, the block reduction means 7 reduces the block size by designating a deletion range with a cursor within the block reduction range displayed on the scale.

[0009]

According to the manifold block design support apparatus of the present invention having such a configuration, a new block size is designed at the initial stage of designing with a large margin, and finally the block size is reduced to the limit. A design method can be adopted.

For this reason, even in a complicated piping design having many arranged parts, since there is a margin in the block size at the designing stage, it is possible to easily arrange parts and make corrections and changes after completion of automatic piping. In addition, since the block size can be reduced to the limit at the final stage, the material cost can be reduced and the installation space can be made more efficient.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 2 is a system configuration explanatory view showing the overall configuration of a manifold block support device of the present invention. Figure 2
In the figure, 10 is a design support device of the present invention, which is a CRT.
Computer body 22, keyboard 2 with display 6
4 and a mouse 26.

The design support device 10 is provided with an input file 12, a design output file 16, and a processed data output file 18 using an appropriate external storage device such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape or the like. The input file 12 stores a netlist file in which a portion formed by manifold blocks in the hydraulic circuit diagram is one unit, that is, each manifold block.
This netlist file consists of a parts list and a netlist.The parts list identifies the parts name and number of the hydraulic parts to be mounted on the manifold block, and the netlist defines the nets of the hydraulic circuits that connect the hydraulic parts. Specified. The contents of this input file 12 will provide the design specifications which are the criteria for judgment in the piping completion inspection.

On the other hand, the library file 14 is used as a support library for the design work of the manifold block in the design support apparatus 10, and includes, for example, a parts database, a DRC (design rule check) table file, a plug table file, and a color table. It consists of files, nameplate list files, etc. Information on hydraulic components used in the design support device 10 is stored in the component database. The DRC table file stores check rules used for various inspections when the manifold block is designed. The plug table file stores information about plugs when holes are formed from the end faces of the manifold block.
The color table file stores color data for assigning specific colors according to the design work of hydraulic parts, piping, and plugs.

Further, the machining data output file 18 is used for machining the manifold block, while the design output file 16 is used as an input file when making a design change using the manifold block already designed.
In the system configuration of the design support device 10 of the present invention as described above, the design support device 10 displays a 5-sided view or a 3-sided view of the manifold block on the CRT screen 6 as shown in FIG.
Based on the display means displayed above and a plurality of parts obtained from the parts list included in the netlist file in the input file 12, five views or 3
When a connection point between the component placement means 2 to be placed on the floor plan and a plurality of hydraulic components placed on the five-view or the three-view is designated, the plurality of hydraulic components are pipe-connected by the shortest path search process. The automatic piping means 3 and a function as a block reducing means 7 for determining whether the block size is appropriate after completing all the pipe connections and reducing the block size as necessary are provided.

Further, in this embodiment, further, a moving function for moving the parts for which the piping connection by the automatic piping means 3 has been completed to the position designated by the operator while maintaining the connection relation of the piping, the automatic piping Delete function to delete parts or holes specified by the operator after completion of the pipe connection by the means 3, and at the same time delete other holes that are no longer needed by the deletion, operator instruction after completion of the pipe connection by the automatic piping means 3 In response to this, a completion inspection function or the like for determining whether or not the piping design satisfying the initially set design specifications is desired is provided.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a manifold block design process by the design support device 10 of FIG. First, when the code number of the manifold block to be designed is designated by activating the design support device 10 of the present invention, the process proceeds to step S1 and the hydraulic component placement process is performed.

FIG. 4 shows an example of an initial screen in the component arrangement in step S1. In FIG. 4, in the center of the CRT screen 6, a five-view drawing of the manifold block is displayed in this embodiment. That is, the plan view 30, front view 32, right side view 34, left side view 36 and rear view 38 of the manifold block are displayed. Also, the dimensions of the manifold block in the initial screen are planned to be reduced to the limit after the completion of all design work. It can be set as a large enough size.

In the parts display frame 40 of the CRT screen 6, hydraulic parts used for designing the manifold block are used as icons. In this embodiment, the case where two parts A and B are used is taken as an example, and will be referred to as icon parts A and B in the following description. This icon part A,
B shows a modular control valve, a cartridge valve, a gasket valve, and various ports used in the actual design of the manifold block as a figure without omitting the image, and the part numbers are also shown. Therefore, without looking at the contents of the list of the part numbers, the designer can immediately know what kind of hydraulic part it is by looking at the icon parts A and B.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which icon parts A and B in the parts display frame 40 are designated and parts are arranged on the manifold block. Specifically, if the cursor is moved to the icon component A or B in the component display frame 40 and the mouse is clicked, then the cursor block is moved to the position on the front view 30 of the destination manifold block and the click operation is performed. The layout display of the parts is performed with the outer shape of the actual hydraulic part A corresponding to the icon part A at the specified position on the front view 30. The same applies to the movement of the icon component B.

Referring again to FIG. 3, if the component placement is completed in step S1, the process proceeds to the next step S2, and the automatic piping process for each net is executed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the automatic piping of each net has a port of the hydraulic component A and a hydraulic component B in a state where the hydraulic component A and the hydraulic component B are arranged.
When an operator issues an instruction for automatic piping by designating between two points of the port, the shortest path search processing is three-dimensionally executed to generate the automatic piping result shown in FIG. 6, for example.

Then, in step S3, the operator determines whether or not there is a part or net to be moved in a state where the automatic piping has been completed. If there is a part or net to be moved, it is the object of the present invention in step S4. Move processing is performed. In this movement process, move the cursor to the net or part that is the target of movement and specify it as the movement target, and then move the cursor to the position you want to move and click to move the part or net while maintaining the overall piping connection relationship. Can be moved.

Subsequently, in step S5, it is checked whether or not there is a component or net (hole) to be deleted, and if there is, the deletion is performed in step S6. This deletion process may be performed by pointing the cursor to the component or net to be deleted and executing the deletion command. Subsequently, at the stage where the design process for the specific net is completed, the process proceeds to step S7, and a pipe completion inspection is performed. This piping completion inspection automatically determines whether or not the current design state satisfies the design specifications of the manifold block given as the input file.

Then, in step S8, it is checked whether or not the piping of all the nets is completed. If the piping is not completed, the process returns to step S1 and the same operation is repeated from the next component arrangement, or the process returns to step S2. Repeat the process from the automatic piping of the next net. When the completion of piping of all nets is determined in step S8, the process proceeds to step S9, and it is determined whether the block size in the current design state is appropriate.

In the design support apparatus of the present invention, if the manifold block is set with a dimensional allowance in the five-view drawing of the initial screen shown in FIG. 4, the block is completed at the stage when the piping of all nets is completed. The size is larger.
Therefore, the process proceeds to step S10 and block reduction processing is performed. In the block reduction processing, the block size can be reduced by designating the block range to be reduced in the horizontal and vertical directions on the screen. In this case, a scale indicating a possible block reduction range is displayed.

Further, instead of designating the block deletion range in the horizontal and vertical directions, the block size can be reduced by pushing the block end face in the direction vertical to the surface.
Furthermore, changing the block size can not only reduce the size but also increase the block size. In such block size reduction (including expansion), the block size can be reduced while maintaining the connection relationship between the hydraulic components (while maintaining topological equivalence).

When the block reduction processing is completed in step S10, it is checked in step S11 whether or not it is necessary to move or delete the part or net, and if it is necessary, the process returns to step S3 to move and / or delete. Process.
If it is not necessary to move or delete the part or net, the process returns to step S9 again to judge whether the block size obtained by the block reduction is appropriate or not, and if it is the optimum size, the series of design processes is ended.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a block reduction process in the manifold block support device of the present invention as a subroutine. When the block reduction mode is set to reduce the block size in step S9 of FIG. 3, the process proceeds to step S10, and the block size changing process of FIG. 7 is started.

In FIG. 7, first, in step S101, the reducible range of the block size is detected in all the coordinate axis directions, and in step S102, the reducible range is scaled outside the drawing. Then, step S10.
A mouse click at the deletion start position of the reducible range scale-displayed at 3 is discriminated, and a mouse click at the end position within the reducible range is discriminated at step S104. From the start position designated by the mouse click to the end position. The block portion in between is deleted in step S105 to reduce the block size.

The block size reduction process will be described below using a concrete CRT screen. Figure 8
Shows an example of the CRT screen 6 in which the piping connection of hydraulic parts is completed. Modular control valves 42 and 44 having an embedded structure are arranged in the front view 30, and a plug 48 is arranged in the front view 32. Further, a plug 50 is arranged in the right side view 34. The illustrated piping connection is completed by executing the automatic piping process on these hydraulic components.

A dimension display section 54 is provided in the upper right corner of the CRT screen 6, and the X-axis and Y-axis of the manifold block are provided.
The dimensions in the directions of the axis and the Z axis are shown as Bx, By, and Bz. Further, the scale display portion 54 displays the dimensions of the two-dimensional coordinate position (Sx, Sy) with the block lower left corner of the cursor 46 currently located in the plan view 30 as the origin.

CRT screen 6 after completion of such piping
If the block reduction mode is specified for, the scale 60-1 is displayed between the plan view 30 and the front view 32,
A scale 60-2 is displayed between the front view 30 and the left side view 36, and a scale 60-3 is displayed on the left side of the front view 32. These scales 60-1 to 60-3 visually show the range in which the block can be reduced, and the white background indicates the reduction possible range 62 and the black background indicates the non-reducible range 64.

When the cursor 46 is placed on the reducible range 62 at the center of the scale 60-1 and the mouse is clicked, the start position and the end position of the reducible range 62 are shown as dotted scale lines 52 on the front view 30. Displayed in. Therefore, when the cursor 46 is moved to the position to be reduced within the range of the scale line 52 and the mouse is clicked, the block portion in the range from the start position to the position clicked with the mouse is deleted, and the processing by the block reducing operation shown in FIG. 9 is performed. The result is obtained.

Specifically, in the dimension display section 54 of FIG. 8, the block size is Bx = 160.0 m in the X-axis direction.
The value of m was reduced to Bx = 126.0 mm in FIG. 9 by the block reduction process. As a matter of course, in the block reduction processing, the block reduction is performed while maintaining the pipe connection relationship between the arranged hydraulic components.

Further, the reducible range 62 displayed on the scales 60-1 to 60-3 indicates the block reducible range which satisfies various check criteria defined by the design rule even if the block resize process is performed. The design standard is maintained as long as the block reduction processing is performed within the possible range 62. Figure 1
Reference numeral 0 is a screen explanatory view showing another block reduction operation according to the present invention, which is characterized in that the block is reduced by pushing the block surface. That is, FIG.
The CRT screen 6 of 0 is obtained by the block reduction of FIG. 9, and the plan view 30 is designated as the reduction target. By designating this plan view 30, a scale 60 is placed on the left side of the front view 32.
-3 is displayed, and the surface of the block can be pushed within the contractible range 62 of the white background.

In FIG. 10, the reduction line 58 is set by moving the cursor 46 below the scale line 52 showing the contractible range in the front view 32, and as a result, as shown in FIG.
The reduction result of the block shown in FIG. Specifically, Bz = 100.0 mm in the Z-axis direction in FIG. 10 is reduced to Bz = 72.0 mm in FIG. 11 by the block reduction process.

In the reduction operation of FIG. 10, the reduction line 58
Cursor 4 so that it is positioned beyond the scale line 52.
6 is moved and set, but when the cursor 46 is set in the range beyond the scale line 52 in this way, block reduction is performed by the maximum amount of the reduction possible range 62 in the scale 60-3. Of course, if the reduction line 58 is set by the cursor 46 within the range of the scale line 52, the block size can be reduced from the surface of the block to the position of the cursor 46.

In the above embodiment, the case where the five views are displayed on the CRT screen 6 to proceed with the design process is taken as an example, but as another embodiment, the three views may be displayed. .. When a three-view drawing is displayed, the display area of one drawing becomes large, which is advantageous for complicated design processing with many arranged parts.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the initial stage of designing, a large block size can be designed with a margin, and finally the block size can be reduced to the limit. Even for complicated piping design, it is possible to easily modify parts after designing and arranging parts at the design stage.

Further, since the block size can be reduced to the limit at the final stage, the block size can be optimized to the minimum size, the material cost can be reduced, and the installation space can be reduced with the miniaturization of the manifold block.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a design process of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an initial screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of component arrangement according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of automatic piping according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing block reduction processing according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a screen explanatory view showing a block reduction operation by designating a deletion range according to the present invention.

9 is an explanatory diagram of a screen showing a processing result of the reduction operation of FIG.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a screen showing a block reduction operation by pushing a surface according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a screen showing a processing result by the reduction operation of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Display means 2: Parts placement means 3: Automatic piping means 6: CRT screen 7: Completion inspection means 10: Design support device 12: Input file 14: Library file 16, 18: Output file 22: Computer body 24: Keyboard 26: Mouse 30: Plan view 32: Front view 34: Right side view 36: Left side view 38: Rear view 40: Parts display frame A, B: Icon parts 42, 44: Gasket valve 46: Cursor 48, 50: Plug 52: Scale line 54: Dimension display section 60-1 to 60-3: Scale 62: Reducible range 64: Unreducible range

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display means (1) for displaying a five-view or three-view of a manifold block on a CRT screen (6) and a plurality of hydraulic parts obtained from a hydraulic circuit diagram based on an operator's operation. When the component placement means (2) to be placed on the 5th view or the 3rd view and the connection point between the placed hydraulic components are designated, the automatic piping connection between the hydraulic components is performed by the shortest path search process. In a manifold block design support device provided with a piping means (3), based on an operator's instruction after the piping connection by the automatic piping means (3) is completed, a piping connection conforming to a design standard between respective parts. A manifold block design support device comprising block reduction means (7) for reducing the size of a manifold block while maintaining the relationship and. 2. The manifold block design support device according to claim 1, wherein the block reduction means (7) reduces the block outside the manifold block drawing on the CRT screen (6) when the block reduction mode is set. A manifold block design support device characterized by displaying a scale indicating a possible range. 3. The manifold block design support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the block reduction means (7) reduces the block size by designating a deletion range with a cursor within the block reduction range displayed on the scale. A manifold block design support device characterized by: