Unit designing apparatus and method

• US 6,876,900 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeda, Nobuhiro, Okusa, Kazuhiko, Keta, Michiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/315,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/810, 345/700, 700/90, 700/95, 700/117, 700/159, 700/180, 700/182, 700/183
• US Class Current: 700/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Unit design according to the present invention makes it possible for accumulated results of past design examples to be reflected in forming new designs, thereby preventing repetitive of designs and thereby reducing the time required for development. In the unit designing apparatus (1), the CPU (3) includes a basic structure designing section (21) for designing a basic structure in accordance with a given design target, and a function block searching section (23) for searching a design example of a function block for application to the engine concerned. The function block layout section (25) lays out a retrieved outer shape of a function block in a basic structural view to design a raw material shape. The CPU (3) further includes a production machining information searching section (29) for searching production machining information for application to each function block. The machining shape layout section (31) lays out a machining shape of each function block obtained from the searched production machining information in a raw material shape design drawing to design the product shape.

Claims

1. A unit designing apparatus for designing a unit including a plurality of function blocks, comprising:

a function block memory for storing a design example, which is a result of a past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including an outer shape of each of the function blocks in association with a specification including a basic dimension of the unit;

a search engine for searching, with respect to each of the plurality of function blocks, a design example to be applied in correlation with a specification of the unit;

a raw material shape designing device for laying out, in a basic structural view of the unit, an outer shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of the search to thereby design a raw material shape for the unit;

a production machining information memory for storing production machining information, resulting from the past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including a machining shape applied to a design example for each of the function blocks;

a production machining information search engine for searching the production machining information including a machining shape for application to each of the function blocks in its raw material shape; and

a product shape designing device for applying to the raw material shape for the unit a machining shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of the search to thereby design a product shape for the unit.

2. A unit designing method for designing a unit including a plurality of function blocks, comprising:

searching in a function block database storing a design example, which is a result of a past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including an outer shape of each of the function blocks in association with a specification including a basic dimension of the unit, a design example for application to each of the plurality of function blocks in correlation with a specification of the unit;

laying out, in a basic structural view of the unit, an outer shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of the search to thereby design a raw material shape for the unit;

searching in a production machining information database storing production machining information, which is a result of the past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including a machining shape applied to a design example for each of the function blocks, the production machining information including a machining shape for application to each of the function blocks in its raw material shape; and

applying to the raw material shape for the unit a machining shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of the search to thereby design a product shape for the unit.

3. A unit designing apparatus for designing a unit including a plurality of function blocks, comprising:

a function block memory for storing a design example, which is a result of a past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including an outer shape of each of the function blocks in association with a specification including a basic dimension of the unit;

a search engine for searching, with respect to each of the plurality of function blocks, a design example to be applied in correlation with a specification of the unit;

a function block registering device for newly registering in the function block memory a function block newly designed by referring to the searched design example;

a raw material shape designing device for laying out, in a basic structural view of the unit, an outer shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of a search in the memory including the newly registered function block, to thereby design a raw material shape for the unit;

a production machining information memory for storing production machining information, which is a result of the past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including a machining shape applied to a design example for each of the function blocks;

a production machining information search engine for searching the production machining information including a machining shape for application to each of the function blocks in its raw material shape;

a production machining information registering device for registering, in the production machining information memory, the production machining information created by referring to the searched production machining information for application to the newly designed function block; and

a product shape designing device for applying to the raw material shape for the unit a machining shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of a search in the memory including the production machining information for application to the newly designed function block, to thereby design a product shape for the unit.

4. A unit designing method for designing a unit including a plurality of function blocks, comprising:

searching in a function block database storing a design example, which is a result of a past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including an outer shape of each of the function blocks in association with a specification including a basic dimension of the unit, a design example for application to each of the plurality of function blocks in correlation with a specification of the unit;

newly registering in the function block database a function block newly designed by referring to the searched design example;

laying out, in a basic structural view of the unit, an outer shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of a search in the database including the newly registered function block, to thereby design a raw material shape for the unit;

searching in a production machining information database storing production machining information, which is a result of the past design for which consultations concerning production techniques were performed, including a machining shape applied to a design example for each of the function blocks, the production machining information including a machining shape for application to each of the function blocks in its raw material shape;

registering, in the production machining information database, the production machining information created by referring to the searched production machining information for application to the newly designed function block; and

applying to the raw material shape for the unit a machining shape for each of the function blocks obtained as a result of a search in the database, including the production machining information for application to the newly designed function block, to thereby design a product shape for the unit.