EP0419013A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for computer-aided design of sheet metal fabricated parts
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1990-07-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-07-27
Abstract
Abstract A CAD system and method for designing sheet metal parts. A proposed design is automatically tested against a set of design rules. Available tools are selected according to criteria computed with reference to the part to the fabricated and then are tested to determine whether they can be used to make desired bends. A fabrication sequence is computed.
Inventors
- 👤 Scott A. Conradson
- 👤 Lee A. Barford
- 👤 William D. Fisher
- 👤 Michael J. Weinstein
- 👤 Julie D. Wilker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:35
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/4097; G06; G06F; G06F30/00; G06F2113/00; G06F2113/24; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P90/00; Y02P90/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A computer-aided design system for designing mechanical parts, the system comprising: input means for receiving data descriptive of a desired mechanical part; storage means for receiving and storing a plurality of parameters; computing means responsive to data received by the input means to automatically test whether a desired mechanical part described by the data satisfies any parameters which have been stored in the storage means; and output means for communicating the results of the test.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
75 words
A computer-aided design system for designing mechanical parts, the system comprising: input means for receiving data descriptive of a desired mechanical part; storage means for receiving and storing a plurality of parameters; computing means responsive to data received by the input means to automatically test whether a desired mechanical part described by the data satisfies any parameters which have been stored in the storage means; and output means for communicating the results of the test.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein a parameter comprises a design rule and wherein the computing means performs the test by determining whether the desired part satisfies any design rules in the storage means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein a parameter comprises information descriptive of a fabrication tool and wherein the computing means performs the test by determining whether any of a plurality of fabrication tools described by information in the storage means can be used to fabricate the desired part.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system according to claim 3 wherein the computing means determines whether any of the tools can be used by computing a criterion, selecting a tool which meets the criterion, and testing whether the desired part can be fabricated by the selected tool.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
A system according to claim 3 wherein parameters comprise design rules and information descriptive of fabrication tools and wherein the computing means performs the test by determining whether the part satisfies any design rules in the storage means and by determining whether any of a plurality of fabrication tools described by information in the storage means can be used to fabricate the desired part.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
98 words
A computer-aided design system for designing a mechanical part to be fabricated by bending a sheet of material, the system comprising: input means for receiving data descriptive of a plurality of surfaces of a desired mechanical part and any required angular relationships among the surfaces; storage means for receiving and storing a plurality of parameters; computing means responsive to data received by the input means to automatically test whether a desired mechanical part described by the data satisfies any parameters which have been stored in the storage means; and output means for communicating the results of the test.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
98 words
A computer-aided design system for designing a mechanical part to be fabricated by bending a sheet of material, the system comprising: input means for receiving data descriptive of a plurality of surfaces of a desired mechanical part and any required angular relationships among the surfaces; storage means for receiving and storing a plurality of parameters; computing means responsive to data received by the input means to automatically test whether a desired mechanical part described by the data satisfies any parameters which have been stored in the storage means; and output means for communicating the results of the test.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system according to claim 6 wherein a parameter comprises a design rule and wherein the computing means performs the test by determining whether the desired part satisfies any design rules in the storage means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
A system according to claim 6 wherein a parameter comprises information descriptive of a fabrication tool and wherein the computing means performs the test by determining whether any of a plurality of fabrication tools described by information in the storage means can be used to bend a sheet of material to satisfy any required relationships among surfaces of the desired part.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system according to claim 8 wherein the computing means determines whether any of the tools can be used by computing a criterion, selecting a tool which meets the criterion, and testing whether the selected tool can be used to bend the material to satisfy one of the required relationships.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 9 wherein the criterion is determined by physical dimensions of the desired part.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
114 words
A system according to claim 8 wherein the computing means determines whether any of the tools can be used by: selecting one of the required angular relationships, generating a representation of an expanded part similar to the desired part but in which the selected angular relationship has been flattened, selecting one of the tools, generating a representation of an expanded tool similar to the selected tool but in which the tool has been expanded, superimposing the representation of the expanded tool and the representation of the expanded part such that a bending axis of the expanded tool is adjacent the selected angular relationship of the expanded part, and determining whether the superimposed representations overlap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
80 words
A system according to claim 6 wherein parameters comprise design rules and information descriptive of fabrication tools and wherein the computing means performs the test by determining whether the desired part satisfies each requirement of any design rules in the storage means and by determining whether any of a plurality of fabrication tools described by information in the storage means can be used to bend a sheet of material to satisfy any required relationships among surfaces of the desired part.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of designing a mechanical part to be fabricated by bending a sheet of material, the system comprising: providing data descriptive of a plurality of surfaces of a desired mechanical part and any required angular relationships among the surfaces; storing a plurality of parameters; testing whether the part described by the data satisfies the parameters; and communicating the results of the test.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of designing a mechanical part to be fabricated by bending a sheet of material, the system comprising: providing data descriptive of a plurality of surfaces of a desired mechanical part and any required angular relationships among the surfaces; storing a plurality of parameters; testing whether the part described by the data satisfies the parameters; and communicating the results of the test.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 13 wherein a parameter comprises information descriptive of a fabrication tool and wherein testing comprises determining whether any of a plurality of fabrication tools described by information in the storage means can be used to bend a sheet of material to satisfy any required relationships among surfaces of the desired part.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein determining whether a tool can be used comprises: computing a criterion; selecting a tool which meets the criterion; and testing whether the selected tool can be used to bend the material to satisfy one of the required relationships.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein the criterion is computed according to a physical parameter of the desired part.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
108 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein determining which tools can be used comprises: selecting one of the required angular relationships; generating a representation of an expanded part similar to the desired part but in which the selected angular relationship has been flattened; selecting one of the tools; generating a representation of an expanded tool similar to the selected tool but in which the tool has been expanded; superimposing the representation of the expanded tool and the representation of the expanded part such that a bending axis of the expanded tool is adjacent the selected angular relationship of the expanded part; and determining whether the superimposed representations overlap.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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