A BOTTOM-UP FUNCTIONAL DOMAIN SYNTHESIS APPROACH FOR CREATIVE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Abstract

For expanding the solution space of conceptual design, a bottom-up functional synthesis approach through a partition of the functional domain of the design problem for mechanical products based on the equivalence relations in granularities, topologies, and attributes based on the domain synthetic theory in quotient space is proposed. The equivalence partition rules are objective and independent of a designer's experience and knowledge. Different equivalence partition rules will lead to different sub-functions, working principles, and function-structures to be generated. Then, the partition schemes based on the granularity equivalence relations are secondly divided into two quotient spaces corresponding to the time sequence equivalence relation and the space position equivalence relation, respectively. In this way, the synthesized sub-functions, which are formed and contributed by all of the basic operation actions in the divided subsets, can take place in time and space continuously and orderly.