Design support system of electric / electronic apparatus housing box and selection method of electric / electronic apparatus housing box

Abstract

To enable even a person unfamiliar with specification information of an electric / electronic apparatus housing box to design of a desired electric / electronic apparatus housing box.SOLUTION: A design support system of an electric / electronic apparatus housing box includes: a database that is provided with storage specification information having information on a specification of an electric / electronic apparatus housing box, storage feature information having information on features of the electric / electronic apparatus housing box, and box data being data associated with information on a configuration of the electric / electronic apparatus housing box; calculation means for collating input information with the information provided in the database and capable of calculating so as to identify the box data corresponding to the input information; and output means capable of outputting the box data obtained through calculation by the calculation means. The input information may include both information related to the specification of the electric / electronic apparatus housing box and the information evaluating the features of the electric / electronic apparatus housing box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support system for an electric / electronic device storage box and a method for selecting a box for storing an electric / electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, there is known a design support system that supports the design of electrical and electronic device storage boxes such as distribution boards, switchboards, system racks, and high-voltage power receiving equipment. The design support system disclosed in Patent Document 1 compares inputted specification information with data related to the specifications of electrical and electronic device storage boxes stored in a database, and selects a matching electrical and electronic device storage box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-326219 A

[0004] Incidentally, when the above-mentioned system is used by a person who is knowledgeable enough about electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes to input the specification information, it is possible to design and select a desired electrical and electronic equipment storage box, but it may be difficult for a person who is not so knowledgeable about the specification information to use the system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have made extensive research into this issue and have attempted to solve it. The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to enable even those who are not very familiar with the specification information of electrical and electronic device storage boxes to design a desired electrical and electronic device storage box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a design support system for an electrical and electronic equipment storage box is provided that is capable of supporting the design of an electrical and electronic equipment storage box that stores electrical and electronic equipment within a housing, based on input information input by a user using an input means, the design support system for an electrical and electronic equipment storage box comprising: a database that includes storage specification information having information regarding the specifications of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, storage characteristic information having information regarding the characteristics of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, and box data that is data linked to information regarding the configuration of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box; a calculation means that is capable of comparing the input information with information stored in the database and performing calculations to identify box data that corresponds to the input information; and an output means that is capable of outputting box data derived by calculation by the calculation means, wherein the input information can include both information regarding the specifications of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box and information evaluating the characteristics of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box.

[0007] It is also preferable that the configuration be such that at least a part of the displayed graph can be designated and operated to input information for evaluating the characteristics of the electric / electronic device storage box.

[0008] It is also preferable that the stored characteristic information includes any one of items related to price, items related to delivery time, items related to wiring workability, items related to maintenance workability, items related to environmental performance, and items related to functions and performance.

[0009] Furthermore, a selection method for an electrical / electronic device storage box for selecting an electrical / electronic device storage box by inputting information into a design support system for electrical / electronic device storage boxes, the design support system including a database including storage specification information having information on the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box, storage characteristic information having information on the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box, and box data which is data linked to information on the configuration of the electrical / electronic device storage box, a calculation means capable of calculating to compare the input information with information stored in the database and identify box data corresponding to the input information, and an output means capable of outputting box data derived by calculation by the calculation means, preferably the method for selecting an electrical / electronic device storage box by inputting information on the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box using the input means, inputting information for evaluating the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box using the input means, comparing the input information on the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box and the information for evaluating the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box with information stored in the database and performing calculations to identify box data corresponding to the input information, and outputting the box data derived by calculation by the calculation means. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, even a person who is not very familiar with specification information for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes can design a desired electrical and electronic equipment storage box. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 13 is a diagram showing an example in which storage specification information, storage characteristic information, and box data are linked to a management number. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which information matching input specification information is extracted from information stored in a database. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which box data that matches input specification information and feature information is displayed. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which box data that matches specification information and characteristic information input so that the characteristic information is different from the example shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram showing an example in which box data that matches specification information and feature information that have been input differently from the examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is displayed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The embodiment of the invention is described below. The design support system for an electrical / electronic device storage box according to the embodiment can support the design of an electrical / electronic device storage box that stores electrical / electronic devices in a housing, based on input information input by a user using an input means. This design support system for an electrical / electronic device storage box includes a "database including storage specification information having information about the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box, storage characteristic information having information about the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box, and box data that is data linked to information about the configuration of the electrical / electronic device storage box," a "calculation means capable of performing calculations to match the input information with information included in the database and identify box data corresponding to the input information," and an "output means capable of outputting box data derived by calculations by the calculation means." In addition, the input information can include both information about the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box and information evaluating the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box. Therefore, even if a person who is not very familiar with the specification information of the electrical / electronic device storage box uses the system, the desired electrical / electronic device storage box can be designed.

[0013] In addition, a method for selecting an electrical / electronic device storage box in an embodiment selects an electrical / electronic device storage box by inputting information into a design support system for electrical / electronic device storage boxes that includes "a database including storage specification information having information on the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box, storage characteristic information having information on the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box, and box data which is data linked to information on the configuration of the electrical / electronic device storage box," "a calculation means capable of calculating to compare the input information with information included in the database and identify box data corresponding to the input information," and "an output means capable of outputting box data derived by calculation by the calculation means." In addition, this method for selecting an electrical / electronic device storage box includes a step of inputting information on the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box using the input means, a step of inputting information for evaluating the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box using the input means, a step of comparing the input information on the specifications of the electrical / electronic device storage box and the information for evaluating the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box with information included in the database and calculating to identify box data corresponding to the input information, and a step of outputting the box data derived by calculation by the calculation means. Therefore, even if a person who is not very familiar with the specification information of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes uses the system, he or she can design a desired electrical and electronic equipment storage box.

[0014] The following explanation will be based on boxes for storing electrical and electronic equipment for the purpose of distributing power, such as distribution boards, switchboards, control panels, and high-voltage receiving equipment, but it may of course be applied to design support systems such as system racks equipped with servers, communication devices, computing devices, etc., or work boxes equipped with communication devices, lighting equipment, desks, chairs, etc., for people to work inside.

[0015] The electric / electronic device storage box of the embodiment includes a housing and electric / electronic devices stored in the housing. The electric / electronic devices may be, but are not limited to, electrical or electronic devices such as breakers, switches, terminal blocks, time switches, lightning arresters, outlets, transformers, relays, communication devices, measuring devices, control devices, sensor devices, and air conditioners, as well as circuits made up of electronic devices such as emergency circuits and automatic flashing circuits.

[0016] In the design support system for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes and the selection method for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes, specification information can be used to identify electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes. "Specification information" is information on specifications for identifying electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes. Among "specification information," specification information input by a user using an input means is referred to as "input specification information," and specification information stored in a database by the provider of the design support system (such as a manufacturer) is referred to as "stored specification information."

[0017] The "storage specification information" of the embodiment is stored in a database, but the database of the embodiment also includes "storage characteristic information" having information regarding the characteristics of the box for storing electrical and electronic equipment, and "box data" which is data linked to information regarding the configuration of the box for storing electrical and electronic equipment that can be identified using a design support system.

[0018] The storage specification information may be stored in the database when the database is constructed or updated. In addition, it is preferable that a management code is assigned to the storage specification information in order to link it to box data and the like. In the example shown in Fig. 1, a management number is adopted as the management code, and the storage specification information and box data are linked using a specific management number. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the storage specification information, box data, and storage feature information are linked using this management number.

[0019] In the above example, box data stored in the database of the design support system is selected, but the design support system may be able to select box data not stored in the database. In cases where the design support system has a function that allows selection of box data not stored in the database, the design support system may be configured to control the specification information input when using the design support system and the selected box data to be newly stored in the database. Note that when specification information input by a user using an input means (input specification information) is stored in the database, the stored specification information of the input specification information becomes stored specification information.

[0020] Incidentally, it is preferable to organize the specification information from multiple perspectives. For example, it may be grouped according to the items shown below. Examples of large groups include "items related to electrical and electronic equipment stored in an electrical and electronic equipment storage box", "items related to the electrical and electronic equipment storage box", "items related to wiring in an electrical and electronic equipment storage box", "items related to transportation in an electrical and electronic equipment storage box", and "items related to the customer", but the specification information may be grouped according to further subdivided items. Several ways of classifying the specification information are described below, but the ways of classifying the specification information are not limited to these.

[0021] For example, focusing on the electrical and electronic devices stored in the electrical and electronic device storage box, the specification information may be divided from the perspectives of "items related to the type of electrical and electronic devices," "items related to the number of electrical and electronic devices," "items related to the arrangement and position of the electrical and electronic devices within the housing," and "items related to the role of the electrical and electronic devices within the housing."

[0022] When "items related to types of electrical and electronic equipment" are used to group the specification information, the specification information may be divided by type, such as convention type breaker, earth leakage breaker, circuit breaker, plug-in type breaker, terminal block, relay, ammeter, wattmeter, communication equipment, time switch, SPD, control circuit, etc. The specification information may also be grouped by performance, such as electrical performance such as rated current and rated breaking capacity, or physical performance such as strength.

[0023] When "items related to the layout and position of electrical and electronic equipment within a housing" are used to group specification information, this information can be used to identify the size and shape of the housing. For example, when multiple electrical and electronic equipment are stored within a housing, their layout and position can have a significant impact on the size and shape of the housing. Examples of "items related to the layout and position of electrical and electronic equipment within a housing" include the location of the main breaker (e.g., the top or bottom of the housing), the location of the branch breaker relative to the main breaker (e.g., below or beside the main breaker), and the layout of the branch breakers (e.g., arranged in a single row or in multiple rows).

[0024] When "items related to the role of electrical and electronic equipment within a housing" are used to group specification information, this information can be used to identify the size and shape of the housing. For example, when multiple electrical and electronic equipment are stored within a housing, their roles can have a significant impact on the size and shape of the housing. "Items related to the role of electrical and electronic equipment within a housing" can be categorized using attributes such as "When two standard-type breakers are input, one is used as a main breaker and the other is connected to the secondary side of the main breaker and used for secondary feed" and "When two standard-type breakers are input, both are used as main breakers to form two systems within the housing."

[0025] In addition, focusing on the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, the specification information may be divided from the perspectives of "items related to the casing of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box," "items related to the performance and type of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box," and "items related to the installation of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box."

[0026] When "items related to the housing of the box for storing electrical and electronic equipment" are used to group the specification information, the door or components not stored in the housing may be handled under this item. "Items related to the housing of the box for storing electrical and electronic equipment" may be, for example, the size of the housing (W×H×D), the material of the housing (iron, stainless steel, resin, etc.), the color of the housing, etc., or the specification information may be divided based on the processing details of the housing (hole processing or welding processing for attaching devices not stored in the housing, etc.), or the space set in the housing for separately storing components other than the electrical and electronic equipment.

[0027] Furthermore, "items related to the housing of the box for storing electrical and electronic equipment" may be data related to the size of the door, the material of the door, the color of the door, the number of doors (one door, two doors, etc.), the direction in which the doors open (right-opening, left-opening, etc.), the type, number, and arrangement of components that are not stored in the housing, etc. Examples of components that are not stored in the housing include hinges for rotating the doors, locking devices for locking the doors (handles, etc.), heat control devices attached to the housing (fans, louvers, etc.), wiring components, water drainage components, packing attached for waterproofing, mounting components for mounting the housing to a wall, and roofing components for outdoor installation.

[0028] When "items related to the performance and type of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes" are used to group specification information, examples of performance-related items include waterproof performance, earthquake resistance, heat resistance, etc. Also, examples of type-related items include mixed lighting and power distribution boards, heat-resistant distribution boards, and distribution boards for temporary outlets.

[0029] When "items related to the installation of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes" are used to group specification information, it is possible to group them according to the installation method, installation location, installation environment, etc. Examples of items related to the installation method include "freestanding installation using a base," "installation on a wall or a pillar," and "embedded installation in a wall." Examples of items related to the installation location and installation environment include "indoor installation," "outdoor installation," "installation in areas subject to salt damage," "installation in areas subject to heavy snowfall," and "installation at high altitudes."

[0030] When "items related to wiring in a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment" are used to group the specification information, it is conceivable that "items related to wiring in and out of the housing" and "items related to wiring between electrical and electronic equipment" are used to group the specification information.

[0031] As for "items related to the entry and exit of the casing", "top entry / top exit" where the line enters from the top of the casing and exits from the top, or "bottom entry / bottom exit" where the line enters from the bottom of the casing and exits from the bottom, etc. may be treated as attributes used to group the specification information. Of course, entering or exiting from the side or back of the casing may also be treated as an attribute used to group the specification information.

[0032] When "items related to wiring between electrical and electronic devices" are used to group the specification information, whether the electrical and electronic devices are wired or wired with copper bars may be treated as an attribute used to group the specification information. Also, "items related to the wiring space required for wiring" may be treated as an attribute used to group the specification information. For example, this may be an attribute to set a larger space than the wiring space set by default.

[0033] When "items related to the transportation of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes" are used to group the specification information, "items related to packaging method" and "items related to transportation method" may be treated as attributes used to group the specification information. In the latter case, the use of trucks, trains, ships, etc., either alone or in combination, may be treated as attributes.

[0034] When "items related to the customer" are used to group the specification information, for example, the specification information can be divided using information necessary to identify the customer, such as "customer name," "company name," and "address."

[0035] Next, characteristic information will be explained. Characteristic information is information relating to the characteristics of an electrical and electronic equipment storage box. Note that while specification information is information necessary for deciding on an electrical and electronic equipment storage box, characteristic information is information that serves as a standard for judging the quality of an electrical and electronic equipment storage box, in other words, information for evaluating the characteristics of an electrical and electronic equipment storage box. For this reason, information expressing the functions and performance (waterproof function, earthquake resistance function, etc.) of an electrical and electronic equipment storage box may be included in both characteristic information and specification information.

[0036] The feature information of the embodiment evaluates the features of the storage box for electrical and electronic equipment based on the level of quality of each item and the presence or absence of performance or functionality of each item. In the examples shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the evaluation value is rated on a five-point scale, but this is not limiting. Also, in the examples shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the evaluation value is small for poor quality and large for good quality, but this is not limiting.

[0037] Examples of items included in the characteristic information include "items related to the price of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box," "items related to the delivery date of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box," "items related to the wiring workability (ease of wiring) of the installed electrical and electronic equipment storage box," "items related to the maintenance workability (ease of maintenance) of the installed electrical and electronic equipment storage box," "items related to the environmental performance of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box," and "items related to the functions and performance of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box."

[0038] When "items related to the price of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box" and "items related to the delivery date of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box" are adopted as items of characteristic information, the judgment of the quality of the price and delivery date can be exemplified by comparing with a reference value, and if the price is higher or the delivery date is longer than the reference value, the evaluation value is smaller, and if the price is lower or the delivery date is shorter than the reference value, the evaluation value is larger. The reference value may be calculated from the user's past selection results, or may be calculated from selection results in which similar electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes have been selected, including selection results of others (other than the user). The reference value may be calculated using other selection results obtained from the input specification information. The evaluation value may be calculated by comparing with other selection results.

[0039] When "items related to the wiring workability (ease of wiring) for the installed electrical / electronic device storage box" are adopted as items of characteristic information, the judgment of the wiring workability may be guided, for example, by items related to the arrangement and position of the electrical / electronic devices, items related to the wiring, etc. Specifically, the evaluation value may be changed depending on the relationship between the positions of the main breaker and the branch breaker and the incoming and outgoing directions of the wiring.

[0040] The wiring workability may be determined based on factors other than the items related to the arrangement and position of the electrical and electronic equipment and the items related to the wiring. For example, the wiring workability may be determined based on the size of the wiring space in the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, the type and thickness of the electric wires connected to the electrical and electronic equipment, etc. The wiring workability may be determined based on the type of electrical and electronic equipment. For example, when comparing an electrical and electronic equipment in which the secondary side wiring is a breaker of screw type and an electrical and electronic equipment in which the secondary side wiring is of quick-connect terminal type, it can be determined that the breaker of quick-connect terminal type secondary wiring has better wiring workability.

[0041] When "items related to the maintenance workability (ease of maintenance) of the installed electrical / electronic device storage box" are adopted as items of characteristic information, the wiring workability may be determined based on, for example, items related to the type of electrical / electronic device, the arrangement and position of the electrical / electronic device, etc. Specifically, when electrical / electronic device (such as a status monitoring device or a device that outputs the status to the outside) for easily grasping the status of the electrical / electronic device storage box is stored, the evaluation value may be increased. Also, for example, when the electrical / electronic device to be maintained is located inside the housing and inspection work is difficult, the evaluation value may be decreased, and when the electrical / electronic device is located near an inspection window provided in the housing and inspection is easy, the evaluation value may be increased.

[0042] When "items related to the environmental performance of the storage box for electrical and electronic equipment" are adopted as items of characteristic information, the judgment of the environmental performance may be guided, for example, by the type of electrical and electronic equipment, the manufacturing method of the casing and the electrical and electronic equipment, and the materials required for manufacturing. In other words, for electrical and electronic equipment, manufacturing methods, materials, etc. that have a small impact on the environment, a higher evaluation value may be given. In addition, in the case of a resin casing, a casing that uses bioplastic may be given a higher evaluation value.

[0043] When "items related to functions and performance of the electrical / electronic device storage box" are adopted as items of characteristic information, the functions and performance can be, for example, evaluated in terms of waterproof performance, dustproof performance, rustproof performance, earthquake resistance, wind and rain resistance, etc. of the electrical / electronic device storage box. When it is possible to express the level of the function or performance, such as waterproof performance or dustproof performance, by a predetermined grade, it is preferable to display the grade. On the other hand, when it is difficult to express the level of the function or performance by a predetermined grade, it may be displayed by the presence or absence of the function or performance. For example, a breaker with a leakage current function or a seismic sensor function may be given a higher evaluation value than a breaker without these functions.

[0044] The storage characteristic information may include only one of these items, but it is preferable to include two or more of them. In any case, it is preferable that the storage characteristic information includes any one of items related to price, items related to delivery date, items related to wiring workability, items related to maintenance workability, items related to environmental performance, and items related to functions and performance, and it is further preferable that the storage characteristic information includes two or more of items related to price, items related to delivery date, items related to wiring workability, items related to maintenance workability, items related to environmental performance, and items related to functions and performance.

[0045] It is also preferable that the information represented in the graph include two or more of the following: items related to price, items related to delivery time, items related to wiring workability, items related to maintenance workability, items related to environmental performance, and items related to functions and performance.

[0046] Incidentally, the specification information is input using an input means, and this input may be performed using a means commonly used for inputting information into a personal computer, a smartphone, etc. (input using a keyboard or mouse, input to a display, etc.). Also, the specification information may be input by capturing a document on which the specification information is written using optical character recognition. Also, the specification information may be input using voice input or eye contact input. The specification information may be input using a product name number or the like assigned to various information.

[0047] When inputting information about characteristics, the information about characteristics may be input as characters, or a level for a displayed item may be input (e.g., a level of "4" for the item "price"). Also, the information about characteristics may be input by operating a graph output on a display or the like to specify a level for an item.

[0048] The graph used for input is, for example, a radar chart in which information on multiple characteristics of a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment based on the box data is used as items, and the evaluation value or presence or absence of each item is expressed on a regular polygon. Since a radar chart can show information on multiple characteristics, it is possible to input information while keeping multiple items in mind.

[0049] The graph used for input does not have to be limited to a radar chart. Any graph may be used as long as it allows the level of information on characteristics to be specified for each item of information on characteristics. Regardless of the graph, it is preferable that the configuration allows the information on characteristics of the electric / electronic device storage box to be input by specifying and operating at least a part of the displayed graph.

[0050] The input specification information is compared with information stored in a database. In order to perform this comparison and derive a result, the database is configured to store at least storage specification information having specification information related to electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes, and box data related to electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes identified by the storage specification information.

[0051] Here, a more specific example of information storage will be described. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the information stored in the database is given the management number "1001" so that at least the storage specification information and the box data are linked. The storage specification information for management number "1001" stores information from which it can be derived that the size is 500 x 600 x 120 as an "item related to the housing," that there is one main breaker (60A) and 14 branch breakers (20A) as an "item related to electrical and electronic equipment," and that there is an upper incoming line and an upper outgoing line as an "item related to wiring." This information is stored for each item.

[0052] In the example shown in Fig. 1, the stored characteristic information for control number "1001" stores information that can be used to derive such things as "item related to price" being XX yen with a rating of "4," "item related to delivery date" being XX days with a rating of "2," "ease of wiring" being a rating of "4," and "environmental performance" being a rating of "5." This information is stored for each item.

[0053] In addition, management codes such as management numbers may be assigned in the order in which they are stored in the database, or relevant management numbers may be assigned to data that includes specific storage specification information or data that includes specific box data.

[0054] For example, a rule may be defined such that a single-digit management number (0001-0004) is assigned to data including, as an item related to the type of electrical and electronic equipment, storage specification information: one main breaker with a rated current of 60 A and eight branch breakers with a rated current of 20 A. Also, for example, a related management number may be assigned to data including box data: AAA10-20. Since such assignment is possible, the management code is not limited to the example composed of a four-digit number as shown in FIG. 1, but may be composed of letters and symbols.

[0055] In any case, by managing the data stored in the database with a management code, it becomes easy to manage various data, and it is possible to efficiently calculate the matching rate, etc. In addition to the storage specification information and box data, data necessary for design work, production work, and sales work after selecting a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment, such as drawing data related to drawings of the casings and electrical and electronic equipment that constitute the box for storing electrical and electronic equipment, parts diagram data related to the types and numbers of the casings and electrical and electronic equipment, and price data related to the prices of the casings and electrical and electronic equipment, may also be configured to be managed by a management number, etc.

[0056] The design support system includes a calculation means for performing calculations such as comparing each piece of information. The calculation means is used to compare the input specification information with the database and perform calculations to derive box data corresponding to the input specification information. In the embodiment, a calculation can be performed to extract storage feature information corresponding to the derived box data.

[0057] The results of the calculation by the calculation means are output by the output means. The output may be made by a means generally used when outputting to or through a personal computer, smartphone, etc. (output to a display, output to paper by a printer, etc.). It may also be configured to output sound.

[0058] What is output is at least the box data. However, it is preferable that a configuration be made in which a graph showing information on multiple characteristics of a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment based on the box data can also be output. The graph that is output by performing a calculation based on the input information is, for example, a radar chart in which information on multiple characteristics of a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment based on the box data is used as items, and the evaluation value or presence or absence of each item is expressed on a regular polygon. A radar chart makes it easy for a user to check information on multiple characteristics while comparing them, making it easy for the user to make a comprehensive judgment.

[0059] The graph to be output does not have to be limited to a radar chart. Any graph capable of expressing information related to features may be used, and examples thereof include bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts. It is preferable that the graph is capable of comparing multiple pieces of information, such as comparing each stored piece of feature information of the box data, or comparing the overall information of the box data. It is also preferable that the graph is capable of displaying the level of information related to features in stages, or capable of expressing information related to multiple features so that it can be recognized simultaneously.

[0060] The design support system can output not only graphs, but also box data related to the graph output. Examples of the output box data include the product number assigned to each electrical and electronic equipment storage box and a box image showing an overview of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box. The box image may be a reduced-size drawing of an actual electrical and electronic equipment storage box, or may be one that gives an idea of ​​the rough configuration of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box. In the latter case, it is preferable that the layout of the electrical and electronic equipment stored in the housing can be roughly understood.

[0061] It is preferable that the box data can be displayed so that the presence of the box data and the presence of the graph can be confirmed at the same time, but this is not limited to such an example. Also, in addition to the box data and the graph, the price of the housing and the electric / electronic device constituting the electric / electronic device storage box, the transportation cost, the delivery date, etc. can be output so that they can be visually confirmed.

[0062] Here, examples of stored information and inputs and outputs will be described in more detail. Let us assume that the information shown in Fig. 2 is stored in the database. In other words, let us assume that the stored specification information includes information on 1 main breaker (60A) and 8 branch breakers (20A) in the "item related to electrical and electronic equipment" section, and that management numbers 0001 to 0005 are assigned to the information.

[0063] In the case of control number 0001 shown in Figure 2, the items related to the layout and location specify that the main breaker is located at the top and the branch breakers are located at the bottom, and that the branch breakers are located in two rows. The items related to the installation location specify that the breaker is installed indoors. The items related to the wiring specify that the incoming line is from the top and the outgoing line is from the top. AAA6-08 is stored as the box data.

[0064] 2, the storage characteristic information stored in the control number 0001 is a rating of "4" for price, a rating of "4" for delivery time, and a rating of "5" for ease of wiring. The storage specification information, storage characteristic information, and box data are also stored in the control numbers 0002 to 0005, but a detailed description is omitted.

[0065] In this case, the specification information input using the input means is as follows: for "items related to electrical and electronic equipment", "1 main breaker (60A), 8 branch breakers (20A)", for "items related to layout and position", "main breaker at the top, branch breakers at the bottom", for "items related to installation location", "installed indoors", and for "items related to installation location", the characteristic information input using the input means is as follows: price, with an evaluation value of "4", delivery time, with an evaluation value of "4", and ease of wiring, with an evaluation value of "5" (see Figure 3).

[0066] When the input specification information and feature information are compared with the information stored in the database, the calculation means determines that the box data corresponding to the input specification information is "AAA6-08". At this time, storage feature information linked to this box data "AAA6-08" is extracted. The extracted storage feature information may be configured to be output as a graph. At this time, it is preferable to simultaneously output a box image so that the completed form of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box can be easily imagined. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the box data is both the code "AAA6-08" and a box image.

[0067] Next, an example in which a plurality of candidates for storage boxes for electrical and electronic equipment are derived by the calculation means will be described. For example, the information on the specifications input by the input means is "1 main breaker (60A), 8 branch breakers (20A)" for "items related to electrical and electronic equipment", "main breaker on top, branch breaker on bottom" for "items related to layout and position", and "installed indoors" for "items related to installation location", and the characteristic information input by the input means is "price is rated between 4 and 5", no rating is specified for delivery time, and "ease of wiring" is rated at 5 (see FIG. 4).

[0068] In this case, the control numbers "0001" and "0004" satisfy the condition (see Figure 2). In other words, two pieces of box data that satisfy the condition are derived (codes "AAA6-08" and "AAA6-08S"). In the example shown in Figure 4, box data related to these pieces of box data is output. Here, both the "code" and the "box image" are output as box data.

[0069] Even if multiple box data are derived, only a part of them may be displayed on a display or the like. In the above example, for example, the code "AAA6-08" which is one piece of information related to the box data is displayed. On the other hand, the box data related to the other box data (the code "AAA6-08S") is not available for the user to check.

[0070] When configuring to do this, it is preferable to configure so that information on other calculated box data can be confirmed by performing an operation to change the output content (for example, pressing a "next candidate" button.) Even if there are three or more results derived by the calculation, it is sufficient to make it possible to confirm multiple calculated box data by repeating the operation to change the output content.

[0071] As can be understood from the above, when performing an operation to specify the level of an item, a specific level may be specified singly or in a range. It is also possible to configure the system so that no specification is permitted.

[0072] When three or more results are derived by the calculation, box data relating to a plurality of electrical / electronic device storage boxes corresponding to all or some of the results may be output so as to be simultaneously confirmed.

[0073] Incidentally, in the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4, a bar graph is used to input a plurality of pieces of characteristic information, but as already described, a radar chart graph may be used to input a plurality of pieces of characteristic information. In the example shown in Figure 5, the characteristics are described adjacent to the tip of each corner of a pentagon, and an input value between 0 and 5 can be selected for each characteristic.

[0074] When it is found that no matching box data is stored in the database as a result of inputting information on characteristics using the input means, it is preferable to configure so that box data having stored characteristic information that is similar to the input characteristic information is output. In this case, a priority may be set for each item related to the characteristics, and the data to be output may be calculated based on the priority.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described above by taking the embodiment as an example, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be embodied in various forms.

Claims

1. A design support system for an electrical / electronic device storage box capable of supporting the design of an electrical / electronic device storage box for storing electrical / electronic devices in a housing, based on input information input by a user using an input means, comprising: a database including storage specification information having information related to the specifications of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, storage characteristic information having information related to the characteristics of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, and box data which is data linked to information related to the configuration of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box; A calculation means capable of performing calculations to collate input information with information stored in a database and identify box data corresponding to the input information; an output means capable of outputting box data derived by the calculation means; Equipped with A design support system for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes, in which input information can include both information regarding the specifications of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box and information evaluating the characteristics of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box.

2. 2. A design support system for an electrical / electronic device storage box according to claim 1, wherein information relating to the characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box can be input by specifying and operating at least a portion of the displayed graph.

3. The stored characteristic information includes 2. A design support system for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes as described in claim 1, including any one of items related to price, delivery time, wiring ease, maintenance ease, environmental friendliness, and functionality and performance.

4. Storage specification information having information regarding the specification of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box; storage characteristic information having information regarding a characteristic of the electrical / electronic device storage box; Box data is data linked to information regarding the configuration of a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment; A database having A calculation means capable of performing calculations to collate input information with information stored in a database and identify box data corresponding to the input information; an output means capable of outputting box data derived by the calculation means; A method for selecting an electrical / electronic device storage box by inputting information into a design support system for an electrical / electronic device storage box, comprising: inputting information regarding the specifications of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box using an input means; inputting information for evaluating characteristics of the electrical / electronic device storage box using an input means; A step of performing a calculation to identify box data corresponding to the input information by comparing the input information related to the specifications of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box and the information evaluating the characteristics of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box with information stored in a database; outputting box data derived by the calculation by the calculation means; A method for selecting a box for storing electrical and electronic equipment, including:

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