B.

INVENTIVE PRINCIPLES

Recommendations on using Inventive Principles and Altshuller’s

Matrix.

1. Select a product you want to improve.

I want to improve a coffee cup.

2. If a product consists of many parts, try to separate and focus on

a specific part which causes problem.
A cup does not keep coffee warm for a long time. Therefore, we are
interested in a new design of the cup, and not in improving coffee beans
or the coffee maker.

3. Identify a parameter you want to improve. Try to be as much

specific as possible. For instance, if you want to improve reliability,
think of what component of your product is unreliable, and think of
what technical parameter is responsible for reliability. Select such a
parameter that is related to the reliability and use it for further
analysis. Remember that the term “parameter” should be understood
in a very generic sense. It might be also a property or some feature of
a system. In addition, the verb “improve” means any useful effect that
has to be provided. Depending on a situation, both “increase speed”
and “decrease speed” can be regarded as improvements.

I want to keep coffee in the cup warm as long as possible. In

other words, to make the temperature of the coffee stable as long
as possible).

4. Propose any method which will improve your technical

parameter.

I can keep coffee warm, for instance, by placing the cup on an

electric heater.

5. Think of why you can not reach the desired improvement in a

straightforward way by using the method proposed. What
interferes with the improvement? What part of the product or
surrounding environment gets worse? What is a negative effect that
accompanies the desired improvement? Identify it with another
technical parameter of your product or environment.

In the case of using the heater, more electric energy will be

consumed.

6. Formulate a contradiction in the following form: “I want to

improve the parameter X. I can do it by doing (put what you can
do) but the parameter Y gets worse.

224
 I want to improve a stability of the temperature of the coffee by
providing external heating, but in this case energy consumption
grows.

7. Use Altshuller’s matrix (see the matrix in Appendix E). Identify

the parameter you want to improve with one of the generic technical
parameters located along the left vertical column. Respectively,
identify the parameter that gets worse with one of the generic
parameters located along the horizontal row of parameters.

To improve: temperature. Gets worse: energy waste.

8. Find a cell in the matrix which is the intersection of vertical

column and horizontal row for respectively the parameters you
selected. You see several numbers which indicate which inventive
principle(s) to use to solve your problem.

9. Use the list of inventive principles. The principles in a selected cell

of the matrix are listed in the order of most frequent usage to solve
this type of contradiction.

10.Interpret the recommended inventive principles in terms of your

product. The recommended principles are very general. Regard them
as guidelines for further thinking and searching for a solution to your
problem.

11.If no solution can be proposed in terms of formulated contradiction,

return to step 5 and try to change the parameter that gets worse.
Formulate a new contradiction. Repeat the problem solving process
(steps 5 - 10).

12. If no solution can be found, redefine the parameter that you want to
improve and formulate a new contradiction. Repeat the problem
solving process (steps 3 - 11).

13.If the Altshuller matrix does not help after several attempts, use
Inventive Standards, Pointer to Physical effects or ARIZ.

225
LIST OF TRIZ INVENTIVE PRINCIPLES
1. SEGMENTATION
• Divide your object into independent parts.
• Divide your object into parts so that some its part can be easily taken away.
• Increase the degree of the object's fragmentation.
2. TAKING AWAY
• Take away an interfering part of your object.
• If some property of the object is undesired, find out what part of the object is a carrier of the
undesired property and separate it from the object.
3. LOCAL QUALITY
• Instead of uniform structure of your object, use non-uniform structure of the object.
• Instead of uniform structure of environment, use non-uniform structure of the environment.
• If two functions are to be performed by the same object but this causes problems, divide the object
into two parts.
• Redesign your object and environment so that each part of the object must be in conditions proper
for operation.
4. ASSYMETRY
• If your object has symmetrical shape, make it asymmetrical.
• If your object is asymmetrical, increase the degree of asymmetry.
5. COMBINING
• Merge identical parts or components of your object in space.
• Merge identical parts or components of your object in time.
6. UNIVERSALITY
• If you have two objects which deliver different functions, design a new single object that would be
capable of delivering both functions.
7. NESTING
• Place one object inside another.
• Increase a number of nested objects.
• Make one object dynamically pass through a cavity of another object when necessary.
8. COUNTERWEIGHT
• Compensate for the weight of your object with merging it with another object that provides lifting
force.
• Place your object into environment that provides aerodynamic, hydrodynamic or other lifting force.
9. PRIOR COUNTERACTION
• If your object is subjected to harmful factor(s) of environment, subject it to antipodal action
beforehand. This will compensate with the harmful factor.
10. PRIOR ACTION
• If your object is subjected to harmful factors of environment, create conditions that will prevent the
object from harmful factors beforehand.
• If your object has to be changed and this is hard to achieve, perform the required change of the
object (fully or partially) beforehand.
11. EARLY CUSHIONING
• If your object is unreliable, create conditions in advance that will prevent the object.

12. EQUIPOTENTIALITY

226
 • If your object has to be lowered or raised, redesign the object’s environment so that the necessity to
raise or lower the object ceases.
13. OTHER WAY ROUND
• Instead of actions defined perform opposite action.
• Make the movable part of your object fixed or the fixed part movable.
14. SPHEROIDALITY
• Instead of linear parts of the object, use curve parts.
• Use rollers, balls, spirals.
• Use rotary motion.
• Use centrifugal forces.
15. DYNAMICITY
• If your object is immobile, make it movable.
• Divide your objects into parts capable of moving relatively each other.
• Increase the degree of free motion.
• Make your object or environment dynamically change in accord with the required conditions at each
stage of operation.
16. PARTIAL OR EXCESSIVE ACTION
• If it is not possible to precisely achieve the required change, or to perform some action, reformulate
the problem: how to make slightly less or slightly more and then achieve the required result.
17. ANOTHER DIMENSION
• If your object moves along a line, consider movement within two-dimensional space.
• If your object moves in plane, consider movement within three-dimensional space.
• Rearrange objects so that instead of one-storied arrangement a multi-storied arrangement can be
achieved.
• Tilt the object.
• Use other side of the given area.
18. MECAHNAICAL VIBRATIONS
• Make your object or its part vibrate.
• If the object is in oscillatory motion, increase the frequency of oscillations.
• Use resonance frequencies.
• Use ultrasonic frequencies.
• Use piezoelectric vibrators instead of mechanical ones.
• Use ultrasonic oscillations in combination with electromagnetic field.
19. PERIODIC ACTION
• Instead of continuous action use pulse actions.
• Vary periodicity according the conditions.
• Use pauses between impulses to perform some other action.
20. USEFUL ACTION CONTINUITY
• All parts of the object must work continuously.
• Eliminate all idle running.

21. SKIP
• If your object is subjected to harmful or hazardous actions within some process, conduct the
process at a very high speed.
22. TURN THE HARM TO ONE`S GOOD
• Use harmful factors to achieve positive effects.

227
 • Eliminate a harmful factor by adding it with another harmful factor.
• Amplify the harmful factor to such degree so that it would stop to bring harm to your object or
environment.
23. FEEDBACK
• Introduce feedback.
• If the feedback is available, vary it in accord with operating conditions.
24. INTERMEDIARY
• Use an intermediate carrier to provide necessary actions if it is not possible to use existing objects
or parts.
• Temporarily merge your object with another one that will provide the required action and then
decompose them.
25. SELF-SERVICE
• The object must serve itself by performing tuning, adjusting and repair operations itself.
• Use available resources or waste resources.
26. USE OF COPIES
• If you need to undertake some actions with respect to unavailable, fragile, complicated, or
dangerous object, use its simpler and cheaper copy,
• Instead of real objects, use their optical images (pictures, holograms).
• Use infrared or ultraviolet copies.
27. CHEAP SHORT-LIFE INSTEAD OF COSTLY LONG-LIFE
• Replace an expensive object with many cheap objects which deliver the same function.
28. MECHANICAL PRINCIPLE REPLACEMENT
• Replace mechanical principle behind your system or object with another physical principle: optical,
acoustic, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, etc.
29. PNEUMATIC AND HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES
• Instead of a solid object or its parts, use gases or liquids: inflatable and filled with liquids, air
cushion, hydrostatic and hydro-reactive.
30. FLEXIBLE SHELLS AND THIN FILMS
• Instead of heavy three-dimensional structures use flexible shells and thin films.
• Use flexible shells and thin films to isolate the object or its part from environment.
31. POROUS MATERIALS
• Make your object porous.
• Use porous coatings.
• Use porous inserts.
• If the object is porous, fill the pores with other substance, liquid or gas to achieve positive effect.

228
32. CHANGING COLOR
• Change the color of the object, its part or environment.
• Change transparency of the object, its part or environment.
33. HOMOGENEITY
• Make interacting objects of the same material or the material with identical properties.
34. REJECT AND REGENERATION OF PARTS
• If a part of an object that has delivered its function had become unnecessary or undesired, eliminate
it by dissolving, evaporating, etc. or modify so that the interfering property will cease to exist.
• Restore consumable parts of the object during operation.
35. CHANGE OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
• Change the object’s aggregate state.
• Change concentration or composition of the object.
• Change the degree of flexibility of the object.
• Change the temperature of the object or environment.
36. PHASE TRANSITIONS
• Use physical phenomena accompanied by phase transitions: change of volume, emission or
absorption of heat, etc.
37. THERMAL EXPANSION
• Use thermal expansion or contraction of materials.
• Merge two materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion.
38. STRONG OXIDIZERS
• Replace regular air with enriched air.
• Replace the enriched air with pure oxygen.
• Ionize air or oxygen.
• Use ozonized oxygen.
• Use ozone.
39. INERT ATMOSPHERE
• Use inert gases instead of usual ones.
• Add neutral parts or additives to the object.
40. COMPOSITES
• Use composite materials instead of uniform ones.

229
INVENTIVE STANDARDS

Recommendations on using Inventive Standards

1. Problem Definition
1.1. Select a product or a system you want to improve.
1.2. Localize a part of the product where a problem arises. It
might as well include components of a surrounding
environment which interact with the product.
1.3. Select one or two substance objects of the product which
cause problem, or have to be changed, or which
properties have to be measured or detected.
1.4. Define what type of your problem is. Is it a modification
problem or a problem which deals with detection or
measurement? Or you want to predict the evolution of
the selected component or a product? Every situation
refers to classes of the standards which have to be used
use: Modification problem: Classes 1 and 2,
Measurement/ Detection problem: Class 4. Prediction
problem: Classs 2 and 3. Class 5 specifies how to
introduce new components to a system under
restrictions on introduction of new components.

2. Modification Problems
2.1. If your problem involves a single component you want to
change, use Standard 1-1-1 and go to the phase of
verification of a solution.
2.2. If the problem includes interaction between two
components, define what type of physical interaction
exists between the two selected components. What
physical field provides the interaction?
2.3. Draw a substance-field model of a part of your problem.
Indicate what type of unsatisfactory interaction is
between the components. Is it missing, excessive,
harmful or insufficient? Draw a corresponding line
between the components. A type of the line indicates
your problem.
2.4. Select which group of Standards you will use. If the
problem involves a harmful interaction, go to the
standards of Group 1-2. If the interaction is missing
insufficient or excessive, go to Group 1-1.
2.5. Browse each inventive standard until you find a
standard with the left part matching your substance-
field model.

230
 2.6. Complete or change your initial substance-field model
as recommended in the right-hand side of the selected
inventive standard.
2.7. If it is unclear what new substance or field to choose,
use lists of substances and fields (i.e. the list in page
170 and Class 5 of Inventive Standards) to find out if the
fields or substances listed can be introduced and solve
the problem.
2.8. It is recommended to use the Pointer to physical effects
if any specific interaction you want to improve refers to
one of the functions listed in the Pointer.

3. Measurement problems
3.1. First, use Group 4-1 to check if you can avoid
measurement or detection.
3.2. If measurement/detection is not avoidable, identify
exactly what component is a carrier of a property you
have to measure or detect.
3.3. Browse inventive standards of Class 4 until you find a
desired solution pattern. Use lists of substance and
fields (i.e. the list in page 170 and Class 5 of Inventive
Standards) to find out if the fields or substances listed
can be introduced and solve the problem.

4. Prediction Problems.
4.1 Most of standards of Class 3 do not deal with substance-
field models. They are drawn from TRIZ trends of the
technology evolution. It is recommended to use these
standards after you have obtained a satisfying solution
with standards of Classes 1, 2, and 4.

5. If a problem is not solved.

Try to use the standards of Class 5, or try to refine the
problem formulation.

231