The process and achievements of applying natural laws to solve special problems in the technical field and putting forward innovative schemes and measures. The achievements of the invention either provide an unprecedented model of artificial natural objects or provide new technologies and methods for processing and manufacturing. The innovation and transformation of machinery and equipment, instruments and various consumer goods, as well as related manufacturing processes, production processes and detection and control methods, all belong to inventions.
Characteristic technological inventions are different from scientific discoveries. Invention is mainly to create things that have not existed in the past, and discovery is mainly to reveal the existence and attributes of unknown things.
Technological invention is a novel technological achievement, not simply copying existing artifacts or repeating previous schemes and measures. If a technological achievement can find something with the same principle, structure and function in the existing technical system, it cannot be called an invention.
Technological inventions should not only provide unprecedented things, but also provide things that are more advanced than the previous technologies, that is, things that are superior to the existing technologies in principle, structure, and especially functional benefits. Inventions always have both inheritance and creation. Generally speaking, most of them are advanced.
Technological invention must be an innovation with application value, with clear purpose, novelty and advanced practicability. The invention scheme should not only reflect the attributes, structures and laws of external things, but also reflect its own needs. Before creating a new product or process, the inventor has pre-constructed the design object according to the functional requirements in his concept, and constantly improved his scheme according to the optimized functional objectives during the invention process.
Technological invention is different from actual technology or domain technology in actual production and engineering. The invention should have application prospects and possible technical schemes and measures. Whether an invention can be applied to production process or engineering activities depends on whether it can be incorporated into the existing technical system or cause innovation in the existing technical system, as well as the conditions of capital, equipment, manpower, materials, management and market. With the invention, there is not necessarily a corresponding product or process, nor can it necessarily solve the practical problems in production and engineering. Only when the invention is transformed into product development, process test, technological innovation, trial production, mass production and popularization and application can it become a realistic technology.
According to the degree of innovation, technological inventions can be divided into two categories.
(1) groundbreaking technological invention. The basic principle on which the new technical scheme of the present invention is based is qualitatively different from that of the prior art, and is also called the basic technical invention. For example, the invention of steam engine technology pioneered the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy, which is different from simple machinery with only mechanical energy conversion in basic principle. The invention of electric power technology based on electromagnetic induction principle triggered the mutual transformation between electric energy and mechanical energy. From the principle of chain nuclear reaction to the principle of nuclear fusion reaction, groundbreaking nuclear technological inventions can be made. Pioneering technological inventions in modern times are mostly based on breakthroughs in scientific principles, and consciously apply new scientific principles to solve technical problems. Many major breakthroughs in science will lead to technological breakthroughs.
② Improved technological inventions. The invention is an improved technical invention, and the existing technology is changed and supplemented to different degrees without changing the basic principle. For example, tungsten filament instead of carbon filament and argon filling instead of vacuum are all based on the same electrothermal luminescence principle. The invention of high-pressure steam engine, steam turbine and multi-cylinder steam engine is the progress of steam engine technology. Improved technological inventions are based on breakthrough technological inventions, and are perfected and developed through improved technological inventions. Improved technological inventions may be based on new scientific discoveries, but they often rely on long-term experience accumulation and exploration. Without a fundamental breakthrough in scientific principles, it is possible to make improved technological inventions of great value. The difference between an improved technological invention and a breakthrough technological invention is relative.
Pioneering technological inventions often lead to fundamental changes in the technical system, which is of great significance. Among technological inventions, most are improved inventions. Perfecting the materials, structures, processes and functions related to basic technologies will lead to the improvement of technological inventions. Transplanting a basic technology to a variety of objects usually needs to change some links of the basic technology and derive other inventions, which belong to the application of improving technological inventions. Combining a variety of existing technologies to form an unprecedented system and realize some new functions often requires improving the existing technologies to produce some inventions, which belongs to comprehensive improvement of technological inventions. The innovation and improvement of products in shape, structure and even design sometimes have the nature of invention.
It is the essential feature of human beings to actively understand and transform nature and constantly make discoveries and inventions. Humans use natural conditions to create labor means and technology, and realize the essence of the external world and their own strength in the process of inventing utensils.
Invention is the starting point of technology and production activities. With the invention and application of stone tools and artificial fire, the history of human material production and social life began. The change and progress of technology, the improvement of productivity and people's living standards, and the development of social history are inseparable from development and creation. The progress of ancient society depended on the inventions of grinding stone tools, smelting copper and iron, making pottery and baking bricks, raising silkworms and weaving silk. /kloc-the industrial revolution in the 0/8th century originated from the invention of new textile machines and steam engines. Electronic computers and a series of modern inventions have fundamentally changed people's working methods, living conditions and social outlook. The history of human civilization is first and foremost a history of invention and creation.
Inventors in history often don't know the social significance of their creative activities. When they improve the existing utensils or crafts, they mostly start from their personal needs, and they don't and can't fully realize the great value and application consequences of their inventions. Moreover, they usually engage in inventions in an amateur way. In modern times, especially in modern times, people are more and more aware of the importance of invention, seeking for invention by offering rewards, encouraging and protecting invention by using the patent system, and making invention a special profession. Inventors have their own R&D institutions and organizations to exchange results, the research on the regularity of invention and creation has been paid attention to, and the education of invention and creation and the training of invention methods have been popularized. Modern scientific and technological inventions have greatly improved in consciousness, quality and quantity.
Technological inventions should make use of knowledge of nature and scientific principles and rely on technological innovation in production and engineering to play a role. Compared with invention, scientific research is more instructive and practical for material production. However, science must be invented to become technology, and technology must be invented to become new productive forces. Technical ideas and technical solutions are the intermediary from knowledge to practice, and are the key links in the process of transforming science into productivity and engineering application.
Inventions and Patents In order to promote inventions and their applications, the state clearly regards inventions as patents in legal form. Generally speaking, innovations and improvements with novelty, advancement and practicality made by people in technical activities belong to inventions; Inventions recognized by the state and the law are different. The invention required by the Patent Law is novelty, which only refers to an undisclosed or unprecedented technical scheme. In China, this novelty is sometimes required, which is different from the unprecedented in the history of technological development. The advanced nature of the invention mentioned in the patent law means that the new scheme has made significant progress compared with the original technology, not a slight improvement. Novel designs are also protected by law and can be patented, but they are usually not recognized as inventions. When judging the practicality of an invention, the patent law includes the consideration of social value and national conditions, and no patent right is granted for inventions that violate national laws, social ethics or harm public interests. Generally speaking, patents for inventions in medicine, food, nuclear substances, disease diagnosis and treatment are not granted.
Technological invention is a valuable and useful achievement. Patents fix the commodity attribute of inventions in legal form, making them property that cannot be occupied for free, thus protecting the interests of inventors. Patents also require inventors to disclose their creations to facilitate paid use by others, and take the implementation of inventions as the legal obligation of patentees, so as to promote the exchange of technical information and the popularization and application of inventions.
The emergence of inventions The technological inventions of each era are closely related to the level of social productivity and the state of science and technology at that time, and depend on the quality, ability and way of thinking of inventors.
Meeting the needs of society is the basic condition for making technological inventions. The growth of social demand puts forward new technical goals. The contradiction between the original technical means and the new technical goal promotes and encourages invention. In technological activities, the accumulation and synthesis of knowledge and experience will also produce innovative technological ideas and inventions, and new technological achievements will trigger new demands and contribute to the popularization and application of new inventions.
Invention is creative mental work, and new technical solutions often have to be tested many times, dozens or even hundreds of times before they can overcome many difficulties and setbacks. Being brave in dedication, perseverance, hard study and diligent in practice are the basic qualities of inventors.
The proposal of new technical conception and technical scheme is based on a deep understanding of the existing technical mechanism and insight into its crux, which depends on a rich knowledge background. With the increasing difficulty of technological invention, the requirement for knowledge is higher, which requires not only general professional knowledge and interdisciplinary knowledge, but also strong basic scientific theoretical knowledge and mathematical knowledge.
Invention is to be unconventional or even whimsical, to turn the seemingly impossible into reality, and not to stick to stereotypes. The exertion of creative thinking ability is of special significance in the process of brewing and forming new ideas. Imagination, speculation, intuition and inspiration are closely related to creation.
A technical goal can be achieved by different technical means. In order to realize a technological invention with certain functional requirements, there are often multiple schemes, and each scheme may contain several alternative sub-schemes. Inventors should not only have a broad vision, but also be good at comparing, screening and verifying various technical schemes according to comprehensive factors such as functional value relationship, resources and environment. The formation and determination of new technical scheme should be guided by scientific thinking method. Summarizing the experience of technological invention is helpful to the perfection and application of scientific and technological methodology.