Patterns of Invention (Operators)

The analysis of high-level inventions showed that the same fundamental problem (contradiction) had been addressed by multiple inventions throughout different areas of technology. Moreover, the same fundamental solutions had been used over and over again, often separated by many years. The principles embodied in these solutions are called operators in I-TRIZ. The screening of more than two million patents has yielded 440 operators.

Example of an operator: Concentrate and release energy.

To split apart a product containing pores or cracks: Place the product in a hermetic chamber. Slowly increase the pressure inside the chamber, then reduce it abruptly. The drop in pressure creates a momentary pressure difference inside and outside the product, which causes it to "explode."

The inventions shown here were made in different areas of technology at different times. The problems addressed by these inventions are similar; the solutions represent the same principle:

• Removing stems from bell pepper
• Cleaning filters
• Removing shells from sunflower seeds
• Splitting diamonds along micro-cracks
• Shelling cedar nuts