exploded view

Exploded view drawing of a Gear pump.

An exploded view drawing is a diagram, picture or technical drawing of an object, that shows the relationship or order of assembly of various parts.^[1]

It shows the components of an object slightly separated by distance, or suspended in surrounding space in the case of a three-dimensional exploded diagram. An object is represented as if there had been a small controlled explosion emanating from the middle of the object, causing the object's parts to be separated an equal distance away from their original locations.

The exploded view drawing is used in parts catalogs, assembly and maintenance manuals and other instructional material.

Overview

Fully assembled and exploded view in a patent drawing.

An exploded view drawing is a type of drawing, that shows the intended assembly of mechanical or other parts. It shows all parts of the assembly and how they fit together. In mechanical systems usually the component closest to the center are assembled first, or is the main part in which the other parts get assembled. This drawing can also help to represent the disassembly of parts, where the parts on the outside normally get removed first.^[2]

Exploded diagrams are common in descriptive manuals showing parts placement, or parts contained in an assembly or sub-assembly. Usually such diagrams have the part identification number and a label indicating which part fills the particular position in the diagram. Many spreadsheet applications can automatically create exploded diagrams, such as exploded pie charts.

In patent drawings in an exploded views the separated parts should be embraced by a bracket, to show the relationship or order of assembly of various parts are permissible, see image. When an exploded view is shown in a figure that is on the same sheet as another figure, the exploded view should be placed in brackets.^[1]

Exploded views can also be used in architectural drawing, for example in the presentation of landscape design. An exploded view can create an image in which the elements are flying through the air above the architectural plan, almost like a cubist painting. The locations can be shadowed or dotted in in the siteplan of the elements.^[3]

History

Exploded view by Leonardo da Vinci.

Togehter with the cutaway view the exploded view was among the many graphic inventions of the Renaissance, which were developed to clarified pictorial representation in a renewed naturalistic way. The exploded view can be traced back to the early fifteenth century notebooks of Marino Taccola (1382 – 1453), and were perfected by Francesco di Giorgio (1439 – 1502) and Leonardo.^[4]

One of the first more clear examples of an exploded view created by Leonardo da Vinci in his design drwaing of a reciprocating motion machine. Leonardo applied this method of presentation in several other studies, including those on human anatomy.^[5]

The term "Exploded View Drawing" emerged in the 1940s, and is one of the first times defined in 1965 as "Three-dimensional (isometric) illustration that shows the mating relationships of parts, subassemblies, and higher assemblies. May also show the sequence of assembling or disassembling the detail parts."^[6]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Exploded views

Part of a series on:

Graphical projection

Planar Parallel projection Orthographic projection Multiviews Plan, or floor plan Section Elevation Auxiliary view Axonometric projection Isometric projection Dimetric projection Trimetric projection Oblique projection Cavalier projection Cabinet projection Perspective projection Linear perspective One-point perspective Two-point perspective Three-point perspective Zero-point perspective Curvilinear perspective Reverse perspective

Other 3D projection Stereographic projection Anamorphic projection

Views Bird's-eye view/Aerial view Detail view 3/4 perspective Exploded view drawing Fisheye Fixed 3D Panorama Top-down perspective Worm's-eye view Zoom

Topics Computer graphics Computer-aided design Descriptive geometry Engineering drawing Foreshortening Map projection Projective geometry Technical drawing Vanishing point Video games with isometric graphics

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Similar types of technical drawings

• Cross-section
• Cutaway drawing
• Perspective

References