Method for disassembling consumption meter for recycling

Abstract

A method for detaching a measuring device comprising a first housing element and a second housing element fastened to the first housing element so as to enclose an element stack comprising at least one circuit board comprising electronic components configured to perform physical parameter measurements, and one or more additional components. The method includes forcing at least one urging member against a wall of the first housing element in a direction toward the second housing element so as to penetrate the wall. A force continues to be applied on the at least one urging member in a direction towards the second housing element to cause the at least one urging member to apply a force on an element of the element stack such that the element causes another element of the element stack to separate the second housing element and the element stack from the first housing element. The disassembly can be carried out with minimal damage to elements inside the device, so that the method is suitable as a first step of an efficient recycling process for recycling separate elements in a measuring device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for disassembly for recycling, and in particular, to the disassembly and recycling of measuring devices. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, recycling and thus also the recycling of electronic devices has become an increasingly prominent topic. For example, modern consumption meters or utility meters contain many different components (including electronics, batteries, polymeric materials, metals, etc.), and such meters are nowadays devices manufactured by simplified mass production processes, the design of which focuses on facilitating the manufacturing process.

[0003] Furthermore, due to their intended use at the point of consumption, consumption meters are manufactured to be highly resistant to any intrusion, whether by water or interference. As a result, consumption meters are generally not built for easy disassembly for recycling.

[0004] Object of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for disassembling a measuring device, such as a consumption meter. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for disassembling a measuring device, the measuring device comprising a first housing element and a second housing element, the second housing element being fastened to the first housing element so as to enclose an element stack, the element stack comprising at least: a circuit board comprising electronic components configured to perform measurements of physical parameters, and one or more additional components, such as a battery, the method comprising:

[0007] - forcing at least one pushing member, such as 2 to 10 pins or mandrels, simultaneously against a wall of the first housing element in a direction towards the second housing element so as to penetrate the wall of the first housing element, and

[0008] - continuing to apply a force on the at least one pushing member in a direction towards the second housing element so as to apply a force of the at least one pushing member on the components of the element stack such that the component causes another component of the element stack to separate the second housing element and the element stack from the first housing element.

[0009] This method is advantageous because the inventors have recognized that the measuring device, such as a consumption meter having a stack of components disposed inside a closed housing, can be disassembled easily and quickly. In particular, the method is advantageous because it has been tested on existing consumption meters having a polymer housing and a stack of components inside the housing. The tests have shown that the consumption meter can be disassembled in an easy but invasive manner by supporting the housing and simultaneously applying a force on the lower part of the housing in the direction towards the upper part of the housing by means of (a) pusher member(s). This force will cause the closed housing to open, the internal stack of components will come out and can be easily collected and further processed for material separation.

[0010] The method has proven to be advantageous on measuring devices having a tubular housing, and wherein the pusher member(s) is / are forced through the tubular housing in the axial direction of the tubular housing. The method has further proven to be advantageous on measuring devices, wherein the second housing element is cup-shaped and contains or surrounds the stack of components, and wherein the open end of the cup-shaped part is fixed to the first housing element, for example by ultrasonic welding, by a snap-lock mechanism, etc.

[0011] The tests have shown that a tool having, for example, 4 to 6 spatially distributed pusher members can be used on the underside of the polymer housing of an ultrasonic water meter. The positions at which the (a) pusher member(s) penetrates the housing are preferably chosen to avoid damaging, for example, the battery or other fragile components inside the measuring device. It is particularly important not to break or damage the batteries used in metering devices such as heat meters or water meters, because these are single-cell batteries and contain acidic liquid. Spreading this battery liquid during the disassembly process is harmful and will slow down the automated disassembly. By applying a force on the lower part of the housing, the fixedly mounted upper part of the water meter housing is then pushed by the stack of components from the inside of the upper part, and its connection to the underside of the housing is broken, thereby opening the housing. By carefully distributing the position(s) of the (a) pusher member(s) (for example, avoiding positions that will cause the pusher member to hit the battery inside the housing), the stack of components will only be slightly damaged and can be easily collected for further separation and recycling processes. The "lower part of the housing" means the bottom part of the housing, i.e., the part that is facing away from the human operator during normal operation, and the "upper part" means the top part having a visible display and facing the human operator during normal operation.

[0012] Thus, it has been verified that the method can be successfully applied to existing consumption meters and other similar measuring devices. For example, at least some existing consumption meters (such as water meters) are manufactured in the following way: an element stack is inserted through the top opening of a housing element, and then a second housing element in the form of a cover or lid is attached (such as snap-fitted, lapped, glued or screw-mounted) or vacuum-sealed to enclose the first housing element with the element stack located inside the first housing element.

[0013] Compared with the brute-force methods of using a saw or a hammer to open the housing of a non-production or non-intended-for-non-invasive-opening measuring device, it has been found that the method according to the first aspect can be used in a practical setting to easily and gently disassemble a measuring device in a very short time using a support structure designed to support the housing and a pushing member tool connected to an actuator for applying force.

[0014] The disassembly method of the first aspect can be manually performed using a manually operated tool or can be performed by a semi-automatic or automatic disassembly system (such as in a partially or fully robotic operation process). For an applicant who manufactures hundreds of thousands of water meters per year, performing it through a semi-automatic or automatic disassembly system is the preferred way because when a large number of meters reach the end of their service life, they need to be collected from end-users through logistics and transported to the manufacturer for automatic and efficient disassembly.

[0015] After the disassembly is performed, for example, in the case of polymer or composite or fiber-like materials, the (multiple) housing elements can be reused for other applications, such as after being ground into particles. Other components of the measuring device can be applied to the normal recycling procedures for such components.

[0016] The method has been proven to be able to disassemble the measuring device without severely damaging any components inside the housing, and this facilitates further sorting and separating of the elements in an automatic or semi-automatic process. Such further sorting can include sorting the elements according to their physical characteristics. In particular, such characteristics can be color, weight, form or material (such as distinguishing between metal and non-metal).

[0017] Therefore, this method is very suitable for recycling without requiring many resources for initial disassembly.

[0018] Hereinafter, preferred features and embodiments will be described.

[0019] The method preferably includes positioning the first housing element on a mechanical support before forcing the at least one pushing member against the wall of the first housing element. Thereby, the necessary force can be applied to the wall of the first housing element while the first housing element is supported.

[0020] The method may include positioning an upper mechanical support for fixing the position of the first housing element and having opening(s) to guide the at least one urging member into engagement with the wall of the first housing element.

[0021] The at least one pushing member is preferably one of the following: a spindle, a rod and a pin. The pushing member is preferably selected to match the material properties and dimensions of the housing element to be penetrated. Using a tapered end of the pushing member, it has been found that it is possible to penetrate, for example, a polymeric water meter housing. With the previous step of drilling through at least a portion of the material of the first housing element, a pushing member with a flat end can be used. Compared to a tapered end that may cause more damage to the component stack, a flat end may be preferred in terms of pushing on the component stack.

[0022] Preferably, the method involves applying force by means of a plurality of pushing members (such as 2 to 10 mandrels, rods or pins), which are spatially arranged to penetrate the indication area of ​​the wall of the first housing element. In particular, such as 3 to 10 pushing members can be spatially distributed to penetrate the indication area of ​​the wall of the first housing element. In particular, it may be preferred that a plurality of pushing members are spatially arranged to penetrate the symmetrical or substantially symmetrically arranged indication area of ​​the wall of the first housing element. Using more pushing members, and more specifically symmetrically arranged pushing members, can facilitate the pushing of the component stack toward the second housing element. The indication area is an area of ​​the first housing element, which indicates that the pushing member or all pushing members must be applied to the area in order to penetrate the housing wall and start a cascade action that forces one element of the stack to push another element of the stack, and separate the second housing element and the component stack from the first housing without damaging or breaking the battery. The indicator area is preferably placed in the bottom of the measuring device, in its simplest version it can be a painted spot, or it can be a material weakness in the bottom, or it can be a small hollow cylinder rising from the bottom and ready to receive the push member.

[0023] The at least one pushing member may have a portion for penetrating the wall of the first housing element when subjected to a force along a penetration direction, and wherein the portion has an extension perpendicular to the penetration direction, which is at least 1%, such as at least 2%, such as at least 5%, such as at least 10% of the maximum outer dimension of the first housing element.

[0024] In particular, the measuring device may have a first housing element that includes a straight flow tube portion with a through-opening, wherein the flow tube portion is integral with a container structure that has a closed lower portion and an upper portion with an opening, and wherein the container structure and a second housing element are configured to surround an element stack when the consumption meter is in an assembled state. More specifically, the method may include positioning the first housing element on a support structure that supports the flow tube portion, and wherein the at least one pushing member is forced to penetrate a wall of the bottom of the container structure. More specifically, the flow tube portion may have a measuring insert fastened inside, and wherein the method includes pushing the pushing member from an end of the through-opening of the flow tube so as to push the measuring insert away from the first housing element.

[0025] The first housing element may in particular be a monolithic element made of a polymer material or a mineral glass material or a composite material. The second housing element may in particular be a monolithic element made of a polymer material or a mineral glass material or a composite material.

[0026] In some embodiments, the method is performed on a measuring device, wherein the first housing element forms a container having a lower portion and an upper portion with an opening, and wherein the second housing element includes a cover element that is fastened to the upper portion of the first housing element to close the opening to form an enclosure structure for the element stack.

[0027] It may be preferred to perform the method on a measuring device, wherein the wall of the first housing element has at least one penetration zone that is arranged to facilitate penetration of the wall by the at least one pushing member. The penetration zone can be implemented in various ways. In some embodiments, the at least one penetration zone is at least one zone of the wall having a reduced material thickness compared to other parts of the wall so as to facilitate penetration of the associated pushing member. For example, the material thickness can be reduced to 10% to 90%, such as 10% to 50%, of the material thickness of other parts of the wall. The penetration zone can also be implemented by having an increased material thickness compared to other parts of the wall, or a fracture zone can be implemented as a combination of a zone portion having an increased material thickness and an adjacent zone having a reduced material thickness compared to other parts of the wall.

[0028] The measuring device may in particular be a consumption meter, such as one of the following: water meter, gas meter, heat meter, cooling meter, electricity meter.

[0029] In other variants, the measuring device includes a pressure sensor for sensing gas or liquid pressure, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged inside the enclosure structure formed by the first housing element and the second housing element. The method according to the first aspect can also be used to disassemble other types of measuring devices.

[0030] Preferably, the following steps are performed: one or more through-holes or non-through-holes are drilled at selected positions on the wall of the first housing element to facilitate subsequent penetration of one or more pushing members through the material of the first housing element. This can facilitate the penetration of the first housing element at the expense of the additional time of such an additional step. However, one or more pushing members with a larger end size can be used, and this can be preferred for pushing the element stack without causing unnecessary damage to the components of the element stack.

[0031] In some embodiments, the method includes disassembling a measuring device, wherein the circuit board includes electronic components configured to perform ultrasonic flow measurement in a measuring tube.

[0032] After applying a force, for example involving an automatic or semi-automatic actuator, the method preferably includes stopping applying the force on the at least one pushing member when it is detected that the elements have separated.

[0033] After disassembling the measuring device and separating the elements, the elements of the (multiple) housing elements and the element stack can be collected as separate components. In addition, separate recycling procedures can be performed on these components.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method is performed on a measuring device, wherein the first housing element forms a cavity with an opening, and the opening is closed by a second housing element in the form of a cover element.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method is performed on a measuring device, wherein the first housing element forms only a limited cavity or no cavity, while the second housing element forms a cavity. In particular, the first housing element can be integral with a straight flow tube portion having a through-opening (such as for fluid flow measurement), and wherein the second housing element forms a cavity in which at least a portion of the element stack is received.

[0036] In some embodiments, the method is performed on a measuring device, wherein the first housing element and the second housing element are shaped to jointly form an enclosure structure when in an assembled state.

[0037] The element stack can include one or more intermediate elements between the first element and the second element, and even with such intermediate elements included, the element stack is used to cascade the thrust applied to the first element to the second element via the (multiple) intermediate elements.

[0038] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a system for automatically or semi-automatically disassembling an associated measuring device, the measuring device including a first housing element and a second housing element, the second housing element being fastened to the first housing element so as to enclose an element stack, the element stack including at least: a circuit board including electronic components configured to perform measurements of physical parameters, and one or more additional components such as a battery, the system including:

[0039] - A pushing tool including at least one pushing member, such as from 2 to 10 pushing members,

[0040] - An actuator configured to apply a force to the pushing tool, and

[0041] - A control system configured to operate the actuator so as to allow the method according to the first aspect to be performed on the associated measuring device.

[0042] The system preferably includes a support structure shaped to support a part of the housing. In particular, it is preferred that the support structure can support a part of the first housing element (such as the peripheral part of the first housing element) without preventing the separation of the second housing element from the first housing element. In particular, the support structure can have a through-opening arranged to receive the first housing element with the second housing element facing downwards, and the support structure has a support surface for supporting a protruding part of the first housing element (such as a flow tube part integral with the first housing element), and wherein said support surface is adjacent to said through-opening.

[0043] The system can include an upper mechanical support for fixing the position of the (multiple) housing elements and having (multiple) openings to guide the at least one pushing member into engagement with the first housing element.

[0044] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a collection of individual elements obtained by applying the method according to the first aspect to a measuring device (such as a consumption meter). In particular, such a collection of individual elements can include at least: a housing element, at least one circuit board including electronic components, one or more batteries, a polymer insert for accommodating a desiccant, a transparent element, and a polymer cover element. Description of the Drawings

[0045] Now, the method and system will be described in more detail. The drawings illustrate examples of implementing the present invention and should not be construed as limiting other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0046] Figure 1A is a 3D view of an embodiment of a consumption meter,

[0047] Figure 1B Shows an exploded side view of an embodiment of a consumption meter having a stack of components with electronics and a battery inside a housing, the housing having a lid and a lower housing element, the lower housing element having a penetration area on its underside,

[0048] Figure 1C Shows an exploded 3D view of an embodiment of a consumption meter having a stack of components mounted in a lower housing element, the lower housing element being enclosed by an upper element in the form of a lid,

[0049] Figure 1D and Figure 1E Shows the function of a locking element serving as a break zone between the housing and the stack of components inside the housing,

[0050] Figures 2 to 4 Shows an example of components of a system for disassembling a measuring device, the components including a support and a pushing tool having a plurality of pushing members,

[0051] Figure 5 Shows an example of the ends of different shapes of the pushing members,

[0052] Figure 6 Shows a 3D view of a consumption meter mounted in a support structure and having a pushing tool for disassembling the consumption meter,

[0053] Figure 7 and Figure 8 Shows a lower 3D view and a transparent side view of a consumption meter mounted in a support structure, wherein the pushing members have separated one housing element from the lid element and the internal stack of components,

[0054] Figure 9 Shows the steps of an embodiment of a method,

[0055] Figure 10 Shows an example of a force curve applied during the disassembly of the consumption meter, and

[0056] Figure 11 Shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a system. Detailed Description

[0057] Figure 1AShows a view of a functional measurement device, namely a consumption meter, in its assembled state before being disassembled. More specifically, it is an ultrasonic flow meter or a water meter. The flow meter has a flow tube FT, which has a through-passage for a fluid (such as water) between an inlet and an outlet. A housing element H is formed as an integral part of the flow tube FT, thereby providing a compartment for meter components arranged at the flow tube FT for measuring the flow rate of the fluid flowing in the fluid passage. The housing H and the flow tube FT can be formed of a polymer material, a composite material, or a mineral glass material. A lid LD in the form of a closed loop CR, together with a transparent panel TP, is used to enclose the housing element H.

[0058] Figure 1B Shows an exploded side view of an embodiment of a consumption meter, which has a stack of elements E1, E2 inside the housing element H and has penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 on the lower side. The stack of elements E1, E2 is arranged inside an enclosure in the assembled state, and the enclosure is formed between the housing element H with a tubular-shaped container part and the lid LD for closing the enclosure. The stack of elements E1, E2 is arranged such that its main axis is parallel to an axis (dashed line), which is the central axis of the tubular shape formed by the container part of the housing element H.

[0059] The housing element H and the flow tube FT are integral, and the flow tube has a through-opening for a fluid (such as water). The lower element E1 is arranged at the bottom of the housing element H. The lower element E1 of the element stack includes a circuit board, which has electronic components configured to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow tube FT. Further, one or two ultrasonic transducers for ultrasonic measurement of the fluid flow in the flow tube FT can be included on the lower side of the circuit board. Furthermore, a battery BT for powering the electronic components is also located on the lower element E1.

[0060] Further, a pushing tool with pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 is shown, and these pushing members are arranged to engage with the respective penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 to penetrate the housing element H parallel to the central axis (dashed line) of the tubular-shaped container part of the housing element H in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow (i.e., towards the lid LD).

[0061] The penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 are zones where the strength against the forces exerted by the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 is reduced. The position of the penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 is distributed at selected positions on the lower side of the housing element H such that the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 do not strike and damage the fragile components inside the housing element H. In particular, two batteries BT are located on the lower element E1 of the element stack. It is particularly important that the penetration zones (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) are positioned relative to the batteries BT such that the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 do not strike the batteries BT when entering the surrounding structure of the housing element H. Preferably, the penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 are further positioned such that the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 do not penetrate the flow tube FT.

[0062] The upper element E2 is arranged between the lower element E1 and the lid LD, and this intermediate element E2 may include an insert having a closed cavity containing a desiccant. Further, the element may include a locking element in the form of a pawl (see Figure 1C for the locking element LE) for locking the two elements E1 and E2 in place by engaging with a protrusion (see Figure 1C for the protrusion PE3) inside the housing element H. In particular, it is preferred that the locking element is designed to allow locking to the housing element H when inserted downward from the opening of the housing element H and subjected to a force, while the locking element should be designed to allow release of the locked position when a force is applied in the upward direction. Thereby, the disassembly process is facilitated. As shown in Figure 1D and Figure 1E this can be implemented by a pawl or barb CL angled in one direction so as to grip onto the protrusion PE3 of the housing element H when the element E2 is inserted downward, while the pawl or barb CL is shaped such that when a certain magnitude of force is applied in the upward direction caused by the pushing member, the pawl or barb CL will bend in the opposite direction and thereby release the grip. Thus, the measuring device may include fracture zones that are activated by the pushing member once the (multiple) pushing members penetrate the housing wall. The pawl or barb CL just described is an example of a fracture zone.

[0063] It should be understood that the stack of elements E1, E2 may include one or more intermediate elements that are arranged to cascade the thrust between the first element E1 and the second element E2 during the disassembly process.

[0064] During the disassembly process, when the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 have penetrated the penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3, the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 will be further stressed to pass through the first housing element, whereby the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 push the lower element E1 towards the upper element E2, and the upper element will in turn exert a force on the lid LD to disengage the lid LD from the housing element H and further push the element stack E1, E2 away from the housing element H.

[0065] In this way, a simple and rapid disassembly procedure can be provided, and the penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 are used to facilitate this process and reduce the force required to penetrate the housing H, even when the housing element H is made of a high-strength material, such as a polymer or mineral glass or composite housing of a consumption meter. The low penetration force reduces the risk of damaging the housing element H during the disassembly process and thus improves the quality and disassembly of the separated parts. If the mechanical pressure is too high, the flow tube protrusions will break in the area where they extend from the container of the housing element.

[0066] Figure 2 and Figure 3 An example of a corresponding support structure for supporting the housing of the measuring device during disassembly is shown. The support structure should be specifically designed to fit the shape of the housing of the measuring device so as to allow effective support during the disassembly process (i.e., provide sufficient support to allow the necessary force to be applied to the pushing member(s)), and still allow the lid element to be separated from the housing element.

[0067] Figure 2 A lower support structure LSP for supporting the housing element of a measuring device similar to the flow meter of FIG. 1 is shown, i.e., the lower support structure has support portions FTS1, FTS2 for the flow tube portions protruding from the housing element and has a through-opening OP1 for receiving the housing element with the lid element facing downwards. The support structure LSP is preferably made of metal (such as aluminum or cast iron) so as to be able to withstand the radial forces generated by the housing element during the penetration process. The inner diameter of the through-opening of the support structure LSP substantially corresponds to the maximum diameter of the first housing element.

[0068] Figure 3Shows an upper support structure USP used in conjunction with a lower support structure LSP, i.e., the upper support structure has a surface shaped to match the lower surface of the housing element of the measuring device to be disassembled, and when the upper support structure USP is placed on top of the lower support structure LSP, it is used to fix the position of the housing element when the measuring device is fixed between the upper support structure and the lower support structure. The upper support structure USP further has through-holes, and in the example shown, four holes H1, H2, H3, H4 are visible. When the measuring device is fixed between the upper support structure USP and the lower support structure LSP, these holes H1, H2, H3, H4 are used to guide the pushing members towards the lower part of the housing element of the measuring device.

[0069] Figure 4 Shows a pushing tool PT having a plurality of parallel pushing members PM at selected positions (shown here in the form of six rods or pins attached to a common structure at one end), and the respective free ends of these parallel pushing members lie in a plane. The pushing tool PT is shaped to be inserted from Figure 3 the upper side of the upper support structure USP such that the holes H1, H2, H3, H4 are used to guide the pushing members to engage with the lower surface of the housing element of the measuring device.

[0070] Figure 5 Shows an example of four different shaped ends for the pushing members PM. The preferred end shape depends on the material of the housing element to be penetrated and other factors. Tapered ends (e.g., as shown for the first, second, and fourth pushing members from the left in Figure 5 ) can be preferred to allow easier penetration of the material of the housing element. For less damage to the elements inside the housing when pushing them, flat ends can be preferred, as shown for the third pushing member from the left in Figure 5 .

[0071] Figure 6 Shows a 3D view of a consumption meter CM similar to the Figure 1A and Figure 1B consumption meters and installed between the lower support structure LSP of Figure 2 and the upper support structure USP of Figure 3 , and having a pushing tool PT of Figure 4 inserted through the upper support structure USP.

[0072] Figure 7 Shows in connection with Figure 6The lower 3D with the same settings as above. Here, it can be seen that the pushing member has forced the separation of the housing element H and the lid LD. Thus, the pushing member PM has pushed the stack of elements SE inside the housing element H to separate from the housing element H (e.g., by the action of gravity), so that these elements SE are ready to be collected for further processing in the corresponding recycling process. In particular, the battery BT is preferably not damaged by the pushing member PM, so the battery BT can be collected for separate recycling. The lid LD is shown here as separated into a closed ring CR, a sealing ring SR, and a transparent panel TP, and these components are preferably processed separately in the further recycling process.

[0073] Advantageously, a cavity or a box is placed below the through-opening OP1 of the lower support structure, so that the stack of elements SE can be displaced in a direction away from the opening and into the cavity or the box.

[0074] Figure 8 is shown Figure 6 and Figure 7 A transparent side view of the setting, where the position of some of the pushing members PM relative to the housing element H can be clearly seen. The end of the pushing member PM has been pushed from the lower surface of the housing element H to the final position, at which the end of the pushing member PM has been pushed through the entire height of the housing element and, as Figure 8 shown, is at the stop position outside the upper opening of the housing element H.

[0075] Figure 9 Steps of an embodiment of the inventive method for disassembling a measuring device (preferably a consumption meter), for example for recycling purposes, are shown. The method includes providing a measuring device P_CM_SE including a housing (e.g., a consumption meter), where the housing includes a housing element and a lid element that is fastened to the housing element to cover the opening of the housing element, and where the housing element surrounds a stack of elements that at least includes: a circuit board that includes electronic components configured to perform measurements of physical parameters, and one or more additional components, such as a battery.

[0076] Next, the consumption meter is positioned PS_CM_SP at a support structure that supports a protruding portion of the housing. Further, at least one pushing member, preferably 2 to 10 rods or pins or spindles, is forced F_PM against an outer portion of the housing element in a direction towards the lid element, so as to penetrate the outer portion of the housing element into the inner portion. Further, the force is continued C_F_PM to be applied to the at least one pushing member in a direction towards the lid element, so that the at least one pushing member applies a force to the lower elements of the stack of elements, and thereby the upper elements of the stack of elements force the lid element and the stack of elements to separate from the housing element.

[0077] Finally, Figure 9 a preferred step RC_E for recycling components from the component stack is shown. Additionally, the housing components can also be applied to the recycling process (e.g., involving a grinding process) to allow the polymers or mineral glasses of the composite materials of the housing components to be reused as materials in another type of application.

[0078] In particular, before the step of recycling RC_E, there is an intermediate step of classifying the separated components, such as classifying these components according to their physical properties. In particular, such properties can be color, weight, form, or material (e.g., distinguishing between metal or non-metal).

[0079] Figure 10 A curve showing the relationship between the mechanical force F applied to the pushing member during the process of disassembling the above consumption meter and the distance D is shown, where the distance D is zero when the pushing member starts to contact the wall of the consumption meter.

[0080] When the pushing member moves towards the wall of the consumption meter, a force peak is seen when the pushing member penetrates the wall, and a force F of 3870 N is measured as the peak force in this example. After the pushing member penetrates the wall, the force F drops to almost zero, and the force F increases again to 2100 N at a distance D of approximately 30 mm corresponding to the pushing member reaching the component stack inside the housing of the consumption meter. At this time, the component stack presses against the lid LD, and the (multiple) locking mechanisms for the component stack break as the lid LD is pushed open, and the force F drops to 475 N. At a distance D of approximately 38 mm, the component stack will be removed from the housing, the force drops to approximately zero, and the disassembly process is complete.

[0081] Figure 11 Shows for performing the first aspect in an automatic or semi-automatic version and for example in Figure 9Block diagram of the elements of a system embodiment of the disassembly method illustrated. The system includes a pushing tool PT, which includes at least one pushing member PM (such as 2 to 10 pushing members), and the at least one pushing member is preferably a parallel rod or pin with a tapered end or a flat end. The system further includes: an actuator AT, which is configured to apply a force on the pushing tool PT; and a control system CS, which is configured to operate the actuator AT so as to allow the method according to the first aspect to be performed on an associated measuring device (for example, a consumption meter). The actuator can be a linear electric actuator, a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, etc. The control system CS can be programmed to cause the actuator AT to gradually move the pushing tool in a linear movement to engage with the housing element of the measuring device, and stop advancing the movement of the pushing tool when a stop criterion is met, for example, by manual stop or when it is detected that the element stack has been separated from the housing element, for example, using a camera, etc., or using a current intensity curve that changes over time, and when the current intensity drops below a predetermined limit, then stop.

[0082] The system preferably further includes a support structure SPS, which is used to support or fix the housing of the associated measuring device during the disassembly procedure, and for example, the support structure SPS has a cavity, which is used to collect these elements after the elements of the measuring device have been separated.

[0083] In summary, the present invention provides a method for disassembling a measuring device (for example, a consumption meter), which includes a first housing element and a second housing element, and the second housing element is fastened to the first housing element so as to enclose an element stack, and the element stack at least includes: a circuit board, which includes electronic components configured to perform measurements of physical parameters, and one or more additional components, such as a battery. The method includes forcing (F_PM) at least one pushing member, such as 2 to 10 pins or mandrels, against the wall of the first housing element in a direction towards the second housing element so as to penetrate the wall of the first housing element. Further, continue (C_F_PM) to apply a force on the at least one pushing member in a direction towards the second housing element so that the at least one pushing member applies a force on the elements of the element stack, such that the element causes another element of the element stack to separate the second housing element and the element stack from the first housing element. The disassembly can be carried out with minimal damage to the elements inside the device, so the method is suitable as the first step of an effective recycling process for recycling the separated elements in the measuring device.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being limited in any way to the given examples. The scope of the present invention is set forth by the appended claims. In the context of the claims, the terms "comprising" or "including" do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Furthermore, references to, for example, "a" or "an" should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The reference signs used in the claims with respect to the elements indicated in the various figures should also not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. In addition, the various features mentioned in different claims can be advantageously combined, and the mention of these features in different claims does not exclude the combination of the features being possible and advantageous.

Claims

1. A method for disassembling a measuring device, the measuring device comprising a first housing element (H) and a second housing element (LD), the second housing element being fastened to the first housing element so as to enclose a component stack, the component stack comprising at least: A circuit board comprising electronic components configured to perform measurements of a physical parameter, and one or more additional components, such as a battery, the method comprising: - forcing (F_PM) at least one pushing member, such as 2 to 10 mandrels, simultaneously against the wall of the first housing element in a direction towards the second housing element in order to penetrate the wall of the first housing element, and -Continue (C_F_PM) applying a force on the at least one pushing member in a direction toward the second housing element so that the at least one pushing member applies a force on an element of the element stack so that the element causes another element of the element stack to separate the second housing element and the element stack from the first housing element.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first housing element is positioned on a mechanical support, the pushing member is then forced through the wall of the first housing element and the stacked elements are collected in a cavity placed below an opening in the mechanical support.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one pushing member is one of: a spindle, a rod, and a pin.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one pushing member comprises a plurality of pushing members, such as spindles, rods or pins, spatially arranged to penetrate indicator areas of the first housing element, wherein the indicator areas indicate locations on the first housing element where the pushing members can penetrate without breaking the battery.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each of the plurality of urging members includes a tapered end portion for penetrating the wall of the first housing element.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, comprising: At least three, for example 3 to 10, pushing members are spatially distributed so as to penetrate corresponding areas of the wall of the first housing element.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein: The plurality of urging members are spatially arranged to penetrate symmetrically or substantially symmetrically arranged regions of the wall of the first housing element.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least one of the at least one pushing members has a portion for penetrating the wall of the first shell element when subjected to force along the penetration direction, and wherein the portion has an extension perpendicular to the penetration direction, which is at least 1%, such as at least 2%, such as at least 5%, such as at least 10% of the maximum outer dimension of the first shell element.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first shell element comprises a straight flow tube portion having a through opening, wherein the flow tube portion is integral with a container structure having a closed lower portion and an upper portion with an opening, wherein the container structure and the second shell element are configured to surround the element stack when the consumption meter is in an assembled state.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising: The first housing element is positioned (PS_CM_SP) on a support structure supporting the flow tube portion, and wherein the at least one urging member is forced to penetrate a wall of a bottom portion of the container structure.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The flow tube portion has a measuring insert secured inside, and wherein the method comprises forcing a pushing member into the end of the through opening of the flow tube in order to force the measuring insert to separate from the first housing element.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The first housing element is a monolithic element made of a polymer material or a mineral glass material or a composite material.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first housing element forms a container having a lower part and an upper part with an opening, and wherein the second housing element comprises a cover element fastened to the upper part of the first housing element to close the opening to form an enclosure for the component stack.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The measuring device is a consumption meter, such as one of the following: a water meter, a gas meter, a heat meter, a cooling meter, an electricity meter.

15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: One or more through holes or non-through holes are drilled at selected locations in the wall of the first housing element to facilitate subsequent penetration of one or more urging members through the material of the wall of the first housing element.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: After the separation, a separate recycling process is performed (RC_E) on the first housing elements and on the elements of the element stack.

17. A system for the automatic or semi-automatic disassembly of a measuring device, the measuring device comprising a first housing element (H) and a second housing element (LD) which is fastened to the first housing element (H) so as to enclose a component stack (SE), the component stack comprising at least: a circuit board (PB) comprising electronic components configured to perform the measurement of the physical parameter, and one or more additional components, such as a battery, the system comprising: a pushing tool (PT) comprising at least one pushing member (PM), such as 2 to 10 pushing members, - an actuator (AT) configured to exert a force on the pushing tool (PT), and - a control system (CS) configured to operate the actuator (AT) so as to allow the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to be performed on an associated measuring device.

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