Consumption instrument easy to disassemble and recycle

Abstract

A measuring device is designed to be detached for the purpose of recycling. A housing of the measuring device has a first side and a second side forming an enclosure in which a stack of elements is arranged. The stack of elements includes a first element adjacent a first side of the housing, a second element arranged adjacent a second side, where at least one of the elements includes a circuit board having electronic components configured to measure a physical quantity, and one or more additional components. The housing is provided with at least one penetrating area on the first side of the housing so as to allow an associated pushing member to easily penetrate and allow the pushing member to exert force on the first element. The force is arranged to exert a force on the second side of the housing via the second element to separate the second side of the housing from the first side of the housing and further allow the stack of elements to be separated from the housing. The penetration region is positioned relative to a position of the battery inside the housing such that the associated urging member does not contact and / or damage the battery during the disassembly process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to measuring devices (such as consumption meters), methods for recycling, and systems for automatically disassembling measuring devices. In particular, the present invention relates to measuring devices suitable for being easily and gently disassembled to separate the materials of the measuring devices for recycling. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, recycling and thus also the recycling of electronic devices have become an increasingly concerned topic. For example, modern consumption meters or utility meters contain many different components, including electronics, batteries, polymer materials, metals, etc.

[0003] Currently, such meters are devices manufactured by a simplified mass production process, in which the possibility of being easily disassembled for recycling purposes is usually ignored.

[0004] In addition, due to the intended use at the consumption site, consumption meters are manufactured to be highly resistant to any intrusion of either water or interference. Therefore, hermetically sealed consumption meters are not suitable for being easily disassembled for recycling purposes.

[0005] Furthermore, it can also be foreseen that legislation will continue to become increasingly strict regarding the reuse and recycling of electronic equipment (such as measuring devices).

[0006] Object of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a measuring device that is suitable for being easily and gently disassembled, for example for recycling. More specifically, the object is to provide a measuring device (such as a consumption meter) that can be disassembled in an easy manner for recycling, and in which the components of the device are not damaged during the disassembly process. Preferably, the measuring device can still be manufactured in a mass production process. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a measuring device (such as a consumption meter), the measuring device comprising:

[0009] - a housing, the housing including a first side and a second side, wherein the housing forms an enclosure structure between the first side and the second side,

[0010] - a stack of components, the stack of components being arranged inside the enclosure structure of the housing, wherein the stack of components includes: a first component arranged adjacent to the first side of the housing and a second component arranged adjacent to the second side of the housing,

[0011] Among them, the stack of components at least includes: a circuit board, which includes electronic components configured to measure physical quantities, and one or more additional components, and

[0012] - a battery for powering the electronic components used to measure physical quantities, wherein the battery is arranged inside the surrounding structure of the housing,

[0013] It is characterized in that

[0014] The housing exhibits at least one dedicated penetration zone on a first side to allow an associated pushing member to penetrate the at least one penetration zone and allow the associated pushing member to apply a force on a first component of the stack of components, the force being arranged to apply a force on a second side of the housing via an upper component to separate the second side of the housing from the first side of the housing and further allow the stack of components to be separated from the housing, wherein the at least one penetration zone is positioned on the first side of the housing relative to the position of the battery such that the associated pushing member can penetrate the at least one penetration zone and push the stack of components without damaging the battery inside the surrounding structure of the housing.

[0015] This measuring device is advantageous because the inventors have recognized that arranging the stack of components inside the housing and providing one or more penetration zones on the lower side of the housing enables the device to be easily but invasively disassembled by supporting the housing and simultaneously applying a force by the pushing member on the (multiple) penetration zones on the first side of the housing in a direction towards the second side of the housing. This force will cause the (multiple) pushing members to penetrate the wall of the first side of the housing at the (multiple) penetration zones, which may have a reduced material thickness to reduce the force required to be applied to the (multiple) pushing members for penetration. This reduced force reduces the risk of damaging the first side of the housing during penetration.

[0016] By continuing to apply the force, the (multiple) pushing members will cause the stack of components to cascade the force through the stack of components and thereby apply a force on the second side of the housing, which will then disconnect the second side of the housing from its connection with the first side of the housing via one or more fracture zones. Thereby, the housing is opened, and the internal stack of components will fall out and can be easily collected and further processed for material separation.

[0017] The position of the (multiple) penetration zones relative to the battery is positioned such that mechanical damage to the battery by the (multiple) pushing members can be avoided. It is particularly important not to damage or break the batteries used in metering devices such as heat meters or water meters, as these are single cells and contain acidic liquids. Spreading such battery liquid during the disassembly process is harmful and will slow down the automatic disassembly. Further, due to the (multiple) penetration zones having, for example, a reduced thickness or other means for reducing the force required for the (multiple) pushing members to penetrate, the measuring device can be disassembled with minimal damage.

[0018] The risk of component damage can be further reduced by dedicated breakage zones that attach the components of the device to each other, such as the attachment between the first and second sides of the housing and the attachment of the stack of components to the housing. Such dedicated breakage zones help to reduce the force of the pushing members required and thus reduce the risk of component damage during the disassembly process.

[0019] Tests have shown that, for example, 4 to 6 pushing members used at dedicated penetration zones can preferably be spatially distributed on the lower side of the polymer housing of a measuring device (such as an ultrasonic water meter), and then the corresponding pushing members are used to apply a force on the penetration zones. In this way, the fixedly mounted upper part of the water meter is then pushed from the inside by the stack of components, and its connection to the lower side of the housing is broken, thereby opening the housing. By carefully distributing the penetration zones to avoid positions that would cause the pushing members to impact the battery inside the housing, the individual components of the stack of components are only slightly damaged and can be easily collected for further separation and recycling processes.

[0020] Therefore, it has been confirmed that the measuring device (e.g., a consumption meter) can be successfully improved in terms of its ability to be disassembled for recycling purposes. This can be done by making minor modifications to the housing of existing consumption meters and other similar measuring devices, as the penetration zones can be implemented in various ways without compromising the intended purpose of the housing. Further, breakage zones that are enabled when the (multiple) pushing members penetrate can be built into the meter, such as the breakage zone between the housing and the stack of components. Nevertheless, the measuring device can be manufactured in a mass production setting. For example, the penetration zones can be implemented during the normal injection molding process for providing the housing.

[0021] Compared with the brute-force methods of using a saw or a hammer to open the housing of a measuring device that is not designed for non-invasive opening, it has been found that in an actual setting using a support structure designed to support the housing and a pushing member tool connected to an actuator for applying a force, the measuring device according to the first aspect can be easily and gently disassembled in a very short time.

[0022] As described above, after disassembly, in the case of polymers or composite materials or fiberglass materials, the (multiple) housing parts can be reused for other applications, for example, after being ground into particles. Other components of the measuring device (such as components in a stack of components) can be easily sorted, collected, and applied to separate recycling processes after disassembly.

[0023] Therefore, such a measuring device is very suitable for recycling without requiring many resources for initial disassembly. Thus, the measuring device is prepared for future strict recycling management laws and regulations for measuring devices (such as consumption meters).

[0024] In the following, preferred features and embodiments will be described.

[0025] Preferably, the at least one penetration zone is arranged to facilitate penetration by an associated pushing member compared to other locations on the first side of the housing, so as to reduce the force for the associated pushing member to penetrate the first side of the housing.

[0026] The penetration zone can be implemented in various ways. In some embodiments, the at least one penetration zone is at least one zone on the first side of the housing, and this at least one zone has a reduced material thickness compared to other locations on the first side of the housing, so as to facilitate the 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 the first part of the housing. The penetration zone can also be implemented by having an increased material thickness compared to other parts of the lower side of the housing, or the penetration zone can be implemented as a combination of a zone part with an increased material thickness and an adjacent zone with a reduced material thickness compared to other locations on the first side of the housing.

[0027] In some embodiments, the at least one penetration zone is at least one zone on the lower side of the housing, and this at least one zone has a reduced material strength compared to adjacent locations on the first side of the housing, so as to facilitate the penetration of the associated pushing member. This can be implemented by providing another polymer material in the penetration zone, for example, using a partial injection molding process in the case where the housing is formed of a polymer material.

[0028] The size of the at least one penetration zone can be selected to match the size of the associated pushing member, which can be in the form of a pin or the like with a thickness of, for example, 1 mm to 5 mm. For example, each penetration zone can cover an area of 0.1% to 5% of the total area of the first side of the housing.

[0029] Preferably, the housing has a plurality of penetration zones (e.g., from 2 to 8, such as from 4 to 6), which are distributed on the first side of the housing to allow corresponding associated pushing members to penetrate the plurality of penetration zones to apply a force at corresponding positions of the first element of the stack of elements. In particular, it may be preferred that the penetration zones are symmetrically arranged on the first side of the housing to provide a symmetrical force on the stack of elements by means of the associated pushing members, which can be used to cause less damage to the stack of elements during the disassembly procedure.

[0030] The housing may have a guiding structure arranged adjacent to the at least one penetration zone, wherein the guiding structure is for guiding the associated pushing member towards contact with the first element of the stack of elements. The guiding structure may be a wall on one or both sides of the penetration zone, for example, the guiding structure may be a ring surrounding the penetration zone.

[0031] In some embodiments, the at least one penetration zone is implemented such that the at least one penetration zone is indicated by a visual marking (such as by means of a paint and / or protrusion and / or indentation indicating the position of the (one or more) penetration zones). Thereby, the measuring device is prepared for a future disassembly process, since the visual indication is used to indicate the (one or more) zones where the (one or more) pushing members are to be applied during the disassembly process. In other embodiments, the (one or more) penetration zones are indicated by indentations or protrusions on the surface of the first side of the housing.

[0032] It may be preferred that the at least one penetration zone has a circular shape, however, if preferred, the at least one penetration zone may have another shape.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the housing has a tubular shape around a central axis, and wherein the stack of elements is stacked inside the housing along a main axis parallel to the central axis. This allows for efficient pushing of the stack of elements during the disassembly process, thereby reducing the force required by the associated (one or more) pushing member disassembly device.

[0034] The first side and the second side of the housing are preferably attached to each other along an attachment line, which forms a fracture zone for separating the first side and the second side of the housing when a force is applied on the inner side of the second side of the housing from the stack of elements. Thereby, the force required to separate the first housing side and the second housing side is reduced, thus facilitating the disassembly process.

[0035] One or more fracture zones may be arranged to allow the stack of elements to separate from each other and from the housing with limited damage to the elements of the stack of elements.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, at least one element in a stack of elements is locked in place inside the housing by means of at least one locking element (such as a spring element), the at least one locking element being arranged to engage with the internal structure of the housing when the at least one element in the stack of elements is pushed from the second side of the housing towards the first side of the housing during installation inside the housing. Preferably, the locking element is arranged to form a break zone, wherein the locking element is shaped to bend when a force is applied to the stack of elements from the first side of the housing in a direction towards the second side of the housing, thereby causing the release of the locked position inside the housing to allow the stack of elements to be separated from the housing. Thus, by making such a locking element ready to bend for easy release, the force required for the disassembly process is reduced.

[0037] In some embodiments, the housing includes a flow tube portion having a through-opening. In particular, the flow tube portion may be integral with a container structure forming the first side of the housing, wherein an upper portion of the container structure forms an opening, and wherein a cover element (such as a lid) is attached to the upper portion of the container structure to form the second side of the housing. Such an embodiment is advantageous for a consumption meter including a flow meter (such as a water meter). In particular, the measuring device is configured to ultrasonically measure the flow rate of a fluid passing through the flow tube portion. In particular, the flow tube portion and the container structure may form a monolithic element made of a polymer material or a mineral glass material or a composite material. In a more specific embodiment, the lower element of the stack of elements is the circuit board, which includes a processor for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic measurement of the fluid flow rate, a meter circuit electrically connected to at least one ultrasonic transducer, and a radio circuit configured to generate a radio signal having data indicative of the measured flow rate of the fluid represented therein, and wherein the radio circuit is electrically connected to an antenna element located inside an enclosure structure of the housing.

[0038] - wherein the intermediate element of the stack of elements includes an insert having walls and a bottom forming a container for a desiccant.

[0039] - wherein the upper element of the stack of elements includes a transparent element and / or a sealing ring, and

[0040] - wherein the upper side of the housing is formed by a closing ring for closing the container structure of the housing together with the transparent element and the sealing ring.

[0041] In some embodiments, the at least one penetration zone is located on a portion of the first side of the housing that has a planar surface parallel to the plane defined by the second side of the housing. With such a configuration, it is possible to facilitate the penetration of the material of the first side of the housing in a direction towards the second side of the housing.

[0042] The total area covered by the at least one penetration zone can cover from 0.1% to 10% of the total area of the surface of the first side of the housing. In particular, the first side of the housing can have a lower surface parallel to the plane defined by the second side of the housing, and wherein the total area covered by the at least one penetration zone can be from 0.1% to 10% of the total area of the lower surface.

[0043] In some embodiments, the at least one penetration zone has a circular shape and a diameter of 1 mm to 5 mm, such as 2 mm to 4 mm. More specifically, the measuring device includes 2 to 10 penetration zones, each having a circular shape and a diameter of 1 mm to 5 mm, such as 2 mm to 4 mm.

[0044] In some embodiments, each element in the stack of elements, and at least one component in the first and second parts of the housing, includes a separate indicator or code fixed thereto to indicate information related to the recycling of the at least one component. In this way, after the components of the measuring device are separated in the first disassembly step, further recycling steps of the measuring device are facilitated. For example, a single code or indicator can be a color code or a symbol or a QR code, etc., for visually providing an indication of information related to the materials contained in the component or other information, and the other information can be related to the component involved in the further recycling steps.

[0045] The measuring device can be a consumption meter, such as one of the following: water meter, gas meter, heat meter, cooling meter, electricity meter.

[0046] In some embodiments, the circuit board includes electronic components configured to perform ultrasonic flow measurement, such as including one or more ultrasonic transducers.

[0047] The measuring circuit can include a pressure sensor disposed inside the housing for sensing fluid pressure.

[0048] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for recycling a measuring device according to the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0049] - Supporting a part of the housing of the measuring device,

[0050] - Positioning a pushing member on at least one penetration zone on the first side of the housing,

[0051] - Applying a force to the pushing member in a direction towards the second side of the housing to cause the pushing member to penetrate the material of the at least one penetration zone,

[0052] - Continuing to apply a force to the pushing member in the direction towards the second side of the housing, to apply a force to the first element of the stack of elements, the force being applied via the second element on the second side of the housing to cause the second side of the housing to separate from the first side of the housing and further allowing the stack of elements to separate from the housing,

[0053] - Collecting the separated first and second sides of the housing, and the stack of elements, and

[0054] - Applying separate recycling procedures to the first side of the housing, the second side of the housing and the stack of elements.

[0055] In particular, the disassembly steps can be performed manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically.

[0056] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a system for automatically or semi-automatically disassembling a measuring device according to the first aspect, the system comprising:

[0057] - A pushing tool, the pushing tool comprising at least one pushing member, such as from 2 to 10 pushing members,

[0058] - An actuator configured to apply a force to the pushing tool, and

[0059] - A control system configured to operate the actuator so as to allow the at least one pushing member to apply a force on the at least one penetration zone in the direction towards the second side of the housing, to cause the pushing member to penetrate the material of the at least one penetration zone, and to continue to apply a force to the at least one pushing member in the direction towards the second side of the housing, to apply a force on the first element of the stack of elements, the first element being arranged to apply a force via the second element on the second side of the housing to cause the second side of the housing to separate from the first side of the housing and further allowing the stack of elements to separate from the housing.

[0060] The system preferably includes a support structure shaped to fit to support the first side of the housing of the measuring device during the disassembly process. In particular, in the case where the consumption meter has a housing with a through-flow tube section, the support structure can be shaped to have a through-opening for receiving the second side of the housing and a surface with a protrusion for supporting the through-flow tube section adjacent to the through-opening.

[0061] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides the use of the system according to the third aspect for disassembling a measuring device according to the first aspect. Description of the Drawings

[0062] Aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrate one way of implementing the invention and should not be construed as limiting other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0063] Figure 1A An example of a measuring device is shown, namely a 3D view of a consumption meter in an assembled state,

[0064] Figure 1B A exploded side view of an embodiment of a consumption meter is shown, which has a stack of elements 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 zone on its lower side.

[0065] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two different 3D views of a housing element of an embodiment of a consumption meter with six penetration zones are shown.

[0066] Figure 4A An exploded 3D view of an embodiment of a consumption meter is shown, which has a stack of elements mounted in a lower housing element, the lower housing element being closed by an upper element in the form of a lid.

[0067] Figure 4B and Figure 4C The function of a locking element used as a break zone between the housing and a stack of elements inside the housing is shown.

[0068] Figure 5 An example of a pushing tool with six pushing members is shown, which are arranged to engage with the break zones of the embodiment of the consumption meter shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 for disassembly purposes.

[0069] Figure 6 An example of an element of a system for disassembling the embodiment of the consumption meter of FIGS. 1 to 4 is shown, namely including a support structure and Figure 5 the pushing tool shown,

[0070] Figure 7 A lower 3D view of an embodiment of a consumption meter mounted in a support structure is shown, where the pushing members have separated the lid and the stack of internal elements from the lower housing element without damaging the battery.

[0071] Figure 8 Steps of a method embodiment are shown.

[0072] Figure 9 A graph indicating the force distribution applied to the pushing members during the disassembly process is shown, and

[0073] Figure 10 A block diagram of a system embodiment is shown. Detailed implementation

[0074] Figure 1A A consumption meter or utility meter in the form of a water meter is shown. The consumption meter has a first housing side in the form of a lower housing part H, which is integral with a through-flow tube FT. The lower housing part H forms a cavity enclosed by a second housing side LD, i.e., the second housing side is in the form of a lid having a closure ring CR, a transparent panel TP, and a sealing ring (not visible). The closure ring CR is attached to the lower housing part H by means of snap-lap or gluing or ultrasonic welding, thereby forming an enclosed structure, and the electronics powered by a battery for performing the metering function of the consumption meter are also located inside the enclosed structure.

[0075] Figure 1B A disassembled side view of a consumption meter embodiment is shown. The consumption meter has a stack of elements E1, E2 inside a housing element H and has penetration zones PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 on the lower side. The stack of elements E1, E2 is arranged inside the enclosed structure in the assembled state, and the enclosed structure is formed between the housing element H having a tubular-shaped container part and a lid for closing the enclosed structure. The stack of elements E1, E2 is arranged such that its main axis is parallel to the axis (dashed line), which is the central axis of the tubular shape formed by the container part of the housing element H.

[0076] The housing element H is integral with the flow tube FT, which has a through-opening for a fluid (such as water). The lower element E1 is arranged at the bottom part of the housing element H. The lower element E1 of the stack of elements includes a circuit board having electronic components configured to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow tube FT. Further, the lower side of the circuit board may include one or two ultrasonic transducers for ultrasonic measurement of the fluid flow in the flow tube FT. Still further, the battery BT for powering the electronic components is also located on the lower element E1.

[0077] Further, a pushing tool having pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 is shown. 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 and the second side of the housing LD).

[0078] 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 positioned on the lower element E1 of the stack of elements (only one battery is visible). Of particular importance is the positioning of the penetration zones (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) relative to the position of the batteries BT such that the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 do not strike the batteries BT when entering the enclosure structure of the housing element H. This is ensured by having the trajectory of the pushing member (say PM1) travel alongside the battery without passing through it. In another embodiment, a protection plate is placed under the battery BT such that the pushing member will strike and push the protection plate but will not damage the battery BT. 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.

[0079] The upper element E2 is arranged between the lower element E1 and the lid, and this intermediate element E2 may include an insert having an enclosed cavity containing a desiccant. Further, the element may include a locking element in the form of a pawl (see the locking element LE in Figures 4A to 4C ), for locking the two elements E1 and E2 in place by engaging with a protrusion (see the protrusion PE3 in Figures 4A to 4C ) inside the housing element H. In particular, preferably, 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 4B and Figure 4C , 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 force of a certain magnitude is applied in the upward direction, the pawl or barb CL will bend and thereby release the grip.

[0080] It should be understood that the stack of elements E1, E2 may include one or more intermediate elements arranged to cascade the thrust from the (multiple) pushing members to the first element E1 and the second element E2 during the disassembly process.

[0081] 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 are further pushed upward, whereby the pushing members PM1, PM2, PM3 will force the lower element E1 against the upper element E2, and this upper element will in turn exert a force on the lid to disengage the lid from the housing element H and further push the stack of elements E1, E2 away from the housing element H.

[0082] 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 thereby improves the quality and disassembly of the separated components.

[0083] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two different 3D views of an embodiment of a consumption meter with a housing element and six penetration zones PZ1 to PZ6 are shown. As shown, the penetration zones PZ1 to PZ6 are circular zones with a diameter of, for example, 1 mm to 5 mm, such as 2 mm to 4 mm. The circular zones are surrounded by protruding rings on the lower surface and inside of the housing element. These protruding rings serve as visual indicators and guides for the pushing tool during the disassembly process.

[0084] As shown, the penetration zones PZ1 to PZ6 are symmetrically located on the sides of the lower part of the housing element such that the flow tube arranged in the center is not penetrated during the insertion of the pushing tool through the penetration zones PZ1 to PZ6.

[0085] Figure 4A An exploded view of an example of a consumption meter is shown, which has a stack of elements mounted in a lower housing element H, which is closed by an upper element in the form of a lid on the second side LD. Figure 4A A specific example of an embodiment for showing more details of the stack of elements, even though the penetration zones on the bottom surface of the housing element H are Figure 4A not visible in

[0086] 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. The housing element H is formed as an integral part of the flow tube FT, thereby providing a compartment for the 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 or a composite material or a mineral glass material.

[0087] A stack of components E1, E2 is arranged inside an enclosure structure formed by a housing component H. The stack of components E1, E2 is arranged such that they are preferably all parallel or substantially parallel to a plane formed by an upper cover component (lid) which has a closure ring CR and a transparent panel TP and is sealingly connected to the housing component H by means of a (not visible) sealing ring. During the manufacturing process, the stack of components E1, E2 is mounted from the open upper side of the housing component H and then the housing component is subsequently closed by the lid which can be lapped or snap-locked or glued, welded or screwed, and / or hermetically sealed to the upper part of the housing component H to enclose the housing component H.

[0088] In the case of such an arrangement with a stack of components E1, E2, it has been found that the stack of components E1, E2 can be effectively forced or pushed in the direction towards the lid (i.e., on the second side LD) from the bottom part of the housing component H and thus, via the lower component E1 and the upper component E2, cause the lid to disconnect its connection with the housing component H and thereby separate from the housing component H and open the housing, allowing the stack of components E1, E2 to also separate from the housing component H.

[0089] In the following, examples of specific features of the components E1, E2 will be described.

[0090] The lower component E1 in the stack of components E1, E2 is a printed circuit board PB which includes a processor and instrumentation circuitry for controlling the operation of an ultrasonic flowmeter. The circuit board PB further includes two ultrasonic transducers, one of which UT is visibly mounted on the lower side of the circuit board PB. Two batteries BT are also mounted on the lower side of the circuit board PB for powering the flowmeter operation, including powering the processor. The lower side of the ultrasonic transducer UT opposite to the side connected to the upper side of the circuit board PB is arranged to abut against the outer surface of a flow tube FT inside the housing component H. A display DP (see Figure 7 ) is mounted on the upper side of the circuit board PB. The display DP is configured to display the measured flow rate and other fluid-related data. In a preferred embodiment, the flowmeter further includes a radio circuit mounted on the circuit board PB. The radio circuit and the antenna element are preferably suitable for automatic meter reading (AMR). Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems are well known for communicating with utility meters. AMI can use any suitable wireless technology (e.g., wireless M-Bus, narrowband IoT, SigFox, any cellular technology or proprietary communication protocol) or any wired communication technology (e.g., wired M-Bus, LON, Ethernet).

[0091] On top of the lower element E1, the top part E2 forms an insert having a cavity arranged to accommodate a desiccant. The insert E2 is further used to fix the insert E2 itself, as well as the circuit boards PB, E1, to the housing element H, i.e., by means of a metal element having claws which, when the insert E2 is pushed towards the bottom of the housing element H, are adapted to grip onto the protrusions PE1, PE2, PE3 of the housing element H. As already explained, these claws are preferably shaped to bend when a stack of elements is pushed upwards towards the lid, and thus the claws will release their grip locked to the housing element H during the disassembly process, thereby facilitating disassembly.

[0092] Figure 5 An example of a pushing tool with six pushing members is shown, which are arranged to engage with the penetration zones of the consumption meter embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 for disassembly purposes.

[0093] Figure 6 A 3D view of an example of a system for disassembling elements of a consumption meter CM similar to that in FIGS. 1 to 4 is shown. The consumption meter CM is mounted between a lower support structure LSP and an upper support structure USP, and Figure 5 the pushing tool PT is inserted through the upper support structure USP to penetrate the consumption meter CM for disassembling the consumption meter CM. The support structures LSP, USP are shaped to fit the shape of the housing of the consumption meter CM. In particular, the lower support structure LSP is used to support the flow tube portion during the disassembly procedure, and the through-opening in the lower support structure LSP allows the elements inside the housing to leave the housing after being pushed by the pushing members of the pushing tool PT. The lower support structure LSP is preferably made of a metal such as aluminum or cast iron so as to be able to withstand the radial forces generated by the housing elements and the pushing member(s) during the penetration process.

[0094] Figure 7 Shows a lower 3D of the same setup as in Figure 6 where it can be seen that the pushing member PM has forced the housing element H and the lid LD to separate, and 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 gravity), thereby making these elements ready to be collected for further processing in the corresponding recycling process.

[0095] Figure 8Shows steps of an embodiment of a method for recycling a measuring device (such as a consumption meter) according to a first aspect. The method includes mechanically supporting a part of the housing of the PS_CM_SP measuring device, preferably supporting a lower element of the housing, and then positioning a pushing member PS_PM_BZ on at least one penetration area on a first side of the housing, preferably using a pushing tool having a plurality of pushing members. Then, a force A_F_PM is applied to the (multiple) pushing members in a direction towards a second side of the housing to cause the (multiple) pushing members to penetrate the material of at least one penetration area. Further, a force C_F_PM is continuously applied to the (multiple) pushing members in a direction towards the second side of the housing to apply a force to a first element of a stack of elements, which first element is arranged to apply a force via a second element on the second side of the housing to separate the second side of the housing from the first side of the housing and further allow the stack of elements to separate from the housing. The elements inside the housing and the second side of the housing can fall by gravity through an opening in a support structure for supporting the measuring device. The elements can be captured, for example, on a conveyor belt, and then in a next step, the housing elements and the stack of elements are collected C_E, and a separate recycling process RC_E is further applied to the housing elements (such as the first side of the housing, the second side of the housing, and the stack of elements).

[0096] Figure 9 Shows a curve demonstrating the relationship between the mechanical force F applied to a pushing member and the distance D during the process of disassembling the above-mentioned consumption meter, where the distance D is zero when the pushing member starts to contact the wall of the consumption meter.

[0097] When the pushing member moves towards the wall of the consumption meter, a peak force 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 stack of elements inside the housing of the consumption meter. At this time, the stack of elements presses against the lid LD, and the (multiple) locking mechanisms for the stack of elements 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 stack of elements will be disengaged from the housing, the force drops to approximately zero, and the disassembly process is complete.

[0098] Figure 10 Shows a device for performing the disassembly of a measuring device in an automatic or semi-automatic version (for example, as Figure 8Block diagram of the elements of a system embodiment (illustrated in the first step of ). 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 to allow the method according to the first aspect to be performed on an associated measuring device (e.g., 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, such as by manual stop or when it is detected that the stack of elements has separated from the housing element, for example, using a camera, etc.

[0099] 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.

[0100] In summary, the present invention provides a measuring device (such as a consumption meter), which is designed to be disassembled for the purpose of recycling. The measuring device has a housing, which has a first side (FS) and a second side (LD) forming an enclosure structure, and a stack of elements (E1, E2) is arranged in the enclosure structure. The stack of elements (E1, E2) includes a first element (E1) adjacent to the first side (FS) of the housing and a second element (E2) arranged adjacent to the second side (LD), wherein at least one of the elements (E1, E2) includes a circuit board having electronic components configured to measure a physical quantity and one or more additional components. The housing has at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) on its first side (FS) to allow the associated pushing members (PM1, PM2, PM3) to easily penetrate and allow the associated pushing members (PM1, PM2, PM3) to apply a force on the first element (E1) of the stack of elements (E1, E2), and the first element is arranged to apply a force on the second side (LD) of the housing via the second element (E2) to separate the second side (LD) of the housing from the first side (FS) of the housing and further allow the stack of elements (E1, E2) to separate from the housing. The (multiple) penetration zones (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) are positioned relative to the position of the battery inside the housing such that the associated (multiple) pushing members do not contact and / or damage the battery during the disassembly process.

[0101] 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 term "comprising" or "including" does 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 the 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 measuring device comprising: a housing (H) comprising a first side (FS) and a second side (LD), wherein the housing forms an enclosure between the first side (FS) and the second side (LD), - a stack of elements (E1, E2), which is arranged inside the enclosure of the housing, wherein the stack of elements (E1, E2) comprises: - a first element (E1) arranged adjacent to the first side (FS) of the housing, - a second element (E2) arranged adjacent to the second side (LD) of the housing, The stack of elements (E1, E2) comprises at least: a circuit board comprising an electronic component configured to measure a physical quantity, and one or more additional components, and a battery (BT) for supplying power to electronic components for measuring physical quantities, wherein the battery is arranged inside the enclosure of the housing, It is characterized in that The housing exhibits at least one dedicated penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) on the first side (FS) so as to allow an associated pushing member (PM1, PM2, PM3) to penetrate the at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) and to allow the associated pushing member (PM1, PM2, PM3) to exert a force on a first element (E1) of the stack of elements (E1, E2) arranged to exert a force on a second side (LD) of the housing via an upper element (E2) so as to allow the second side (LD) of the housing to penetrate the at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) and to allow the associated pushing member (PM1, PM2, PM3) to exert a force on a first element (E1) of the stack of elements (E1, E2) (LD) is separated from the first side (FS) of the shell and further allows the stack of elements (E1, E2) to be separated from the shell, wherein the at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) is positioned relative to the position of the battery on the first side (FS) of the shell so that the associated pushing member (PM1, PM2, PM3) can penetrate the at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) and push the stack of elements (E1, E2) without damaging the battery (BT) inside the enclosure structure of the shell.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: At least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) is placed at a position that facilitates the penetration of the associated pushing member compared to other positions on the first side (FS) of the shell so as to reduce the force of the associated pushing member (PM1, PM2, PM3) penetrating the first side (FS) of the shell.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The wall of the first side (FS) of the housing has a reduced material thickness in the at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) compared to an adjacent location of the first side (FS) of the housing.

4. A measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first side (FS) of the shell has multiple penetration zones (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3), which are distributed to allow corresponding associated pushing members (PM1, PM2, PM3) to penetrate the multiple penetration zones (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) to apply force at corresponding positions of the first element (E1) of the stack of elements (E1, E2).

5. The measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The housing has a guide structure arranged adjacent to the at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3), wherein the guide structure is used to guide the associated push member (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) towards contact with a first element (E1) of the stack of elements (E1, E2).

6. A measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) is indicated by a visible marking on the surface of the first side (FS) of the housing.

7. A measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one penetration zone (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3) is indicated by a protrusion or an indentation of the surface of the first side (FS) of the housing.

8. A measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The stack of elements (E1, E2) is arranged to cascade a force from a pushing member (PM1, PM2, PM3) through the stack of elements (E1, E2).

9. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: The first side and the second side (FS, LD) of the shell are attached to each other along an attachment line, which forms a breaking zone for separating the first side and the second side (FS, LD) of the shell when a force is applied to the inner side of the second side (LD) of the shell from the stack of elements (E1, E2).

10. The measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: One or more break zones (CL) are arranged to allow the stack of elements (E1, E2) to be separated from each other and from the housing with limited damage to the elements in the stack of elements (E1, E2).

11. The measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least one element (E2) of the elements in the stack of elements is locked in an appropriate position inside the housing by means of at least one locking element (LE), such as a spring element, and the locking element is arranged to engage with the internal structure (PE3) of the housing when the at least one element in the stack of elements (E1, E2) is pushed from the second side of the housing to the first side (FS) of the housing (H) during installation inside the housing, wherein the locking element (LE) is arranged to constitute a breaking zone (CL), wherein the locking element (LE) is formed to bend when a force is applied to the stack of elements (E1, E2) from the first side (FS) of the housing (H) in a direction toward the second side (LD) of the housing, thereby causing the release of the locked position inside the housing to allow the stack of elements (E1, E2) to be separated from the housing (H).

12. A measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first shell part (H) includes a flow tube part (FT) having a through opening, wherein the flow tube part (FT) is integrated with a container structure forming a lower side of the first shell part (H), wherein an upper part of the container structure forms an opening, and wherein a second shell part (LD) is attached to the upper part of the container structure to form an upper side of the shell.

13. A measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The housing has a tubular shape around a central axis and wherein the stack of elements (E1, E2) is stacked inside the housing along a main axis parallel to said central axis.

14. A measuring device 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 measuring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each of the elements in the stack of elements (E1, E2), the first side (FS) of the housing, and at least one component in the second side (LD) of the housing includes a separate indicator or code fixed thereto to indicate information related to recycling of the at least one component.

16. A method for recycling a measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, the method comprising: - a part of the housing that supports (PS_CM_SP) the measuring device, - positioning the push member (PS_PM_BZ) on at least one penetration zone on the first side (FS) of the housing, - applying a force (A_F_PM) to the push member in a direction towards the second side of the housing so that the push member penetrates the material of the at least one penetration zone, - continuing (C_F_PM) applying a force to the pushing member in a direction towards the second side of the housing to apply a force to the first element of the stack of elements, which force applies a force on the second side (LD) of the housing via the second element to separate the second side of the housing from the first side of the housing and further allow the stack of elements to separate from the housing, - collecting (C_E) the first side of the housing, the second side of the housing, and the stack of elements, and - applying (RC_E) separate recycling procedures to the first side of the housing, the second side of the housing and the stack of elements.

17. A system for automatic or semi-automatic disassembly of a measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, 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 at least one pushing member (PM) to apply a force on the at least one penetration zone in a direction toward the second side (LD) of the shell so that the pushing member (PM) penetrates the material of the at least one penetration zone, and continues to apply a force to the at least one pushing member (PM) in a direction toward the second side of the shell so as to apply a force on the first element of the stack of elements, the force being arranged to apply a force on the second side of the shell via the second element so as to separate the second side of the shell from the first side of the shell and further allow the stack of elements (E1, E2) to separate from the shell.

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