Housing of electrical device and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing (1A-1F) for an electrical device (2), at least partially made of a material comprising a plastic, said plastic being a polymer secondary raw material and / or a biodegradable polymer and / or a bio-based polymer.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing of an electrical device according to claim 1, an electrical device having such a housing, a method for manufacturing a housing of an electrical device, and a method for manufacturing such an electrical device. Background Art

[0002] The housing of an electrical device has particular significance in the field of the electronics industry, in which the housing of the electrical device holds, for example and in particular, electronic components, assembled circuit boards, and / or conductors (such as cables, optical conductors, and conductor circuits applied on a circuit carrier) at different positions or locations. This typically should meet the usually high requirements for conventional applications in the industrial field. It is, for example and in particular, designed and constructed to protect the electronic components, assembled circuit boards, and / or conductors arranged on or in the housing, which serves as a substrate, from the influence of the external environment. In addition, they should generally ensure functional reliability during the common high service life of production facilities in the industrial field and during the trouble-free operation of the system with the housing. Similarly, it should not pose a health hazard.

[0003] In GB 2 401 084 A, a printer housing is made of a biodegradable material, namely water-soluble cellulose. The disadvantage here is that a waterproof coating made of wax paper is required, which makes the manufacturing expensive, and due to the mechanical properties of the material, only a relatively small part of the printer housing can be manufactured in this way.

[0004] The housing of an electrical device, such as the printer housing described above, is typically made of a polymer or metal. Polymers have established themselves very early in the industrial field as cost-effective and well-formable materials in many different fields and tasks and cover a very wide range of application possibilities. However, the problem with plastic materials is that they cause a large environmental burden. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to improve the environmental performance of the housing of an electrical device or its manufacturing.

[0006] This object is achieved by the subject matter having the features of claim 1.

[0007] Accordingly, there is provided a housing of an electrical device in particular, which is at least partially made of a material including plastic, where the plastic is a polymer secondary raw material and / or a bio-based polymer (such as manufactured from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas and / or synthesis liquid and / or general synthesis reactants) and / or a biodegradable polymer.

[0008] This is based on a selection from a variety of plastics, which are used individually or in combination to improve the environmental compatibility of the housing or reduce its environmental burden. Thereby, a housing with significantly improved environmental performance is achieved. The present invention solves the object it poses by means of a measure in terms of a material that reduces the environmental burden. To achieve this object, the present invention abandons the means of only reducing the use of polymers obtained from fossil raw materials by changing the geometry of the housing, so as to thus use fossil raw materials only to a lesser extent. In addition, the present invention also avoids the practice of replacing plastic materials with other materials, such as metals.

[0009] This is achieved by providing a selection of a variety of plastics that are recycled and / or produced from renewable raw materials and / or are biodegradable. Therefore, the selection is not limited to specific plastics among the above-mentioned plastics, so that they can also be combined with each other.

[0010] The material can be composed of at least one of the above-mentioned plastics, but can also contain other material additives, such as additives, or other polymers or polymer components. In addition, composite materials can also be used for the material. In addition, the above-mentioned plastics can be mixed with other components, such as additives or virgin polymers.

[0011] The housing described herein can not only significantly reduce the environmental burden, but also significantly reduce the raw material resource burden. Through this housing, it is also possible to meet the high requirements it may face in terms of usability, such as requirements regarding electrical breakdown safety, fire protection, and / or electrical insulation, which are usually achieved with virgin materials.

[0012] Optionally, the material includes a variety of different plastics. Each of the variety of different plastics can be a polymer secondary raw material and / or produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactants and / or be biodegradable. For example, the material includes a polymer secondary raw material and a renewable raw material. Or, the material includes a polymer secondary raw material and a biodegradable raw material. Or, the material includes a renewable raw material and a biodegradable raw material. Or, the material includes a polymer secondary raw material, a renewable raw material, and a biodegradable raw material. Optionally, one and the same plastic of the material is not only a polymer secondary raw material but also a renewable raw material. Or, one and the same plastic is both a polymer secondary raw material and a biodegradable raw material. Or, one and the same plastic is both a renewable raw material and a biodegradable raw material. Or, one and the same plastic is both a polymer secondary raw material, a renewable raw material, and a biodegradable raw material. Therefore, a particularly environmentally friendly housing can be provided.

[0013] The housing can thus be made of a variety of different materials, each of which can include a plastic that is a secondary polymer raw material produced from recycled and / or biogenic synthesis gas / liquid / reactants and / or is biodegradable. An environmentally friendly housing that is at the same time particularly well matched to the requirements of a particular application can thereby be achieved. For example, the housing has a first housing part or first housing section made of such a first material and a second housing part or second housing section made of such a first material. The housing sections can be connected to one another in a form-fitting or material-fitting manner.

[0014] The secondary polymer raw material can be a conventional and / or chemically recycled thermoplastic. Conventionally recycled thermoplastics are produced, for example, by mechanical recycling and / or by melting. Conventionally recycled thermoplastics typically differ from the corresponding virgin thermoplastics (i.e., non-recycled thermoplastics) in that they have correspondingly shorter polymer chains. Conventionally recycled materials typically differ from standard materials by virtue of their additional thermal load, since the polymer is typically melted at least one more time than the original standard material. If an additional granulation process is also provided before the second processing / use, then the additional thermal load / damage may be further intensified. For chemically recycled materials, a certificate for reducing the CO2 content is typically issued. Typically, the corresponding CO2 emission reduction can be claimed retrospectively on the basis of this.

[0015] The material consists, for example, of at least 25% by weight of a plastic that is a conventional and / or chemically recycled thermoplastic, in particular at least 50% by weight or even 100% by weight. This achieves a substantial improvement in the environmental performance of the material, the so-called CO2 footprint.

[0016] Optionally, the secondary polymer raw material is a conventionally recycled thermoplastic, which can be a technical thermoplastic here. For example, the secondary polymer raw material is a conventionally recycled thermoplastic material and / or a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene. These materials achieve particularly good properties for many application areas.

[0017] Optionally, the material consists of 10 to 100% by weight (or 10 to 80% by weight) of a plastic produced from recycled and / or biogenic synthesis gas / liquid / reactants. A particularly resource-saving housing can thus be provided.

[0018] For example, the plastic of the material is produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactants, wherein the renewable raw materials are selected from sugars, starches, proteins, cellulose, lignin, fats, and / or vegetable oils, especially castor oil. This generally includes recycled or biologically produced synthesis gas and synthesis liquid, which can be used as reactants in plastic formulation / preparation (such as biogas, bio-methanol, bio-liquid, bio-waste, etc.). This achieves an environmentally friendly and at the same time robust housing.

[0019] The plastic of the material can be produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactants and exist in the form of polylactide, polyhydroxyalkanoate, cellulose derivatives, especially cellulose esters or cellulose butyrate, polyethylene, starch derivatives, polyamide 4.6, or polycarbonate. This also achieves an environmentally friendly and at the same time robust housing.

[0020] Optionally, the plastic of the material is biodegradable and can be in the form of polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polylactide, starch blend, or polyester. Thus, the housing can be easily composted after use, optionally also without using compost additives. Therefore, it can be treated in a very environmentally friendly manner, in particular.

[0021] The housing can also have fixing parts for components. Optionally, the fixing parts are connected to the rest of the housing via predetermined breaking parts (fixedly). This enables the components to be easily removed before recycling, so that the material of the housing can be optimally recycled.

[0022] In one embodiment, the housing is configured as a printer housing. The housing can have an opening. Here, the opening can be configured and arranged for introducing and / or removing printing media. The printing media can be a film, plate, strip, or card. The printing media can be rigid.

[0023] According to one aspect, an electrical device is provided. The electrical device includes a housing according to any one of the embodiments described herein. The electrical device can include one or more electrical and / or electronic components, which are arranged in and / or on the housing. The housing can be configured as a wire carrier for wires and, for example, includes electrical components in the form of wires.

[0024] The electrical device, for example, includes a printing unit for printing printing media. As already mentioned, the printing media can be a film, plate, strip, or card. The printing media can be rigid.

[0025] In addition, the electrical device may have a medium receiving portion. The medium receiving portion is configured and arranged, for example, to hold and / or convey the print medium during printing by the printing unit. Here, the medium holding device and the printing unit may be constructed such that rigid print media can be printed. For example, the electrical device includes an input bin and an output bin for rigid print media.

[0026] In one embodiment, the medium holding device and / or the printing unit are constructed such that rigid print media based on plastic or metal can be printed in the form of plates, strips or signs.

[0027] One or more movable parts may be arranged in or on the housing of the device. Optionally, one or more movable parts are also at least partially made of a material including plastic, which is a polymer secondary raw material, produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactants and / or is biodegradable. One or more movable parts may in particular be made of the same material as the housing. This achieves a further improved environmental performance and also enables simplified manufacturing.

[0028] Optionally, at least one component arranged in or on the housing, in particular an electrical and / or electronic component, is fixed to the housing by a predetermined breaking point of the housing. This enables the component to be simply removed during device recycling and sorted quickly and simply.

[0029] According to one aspect, a method for manufacturing a housing of an electrical device in particular is proposed. The method includes providing a material including plastic, wherein the plastic is produced by recycling of thermoplastics, produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactants and / or is biodegradable, and the housing is at least partially, optionally completely, formed from the material. Regarding the advantages, reference is made to the above description of the housing. Using this method, a housing according to any of the design options described here can be manufactured.

[0030] For manufacturing the housing, a selection can be made from a variety of polymers, in particular polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polysulfone, polyphenylene ether, styrene-acrylonitrile, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene, polyethylene, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyacetal, polybutylene terephthalate, polyarylate, various polysulfones, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ketone, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyphthalamide, polyoxymethylene, polyether ether ketone and / or polyamide, such as PA66.

[0031] Optionally, the plastic is manufactured by chemical recycling of thermoplastics. This enables particularly high plastic properties and quality while also having particularly good environmental performance. Alternative or additional conventional recycling may include shredding.

[0032] Chemical recycling includes, for example, solvolysis, depolymerization, pyrolysis, and / or gasification. In this way, recycled thermoplastics of particularly high quality can be obtained.

[0033] According to one aspect, a method for manufacturing (in particular, an electronic) device is provided. The method includes manufacturing a housing in any design according to the above method and arranging one or more (for example, electrical and / or electronic) components in the housing. Description of the Drawings

[0034] The idea based on the present invention will be elaborated in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. Among them:

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an electrical device in the form of a printer having a housing is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 A method for manufacturing a housing and an electrical device of an electrical device is shown;

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic view of another electrical device in the form of a printer having a housing is shown;

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic view of a housing in the form of an input bin is shown;

[0039] Figure 5 A schematic view of another electrical device in the form of a battery module having a housing is shown;

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic view of another electrical device in the form of a power supply having a housing is shown; and

[0041] Figure 7 A schematic view of another electrical device for mounting on a support rail is shown. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0042] Figure 1 An electrical device 2 for printing a print medium 3 in the form of a printer is shown. Here, Figure 1 An arrangement of the electrical device 2 having the print medium 3 is shown.

[0043] The electrical device 2 includes a housing 1A. The housing 1A is generally at least partially made of a material including plastic, where the plastic is (a) a polymer secondary raw material and / or (b) produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactant and / or (c) biodegradable.

[0044] The polymer secondary raw material is, for example, a thermoplastic plastic that is conventionally (e.g., mechanically and / or by means of melting) and / or chemically recycled. The material consists of, for example, at least 25% by weight of the polymer secondary raw material. The polymer secondary raw material can be an industrial thermoplastic, especially polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, or polypropylene. Thermoplastics have the advantageous properties of good formability and processability because they can, for example, be softened to a flowing state by heat input and can thus be easily formed. After the cooling phase, they become solid again and retain their shape.

[0045] Industrial plastic waste usually exists in large quantities and is often of a single type, whereby the sorting or cleaning costs can be kept low, and the industrial plastic waste is then directly provided for recycling. For example, they are shredded and then can be reused to form the housing 1A.

[0046] In addition, the material can consist of 10 to 100% by weight of plastic produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / liquid / reactant. The renewable raw materials can be sugar, starch, protein, cellulose, lignin, fat, and / or vegetable oil. In particular, the renewable raw material can be castor oil. Biobased polymers can also be referred to as industrial biopolymers and can be prepared from biological raw materials, preferably renewable plant raw materials. Biowaste can also be used for this purpose, whereby the sustainability can be further improved or enhanced. For example, and in particular, rapeseed and corn can be used as renewable raw materials, which can be provided or grown in large quantities. Biobased polymers are particularly environmentally friendly and can also be biodegradable. Examples of biobased polymers are polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), so-called starch-based biodegradable blends, or polylactide (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), cellulose derivatives, such as cellulose acetate (CA) and cellulose butyrate (CAB), so-called biodegradable polyesters, and starch derivatives. They also include biopolyethylene and can be equivalent in performance to conventional polyethylene based on fossil raw materials (virgin polymers).

[0047] In addition, the plastic of the material can be biodegradable and can be in the form of, for example, polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactide, starch blends or polyesters. The biodegradable portion of the material can be detected by carbon detection. The material is biodegradable especially when the degradation involved is achieved by a chemical process in which microorganisms present in the environment convert the material into natural substances such as water, carbon dioxide and compost (wherein, in particular, no artificial additives are required). The process of biodegradation depends on environmental conditions (such as location or temperature), the material and the application. Biodegradable polymers also include PBAT, PLA and PHA.

[0048] Biodegradable plastics can be enriched with additional properties by additives based on fossil or renewable raw materials, so that compared with conventional polymers, other necessary specific material properties related to desired markability and / or printability, light resistance, water vapor permeability or biodegradability can be produced. Therefore, these polymers open up a wide range of usability through specific matching of the materials.

[0049] In Figure 1 the example of, the material of the housing 1A consists of a recycled starch blend.

[0050] The housing 1A has an outer wall 10 that defines an interior space. A plurality of electrical components 20 are arranged in the interior space. In the example shown, an electrical component 20 in the form of a circuit board with a plurality of electronic components is arranged in the housing 1A. In addition, a printing unit 21 is arranged in the housing 1A, and a printing medium 3 can be printed by means of the printing unit 21. The printing unit 21 can optionally be movably supported in the housing 1A, for example in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the printing medium 3 in the housing 1A. The printing unit 21 can also be an electrical component.

[0051] The printing unit 21 provides thermal transfer printing, inkjet printing and / or laser marking.

[0052] When applying an identification by laser marking, a color change and / or a contrast change can be produced on the relevant surface by a laser beam. This is carried out, for example, by carbonization of a polymer or a polymer composition. This allows for the precise and rapid production of an identification. In addition, other auxiliaries, especially the printing medium, such as ink, can be dispensed with. In addition, the application of the identification can be carried out in other ways and methods, such as and especially by means of ink, such as and especially by means of a plotter or by means of inkjet printing or also by means of thermal transfer printing.

[0053] The housing 1A has an opening 12. The opening 12 is used here for introducing the printing medium 3.

[0054] The electrical device 2 further comprises a medium holding device 22, on which the printing medium 3 can be arranged and arranged according to the Figure 1 The printing medium 3 is arranged on the medium holding device 22. In the example shown, the medium holding device 22 is movable relative to the housing 1A. Here, the printing medium 3 arranged on the medium holding device 22 can be moved relative to the printing unit 21 by the relative movement of the medium holding device 22 relative to the housing 1A.

[0055] In order to move the medium holding device 22, the electrical device 2 has a drive mechanism with a plurality of parts 23 that are movable relative to the housing 1A, wherein two gears are shown here by way of example. In the example shown, the drive mechanism includes an electric motor for moving the movable part 23. The electric motor is electrically connected to other electrical components, in this case a circuit board, via wires. The housing 1A thus also serves as a wire carrier with wires, comprising a base body, i.e., a housing 1A on which the wires are arranged, wherein the housing 1A has a section (in this case, a section) consisting of a polymer composition or having such a polymer composition. Figure 1 ), wherein at least one component of the polymer composition consists of or includes at least one of the following substances: polymer secondary raw materials, biodegradable polymers, bio-based (i.e., produced from renewable and / or biologically produced synthetic gases / liquids / reactants) polymers.

[0056] The polymer composition can be a thermoplastic polymer, in particular polypropylene or polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride or a combination of at least two thereof or based on these substances. The polymer secondary raw material can be or include polymer regrind, in particular reused and / or recycled polymers. The polymer regrind can be formed from or have post-industrial materials. The polymer regrind can be of the same quality as the material properties of the original regrind on which it is based. At least one additive, in particular another polymer and / or a masterbatch additive, can be added to the polymer secondary raw material. A masterbatch additive is, for example, an additive or a combination of additives in granular form, in particular with an additional colorant. This serves for coloring or changing the material properties. Here, a masterbatch enables a plurality of additives to be concentrated into it. Compared to powdered additives, a masterbatch increases the technical process reliability and ensures good processing properties. Thus, in addition to coloring, UV stabilization, flame retardancy, antistatic properties or anti-caking properties can be achieved, for example, as required. Other generally important material properties are, in particular, chemical, such as resistance to, in particular, aggressive media, odor, environmental and health neutrality, etc.; thermal, such as with regard to melting temperature and continuous operating temperature as well as the coefficient of thermal expansion; and mechanical, such as with regard to a specific density, crystalline or amorphous design, fatigue resistance, achieving the desired rigidity, hardness, strength and / or similar properties.

[0057] Biodegradable polymers can be based on or have cellulose acetate, in particular secondary acetate obtained from cellulose acetate, preferably diacetate, wherein in particular at least the biobased polymer is designed and constructed as a drop-in polymer, and wherein in particular at least the biodegradable polymer is constructed to be UV-resistant.

[0058] Polymers obtained from fossil raw materials can also be referred to as polymeric primary materials or primary polymers. Hereinafter, polymers obtained by recycling from primary polymers can be referred to as polymeric secondary raw materials and secondary polymers, respectively. They can, for example and in particular, have a specific chemical structure for them, such as a molecular chain, by means of which they can be distinguished from the primary material.

[0059] Generally, at least one component can be fixed to the housing 1A by a predetermined breaking site 13. Here, a plurality of components, namely the circuit board and the printing unit 21, are fixed to the housing 1A by the predetermined breaking site 13. Here, the predetermined breaking site 13 connects the fixing site 14 to the rest of the housing 1A, respectively. These components are fixedly connected to the corresponding fixing site 14. For recycling, the corresponding components can then be separated from the housing 1A in a simple manner by breaking the predetermined breaking site 13, for example by manually removing them.

[0060] Other, especially electromechanical components can equally be made of materials obtained as described herein, especially gears, retaining plates, partitions, latching hooks, covers, engagement protection devices, decorative parts, sensor housings, motor housings and / or the like.

[0061] Figure 2 There is shown a housing (such as the housing 1A according to Figure 1 for manufacturing in particular an electrical device (such as the electrical device 2 according to Figure 1 ), and a method for manufacturing such (in particular electrical) devices. The method comprises the following steps.

[0062] In a first step S1, a material is provided. The material comprises or consists of plastic. Here, the plastic is manufactured in step S10 by recycling of thermoplastics, in particular chemical recycling, manufactured from renewable raw materials in step S11 and / or provided in the form of biodegradable plastics in step S12. Chemical recycling of thermoplastic materials in step S10 includes, for example, solvolysis, depolymerization, pyrolysis and / or gasification. To avoid repetition, reference is made here to the possible properties and compositions of the materials set forth elsewhere in this document.

[0063] In another step S2, the housing is at least partially, in particular completely, formed from the material, for example by consolidation forming (Urformen) and / or by deformation. For forming, an injection mold can be provided, and the material is introduced into the injection mold by plastic injection. Then the housing is ready.

[0064] For manufacturing an electronic device, the method further includes another step S3, in which at least one (in particular electrical and / or electronic) component is arranged in the housing. Here, the component can be fixed at a corresponding fixing site, and in particular predetermined breaking sites can be provided at the fixing site.

[0065] It should be noted that in this method, the use of polymers can be achieved by decomposing the polymers into their original monomers or other available substances (especially petrochemically available substances) by means of pyrolysis. The latter includes, for example, methanol and synthesis gas. In order to obtain monomers, it can be provided to use a single type of plastic for utilization. Thus, in addition to recycling monomers, petrochemical raw materials can also be recycled. In addition, by means of degradative extrusion, gases, waxes, and oils that are equivalent in terms of raw materials and can be used correspondingly can be obtained from plastic waste, especially mixed plastic waste. Therefore, polymers that are difficult to separate in terms of substances can also be reused.

[0066] Figure 3 Another example of the housing 1B of an electrical device in the form of a printer is shown. A removable input bin is provided on the housing 1B, and the input bin itself has a housing 1C. In addition, a removable output bin 24 is provided on the housing 1B. In the housing 1C of the input bin, the printing media 3 can be arranged to supply them to Figure 3 the printing unit of the printer shown. The printing media 3 can be films, plates, strips, or cards, especially rigid printing media. In the input bin, a stack of unprinted printing media 3 can be supplied to the printing unit here. The printed printing media 3 are collected in the output bin 24, and are collected in a stack here again.

[0067] The printer also has a display 27, which is configured and provided as an operating panel for inputting instructions. The display 27 is an electronic component.

[0068] The housing 1B is manufactured from the materials described here and by the methods described here in any of the embodiments respectively.

[0069] Figure 4 Shown in a separate view according to Figure 3The housing 1C for the input bin of the printer. The housing 1C has a cover 11. The cover 11 and the rest of the housing 1C are each made of the materials described herein and are manufactured in any embodiment using the method described herein. Here, the cover 11 is made of a first material and at least a part of the rest of the housing 1C is made of a second material, wherein the first material and the second material are different from each other. Here, the cover 11 is made of a biodegradable and transparent renewable raw material. The rest of the housing 1C is made of a polymer secondary raw material and is opaque. In this example, the transparency can be used to control the filling level of the printing medium 3 when the cover 11 is closed. Optionally, the transparent cover 11 has an opacity of 0.6 haze according to ASTM D 1033.

[0070] Figure 5 shows a method for, for example, Figure 3 Another housing 1D of an electrical device in the form of a battery of the printer. A plurality of rechargeable battery cells 25 are accommodated in the housing 1D. Figure 5 One of the battery cells is shown as an example in FIG.

[0071] The housing 1D is produced from the materials described here and using the methods described here in each case in any desired embodiment.

[0072] Figure 6 shows a method for, for example, Figure 3 Another housing 1E is provided for an electrical device in the form of a power source for the printer. A plurality of electrical components such as a transformer are housed in the housing 1E. Figure 6 Other electrical components are shown in the figure in the form of a cable 5 connected to the housing 1E, a power switch and a socket for a plug-in connector.

[0073] Housing 1E includes a first housing part 17 in the form of an upper shell and a second housing part 18 in the form of a lower shell, which together define an interior space. Both housing parts 17, 18 are manufactured from the materials described herein in any embodiment and using the methods described herein. In the illustrated example, both housing parts 17, 18 are made of the same material.

[0074] exist Figure 7 The other examples of housings in FIG. 4 show the arrangement of disk-shaped housings 1F, which are each used as a conductor carrier. The housings 1F are arranged or can be arranged in series on the support rail 4 .

[0075] Each housing 1F is respectively configured and constructed as an industrial electronic housing for enclosing electrical and electronic components, such as or can be (representatively in Figure 7connector 15, a circuit carrier such as a circuit board, electrical and electronic components, in particular as part of an assembled circuit board, which is identified therein. The connector 15 is used to connect cables for transmitting current, data and / or signals and is accordingly configured and constructed for this purpose.

[0076] Each housing 1F has a latching leg 16 by means of which the respective housing 1F can be latched onto the support rail 4. The housing 1F has electrical connectors which are either directly interconnected via conductors in the interior of the housing 1F or are connected to the aforementioned components, in particular the circuit board.

[0077] It has been shown in an unexpected way and method that with the housings 1A - 1F described herein, the quality can be maintained at the same level compared to conventional manufacturing despite a reduced CO2 load. Thus, for example, it has been unexpectedly found that polymers made from secondary raw materials can be used, which are an equivalent alternative to polymers made from fossil raw materials. The housings 1A - 1F described herein have the advantage that recycled polymers can be used for high-quality products or components or assemblies and their sections, and their use is not limited to packaging purposes or application areas with low requirements. In this regard, the housings 1A - 1F described herein enable a significant reduction of the environmental CO2 burden by opening up a wide range of applications for secondary polymers.

[0078] Optionally, it is provided that at least the compostable / biodegradable polymer meets at least the requirements according to DIN CERTCO DIN EN 13432 in the version valid in 2021.

[0079] Explanation of reference numerals

[0080] Housings 1A - 1F

[0081] 10 Outer wall

[0082] 11 Cover

[0083] 12 Opening

[0084] 13 Predetermined breaking point

[0085] 14 Fixing point

[0086] 15 Connector

[0087] 16 Latching leg

[0088] 17 First housing part

[0089] 18 Second housing part

[0090] 2 Electrical device

[0091] 20 Electrical components

[0092] 21 Print unit

[0093] 22 Media holding device

[0094] 23 Movable part

[0095] 24 Output bin

[0096] 25 Battery cell

[0097] 27 Display

[0098] 3 Printing medium

[0099] 4 Support rail

[0100] 5 Cable

Claims

1. A housing (1A - 1F) for an electrical device (2), said housing being at least partially made of a material comprising plastic, said plastic being: a polymer secondary raw material, and / or a biodegradable polymer, and / or a bio - based polymer.

2. The housing (1A-1F) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material comprises a plurality of different plastics, each of which is a polymer secondary raw material, produced from recycled and / or biologically - produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants, and / or is biodegradable.

3. The housing (1A-1F) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The housing (1A - 1F) is made of a plurality of different materials, at least one of which comprises plastic, said plastic being a polymer secondary raw material, produced from recycled and / or biologically - produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants of a bio - based polymer, and / or is biodegradable.

4. The housing (1A-1F) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The polymer secondary raw material is a conventionally recycled and / or chemically recycled thermoplastic.

5. The housing (1A-1F) according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least 20 wt%, in particular at least 25 wt%, in particular more than 50 wt% of the material consists of plastic, said plastic being a conventionally recycled and / or chemically recycled thermoplastic.

6. The housing (1A-1F) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The polymer secondary raw material is a conventionally recycled and / or chemically recycled thermoplastic, wherein the thermoplastic is an industrial, standard or high - performance thermoplastic and / or a thermoplastic elastomer, especially selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, TPU, TPS, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester and polypropylene and their blends and copolymers.

7. The housing (1A - 1F) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, 10 to 100 wt% of the material consists of plastics produced from recycled and / or biologically - produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants of a bio - polymer.

8. The housing (1A-1F) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The plastic of the material is produced from recycled and / or biologically - produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants and recycled and / or biologically - produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants, wherein it consists of sugars, starches, proteins, cellulose, lignin, fats and / or vegetable oils, especially castor oil and rapeseed oil, biogas, bio - methanol, bio - liquids, biowaste, etc.

9. The housing (1A-1F) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The plastic of the material is produced from recycled and / or biologically - produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants and is present in the form of one or more of polylactide, polyhydroxyalkanoates, cellulose derivatives, especially cellulose esters or cellulose butyrate, polyethylene, starch derivatives, polyurethane, TPU, TPS, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester and polypropylene, and their blends and copolymers.

10. The housing (1A-1F) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The plastic of the material is biodegradable and is present in the form of polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactide, starch blends or polyesters.

11. The housing (1A) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A fixing part (14) for a component (20), wherein the fixing part is connected to the rest of the housing (1) by a predetermined breaking part (13).

12. The housing (1A) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The housing (1) is configured as a printer housing and has an opening (12) for introducing and / or removing a print medium (3).

13. An electrical device (2), comprising a housing (1A - 1F) according to any one of the preceding claims, and electrical and / or electronic components (20) arranged in and / or on the housing (1A - 1F).

14. The electrical device (2) according to claim 13, characterized in that A printing unit (21) for printing on a print medium (3).

15. The electrical device (2) according to claim 14, characterized in that A media holding device (22) for holding and / or transporting the print medium during printing by the printing unit (21), wherein the media holding device (22) and the printing unit (21) are configured such that a rigid print medium (3) can be printed.

16. The electrical device (2) according to claim 15, characterized in that, The media holding device (22) and the printing unit (21) are configured such that a rigid print medium (3) based on plastic or metal can be printed in the form of a plate, strip or plaque.

17. The electrical device (2) according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, A movable part (23) is provided in or on the housing (1A - 1F), the movable part also being at least partially made of a material comprising plastic, the plastic being a polymer secondary raw material, produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants and / or being biodegradable, in particular made of the same material as the housing (1A - 1F).

18. The electrical device (2) according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that, At least one electrical and / or electronic component (20) arranged in the housing (1A) is fixed to the housing (1A) by a predetermined breaking site (13) of the housing (1A).

19. A method for manufacturing a housing (1A - 1F) of an electrical device (2), comprising: Providing (S1) a material comprising plastic, wherein the plastic is produced by recycling of thermoplastics, produced from recycled and / or biologically produced synthesis gas / synthesis liquid / synthesis reactants or is biodegradable; and At least partially shaping (S2) the housing (1A - 1F) from the material.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The plastic is produced by chemical recycling of thermoplastics.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein The chemical recycling of the thermoplastics includes solvolysis, depolymerization, pyrolysis and / or gasification.

22. A method for manufacturing an electronic device (2), comprising: - Manufacturing a housing (1A - 1F) by the method according to claim 19, 20 or 21; And - Arranging (S3) at least one electrical and / or electronic component (20) in the housing (1A - 1F).

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