Method for determining and handling electrical products after rental and use.

Abstract

The method for determining how to handle electrical products after they have been rented and used will be designed to enable efficient and cyclical use of electrical products. [Solution] The method for determining the handling of electrical appliances 22 after rental use is used to ensure the cyclical use of electrical appliances 22 for which rental usage rights have been established. The method determines the handling of electrical appliances 22 after rental use based on the total usage time from the start of use of new electrical appliances 22. If the total usage time is shorter than a predetermined time, the method of handling is to establish rental usage rights again for electrical appliances 22 in their current state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for determining handling of an electric appliance after rental use and a handling method therefor.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a business management system including a server having a file storing information about an individual who uses a leased textile product, and a terminal of a lease management department connected to the server, wherein the server file is provided with an item for recording customer delivery date data of the leased textile product for the customer.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, through rental or leasing of electric appliances, there are cases where a right holder rents and uses an electric appliance for which a right of use based on leasehold is set, but how the electric appliance is to be handled after the completion of rental use has not been determined. Accordingly, there is room for improvement in terms of efficiently performing cyclic utilization of electric appliances.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to enable efficient cyclic utilization of electric appliances in a method for determining handling of an electric appliance after rental use and a handling method therefor.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure, the first method for determining the handling of an electrical product after it has been leased and used, is a method for determining the handling of an electrical product after it has been leased and used, in order to promote the cyclical use of an electrical product for which a right of use has been established through lease, and the handling is determined based on the total usage time from the start of use of the new electrical product.

[0007] A second method for determining the handling of an electrical product after it has been leased and used, which is one aspect of this disclosure, is a method for determining the handling of an electrical product after it has been leased and used, for the purpose of cyclically utilizing an electrical product for which a right of use has been established through lease, and includes a judgment step for determining the condition of the electrical product, and the handling is determined based on the judgment result in the judgment step.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure, the method for handling electrical products after rental use, involves performing one of the following processes on the electrical products: repurposing, continued use, disposal, material recycling, and refurbishment, based on the result of the decision step in the second method for determining the handling of electrical products after rental use of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, which is a method for determining and handling electrical products after rental use, the cyclical use of electrical products can be efficiently achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the distribution route of electrical products, centered on rental companies that implement the method for determining how to handle electrical products after rental use according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows a method for handling electrical products, including a method for determining how to handle electrical products after they have been rented and used according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] In one embodiment, this flowchart shows an example of a method for determining how to handle electrical products after their rental period, when the rental period is divided into multiple periods. [Figure 4]This flowchart shows a method for handling electrical products, including a method for determining how to handle electrical products after rental use, as in another embodiment of the model. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following will describe in detail, with reference to the drawings, the method for determining and handling electrical products after rental use according to this disclosure. Figure 1 shows the distribution route 10 of electrical products, centered on the rental company 12 that implements the method for determining the handling of electrical products after rental use according to the embodiment. The following description will mainly focus on the case where the electrical product is a lighting fixture 22, but the electrical product may be other electrical products such as air conditioners, wiring devices, refrigerators, etc. Furthermore, the following will describe a method in which a rental company rents a lighting fixture and determines how to handle the lighting fixture after it has been rented and used. Alternatively, a method may be described in which a leasing company leases a lighting fixture and determines how to handle the lighting fixture after it has been leased and used.

[0012] Distribution channel 10 includes product manufacturer 11, rental company 12, first user 13, second user 14, and recycling plant 16. Product manufacturer 11 is a company that manufactures lighting fixtures 22 as electrical products. Product manufacturer 11 sells the lighting fixtures 22 to rental company 12.

[0013] Rental company 12 rents the lighting fixture 22 to consumer user 13 in accordance with the rental conditions stipulated in the rental agreement, and user 13 uses the rented lighting fixture 22. User 13 uses the lighting fixture 22 for a certain period of time, and after the rental period ends, returns the lighting fixture 22 to rental company 12.

[0014] Rental company 12 then rents the lighting fixture 22 to another consumer, second user 14, according to the rental conditions stipulated in the rental agreement, and second user 14 uses the rented lighting fixture 22. Second user 14 uses the rented lighting fixture 22 for a certain period of time, and after the rental period ends, returns the lighting fixture 22 to rental company 12. Rental company 12 then rents the lighting fixture 22 to another consumer, third user (not shown), and repeats the process of renting the lighting fixture 22 to one or more consumers who wish to rent it. In this example, the case where rental company 12 is different from the product manufacturer 11 is explained, but rental company 12 may be the same as the product manufacturer 11.

[0015] Furthermore, other users such as the first user 13, second user 14, and third user, who rent the lighting fixture 22, are not limited to natural persons, but may also be legal entities such as the first corporation, second corporation, and third corporation.

[0016] Each time a rented lighting fixture 22 is returned, the rental company 12 performs a procedure to determine how to handle the lighting fixture 22 after its rental use. This procedure determines, for example, whether to continue using the lighting fixture 22 in the same location, repurpose it for use in a different location, refurbish it, recycle its materials, or dispose of it. The lighting fixture 22 is then handled according to this decision. "Refurbishment" means that if some parts of an electrical product such as a lighting fixture 22 need replacing, only some of those parts are replaced with new parts, making it a refurbished product that can be sold or rented again. "Material recycling" involves disassembling the electrical product such as the lighting fixture 22 to extract materials such as metal and resin, which can then be used in the manufacture of future electrical products. If it is decided to recycle the materials of the lighting fixture 22, the lighting fixture 22 is transported from the rental company 12 to the recycling plant 16.

[0017] At the recycling plant 16, workers extract recovered materials such as metal and resin obtained by disassembling the transported lighting fixtures 22, and perform recycling procedures to reuse the recovered materials. The extracted recovered materials may be transported to the product manufacturer 11 and reused for manufacturing future products such as electrical appliances. Among the lighting fixtures 22, parts that cannot be used as recovered materials at the recycling plant 16 may be disposed of. The recycling plant 16 may also be a dismantling plant mainly focused on waste disposal.

[0018] Here, the lighting fixture 22 includes, for example, a light source, a housing, a power supply circuit, and a substrate. The light source is a fluorescent tube of a fluorescent lamp, a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or the like. FIG. 1 shows a case where the type of the lighting fixture 22 is a base light. The type of the lighting fixture 22 may be a ceiling light, a downlight, a spotlight, or the like. The light source may be a light bulb. The housing of the lighting fixture 22 forms the outer shell of the lighting fixture 22 and accommodates the substrate on which the power supply circuit is mounted. The power supply circuit is a circuit that supplies power to the light source. For example, when the lighting fixture 22 includes a fluorescent lamp, the power supply circuit is connected to an AC power source that outputs commercial AC power, includes a glow starter or an inverter, and a capacitor, supplies a high voltage to the fluorescent tube, and lights the fluorescent tube. When the lighting fixture 22 includes an LED, the power supply circuit is connected to an AC power source, converts a commercial AC voltage into a DC voltage and supplies the DC voltage to the light source, thereby lighting the light source.

[0019] When "refurbishment" of the lighting fixture 22 is determined at the rental company 12, the lighting fixture 22 is reused for sale, rental, or the like as a serviced product in which parts that cannot be continuously used as-is are replaced with new parts at the rental company 12, a maintenance factory, or the like.

[0020] When "disposal" of the lighting fixture 22 is determined at the rental company 12, the lighting fixture 22 may be transported to a waste treatment facility, subjected to predetermined processing such as crushing at the waste treatment facility, and then disposed of at a predetermined location.

[0021] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a method for determining the handling of the lighting fixture 22 after rental use performed by the rental company 12, and a method for handling the lighting fixture 22 after rental use performed by the rental company 12, the recycling factory 16, and the like will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the handling method for the lighting fixture 22, including the method for determining the handling of the lighting fixture 22 after rental use according to the embodiment. The handling determination method is executed to cyclically utilize the lighting fixture 22 for which a right of use through rental has been set. The processes of steps S10, S12, S16, and S18 shown in FIG. 2 are a method for determining the handling of the lighting fixture 22 after rental use, and are executed by the rental company 12. The processes of steps S10, S12, S16, and S18 may be executed by the computer 30 owned by the rental company 12.

[0022] The computer 30 is installed, for example, at a management location of the rental company 12. The computer 30 is configured to include an input device, a storage unit, an arithmetic unit, and an output device. The input device includes a keyboard and a mouse. The storage unit may be RAM, ROM, or the like. The storage unit has a function of temporarily storing read programs and processing data, and a function of pre-storing control programs and the like. The arithmetic unit is configured by, for example, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The arithmetic unit has a function of reading and executing programs pre-stored in the storage unit. The output device is configured by a display and a printer.

[0023] The arithmetic unit executes a program to realize the functions of the subject of the apparatus, system, or method described herein. The arithmetic unit may be of any type as long as it can realize the functions by executing a program. For example, the arithmetic unit may be a CPU. The arithmetic unit may consist of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large-scale integrations (LSIs). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip or provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be aggregated in one device or provided in multiple devices. Non-temporary recording media such as optical discs and hard disk drives may be used as storage. An external storage device may be connected to the arithmetic unit as storage.

[0024] The method for determining the handling of the lighting fixture 22 in Figure 2 first involves obtaining the total usage time of the lighting fixture 22 from the start of new use after rental use in step S10. For example, the rental company 12 records the rental date and return date of the lighting fixture 22, and calculates the rental usage period by considering the period from the recorded rental date to the return date. The rental company 12 obtains the total usage time by summing the rental usage periods of the same lighting fixture 22 for one or more people or corporations, and using the predicted daily usage time (e.g., 10 hours per day). The obtained total usage time may be stored, for example, in the memory of the computer 30. Alternatively, the manufacturing date of the lighting fixture 22 may be obtained from a label attached to the lighting fixture 22, or by accessing the product manufacturer's website using the identification information written on the label, and the total usage time may be obtained from the period from the obtained manufacturing date to the present date and the predicted daily usage time during that period. Alternatively, the rental company 12 may store the start date of new use of the relevant lighting fixture 22 in the memory of the computer 30, and calculate the total usage time of the lighting fixture 22 from the period from that start date to the present day and the above-mentioned predicted daily usage time.

[0025] Next, in step S12, it is determined whether the acquired total usage time is shorter than a predetermined time. If the result of the determination in step S12 is positive (YES), the process proceeds to step S14; if the result of the determination in step S12 is negative (NO), the process proceeds to step S16.

[0026] In step S14, the lighting fixture 22 becomes eligible for rental use again without undergoing any physical, mechanical, or chemical processing. The first user 13 or the first corporation renews the contract with the rental company 12 and continues to reuse the lighting fixture 22 in the same location, or another contractor, such as the second user or the second corporation, repurposes (reuses) the lighting fixture 22 in another location. As a result, the lighting fixture 22 is reused as is, thus promoting its cyclical use.

[0027] If a renewal contract for the rental of lighting fixture 22 is concluded, the termination of the current rental and the commencement of the next rental renewal may occur consecutively through the renewal contract, without actually returning the actual lighting fixture 22 to the rental company.

[0028] In step S16, a state determination step is performed to determine the state of the lighting fixture 22. The state determination includes, for example, an optical characteristics evaluation to evaluate the optical characteristics of the lighting fixture 22 and a power characteristics evaluation to evaluate the characteristics of the power supply circuit components of the lighting fixture 22. In this state determination, if a problem is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation and the power characteristics evaluation, and it is determined that the problem cannot be resolved even by replacing some of the components with new components, it is determined that the fixture cannot be refurbished; otherwise, it is determined that it can be refurbished.

[0029] The optical characteristics evaluation includes, for example, an evaluation of the luminous flux maintenance rate and / or chromaticity shift of the returned lighting fixture 22. If the optical characteristics evaluation indicates a problem, it is determined that the lighting fixture 22 cannot be used as is. The luminous flux maintenance rate is the percentage of the luminous flux when the luminous flux at the start of use of the lighting fixture 22 is set to 100%. The luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture 22 is calculated, for example, using an illuminance sensor, from the measured illuminance at the start of use and the measured illuminance of the lighting fixture 22 at the present time, measured under the same conditions as at the start of use. If the luminous flux maintenance rate is above a predetermined value as a percentage of the initial use, it is evaluated as no problem; if it is below the predetermined value, it is evaluated as a problem. The illuminance sensor may be a portable illuminance sensor.

[0030] In this case, instead of calculating the luminous flux maintenance rate for all returned lighting fixtures 22, one or a predetermined number of lighting fixtures 22 may be randomly selected from a group of lighting fixtures 22 that are installed at the same time and used in the same room or similar environment. In this case, the selected lighting fixtures 22 may be evaluated, and if all of the selected lighting fixtures 22 are evaluated as having no problems, then all of the group of lighting fixtures 22 may be evaluated as having no problems; otherwise, all of the group of lighting fixtures 22 may be evaluated as having problems.

[0031] Furthermore, an optical characteristics evaluation system having a temperature sensor and a control device may be provided, where the room temperature of the room in which the lighting fixture 22 is installed is detected by the temperature sensor in the location where the lighting fixture 22 is used, and a signal representing the detected value of the temperature sensor is input to the control device. The control device transmits data representing the measured value of the room temperature to the computer 30 periodically or at predetermined timings via a communication network such as the Internet from the communication unit. In this specification, "predetermined timing" refers to, for example, when the continuous on time or continuous off time of the power switch connected to the lighting fixture 22 is longer than a predetermined time, or when the on and off cycles of the power switch are repeated a predetermined number of times.

[0032] The computer 30 records the measured room temperature of each lighting fixture 22. This allows the rental company 12 to remotely acquire data from the lighting fixtures 22 used by the first user or the first corporation, significantly reducing the effort required compared to having workers travel to the installation locations of the lighting fixtures 22. Alternatively, data representing the operating time, which is the time the lighting fixtures 22 are lit, may be transmitted from a power monitor installed in the building where each lighting fixture 22 is installed to the computer 30 via a control device and recorded in the computer 30. This operating time may also be considered the usage time of the lighting fixtures 22.

[0033] The rental company 12 or the computer 30 obtains the temporal change in the average room temperature from the room temperature data recorded in the computer 30, and estimates the current and future luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture 22 using a predetermined relationship between the luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture 22 at a predetermined average room temperature and the usage time. This predetermined relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time may be based on the simulation results from the design of the lighting fixture 22. Alternatively, the same type of lighting fixture as the rental lighting fixture may be used to measure the relationship between room temperature, luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time in relation to the usage time over a predetermined period, and the above predetermined relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time may be determined from the results.

[0034] As the usage time of the lighting fixture 22 increases, the luminous flux maintenance rate decreases linearly, and at a certain usage time, the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches below the permissible limit, reaching the light source life, which is the lifespan in terms of optical characteristics. Furthermore, the slope of the decrease in the light source maintenance rate becomes gentler as the room temperature decreases within a predetermined temperature range. For this reason, if the average measured value of the room temperature is lower than the average room temperature used in the above-mentioned predetermined relationship, the luminous flux maintenance rate decreases more gently in relation to the usage time than in the above-mentioned relationship, and reaches the permissible limit of the luminous flux maintenance rate. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate whether the current luminous flux maintenance rate is below the permissible limit from the measured average room temperature and usage time, and if it is above the permissible limit, the optical characteristics are evaluated as being fine, and if it is below the permissible limit, the optical characteristics are evaluated as being problematic. Alternatively, if the remaining time until the permissible limit of the luminous flux maintenance rate is reached is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, the optical characteristics may be evaluated as being fine, and if it is less than the predetermined time, the optical characteristics may be evaluated as being problematic.

[0035] Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the surrounding environment of the lighting fixture 22 are used to calculate the current luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture 22 based on the measured values ​​of room temperature and humidity. For example, even if the average room temperature based on the measurement value of the temperature sensor 4 is the same as or lower than the average room temperature used in the above-mentioned preset relationship, if the average humidity based on the measurement value of the humidity sensor is higher than the humidity used in the above-mentioned preset relationship, the current luminous flux maintenance rate is calculated using a relationship between the luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time in which the slope of decrease in the luminous flux maintenance rate changes in the direction of increasing.

[0036] Furthermore, as part of the optical characteristics evaluation, for example, the chromaticity shift caused by the light from the luminaire 22 may be evaluated. In this case, for example, the chromaticity point (X,Y) can be evaluated using a method specified in JIS, and the evaluation can be made in accordance with the relationship with the chromaticity range specified in JIS. Alternatively, the correlated color temperature or the duv value, which is the deviation from blackbody radiation, may be considered. For example, whether or not it falls within the range of each light color (incandescent, warm white, white, neutral white, daylight) specified in JIS can be used as a criterion. In addition, for example, the color rendering index, which represents the color difference of the luminaire 22 to the color illuminated by a standard illumination light, can be evaluated using a light source color rendering evaluation method specified in JIS. In this case, the evaluation is based on whether or not the decrease in the color rendering index from a predetermined value is within a specified value. Specifically, if the decrease in the color rendering index is within a specified value, the optical characteristics are evaluated as having no problems; if it exceeds the specified value, the optical characteristics are evaluated as having problems. Furthermore, the light output may also be considered. Specifically, the luminous flux can be evaluated and judged by comparing it with the rated value, initial value, or other required standard values. Furthermore, if evaluating luminous flux is difficult, it is also possible to evaluate by focusing on the illuminance at the treatment site or the luminance value of the light source. For evaluating optical characteristics, one of the judgment criteria described above, or a combination thereof, may be used.

[0037] On the other hand, power supply characteristic evaluation evaluates the characteristics of the power supply circuit components of the lighting fixture 22, for example. For example, power supply characteristic evaluation determines whether the power supply has reached its end of life by checking whether all of the returned lighting fixtures 22 operate and light up when connected to a power supply. If the lighting fixture 22 lights up, it means that the power supply has not yet reached its end of life, and the characteristics of the power supply circuit components are evaluated as being fine. If the lighting fixture 22 does not light up even when connected to a power supply, it means that the power supply has already reached its end of life, and the characteristics of the power supply circuit components are evaluated as being problematic.

[0038] Furthermore, if a group of lighting fixtures 22, consisting of multiple fixtures 22 installed at the same time and used in the same room or similar environment, is returned, one or a predetermined number of lighting fixtures 22 may be randomly selected, and the group of lighting fixtures 22 may be evaluated to determine whether there are any problems with the selected lighting fixtures 22 by checking whether they operate and light up when connected to a power source. For example, if the selected lighting fixtures 22 are evaluated and all of the selected lighting fixtures 22 are found to be problem-free, the entire group of lighting fixtures 22 may be evaluated as problem-free; otherwise, the entire group may be evaluated as having problems.

[0039] Alternatively, as an alternative method, for example, the remaining power supply lifespan can be calculated based on statistical results showing the relationship between operating time (or usage period) and failure rate for lighting fixtures 22 of the same type and used in the same region as the lighting fixture 22 being evaluated, and the operating time of the group of lighting fixtures 22 being evaluated, or the usage time estimated from the date of manufacture or sale. This calculation can then be used to determine the remaining power supply lifespan until the failure rate of the group of lighting fixtures 22 being evaluated exceeds a predetermined value. Power supply characteristics are evaluated as having no problems if there is remaining power supply lifespan at the present time, and as having problems if there is no remaining power supply lifespan. Power supply characteristics may also be evaluated as having no problems if the remaining time until the power supply lifespan is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and as having problems if the remaining time is less than the predetermined time.

[0040] At this time, the remaining power supply life may be calculated by, for example, a computer 30. At this time, statistical result data is stored in the computer 30 in advance, and when the operator inputs the type of lighting fixture 22 to be evaluated and the manufacturing date or sales date into the computer 30, the computer 30 calculates the remaining power supply life of the lighting fixture 22 to be evaluated based on the input data and the statistical result data. At this time, data representing the operating time of the lighting fixture 22 may be automatically and periodically transmitted from the distribution board connected to the lighting fixture 22 used by the first user or first corporation, etc., to the computer 30 via a communication device. At this time, the computer 30 may automatically calculate the remaining power supply life from the operating time of the lighting fixture 22 and statistical results representing the relationship between operating time and failure rate, and output it to an output unit such as a display periodically or in response to the operator's operation.

[0041] Furthermore, in the power supply characteristics evaluation, the manufacturing date or sales date of the lighting fixture 22 may be obtained from the identification information or two-dimensional code attached to the lighting fixture 22, and the remaining power supply life may be calculated based on the period from the manufacturing date or sales date and the usage period specified in the specifications of the lighting fixture 22. In this case, the remaining power supply life may also be calculated by the computer 30.

[0042] Furthermore, in the power supply characteristics evaluation, the measured value of the capacitor voltage across a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor connected to a glow lamp or inverter in the power supply circuit of the power supply unit of the lighting fixture 22 being used by the first user or the first corporation may be transmitted periodically or at predetermined intervals from the communication unit of the control device of the power supply characteristics evaluation system to the computer 30 via a communication network such as the Internet, similar to the optical characteristics evaluation system described above. The computer 30 may then evaluate the power supply characteristics as having no problems if the current ripple voltage is within an acceptable range and there is remaining power supply life, based on the relationship between the ripple voltage of the capacitor voltage and the usage time obtained in advance and the relationship between the ripple voltage and the usage time obtained from the measured value of the capacitor voltage, and if there is remaining power supply life. If there is no remaining power supply life, the power supply characteristics may be evaluated as having problems. In this case as well, the power supply characteristics may be evaluated as having no problems if the remaining time until the power supply reaches the end of its life is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and as having problems if it is less than the predetermined time.

[0043] Furthermore, although the above description of the state determination involved both the evaluation of the optical characteristics and the power supply characteristics of the lighting fixture 22, the state determination may also be configured to perform only one of these evaluations. For example, if the electrical product is something other than the lighting fixture 22, the state determination may be configured to perform only the evaluation of the power supply characteristics.

[0044] After step S16 in Figure 2, the process moves to step S18. In step S18, it is determined whether the vehicle is deemed refurbishable based on the condition assessment results from step S16. Whether or not a vehicle is deemed refurbishable depends on whether the problem can be resolved by replacing some of the parts with new parts. Specifically, if it is determined that the problem can be resolved by replacing some of the parts with new parts, the vehicle is deemed refurbishable. If it is determined that the problem cannot be resolved even by replacing some of the parts with new parts, the vehicle is deemed not refurbishable.

[0045] If a problem is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation and the power characteristics evaluation, whether the problem can be resolved by replacing some parts with new parts may be determined by whether the predetermined problem resolution conditions are met. The problem resolution conditions may be, for example, that the cost required for replacement with new parts is less than or equal to a predetermined cost, or less than or equal to a predetermined percentage of the cost required to replace the lighting fixture 22 itself with a new one. For example, if a problem is found in the optical characteristics evaluation, the cost required to replace the light source and electrical circuit components other than the light source that are related to the deterioration of optical characteristics may be calculated in advance. Similarly, if a problem is found in the power characteristics evaluation, the cost required to replace the power circuit components and electrical circuit components other than the power circuit components that are related to the deterioration of power characteristics may be calculated in advance. Furthermore, if a problem is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation and the power characteristics evaluation, it may be determined that refurbishment is not possible, assuming that the problem will not always be resolved even by replacing parts with new parts.

[0046] If the result of step S18 is positive (YES), proceed to step S20; if the result of step S18 is negative (NO), proceed to step S22.

[0047] In step S20, refurbishment is carried out, and the lighting fixtures 22 are sold or rented again as refurbished products, with any parts that cannot be used as is replaced with new parts by rental companies 12 or repair shops.

[0048] On the other hand, in step S22, material recycling is carried out at the recycling plant 16 or the dismantling plant, or disposal is carried out at a waste treatment facility. At this time, it is determined whether or not material recycling is possible, and if it is not possible, disposal may be carried out. Whether or not material recycling is possible may be predetermined for each type of lighting fixture 22 product.

[0049] The execution of steps S14, S20, and S22 completes the processing of the handling method for the lighting fixture 22, including the method for determining how to handle the lighting fixture 22 after rental use in this embodiment.

[0050] According to the above method for determining and handling the lighting fixture 22 after rental use, after rental use of the lighting fixture 22, it is decided that one of the following treatments will be performed after rental use of the lighting fixture 22, based on the total usage time from the start of use of the new lighting fixture 22: repurposing, continued use, refurbishment, material recycling, and disposal. This increases the opportunities for treatment other than disposal, thereby enabling efficient cyclical use of the lighting fixture 22.

[0051] Furthermore, if the condition assessment in step S18 determines that the product is not refurbishable, but some parts are deemed to be in good condition, those parts can be removed and reused, while the other parts are recycled or discarded.

[0052] Furthermore, for each of the multiple components of the lighting fixture 22, the handling of each component according to its total usage time may be predetermined. For example, even if the current total usage time of the lighting fixture 22 is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined time in step S12, if it is determined that the total usage time is shorter than the permitted usage time for that component, that component may be removed and reused. For example, if the total usage time of the lighting fixture 22 exceeds a predetermined time, such as one year or more but four years or less, the light source part such as an LED, whose remaining permitted usage time for that component is zero, will be recycled as a material, but the power supply unit and the sheet metal body, whose permitted usage time for that component is longer, can be reused as is.

[0053] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a method for determining how to handle a lighting fixture 22 after its rental period is divided into multiple rental periods. In the example in Figure 3, the first user 13 starts using the lighting fixture 22 as new and rents it for a year. Then, in step S30, the second user 14 starts renting the lighting fixture 22 for a year, and ends the rental in step S30.

[0054] Next, in step S34, the rental company calculates the total usage period (a+b) corresponding to the total usage time of the lighting fixture 22 from the start of new use, and determines whether the total usage period (a+b) is shorter than the predetermined period of 3 years. If the lighting fixture 22 has been rented and used by three or more users, the cumulative usage period by those multiple users from the start of new use is calculated as the total usage period.

[0055] If the result of step S34 is positive (YES), the process proceeds to step S36; if the result of step S34 is negative (NO), the process proceeds to step S38. In step S36, similar to step S14 in Figure 2, the lighting fixture 22 is repurposed for another location or used for continued use in the same location. In step S38, similar to steps S20 and S22 in Figure 2, the fixture is refurbished, recycled, or disposed of. As a result, there are more opportunities for the lighting fixture 22 to be handled in ways other than disposal after rental use, thus enabling efficient and cyclical use of the lighting fixture 22.

[0056] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a method for handling a lighting fixture 22, which is an electrical product in another embodiment, including a method for determining how to handle the lighting fixture 22 after rental use. In this example, first, in step S40, a state determination step is performed to determine the state of the lighting fixture 22, thereby performing both an evaluation of the optical characteristics of the lighting fixture 22 after rental use and an evaluation of the power characteristics of the power supply circuit components. The state determination in step S40 is the same as the state determination step described in step S16 of Figure 2.

[0057] In step S40, only one of the optical characteristics evaluation or the power characteristics evaluation may be performed. Alternatively, in step S40, if a problem is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation or the power characteristics evaluation, it is determined that neither repurposing to another location (i.e., reuse) nor continued use in the same location is possible. Otherwise, it is determined that reuse or continued use is possible. Furthermore, in the condition determination, if a problem is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation or the power characteristics evaluation, it is also determined whether refurbishment is possible. The conditions under which refurbishment is deemed possible are the same as those described in steps S16 and S18 of Figure 2.

[0058] Next, in step S44, it is determined whether the result of the state judgment in step S40 is reusable or can be used for a longer period. If the result of the judgment in step S44 is positive (YES), the process proceeds to step S46; if the result of the judgment in step S44 is negative (NO), the process proceeds to step S48.

[0059] In step S46, similar to step S14 in Figure 2, the lighting fixture 22 is either reused in another location or continues to be used in the same location. In step S48, it is determined whether or not refurbishment is possible based on the condition assessment result in step S40.

[0060] If the result of step S48 is positive (YES), proceed to step S50; if the result of step S48 is negative (NO), proceed to step S52.

[0061] In step S50, refurbishment is performed, similar to step S20 in Figure 2. In step S52, either material recycling is performed or disposal takes place, similar to step S22 in Figure 2.

[0062] The execution of steps S46, S50, and S52 completes the processing of the handling method for the lighting fixture 22, including the method for determining how to handle the lighting fixture 22 after rental use in this example. Based on the result of the condition determination step in step S40, the lighting fixture 22 is subjected to one of the following processes: reuse, continued use, refurbishment, material recycling, and disposal.

[0063] In this example configuration, after the rental use of the lighting fixture 22, based on the condition determination result in the condition determination step for the lighting fixture 22, it is decided that the lighting fixture 22 will be handled in one of the following ways after rental use: reuse, continued use, refurbishment, material recycling, or disposal. This also increases the opportunities for handling other than disposal, thus enabling efficient cyclical use of the lighting fixture 22. In this example, the other configurations and operations are the same as in the configurations shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0064] Furthermore, in each of the above examples, for example, in the evaluation of optical characteristics in the condition judgment, instead of simply determining whether there is a problem or not, the evaluation may be divided into three or more levels, such as high level, medium level, and low level. For example, in step S40 of Figure 4, if only the evaluation of optical characteristics is performed as the condition judgment, if the evaluation is at a low level, it is not reusable, so the process moves from step S44 to step S48. However, if the evaluation is at a high level or medium level, reuse or continued use in step S46 may be performed. Also, in this case, at a high level, it may be continued use in the same location, or repurposed in a location of similar quality to the previous rental location. For example, if the previous rental location was used for lighting in a store's sales area, the next rental location may be repurposed for lighting in a sales area of ​​a different store.

[0065] On the other hand, if the above evaluation is at a moderate level, the next rental location can be limited to a place where the required level of optical characteristics is lower than that required at the previous rental location. For example, if the previous rental location was a store's sales floor, the next rental location can be limited to a back room such as an office or warehouse. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Distribution channels, 11 Product manufacturers, 12 Rental companies, 16 Recycling plants, 22 Lighting fixtures (electrical products), 30 Computers.

Claims

1. This is a method for determining how to handle electrical products after they have been leased and used, in order to promote the cyclical use of electrical products for which usage rights have been established through lease agreements. The handling of the aforementioned electrical product is determined based on the total usage time from the start of use of the new product. How to determine the handling of electrical products after they have been rented and used.

2. If the total usage time is shorter than the prescribed time, the appropriate action will be to re-establish the right of use for the electrical appliance in its current state. A method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used, as described in claim 1.

3. If the total usage time exceeds a predetermined time, the electrical product will be disposed of, recycled, or refurbished. A method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used, as described in claim 1.

4. For each component of the aforementioned electrical product, the handling method is determined according to the total usage time. A method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used, as described in claim 1.

5. Includes a determination step for determining the state of the electrical product, If the total usage time exceeds a predetermined time, based on the determination result in the determination step, it is decided to carry out one of the following treatments: disposal, material recycling, or refurbishment. A method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used, as described in claim 3.

6. This is a method for determining how to handle electrical products after they have been leased and used, in order to promote the cyclical use of electrical products for which usage rights have been established through lease agreements. Includes a determination step for determining the state of the electrical product, Based on the judgment result in the aforementioned judgment step, the handling is determined. How to determine the handling of electrical products after they have been rented and used.

7. In the aforementioned determination step, the optical characteristics of the electrical product are evaluated. A method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used, as described in claim 6.

8. In the aforementioned determination step, the characteristics of the power supply circuit components of the electrical product are evaluated. A method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used, as described in claim 6.

9. Based on the result of the determination step in the method for determining how to handle an electrical product after it has been rented and used according to claim 6, the electrical product is subjected to one of the following processes: repurposing, continued use, disposal, material recycling, and refurbishment. Instructions for handling electrical appliances after rental and use.

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