Electrical Appliance Housing Markings for Guided Disassembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical devices are difficult to disassemble into individual parts after their service life, leading to reduced recycling rates and environmental hazards due to shredding methods that destroy valuable components and release pollutants.
Innovation Solution
Applying markings on the housing of electrical devices to guide disassembly using simple tools and symbols indicating tool type, path, and depth, enabling easy separation into recyclable parts without specialized knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If shredding is used to disassemble electrical devices, then disassembly speed is improved, but valuable components are destroyed and toxic substances are released
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies markings to the housing during manufacturing that indicate separation lines and tool types before the device reaches end-of-life. This preliminary action enables straightforward manual disassembly without requiring complex shredding processes, thus preventing component destruction and toxic substance release while maintaining efficient disassembly speed.
2Loss of substance
If complex sorting methods are used after shredding, then separation of recyclable materials is improved, but technological complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the housing into predetermined separable parts by applying markings that indicate where and how to cut or separate. This segmentation approach allows recyclable materials to be separated manually without requiring complex technological sorting methods, thereby reducing both technological complexity and cost while maintaining effective material separation.
3Ease of manufacture
If design for disassembly is not considered in product development, then function and cost optimization is improved, but ease of disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates disassembly markings into the housing design during the manufacturing stage. This preliminary action integrates design for disassembly considerations without requiring separate complex processes, allowing both function and cost optimization to be maintained while significantly improving ease of disassembly through clear visual guidance on separation points and methods.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical appliance contains electronic components which are surrounded by a housing of the electrical appliance. Labels relating to disassembling the electrical appliance are applied to the housing. This increases the recycling rate of products by identifying which parts have value as recyclable parts and which parts have no or limited value and are thus disposable parts.