Automotive Lighting Device Weakening Zone for Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automotive lighting devices with silicone sealants pose challenges in recycling and disposal due to the inability to remove the sealant and separate components, leading to material loss and environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating ring-shaped weakening zones in the body and lid of the lighting device, allowing for easy separation and retrieval of materials by breaking off the peripheral edges, which are glued together with a silicone sealant bead, facilitating separate disposal without affecting normal functionality or safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a silicone sealant bead is used to join the transparent lid to the body, then the fluid-tight closing and fixing are improved, but the ease of disposal and recycling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The body is divided into two parts: a main body portion and a peripheral edge portion that can be easily separated. The sealant bead is applied only to the peripheral edge portion, allowing the lid to be detached from the peripheral edge while remaining attached to the main body through the sealant, enabling selective separation for recycling purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral edge portion is extracted as a separable component from the main body. This extracted portion carries the sealant bead and can be easily removed along with the lid, separating the non-recyclable sealant from the recyclable main body and lighting members.
2Ease of operation
If the transparent lid is fastened mechanically by clips and screws, then the ease of disposal is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical fastening system (clips and screws) is replaced with a chemical bonding system using a silicone sealant bead. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical components while providing adequate fixing strength during normal use, and allows for easier separation by breaking the sealant bond rather than disassembling multiple mechanical fasteners.
3Reliability
If the sealant bead is made strong and durable, then the reliability of the closing is improved, but the difficulty of separation increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the body have different structural properties. The main body maintains full thickness and strength for durability, while the peripheral edge portion is designed with reduced thickness or structural modifications to create a weak point that facilitates easy separation. The sealant bead is applied locally to the peripheral edge where it provides sufficient sealing without requiring excessive bond strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the efficient separation and recycling of valuable materials from automotive lighting devices at the end of their life cycle, reducing economic loss and environmental impact by allowing for the retrieval of materials like copper and rare metals.
Implementation Method 1
a seal is arranged between a peripheral edge of the latter and a corresponding duct-shaped peripheral edge of the body... the seal is a 'dispensed' seal, consisting of a silicone sealant bead which is applied within the duct-shaped edge and which acts as a fixing element for gluing the transparent cover or lens
Data Source
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AI summary
An automotive lighting device (1), in particular for motorvehicles, including a body (2) housing at least one lighting member (3) therein, defining an optical axis (A) arranged in use parallel to the travel direction of the vehicle, delimited on the side of an inlet opening (4) thereof, by a peripheral edge (9), a transparent lid (10) arranged to close the inlet opening of the body (2), coupled with a peripheral edge thereof (13) against the peripheral edge (9) of the latter, and a sealant bead (11) arranged between the edges of the lid (10) and of the body to make them integral; wherein body (2) and lid (10) are shaped so as to have, at the peripheral edge, a weakening zone (30,40) adapted to allow the peripheral edge (9) with the corresponding edge of the lid (10) integral therewith to be easily broken off from the body (2) and from the lid (10).