Vehicle Lamp Component Salvage Through Circuit and Illumination Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of modern vehicle lamps makes component replacement difficult, and damaged lamps are often discarded entirely due to the inability to identify reusable parts, leading to increased costs and environmental waste.
Innovation Solution
A method involving electric circuit functionality and illumination tests to identify reusable components, followed by a process to separate and salvage these components without further damage, allowing for remanufacturing into new lamp assemblies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive sealing is used to prevent moisture entry, then reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lamp assembly is divided into separable components (housing, lens, internal components) that can be independently accessed. The adhesive seal is applied in a manner that allows controlled separation for repair while maintaining moisture protection during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive seal is designed to be removable and replaceable. When repair is needed, the seal can be removed to access internal components, and a new seal can be applied after repair to restore moisture protection.
2Illumination intensity
If component complexity increases for advanced lighting functions, then illumination quality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The complex lamp assembly is segmented into modular components (bulb, harness, reflector, housing) that can be independently replaced. This allows consumers to replace only the failed component rather than the entire assembly, simplifying operation despite overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Individual components such as the bulb and harness are designed to be extractable from the housing without damaging other parts. This extraction capability enables easy replacement of specific components while maintaining the advanced lighting functions provided by the complete assembly.
3Reliability
If complete lamp assembly replacement is performed after damage, then reliability is ensured, but loss of substance worsens
Solution Approach 1:
After damage, the lamp assembly undergoes inspection to identify which components are still functional. Usable components are recovered and reused in a new assembly, while only the damaged components are discarded. This significantly reduces waste compared to replacing the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The decision to replace or reuse components is based on changing the assessment parameters from binary (working/not working) to a gradient scale that considers the extent and type of damage. This allows components with minor damage to be reused after minimal repair, reducing waste.
4Manufacturing precision
If replacement components are not available for purchase, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Components are designed with universal mounting interfaces and standardized specifications that allow them to be used across different lamp assembly models. This universality enables repair centers to source components from multiple suppliers while maintaining manufacturing precision and fitment quality.
Data Source
AI summary
The present teachings relate to a method for identifying reusable components of a vehicle lamp assembly, the method including: i) performing an electric circuit functionality test on each component of a plurality of components of the vehicle lamp assembly; ii) performing an illumination test on each light source within the vehicle lamp assembly; iii) identifying which of the components of the plurality of components pass and/or fail the electric circuit functionality test; and iv) identifying which light sources pass and/or fail the illumination test.