Recyclable component with data storage for storing information for examining the component and product including such a component

US5654902A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Sony Deutschland GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Lutz-Gunther Scheidt · Tegernsee, DE
• Roger Lagadec · Regensdorf, CH
• Shuqiang Zong · Waiblingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 26, 1994
• Grant date: Aug 5, 1997
• Expiry date: Apr 26, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07C3/00
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to the problem of recycling of products of complicated structure and is based on the idea to provide each component of the product with a memory in which not only at the timing of production information such as location of material to be recycled is stored but also additional data, e.g., about repair and/or specific stress to which the component has been exposed during its use. Such additional data may be collected via specific sensors provided either on each component or in or on the body of the product to be memorized in the memory of each component. Based on the idea of the invention, the life history of each component of the discarded product can be checked individually for determining whether such component may be reused or disposed for disassembling and recycling.