Door Sensor Module with Self-Aligning Securing Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in maintaining accurate alignment between sensors and sensed elements in door or window condition monitoring due to sagging panels, wear in hinges, and environmental factors, making it difficult to determine conditions like open, closed, locked, unlocked, and partially locked states, especially during retrofitting or in varying installation conditions.
Innovation Solution
A module and securing member system that includes a sensor, an engagement member, and a sensed element, where the module is mounted to a securing member in fixed positions, with abutment surfaces allowing the module to move into alignment as the door or window condition changes, using protrusions, recesses, and magnetic attraction to maintain alignment and ensure accurate sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor and sensed element are attached to a door or window frame, then the condition of the door or window can be determined, but maintaining alignment between the sensor and sensed element becomes difficult due to sagging panels, hinge wear, and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The module is designed with the ability to move between a plurality of fixed positions along the frame member, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position to maintain alignment with the sensed element despite changes in the door or window structure over time
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameter of the module along the frame member to compensate for structural changes in the door or window, maintaining the critical alignment parameter between sensor and sensed element
2Adaptability or versatility
If a sensor and sensed element are retrofitted to an existing door or window, then condition monitoring can be added, but achieving the required alignment tolerance is difficult and onerous for users
Solution Approach 1:
The module can move along the frame member to multiple fixed positions, allowing users to easily adjust and achieve proper alignment during retrofitting without requiring precise initial positioning or specialized installation skills
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the positioning function into discrete fixed positions along the frame member, making it easier for users to achieve correct alignment by selecting from predefined positions rather than requiring continuous precise adjustment
3Ease of manufacture
If the module is fixed in a single position on the frame member, then installation is simple, but the sensor and sensed element cannot maintain alignment under varying installation conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The module transitions from a completely fixed position to a dynamically adjustable system with multiple fixed positions, maintaining installation simplicity while enabling alignment precision through post-installation adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The module is designed to work with door or window frames of varying dimensions and conditions by providing multiple fixed positions, making the system universally applicable while maintaining alignment precision
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
This system enables reliable and accurate determination of door or window conditions by maintaining consistent alignment between the sensor and sensed element, improving sensing accuracy and ease of installation, even in varying environmental conditions and retrofit scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
using protrusions, recesses, and magnetic attraction to maintain alignment
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A door or window including: a frame member and a moveable panel, the moveable panel being moveable between open and closed conditions with respect to the frame member; and a system configured to determine a condition of the door or window, the system including: a module including a sensor; an engagement member and a sensed element, the sensed element being configured to be sensed by the sensor to determine the condition of the door or window, and the sensed element and engagement member being mounted to one of the frame member or the moveable panel; and a securing member to which the module is mounted in one of a plurality of fixed positions, the securing member being mounted to the other of the frame member and moveable panel, wherein the module includes at least one abutment surface configured to be engaged by the engagement member to move the module to another of the plurality of fixed positions in an alignment process when the condition of the door or window is changed, so as to bring the sensor and the sensed element towards alignment for subsequent use in determining the condition of the door or window.