Integrated Door Wire Harness for Smart Device Power and Aesthetics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exterior and interior doors for residential and commercial buildings lack integration of electric and smart devices, which are often unsightly, require frequent battery replacement, and are not efficiently powered or data managed, impacting structural integrity, insulation, acoustic performance, and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A door system with an integrated wire harness and power/data management system that routes power and signals within the door and surrounding frame, incorporating a main controller and DC power supply unit to centrally power and control electric devices, ensuring seamless integration and aesthetic compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electric devices are mounted on existing doors as add-on components, then the door can provide desired functions (access control, lighting, etc.), but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates and the devices require frequent battery replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electric devices with the door structure itself by integrating them into recesses formed within the door body. The devices are no longer external add-ons but are embedded within the door, making them visually integrated with the door's aesthetic design while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric devices are nested within recesses that are formed inside the door structure. This nesting approach allows the devices to be housed within the door's thickness, preserving the external aesthetic appearance while providing necessary functionality through integrated power and data connections.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electric devices are mounted on existing doors as add-on components, then the door can provide desired functions, but the structural integrity and insulation performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The recesses for housing electric devices are formed as integral parts of the door structure during manufacturing, rather than being added afterward. This merging ensures that the door's structural integrity is maintained while accommodating the electric devices within the designed recess spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses are pre-formed within the door structure before the electric devices are installed. This preliminary action allows the door to be manufactured with built-in accommodation spaces that preserve structural integrity, rather than modifying the door structure after installation of devices.
3Ease of operation
If battery-powered electric devices are used on doors, then the devices can operate independently, but the maintenance requirements increase due to periodic battery replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source from individual battery packs and replaces it with a centralized power supply system. Power and data connections are routed through the door structure to provide electricity to the electric devices, eliminating the need for separate batteries in each device and reducing maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal power and data connection system is implemented that serves multiple electric devices through a single infrastructure. This multi-functional system provides both power and data communication to various devices mounted on the door, simplifying maintenance compared to individual battery replacement for each device.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple discrete electric devices are mounted on doors, then the door functionality is enhanced, but the device complexity and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A universal power and data connection infrastructure is established within the door structure that can serve multiple different types of electric devices. This standardized system simplifies installation by providing consistent connection points for various devices, reducing the overall complexity despite enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The power and data connection infrastructure is pre-installed within the door structure during manufacturing, with recesses and connection points prepared in advance. This preliminary action simplifies the final installation process, as devices can be directly mounted into pre-prepared recesses and connected to pre-routed wiring, reducing installation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An exterior, residential door system comprises an outer door frame adapted to be mounted within an exterior opening of a residence, an exterior residential door pivotally attached to the outer door frame, at least one electric device installed on the door, a main controller mounted to the door, an electric power supply unit operably associated with the door, and a wire harness integrated into the door for transmitting electric power and electrical signals between the electric device, the controller and the source of electric power. The main controller is configured to cooperate with the wire harness to supply power to the at least one electric device and to supply operating signals to the at least one electric device for operating the at least one electric device and to receive operational signals from the at least one electric device responsive to the operating signals.