Smart Door Lock Nesting Components to Eliminate Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic door locks are cumbersome, difficult to install, and aesthetically unappealing due to protruding hardware and wiring, while also being vulnerable to unauthorized manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A smart door lock design featuring a main housing within the door, an outer housing with conductive prongs for electrical connection, and an inner housing with magnetic components for smooth operation, allowing for wireless communication and capacitive touch sensing to control the deadbolt's movement between locked and unlocked positions without external protrusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional electronic deadbolts include a large cylinder that protrudes out of a door to accommodate electronic components, then the lock can provide automatic bolt movement functionality, but the lock becomes cumbersome and aesthetically unappealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds the electronic components (circuit board, antenna, battery) inside the door's bore hole cavity, nesting them within the existing door structure rather than allowing external protrusion. The main housing fits within the bore hole, creating a flush-mounted appearance that eliminates the cumbersome external cylinder while preserving automated functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a traditional external protruding cylinder design to an internal embedding design by moving components from the external dimension to the internal bore hole space. This dimensional reconfiguration allows the lock to maintain automated functionality while achieving a sleek, flush-mounted appearance.
2Extent of automation
If conventional electronic bolt locks use cumbersome hardware and wiring to facilitate automatic bolt movement, then the lock can provide electronic control functionality, but the installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex wiring requirements by utilizing the door's existing electrical infrastructure (edge wire, edge pin) to power the electronic components. This eliminates the need for separate wiring runs and simplifies installation while maintaining electronic control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing door components (bore hole, edge wire, edge pin) serve multiple functions: the bore hole houses the electronic components, the edge wire provides power, and the edge pin provides ground. This multi-functionality reduces installation complexity by eliminating the need for dedicated installation-specific components.
3Reliability
If the antenna protrudes exterior of the door to consistently obtain wireless signals, then wireless communication reliability is improved, but the lock becomes vulnerable to unauthorized manipulation and loses aesthetic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the antenna inside the main housing within the bore hole, protecting it from external tampering while maintaining wireless communication capability. The antenna is shielded by the housing structure, preventing unauthorized manipulation while allowing signal transmission through designated leakage areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces leakage areas in the outer housing as intermediary zones that facilitate wireless signal transmission between the internal antenna and external environment. These controlled openings allow reliable signal reception while maintaining the protective enclosure that prevents unauthorized manipulation.
4Extent of automation
If the locking mechanism has a footprint that protrudes from the door to accommodate antenna and components, then wireless communication functionality is achieved, but the aesthetic appeal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests all electronic components (circuit board, antenna, battery, leakage areas) within the confines of the main housing that fits inside the bore hole. This nesting arrangement allows the outer housing to maintain a flush-mounted appearance with no external protrusions, preserving aesthetic appeal while accommodating all necessary wireless communication components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the aesthetic conflict by moving components from the external protruding dimension to the internal bore hole space. The leakage areas are positioned within the outer housing rather than requiring external antenna protrusion, achieving both wireless functionality and flush-mounted appearance.
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
The solution simplifies installation, enhances security, and improves aesthetics by eliminating external protrusions, while enabling convenient and secure wireless operation of the door lock.
Implementation Method 1
The conductive prongs can connect to conductive openings of the main housing and allow for electrical transmission between the outer housing and the main housing
Implementation Method 2
The outer housing can include leakage areas configured to facilitate wireless signal transmission between an antenna within the main housing of the door lock and an exterior of the door
Implementation Method 3
The inner housing can include a first magnet. The inner housing can include a rotation member that facilitates manual transition of the deadbolt between the unlocked position and the locked position. The rotation member can include a second magnet with a second polarity. The magnets can allow for smooth rotation of the rotation member about the inner housing
Data Source
AI summary
A smart door lock includes a main housing configured to be disposed interior of a standard bore hole of a door. An outer housing is disposed exterior of a secure environment and electrically and mechanically connected to the main housing via conductive prongs. An inner housing is disposed interior of the secure environment. A rotating member is magnetically attached to the inner housing. A deadbolt within a bolt housing transitions between a locked position and an unlocked position in response to the door lock detecting a user device within a wireless communication range, detecting a touch on a sensor of the outer housing, or rotation of the rotating member. The outer housing includes leakage regions to facilitate transmission of wireless signals to the main housing.