Touch sensor assembly and refrigerator door with touch sensor assembly and method for manufacturing the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch sensor assemblies for home appliances, such as refrigerator doors, face challenges in accurately detecting user interactions due to instability and interference from external factors, leading to suboptimal performance and recognition rates.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor assembly is designed with a sensor PCB mounted on an elastic member, a touch booster, and a sensor housing that includes a hook and hook groove mechanism, allowing for precise detection of displacement and improved stability through the use of an adhesion member and a spacer with a conductive foil, enhancing the recognition of user inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor PCB is directly mounted on the exterior member, then the structure is simple, but the sensor detection accuracy deteriorates due to instability and external interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sensor housing as an intermediary component between the sensor PCB and the exterior member. The sensor housing provides a stable mounting environment, isolating the sensor from external interference while maintaining structural integrity. This mediator structure resolves the contradiction by protecting the sensor without requiring direct complex integration with the exterior member.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the sensor assembly into separate functional components: the sensor PCB, the sensor housing, and the exterior member. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the sensor housing can be designed specifically for stability and interference protection, while the overall structure remains manageable and not excessively complex.
2Reliability
If the sensor PCB is firmly fixed to improve stability, then the reliability improves, but the displacement detection capability deteriorates due to restricted movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an elastic member to mount the sensor PCB, creating a dynamic mounting system that can adapt to displacement while maintaining stability. The elastic member allows controlled movement for detection purposes while providing sufficient constraint to prevent unwanted instability, thus resolving the contradiction between firm fixation and movement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mounting parameter from rigid fixation to elastic constraint. By using an elastic member with appropriate stiffness characteristics, the system achieves both stability (through constraint) and displacement detection capability (through allowable elastic deformation), resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
3Reliability
If additional components are added to stabilize the sensor PCB, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the sensor PCB, isolates the sensor from external interference, and maintains proper positioning. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve improved reliability without proportionally increasing complexity, as one component accomplishes multiple stabilization tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the mounting function and the protective function into a single sensor housing structure. Rather than adding separate components for each function, the housing integrates both stabilization and protection, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 provides enhanced accuracy and reliability in detecting user interactions by stabilizing the sensor PCB and improving the transmission of displacement signals, resulting in improved user experience and appliance operation.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member disposed on a first surface that is opposite the second surface on which the sensor is mounted, the elastic member being configured to press the sensor PCB to thereby stabilize the sensor PCB relative to the exterior member
Implementation Method 2
a touch booster disposed between the sensor and the exterior member and configured to transmit a front/rear displacement of the exterior member to the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a touch sensor assembly that is maintained in a state in which the touch sensor is closely attached to an exterior member to accurately detect displacement when touch manipulation is performed to improve a recognition rate, a refrigerator door including a touch sensor assembly that is capable of preventing a sensor control part from being damaged by static electricity and having an improved front outer appearance, and a method for manufacturing the refrigerator door.