Touch sensor assembly and refrigerator door with touch sensor assembly and method for manufacturing the same
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
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 comprising a sensor PCB mounted on an elastic member within a sensor housing, with a touch booster mechanism that transmits displacement to the sensor, ensuring stable detection and improved recognition rates by using a combination of elastic members and a hook-and-groove mechanism for enhanced durability and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a touch sensor assembly is mounted on a refrigerator door, then user interactions can be detected, but the sensor becomes unstable and susceptible to external interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an elastic member as an intermediary between the touch sensor and the refrigerator door. This elastic member transmits the touch force from the user's finger to the sensor while isolating the sensor from direct contact with the door surface, thereby reducing external interference and improving detection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch sensor assembly is divided into separate functional components: the refrigerator door, the elastic member, and the touch sensor. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the door provides the interface, the elastic member provides force transmission and isolation, and the sensor provides detection.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor is directly mounted on the exterior member, then the structure is simple, but the sensor becomes unstable and detection accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member serves as a mediator that improves measurement precision by providing a stable, isolated mounting surface for the sensor. Although it adds structural complexity, the overall assembly remains relatively simple while significantly improving detection accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the sensor PCB is rigidly fixed, then the structure is stable, but the sensor cannot accurately detect displacement of the exterior member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic mounting approach where the sensor PCB is elastically supported rather than rigidly fixed. The elastic member allows the sensor to move slightly with the exterior member during touch events, enabling accurate displacement detection while maintaining overall structural stability through the elastic restoring force.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member provides beforehand cushioning for the sensor PCB, allowing it to accommodate displacement movements during touch events. This cushioning effect enables the sensor to track exterior member movement accurately while the elastic force maintains the sensor in its proper position before and after each touch event.
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 stable and accurate detection of user interactions, enhancing the recognition rate and durability of the touch sensor assembly, while maintaining a seamless user experience and maintaining the appliance's outer appearance.
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.