Water-Resistant Touch Keypad for Electronic Deadbolts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic deadbolts installed outdoors are prone to failure due to moisture and temperature fluctuations, which can cause condensation and damage to the keypad electronics, necessitating a water-resistant solution.
Innovation Solution
A water-resistant touch keypad assembly for electronic deadbolts, featuring a touch overlay with capacitive touch detection, LEDs, a diffuser assembly, and a resilient spacer to seal the electronics, combined with an epoxy resin seal to protect against moisture, ensuring reliable operation in harsh environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch keypad is installed in an outdoor electronic deadbolt, then the lock provides convenient contactless operation, but moisture and condensation can penetrate to the electronics causing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested sealing structures where a gasket is positioned between the faceplate and housing, and additional sealing features are integrated into the keypad assembly itself. This multi-layer nested approach creates progressive barriers that prevent moisture from reaching the electronics while maintaining the outdoor installation requirements for contactless operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket serves as an intermediary element between the faceplate and housing, creating a sealed barrier that prevents moisture penetration. The gasket mediates the connection between components while protecting the internal electronics from environmental exposure, allowing the touch keypad to operate reliably in outdoor conditions.
2Reliability
If the keypad assembly is sealed to prevent moisture ingress, then reliability improves, but the complexity of the assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sealing functions into integrated features. The gasket is positioned to simultaneously seal between the faceplate and housing while also protecting the keypad assembly. Additional sealing elements are merged into the existing structural components rather than added as separate independent features, reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining water resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket is implemented as a flexible sealing element that can conform to the interfaces between components. This flexible thin film approach provides effective sealing while being simple to install and accommodate minor manufacturing variations, avoiding the need for complex rigid sealing structures.
3Ease of operation
If physical buttons are used on the keypad, then the interface is simple and robust, but mechanical parts can fail and are less water-resistant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical button structures with a capacitive touch interface on the faceplate. This substitution eliminates mechanical moving parts that could fail or allow moisture ingress, while maintaining user-friendly operation. The touch-sensitive surface detects user input through capacitive coupling without requiring physical contact or movement, inherently providing better water resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch interface incorporates visual feedback mechanisms that may include color changes or light emission to indicate button press states. This allows the system to maintain mechanical simplicity while providing clear user feedback, and the optical feedback mechanism is inherently more water-resistant than mechanical indicators.
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 a reliable and waterproof touch keypad that maintains operational integrity in harsh outdoor conditions, preventing moisture ingress and ensuring consistent lock functionality despite exposure to rain, snow, and temperature fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
A touch circuit is provided that is configured to detect touches on the touch overlay
Implementation Method 2
a diffuser formed from a translucent material configured to diffuse light emanating from the LEDs
Implementation Method 3
The diffuser assembly includes a resilient portion configured to urge at least a portion of the touch circuit towards the screen holder
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic lock with a latch assembly, an interior assembly and an exterior assembly. The latch assembly includes a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The interior assembly is configured to move the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. The exterior assembly includes a touch keypad subassembly configured to detect touches to at least a portion of its surface. The touch keypad subassembly defines an opening through which a wiring harness extends. The opening in the touch keypad subassembly is sealed, at least in part, by an epoxy resin and/or internal structure of the touch keypad subassembly.