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US 12,768,195 B2Granted
Strike plate with bolt sensing feature
AssigneeASSA ABLOY Americas Residential Inc.
InventorsNedal Almomani, Chasen Beck, Matthew Lovett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor assembly includes a sensor located within an opening formed in a strike box of the strike assembly. The sensor, which could be an optical, mechanical, continuity, inductive, ultrasonic, and/or mechanical sensor, is configured to detect whether the bolt of the bolt assembly is encompassed by the strike box. The sensor assembly is configured to interact with a surface of the bolt when the bolt is located within the opening.
Claims15
A lock assembly comprising:
- a bolt assembly including a bolt configured to extend and retract linearly along an extension axis, wherein the bolt has a dielectric constant different than air;
- a strike assembly including a strike box formed with an opening and space configured to receive at least a portion of the bolt when the bolt is extended linearly along the extension axis, wherein the space within the strike box contains a dielectric constant of air, wherein the strike box includes a first side panel, a second side panel, a top panel, and a bottom panel that are parallel with the extension axis and a back panel that is orthogonal to the extension axis, and wherein the strike box defines a length, parallel with the extension axis, between the opening and the back panel;
- and
- a sensor assembly configured to detect whether the at least a portion of the bolt is located within the space of the strike box a predetermined distance from the opening such that the bolt assembly is securely latched within the strike assembly in a closed position, the sensor assembly including:
- a capacitive sensor disposed within the strike box and configured to detect an increase in capacitance when at least a portion of the bolt is received within the space of the strike box to determine the closed position, wherein the capacitive sensor includes a plurality of capacitive sensor elements coupled to one or more of the first side panel, the second side panel, the top panel, or the bottom panel, and wherein the plurality of capacitive sensor elements are spaced along the entire length of the strike box.
2 more elements
A method of determining a closed position of a bolt assembly relative to a strike assembly, the method comprising:
- extending a bolt from the bolt assembly linearly along an extension axis towards the strike assembly, wherein the bolt has a dielectric constant different than air;
- at least partially receiving the bolt within an opening and space formed by a strike box of the strike assembly, wherein the space within the strike box contains a dielectric constant of air, wherein the strike box includes a first side panel, a second side panel, a top panel, and a bottom panel that are parallel with the extension axis and a back panel that is orthogonal to the extension axis, and wherein the strike box defines a length, parallel with the extension axis, between the opening and the back panel;
- detecting, by a sensor assembly having a capacitive sensor disposed within the strike box, a change in capacitance upon receipt of the bolt, at least partially, within the space of the strike box, wherein the capacitive sensor includes a plurality of capacitive sensor elements coupled to one or more of the first side panel, the second side panel, the top panel, or the bottom panel, and wherein the plurality of capacitive sensor elements are spaced along the entire length of the strike box;
- and
- determining, based on the detected change in capacitance, whether the bolt is at least partially located within the space of the strike box a predetermined distance from the opening, wherein only when the bolt extends the predetermined distance from the opening within the space of the strike box, the bolt is in the closed position relative to the strike assembly.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.