Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
TOUCH ISOLATED ELECTRONIC LOCK
Background
Electronic locks have gained increasing acceptance and widespread use in
.. residential and commercial markets. These locksets control ingress through
doors in a
building by requiring certain electronic credentials. For example, these
locksets typically
include a control circuit that determines whether to unlock the lockset based
on credentials
provided by the user. In some cases, for example, the credentials and/or
commands may be
provided wirelessly to the lockset, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,336,637
for a "Wireless
Access Control System and Related Methods," which is hereby incorporated by
reference
in its entirety. In some examples, the electronic lock can sense credentials
held by a
nearby, authorized user and require the user to physically touch the lock to
activate the
lock, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,024,759 for a "Wireless Lockset with
Integrated
Antenna, Touch Activation, and Light Communication Method," which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The physical appearance of the lockset is important to some users. Some users
prefer all the hardware in their home to match, or at least be from the same
style line.
Typically, with traditional non-electronic locks, this was accomplished by
changing out a
trim or facade of a lockset. However, when using a touch-activated lockset,
maintaining a
.. proper seal around internal electronics and ensuring reliable touch
activation makes a
lockset housing swap difficult.
Therefore, improvements in electronic lock design are desired.
Summary
The present disclosure relates generally to door locks. In one possible
configuration, and by non-limiting example, an electronic lock with an
isolated touch
member and an outer housing is disclosed.
In one example of the present disclosure, an electronic lock is disclosed. The
electronic lock includes a latch assembly that has a latch housing and a bolt.
The bolt is
.. movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The
electronic lock
includes a controller connected to a circuit board. The circuit board is
positioned within an
interior cavity. The cavity is at least partially defined by the latch
housing. The controller
1
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
is configured to electronically control movement of the bolt between the
extended position
and the retracted position. The electronic lock includes an exposed conductive
touch
member. The conductive touch member is in electrical communication with the
controller.
The electronic lock includes an insulating arrangement positioned between the
conductive
touch member and the circuit board. The electronic lock includes a housing at
least
partially surrounding the conductive touch member. The housing is electrically
isolated
from the conductive touch member by at least a portion of the insulating
member.
In another example of the present disclosure, an electronic lock is disclosed.
The
electronic lock includes a latch assembly that has a latch housing and a bolt.
The bolt is
movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The electronic
lock
includes a controller m to a circuit board. The circuit board is positioned
within an interior
cavity. The cavity is at least partially defined by the latch housing. The
controller is
configured to electronically control movement of the bolt between the extended
position
and the retracted position. The electronic lock includes an exposed conductive
touch
member. The conductive touch member is in electrical communication with the
controller.
The electronic lock includes an insulating arrangement positioned between the
conductive
touch member and the circuit board. The insulating arrangement includes a
translucent
portion configured to transmit light and at least one seal. The translucent
portion at least
partially defines the interior cavity. The translucent portion is at least
partially exposed
adjacent the touch member. The at least one seal is positioned between at
least one of the
translucent portion and the latch housing and the translucent portion and
touch member to
seal the interior cavity. The electronic lock includes a housing at least
partially
surrounding the conductive touch member. The housing is electrically isolated
from the
conductive touch member by at least a portion of the insulating member.
In another example of the present disclosure, an electronic lock is disclosed.
The
electronic lock includes a latch assembly that has a latch housing and a bolt.
The bolt is
movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The electronic
lock
includes a controller mounted to a circuit board. The circuit board is
positioned within an
interior cavity. The cavity is at least partially defined by the latch
housing. The controller
is configured to electronically control movement of the bolt between the
extended position
and the retracted position. The electronic lock includes an exposed conductive
touch
member. The conductive touch member is in electrical communication with the
controller
2
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
via a conductor. The electronic lock includes an insulating arrangement
positioned
between the conductive touch member and the circuit board. The insulating
arrangement
includes a body at least partially defining the interior cavity. The body
defines an aperture
that is configured to receive the conductor. A first seal of the insulating
arrangement
surrounds the aperture. The electronic lock includes a housing at least
partially
surrounding the conductive touch member. The housing is electrically isolated
from the
conductive touch member by at least a portion of the insulating member.
A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that
follows. The
aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It
is to be
understood that both the foregoing general description and the following
detailed
description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the
broad
inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the
present
disclosure and therefore do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The
drawings are
not to scale and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in
the following
detailed description. Embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter
be described
in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like numerals denote like
elements.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic lock, according to one
example of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an exterior assembly of the electronic
lock of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the exterior assembly of the electronic lock of FIG.
1.
FIG. 4 is a rear view of the exterior assembly of the electronic lock of FIG.
1.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 in FIG. 3 of the exterior
assembly of
the electronic lock of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 in FIG. 3 of the exterior
assembly of
the electronic lock of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the exterior assembly of the electronic lock of
FIG.
1.
3
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic lock, according to one
example of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of an exterior assembly of the electronic
lock of
FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a front view of the exterior assembly of the electronic lock of
FIG. 8.
FIG. 11 is a rear view of the exterior assembly of the electronic lock of FIG.
8.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view along line 12-12 in FIG. 10 of the exterior
assembly of the electronic lock of FIG. 8.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view along line 13-13 in FIG. 10 of the exterior
assembly of the electronic lock of FIG. 8.
FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the exterior assembly of the electronic lock of
FIG.
8.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the
several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate an embodiment of
the
invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the
scope of the
invention in any manner.
Detailed Description
Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the
drawings,
wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout
the several
views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims
attached
hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not
intended to be
limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the
appended
claims.
This disclosure generally relates to an electromechanical lock with certain
features.
The term "electronic lock" is broadly intended to include any type of lockset
that uses
electrical power in some manner, including but not limited to, electronic
deadbolts,
electronic lever sets, etc. This disclosure encompasses the integration of one
or more of
features described herein into any type of electronic lock and is not intended
to be limited
to any particular type of electronic lock.
The electronic lock disclosed herein includes a plurality of advantages. The
lock
provides an isolated touch member that is used to selectably operate the
electronic lock
4
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
between a locked and unlocked state. By isolating the touch member, an exposed
outer
housing can be selectively interchanged (either at the time of manufacture or
retrofit after
the lock has been installed)with a variety of different outer housings to suit
the preference
of the user without effecting the operation of the electronic lock.
Specifically, the touch
member is electronically isolated from the outer housing via an insulating
arrangement. In
some examples, the insulating arrangement can include at least one seal. In
other
examples, the insulating arrangement includes a translucent portion that is
configured to
convey light to indicate the status of the lock. In some examples, the
insulating
arrangement weatherproofs the lock so that internal electronics (e.g., a
circuit board and/or
.. controller) are protected from the elements, such as water.
FIG. 1 shows a partially exploded electronic lock 100, according to one
example of
the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of a portion of
the lock 100.
The lock 100 includes an interior assembly 102 and an exterior assembly 104.
The interior
assembly 102 can include a housing 106 and a driver 108. The exterior assembly
104 can
include a latch assembly 110, a conductive touch member 112, an insulating
arrangement
114, and an outer housing 116. The lock 100 further includes a controller 118
that can be
positioned within the interior or exterior assemblies 102, 104.
In some examples, the exterior assembly 104 is mounted on the outside of a
door
(not shown), while the interior assembly 102 is mounted inside a door. The
latch assembly
110 is typically at least partially mounted in a bore formed in the door. The
term "outside"
is broadly used to mean an area outside a door and "inside" is also broadly
used to denote
an area inside a door. With an exterior entry door, for example, the exterior
assembly 104
may be mounted outside a building, while the interior assembly 102 may be
mounted
inside a building. With an interior door, the exterior assembly may be mounted
inside a
.. building, but outside a room secured by the lock 100; the interior assembly
102 may be
mounted inside the secured room. The lock 100 is applicable to both interior
and exterior
doors.
When installed in a door (not shown), at least the touch member 112 and the
outer
housing 116 are exposed to the user at a front portion 120 of the lock 100 at
the exterior of
.. the door, as shown in FIG. 3. In some examples, a portion of the insulating
arrangement
114 is also exposed to the user. To interact with the lock 100, the user can
use a key (not
shown) to operate the lock 100 via a mechanical locking assembly 122 and/or
provide a
5
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
touch input to the conductive touch member 112, that is in communication with
the
controller 118, to electronically operate the lock 100. If the user provides a
touch input to
the outer housing 116, the lock 100 will not electronically operate (even if
the user
possesses authenticated credentials).
In the depicted example, the latch assembly 110 includes a bolt 124 that may
be
actuated manually by the mechanical lock assembly 122, or electronically via
the touch
member 112 and controller 118 to extend/retract the bolt 124. The bolt 124 is
configured
to slide longitudinally and when the bolt 124 is retracted, the door is in an
unlocked state.
When the bolt 124 is extended, the bolt 124 protrudes from the door into a
door jamb (not
shown) to place the door in a locked state.
The latch assembly 110 also includes an extension 126 that extends from a rear
portion 128 of the lock 100. The extension 126 is configured to interface with
the bolt 124
and with the interior assembly 102. In some examples, the extension 126 may be
driven to
extend/retract the bolt 124 in several ways. For example, the mechanical lock
assembly
122 could be actuated by a mechanical key to rotate the extension 126, which
would allow
the bolt 124 to be extended/retracted. The exterior assembly 104 could be used
to
electronically actuate the latch assembly 110 by providing a touch input to
the touch
member 112 (assuming the lock 100 received authenticated credentials prior to
the user
touching the touch member 112). In some examples, by providing a touch input
to the
.. touch member 112 to actuate the bolt 124, a message is sent from the
exterior assembly
104 to the interior assembly 102 using a wiring harness 127 to actuate the
driver 108 in the
interior assembly 106 that drives the extension 126. Additionally, if the user
is inside the
door, a turn piece (not shown) could be manually rotated by the user to
actuate the
extension 126, thereby moving the bolt 124 between its extended and retracted
positions.
As noted above, the touch member 112 is configured to enable the lock 100 to
be
touch activated. For example, the lock 100 may use capacitive sensing to
determine
whether the user wants to actuate the lock 100. In some examples, the touch
member 112
can be the only surface on the exterior assembly 102 that is used for
capacitive sensing to
actuate the lock assembly 100. In other examples, other portions of the
exterior assembly
104 could be used for capacitive sensing, including but not limited to, a
keyway, handle,
rose, or other exterior surface of the lock assembly 100 except for the outer
housing 116.
In the example shown, the exterior assembly 102 uses capacitive sensing to
determine
6
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
when a user touches the touch member 112. Accordingly, in the example shown,
the user
is able to touch anywhere on the touch member 112 to lock or unlock the lock
100, or
otherwise activate various functions of the lock 100.
The touch member 112 can be formed in any size, shape, or from any conductive
material. In some examples, the touch member 112 is formed at least partially
from zinc.
In other examples, the touch member 112 is formed at least partially from
brass. In some
examples, the lock 100 can include a badge 113 in electrical communication
with the
touch member 112 or electrically isolated from the touch member 112. In the
depicted
example, the badge 113 is electrically isolated from the touch member 112.
The insulating arrangement 114 is configured to electrically isolate the touch
member 112 from the outer housing 116. In some examples, the insulating
arrangement
114 includes a translucent portion 130 configured to convey a light from a
light source
(not shown) that is viewable by the user at the front portion 120 of the
exterior assembly
104. In some examples, as will be further described below, the insulating
arrangement 114
can also include at least one seal.
In some examples, the translucent portion 130 of the insulating arrangement
114 is
a generally solid body formed from a non-conductive material. In some
examples, the
translucent portion 130 is formed from a co-molded plastic. In some examples,
the
translucent portion 130 is formed from Polycarbonate. In some examples, only a
portion of
the translucent portion 130 is exposed to, and viewable by, the user. In some
examples, an
exposed portion 115 of the translucent portion 130 at the front 120 of the
exterior
assembly 104 is a rectangular shape. In some examples, the exposed portion 115
of the
translucent portion 130 includes a rectangular shape and a ring shape
surrounding the
mechanical locking assembly 122.
In some examples, light can be emitted from the translucent portion 130 at
regions
that could be independently controlled to visually communicate messages to the
user,
including but not limited to, an action currently being processed by the lock
100,
information about the status of the lock 100, and/or requests for user input.
By way of
example, the translucent portion 130 could visually communicate the direction
of bolt
movement by illuminating regions in sequence to create a rotation or slide
animation
showing a direction of movement. The translucent portion 130 can communicate
messages
to the user by controlling various attributes of the regions, such as turning
regions on/off,
7
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
changing intensity of regions, changing colors illuminated by regions, or
other manners of
changing the illumination of the translucent portion 130.
The outer housing 116 is at least partially positioned around the insulating
arrangement 114 and touch member 112. The outer housing 116 can be of a
variety of
sizes, shapes, and finishes. In some examples, the outer housing 116 is
generally
rectangular. In other examples, the outer housing 116 is generally
rectangular. In some
examples, the outer housing 116 is removable. For example, an outer housing
116 having
a brass finish and a generally rectangular shape can be interchanged (either
at the time of
manufacture or after the lock 100 has been installed) with an outer housing
116 having a
silver finish and a generally circular shape. Because the outer housing 116 is
electrically
isolated from the touch assembly, outer housings can be cost effectively
interchanged
either after install of the lock 100 or when the user is purchasing the lock
100. In some
examples, this allows for the manufacture of a single exterior assembly 104,
sans the outer
housing 116, and the manufacture of infinite different outer housings 116 to
allow the user
to customize the physical look of the lock 100. This allows the user to match
the sizes,
shapes, and finishes of other hardware in their home or business while still
providing a full
featured electronic lock.
In some examples, the outer housing 116 can be connected to the rest of the
exterior assembly 104 (e.g., the latch assembly 110) via fasteners 132. In
other examples,
the outer housing 116 can be connected to the rest of the exterior assembly
104 (e.g., the
latch assembly 110) via securing tabs or other like tool-less securing
solutions. In other
examples, the outer housing 116 is connected directly to the door.
The controller 118 of the lock is configured to be electrically connected to
the
touch member 112 to selectively control the movement of the bolt 126. In some
examples,
the controller 118 is mounted within the exterior assembly 104 and/or in the
interior
assembly 102 and connected to the exterior assembly 104 via the wiring harness
127,
which passes through a latch housing 134 of the latch assembly 110 at the rear
'128 ()I the
exterior assembly, as shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the exterior assembly
104
along line 5-5 in FIG. 3. As shown, the touch member 112 does not make contact
with the
outer housing 116. Specifically, the touch member 112 is separated from the
outer housing
8
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
116 via the insulating arrangement 114. Further shown is a printed circuit
board (PCB)
135 positioned within the exterior assembly 104.
The latch assembly 110 is shown to include the mechanical lock assembly 122
and
the latch housing 134. The latch housing 134 surrounds the mechanical lock
assembly 122.
The mechanical lock assembly 122 is shown to be connected to the extension
126.
In the depicted example, the insulating arrangement 114 includes the
translucent
portion 130, a first seal 136, and a second seal 138. The first seal 136 is
positioned
between the translucent portion 130 and the latch housing 134. In some
examples, the first
seal 136 is positioned in a recess 140 defined in the latch housing 134 of the
latch
assembly 110. The second seal 138 is positioned between the translucent
portion 130 and
the touch member 112. In some examples, the second seal 138 is positioned in a
recess
142 defined by the translucent portion 130. In some examples, the seals 136,
138 are
rubber 0-rings. However, it is considered within the scope of the present
disclosure that
the seals 136, 138 can be any of a variety of different types of seals
including, but not
limited to, sealants, gaskets, or the like.
The PCB 135 is positioned in a cavity 144 formed between the latch housing 134
and the insulating arrangement 114, specifically the translucent portion 130.
In some
examples, the first and second seals 136, 138 weatherproof the cavity 144 to
prevent
ingress of moisture into the cavity 144.
The PCB 135 is in electrical communication with the touch member 112 and also
in electrical communication with the wiring harness 127. In some examples, the
wiring
harness 127 connects the PCB with the interior assembly 102. In some examples,
the PCB
draws power via the wiring harness 127 from the interior assembly 102. In
other
examples, the PCB 135 can include an on-board power source, such as a battery
(not
shown).
The PCB 135 can host the touch electronics. In some examples, the PCB includes
the controller 118 positioned thereon. The controller 118 can receive touch
inputs via the
touch member 112 and move the bolt 124 between the extended and retracted
positions,
respectively.
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the exterior assembly
104
along line 6-6 in FIG. 3. As shown, the PCB 135 is positioned within the
cavity 144.
9
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
Further shown is the electrical connection between the PCB 135 and the touch
member
112 via a conductor 146.
In this example, the conductor 146 is a conductive fastener connecting the PCB
135 and the touch member 112. The conductor 146 passes through an aperture 148
defined
in the insulating arrangement 114. The aperture 148 is positioned at a point
on the
translucent portion to align with the cavity 144. The first seal 136 surrounds
the aperture
148, thereby forming a weatherproof seal, at the side of the aperture 148 that
is nearest the
cavity 144. The second seal 138 surrounds the aperture 148, thereby forming a
weatherproof seal, at the side of the aperture nearest the touch member 112.
Therefore, the
.. first and second seals 136, 138 prevent weather (i.e., water) from gaining
access to the
cavity 144.
The conductor 146 can be any of a variety of conductors to facilitate
electrical
connection between the touch member 112 and the PCB 135. In the example shown,
because the insulating arrangement 114, specifically the translucent portion
130, is formed
at least partially of a non-conductive material, the touch member 112 and PCI3
135 remain
electrically isolated from the outer housing 116.
With the conductor 146, the PCB 135 can sense when a user touches anywhere on
the touch member 112. Although a conductive fastener is shown as the conductor
146 for
purposes of example, the conductor 146 could be a conductive washer/plate
embedded
within the translucent portion 130, conductive foam, conductive tape,
conductive grease,
or any other mechanical device electrically connecting the touch member 112 of
the lock
100 to the PCB 135 that hosts the touch electronics. In some examples, the PCB
135 can
also be in communication with an antenna embedded within the exterior assembly
104.
FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the exterior assembly 104. The exterior
assembly 104 is just one example of the exterior assembly. For example, the
touch
member 112 can be generally circular and the insulating arrangement 114, outer
housing
116, latch housing 134, and PCB 135 can be sized and shaped accordingly to
accommodate the shape of the touch member 112.
FIGS. 8-14 show an electronic lock 200 according to one example of the present
disclosure. The electric lock 200 is substantially similar to the electric
lock 100, described
above. The electric lock 200 can include an interior assembly and bolt, both
substantially
similar to the interior assembly 102, and bolt 124 described above. Because of
this, only
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
an exterior assembly 204 is shown and described. The exterior assembly 204 is
configured
to be paired with a bolt, like bolt 124, and an interior assembly, like
interior assembly 102,
to operate in a substantially similar manner as the electronic lock 100.
FIG. 8 shows a front perspective view of the exterior assembly 204, and FIG. 9
shows a rear perspective view of the exterior assembly 204. FIG. 10 shows a
front view of
a front side 220 of the exterior assembly 204, and FIG. 11 shows a rear view
of a rear side
228 of the exterior assembly 204.
The exterior assembly 204 of the electronic lock 200 includes a latch assembly
210, a conductive touch member 212, an insulating arrangement 214, and an
outer housing
.. 216. The outer housing 216 is electronically isolated from the touch member
212. The
lock 200 further includes a controller 218. To interact with the lock 200, the
user can use a
key (not shown) to operate the lock 200 via a mechanical locking assembly 222
and/or
provide a touch input to the conductive touch member 212, that is in
communication with
the controller 218, to electronically operate the lock 200. If the user
provides a touch input
to the outer housing 216, the lock 200 will not electronically operate (even
if the user
possesses authenticated credentials).
The outer housing 216 is at least partially positioned around the insulating
arrangement 214 and touch member 212. The outer housing 216 can be of a
variety of
sizes, shapes, and finishes. In some examples, the outer housing 216 is
generally
rectangular. In other examples, the outer housing 216 is generally
rectangular. In some
examples, the outer housing 216 is removable. For example, an outer housing
216 having
a first finish and a first shape can be interchanged (either at the time of
manufacture or
after the lock 200 has been installed) with an outer housing 216 having a
second finish
and/or a second shape.
Like the insulating arrangement 114 described above, the insulating
arrangement
214 includes a translucent portion 230 and a plurality of seals. Specifically,
the insulating
arrangement 214 includes a first seal 236 positioned between the translucent
portion 230
and a latch housing 234 of the latch assembly 210. In some examples, the first
seal 236 is
positioned in a recess 240 defined in the latch housing 234 of the latch
assembly 210. A
second seal 238 is positioned between the translucent portion 230 and the
touch member
212. In some examples, the second seal 238 is positioned in a recess 242
defined by the
translucent portion 230. A third seal 239 is provided between the latch
housing 234 and
11
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
the translucent portion 230. In some examples, the seals 236, 238, 239 are
rubber 0-rings
and gaskets. However, it is considered within the scope of the present
disclosure that the
seals 236, 238, 239 can be any of a variety of different types of seals
including, but not
limited to, sealants, gaskets, or the like.
As shown, the translucent portion 230 is exposed to the front side 220
adjacent to
the touch member 112 at a variety of locations. Specifically, the translucent
portion 230
includes a first exposed portion 215 and a second exposed portion 217 (also
shown in
FIGS. 8 and 10). In the depicted example, the first exposed portion 215 forms
a
rectangular shape at the front side 220 of the lock 200. In the depicted
example, the second
exposed portion 217 forms a ring around the mechanical lock assembly 222. The
first
and/or the second exposed portions 215, 217 are configured to expose a light
to the user to
inform the user of the status of the lock, substantially similar to the
translucent portion 130
described above. By way of example, the translucent portion 230, specifically
the exposed
portion 217, could visually communicate the direction of bolt movement by
illuminating
.. regions in sequence to create a rotation animation showing a direction of
movement.
Because the translucent portion 230 includes a second exposed portion 217, the
third seal 239 is configured to prevent water from gaining access to a cavity
244 that
contains a PCB 235 (substantially similar to the cavity 144 and PCB 135
described above).
The first and second seals 236, 238 are also configured to prevent water
access to the
PCB.
FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional side view of the lock 200 along the line 13-13
in
FIG. 10. As shown, the PCB 235 is positioned within the cavity 244 and
electrical
communication is shown between the PCB 235 and the touch member 212 via a
conductor
246. Like the conductor 146, described above, the conductor 246 passes through
an
aperture 248 in the translucent portion 230, thereby electrically connecting
the touch
member 212 and the PCB 235. The aperture 248 is sealed via the first, second,
and third
seals 236, 238, 239.
The conductor 246 can be any of a variety of conductors to facilitate an
electrical
connection between the touch member 212 and the PCB 235. With the conductor
246, the
PCB 235 can sense when a user touches anywhere on the touch member 212. The
conductor 246 could be a conductive fastener, washer/plate embedded within the
translucent portion 130, conductive foam, conductive tape, conductive grease,
or any other
12
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
mechanical device electrically connecting the touch member 212 of the lock 200
to the
PCB 235 that hosts the touch electronics.
FIG. 14 shows an exploded view of the exterior assembly 204. A pair of
mounting
brackets 250, 252 are shown. The mounting bracket 250 is configured to aid in
connecting
the exterior assembly 204 within a door. The mounting bracket 252 can aid in
mounting
the outer housing 216 to the latch assembly 210, specifically to the latch
housing 234.
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to
particular
means, materials and embodiments, from the foregoing description, one skilled
in the art
can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of the present disclosure
and various
changes and modifications may be made to adapt the various uses and
characteristics
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set
forth in the
following claims.
13
CA 2990932 2018-01-05
