Friday, February 11, 2011

Possible Solution 2

Above is my second possible solution. It incorporates a simple dead bolt, a sprung bolt, a car door popper solenoid and a central locking style key to open the door.

Door Popper Solenoid
The reason for incorporating a door popper solenoid is that is will give the user help with only the first part of opening the door (where the door is liable to jam). This means that it is not as obvious that the person is getting help as the solenoid is discreet and it only opens the door a small amount.


Central Locking Style Key
I have incorporated central locking style key to this design also. This is so that the elderly person does not even need to turn a key to get into the house. This eliminates the pressure on the person's wrist while turning the key.


Opinion
Good Points

  1. Very simple
  2. Doesn't involve cosmetic changes like big boxes, sensors etc.
  3. Discrete


Bad Points

  1. The door doesn't close itself
  2. Unfamiliar as there will be no key
  3. Old person may forget to lock the door after them as they need to press an extra button


Things to think about

  1. The discreteness of this design would be welcomed by an old person.
  2. The old person will not lose face with their friends as it is not obvious that they are being helped.
  3. A key would be best I think as old people are so used to using them and it is engrained in their lives, so if it was to be taken away then the person would surely miss it at his/her age.

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