Wyze Sense deadbolt locked sensor

[victormaletic]

Hello lachlan6

I just came upon your “Wyze Sense deadbolt locked sensor” post. In this post you show a 3D printed insert to receive the bolt that pushes a magnet that affects the reed-switch in the sending unit. All of this contained within the 3D printout. You have a clean looking solution for those who do not mind drilling out additional structural capacity of their door frame or having to do a partial disassembly of the latch plate to get access to the sending unit for a battery change or to have their Wyze App running to see if the reed-switch state was changed.

In the post “My Wyze Smart-ish Lock Another Approach” I modify the sending unit by placing the magnetic reed-switch external on a short lead which is inserted into a 3/16” Ø and the rest of the sending unit command-taped to the wall externally. The reed-switch was actuated by a disc magnet glued to the of the deadbolt. Eventually the disc magnet fell off and I was going to glue it on with a different adhesive, But I found out the residual magnetic transferred to the bolt was enough to trigger the reed-switch. So, my smart-ish lock is still working.

The purpose of this reply is to ask you if you can see a simpler way to print a sending unit enclosure that does what my epoxy extended sending unit case dose. The printed outer case would need to hold the modified case by accommodating the switch extension wires while holding them snuggly, allow the state-change red LED to be observed, provide sufficient mounting surface and allow easy removal/replacement of the battery access plate.

Not many people would want to do surgery on a sending unit to externalize the reed-switch.
Needless to say, building a small form to extend the case with epoxy is a pain.

I give you all rights to use and sell whatever you come up with and buy several from you. Checkout:
My Wyze Smart-ish Lock Another Approach.
Till later, Victor Maletic

[lachlan6]

Hi Victor,

I am not sure I am understanding your vision. I see your post about your solution but I don’t understand what you would want printed. I will think about it but right now I don’t quite understand.

[victormaletic]

Hi lachlan6
The pictures below show how I extended the sending unit case to provide support for the wires for the external reed-switch extension. This extended case also has a drop-down deck so the opening slot can be engaged to open the battery cover. A two-part plastic enclosure: The base and the drop-down deck.
The base would enclose and extend the sending unit and provide a guide slot for the reed wires.
The drop-down deck would snap down over the end of the base, cover the wire guide, and provide access to the opening slot for the battery door. Maybe the attached pictures will be helpful.

This last picture is what the sending unit looks like with the external reed-switch. The magnet was for testing only and not to be included in the 3D print. The picture above is what the 3D printed enclosure would be equivalent to.

Later I will send you a sketch of my idea for it. Let me know if you have further questions.
Victor Maletic

[victormaletic]

Hello lachlan6

We had corresponded earlier about 3D printing some enclosures for contact sensors with their reed switches relocated externally. I took a contact sensor unit, removed the mastic adhesive and measured the relevant dimensions with a pair of calipers to come up with the enclosure geometry. There should be sufficient clearance between the sending unit and the enclosure to allow a free fit with no drag or binding. The dimensions given in the attached drawing are to be modified based on your knowledge of 3D printing and the capabilities of your printer. I would like three of these units. Let me know much you need to set up your print files and to actually print. Earlier I thought an enclosure would consist of two parts, this single part version will be easier to print. If you need the actual PDF or cad file (Civil 3D 2018), I could email it to you.

The picture below is what the 3D print geometry depicted above will replace on future installations.

Till later Victor Maletic.

[holocron]

Thanks for this. I know you’re selling these on Etsy. I have my own 3D printer, but I’m wondering about your magnet source? I’m not going into competition, I just want to test this out on my own as a one-off. Can you share your magnet source?

[lachlan6]

yeah sure no problem, Amazon.com

Also the newest STL is for sale on Etsy: STL of Deadbolt Bracket for Wyze Sense - Etsy

My plan is to sell my newest designs on Etsy and any older ones I will share for free on Thingiverse

[victormaletic]

Hello lachlan6
This past July 21, I sent you an engineering drawing of an enclosure for a modified contact sensor (external reed switch) along with a photo of how it would generally look.

The drawing has detailed cross-sections with dimensions. I sent this information to you because, an earlier description I sent you was not sufficient for you to visualize what I had in mind. Post 12/14 is the detailed drawing and photo.

I do not have a 3D printer, nor do I want to invest the time to learn to write the 3D code for it at this period in my life.

I would like to buy three prints of the drawing in post 12/14 at $20 each. And you are welcome to use the design and sell to any buyer that may want one.

Heck, maybe I will extend my business by offering to modify contact sensor sender units with external
reed switches.

Hope to hear from you, Victor Maletic.

[holocron]

Thanks and much appreciated. I managed to pop the STL (of the old version) into a modeler and measure the hole in the interim.

I’m actually eager to see if this can be modified to eliminate the need to drill out the deadbolt receiving hole on the door jamb anymore than it already is. In some circumstances, such as mine, the door is an “outswing” and I rather not reduce any structural integrity of the door jamb further.

I guess and alternative would be to attempt @victormaletic’s design, which has crossed my mind to install a small reed switch rather than the hole thing. This would help with preserving the structural integrity of the jamb. I was just wanting to avoid having to break out the soldering iron.

[victormaletic]

Hello holocron and those that may be looking at this thread.
I agree, smaller mounting holes result in less structural loss and easier installation. The external reed switch approach has these additional advantages:
The sending unit’s operational LED can be observed directly.
Battery changes are through direct access-no partial disassembly with tools are required.
Below are some links that delve into the details:
My Wyze Smart-ish Lock Another Approach This link gives the general approach for an external reed switch installation.

Contact Sensor Modified - Magnetic Reed Switch Remote / Outside This link goes into details of the actual reed switch modification.

Hiding the Contact Sensor No Chiseling No Sawing This link shows how a contact sensor sending unit can be recessed into a door or its frame by drilling a sequence of small holes.

As I write this post another thought occurs to me of using an auxiliary device that uses an unmodified contact sending unit. The auxiliary device would consist of two small wire coils connected to each other via a pair of wire leads. One coil of the device would be placed in a small hole in the wall near the end of magnetic bolt and the other coil will be on the wall’s exterior surface in contact with the sending unit.
Movement of the dead bolt would induce a current in the nearby coil, which would create a magnetic field in the other coil that triggers the reed switch.
Experiment time.
Victor Maletic.

[lachlan6]

Sorry, I don’t quite understand the purpose of the device you are describing. It looks to just hold the wires so that they don’t pull on the solder point. If that is the case I feel like there are easier solutions. One being to just make sure the hole that is drilled is very precise and to tie a knot in the wire on the inside. maybe add a dab of hot glue.

I do like your implementation for anyone that is comfortable with soldering. But I don’t know how many people would be comfortable with it. My time is pretty limited right now. (work, family, Etsy, new designs, you tube videos…)

[victormaletic]

Hello lachlan6 and Other that may look at this post.

Thank you for your response lachlan6.

In posts 10/18, 11/18, 12/18 and 15/18 in reply to your post of 9/18, I am trying to describe the device I would like printed. It’s basically an open-faced holder for the contact sensor sending unit with an elongated side to support and secure the reed wire. The elongated side also has a depression to facilitate opening the battery lid.

The contact sending unit holder is more sophisticated than it may at first appear. Yes, it is a holder for the sending unit, that can be screwed or taped to its support surface. The extension of the of the holder to one side of the sending unit not only provides support and anchorage of the external reed leads, it also isolates the solder joints from stress (tension or bending). This extension of the holder also provides a larger mounting surface area, while providing a reaction-block for prying open the battery lid (see pictures).

The picture above shows a small common nail being used as a prybar against the reaction-block to open the battery lid.

The picture above shows the result of the prying action. Be ready to catch the lid.

The increased mounting footprint provides 73% more adhesive area with a corresponding reduction of required adhesive force. The geometry of the reaction-block in relation to the contact sending unit provides 57% more resisting moment to counteract the torque needed to open the battery lid, hence less force on the adhesive. The idea of a knot with glue will restrain the wire, but it will not provide the other advantages described above.

Yes, my modification requires some abilities that are well within the skill-set of many forum participants or their neighbors, but it only requires a small 3/16” Ø in the outer part of the door frame while providing for easy battery change and direct observation of its change of state.

I reached out to you because you already knew the sizing needed to get a proper holder fit and that this geometric extension of one side of it would not be much of a challenge for you to work up the print file.

Again, thanks for replying.

Victor Maletic.

[holocron]

I really like @lachlan6’s overall approach and design that “hides” the sensor in the door jamb. But, I wanted to find a solution that did not require modification to the door jamb OR which required putting parts in difficult to access locations.

So I’d thought about an approach that is easy to install using mostly stock equipment. I have two versions that I’m about to test. These are “remixes” of another item I found. The concept here is that you attach this “Wyze Thumbturn Handle” over the existing deadbolt thumbturn. You then locate the contact sensor on the door. The version below will use a 1/2" ceramic magnet. I have another version that would actually use the magnetic part of the contact sensor. The 1/2" ceramic option results in a smaller add-on. I’m about to print one.

Granted, this approach is more visible, but would be very simple to install.

The only non-stock parts you would need are the magnet and a coupe #10 bolts and nuts to make the compression attachment. More TBD:

[lachlan6]

I like it. I am assuming you are using glue or something to make sure your magnet doesn’t come out. Although it is a little hard to say from this one angle. But maybe you should think about dropping the magnet into place from the inside. This would provide 2 benefits. 1 you wouldn’t need glue and it would stay in place. 2 you wouldn’t see the magnet.

Another option if you are like me and just like playing around with these types of things is maybe try and make is screwless. I can think of a couple ways to accomplish it using compliant mechanisms.

One thing I don’t like and it is a hard problem to solve is the different styles and sizes of the handle. That and my wife being very focused on looks lead me to using the bolt.

[holocron]

It is definitely a work in progress. For my primary application, which is a garage door, I’m less concerned about the aesthetics. But I can see this being used elsewhere, so improving that aspect has appeal to me. It is perhaps a bit oversized, which is a result of the original model I remixed it from. I actually don’t mind that for this application. Having a larger thumbturn could be an advantage if I have gloves on or hands full with other stuff. I did intend to glue the magnet for this one.

I definitely agree that building a one size fits all would be challenging. The current one has a “split” down the middle to accommodate this, so it seems to work within a certain tolerance. It’s basically a compression/friction fit. I have some ideas around that, but am not sure how to model it.

Other ideas:

• I like the concept of a no hardware “compliant” mechanism. I had some ideas on this, but would be open to suggestions. This would likely allow for a further reduction of overall size/mass.
• I liked the concept of using the stock magnetic end, but it just adds too much size.
• I suspect the magnet could be half the size. I sized it for a 1/2" ceramic, but I suspect a 1/4" would work. This would allow for the overall size/mass to be further reduced.

I’d be happy to collaborate on a refinement.

It’s definitely on the larger size…I’ll test fit it on the door tomorrow:

[victormaletic]

Hello, holocron and others on the thread.
You have a very interesting approach to the “what is the state of the deadbolt”.
I have some thoughts about your design that may make it operate better, slim down its extent, or really simplify it.

1. Move the clamping holes closer to the ends of the thumb-knob recess. The clamping screws will then exert a more direct friction force on the thumb-screw with less bending forces in the plastic.

2. If the magnet is replaced with a smaller 3/8" or 5/16" ø, the body could be trimmed down a little. Any concerns about magnetic strength could be addressed by piggy-backing the magnets and placing them in a deeper receiving hole.

3. When attaching the accessory to the thumb-screw, place some double-sided tape on the inside of the receiver hole before placing it over the thumb-screw and applying the clamping screws

4. Skip the clamping screws, holes, and compression slots. Instead, make the thumb-screw accessory a push-fit. Could also glue or epoxy it on. Of course, it wouldn’t come off so easily.

5. Use your printer to make a negative mold, tape the magnet to one end with double-sided sticky tape, fill the mold with melted poly-beads (melts at about 140°F with hot water) place the thumb-screw into it while it is soft. Pour some cold water over it freeze it. This poly-bead stuff sticks very well to surfaces so a bond-breaker would need to be applied to the casting form. This would provide a very close fit to the thumb-knob. Would you believe there are medical grades of this ploy-bead plastic that can be used inside the humane body to provide form and support, such as holding broken bones together?
   As you indicated earlier this is a work in progress. I look forward to what you come up with.
   Victor Maletic.

[victormaletic]

Another idea for the 3D printer folks. Print up a small strip of plastic about 2.5"x0.75"x0.0625". One end would have a recess for a disk magnet. The opposite end would have a hole that matches the cross section shape of the deadbolt’s thumb-knobs axial. An outrigger bar that carries the magnet to or from the contact sensor’s sending unit. The length of the strip would be profiled to follow the contour of the round bezel under the thumb-knob.
Victor Maletic.

[holocron]

Hello @victormaleticand thanks for the additional thoughts. As I noted, this was an initial remix of an existing model. The version above isn’t even the first version. I initially did a version that used the stock magnetic half of the contact sensor, but felt it was too big despite the idea that it uses all stock components.

The space could likely be trimmed further, but again this was a fast prototyping approach.

Addressing your other comments:

1. Yes, this is a thought, but my preference is to not use a “set screw” to directly contact the lock parts to prevent possible damage/marring.
2. Yes, I noted above that a smaller magnet could be used to reduce size. I agree with this.
3. I would not want to use any tape.
4. I have thought about this too. A couple “hooks” at the bottom of the thumbturn opening could catch on the bottom of the turn, but the concern is that these might inhibit operation. Some locks have minimal clearance between the bottom of the thumbturn and the cover plate. Glue/epoxy is not an option, IMO.
5. This is too involved for the overall idea of simplicity.

Great ideal overall. Thanks for the input.

[victormaletic]

Hello, holocron.
My suggestion for item 1 was to move the clamp screws closer to the ends of the thumb-knob for greater mechanical advantage. Not a set screws.
Till later, Victor.

[victormaletic]

I upgraded and enhance this post as a new Tips and Tricks.
See My Wyze Smart-ish Lock Another Approach II

[victormaletic]

Hello lachlan6
. This is another response to your post #17 and a continuance of my post #18.

Since our last correspondence, I have learned enough about AutoCAD Civil 3D to create solids by extrusion and subtract them to obtain the final solid. I would like to send you the STL file from which a print can be made. I would pay for the print and you can keep the file with all rights.

Till later.

Victor Maletic.