Illuminating substrate-mountable devices

• US 10,066,848 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Lorenz, Thomas B., Rhodes, William D., Cobourn, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Xanthia C
• Application Number:
  US15/614,847
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of sub-base assemblies for substrate-mountable devices and related methods. In an exemplary embodiment, a sub-base assembly includes a cover, a base, and a circuit board having a plurality of wire terminals for receiving wiring passed through the base and circuit board. At least one light source is mounted on the circuit board and is operable, before the wiring is connected to the wire terminals, to direct light toward the wire terminals through the base.

Claims

1. A sub-base assembly for a climate control device, the sub-base assembly comprising:

a cover;

a base;

a circuit board having a plurality of wire terminals for receiving wiring passed through the base and circuit board; and

at least one light source mounted on the circuit board and operable, before the wiring is connected to the wire terminals, to direct light toward the wire terminals through the base;

wherein;

at least a portion of the base is translucent and/or transparent; and

the light is reflected through the at least a portion of the base from a surface of the cover over the circuit board.

2. The sub-base assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover has a passage to receive the wiring for connection with the wire terminals;

the at least one light source configured to provide light in the passage.

3. The sub-base assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the circuit board and configured to provide the light directed toward the wire terminals through the portion of the base.

4. The sub-base assembly of claim 1, comprising a plurality of light sources mounted on the circuit board, and a battery for powering the at least one light source;

the sub-base assembly further configured to provide power from a power stealing circuit of the climate control device to the plurality of light sources after the wiring is connected to the wire terminals.

5. The sub-base assembly of claim 1, wherein the base is configured as a light pipe to receive light from the at least one light source.

6. The sub-base assembly of claim 1, configured in the climate control device, wherein the at least one light source is operable in accordance with user input to the climate control device.

7. A climate control system controller comprising:

a sub-base assembly; and

an outer assembly connectible to the sub-base assembly;

the sub-base assembly having a cover, a base, and a circuit board provided on the base and having a plurality of wire terminals for receiving wiring passed through the base and circuit board;

the circuit board having a plurality of light sources mounted thereon and configured to provide light, through the base, onto the wire terminals before the wiring is connected to the wire terminals;

wherein the cover of the sub-base assembly has a surface configured to reflect the light through a transparent or translucent portion of the base onto the wire terminals.

8. The climate control system controller of claim 7, wherein at least one of the light sources is a right-angle light emitting diode (LED) surface-mounted on the circuit board and adjacent the base.

9. The climate control system controller of claim 7, further comprising at least one right-angle light emitting diode (LED) configured to provide light through the base and around the installed climate control system controller.

10. The climate control system controller of claim 9, wherein the at least one right-angle light emitting diode (LED) is powered through a power stealing circuit of the climate control system controller.

11. The climate control system controller of claim 7, comprising a wall-mountable thermostat, wherein the at least one light source is operable in accordance with a user schedule input to the thermostat.

12. A method comprising:

providing at least one light source on a circuit board for a thermostat sub-base assembly;

configuring a light path for light from the at least one light source through a transparent and/or translucent portion of a base for receiving the circuit board, to illuminate wire terminals of the sub-base assembly before the sub-base assembly receives power through the wire terminals; and

juxtaposing a generally reflective surface of a portion of a cover for the sub-base assembly with the portion of the base through which the light path is configured;

whereby the cover is configured to reflect the light through the base portion onto the wire terminals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the at least one light source comprises surface-mounting one or more right-angle light emitting diodes (LEDs) on the circuit board and adjacent the base.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the circuit board includes a plurality of light sources, and at least a given one of the light sources is connectible with a power stealing circuit of a thermostat.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising directing light from the at least a given one of the light sources throughout the base, the directing performed by a molded structure of the base.

16. The method of claim 15, performed to illuminate at least an outer edge of the sub-base assembly.