Remote control device

• US 10,168,744 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Kass, Ronald R., Barr, Douglas J., Kovach, Joseph E., Dann, Kevin M., Parrett, David J., Brace, Clark, Bould, Fred, Caso, Jaime, Wolf, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Timory, Kabir A
• Application Number:
  US15/016,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20160239044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203

Abstract

A remote control device and a method of assembly are provided. The remote control device may include a control unit and a holder. The holder may define a cavity that opens through a surface of the holder. The control unit may be seated in the cavity through the opening in the surface of the holder and recessed relative to the surface of the holder.

Claims

1. A remote control device, comprising:

a control unit including a user interface, the user interface defining a top surface; and

a holder including a front surface and a cavity that opens through the front surface of the holder;

wherein the control unit is inserted in the cavity of the holder through an opening formed in the front surface of the holder, the control unit being seated in the cavity of the holder such that the top surface of the user interface of the control unit resides below the front surface of the holder;

wherein the holder includes a recessed area defining an access feature in the front surface of the holder, the access feature surrounding at least a portion of the cavity defined in the holder, the control unit being accessible when the control unit is seated within the cavity formed in the holder.

2. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the access feature facilitates removal of the control unit from the holder.

3. The remote control device of claim 2, wherein the recessed area defines a recessed surface extending around at least a portion of the cavity and the control unit when the control unit is seated within the cavity.

4. The remote control device of claim 3, wherein the recessed area includes a notch that extends around a portion of the periphery of the control unit.

5. The remote control device of claim 4, wherein the recessed surface extends around an entire periphery of the control unit.

6. The remote control device of claim 5, wherein the holder defines a rim extending around the control unit, and wherein the recessed surface extends rearwardly from the rim towards a rear surface of the holder.

7. The remote control device of claim 6, wherein the recessed surface extends inwardly from the rim towards a side wall of the control unit.

8. The remote control device of claim 4, wherein the notch is defined in the recessed area in the holder, the notch being accessible when the control unit is seated within the cavity formed in the holder to facilitate removal of the control unit from the holder.

9. The remote control device of claim 1, further comprising a wall mount that is removably attachable to the holder.

10. The remote control device of claim 9, wherein the wall mount includes a body and a pair of ears projecting radially outwardly from the body, and wherein the holder defines a pair of channels for receiving the pair of ears.

11. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the holder includes an inner wall extending across the cavity to define a bottom of the cavity.

12. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the holder includes an inner wall formed as a rim that defines a bottom seat for the control unit.

13. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the user interface of the control unit resides below the front surface of the holder so that the top surface of the user interface of the control unit resides within the cavity of the holder.

14. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the holder includes a back surface opposite the front surface, the user interface of the control unit residing below the front surface of the holder so that upon resting the front surface of the holder on an exterior surface, the user interface of the control unit is spaced out of contact with the exterior surface.

15. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit and the cavity formed in the holder have complementary shapes that enable relative rotation between the control unit and the cavity, the cavity and control unit including complementary retention features so that a longitudinal axis of the control unit is coaxially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the cavity.

16. The remote control device of claim 15, wherein the retention features include interconnecting ribs and grooves to control alignment of the control unit and the holder by preventing relative rotation between the control unit and the cavity once the control unit is seated within the cavity.

17. A remote control device comprising:

a control unit including a user interface, the user interface defining a top surface; and

a holder including a front surface and a cavity that opens through the front surface of the holder, the control unit seated in the cavity through an opening in the front surface of the holder, the top surface of the user interface of the control unit residing below the front surface of the holder;

wherein the control unit includes an engagement feature arranged along an outer portion of the user interface of the control unit, and wherein the engagement feature is aligned with a notch formed in the holder to facilitate removal of the control unit from the holder.

18. The remote control device of claim 17, wherein the engagement feature at least partially defines a recess formed in the control unit, the recess being aligned with the notch formed in the holder to facilitate removal of the control unit from the holder.

19. A remote control device, comprising:

a control unit including a user interface, the user interface defining a top surface; and

a holder including a front surface and a cavity that opens through the front surface of the holder;

wherein the control unit is inserted in the cavity of the holder through an opening formed in the front surface of the holder, the control unit being seated in the cavity of the holder such that the top surface of the user interface of the control unit resides below the front surface of the holder;

wherein the control unit and the cavity formed in the holder have complementary shapes that enable relative rotation between the control unit and the cavity formed in the holder, the control unit and a side wall of the cavity formed in the holder further including corresponding retention features for retaining the control unit in the cavity of the holder and for preventing relative rotation of the control unit and the holder when the control unit is seated within the cavity of the holder and the corresponding retention features are engaged with each other.

20. The remote control device of claim 19, wherein the control unit includes either multiple ribs or multiple grooves formed in a side wall of the control unit, and wherein the either multiple ribs or multiple grooves extend lengthwise along a longitudinal axis of the control unit.

21. The remote control device of claim 20, wherein the side wall of the cavity formed in the holder includes the other of the either multiple ribs or multiple grooves, and extend lengthwise along a longitudinal axis of the cavity.

22. The remote control device of claim 21, wherein the multiple ribs have a narrower width than the multiple grooves.

23. A remote control device, comprising:

a control unit including a user interface, the user interface defining a top surface; and

a holder defining a cavity opening through a surface of the holder for receiving the control unit, the top surface of the user interface of the control unit residing below the surface of the holder so that the top surface of the user interface of the control unit resides within the cavity of the holder so that upon resting the surface of the holder on an exterior surface, the user interface of the control unit is spaced out of contact with the exterior surface;

wherein the control unit includes an engagement feature and the holder includes an access feature in the surface of the holder, the engagement feature being aligned with the access feature when the control unit is inserted into the cavity opening of the holder, the engagement feature and the access feature facilitating removal of the control unit from the holder.

24. The remote control device of claim 23, wherein the access feature is a recessed area that extends at least partially along a periphery of the cavity opening so that the recessed area extends at least partially along a periphery of the control unit when the control unit is inserted into the cavity.

25. The remote control device of claim 23, wherein the engagement feature defines a gap, the gap being located adjacent to and in communication with the cavity opening when the control unit is inserted into the cavity of the holder.

26. The remote control device of claim 25, wherein the access feature in the surface of the holder includes a recessed surface extending along at least a portion of a periphery of the cavity opening formed in the holder.

27. The remote control device of claim 25, wherein the access feature in the surface of the holder is located adjacent to and in communication with the cavity opening to facilitate removal of the control unit from the holder.

28. The remote control device of claim 25, wherein the engagement feature defines a recess adjacent to the gap to enlarge the gap to facilitate removal of the control unit from the holder.