Battery-powered control device

• US 10,222,079 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Gas Trading Limited (Centrica PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Gas Trading Limited (Centrica PLC)
• Inventors: Gutch, John, Mulcahy, John, Behar, Yves, Murphy-Reinhertz, Noah, Kim, Moonchul, Ihrig, Mirko
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Courtney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ervin, Jessey R
• Application Number:
  US14/735,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0204 Mounting supporting structures on the outside of casings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

A battery-powered environmental control and/or sensor device is disclosed. The device includes a mounting plate arranged to be affixed to a support surface; and a main body including a battery compartment. The main body is adapted to be releasably secured to the mounting plate, with the battery compartment being substantially inaccessible when the main body is secured to the mounting plate. The mounting plate and main body comprise complementary securing elements arranged to secure the main body to the mounting plate. The mounting plate or the main body include a lever having a portion extending beyond a periphery of the device so as to be operable by a device user when the main body is secured to the mounting plate. The lever is operable when activated to disengage the complementary securing elements and separate the main body from the mounting plate to provide access to the battery compartment.

Claims

1. An environmental control and/or sensor device, comprising:

a main body having a user-facing front face, a rear face arranged to be mounted to a support surface via a mounting plate and a side surface joining the front and rear faces; and

a removable cover adapted to be releasably secured to the main body, the removable cover arranged to cover at least a portion of the side surface when secured to the main body;

wherein the removable cover is in the form of a sleeve adapted to cover the side surface,

wherein removal of the sleeve requires the main body to have been removed from the mounting plate, and

wherein the sleeve is removable by sliding the sleeve parallel to the side face(s) of the main body and towards the rear of the main body.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover forms one or more side faces of the device.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes a fixed front face, preferably including one or more control elements and/or display elements, and wherein the removable cover does not cover the front face.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover is adapted to cover the side surface around substantially the entire periphery of the main body.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the main body is substantially rectangular and wherein the removable cover is in the form of a substantially rectangular sleeve adapted to form the four side faces of the device by covering respective side faces of the main body.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover includes one or more control elements respectively comprising a buttons arranged to engage corresponding control components respectively comprising a button sensors on the main body when the cover is secured to the main body.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the main body and the removable cover include complementary securing elements arranged to secure the cover to the main body, wherein the complementary securing elements include one or more resilient latch elements, preferably formed on the main body, arranged to engage one or more corresponding formations, such as catches, recesses or apertures, preferably formed on the removable cover, the cover being releasable by flexing the latch elements to disengage them from the formations in the cover.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover includes one or more apertures or air vents arranged to be aligned with and/or lie adjacent corresponding air vents on the main body when the cover is secured to the main body, to allow air flow through the cover into or out of the main body.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the one or more corresponding air vents on the main body are located on the side surface of the main body.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a protruding lip around the front, and the sleeve is adapted to lie flush against the protruding lip when in place.

8. A removable sleeve for an environmental control and/or sensor device, the device having a main body with a user-facing front face, a rear face for mounting to a support surface via a mounting plate and a side surface joining the front and rear faces, the sleeve arranged to be releasably secured to the main body of the device so as to cover the side surface

wherein removal of the sleeve from the device requires the main body to have been removed from the mounting plate, and

wherein the sleeve is removable by sliding the sleeve parallel to the side face(s) of the main body and towards the rear of the main body.