Thermostat with display and printed circuit board

• US 10,234,161 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adamik, Petr, Khoury, Tarik, McPherson, Steven J., Kalla, Arnold, Takach, Eugene J., Aljabari, Mohammad, Lentz, Tracy, Mulhouse, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US15/714,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20180023839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133314 Back frames
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/32 with provision for adjustment of the effect of the auxiliary heating device, e.g. a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/34 Conductive members located under head of screw
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/10 for surface mounting on a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/14 Fastening of cover or lid to box
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/005 avoiding undesired transient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/04 responsive to excess voltage lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H05F 3/00 Carrying-off electrostatic charges from shoes A43B7/36; from living beings A61N1/14; from tyres B60C19/08; from vehicles B60R16/06; from aircraft B64D45/02; from large containers B65D90/46
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0254 High voltage adaptations; Electrical insulation details; Overvoltage or electrostatic discharge protection electrostatic discharge protection for electric apparatus in general H05K9/0067, H05K9/0079; Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/111 Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0015 Orientation; Alignment; Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/32 electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 : with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0018 : having an electronic display
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1422 : Printed circuit boards receptacles, e.g. stacked structures, electronic circuit modules or box like frames
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1427 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0037 : Housings with compartments containing a PCB, e.g. partitioning walls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0054 : specially adapted for display applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 : On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

An electronic assembly may have a display, a display holder, and a printed circuit board (PCB). The display may have a front side for viewing the display, a back side, and side walls extending between the front side and the back side. The display holder may have a recess for receiving at least part of the display, where the display holder may extend adjacent part of the front side of the display and adjacent at least part of the side walls of the display. The PCB may be secured relative to the display holder and adjacent the back side of the display. The PCB may be in operative communication with the display. In some cases, a spacer may be situated between the back side of the display and the PCB.

Claims

1. A thermostat for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat including a front and a back relative to the thermostat being in a position mounted for operation by a user, the thermostat comprising:

a display including a front side for viewing the display, an opposing back side, and a side perimeter;

a printed circuit board including a front side and a back side, the front side of the printed circuit board facing the back side of the display, the printed circuit board includes a first region that overlaps with at least part of the back side of the display and a second region that extends out laterally past the side perimeter of the display;

an antenna laterally offset from the side perimeter of the display, wherein the antenna is accommodated by the second region of the printed circuit board, the antenna is configured to support wireless communication;

a front cover defining an aperture for viewing the front side of the display from the front of the thermostat;

a back cover secured relative to the front cover, the front cover and the back cover collectively housing the display, the printed circuit board and the antenna; and

the back cover including one or more mounting features configured to releasably engage one or more corresponding mounting features of a wall plate to releasably mount the thermostat to the wall plate.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to support Wifi wireless communication.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the second region that extends out laterally past the side perimeter of the display extends in a downward direction past a lower edge of the display.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the antenna is positioned below the lower edge of the display.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical components mounted to the second region of the printed circuit board.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a connector mounted in the second region and on the back side of the printed circuit board.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a first connector and a second connector mounted in the second region and on the back side of the printed circuit board, wherein the first connector is configured to connect to a flex tail from the display and the second connector is configured to connect to terminals of the wall plate.

8. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein the back cover includes an aperture aligned with the second connector.

9. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein a side edge of the printed circuit board includes a recess for accommodating the flex tail from the display.

10. A wall-mountable thermostat for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat including a front, a back, a top and a bottom relative to the thermostat being in a position mounted for operation by a user, the thermostat comprising:

a housing configured to house;

a display including a front side for viewing the display, an opposing back side, a top side, a bottom side, a left side and a right side;

a printed circuit board including a front side and a back side, the front side of the printed circuit board facing toward the back side of the display, wherein the front side of the printed circuit board overlaps at least a majority of the back side of the display and extends out laterally past a side of the display;

an antenna for supporting wireless communication, wherein the antenna is held in place by the laterally extending portion of the printed circuit board and does not overlap with any portion of the display; and

the housing having a front side on the front of the thermostat and a back side on the back of the thermostat, wherein the back side includes one or more mounting features configured to releasably engage one or more corresponding mounting features of a wall plate to releasably mount the thermostat to the wall plate.

11. The thermostat of claim 10 further comprising an electrically insulating element positioned between the back side of the display and the front side of the printed circuit board.

12. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the antenna is configured to support Wifi wireless communication.

13. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises:

a front cover defining an aperture for viewing the front side of the display from the front of the thermostat; and

a back cover secured relative to the front cover, the front cover and the back cover collectively housing the display, the printed circuit board and the antenna.

14. The thermostat of claim 13, further comprising a first connector and a second connector mounted on the back side of the printed circuit board in a region of the printed circuit board that overlaps with the back side of the display, wherein the first connector is configured to connect to a flex tail from the display and the second connector is configured to connect to terminals of the wall plate.

15. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the back cover includes an aperture aligned with the second connector.

16. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein a side edge of the printed circuit board includes a recess for accommodating the flex tail from the display.

17. A wall-mountable thermostat for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat including a front, a back, a top and a bottom relative to the thermostat being in a position mounted for operation by a user, the thermostat comprising:

a housing configured to house;

a display including a front side for viewing the display, an opposing back side, a top side, a bottom side, a left side and a right side;

a printed circuit board including a front side and a back side, the front side of the printed circuit board facing toward the back side of the display, wherein front side of the printed circuit board is sized and positioned to overlap with at least a majority of the back side of the display;

an antenna for supporting wireless communication, wherein the antenna is carried by the printed circuit board, is laterally offset relative to the display, and does not overlap with any part of the display; and

the housing having a front side on the front of the thermostat and a back side on the back of the thermostat, wherein the back side includes one or more mounting features configured to releasably engage one or more corresponding mounting features of a wall plate to releasably mount the thermostat to the wall plate.

18. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the printed circuit board includes a downwardly extending portion that extends out past the bottom side of the display in a downward direction toward the bottom of the thermostat, and wherein the antenna is carried by the downwardly extending portion of the printed circuit board.

19. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the front side of the printed circuit board faces toward the back side of the display, with the front side of the printed circuit board spanning from the top side of the display out past the bottom side of the display in a downward direction toward the bottom of the thermostat, and wherein a top side of the printed circuit board includes a recess to accommodate a flex tail from the display;

a connector on the back side of the printed circuit board, wherein the flex tail extends from the display, around the top side of the printed circuit board in the recess, and connects to the connector on the back side of the printed circuit board.

20. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the antenna is configured to support Wifi wireless communication.