Multi piece HVAC controller housing with latches and guiding features

• US 10,359,790 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Novotny, Josef, Adamik, Petr, Rezny, Tomas, Janovec, Ladislav
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R
• Application Number:
  US15/677,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 174 50, 174480, 174481, 174489, 174503, 174520, 174559, 174560, 174504, 220 32, 220 33, 220 38, 220 402, 248906, 248343, 36167901, 3616792, 361600, 361601, 36167902
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• 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: H05K 5/0004 comprising several parts forming a closed casing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0018 having an electronic display
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0221 Locks; Latches
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1427 Housings

Abstract

A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) controller includes a first cover secured to a second cover, with HVAC components housed by the first cover and the second cover. The first cover may include two or more latches to secure the first cover to the second cover. In some cases, the second cover may include two or more latch receivers each configured to receive one of the two or more latches of the first cover as the first cover and the second cover are brought together. The first and second covers may include one or more guide features. The guide features may be configured to guide movement of the first cover relative to the second cover as the first cover and the second cover are brought together.

Claims

1. An HVAC controller housing, comprising:

a first cover including;

two or more latches each positioned at a different location and adjacent a perimeter of the first cover;

two or more first guide features each positioned adjacent the perimeter of the first cover laterally spaced from and between two of the two or more latches;

a second cover configured to engage the first cover, the second cover including;

two or more latch receivers each configured to receive a corresponding one of the two or more latches of the first cover as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement; and

two or more second guide features each configured to engage a corresponding one of the two or more first guide features of the first cover to help guide movement of a corresponding portion of the first cover relative to the second cover as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement.

2. The HVAC controller housing of claim 1, wherein the two or more latch receivers bend the two or more latches, and thus the first cover, outward when the two or more latches engage the two or more latch receivers, and wherein the two or more first guide features and the two or more second guide features interact to limit bending of the first cover outward to reduce gaps between the first cover and the second cover.

3. The HVAC controller housing of claim 1, wherein the first cover has a front side and a back side, with a sidewall extending between the front side and the back side, and wherein the sidewall has an interior side facing an interior of the first cover and an exterior surface, and wherein at least one of the first guide features is positioned on the interior side of the sidewall of the first cover.

4. The HVAC controller housing of claim 3, wherein the second cover has a back side and a front side, wherein the front side of the second cover faces the back side of the first cover when the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement, and wherein at least one of the second guide features is positioned on the front side of the second cover.

5. The HVAC controller housing of claim 4, wherein at least one of the second guide features slides between a corresponding one of the two or more first guide features and the sidewall of the first cover.

6. The HVAC controller housing of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more latch receivers comprises a latch slot, and wherein the two or more latch receivers are configured to bend the corresponding latches, and the first cover, until the latches snap into the corresponding latch slot.

7. The HVAC controller housing of claim 1, wherein:

the first cover comprises at least eight latches; and

the first cover comprises at least four first guide features.

8. The HVAC controller housing of claim 7, wherein the at least eight latches include at least four pairs of latches, wherein each of the four pairs of latches include two latches that are spaced from one another, and wherein each pair of latches includes a first guide feature midway between the two latches.

9. The HVAC controller housing of claim 1, wherein the two or more second guide features of the second cover are configured to engage a corresponding one of the two or more first guide features of the first cover prior to the two or more latches of the first cover latching with the two or more latch receivers of the second cover.

10. An HVAC controller, comprising:

a first cover comprising a first latch and a second latch, with a first guide feature situated between the first latch and the second latch such that the first guide feature is laterally spaced from and situated between the first latch and the second latch;

a second cover configured to engage the first cover, the second cover comprising;

a first latch receiver configured to receive the first latch as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement;

a second latch receiver configured to receive the second latch as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement; and

a second guide feature configured to engage the first guide feature to guide movement of the first cover relative to the second cover as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 10 further comprising:

a printed wiring board situated between the first cover the second cover;

a temperature sensor situated between the first cover and the second cover; and

a display.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the first cover comprises an opening through which the display is viewed.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 10, wherein the first guide feature is configured to engage the second guide feature as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement prior to the first latch and the second latch latching with the corresponding first and second latch receivers of the second cover.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 10, wherein the first latch receiver and the second latch receiver bend the first latch and the second latch, and thus the first cover, outward when the first latch and the second latch engage the first latch receiver and the second latch receiver, and wherein the first guide feature and the second guide feature interact to limit bending of the first cover outward to reduce gaps between the first cover and the second cover.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 10, wherein the first cover includes a plurality of latches and a plurality of first guide features, and the second cover includes a plurality of latch receivers and a plurality of second guide features, wherein each first guide feature of the first cover is positioned between two latches.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 13, wherein each first guide feature of the first cover is positioned midway between two latches.

17. An HVAC controller housing, comprising:

a first cover comprising a sidewall, a first latch, a second latch and a first guide feature laterally spaced from and between the first latch and the second latch;

a second cover configured to engage the first cover, the second cover comprising;

a first latch receiver configured to receive the first latch as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement;

a second latch receiver configured to receive the second latch as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement;

a second guide feature configured to be engage the first guide feature as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement; and

wherein the first latch receiver and the second latch receiver bend the first latch and the second latch, and thus the sidewall of the first cover, outward when the first latch and the second latch engage the first latch receiver and the second latch receiver, and wherein the first guide feature and the second guide feature interact to limit bending of the sidewall of the first cover outward to reduce gaps between the first cover and the second cover.

18. The HVAC controller housing of claim 17, wherein the first cover includes a plurality of latches and a plurality of first guide features, and the second cover includes a plurality of latch receivers and a plurality of second guide features, wherein each first guide feature of the first cover is positioned between two latches.

19. The HVAC controller housing of claim 17, wherein the first guide feature is configured to engage the second guide feature as the first cover and the second cover are brought together for engagement prior to the first latch and the second latch latching with the corresponding first and second latch receivers of the second cover.

20. The HVAC controller housing of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second latch receivers comprises a latch slot, and wherein the first and second latch receivers are configured to bend the corresponding first and second latches, and the first cover, until the first and second latches snap into the corresponding latch slot.