Intrusion barrier and thermal insulator for thermostat

• US 20060006244A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Controls and Measurements Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Controls and Measurements Corporation
• Inventors: Kadah, Ronald B., Morrow, Benjamin V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/12 room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 236/19 Ventilated thermostat

Abstract

A wall plate for a wall thermostat blocks intrusion air from the thermostat. The wall plate has a wire passage aligned with the wall penetration through which the thermostat wires emerge. The wall plate member directs any intrusion air that flows out the penetration away from the cavity of said thermostat. An insulating layer, e.g., a closed-cell foam sheet, in the wall plate insulates the thermostat from direct thermal contact with the wall. The closed-cell material closes around the thermostat wires. Bosses or feet on the thermostat back plate create a standoff between the wall plate and the thermostat.

Claims

1. A thermostat arrangement adapted for mounting on a wall of a controlled space, comprising:

a thermostat having a front cover and a back plate adapted to be mounted on said wall, with the back plate and the cover defining a cavity within which are contained control circuitry, and contacts which are adapted to receive two or more thermostat wires that protrude through a penetration of said wall;

the back plate including fastener holes adapted for receiving attaching means to mount the thermostat on said wall over said penetration, and a thermostat wire opening adapted to receive said two or more thermostat wires that protrude from said penetration in said wall; and

a wall plate member adapted to be installed between said wall and the back plate of said thermostat, the wall plate member having a small wire passage aligned with said penetration and through which said thermostat wires are passed, the wall plate member, at the location of said passage, being formed of a material capable of closing over said wires, and said wall plate member serving as a barrier to direct air flowing out the penetration in said wall away from the cavity of said thermostat;

said wall plate member further including a thermal barrier to block thermal contact between the back plate of the thermostat and said wall.

2. The thermostat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said wall plate member includes slots that are adapted to align with the positions of said fastener holes.

3. The thermostat assembly according to claim 2, wherein said wall plate member is formed of a flexible resilient material at least at the location of said wire passage.

4. The thermostat assembly according to claim 1, wherein said wall plate member includes a front rigid wall plate, and said thermal barrier includes a sheet of closed cell foam fitted onto a wall-facing side of said front rigid wall plate.

5. The thermostat assembly according to claim 4, wherein said front rigid wall plate has a generally rectangular recess on its wall facing side, and said sheet of closed cell foam is fitted into said recess.

6. The thermostat assembly according to claim 4, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has a nominal thickness of about ⅛

inch.

7. The thermostat assembly according to claim 1, wherein one or both of said thermostat back plate and said wall plate member has feet that protrude therefrom towards the other, so as to define a predetermined standoff between the thermostat back plate and said wall plate member, said standoff creating an air space between the wall plate member and the thermostat.

8. The thermostat assembly according to claim 1, wherein said thermostat back plate has a plurality of feet that protrude distally therefrom, and said wall plate member has corresponding receptacles therein to receive said feet so as to define a predetermined standoff between the thermostat back plate and a proximal surface of said wall plate member.

9. The thermostat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said intrusion air barrier is incorporated into the back plate of said thermostat.

10. A thermostat arrangement adapted for mounting on a wall of a controlled space, comprising:

a thermostat having a front cover and a back plate adapted to be mounted on said wall, with the back plate and the cover defining a cavity within which are contained control circuitry, and contacts which are adapted to receive two or more thermostat wires that protrude through a penetration of said wall;

the back plate including openings adapted for receiving attaching means to mount the thermostat on said wall over said penetration, and a thermostat wire opening adapted to receive said two or more thermostat wires that protrude from said penetration in said wall;

an intrusion air barrier positioned at the thermostat wire opening of said back plate, having a passage through which said thermostat wires are passed, said passage closing over said wires and said barrier serving to direct air flowing out the penetration in said wall away from the cavity of said thermostat; and

a thermal barrier positioned between the thermostat back plate and said wall to block direct thermal contact between the thermostat and said wall.

11. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said thermal barrier is formed of a sheet of closed cell foam material.

12. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 10, further comprising means defining a stand off between the back plate of said thermostat and said intrusion air barrier and said thermal barrier, so as to create an space filled with room air behind the back plate of said thermostat.

13. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said intrusion air barrier is incorporated into the back plate of said thermostat.

14. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said thermal barrier is formed of a sheet of closed cell foam material.