FLUSH WALL MOUNT THERMOSTAT AND IN-SET MOUNTING PLATE FOR A HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20100101854A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thorson, Timothy H., Wallaert, Timothy, Pavlak, Thomas G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,802,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/502
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/20 Casings or covers
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/123 in thin walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49833 Punching, piercing or reaming part by surface of second part

Abstract

One aspect provides of this disclosure provides a flush wall mounting system for an electronic controller. This embodiment comprises a housing for receiving electrical components therein and having a front panel and a back panel coupled to the front panel. The back panel has a raised portion extending therefrom. This aspect further includes a mounting plate removably couplable to the back panel of the housing and has front and back sides. The front side includes a flange around a perimeter thereof and has a recess formed therein configured to receive the raised portion of the back panel therein. The recess forms a raised portion extending from the back side and configured to be receivable within an opening in a wall. A method for manufacturing the mounting system is also provided.

Claims

1. A flush wall mounting system for an electronic controller, comprising:

a housing for receiving electrical components therein and having a front panel and a back panel coupled to said front panel, said back panel having a raised portion extending therefrom; and

a mounting plate removably couplable to said back panel of said housing and having front and back sides, said front side including a flange around a perimeter thereof and having a recess formed therein configured to receive said raised portion of said back panel therein, said recess forming a raised portion extending from said back side and configured to be receivable within an opening in a wall.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said back panel includes one or more latch openings located in said raised portion of said back panel and one or more latches located in said recessed portion and configured to be received and latchably engaged in said one or more latch openings.

3. The system recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs wherein said movable tabs are coupled at said back side of said mounting plate and are comprised of a malleable material that allows said tabs to be bent against an inside face of said wall and secure said mounting plate to said wall.

4. The system recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs wherein said movable tabs are rotatably coupled to said mounting plate and said mounting plate further includes elongated slots located on opposing sides of an inside edge of said recess and wherein said tabs are coupled to said mounting plate with a pin and are configured to rotate through said elongated slots and into an edge of said opening in said wall.

5. The system recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs wherein each of said movable tabs are rotatably coupled to said back side of said mounting plate by a pin and are configured to rotate in opposing directions and against an inside face of said wall.

6. The system recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs wherein said movable tabs are opposing slidable plates located on said back side of said mounting plate and each slidably captured within a track, said movable tabs configured to slide within said track and against an inside face of said wall.

7. The system recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs, wherein said movable tabs are threadably couplable to said back side of said mounting plate with a screw and configured to exert a securing force against an inside face of said wall when said screw is rotated with respect to said mounting plate.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said flange of said mounting plate includes mounting holes.

9. The system recited in claim 8, wherein said holes are positioned about said flange such that said mounting plate are attachable to an electrical connection box.

10. The system recited in claim 1, wherein a footprint of said raised portion on said back panel is smaller than a footprint of said back panel and a footprint of said recess of said mounting plate.

11. The system recited in claim 1, further including electronic components located on a printed wiring board (PWB) within said housing and said PWB includes connector pins extending into a connector opening located in said back panel.

12. The system recited in claim 11, wherein said mounting plate includes an electrical wire connector block located within said recess and having connector ports configured to receivably said connector pins when said housing and said mounting plate are coupled together.

13. The system recited in claim 1, said front panel includes a screen opening and wherein said electronic components includes a touch screen control panel exposed by said screen panel opening.

14. The system recited in claim 1 wherein said back panel and said flange have a plurality of testing probe holes that respectively align with each other when said housing is coupled to said mounting plate to allow a testing probe to be inserted through at least one of said plurality of testing probe holes.

15. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a plurality vent slots located along side edges of said front and back panels and wherein said vent on said edges of said back panel are uncovered when said housing is coupled to said mounting plate.

16. The system recited in claim 1 wherein said housing is a thermostat housing and said mounting plate is a thermostat mounting plate.

17. A method of fabricating a flush wall mounting system for an electronic controller, comprising:

forming a front panel of a housing for receiving electrical components therein;

forming a back panel of said housing, said back panel having a having a raised portion extending therefrom; and

forming a mounting plate that is removably couplable to said back panel, said mounting plate having front and back sides, said front side including a flange around a perimeter thereof and having a recess formed therein configured to receive said raised portion of said back panel therein, said recess forming a raised portion extending from said back side and configured to be receivable within an opening in a wall.

18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein forming said back panel includes forming latch openings in said raised portion and forming said mounting plate including forming latches in said recessed portion wherein said latches are configured to be received and latchably engaged in said latch openings.

19. The method recited in claim 17, wherein forming said flange includes forming mounting holes through said flange.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein forming mounting holes includes forming holes that are positioned about said flange such that said mounting plate can be attached to an electrical connection box.

21. The method recited in claim 17, further including placing a printed wiring board (PWB) having electrical components located thereon within said housing, said PWB including connector pins extending into a connector opening located in said back panel.

22. The method recited in claim 21, further including attaching an electrical wire connector block to said front side and within said recess of said mounting plate, wherein said wire connector block includes connector ports configured to be engaged and received by said connector pins when said housing and said mounting plate are coupled together.

23. The method recited in claim 21, wherein forming said front panel includes forming a screen panel opening therein and placing said PWB includes placing a touch screen electrically coupled to said PWB within said housing such that said touch screen is exposed by said screen panel opening.

24. The method recited in claim 17 wherein forming said back panel and forming said mounting plate includes forming one or more testing probe openings in said back panel and said flange of said mount plate that respectively align with each other when said housing is coupled to said mounting plate, said testing probe openings configured to allow a testing probe to be inserted therethrough.

25. The method recited in claim 17, wherein forming said front and back panels includes forming vent slots along edges of said front and back panels such that said vent slots on said edges of said back panel are uncovered when said housing is mounted to said mounting plate.

26. The method recited in claim 17 wherein said housing is a thermostat housing and said mounting plate is a thermostat mounting plate.

27. The method recited in claim 17, further including coupling movable tabs said back side of said mounting plate, wherein said movable tabs are comprised of a malleable material that allows said tabs to be bent against an inside face of said wall and secure said mounting plate to said wall.

28. The method recited in claim 17, further including rotatably coupling movable tabs to said mounting plate with a pin and forming elongated slots located on opposing sides of an inside edge of said recess and wherein said movable tabs configured to rotate through said elongated slots and into an edge of said opening in said wall.

29. The method recited in claim 17, further including rotatably coupling movable tabs to said back side of said mounting plate by a pin, wherein said movable tabs are configured to rotate in opposing directions and against an inside face of said wall.

30. The method recited in claim 17, further including coupling movable tabs to said back side of said mounting wherein said movable tabs are opposing slidable plates located on said back side of said mounting plate and each slidably captured within a track, said movable tabs configured to slide within said track and against an inside face of said wall.

31. The method recited in claim 17, further including threadably coupling movable tabs to said back side of said mounting plate, wherein said movable tabs are threadably coupled to said back side of said mounting plate with a screw and configured to exert a securing force against an inside face of said wall when said screw is rotated with respect to said mounting plate.

32. A flush wall mounting plate for an electronic control system, comprising:

a mounting frame including a front side having a recess formed therein configured to receive an electronic control system housing therein and a back side having a raised portion configured to be inserted into an opening in a wall, said front side including a flange located about said front side; and

movable tabs located on an inside edge or back side of said recess and movably coupled to said frame, said movable tabs configured to secure said wall mounting plate within said opening when in an engaged position.

33. The plate recited in claim 32, wherein said movable tabs are coupled at said back side of said mounting plate and are comprised of a malleable material that allows said tabs to be bent against an inside face of said wall and secure said mounting plate to said wall.

34. The plate recited in claim 32, wherein said movable tabs are rotatably coupled to said mounting plate and said mounting plate further includes elongated slots located on opposing sides of said inside edge and wherein said tabs are coupled to said mounting plate with a pin and are configured to rotate through said elongated slots and into an edge of said opening in said wall.

35. The plate recited in claim 32, wherein each of said movable tabs are rotatably coupled to said back side of said mounting plate by a pin and are configured to rotate in opposing directions and against an inside face of said wall.

36. The plate recited in claim 32, wherein said movable tabs are opposing slidable plates located on said back side and each slidably captured within a track, said movable tabs configured to slide within said track and against an inside face of said wall.

37. The plate recited in claim 32, wherein said movable tabs are threadably couplable to said back side of said mounting plate with a screw and configured to exert a securing force against an inside face of said wall when said screw is rotated with respect to said mounting plate.