BATTERY-POWERED CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20160363342A1
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• 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, Kim, Moonchul, Bhar, Yves, Murphy-Reinhertz, Noah, Ihrig, Mirko
• Granted Patent: US 10,222,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A battery-powered environmental control and/or sensor device for mounting on a surface, comprising:

a mounting plate arranged to be affixed to a support surface; and

a main body comprising a battery compartment, wherein the main body is configured to be releasably secured to the mounting plate and wherein the battery compartment is substantially inaccessible when the main body is secured to the mounting plate;

wherein the mounting plate and the main body respectively comprise complementary securing elements arranged to secure the main body to the mounting plate;

wherein one of the mounting plate and the main body comprises 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; and

wherein the lever is operable when activated to disengage the complementary securing elements and release the main body from the mounting plate to enable access to the battery compartment.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the lever is configured to separate the main body from the mounting plate when the lever is activated.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the lever is disposed on one of the mounting plate and the main body, and is configured to push against the other of the mounting plate and the main body when the lever is activated, thereby pushing the mounting plate and main body apart from each other.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein a first end portion of the lever, comprising the portion extending beyond the periphery of the device to be operable by a user, is angled with respect to a second end portion of the lever such that, when the second end portion is disposed substantially parallel to the mounting plate, the first end portion is angled away from a plane defined by the mounting plate.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the complementary securing elements comprise one or more latch elements formed on one of the mounting plate and the main body and one or more corresponding apertures formed in the other one of the mounting plate and the main body.

10. A device according to claim 9, the main body comprising a substantially rectangular shape, the device comprising at least two latch elements with corresponding apertures, spaced substantially equally from two opposing sides of the device, the two opposing sides disposed perpendicular to a first side from which the lever extends.

11. A device according to claim 9, wherein a latch element comprises a resilient latch projection resiliently engageable in a corresponding aperture, wherein operation of the lever overcomes the resilient engagement thereby disengaging the latch projection from the aperture.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the lever is disposed at a first side of the device and wherein the main body is configured to pivot away from the mounting plate along a second side of the device opposite to the first side when the lever is operated.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the lever is disposed at a first side of the device, the main body configured to be loosely and/or pivotably coupled to the mounting plate at a second side opposite the first side when secured on the mounting plate.

16. A device according to claim 15, the mounting plate comprising one or more rigid projections or hooks formed at the second, opposite, side of the device for insertion into corresponding apertures in the main body.

17. A device according to claim 1, wherein, after operation of the lever to disengage the securing means, the main body can be lifted clear of the mounting plate, preferably by lifting the main body off the hooks.

18. A device according to claim 1, wherein the battery compartment is formed as one or more uncovered recesses in the main body configured to receive one or more batteries, and to be accessible once the main body is removed from the mounting plate.

19. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a heating system control/sensor device.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

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

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

a removable cover configured 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.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein the removable cover forms one or more side faces of the device.

23. A device according to claim 21, wherein the main body comprises a fixed front face, comprising one or more control elements and/or display elements, and wherein the removable cover does not cover the front face.

24. A device according to claim 21, wherein the removable cover is in the form of a sleeve configured to cover the side surface preferably around substantially the entire periphery of the main body.

25. A device according to claim 21, wherein the main body is substantially rectangular and wherein the removable cover is in the form of a substantially rectangular sleeve configured to form the four side faces of the device by covering respective side faces of the main body.

26. A device according to claim 24, wherein the sleeve is removable by sliding the sleeve parallel to at least one of the side faces of the main body.

27. A device according to claim 21, wherein the removable cover comprises at least one of:

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;

one or more control elements arranged to engage corresponding control components on the main body when the cover is secured to the main body.

30. A device according to claim 21, wherein the main body and the removable cover comprise complementary securing elements arranged to secure the cover to the main body, wherein the complementary securing elements include one or more resilient latch elements formed on the main body, and arranged to engage one or more corresponding formations formed on the removable cover, the cover being releasable by flexing the one or more latch elements to disengage them from the formations in the cover.

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

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33. (canceled)

34. 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 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 around substantially the entire periphery of the main body.

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)