Flat plate thermostat and wall mounting method
First Claim
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1. An installed reduced profile programmable thermostat comprising:
- (a) a cover plate and circuit board assembly comprising a cover plate and at least one circuit board;
(b) a backside of the cover plate being integral with and functionally adjacent to a front side of a first circuit board comprising thermostatic control circuit elements, such backside of the cover plate having top and side edges that are adapted to extend substantially beyond top and side edges of the first circuit board, such further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges further adapted to supportively engage and oppose a mounting wall; and
(c) a thermostat opening formed in a substantially flat mounting wall with an outside surface, the further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges supportively pressed by support means to the outside surface adjacent to the thermostat opening such that a front side of the cover plate displays at least one or more aspects of the programmable thermostat and visually covers the thermostat opening and the first circuit board is located behind the plane of the outside surface.
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Abstract
The present invention provides preferably one or optionally two printed circuit boards that project from supports on a single cover plate into the wall opening formed preferably for a standard 3.5 inch by 2 1/16 inch junction or outlet box. Screw holes are provided in the cover plate to match the standard screw holes in the single junction box and a high degree of functionality is provided in the programmable thermostat via the components on the printed circuit board such that the printed circuit boards are about only as long as the distance between those screw holes and still fit within the width of the single junction box.
287 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An installed reduced profile programmable thermostat comprising:
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(a) a cover plate and circuit board assembly comprising a cover plate and at least one circuit board; (b) a backside of the cover plate being integral with and functionally adjacent to a front side of a first circuit board comprising thermostatic control circuit elements, such backside of the cover plate having top and side edges that are adapted to extend substantially beyond top and side edges of the first circuit board, such further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges further adapted to supportively engage and oppose a mounting wall; and (c) a thermostat opening formed in a substantially flat mounting wall with an outside surface, the further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges supportively pressed by support means to the outside surface adjacent to the thermostat opening such that a front side of the cover plate displays at least one or more aspects of the programmable thermostat and visually covers the thermostat opening and the first circuit board is located behind the plane of the outside surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An installed reduced profile programmable thermostat comprising:
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(a) a cover plate and circuit board assembly comprising a cover plate and at least one circuit board; (b) a backside of the cover plate being integral with and functionally adjacent to a front side of a first circuit board comprising thermostatic control circuit elements, such backside of the cover plate having top and side edges that are adapted to extend substantially beyond top and side edges of the first circuit board, such further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges further adapted to supportively engage and oppose a mounting wall; and (c) a thermostat opening formed in a substantially flat mounting wall with an outside surface, the further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges supportively pressed by support means to the outside surface adjacent to the thermostat opening such that a front side of the cover plate displays at least one or more aspects of the programmable thermostat and visually covers the thermostat opening and the first circuit board is substantially located beyond a backside of the mounting wall without an enclosing housing. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An installed reduced profile programmable thermostat comprising:
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(a) a cover plate and circuit board assembly comprising a cover plate and at least one circuit board; (b) a backside of the cover plate being integral with and functionally adjacent to a front side of first circuit board, such backside of the cover plate having top and side edges that are adapted to extend substantially beyond top and side edges of the first circuit board, such further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges further adapted to supportively engage and oppose a mounting wall; (c) a thermostat opening formed in a substantially flat mounting wall with an outside surface, the further extension of the backside of the cover plate top and side edges supportively pressed by support means to the outside surface adjacent to the thermostat opening such that a front side of the cover plate displays at least one or more aspects of the programmable thermostat and visually covers the thermostat opening; (d) the cover plate further adapted such that most of the front side of the cover plate extends laterally or normally from the outside surface of the mounting wall up to less than or equal to about 0.25 inches; and (e) a substantially smaller portion of the front side of the cover plate extends to a temperature sensor opening adapted to form therebeneath a cavity for protection of a temperature sensing component wherein the temperature sensor opening comprises a vertically slotted opening, such vertical slots adapted to permit natural convection of air adjacent to the front side of the cover plate to pass over the temperature sensing component and wherein sealing means seal from the backside of the cover plate to the front side of the first circuit board about the temperature sensing component such that substantially only air adjacent to the front side of the cover plate flows across the temperature sensing element.
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Specification