Thermostat with energy saving backlit switch actuators and visual display
First Claim
1. In a thermostat for an air conditioning system, a visual display and a plurality of user operable control switch actuators, plural light sources for illuminating said switch actuators and said visual display, respectively, and a control circuit operably associated with said switch actuators and said light sources, said control circuit being operable to maintain selected ones of said light sources in an energized state and responsive to actuation of at least selected ones of said switch actuators to cause said light sources for said display and at least selected ones of said switch actuators to be energized to at least temporarily illuminate said display and selected ones of said switch actuators.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air conditioning system thermostat includes a visual display and plural switch actuators, respectively backlit by an electroluminescent lamp and LED light sources mounted on a circuit board disposed in a thermostat housing. A control circuit causes at least one switch actuator to be illuminated continuously and the light sources for the display and the remaining switch actuators are illuminated in response to actuation of any one of the switch actuators. Switch contact elements mounted on the switch actuators and the circuit board provide advantageous positioning of the LED light sources for the switch actuators. An energy savings switch actuator allows the control circuit to directly assume setback temperature settings in response to a first actuation and a second actuation resets the thermostat to the initial user set temperature settings.
192 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. In a thermostat for an air conditioning system, a visual display and a plurality of user operable control switch actuators, plural light sources for illuminating said switch actuators and said visual display, respectively, and a control circuit operably associated with said switch actuators and said light sources, said control circuit being operable to maintain selected ones of said light sources in an energized state and responsive to actuation of at least selected ones of said switch actuators to cause said light sources for said display and at least selected ones of said switch actuators to be energized to at least temporarily illuminate said display and selected ones of said switch actuators.
- 13. In a thermostat for an air conditioning system, a housing supporting a visual display and a plurality of user operable light transmitting control switch actuators, plural LED light sources associated with said switch actuators, respectively, an electroluminescent lamp for illuminating said visual display, and a control circuit operably associated with said switch actuators and said light sources, said control circuit being operable to maintain at least one of said LED light sources in a continuously energized state and said control circuit is responsive to actuation of any one of at least selected ones of said switch actuators to cause said light sources for said display and said switch actuators to be energized to at least temporarily illuminate said display and said switch actuators, respectively.
-
19. In a thermostat for an air conditioning system, a housing supporting a visual display and a plurality of user operable control switch actuators, plural light sources associated with said switch actuators and said visual display, respectively, a control circuit operably connected to said switch actuators and said light sources, a circuit board supporting said light sources for disposition adjacent to said switch actuators, respectively, for projecting light on said switch actuators for illuminating same and said switch actuators including contact elements operable to engage cooperating contact elements on said circuit board adjacent to said light sources, respectively;
wherein said contact elements on said switch actuators are annular and said cooperating contact elements are disposed around respective openings in said circuit board through which light is projected by said light sources whereby said light sources are operable project light onto said switch actuators while allowing said contact elements of said switch actuators and said circuit board to engage each other to close respective switches associated with said switch actuators. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
21. In a thermostat for an air conditioning system, a housing supporting a visual display and a plurality of user operable control switch actuators, plural light sources associated with said switch actuators and said visual display, respectively, a control circuit operably connected to said switch actuators and said light sources, a circuit board supporting said light sources for disposition adjacent to said switch actuators, respectively, for projecting light on said switch actuators for illuminating same and said switch actuators including contact elements operable to engage cooperating contact elements on said circuit board adjacent to said light sources, respectively;
- wherein;
said contact elements on said switch actuators comprise annular disc members, said cooperating contact elements on said circuit board comprise substantially annular ring elements and said light sources are disposed substantially centrally with respect to said disc members and said ring elements, respectively.
- wherein;
Specification