Wall mounted controller assembly

• US 7,633,743 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Run Qing, Barton, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US11/457,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/679.01, 361/679.21
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0013 assembled by resilient members

Abstract

Controller assemblies including a control unit releasably supported to a mounting plate are disclosed. An illustrative controller assembly can include a mounting plate and a control unit that can be attached together via a number of latching mechanisms and corresponding mating recesses. Each latching mechanism can include a bendable latch and a latch shroud, which together are adapted to fit within a clearance area of the mating recess. The control unit can be removed from the mounting plate by rotating the control unit away from the mounting plate via a finger grip located along an edge of the assembly. The latching mechanisms can be configured to permit the staged removal of the control unit, reducing the force required to remove the control unit from the mounting plate.

Claims

1. A controller assembly, comprising:

a mounting plate including a plate body having a mounting side, a non-mounting side, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said mounting plate defining a number of latching mechanisms at least one of which includes a latch shroud and a corresponding bendable latch disposed adjacent to the latch shroud, wherein the latch shroud is spaced inward from the upper edge and/or lower edge of the mounting plate and includes a tapered edge facing toward the bendable latch;

a socket connector defining a number of socket inlets;

a control unit releasably attachable to the mounting plate and including an upper edge and a lower edge, the control unit including a number of mating recesses each defining a clearance area configured to receive a corresponding latching mechanism including a corresponding latch shroud; and

a number of connector pins each configured to engage a corresponding socket inlet of the socket connector;

wherein the latch shroud is configured and positioned relative to the bendable latch such that the latch shroud of the mounting plate interacts with a corresponding mating recess of the control unit to facilitate alignment of the control unit with the mounting plate when attaching the control unit to the mounting plate.

2. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein a lower lateral edge of the controller assembly defines a finger grip.

3. The controller assembly of claim 2, wherein the finger grip comprises an inset portion of the controller assembly including a first recessed section along the lower edge of the mounting plate and a second recessed section along the lower edge of the control unit.

4. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein said number of latching mechanisms comprises:

one or more upper latching mechanisms each including an upper bendable latch disposed adjacent to a corresponding upper latch shroud; and

one or more lower latching mechanisms each including a lower bendable latch disposed adjacent to a corresponding lower latch shroud.

5. The controller assembly of claim 4, wherein the lower latching mechanisms and upper latching mechanisms are configured to permit a staged disassembly of the control unit from the mounting plate.

6. The controller assembly of claim 4, wherein the profile of the upper latch shrouds is different than the profile of the lower latch shrouds.

7. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein each mating recess includes a mating surface configured to releasably secure to the bendable latch.

8. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein detachment of the control unit from the mounting plate includes rotating the control unit away from the mounting plate.

9. The controller assembly of claim 8, wherein assembly of the control unit to the mounting plate can be accomplished in a substantially straight manner normal to the mounting plate.

10. The controller assembly of claim 9, wherein the socket connector is located on a lower half of the mounting plate toward the lower edge thereof.

11. The controller assembly of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the connector pins are surface mounted to the printed circuit board.

12. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the socket connector is a terminal block.

13. The controller assembly of claim 1, wherein the control unit is a thermostat.

14. A controller assembly, comprising:

a mounting plate including a plate body having a mounting side, a non-mounting side, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said mounting plate defining a number of upper latching mechanisms and a number of lower latching mechanisms, at least one of said upper and lower latching mechanisms each including a latch shroud and a bendable latch disposed adjacent to the latch shroud, wherein the latch shroud is disposed between the bendable latch and an edge of the mounting plate and extends up from a base at the mounting plate to a terminating end, and wherein at least one of the latch shrouds of an upper latching mechanism includes a tapered edge surface facing the bendable latch that is configured to be spaced further from the bendable latch toward the terminating end of the latch shroud than toward the base of the latch shroud;

a socket connector coupled to the mounting plate, the socket connector defining a number of socket inlets;

a control unit releasably attachable to the mounting plate and including an upper edge, a lower edge, and a rear, the rear of the control unit including a number of mating recesses each defining a clearance area for receiving a corresponding latching mechanism including the at least one latch shroud, the tapered surface of the at least one latch shroud is configured to provide clearance such that the corresponding mating recess does not interference with the latch shroud when a lower edge of the control unit is rotated upward relative to the mounting plate; and

a circuit board including a number of connector pins extending outwardly from the rear of the control unit, each connector pin is configured to engage a corresponding socket inlet of the socket connector.

15. A controller assembly, comprising:

a mounting plate including a plate body having a mounting side, a non-mounting side, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said mounting plate defining a number of upper latching mechanisms and a number of lower latching mechanisms, at least one of said upper and lower latching mechanisms including a bendable latch disposed adjacent to a corresponding latch shroud;

a socket connector defining a number of socket inlets;

a control unit releasably attachable to the mounting plate and including an upper edge and a lower edge, the control unit including a number of mating recesses each defining a clearance area that is configured to receive a corresponding latching mechanism including a corresponding latch shroud if present; and

a number of connector pins each adapted to engage a corresponding socket inlet of the socket connector;

wherein the latch shrouds of said upper and lower latching mechanisms are configured and positioned relative to their corresponding bendable latches such that the latch shrouds of the mounting plate interact with corresponding mating recesses of the control unit to facilitate alignment of the control unit with the mounting plate during assembly of the control unit with the mounting plate; and

wherein said upper and lower latching mechanisms are configured to permit the control unit to be initially rotated away from the mounting plate during disassembly, and the control unit to be engaged against the mounting plate in a substantially straight manner normal to the mounting plate during assembly.

16. A mounting plate for mounting a controller to a surface, the mounting plate comprising:

a plate body having a mounting side, a non-mounting side, a first edge, and a second edge opposite the first edge, said mounting plate defining a first number of latching mechanisms adjacent to the first edge of the plate body and a second number of latching mechanisms adjacent to the second edge of the plate body, at least one of said first and second latching mechanisms including a bendable latch adjacent to a latch shroud, wherein the latch shroud has a first wall and a second wall with the first wall extending substantially perpendicular to the second wall, and wherein the second wall extending away from the first wall and in a direction away from the first edge of the plate body and generally toward the bendable latch and includes a tapered edge facing the corresponding bendable latch; and

a socket connector coupled to the plate body and defining a number of socket inlets.

17. The mounting plate of claim 16, wherein the profile of the latch shrouds of said first number of latching mechanisms is different than the profile of the latch shrouds of said second number of latching mechanisms.

18. The mounting plate of claim 16, wherein the socket connector is a terminal block.

19. The mounting plate of claim 16, wherein the plate body includes a recessed section along one of said first and second mounting plate edges, said recessed section adapted to align with a recessed section on a controller.