Flush wall mount thermostat and in-set mounting plate for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system

• US 8,802,981 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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: Wallaert, Timothy, Thorson, Timothy H., Pavlak, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGHESE, ROSHN K
• Application Number:
  US12/603,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20100101854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 174/58, 174/481, 174/502, 174/503, 174/480, 174/489, 174/561, 174/562, 361/679.61, 361/809, 361/679.02, 361/679.58, 361/679.16, 361/679.39, 361/679.49, 361/679.5, 361/692, 236/91.C, 236/91.D, 236/94, 220/3.2, 220/3.6, 220/210, 220/242, 700/276, 337/380
• US Class Current: 174/58
• 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 heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) thermostat controller, comprising:

a mounting plate having front and back sides, said front side being defined by a recess having a geometric shape and formed therein and a wall covering flange extending around a perimeter of said recess and further comprising an electrical block pin connector located and fixed within said recess and extending outwardly from said front side of said recess, said back side being defined by a raised surface geometrically corresponding to said geometric shape of said recess; and

a controller housing having a front panel having an outer edge oriented toward a rear of said controller housing and with vents located therein and that includes a display screen, and a back panel coupled to said front panel and having and outer edge, oriented toward a front of said controller housing and with vents located therein, wherein said outer edges of said front panel and said back panel oppose each other when said front panel and said back panel are coupled together and wherein an exterior surface of said back panel has a raised surface that has a geometric shape that corresponds to a geometric shape of said recess and is configured to be received within said recess of said mounting plate, such that said vents of said outer edges of said front and back panels are uncovered when said back panel is received with said recess of said mounting plate, said back panel further including an electrical block pin connector affixed thereto and configured to cooperatively engage said electrical block pin connector of said separate mounting plate to provide an electrical connection between said mounting plate and said controller housing.

2. The HVAC controller recited in claim 1, wherein said raised surface of said back side of said controller includes one or more latch openings located in said raised surface of said back side and said mounting plate comprises one or more latches located in said recess configured to be received and latachably engaged in said one or more latch openings.

3. The HVAC controller recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs coupled at said back side of said mounting plate and 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 HVAC controller recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs 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 HVAC controller recited in claim 1, further including movable tabs rotatably coupled to said back side of said mounting plate by a pin and configured to rotate in opposing directions and against an inside face of said wall.

6. The HVAC controller 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 HVAC controller 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 HVAC controller recited in claim 1, wherein said wall covering flange of said mounting plate includes mounting openings therein.

9. The HVAC controller recited in claim 8, wherein said mounting openings are positioned about said wall covering flange such that said mounting plate are attachable to an electrical connection box.

10. The HVAC controller recited in claim 1, wherein a perimeter of said raised portion on said back panel is smaller than a perimeter of said back panel.

11. The HVAC controller recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic components are located on a printed wiring board (PWB) within said housing.

12. The HVAC controller 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.

13. The HVAC controller recited in claim 1 wherein said back panel has a plurality of testing probe holes that align with a testing contact pad of said electrical components within said controller housing to allow a testing probe to be inserted through at least one of said plurality of testing probe holes to test said electrical components.