Thermostat with wiring terminals configured for spatial compactness and ease of wire installation
First Claim
1. A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:
- a backplate including a backplate circuit board, the backplate circuit board having a plurality of electrical components mounted thereon, the backplate adapted to be mounted on a wall, the backplate circuit board having a central opening to allow for the passage of a plurality of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat;
a head unit body including a display for displaying information to a user, the head unit removeably mountable to the back plate;
a plurality of wiring terminals each adapted and configured to make an electrical connection with an HVAC wire, wherein the plurality of wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate circuit board and arranged along one or more arcs about the central opening of the backplate circuit board, wherein each of the wiring terminals has a wire hole facing the central opening and a button member positioned nearer to an outer periphery of the backplate circuit board than said wire hole; and
a backplate cover configured to cover said plurality of electrical components, the backplate cover having a plurality of openings through which said button members protrude to allow access thereto by the fingers of the user, whereby the user can access said button members without their fingers coming into contact with said electrical components.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a circular wall-mountable backplate with a central opening to allow for the passage of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat. The head unit body is also circular and is removeably mountable to the back plate. A plurality of wedge-shaped wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate for making a tool-free connection to HVAC wires. Each wiring terminal has button that a user can depress while a wire is inserted in a wire hole. The terminals are arranged along one or more circular arcs about the central opening of the backplate such that the wire holes face the central opening and the buttons are located close to the outer periphery of the backplate.
111 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:
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a backplate including a backplate circuit board, the backplate circuit board having a plurality of electrical components mounted thereon, the backplate adapted to be mounted on a wall, the backplate circuit board having a central opening to allow for the passage of a plurality of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat; a head unit body including a display for displaying information to a user, the head unit removeably mountable to the back plate; a plurality of wiring terminals each adapted and configured to make an electrical connection with an HVAC wire, wherein the plurality of wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate circuit board and arranged along one or more arcs about the central opening of the backplate circuit board, wherein each of the wiring terminals has a wire hole facing the central opening and a button member positioned nearer to an outer periphery of the backplate circuit board than said wire hole; and a backplate cover configured to cover said plurality of electrical components, the backplate cover having a plurality of openings through which said button members protrude to allow access thereto by the fingers of the user, whereby the user can access said button members without their fingers coming into contact with said electrical components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:
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a backplate including a backplate circuit board, the backplate circuit board having a plurality of electrical components mounted thereon, the backplate adapted to be mounted on a wall, the backplate circuit board having a central opening to allow for the passage of a plurality of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat; a head unit including a display for displaying information to a user, the head unit removeably mountable to the back plate; a plurality of tool-free wiring terminals each adapted and configured to make an electrical connection with an HVAC wire, wherein the plurality of wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate circuit board and arranged along one or more arcs about the central opening of the backplate circuit board, each wiring terminal having a wire hole facing the central opening and a button member positioned nearer to an outer periphery of the backplate circuit board than said wire hole, the wiring terminals being adapted and configured to allow the user to make an electrical connection with the HVAC wire without the use of tools by pressing the button member and inserting the HVAC wire into the wire hole, wherein a distance between the button member and the wire hole is at least 8 millimeters; and a backplate cover configured to cover said plurality of electrical components, the backplate cover having a plurality of openings through which said button members protrude to allow access thereto by the fingers of the user such that the user can access said button members without their fingers coming into contact with said electrical components. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system comprising:
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a backplate including a backplate circuit board, the backplate circuit board having a plurality of electrical components mounted thereon, the backplate adapted to be mounted on a wall, the backplate circuit board having a central opening to allow for the passage of a plurality of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat; a head unit including a display for displaying information to a user, the head unit removeably mountable to the back plate; a plurality of tool-free wiring terminals each adapted and configured to make an electrical connection with an HVAC wire, wherein the plurality of wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate circuit board and arranged along two circular arc-shaped banks about the central opening of the backplate circuit board, each wiring terminal having a wire hole facing the central opening and a button member positioned nearer to an outer periphery of the backplate circuit board than said wire hole, each bank including at least four wiring terminals, and each of the wiring terminals being adapted and configured to allow the user to make an electrical connection with the HVAC wire without the use of tools by pressing the button member and inserting the HVAC wire into the wire hole; and a backplate cover configured to cover said plurality of electrical components, the backplate cover having a plurality of openings through which said button members protrude such that the user can access said button members without their fingers coming into contact with said electrical components. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification