HVAC wall mountable connector with movable door

• US 9,667,009 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Read, Travis, Emmons, David J
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgos-Guntin, Nelson R
• Application Number:
  US15/042,913
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 439136, 439709, 439719, 439718, 439441, 439573, 439439
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/04 Bases; Housings; Mountings H01H37/5427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/00 Coupling devices specially adapted for supporting apparatus and having one part acting as a holder providing support and electrical connection via a counterpart which is structurally associated with the apparatus, e.g. lamp holders; Separate parts thereof

Abstract

A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall is disclosed. The wall mountable connector provides electrical connections between the wall mountable connector and a plurality of field wires that are operably coupled with HVAC equipment. The wall mountable connector also providing electrical connections between the wall mountable connector and the thermostat. The wall mountable connector includes a door that is movable between an open position in which the electrical connections with the field wires are accessible and a closed position in which the electrical connections with the field wires are not accessible and/or visible to the user.

Claims

1. A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall, the wall mountable connector comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side, the back side is configured to be mountable to the wall;

the housing defining a field wire receiving cavity;

the housing defining a field wire aperture through the back side of the housing and into the field wire receiving cavity, the field wire aperture configured to accommodate one or more field wires;

a first wiring connection block positioned along the left side of the field wire receiving cavity, the first wiring connection block configured to electrically connect to one or more field wires;

a second wiring connection block positioned along the right side of the field wire receiving cavity, the second wiring connection block configured to electrically connect to one or more field wires;

a front side of the field wire receiving cavity is open to allow a user to gain access and electrically connect one or more field wires in the field wire receiving cavity to the first wiring connection block and one or more other field wires the second wiring connection block; and

a door movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position, the door is situated along the front side of the field wire receiving cavity.

2. The wall mountable connector of claim 1 wherein, when the door is in the closed position, the door covers the front side of the field wire receiving cavity, the first wiring connection block and the second wiring connection block.

3. The wall mountable connector of claim 1 wherein, when the door is in the open position, the door is moved away from the front side of the field wire receiving cavity to provide user access to the field wire receiving cavity, the first wiring connection block and the second wiring connection block.

4. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein the door includes a hinged connection to the housing.

5. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, further comprising:

a hinge disposed at or near a lower end of the door that hinges the door to the housing; and

a securement located at or near an upper end of the door, the securement configured to releasably secure the door in the closed position.

6. The wall mountable connector of claim 5, wherein the door further comprises a graspable portion disposed proximate the securement, the graspable portion configured to help a user open the door and move the door from the closed position to the open position.

7. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein the door comprises an inner surface configured to accommodate printed information thereupon, and wherein the printed information instructs an individual to check a website for thermostat compatibility information.

8. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a recess for receiving the door when the door is moved to the closed position.

9. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein the first wiring connection block comprises a plurality of spaced wire connection terminals, and wherein the housing defines a plurality of a field wire receiving holes that each extend from the field wire receiving cavity to a corresponding one of the plurality of spaced wire connection terminals.

10. A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall, the wall mountable connector comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side, the back side is configured to be mountable to the wall;

the housing defining a field wire receiving cavity;

the housing defining a field wire aperture through the back side of the housing and into the field wire receiving cavity, the field wire aperture configured to accommodate one or more field wires;

a first connection block positioned along a first side of the field wire receiving cavity, the first connection block including;

a first column of pin terminals configured to accommodate a first column of pins extending backward from the thermostat;

a first column of wiring terminals each electrically coupled with a corresponding one of the first column of pin terminals, with each of the first column of wiring terminals configured to electrically connect to a field wire;

a second connection block positioned along a second opposing side of the field wire receiving cavity, the second connection block including;

a second column of pin terminals configured to accommodate a second column of pins extending backward from the thermostat;

a second column of wiring terminals each electrically coupled with a corresponding one of the second column of pin terminals, with each of the second column of wiring terminals configured to electrically connect to a field wire; and

a door moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position, the door covers the first column of wiring terminals and the second column of wiring terminals.

11. The wall mountable connector of claim 10, wherein the door, when in the closed position, does not cover the first column of pin terminals or the second column of pin terminals.

12. The wall mountable connector of claim 10, further comprising a first set of labels labeling the first column of wiring terminals and a second set of labels labeling the second column of wiring terminals, the first and second sets of labels being visible when the door is in the open position and are not visible when the door is in the closed position.

13. The wall mountable connector of claim 10, wherein the door is secured to the housing via a hinge disposed at a lower end of the door.

14. The wall mountable connector of claim 10, wherein the door further includes a securement that is located at an upper end of the door and that is configured to releasably secure the door in the closed position.

15. The wall mountable connector of claim 14, wherein the door further comprises a graspable portion disposed proximate the securement, the graspable portion configured to help a user open the door and move the door from the closed position to the open position.

16. A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall, the wall mountable connector comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side, the back side is configured to be mountable to the wall;

the housing defining a field wire receiving cavity, with a wiring connection block accessible via the field wire receiving cavity, the wiring connection block configured to electrically connect to one or more field wires;

the housing defining a field wire aperture through the back side of the housing and into the field wire receiving cavity, the field wire aperture configured to accommodate one or more field wires;

a front side of the field wire receiving cavity is open to allow a user to gain access and electrically connect one or more field wires in the field wire receiving cavity to the wiring connection block; and

a door movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position, the door is situated along the front side of the field wire receiving cavity.

17. The wall mountable connector of claim 16 wherein, when the door is in the open position, the door is moved away from the front side of the field wire receiving cavity to provide user access to the field wire receiving cavity and the wiring connection block.

18. The wall mountable connector of claim 16, wherein the wiring connection block is not visible from the front side of the housing when the door is in the closed position.

19. The wall mountable connector of claim 16, wherein the field wire receiving cavity is visible from the front side of the housing when the door is in the open position and the field wire receiving cavity is not visible from the front side of the housing when the door is in the closed position.

20. The wall mountable connector of claim 16, further comprising:

a hinge disposed at or near a lower end of the door that hinges the door to the housing; and

a securement located at or near an upper end of the door, the securement configured to releasably secure the door in the closed position.