Thermostat with energy saving backlit switch actuators and visual display

• US 7,299,996 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: American Standard Companies Incorporated (Ideal Standard International Topco SCA)
• Inventors: Garrett, Carl L., Storm, Timothy W., Erwin, W. Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US10/988,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 236/94, 621/26, 621/29, 165/11.1, 345/170
• US Class Current: 236/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

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.

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.

2. The thermostat set forth in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said switch actuators includes a light source which is continuously illuminated for locating said thermostat by a user in a dark environment.

3. The thermostat set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said light source for said visual display is an electroluminescent lamp.

4. The thermostat set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said lamp is disposed between said visual display and a circuit board disposed in a housing of said thermostat.

5. The thermostat set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said light sources for at least selected ones of said switch actuators are light emitting diodes.

6. The thermostat set forth in claim 1, wherein:

at least portions of said control circuit are mounted on a circuit board supported by a housing, said switch actuators being mounted adjacent said circuit board, and said light sources for said switch actuators are mounted on said circuit board for projecting light on said switch actuators for illuminating same.

7. The thermostat set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said switch actuators include annular contact elements mounted thereon and said circuit board includes cooperating contact elements mounted thereon, said light sources for said switch actuators being mounted centrally with respect to said contact elements to project light onto said switch actuators, while allowing said contact elements to engage each other to close respective switches associated with said switch actuators.

8. The thermostat set forth in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said switch actuators is operably connected to said control circuit to change temperature settings of said thermostat from preset temperature settings for heating and cooling to respective setback temperature settings for heating and cooling upon a first actuation of said one switch actuator.

9. The thermostat set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said one switch actuator is operable in response to a second actuation to cause said control circuit to reset the temperature settings of said thermostat to said preset temperature settings.

10. The thermostat set forth in claim 1, including:

switch actuators for setting upper and lower setpoint temperatures for said thermostat illuminated by at least one light source which is continuously energized when electrical power is supplied to said thermostat.

11. The thermostat set forth in claim 10 wherein:

said control circuit is operable in response to a first actuation of said switch actuators for setting said setpoint temperatures to energize said light sources without changing said setpoint temperatures, respectively.

12. The thermostat set forth in claim 1 wherein:

at least selected ones of said switch actuators are formed of an elastically deflectable light transmitting polymer material.

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.

14. The thermostat set forth in claim 13 wherein:

said lamp is disposed between said visual display and a circuit board disposed in a housing of said thermostat.

15. The thermostat set forth in claim 13, wherein:

at least portions of said control circuit are mounted on a circuit board supported by a housing, said switch actuators being disposed adjacent said circuit board, and said light sources for said switch actuators are mounted on said circuit board for projecting light on said switch actuators for illuminating same.

16. The thermostat set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said switch actuators include annular contact elements mounted thereon and said circuit board includes cooperating contact elements mounted thereon, and said light sources for said switch actuators are mounted centrally with respect to said contact elements to project light onto said switch actuators while allowing said contract elements to engage each other to close respective switches associated with said switch actuators.

17. The thermostat set forth in claim 13, wherein:

one of said switch actuators is operably connected to said control circuit to change temperature settings of said thermostat from preset temperature settings for one of heating and cooling to respective setback temperature settings for one of heating and cooling upon a first actuation of said one switch actuator.

18. The thermostat set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said one switch actuator is operable in response to a second actuation to cause said control circuit to reset the temperature settings of said thermostat to said preset temperature settings.

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.

20. The thermostat set forth in claim 19 wherein:

said switch actuators are formed of a light transmitting elastically deflectable polymer.

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.