Intrusion barrier and thermal insulator for thermostat

• US 7,617,988 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Controls and Measurements Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Controls and Measurements Corporation
• Inventors: Morrow, Benjamin V., Kadah, Ronald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US10/887,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20060006244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 337/380, 337/381, 236/78, 236/1, 236/1.R, 236/78.R, 236/99.D, 236/DIG.19
• US Class Current: 236/99.00D
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/12 room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 236/19 Ventilated thermostat

Abstract

A wall plate for a wall thermostat blocks intrusion air from the thermostat. The wall plate has a wire passage aligned with the wall penetration through which the thermostat wires emerge. The wall plate member directs any intrusion air that flows out the penetration away from the cavity of said thermostat. An insulating layer, e.g., a closed-cell foam sheet, in the wall plate insulates the thermostat from direct thermal contact with the wall. The closed-cell material closes around the thermostat wires. Bosses or feet on the thermostat back plate create a standoff between the wall plate and the thermostat.

Claims

1. A thermostat arrangement adapted for mounting on a wall surface of a controlled space, comprising:

a thermostat having a front cover and a back plate adapted to be mounted onto said wall surface, with the back plate and the cover defining a cavity within which are contained control circuitry, and contacts which are adapted to receive two or more thermostat wires that protrude through a penetration of said wall;

the back plate including fastener holes adapted for receiving attaching means to mount the thermostat on said wall surface over said penetration, and a thermostat wire opening adapted to receive said two or more thermostat wires that protrude from said penetration in said wall; and

a wall plate member adapted to be installed against the wall surface and between said wall surface and the back plate of said thermostat, the wall plate member having a small wire passage aligned with said penetration and through which said thermostat wires are passed, the wall plate member, at the location of said passage, being formed of a material capable of closing over said wires, and said wall plate member including barrier means serving as a barrier to direct air flowing out the penetration in said wall away from the cavity of said thermostat;

said wall plate member further including a thermal barrier to block thermal contact between the back plate of the thermostat and said wall surface;

wherein said wall plate member includes a front rigid wall plate, and said thermal barrier includes a sheet of closed cell foam fitted onto a wall-facing side of said front rigid wall plate to contact the wall surface; and

wherein said front rigid wall plate has a generally rectangular recess on its wall facing side, and said sheet of closed cell foam is fitted into said recess;

wherein

said front rigid wall plate has a peripheral edge, and a ridge on the wall-facing side thereof proceeding in a generally closed rectangular shape and defining a said generally rectangular recess as a central portion within the closed rectangular shape and a margin portion between the rectangular shape and the peripheral edge; and

said sheet of closed cell foam is affixed within said central portion.

2. The thermostat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said wall plate member includes slots that are adapted to align with the positions of said fastener holes.

3. The thermostat assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam is flexibly resilient at least at the location of said wire passage.

4. The thermostat assembly according to claim 1, wherein one or both of said thermostat back plate and said wall plate member has feet that protrude therefrom towards the other, so as to define a predetermined standoff between the thermostat back plate and said wall plate member, said standoff creating an air space between the wall plate member and the thermostat.

5. The thermostat assembly according to claim 1, wherein said thermostat back plate has a plurality of feet that protrude distally therefrom, and said wall plate member has corresponding receptacles therein to receive said feet so as to define a predetermined standoff between the thermostat back plate and a proximal surface of said wall plate member.

6. The thermostat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said thermal barrier is incorporated into the back plate of said thermostat.

7. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has an X-shaped cut formed of crossed slits and aligned with said small wire passage in the wall plate member.

8. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has X-shaped cuts formed of crossed slits at positions of said fastener holes.

13. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 8, further comprising means defining a stand off between the back plate of said thermostat and said intrusion air barrier and said thermal barrier, so as to create an space filled with room air behind the back plate of said thermostat.

9. A thermostat arrangement adapted for mounting on a wall of a controlled space, comprising:

a thermostat having a front cover and a back plate adapted to be mounted on said wall, with the back plate and the cover defining a cavity within which are contained control circuitry, and contacts which are adapted to receive two or more thermostat wires that protrude through a penetration of said wall;

the back plate including fastener holes adapted for receiving attaching means to mount the thermostat on said wall over said penetration, and a thermostat wire opening adapted to receive said two or more thermostat wires that protrude from said penetration in said wall; and

a wall plate member adapted to be installed between said wall and the back plate of said thermostat, the wall plate member having a small wire passage aligned with said penetration and through which said thermostat wires are passed, the wall plate member, at the location of said passage, being formed of a material capable of closing over said wires, and said wall plate member serving as a barrier to direct air flowing out the penetration in said wall away from the cavity of said thermostat;

said wall plate member further including a thermal barrier to block thermal contact between the back plate of the thermostat and said wall;

wherein said wall plate member includes a front rigid wall plate. and said thermal barrier includes a sheet of closed cell foam fitted onto a wall-facing side of said front rigid wall plate; and

wherein said front rigid wall plate has a generally rectangular recess on its wall facing side, and said sheet of closed cell foam is fitted into said recess, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has a nominal thickness of 1/8 inch; and

wherein

said front rigid wall plate has a peripheral edge and a ridge on the wall-facing side thereof proceeding in a generally closed shape and defining a central portion within the closed shape and a margin portion between the closed shape and the peripheral edge; and

said sheet of closed cell foam is affixed within said central portion.

10. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has an X-shaped cut formed of crossed slits and aligned with said small wire passage in the wall plate member.

11. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has X-shaped cuts formed of crossed slits at positions of said fastener holes.

12. A thermostat arrangement adapted for mounting on a surface of a wall of a controlled space, comprising:

a thermostat having a front cover and a back plate adapted to be mounted onto the surface of said wall, with the back plate and the cover defining a cavity within which are contained control circuitry, and contacts which are adapted to receive two or more thermostat wires that protrude through a penetration of said wall;

the back plate including openings adapted for receiving attaching means to mount the thermostat onto the surface of said wall over said penetration, and a thermostat wire opening adapted to receive said two or more thermostat wires that protrude from said penetration in said wall;

an intrusion air barrier positioned at the thermostat wire opening of said back plate, having a passage through which said thermostat wires are passed, said passage closing over said wires and said barrier serving to direct air flowing out the penetration in said wall away from the cavity of said thermostat; and

a thermal barrier positioned between the thermostat back plate and said wall to block direct thermal contact between the thermostat and said wall;

wherein said thermostat back plate is formed of a front rigid wall plate, and said thermal barrier includes a sheet of closed cell foam fitted onto a wall-facing side of said rigid wall plate to contact the surface of said wall; and

wherein said rigid wall plate has a generally rectangular recess on its wall facing side, and said sheet of closed cell foam is fitted into said recess, and wherein a portion of said thermal barrier constitutes said intrusion air barrier; and

said wall plate has a peripheral edge, and a ridge on the wall-facing side thereof proceeding in a closed shape and defining a central portion within the closed shape and a margin portion between the closed shape and the peripheral edge; and

said sheet of closed cell foam is affixed within said central portion.

14. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has an X-shaped cut formed of crossed slits and aligned with said small wire passage in the wall plate member.

15. A thermostat arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said sheet of closed cell foam has X-shaped cuts formed of crossed slits at positions of said fastener holes.