Thermostat assembly with removable trim ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10859281-B2
Application number	US-201816156964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A thermostat assembly includes a thermostat and a trim ring. The thermostat includes a user interface, a thermostat housing having a front portion with a front portion side wall and a back portion with a back portion side wall, the back portion side wall being offset from the front portion side wall, and a controller disposed within the thermostat housing and operably coupled to the user interface, the controller configured to accept input from a user via the user interface and provide one or more control signals to control the HVAC system. The trim ring includes an outer surface that transitions from a larger back side profile to a smaller front side profile. A front side of the trim ring includes a thermostat recess that is configured to receive at least part of the back portion of the thermostat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermostat assembly kit for an HVAC system, the thermostat assembly kit comprising:
a thermostat including:
a user interface;
a thermostat housing having a front portion with a front portion side wall and a back portion with a back portion side wall including one or more trim ring mounting features, wherein the back portion side wall is offset from the front portion side wall, the user interface accessible from a position exterior the front portion; and
a controller disposed within the thermostat housing and operably coupled to the user interface, the controller configured to accept input from a user via the user interface and provide one or more control signals to control the HVAC system;

a first trim ring with a front side and a back side, wherein the back side is configured to face a mounting wall and the front side is configured to receive at least part of the back portion of the thermostat housing, wherein the first trim ring is configured to connect to an adaptor plate, the first trim ring including:
an outer surface that transitions from a larger back side profile to a smaller front side profile; and
the front side of the first trim ring including a thermostat recess that is configured to receive at least part of the back portion of the thermostat housing; and

a second trim ring defining a second recess configured to receive the back portion of the thermostat housing, the second trim ring comprising one or more mounting features in the second recess that are configured to engage the one or more trim ring mounting features of the back portion side wall of the thermostat housing to releasably secure the second trim ring to the thermostat housing.

2. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 1 , wherein the front portion of the thermostat has a profile adjacent the first trim ring when the back portion of the thermostat housing is received in the thermostat recess in the first trim ring, and wherein the profile of the front side of the first trim ring is configured to match the profile of the front portion adjacent the first trim ring.

3. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat recess in the first trim ring is configured to receive the entire back portion of the thermostat.

4. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 3 , wherein the thermostat recess has a depth that is about equal to a depth of the back portion of the thermostat housing.

5. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor plate is configured to be secured relative to a wall and to accommodate a plurality of field wires exiting the wall.

6. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 5 , further comprising an aperture formed through the back side of the first trim ring, wherein the aperture is configured to receive a wall mountable connector having a first side for facing the wall and a second opposite side, the wall mountable connector configured to be secured to the adaptor plate, the wall mountable connector including a field wiring connection block that is configured to provide an electrical connection to the plurality of field wires and a thermostat terminal block that is configured to provide an electrical connection to the thermostat.

7. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 6 , wherein the thermostat is configured to be secured to the wall mountable connector after the first trim ring has been secured to the adaptor plate.

8. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 6 , wherein the adaptor plate is configured to be secured to an in-wall junction box.

9. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 6 , wherein the back side of the first trim ring includes an adaptor plate recess that is configured to accommodate at least part of the adaptor plate therein.

10. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat recess in the second trim ring extends through the second trim ring from the front side of the second trim ring to the back side of the second trim ring.

11. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 10 , wherein the second trim ring is configured to snap to the back portion of the thermostat housing.

12. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 11 , wherein the thermostat is configured to be secured to a wall mountable connector that is mountable directly to a wall without using the adaptor plate.

13. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 1 , wherein the thermostat housing includes a vent relief along a first edge of the thermostat housing, wherein the first trim ring includes a corresponding vent relief formed along a second edge of the first trim ring, and wherein the vent relief of the thermostat housing and the corresponding vent relief of the first trim ring collectively define a vent aperture when the back portion of the thermostat housing is received in the thermostat recess in the first trim ring.

14. A thermostat assembly kit for an HVAC system, the thermostat assembly kit comprising:
a thermostat including:
a user interface;
a thermostat housing having a front portion with a front portion perimeter and a back portion with a back portion perimeter, the back portion perimeter being smaller than the front portion perimeter, the back portion including one or more trim ring mounting features; and
a controller disposed within the thermostat housing and operably coupled to the user interface, the controller configured to accept input from a user via the user interface and provide one or more control signals to control the HVAC system;

a first trim ring configured to connect to an adaptor plate; and
a second trim ring including:
an outer profile transitioning from a back side having a back side perimeter that is greater than the front portion perimeter of the thermostat housing to a front side having a front side perimeter that substantially matches the front portion perimeter of the thermostat housing;
the second trim ring defining a recess configured to receive the back portion of the thermostat housing; and
one or more mounting features in the recess that are configured to engage the one or more trim ring mounting features of the back portion of the thermostat in order to releasably secure the second trim ring to the thermostat housing.

15. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 14 , wherein:
the thermostat is configured to be secured to a wall mountable connector that is mountable directly to a wall; and
the back side of the second trim ring is configured to not interfere with the thermostat engaging the wall mountable connector.

16. The thermostat assembly kit of claim 14 , wherein the thermostat housing includes a vent relief along a first edge of the thermostat housing, wherein the second trim ring includes a corresponding vent relief formed along a second edge of the second trim ring, and wherein the vent relief of the thermostat housing and the corresponding vent relief of the second trim ring collectively define a vent aperture when the back portion of the thermostat housing is received in the recess defined by the second trim ring.

17. A thermostat assembly kit comprising:
a thermostat including:
a user interface;
a thermostat housing having a front portion with a front portion side wall and a back portion with a back portion side wall including one or more trim ring mounting features, wherein the back portion side wall is offset from the front portion side wall, the user interface accessible from a position exterior the front portion; and
a controller disposed within the thermostat housing and operably coupled to the user interface, the controller configured to accept input from a user via the user interface and provide one or

Assignees

• Ademco Inc

Inventors

• Read Travis
• Shail Rajat
• Barton Eric
• Kynoch David
• Heintzelman Christopher

Classifications

• G05D23/1927

  using a plurality of sensors (G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• F24F11/50 Primary

  characterised by user interfaces or communication · CPC title

• G05D23/1934

  each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means · CPC title

• F24F11/54

  using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers · CPC title