Abstract:
The present invention provides for a controller for an HVAC system comprising a controller assembly including a main housing having a mounting plate for mounting the controller assembly to a building wall, the mounting plate having at least one side and a back surface for facing the building wall when mounted thereto, a sheet receiving slot disposed in the back surface and the slot having a side opening in the side of the mounting plate, the slot configured for receiving an instruction sheet through the side opening in order to allow insertion and removal of the instruction from the slot.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention pertains to a controller for HVAC system such as a thermostat having a slot for receiving an instruction sheet. 
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]    Current controllers such as thermostats may provide for intuitive operation and programming. The thermostats include user interfaces that enhance programming and operation. For example, LCD screens with sophisticated displays help to guide a user in the programming and functioning of the controller. Despite these improvements users still may favor the use of a printed instruction guide, owner&#39;s manual or other documentation for the controller; in order to assist in the programming and operation. 
         [0003]    The use of instruction guide can only be accomplished when the user can easily locate such documentation. Since many controllers are installed by third parties, who may fail to leave the documentation with the owner, or such documentation may become misplaced; it is useful to provide an instruction sheet or documentation with the controller unit itself. For example, some controllers include a flip-flop door, upon which instructions are printed. Other controllers are known to have cavities within the controller for locating an instruction sheet. However, such arrangement require some disassembly of the controller or removal of the controller from the wall to which it is mounted in order to access the instruction sheet. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of such previous systems. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention provides for a controller for an HVAC system comprising controller assembly including a main housing having a mounting plate for mounting the controller assembly to a building wall, the mounting plate having at least one side and a back surface for facing the building wall when mounted thereto, a sheet receiving slot disposed in the back surface and the slot having a side opening in the side of the mounting plate, the slot configured for receiving an instruction sheet through the side opening in order to allow insertion and removal of the instruction from the slot. 
         [0005]    In an embodiment, a major portion of a first side of the slot may be formed completely within the back surface of the mounting plate. In an embodiment, the first side of the slot may be defined by three interior walls of the mounting plate and a major back wall of the slot formed by a vertical interior wall of the mounting plate. In an embodiment, the controller comprises a second side of the slot opposite the first side of the slot and the second side of the slot may be provided by the building wall when the mounting plate is secured to the building wall and the building wall helps to secure the instruction sheet within the slot. 
         [0006]    In an embodiment, the side opening of the slot may be located along a top side of the controlled assembly. In an embodiment, the slot may be formed by interior wall so the mounting plate surrounding the slot of three sides. In an embodiment, the slot may include the side opening at the side of the mounting plate and the slot may also have a back opening in a plane being parallel to the plane of the back surface of the mounting plate. In an embodiment, the three interior walls of the slot having a restraining member extending from each interior wall and protruding into the back opening of the slot, in order to restrain the sheet and prevent the sheet from falling through the back opening. In an embodiment, the restraining members may be configured to sufficiently restrain the sheet while the mounting plate is being removed from a shipping package and mounted to the building wall. In an embodiment, the restraining members may extend into the back opening at least one-eight of an inch. 
         [0007]    In an embodiment, the slot may be open on a back side that is coplanar with the back surface of the mounting plate so that upon mounting of the mounting plate to the building wall, it will provide a back wall of the slot in order that an instruction sheet placed within the slot cannot fall out through the back side opening. In an embodiment, the back surface may provide a frame surrounding the back side opening and the frame may be generally flat, so that the frame may abut the building wall in a flush orientation in order to prevent the sheet from falling from the slot. 
         [0008]    In an embodiment, the mounting plate and the main housing may be integrally formed together. In an embodiment, the mounting plate may be removably mounted to the main housing, so that the mounting plate may be first mounted to the building wall and thereafter the main housing may be mounted to the mounting plate. In an embodiment, the mounting plate includes detents along a front surface so that the main housing may be snap-fit thereto. In an embodiment, the instruction sheet may include a tab extending from an edge so that, when the sheet is fully inserted within the slot, the tab will protrude out the slot and beyond the side of the mounting plate and a user may grasp the tab to remove the sheet from the slot. In an embodiment, the instruction sheet tab extends from the top side of the controller assembly. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment, the instruction sheet may comprise multiple pages and the sheet may be folded in an accordion style. In an embodiment, the slot is configured to allow for multiple instruction sheets to reside therein. In an embodiment, the controller assembly may include a printed circuit board having electrical components and the slot configured to prevent the sheet from abutting the electrical components when the sheet is located within the slot. In an embodiment, the sheet may be constructed to reserve an area for written identification of the installing service organization. 
         [0010]    Further the invention may provide a controller for an HVAC system comprising a controller assembly including a back surface for facing a building wall when mounted thereto, the back surface having a recessed area forming a sheet receiving slot, the slot having a first open side for receiving an instruction sheet therethrough. The first open side may be a top side of the controller. The slot may include restraining members for restraining the sheet within the slot. The recessed area may be located at one side of the mounting plate so that the first open side is coplanar with the one side of the mounting plate. The main housing may have a mounting plate and the sheet receiving slot may be formed in the mounting plate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the front of a controller of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the back side of a controller of the present invention having an instruction sheet fully inserted in a slot of the controller; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the back side of a controller of the present invention depicting an instruction sheet removed from the slot; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the slot of the controller depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       
    
    
       [0016]    While the invention is amendable to various modifications and alternate forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. The intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    The present invention is described with respects to  FIGS. 1-4 . A controlled  10  such as a thermostat includes a main housing  20  which forms the front side of the controlled  10 . The main housing  20  also includes an LCD display screen  22  and a mechanical button(s), such as button  24 . Other types of displays of displays may be included such a dot matrix LED. The thermostat may be operated by use of the LCD display screen  22  and the mechanical button  24  by means such as disclosed in application Ser. No. 12/982,959, which is incorporated herein by reference. The main housing  20  is mounted to a rear plate  40  by well known means such as fasteners or snap-fit detents (not shown). As is well known, with other controllers of this type the mounting plate  40  may be mounted to a building wall  41  as the first step in the assembly. After the mounting plate  40  is securely fastened to the building wall  41 , the main housing  20  may be snap-fit to the mounting plate  40 . The mounting plate  40  includes four sides including a top side  42  and a back surface  44 . The back surface  44  of the mounting plate  40  includes multiple features formed therein including an opening  46 , fastener apertures  47   a, b, c  for commonly available mounting points on building wall  41  and snap members  48   a, b, c, d  ( FIG. 2 ) to retain mounting plate  40  to main housing  20 . Opening  46  provides for wiring access to the internal connections of the controller. 
         [0018]    An instruction sheet  50  that includes a tab  52  is inserted in slot  60  formed in the back surface  44  of the mounting plate  40 . In an embodiment, the instruction sheet  50  may be a single sheet formed of rigid laminated card stock or plastic material. In a further alternate embodiment, multiple instruction sheets may be provided. For example, a first instruction sheet in the English language and a second or third sheet in other foreign languages. In an alternative embodiment, the instruction sheet may include English on a portion of the sheet and a foreign language on a further portion of the same sheet. In an embodiment, the instruction sheets will be printed with text providing basic operations such as setting heat and cool of programming a 5-2 or 7-day commercial or residential programming. In an embodiment, the instruction sheet  50  may be folded in an accordion style in order to provide a large amount of material in a small space. As show in  FIG. 1 , the tab  52  protrudes from a top side  42  of the mounting plate  40  so that the tab  52  is visible from the front side of the controller  10  ( FIG. 1 ) and a user may grab the tab with their fingers in order to easily remove the instruction sheet  50  from the slot  60  when the controller  10  is mounted to a building wall  41 . In an embodiment, the instruction sheet may be printed with an area reserved for the installing service organization to add written contact information that identifies the installing service organization. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the instruction sheet  50  includes a first content area  51   a  for providing written instructions pertaining to the operation of the controller and a second content area  51   b  for identification of the installing service organization. In an embodiment, both sides of the sheet  50  may have writing and both sides may have a first content area  51   a  and a second content area  51   b.    
         [0019]    The slot  60  is formed in the back surface  44  of the mounting plate  40 . In an embodiment, the slot  60  is generally rectangular shaped and is formed by a recessed area in the back surface  44  by inter walls  62   a, b, c . The interior walls  62   a, b, c  surround a back wall  66  formed in the mounting plate  40  ( FIG. 4 ). Opposite the back wall  66  is a back opening  67  formed by the interior walls  62   a, b, c  that exposes the interior of the slot  60 . The back opening  67  is generally coplanar with the back surface  44  of the mounting plate  40 . Restraining members  64   a, b, c  extend into the back opening  67  from each of the interior walls  62 . The restraining members  64   a, b, c  extend into the back opening  67  in order to restrain the instruction sheet  50  from falling through the back opening  67  ( FIG. 2 ). The restraining members  64   a, b, c  are generally shaped as merlons, however, alternate shaped members may also provide for the restraining function. Further, a single retaining member may be provided that extends around the entire perimeter of the slot  60  in order to retain the instruction sheet therein. 
         [0020]    The slot  60  is formed in the back surface  44  so that a side opening  68  is formed in the top side  42  of the mounting plate  40 . The side opening  68  allows for the instruction sheet  50  to be inserted into the slot  60  through the top side of the controller  10 .  FIG. 3  depicts the instruction sheet  50  being inserted into the slot  60  by moving the instruction sheet  50  downward in direction of arrow A. 
         [0021]    The slot  60  includes a frame area  62  surrounding the perimeter of the slot  60 . In an embodiment, when the mounting plate  40  is mounted to a building wall  41  the frame area  70  will mount flush with the wall. In that arrangement, the interior walls  62   a, b, c , and back surface  44  provide a first side of the slot. The building wall  41 , to which mounting plate  40  is attached, forms a second side of the slot  60  so that the building wall  41  helps to secure the instruction sheet  50  within the slot  60 . The building wall  41  acts to enclose the back opening  67  formed by the slot  60 . 
         [0022]    It may be understood that when the controller  10  is fully mounted to the building wall  41  an instruction sheet  50  may be stored in the slot  60  and upon grabbing of the tab  52  by user&#39;s fingers the instruction sheet  50  may be easily withdrawn through the side opening  68  of the slot  60 , so that the instruction sheet  50  may be viewed by the user. Returning the instruction sheet  50  back to the slot  60  is an easy operation; in that the user pushes instruction sheet  50  all the way back toward the building wall  41  and slides the instruction sheet  50  down into the slot  60  through the side opening  68  ( FIG. 3 ). 
         [0023]    When the mounting plate  40  is mounted to a building wall  41  the restraining members  64   a, b, c  act as a primary means of restraining the instruction sheet  50  within the slot  60 ; and the building wall  41  acts as a secondary means to restrain the instruction sheet  50  within the slot  60 . When controller  10  is removed from mounting plate  40  for service, replacement or other purposes, mounting plate  40  and restraining members  64   a, b, c  will act to retain the instruction sheet  50  within slot  60  during service of the controller. 
         [0024]    The restraining members  64   a, b, c  are thinly constructed so that the card may be slid easily within the slot  60 . In an embodiment, each of the restraining members has a height of 0.100 and a thickness of at least 0.110 for offset of the instruction sheet  50  from the building wall  41 . In other words, to allow a user to more easily grab the tab  52  of the instruction sheet  50 , it is necessary to space the instruction sheet  50  from the building wall  41  to provide room for a user&#39;s fingers to grasp both sides of the tab  52 . Having restraining members with a thickness of at least 0.050 disposed between the instruction sheet  50  and building wall  41  provides an off-set from the building wall  41  when the instruction sheet is residing in the slot  60 . In an embodiment, the dimensions of the slot are approximately 1 inch by 1.7 inches by 0.125 inches. When the instruction sheet  50  is placed within the slot  60  the walls  62   a, b, c ,  66  protect the instruction sheet  50  from the interior electronic components of the controller  10 . 
         [0025]    While various concepts have been described in detail, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those concepts could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Therefore, a person skilled in the art, applying ordinary skill, will be able to practice the invention set forth in the claims without undue experimentation. It will additionally be appreciated that the particular concepts exposed herein are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breath of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.