Patent ID: 7569777

Claim:
A wall mounted thermostat assembly comprising: a sub-base having a mounting surface adapted to be mounted against a wall; a thermostat housing having a front portion, a back portion, and a vertical retaining wall on the back portion of the thermostat housing; a door pivotally coupled to the thermostat housing, the door being configured to pivot about a hinge point between a closed position in which the door is substantially flush with the front of the thermostat, and an open position in which one or more input means for the thermostat are accessible; a lock disposed in the sub-base, including a cam that is coupled at its pivotal end to the lock, to permit rotation of the cam between an unlocked position and a locked position, said cam including a bend therein orthogonal to the pivotal end for forming an offset portion that is configured to rotate over a portion of the vertical retaining wall to thereby retain the thermostat housing to the sub-base when the cam is rotated to the locked position, said cam further including an outwardly extending portion depending from the offset portion, wherein the outwardly extending portion is configured to rotate adjacent to a back surface of the door when said cam is in the locking position, such that pivoting movement of the door is impeded by the outwardly extending portion of said cam, to thereby inhibit access to the one or more input means.