Patent Application
20160014911
The application pertains to wall or surface mountable devices. More particularly, the application pertains to devices of a type usable in regional monitoring systems.
Devices such as thermostats, graphical user interfaces, keypads, intercoms, controllers and security devices, including, motion sensors, glassbreak sensors, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, are usually mounted on a wall or ceiling surface. Mounting screws are usually provided in separate package, typically in a sealed plastic bag that ends with trash after installation. The installer will have to open the bag to get screws in hand, and then pick one to install and keep the rest in his/her pocket or somewhere that he/she can reach when up on the ladder.
While disclosed embodiments can take many different forms, specific embodiments hereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles hereof, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the claims hereof to the specific embodiment illustrated.
Fasteners to be used to install electrical units can be removably inserted in the units' respective housing or mounting plate during the manufacturing process. With this retention feature all, usually 2 or 3, mounting fasteners are pre-located near the mounting holes of a portion of a housing or mounting bracket. No additional packaging is needed for the fasteners.
The installer does not need to look for, or have to worry about where to keep the fasteners that are to be installed. One fastener can be removed to be installed. The rest of the fasteners can remain in the unit being installed. They can be removed individually for installation. This will save mounting time, improve user experience and reduce waste.
With respect to
The above noted fasteners are removably carried by respective pairs, such as 18-1, -2 and 20-1, -2 of yieldable or deformable clamping elements. The elements 18-1, -2, 20-1, -2 are integrally molded as part of the respective unit 10-1, 10-2. Each of the clamping elements has one end attached to a respective surface, such as 10a, 10b. A free second end, as best seen in
In addition to the molded clamping elements 18-I, or 20-I, the housing portions can also carry additional modules, such as a respective connector module 22a, 22b or 22c for attachment to communications and/or power lines.
It will be understood that a wide variety of fasteners come within the spirit and scope hereof. These include screws, nails, snap fit elements or twist lock elements all without limitation. Those of skill will understand that the exact configuration of the fasteners is not a limitation hereof.
In another embodiment, optional fastener receiving depressions 34a, 34b can be molded into the surface 10c, best seen in
Thus, as illustrated in the
Unit 40 can be closed with a cover portion 42 which can be attached to the mounting portion 10-I as would be understood by those of skill in the art. The cover portion can carry one or more sensors, 44, control circuits 46 and input output devices 48 as would be understood by those of skill in the art. Units, such as the unit 40 can be in wired, via modules 22i, or wireless communication with displaced monitoring and control panels or units without limitation.
With respect to
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
