HVAC Wall Mountable Connector Asymmetric Stud Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC controllers face challenges in secure and efficient mounting to walls, particularly in aligning mounting features with wall studs, which can lead to instability and poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
A wall mountable connector with a housing featuring a field wire receiving cavity and apertures, along with upper and lower mounting features offset to facilitate alignment with wall studs, providing secure electrical connections and mechanical stability for thermostats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mounting features are positioned centrally or symmetrically on the HVAC controller housing, then the device structure is simple and manufacturing is easier, but alignment with wall studs becomes difficult and mounting stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the mounting features in an asymmetric pattern on the HVAC controller housing. Specifically, the first mounting feature is positioned at a first location while the second mounting feature is positioned at a second location that is offset from the first location by a predetermined distance, creating an asymmetric configuration that facilitates alignment with wall studs during installation.
2Ease of operation
If mounting features are offset to facilitate alignment with wall studs, then mounting ease and alignment precision improve, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the mounting features at specific offset locations on the HVAC controller housing during manufacturing. This predetermined offset positioning is established in advance to facilitate alignment with wall studs during installation, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures or modifications during the mounting process.
Data Source
AI summary
A wall mountable connector is used for securing a thermostat to a wall. The wall mountable connector provides an electrical connection between a plurality of field wires of an HVAC system and corresponding terminals of a removably mounted thermostat. The wall mountable connector includes a plurality of mounting features that are configured to provide good securement of the wall mountable connector relative to the wall, and in some instances facilitate aligning at least one of the mounting feature of the wall mountable connector with a stud within the wall.