Rotating control panel

Abstract

A control panel for an enclosed space, set into a cutout in the wall of the enclosed space, that can rotate at least 180 degrees so as to be accessible from either the inside or the outside of the enclosed space.

Claims

1. An environmental control system for an enclosed space, comprising: an opening within a wall of the enclosed space; a control panel comprising a front side, a back side, a top, a bottom, an axis of rotation, and at least two sides, wherein the control panel is symmetrical around a plane equidistant from the front side and back side, wherein the at least two sides are curved in such a way that the radius of curvature is approximately equal to the distance between each one of the at least two sides and the axis of rotation, and connected to an external device by at least one electrical connector; a rotating mount attached to the control panel at the top and at the bottom at the axis of rotation that enables the control panel to rotate at least 180 degrees within the opening without disconnecting the at least one electrical connector; an insulating seal attached to the control panel in such a way as to contact the opening when the control panel is substantially coplanar with the wall while still allowing the control panel to rotate freely within the opening; wherein the enclosed space is a sauna; wherein the control panel is a touchscreen that enables the user to control the temperature in the sauna.

2. The environmental control system of claim 1, where the rotating mount comprises at least one hollow tube through which cables may be routed to the control panel, and does not comprise any holes for screws or pins perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

3. The environmental control system of claim 1, where the rotating mount comprises rotating electrical connectors.

4. The environmental control system of claim 1, where the front and back sides of the control panel are circular in shape.

5. The environmental control system of claim 1, where the front and back sides of the control panel are perfectly rectangular.

6. The environmental control system of claim 1, where the control panel is shaped like a cylinder cut off by two parallel planes that are parallel to the axis or the cylinder, wherein the two parallel planes are equidistant from the axis of rotation.

7. An environmental control system for an enclosed space, comprising: an opening within a wall of the enclosed space; a control panel comprising a front side, a back side, a top, a bottom, an axis of rotation, and at least two sides, wherein the control panel is symmetrical around a plane equidistant from the front side and back side, wherein the at least two sides are curved in such a way that the radius of curvature is approximately equal to the distance between each one of the at least two sides and the axis of rotation, connected to an external device by at least one electrical connector; a rotating mount attached to the control panel at the top and at the bottom at the axis of rotation that enables the control panel to rotate at least 180 degrees within the opening without disconnecting the at least one electrical connector; an insulating seal attached to the opening in such a way as to contact the control panel when the control panel is substantially coplanar with the wall while still allowing the control panel to rotate freely within the opening; wherein the enclosed space is a sauna; wherein the control panel is a touchscreen that enables the user to control the temperature in the sauna.

8. The environmental control system of claim 7, where the rotating mount comprises at least one hollow tube through which cables may be routed to the control panel, and does not comprise any holes for screws or pins perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

9. The environmental control system of claim 7, where the rotating mount comprises rotating electrical connectors.

10. The environmental control system of claim 7, where the front and back sides of the control panel are circular in shape.

11. The environmental control system of claim 7, where the front and back sides of the control panel are perfectly rectangular.

12. The environmental control system of claim 7, where the control panel is shaped like a cylinder cut off by two parallel planes that are parallel to the axis of the cylinder, wherein the two parallel planes are equidistant from the axis of rotation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a global view of the preferred embodiment of the control panel of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a close up view of the preferred embodiment of the control panel of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the control panel of the present invention, shown from the back with the back panel taken off.

(4) FIG. 4 shows another alternate embodiment of the control panel of the present invention, shown from the back with the back panel taken off.

(5) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the present invention showing the insulating seal around the opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(6) FIG. 1 shows a global view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Control panel 100 is set within a cutout of the wall of the enclosed space, shown as a sauna in the Figure. Touchscreen 150 is shown on the control panel 100. In the position shown in the figure, touchscreen 150 is accessible from the outside of the sauna.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of an embodiment of the present invention, shown in mid-rotation. Control panel 100 is set within a cutout 110 within the wall of an enclosed space. In the alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 2, control panel 100 comprises various controllers 130 such as knobs and buttons and sliders. As discussed above, the control panel 100 can also comprise a touchscreen or any other means of controlling the desired variables. Rotating mount 120 is attached to the control panel 100 and the cutout 110, rendering the control panel 100 able to rotate around its axis within the cutout 110. The control panel may only rotate within the range of 180 degrees, or may rotate freely, depending on what type of rotating mount 120 is used; if slip rings or rotating electrical connectors are used, the control panel may rotate freely, whereas if a tube is used through which cables are passed, the control panel may only be able to rotate through a limited angle.

(8) The control panel 100 may comprise controllers for any environmental parameters or any other parameters that the user may desire to control. In the preferred embodiment, the enclosed space is a sauna and the control panel 100 comprises temperature, humidity, and timer controls.

(9) FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the control panel of the present invention, shown from the back with the back panel taken off. Controllers 130 are connected by wires to the enclosed space, and the wires are passed through a tube in the rotating mount 120. In this embodiment, the control panel is shaped like a sphere cut off by two planes, with the controls located on the planar portion. This enables the control panel to be rotated without creating too much of an open space during the rotation for the air to pass into the enclosed space from the outside.

(10) FIG. 4 shows another alternate embodiment of the control panel of the present invention, also shown from the back with the back panel taken off. In this embodiment, the control panel is shaped like a cylinder cut off by two planes, with the controls located on the planar portion. This also enables the control panel to be rotated without creating too much of an open space during rotation, but allows the control panel to be roughly rectangular in shape and the cutout to be rectangular.

(11) Either the control panel or the cutout can have insulation attached to its perimeter, to prevent air from passing through the gap between the control panel and the walls of the cutout while the control panel is in place (i.e. facing either inward or outward). FIG. 5 shows the cutout with insulation 500 around the perimeter. The insulation can be made out of foam, foam rubber, or any other insulation material known in the art.