Ceiling fans typically include a motor having a rotating flange which rotates about an axis that is collinear with a downrod by which the fan is attached to the ceiling. The fan motor is typically encased in a motor housing which wraps about the motor while leaving partial access to the rotating flange. Such partial access to the rotating flange is required so that the fan blades may be attached to the rotating flange. The requirement of a partial access often leads to an increase in the heat, vibration and noise into the surrounding environment. Furthermore, a partial access may subject the internal components to premature failure in environments that are high in salinity, humidity, or dust (e.g., due to rusting, corrosion, or seizing). Commercially available ceiling fans include numerous examples in which the fan blades are attached to the rotating flange by use of blade irons. Other known ceiling fans use means for attaching the fan blades directly to the rotating flange without the use of blade irons.
In both types of known ceiling fans, the motor, including the motor housing, is first suspended from the ceiling. The ceiling fan installer may then attach the blade irons, either separately or in a blade iron and blade combination. Alternatively, the ceiling fan installer may attach the fan blades directly to the rotating flange. In any event, the ceiling fan installer must work in an uncomfortable position, generally screwing fasteners into the rotating flange from underneath the ceiling fan motor to install multiple numbers of ceiling fan blade irons and/or blade combinations.
Further, both types of known ceiling fans require multiples of fan blade irons and blade combinations. This often leads to fasteners such as screws wearing out or corroding over time, thus potentially causing a safety hazard as a fan blade can become detached from the rest of the ceiling fan during use. This is also true for other mechanisms or devices other than screws used to secure fan blades to the ceiling fan. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,388 discloses the use of a collar having recessed sectors and protrusions to prevent disengagement from the ceiling fan. Like other fan blade irons, the collar system is also subject to wearing out and corrosion over time.
The requirement for multiples of fan blade irons and blade combinations also leads to an imbalance of the entire ceiling fan during operation, and the ceiling fan must often be adjusted by the use of fan blade weights of various measures. This can be a time-consuming process for the ceiling fan installer to properly correct the imbalance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,612 discloses the use of springs fitted onto the vanes (e.g., fan blade irons) to absorb the swinging force of the ceiling fan to correct the imbalance. However, use over a period of time will eventually cause such springs to wear out and result in the ceiling fan operating in an imbalanced state.
In addition, the use of motor housings to conceal the fan motor results in a need to mold or otherwise manufacture an additional item(s) and in additional assembly time for the manufacturer and/or ceiling fan installer. Use of additional items can increase materials having differing weights and densities. These differences can result in an unbalanced or imbalanced ceiling fan during operation as described above, thus necessitating the use of fan blade weights. These needs may result in additional expenditure of resources such as time, materials, and cost.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds