Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e. – impellers) – Specific working member mount – Distally supported on radial arm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-04-03
Ryznic, John E. (Department: 3745)
Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e., impellers)
Specific working member mount
Distally supported on radial arm
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210117
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to ceiling fans, and in particular to devices for easily connecting blade mounting arms to the rotors on ceiling fan motors using captive fasteners and alignment posts.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
FIG. 1
shows a partial side view of a conventional ceiling fan unit
1
that encompasses a general prior art ceiling fan system. In
FIG. 1
, ceiling fan motor
10
has a rotor component
20
that rotates about a central axis beneath motor
10
, which is in turn connected to a housing
5
that is attached beneath a ceiling
2
. A plurality of fan blades
30
are connected to the rotor
20
by mounting arms
40
. Each mounting arm
40
has one end
42
connected to an end
32
of each fan blade
30
, and a second end
44
having at least two through-holes
45
therethrough, so that conventional fasteners such as screws
50
pass through the through-holes
45
to mateably thread into threaded holes
25
in the bottom of rotor
20
.
Usually most conventional directions have the installer first connect and hang the motor
10
, rotor
20
and housing
5
to a ceiling. More often than not the installer is usually perched on a stool or ladder. Next, many directions have the installer attach the fan blades
30
to their respective mounting arms
40
. Finally, one of the last steps is to connect the blade
30
and respective mounting arm
40
to the rotor
20
on the motor.
To finish this final assembly step takes great dexterity, patience, balance and time. In order for a single person
60
to be able to complete this final step, the installer
60
needs to hold in one hand
62
the fan blade
30
and already attached mounting arm
40
, and to position a screw driver
70
to the heads of screws
50
with the other hand
64
. The installer must be able to balance the mounting screws
50
on the tip of the screw driver
70
, insert the screws upwardly though the holes
44
in the mounting arm, making sure not to accidentally drop the screws
50
and then screw the screws
50
into the mating holes
25
on the rotor
20
all while still holding the blade
30
and arm
40
.
This assembly requires the installer to have to constantly hold both hands
62
and
64
raised high above their head, while again standing on a stool or ladder.
Many problems occur from this traditional method of having one person installing a ceiling fan. Screws
50
can and do accidentally fall and become lost causing more time and more expense to finish the installation. The installer
60
often has to constantly re position the blade
30
and arm
40
in order to be able to properly line up the through-holes
42
in the mounting arms
40
with their respective mating holes
25
in the bottom of rotor
20
. The blade
30
and mounting arm
40
have been known to fall on and cause injury to the user
60
during assembly. Additionally, the user can lose their balance and injure themselves as well falling off the ladder and stool. Additional problems also occur after installation. For example, uneven tightening of each of the plural fasteners that connect the mounting arm to the motor has resulted in wobble effects when the ceiling fan system is running. Thus, the current operation of assembly has become known as a frustrating, undesirable, difficult, tedious, time consuming and sometimes dangerous task.
To merely add a second worker to help in the assembly installation may solve some of the problems above, but would add additional cost and labor expense to the installation project.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first objective of the present invention is to provide a device to allow a single user to safely and easily attach a fan blade mounting arm to a ceiling mounted fan motor.
The second object of this invention is to provide a device for attaching a fan blade mounting arm to a ceiling fan motor that eliminates losing fasteners such as screws.
The third object of this invention is to provide a device for attaching a fan blade mounting arm to a ceiling fan motor by holding fasteners captive in the blade mounting arm.
The fourth object of this invention is to provide a device for guiding a fan blade mounting arm onto a ceiling mounted motor.
The fifth object of this invention is to provide a device for aligning a fan blade mounting arm to a ceiling fan mounted motor.
The sixth object of this invention is to evenly attach all the fasteners that connect a ceiling fan blade to a ceiling mounted motor to eliminate wobble effects when running the ceiling fan.
A first preferred embodiment of the novel invention device for attaching ceiling fan mounting arms to ceiling fan motors using fasteners held captive on the mounting arms, includes a ceiling fan motor having a rotating member such as a rotor endshield where the motor and rotating member have already been hung from a ceiling. A fan blade is connected to one end of a mounting arm with a second end having a captive fastener therein with a threaded end, and means such as a screw driver and the like for screwing the threaded end of the captive fastener into a mateable opening on the rotating member. The captive fastener can be the combination of a rubber type washer pre-installed within an opening in the second end of the mounting arm, and a portion of the fastener held within the opening by the washer. The fastener can have a head and a shaft, the shaft having a threaded end and an enlarged base portion between the threaded end and the head of the fastener, where the neck portion is held captive within the washer. The enlarged base portion allows plural fasteners to be evenly tightened when attaching the mounting arm to the motor. Even tightening of all the fasteners eliminates known wobbling problems when the ceiling fan is running. The washer can be a deformable member such as but not limited to a grommet shape with a first portion sandwiched between a bottom of the mounting arm and a second portion sandwiched between the rotating member and a top of the mounting arm in order to reduce any vibration noise and movement between the rotating member of the fan motor, the mounting arm and the blade. Alternately, fasteners can be held captive within the mounting arm without using separate deformable member inserts. The interior surface walls of the through-holes in the mounting arm can be narrow enough to just be able to hold captive a fastener therein. For example, the interior surface can be tapered, roughened, include protruding portions, and the like, all of which can be part of the same material that makes up the blade mounting arm. Mounting blade arms with this type of captive fastener can be made of materials such as but not limited to plastic, wood, and the like.
A second embodiment of the captive fastener has a fastener held captive in a floating position in the mounting arm through-hole. A head of the fastener can be to one side of a ledge in a through-hole within the mounting arm. The threaded end of the fastener can have a larger diameter than a narrow neck portion of the fastener so that the neck portion is located between the fastener head and the threaded end, and the threaded end being positioned to a second side of the ledge opposite the first side. The narrow neck of the fastener can move upward and downward a selected distance about the ledge. A tip portion of the fastener can protrude through an upper side of the mounting arm for guiding the mounting arm to the mateable opening on the rotating member. The heads of the captive fasteners in both the first and second embodiment can be like a regular headed screw, a Philips head screw and a bolt. An optional spring locking washer can help lock the tightened fastener in place.
When assembling both the first and second embodiments, the ceiling fan motor housing and rotating member(endshield) can usually first be hung from a ceiling. Next the installer can simply hold the pre-connected mounting arm and fan blade with one hand and guide the mounting arm until the tip portion of the captive fastener enters into the mateable threaded opening on the rotating member. With the other hand, the installer
Bucher Charles E.
Bucher John C.
Wu Shih-Tza
King of Fans Inc.
Law Offices of Brian S. Steinberger
Ryznic John E.
Steinberger Brian S.
LandOfFree
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