Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e. – impellers) – Working member foldable – pivotable or collapsible to non-use...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-04-10
Look, Edward K. (Department: 3745)
Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e., impellers)
Working member foldable, pivotable or collapsible to non-use...
C416S21000A, C416S24400R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213716
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to ceiling fans, and in particular to pre-assembled ceiling fans having foldable blades and mounting arms that are factory installed onto the ceiling fan motor and packed in a ready to hang unit so that the ceiling fan can immediately be hung when removed from their package cartons.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Store bought ceiling fans usually are shipped in cartons having separate packing materials such as foam inserts for the multiple components that must be assembled by the installer when the ceiling fan is made ready to be hung. It is common that at the least the ceiling fan blades are detached from the motor housing and along with blade fasteners such as screws are separately packed in the shipping carton.
Generally each conventional ceiling fan blade generally requires some five fasteners such as screws for the assembly process. Thus, the cartons that carry the ceiling fans from the store to the installation location must have separate packaging for twenty screws for a four blade fan, and twenty-five screws if the fan has five blades. Clearly, problems can further occur if only one fastener(screw) is missing.
Additionally, the boxed ceiling fan generally uses separate packaging for the blades and the blade arms. Extra foam inserts and additional manufacturing costs occur for each separate part that must be packaged. Thus, the installer has multiple loose parts and packaging materials when the store bought ceiling fan is first taken out of the carton.
In addition to having multiple loose parts, a typical installer must follow a tedious process in order to assemble and hang the ceiling fan. In
FIG. 1
, a conventional ceiling fan motor housing
10
has a rotor component
20
that rotates about a central axis within motor housing
10
, which is in turn connected to a hanger assembly
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 housing
10
, rotor
20
and hanger assembly
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 assembly and installation of the 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
45
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 as 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, these current assembly and installation steps has become known as a frustrating, undesirable, difficult, tedious, time consuming and sometimes dangerous for the installer.
The problem of extra packaging and loose parts previously discussed occurs again if and when the ceiling fan needs to be taken down and reboxed. In order to fit again in the original carton, each of the ceiling fan blades must be detached from the motor housing and the separate fasteners and separate blades must be repacked back into the original carton.
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 install a pre-assembled ceiling fan to a ceiling.
The second object of this invention is to provide a ceiling fan that eliminates an installer from having to mount and align blades onto a ceiling fan motor.
The third object of this invention is to provide foldable ceiling fan blades that unfold when the ceiling fan is hung.
The fourth object of this invention is to provide a ceiling fan that requires less time to install compared to conventional packaged ceiling fans.
The fifth object of this invention is to provide a ceiling fan having foldable blades that can be taken down and packed into a box without detaching the blades from the motor housing.
The sixth object of this invention is to eliminate wobble effects when running the ceiling fan by having pre-attached factory mounted blades on the ceiling fan.
A first preferred embodiment of the novel invention includes a ceiling fan motor having a rotating member and at least two novel fan blades having foldable arms attached thereto, so that the ceiling fan can be directly hung from a ceiling, without any additional assembly. The invention further includes a novel packing box for allowing the ceiling fan with folding blades and arms to be stored without having to dismantle the blades and arms from the motor. A second embodiment has foldable blades that are pre-attached to the rotating member/rotor on the motor. A still another version combines both the folding arms and the folding blades so that the entire ceiling fan be packed more compactly into a smaller storage box. The pre-attached blades and mounting arms can be made of materials such as but not limited to plastic, wood, zinc die-cast metal, and the like.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.
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Bucher Charles E.
Bucher John C.
King of Fans Inc.
Law Offices of Brian S. Steinberger
Look Edward K.
Nguyen Ninh
Steinberger Brian S.
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