Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e. – impellers) – With illumination means
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-22
2001-06-19
Verdier, Christopher (Department: 3745)
Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e., impellers)
With illumination means
C416S1700HM, C416S21000A, C416S21200A, C416S21400A, C416S22000A, C362S096000, C362S234000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247894
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to ceiling fans, and more particularly, to ceiling fans having an up-light and an improved blade holding system.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Electric ceiling fans are commonly used to provide improved circulation in a room and assist heating and air conditioning systems. Known ceiling fans generally consist of an electric motor suspended by a shaft or down rod from a ceiling. Other ceiling fan styles are mounted such that there is little or no clearance between the top of the motor and the ceiling. These ceiling fans are known as “snugger” or “zero-clearance” fans, and are used where floor to ceiling clearance is too small for suspending the fan motor with a down rod. The motor includes a stationary portion (the stator) and a rotating portion (the rotor). A decorative housing surrounds the motor, with an opening provided in the lower portion of the housing to allow a plurality of blades to be mounted to the rotating portion. Conventional ceiling fans typically incorporate one or more electrical switches encased within a switch housing beneath the motor for controlling the speed and rotational direction of the blades.
Known ceiling fans often have light fixtures attached to the bottom portion of motor, below the blades. In many applications, the light fixture is mounted to the switch housing below the fan blades, with the light fixture lamps casting illumination in a downward fashion. In many applications, however, it is desirable to provide indirect lighting, such as casting light upwards toward the ceiling above the fan. Unfortunately, with conventional ceiling fans, it is often impossible to provide this type of indirect lighting.
For example, many conventional ceiling fans are constructed only to allow connecting a light fixture to the bottom of the motor or switch housing. There is no connection means provided at the top portion of the motor. Even with ceiling fans adapted to receive existing up-light fixtures, there typically is not sufficient clearance between the top of the motor and the ceiling from which the ceiling fan is suspended.
Adding a light fixture that extends well above the top of the fan motor will usually place the light fixture too close to the ceiling to provide adequate lighting.
Often, there is inadequate space between the floor and ceiling to extend the down rod to provide the additional clearance required for known up-light fixtures. Ceiling fan blades situated too far below the ceiling may cause a hazard to out-stretched arms or other items carried or placed above a person's head, for example. Moreover, even when indirect lighting, such as up-lighting, is desired, there may also be a need for the conventional down-lights associated with ceiling fans. This only adds to the clearance problem, as the increased ceiling clearance in combination with the up-light fixture, the ceiling fan itself, and the down-light fixture results in lighting that hangs too close to the floor.
Another shortcoming associated with known ceiling fans is the manner in which the fan blades are attached to the rotor. A prior art blade flange with a fan blade attached thereto is illustrated in FIG.
1
. The blade flange
1
includes a first end
2
which is in an overlapping relationship with the fan blade
3
. The blade
3
is screwed or bolted to the blade flange
1
. A second end of the blade flange
1
is bolted to the lower surface of a rotating member, which is connected to the rotor. Connecting the blade
3
to the blade flange
1
in this manner often results in the fan blades being out of balance, causing the fan to sway or wobble.
Contributing to this problem is the manner in which the blade flange is attached to the rotating member. Since the decorative housing is required to hide the fan motor, the blades must connect to the rotating member bottom surface. As shown in the prior art blade flange
1
in
FIG. 1
, the second end
4
which is coupled to the rotating member is offset from the first end
2
connected to the fan blade
3
. This allows the second end
4
to extend upwards within the decorative motor housing. Connecting the blade flanges to the bottom portion of the rotating member within the decorative motor housing can be a difficult task at best, and the stress of the blade on a conventional blade flange only adds to the balancing problem.
Thus, a need exists for an improved ceiling fan which includes an up-light feature which does not increase the required ceiling clearance. An improved blade holder for a ceiling fan is also needed to address the shortcomings of known blade flanges. The present invention addresses these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a ceiling fan includes a motor having a stator which has an upper portion, and a rotor which has a lower portion and is rotatable with respect to the stator. A hub is coupled to the lower portion of the rotor so as to rotate therewith. A plurality of blade holders are coupled to the hub, with each blade holder forming an interlocking segment of a motor-concealing member such that the motor concealing member rotates about the motor with the hub. A plurality of fan blades equal in number to the blade holders each have a first end, and each blade holder defines a ledge. The first end of one of the fan blades is attached to the ledge such that the fan blade extends radially from the hub and a plurality of light sockets are coupled to the stator upper portion for engaging light bulbs.
In another aspect of the invention, a blade-holding system for coupling fan blades to a ceiling fan which includes a motor having a rotating hub is presented. The blade-holding system includes a plurality of blade holders, each having a lower portion adapted to be coupled to the hub such that the blade holder rotates therewith. Each blade holder has an upper portion including first and second ends, the first end of each blade holder is adapted to be coupled to the second end of an adjacent blade holder, such that each blade holder forms an interlocking segment of a motor-concealing member which rotates about the motor with the hub. Each blade holder further defines a ledge adapted to receive one end of a fan blade such that the fan blades extend radially from the hub and is rotatable therewith.
In a further aspect of the invention, a light fixture is provided for a ceiling fan including a motor having a stator defining a top surface, a rotor having a plurality of blades attached thereto each having a distal end extending radially from the motor. The up-light fixture includes a light pan coupled to the top surface of the stator defining a circumferential trough and a plurality of light sockets for engaging light bulbs, with the sockets positioned within the trough.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1260562 (1918-03-01), McIntosh
patent: 1940318 (1933-12-01), Morse
patent: 2535527 (1950-12-01), Barkley
patent: 2581872 (1952-01-01), Morrison
patent: 5151011 (1992-09-01), Rezek
patent: 5349513 (1994-09-01), Taylor III, et al.
patent: 5440459 (1995-08-01), Chan
patent: 5462412 (1995-10-01), Scofield et al.
patent: 242977 (1926-01-01), None
patent: 140546 (1990-03-01), None
patent: 241840 (1995-02-01), None
Lathrop David
Moody John
Young Stanfield
Emerson Electric Co.
Howrey Simon Arnold & White , LLP
Verdier Christopher
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