Patent ID: 8864463
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: F04D

Abstract:
1. An axial-flow, rotating ceiling fan comprising: (a) a stationary motor shaft having a top end for mounting to a horizontal surface and an opposite, bottom end suspended from the horizontal surface; (b) an electric fan motor rotating about the motor shaft and located at the top end of the motor shaft; (c) a motor hub rigidly connected to a bottom surface of the fan motor and rotating about the motor shaft with the fan motor, the motor hub having internal splines comprising a series of grooves arranged radially about the motor shaft; (d) a transmission mechanism connected to the motor hub, the transmission mechanism comprising: (e) a pair of fan blades arranged symmetrically about the motor shaft and denoted here as a first fan blade and a second fan blade, the first fan blade having a first fan blade tip and a first fan blade root, the second fan blade having a second fan blade tip and a second fan blade root; (f) a blade deployment mechanism comprising: wherein the sun gear slides within the motor hub while engaging the internal splines of the motor hub; wherein the sun gear slides within the ring gear housing to engage and disengage the first internal spline of the ring gear housing; wherein in an energized state, the electromagnetic coil is energized and generates a magnetic force, the clutch plate is in contact with the upper end of the coil housing due to the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil, and the sun gear is disengaged from the first internal spline of the ring gear housing due to the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil; wherein in a de-energized state, the electromagnetic coil is de-energized and does not generate the magnetic force, the clutch plate is not in contact with the upper end of the coil housing due to the spring resistance of the clutch plate springs, and the sun gear is engaged with the first internal spline of the ring gear housing due to the spring force of the sun gear spring; wherein in a deployed state, the first end of the first drive link rotates about the motor shaft in a first rotative direction and activates the first blade link to rotate in the first rotative direction about the first blade pivot assembly, the first blade link causes the first fan blade to pivot about the first blade pivot assembly in the first rotative direction, the result being that the first fan blade tip is farther from the motor shaft than the first fan blade root, likewise the first end of the second drive link rotates about the motor shaft in the first rotative direction and activates the second blade link to rotate in the first rotative direction about the second blade pivot assembly, the second blade link causes the second fan blade to pivot about the second blade pivot assembly in the first rotative direction, the result being that the second fan blade tip is farther from the motor shaft than the second fan blade root; and wherein in a retracted state, the first end of the first drive link rotates about the motor shaft in a second rotative direction and activates the first blade link to rotate in the second rotative direction about the first blade pivot assembly, the first blade link causes the first fan blade to pivot about the first blade pivot assembly in the second rotative direction, the first fan blade sliding between the main fan plate and the clutch plate, the result being that the first fan blade tip is equidistant from the motor shaft as the first fan blade root, likewise the first end of the second drive link rotates about the motor shaft in the second rotative direction and activates the second blade link to rotate in the second rotative direction about the second blade pivot assembly, the second blade link causes the second fan blade to pivot about the second blade to pivot assembly in the second rotative direction, the second fan blade sliding between the main fan plate and the clutch plate, the result being that the second fan blade tip is equidistant from the motor shaft as the second fan blade root, each of the first fan blade and the second fan blade being shaped and dimensioned to together form a disk symmetrical about the motor shaft in the in retracted state.