Abstract:
The present invention provides for an easily installed ceiling fan. The fan includes a quick connect device for physically mounting the fan blades to a ceiling fan hub. The fan blades can be hung from the drive ring hub in a collapsed, vertical orientation and then quickly snapped into the extended operating position.  
     The articulating fan blade assembly of the present invention includes a fan blade hub, a fan blade, and a locking mechanism. The hub includes at least one receiving slot. The fan blade includes a mounting portion extending from its end. The mounting portion includes a tab configured for being received in the receiving slot. The lock retains the fan blade shaft within the receiving slot upon insertion of the shaft into the receiving slot.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed to the general field of ceiling fans, and more specifically to the field of ceiling fans with features that make hanging and electrically connecting the fan easier, particularly with regard to installing fan blades.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The installation of a ceiling fan is a difficult task for a single installer. To install a conventional ceiling fan, the fan is lifted to just below the electrical junction box and held there while connecting the fan wires to the electrical supply wires. After the electrical connection is made, the fan is lifted to place the fan bell over the junction box and held in that position while the fan is attached to the box or a ceiling hanger in some manner, typically with screws or bolts. The combined operation takes several minutes and usually requires two persons, one to lift and hold and the other to make the wire and screw connections.  
           [0003]    To reduce the weight and profile of the fan while making the electrical and ceiling attachment, the fan blades are typically attached to the drive ring hub (by screws) after the fan is hung from the ceiling. Once the fan blades are attached to the hub, they cannot be removed easily.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention provides for an easily installed ceiling fan. The fan includes a quick connect device for physically mounting the fan blades to a ceiling fan hub. The fan blades can be hung from the drive ring hub in a collapsed, vertical orientation and then quickly snapped into the extended operating position.  
           [0005]    In a preferred embodiment, the articulating fan blade assembly of the present invention includes a fan blade hub, a fan blade, and a locking mechanism. The hub includes at least one receiving slot. The fan blade includes a mounting portion extending from its end. The mounting portion includes a tab configured for being received in the receiving slot. The lock retains the fan blade shaft within the receiving slot upon insertion of the shaft into the receiving slot.  
           [0006]    In one embodiment, the mounting tab may have pins mounted thereon. The pins engage a ridge in the slot, and the fan blades rotate downward around the axis of the pin. The pins may be withdrawn into the tab during insertion of the tab into the slot, and then extended so that the pins engage the slot. In another embodiment, the pins engage finger slots along the receiving slot for securing the fan blade in the receiving slot. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    For purposes of illustrating the invention, the drawings show one or more forms in which the invention can be embodied. The invention is not, however, limited to the precise forms shown.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a ceiling fan according to the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of an articulating fan blade assembly of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the articulating fan blade assembly.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a cover of a fan blade hub of a ceiling fan of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the fan blade hub of FIG. 4, with the fan blade holder&#39;s attached.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of a fan blade hub of a ceiling fan in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the portion of the fan blade hub of FIG. 6.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a partial elevation, section view of the fan blade hub and fan blade of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of the fan blade hub and fan assembly of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is an alternate embodiment of the fan blade huband fan assembly of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is an alternate embodiment of the fan blade hub and fan assembly of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    In the drawings, where like numerals indicate like elements, a ceiling fan having the features of the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral  2 . The features that are unique to this invention is the articulating blade assembly described below.  
         [0020]    The blade assembly allows the blades to be hung from the fan blade hub in a collapsed vertical orientation before hanging the fan from the ceiling, and then easily snapped into the extended operating position. A related advantage is that the blades can later be lowered while still attached to the fan blade hub for cleaning and maintenance.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 1, the ceiling fan  2  has a drive shaft  7  connecting the fan motor to a drive ring usually called the fan blade hub  80 . A plurality of fan blades  82  are positioned equidistantly about the hub  80 .  
         [0022]    In conventional fans, the blade has an airfoil portion or paddle, usually made of wood or plastic, and a decorative metal mounting bracket attached to the root end of the paddle. The mounting bracket is typically attached by screws to the hub. When the blade is mounted to the hub, it is in its fixed operating position (some may permit minor adjustments to the blade angle).  
         [0023]    As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fan blades  82  have a paddle  84  and a mounting bracket  86 .  
         [0024]    The hub  80  includes a top plate  90  and a bottom plate  92 . The two plates  90 ,  92  are connected by screws  94 . Referring to FIG. 5, the top plate  90  includes a receiving slot  96  for each of the fan blades  82 .  
         [0025]    Referring to FIG. 2, each blade&#39;s mounting bracket  86  has a mounting tab  88  that is used to connect the bracket  86  to the hub  80 . The mounting tab  88  can be integral with the bracket, or alternatively could be a separate plain metal piece that is attached to a decorative mounting bracket. The mounting tab  88  terminates with a pair of retaining pins  97  (see FIG. 5) extending laterally from its end, such that the width of the mounting tab  88  at the retaining tabs  97  is slightly greater than the width of the mounting tab  88 .  
         [0026]    The receiving slots  96  in the hub include an opening  98  in the outer wall  100  of the top plate  90 . The width of the opening  98  is substantially the same as the width of the mounting tab  88  of the shaft but less than the width of the tab end with the retaining pins  97 . The portion of the slot inside the outer wall of the hub has a width substantially the same as the retaining tab end of the shaft. Thus, the reduced width of the slot opening forms a retaining ridge  102  in the hub radially inward of the slot opening  98 . The retaining ledge  103  engages the retaining pins  97 , and allows the fan blades to swing down, rotating about the axis of the pins, once the pins are in contact with the retaining ridge.  
         [0027]    With the portion of the tab  88  including the retaining pins  97  positioned within the slot  96 , the bottom plate  92  is attached to the top plate  90 . The bottom plate  92  includes, for each blade, a cutout or notch  104  corresponding in position to each slot  96  in the top plate  90 . The notch  104  has a width equal to the width of the tab  88  without the retaining pins  97 . When the fan blades are in an extended position (as illustrated by the bottom blades in FIGS. 2 and 5, and by the right-most blade in FIG. 3) the retaining pins  97  are supported by the top of the bottom plate  92  and the fan blades may swing in the direction of arrow B, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The tab  88  is received in the bottom plate notch and the fan blades hang vertically. The slot configuration also allows the tab  88  to move radially along the slot.  
         [0028]    In an alternate embodiment, the hub  80  may be a one-piece unit. As a one-piece unit, the hub  80  still includes a receiving slot  96  for each of the fan blades  82 . In this embodiment, the retaining pins  97  are spring loaded, which enables the pins  97  to be withdrawn into the tab  88 . With the pins  97  compressed into tab  88 , the tab  88  is inserted into the receiving slot  96 . Once the tab  88  is within the receiving slot, the pins  97  are pushed out of the tab  88  by the spring thereby holding the tab in the receiving slot.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8, the top plate  90  may include a retaining button  106 . The retaining button  106  is attached to a flexible strip  108  that is fixedly attached to the top plate by, for example, a rivet  110 . The flexible strip  108  acts as a spring for the button  106 , and holds the button in a first position extending through a hole  112  in the top plate  90  and into the slot  96 . When the button is forced in the direction of arrow C, the strip  108  allows the button  106  to move into the hole  112 . When the force is removed from the button  106 , the strip  108  forces the button  106  back into the slot  96 . In one embodiment, the retaining button  106  is accessed through a hole  124  in the bottom plate  92 , and can by depressed with a pen or small bladed screw driver. The shaft  86  includes a hole  126  that receives the retaining button  106  when the fan blade is fully inserted into the slot. The strip  108  may be replaced by a coil spring or any other element which will provide a similar function as described above.  
         [0030]    To place the fan blades into their operable position, a hanging blade (illustrated in FIG. 3, lower right blade) is articulated up in the direction of arrow B. The retaining button  106  is accessed through the hole  124  in the bottom plate and pushed out of the slot  96 . In an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the button  106  includes an angled face. When the tab  88  engages the button  106 , the tab  88  itself forces the button  106 . The fan blade is then moved into the slot in the direction of arrow D. The shaft slides over the depressed pin until the hole  126  is aligned with the button, and the strip  108  then forces the button  106  into the hole  126 . Once the retaining button is secured in the receiving hole, the blade is fixed in its extended position and ready for operation. If the blade is collapsible, the blade can be moved back to the collapsed vertical position by depressing the button  106  and pulling the blade outward until the retaining pins  97  engage the retaining ridge  102  of the bottom plate (pins and sliding blade shown in FIG. 5). The blade can then articulate downward in the direction of Arrow B (FIG. 3).  
         [0031]    In another embodiment, where the bracket has retaining pins, the retaining pins  97  may be withdrawn into the bracket tab (mounted on springs or mechanically withdrawn) so that the pins  97  do not interfere with the retaining ridge  102  during installation of the tab  130  into the receiving slot  96 . Once the tab is within the slot, pins  97  can be extended to engage retaining ledge  103  (ledge shown in FIGS. 5 and 10). In an embodiment where the tab  130  does not have retaining pins, the tab may be completely removed from the hub in this fashion. This button configuration may also be incorporated into a one-piece hub installation described above.  
         [0032]    By enabling fan blades to be articulated between a collapsed, vertically hanging position and an extended operable position, a fan with this fan blade assembly can be installed with the fan blades attached to the hub and in a collapsed hanging position. After the fan is electrically connected and attached to the ceiling, the blades are raised and locked into the extended operating position. This blades can be lowered thereafter for easy cleaning.  
         [0033]    Referring to FIG. 9, an alternate embodiment of the easy install fan blade assembly has fan blades with a mounting bracket shaft  130  that does not include the retaining pins. The top plate  90  includes a slot having a width that is the same as the width of the neck  130 . Since the neck  130  does not include the retaining tabs, the fan blades are completely removable from the hub  80 .  
         [0034]    Referring to FIG. 10, an alternate embodiment of the easy install fan blade assembly has fan blades with mounting bracket shaft  130 . Bracket tab  130  includes a spring loaded button  201  which, in its normal position protrudes from the tab  130 . The bottom plate  92  contains an opening  200  which is nominally the same size as the button  201  such that when in its normal position, the button  201  fits into the hole  200 . In a configuration where tab  130  has retaining pins, the blades are installed vertically as described above. However, as the bracket tab  130  is pushed into slot  96 , the button  201  is depressed into the tab  130 . As the tab button  201  reaches the opening  200 , the button  201  springs from the tab  130  into the opening  200  thereby securing the tab and blade in place. The blade tab is removed from this position by depressing the button with a screwdriver or similar device.  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIG. 11, an alternate embodiment of the easy install fan blade assembly is shown wherein the tab  130  contains spring loaded pins  97  and the top plate  90  has finger slots  202  for receiving the spring loaded pin  97 . The pins  97  in this embodiment naturally extend further from the shaft as in previous embodiments such that when they are fully extended they enter the finger slot  202 . In this embodiment, the vertical blades are installed as above. After the ceiling fan is in place, the blades are swung into a horizontal position then pushed in toward the center of the fan, the tab  130  sliding within slot  96 . As the spring-loaded pins  97  reach the finger slot, they spring into the slot thereby locking the tab in place. To remove the blade, the bottom plate  92  is removed, and the pins are depressed by applying pressure through the finger holes  202 .  
         [0036]    The present invention may be embodied in still further specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof.