Abstract:
The present invention relates to a switch box structure of a ceiling fan, wherein the switches of the ceiling fan are separated from the ceiling fan, and are placed in a housing which may be mounted at a position that the user can reach, thereby facilitating the user operate the switches which include a lamp source switch, a direction control switch, and a fan switch. In addition, all of the elements of the control switches of the ceiling fan may be placed in the switch box structure to form a module, thereby facilitating assembling and dismantling the control switches of the ceiling fan.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a switch box structure of a ceiling fan.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    A conventional ceiling fan comprises a control box located under the ceiling fan, a switch mounted in the control box, a decorative lamp hung under the control box, and two pull bar type chains connected to the control box. The chains may be pulled for adjusting and changing the rotational speed of the ceiling fan and the light intensity of the decorative lamp respectively.  
           [0005]    However, the user cannot directly control and operate the switch of the ceiling fan, and has to exert a larger force to operate the chains for adjusting the rotational speed of the ceiling fan and the light intensity of the decorative lamp respectively, thereby causing inconvenience to the user and consuming the user&#39;s energy. In addition, friction is produced between the parts in the control box and the chain during movement of the chain, so that the parts of the control box are easily worn out during long-term utilization. Further, one chain is used to control the rotational speed of the ceiling fan, and the other chain is used to control the light intensity of the decorative lamp, so that the two chains are separated from each other. Thus, the user cannot control the two chains simultaneously, thereby causing inconvenience to the user.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a switch box structure of a ceiling fan, wherein the switches of the ceiling fan are separated from the ceiling fan, and are placed in a housing which may be mounted at a position that the user can reach, thereby facilitating the user operate the switches which include a lamp source switch, a direction control switch, and a fan switch. In addition, all of the elements of the control switches of the ceiling fan may be placed in the switch box structure to form a module, thereby facilitating assembling and dismantling the control switches of the ceiling fan.  
           [0007]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a switch box structure of a ceiling fan, comprising:  
           [0008]    a housing including:  
           [0009]    a top cover having a panel defining a lamp source switch hole, a direction control switch slot, and a fan switch hole, the top cover having a top wall defining a receptacle slot, the top cover having a bottom wall defining a ventilating portion; and  
           [0010]    a base secured on the top cover, and defining a wire collection hole;  
           [0011]    a receptacle received in the receptacle slot; and  
           [0012]    a connecting wire control device mounted in the housing and including:  
           [0013]    a lamp source switch received in the lamp source switch hole and protruding outward therefrom;  
           [0014]    a direction control switch received in the direction control switch slot and protruding outward therefrom; and  
           [0015]    a fan switch received in the fan switch hole and protruding outward therefrom, the fan switch including:  
           [0016]    a lower casing;  
           [0017]    an upper casing secured on the lower casing;  
           [0018]    a plurality of power connection seats secured in the lower casing;  
           [0019]    a plurality of conducting members each mounted in a respective one of the power connection seats;  
           [0020]    a rotation shaft rotatably mounted between the upper casing and the lower casing; and  
           [0021]    a speed control contact member integrally formed on the rotation shaft to rotate therewith, and including a plurality of contact legs each in contact with some respective conducting members during rotation of the rotation shaft.  
           [0022]    Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a switch box structure of a ceiling fan in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch box structure of a ceiling fan as shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a cut-away rear plan view of the switch box structure of a ceiling fan as shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a side plan cross-sectional view of the switch box structure of a ceiling fan as shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a fan switch of the switch box structure of a ceiling fan in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 is a top plan expansion schematic view of a speed control contact member of the fan switch of the switch box structure of a ceiling fan as shown in FIG. 5. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]    Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS.  1 - 4 , a switch box structure of a ceiling fan in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  10 , and a connecting wire control device “A” mounted in the housing  10 .  
         [0030]    The housing  10  includes a top cover  11 , and a base  12 . The top cover  11  has a panel in turn defining a lamp source switch hole  110 , a direction control switch slot  111  under the lamp source switch hole  110 , and a fan switch hole  112  under the direction control switch slot  111 . The top cover  11  has a top wall defining a receptacle slot  114  for receiving a receptacle  70 , and a bottom wall defining a ventilating portion  113  for providing the ventilating and heat dissipation effect. The base  12  is secured on the top cover  11 , and defines a wire collection hole  120  for allowing passage of electric wires (not shown). The base  12  is provided with a plurality of fixing columns  121  for supporting the connecting wire control device “A”, thereby facilitating fitting, assembly, and maintenance.  
         [0031]    The connecting wire control device “A” includes a lamp source switch  40 , a direction control switch  30 , a fan switch  20 , a wire connection body  50 , a capacitor (not shown), and a receptacle  70 .  
         [0032]    The lamp source switch  40  is received in the lamp source switch hole  110  and protrudes outward therefrom. The lamp source switch  40  is fixed by the fixing columns  121 .  
         [0033]    The direction control switch  30  is fixed by the fixing columns  121 , and has a first side provided with a switch button  31  received in the direction control switch slot  111  and protruded outward therefrom, and a second side provided with a plurality of wire connection portions  32  which are arranged serially, thereby facilitating assembly. Thus, the direction control switch  30  can be used to control the rotation direction of the ceiling fan.  
         [0034]    The fan switch  20  passes through the fan switch hole  112  and protrudes outward therefrom. The fan switch  20  is fixed by the fixing columns  121 .  
         [0035]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 with reference to FIGS.  1 - 4 , the fan switch  20  includes a lower casing  22 , an upper casing  21  secured on the lower casing  22  by a high frequency wave process, a plurality of power connection seats  26  secured in the lower casing  22 , a plurality of conducting members  27  each mounted in a respective one of the power connection seats  26 , a rotation shaft  24  rotatably mounted between the upper casing  21  and the lower casing  22 , and a speed control contact member  25  integrally formed on the rotation shaft  24  to rotate therewith. The speed control contact member  25  includes a plurality of contact legs  251 ,  252 ,  253 ,  254 , and  255  each in contact with some respective conducting members  27  during rotation of the rotation shaft  24 .  
         [0036]    The upper casing  21  of the fan switch  20  has a peripheral wall  210  formed with a plurality of fixing ears  211 , for passage of bolts (not shown) so that the upper casing  21  may be secured to the top cover  11 . The upper casing  21  of the fan switch  20  has two sides each defining a receiving recess  212  for receiving the rotation shaft  24 .  
         [0037]    The lower casing  22  of the fan switch  20  has two sides each defining a receiving recess  221  for receiving the rotation shaft  24 . The lower casing  22  of the fan switch  20  has a peripheral wall  220  defining a plurality of locking holes  223 , and each of the power connection seats  26  is provided with a locking wedge  263  locked in a respective one of the locking holes  223 , such that the power connection seats  26  can be directly locked in the lower casing  22  elastically.  
         [0038]    The rotation shaft  24  has a distal end formed with a plurality of ratchet teeth  240  arranged in a radiating manner. The fan switch  20  includes two elastic locking members  23  mounted between the upper casing  21 , the rotation shaft  24 , and the lower casing  22 . Each locking member  23  is formed with a V-shaped catch  230  detachably engaged with either one of the ratchet teeth  240 , for providing a ratchet effect to the rotation shaft  24 .  
         [0039]    Each of the two elastic locking members  23  has two legs  232 . The lower casing  22  defines two positioning sockets  222  for receiving the two legs  232  of one elastic locking member  23 , and the upper casing  21  defines two positioning sockets  213  for receiving the two legs  232  of the other elastic locking member  23 .  
         [0040]    The distal end of the rotation shaft  24  is formed with an axle  242  protruding outward from the fan switch hole  112 , and the fan switch  20  further includes a switch control disk  28  rested on the panel of the top cover  11  and secured on the axle  242  of the rotation shaft  24  for rotating the rotation shaft  24 .  
         [0041]    Each of the power connection seats  26  defines a receiving chamber  260  for receiving a respective conducting member  27 . The receiving chamber  260  of each of the power connection seats  26  is formed with a notch  262 , and each of the conducting members  27  is formed with a V-shaped positioning portion  270  secured in the notch  262  of a respective power connection seat  26 .  
         [0042]    Each of the conducting members  27  has an upper end that may be in contact with the speed control contact member  25  on the rotation shaft  24 , and a lower end that may be in contact with a conducting wire (not shown) which is passed through the notch  262  of the receiving chamber  260 .  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 6, the speed control contact member  25  includes a main contact region  250  connected to each of the plurality of contact legs  251 ,  252 ,  253 ,  254 , and  255 .  
         [0044]    In operation, when the switch control disk  28  is rotated, the axle  242  of the rotation shaft  24  is also rotated so that the rotation shaft  24  can be rotated to a first position where the first contact leg  251  of the speed control contact member  25  is in contact with one of the conducting members  27 , then to a second position where the second contact leg  252  of the speed control contact member  25  is in contact with four of the conducting members  27 , then to a third position where the third contact leg  253  of the speed control contact member  25  is in contact with three of the conducting members  27 , then to a fourth position where the fourth contact leg  254  of the speed control contact member  25  is in contact with two of the conducting members  27 , and finally to a fifth position where the fifth contact leg  255  of the speed control contact member  25  is in contact with one of the conducting members  27 . In such a manner, the rotation speed of the rotation shaft  24  can be changed by rotating the switch control disk  28 .  
         [0045]    Accordingly, the switch box structure of a ceiling fan in accordance with the present invention has the following advantages.  
         [0046]    1. The connecting wire control device “A” is fitted in the housing  10 , so that the switch box structure can be assembled and dismantled easily and quickly, thereby facilitating fitting, assembly, and maintenance of the switch box structure.  
         [0047]    2. The connecting wire control device “A” has the optimal manner of wire connection and the optimal manner of allocation, so that all of the parts of the control switches of the ceiling fan, such as the lamp source switch  40 , the direction control switch  30 , and the fan switch  20 , are integrated into a module that is mounted in the housing  10  previously. Thus, the electric wires can be connected to the connecting wire control device “A” contained in the housing  10  easily and quickly, thereby greatly facilitating the operator assembling and dismantling the switch box structure of the ceiling fan.  
         [0048]    3. The switch box structure may be mounted on the wall and located at a position that the user can reach easily, thereby facilitating the user operate the switches, such as the lamp source switch  40 , the direction control switch  30 , and the fan switch  20 .  
         [0049]    Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.