Abstract:
A pivoting light socket is used in the light pan of an up-light fixture of a low clearance ceiling fan, the light pan is positioned above the fan blades to provide indirect lighting which reflects from the ceiling above the fan blades. The circular, trough-shaped light pan surrounds, and is coupled to, the top circumference of the ceiling fan&#39;s motor stator, with the trough shaped portion positioned below the top of the stator. The light bulbs have a pivoting light socket that allows the bulb and socket to be positioned substantially below the top surface of the stator when the light socket is in its horizontal position, parallel to the top of the stator. Tilting the light socket upward, toward a vertical position, allows the light bulbs to be easily replaced, especially if the trough-shaped light pan is deep or narrow.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to light sockets, and more particularly, to light sockets for ceiling fans having an up light. 
     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 upward toward the ceiling above the fan. 
     With ceiling fans adapted to receive existing up-light fixtures, typically there is not sufficient clearance between the top of the motor and the ceiling from which the ceiling fan is suspended. This lack of clearance becomes problematic when it is time to replace the light bulbs in the up-light fixtures. Furthermore, when the up-light fixtures are located above the ceiling fans, the bulbs inside the up-light fixtures are hidden from view. The light sockets may also be placed in a narrow light pan, which leaves insufficient room for grasping and turning the bulb in a conventional light socket. Thus, to change a light bulb inserted in a conventional light socket, one would have to reach inside the light pan and grope for the bulb. This method is awkward and time consuming. Further, with the conventional light sockets, the light pan which contains the socket and bulb must necessarily be made large enough to accommodate sufficient room for threading or unthreading the bulb. Such a predicament results in design limitations on the size and shape of the light pan. 
     Hence, a need exists for an improved light socket for ceiling fans with an up-light feature. The present invention addresses these shortcomings associated with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a first aspect of the invention, the invention relates to pivoting light sockets to be placed in a light housing, which in one embodiment comprises a light socket and a pivoting arm. The arm includes a lower and an upper member. The upper member is pivotably attached to the lower member. The upper member is connected to the light socket, whereas the lower member is coupled to the light housing. In another embodiment, the arm is directly attached to the socket at one end and pivotably attached to the light housing at the other end. On the other hand, the arm may also be pivotably attached to the light socket. 
     In a second aspect of the invention, the light socket is pivotable from a first position to a second position. The first position refers to the light socket being parallel with the light housing. The second position refers to the light socket being perpendicular with the light housing. Alternatively, the second position refers to any position that is not parallel with the light housing. 
     In a third aspect of the invention, a ceiling fan that includes at least one pivoting light socket. The fan further includes a motor having a stator which has an upper portion and a rotor which has a lower portion that is rotatable with respect to the stator, and a plurality of fan blades. Each fan blade has a first end coupled to the lower portion of the rotor. The ceiling fan further includes at least one pivoting light socket coupled to the upper portion of the stator. The light socket is configured such that the illumination from the light bulb engaged therein projects above the fan blades. 
     In a fourth aspect of the invention, the fan further includes a light pan coupled to the upper portion of the motor. The motor defines a top surface and the light pan defines a circumferential trough, in which the light socket is situated. The trough is situated relative to the motor such that at least a portion of the light socket is located below the plane defined by the top surface of the motor. 
     In a fifth aspect of the invention, the trough is situated relative to the motor such that at least a portion of the light socket is located below the horizontal plane defined by the fan blade outer ends. 
     In a sixth aspect of the invention, the fan further includes a light housing around the motor, in which the pivoting light socket is situated such that at least a portion of the light socket is within the housing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a ceiling fan with an integral up-light employing a pivoting light socket placed inside the integral up-light in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cut-away elevation view of the pivoting light socket placed inside the ceiling fan with an integral up light illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a blade holder of the ceiling fan illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a blade holder cover plate for the ceiling fan illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view of the blade holder shown coupled to an adjacent blade holder. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the light socket in a position perpendicular to the light pan of the ceiling fan illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the light socket pivoted in an upright position. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the light socket, similar to that shown in FIG. 7, with the pivot point located closer to the light pan of the ceiling fan. 
     FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the light socket having only one arm. 
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     Turning to the drawings, FIG.  1  and FIG. 2 illustrate various views of a ceiling fan  10  employing a light socket  38  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, the ceiling fan  10  includes a motor  12  which has a stationary portion, or stator  14 , and a rotor  16  which rotates relative to the stator. The stator  14  has an upper portion  18 , to which a collar  20  is attached. A down rod (not shown) couples to the collar  20  for suspending the fan  10  from a ceiling. The rotor  16  includes a lower portion  24 , to which a generally disc-shaped hub  26  is fixed so as to rotate with the rotor  16 . In one embodiment, the hub  26  is fashioned of rubber. 
     The ceiling fan  10  further includes a plurality of fan blades  28  and a corresponding plurality of blade holders  30 . The blade holders  30  may be made using zinc die cast process. The embodiment pictured includes five fan blades  28  and five corresponding blade holders  30 . The fan blades  28  include a first end  32 , and one embodiment of the invention includes fan blades  28  having a “split” blade design, wherein the blade first end  32  defines a generally V-shaped cut-out  34 . The blade holders  30  are coupled to the hub  26  so as to rotate therewith. In an embodiment of the invention, the hub  26  defines a plurality of threaded bores positioned around the periphery of the hub  26 , with a series of corresponding bolts passing through openings in the lower portion  36  of the blade holders  30  and threaded into the hub  26  to couple the blade holders  30  to the hub  26 . 
     The ceiling fan  10  further includes an integral “up-light” feature, which includes plurality of light sockets  38  coupled to the stator upper portion  18  for engaging light bulbs  40 . In the embodiment pictured, the light sockets  38  are positioned within a light pan  42  coupled to the upper portion  18  of the stator  14  such that the illumination from the light bulbs  40  projects above the fan blades  30 . The light pan  42  may be fashioned of stamped steel with a polished finish to reflect the light. Further, the light pan  42  may be further lined with a foil-faced insulator to further reflect the light away from the motor and also to reflect heat from the light bulbs  40 . 
     In an embodiment of the invention, three light sockets  38  are positioned within the light pan  42 , with three forty-watt incandescent light bulbs  40  engaged therein. Depending on the application, other types of light fixtures may be employed, such as a circular florescent lamp and associated fixture. The wiring for the light sockets  38  may be as in standard ceiling fans known in the art. The up-light feature of the ceiling fan  10  provides pleasant, indirect illumination, casting light upwards onto the ceiling rather than downwards towards the floor of a room. The ceiling fan  10  may optionally include an additional conventional lighting fixture  44 , positioned below the motor  12 . Since the ceiling fan illustrated in the drawings herein does not include a switch housing extending below the motor as in known ceiling fans, a threaded shaft may extend downward through the hub  26 , to which a down-light kit may be connected and held in place with a threaded hub and a set screw. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, a remote control is provided which operates both the up-light feature and the optional conventional lighting fixture. The remote control may further control the fan blade  28  rotational speed and direction. 
     While many ceiling fan applications desire the indirect illumination provided by an up-light feature as in the present invention, the limited floor to ceiling distance in many rooms prevents its implementation with known up-light designs. With prior art ceiling fans, up-light fixtures are positioned above the fan motor. This increases the distance required between the fan motor and the ceiling. A conventional light fixture additionally positioned below the fan blades may hang dangerously far below the ceiling, creating a hazard, due to the combined distance of the down rod, up-light fixture, ceiling fan assembly, and down light fixture. 
     This problem is addressed in the present invention by coupling the light sockets  38  directly to the fan motor  12 . The light pan  42  defines a circumferential trough  46  in which the sockets  38  are positioned. The light pan  42  is coupled to the top surface  22  of the motor stator  14 , with the trough  46  situated relative to the stator  14  such that the light sockets  38  are located below the plane of the top surface  22 . Moreover, as seen in FIG. 2, the trough  46  may be situated relative to the stator  14  such that at least a portion of each light socket  38  is located below a horizontal plane defined by the fan blade tips. Thus, the integral up-light feature provides the desirable upward illumination without requiring any additional ceiling clearance. 
     Because the light sockets  38  are positioned in the circumferential trough  46  such that the light sockets  38  are located below the plane of the top surface  22 , the light sockets  38  and the light bulbs  40  are not easily seen from a person standing below the ceiling fan  10 . Furthermore, the location of the light sockets  38  provides virtually no room for a person&#39;s hand to reach for the light bulb  40  inserted in the light sockets  38 , especially when the light sockets  38  are conventional light sockets. Thus, to change a light bulb  40  inserted in a conventional light socket becomes a difficult task since one would necessarily have to grope for the light bulb  40  located in the circumferential trough  46 . 
     In addition, a conventional light socket requires sufficient clearance for engaging and disengaging the bulbs to and from the socket, which limits the trough to a certain size and design. 
     The problems mentioned above are addressed in an embodiment of the present invention by employing pivoting light sockets as the light sockets  38 . The pivoting light socket  38  is shown in greater detail in FIG.  6  and FIG.  7 . The pivoting light socket  38  includes a means which allows the socket  38  to be pivoted from a resting or horizontal position with respect to the light pan  42  (see FIG. 6) to an upright or vertical position with respect to the light pan  42  (see FIG.  7 ). The pivoting light socket  38  is certainly not limited to pivoting only from a horizontal to a vertical position. That is, the pivoting light socket  38  is capable of pivoting the socket from its horizontal position to any other position that will enable one to easily engage or disengage a bulb to or from the socket. 
     In one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the pivoting light socket  38  includes a pivoting member  39 , which couples the light socket  38  to the light pan  42 . The pivoting member  39  further includes a lower member  37  that is affixed to the light pan  42  and an upper member  41  that is attached to the light socket  38  itself. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the lower member  37  and the upper member  41  comprises of parallel legs. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the lower member  37  and upper member  41  may also be comprised of a singular leg, as shown in FIG.  9 . The lower member  37  is connected to the upper member  41  in such a manner that allows the upper member  41  to pivot from being perpendicular to the lower member  37 , as shown in FIG. 6, to being parallel or in line with the lower member  37 , as shown FIG.  7 . Any type of hinge, screw, rivets or the like may connect the lower member  37  to the upper member  41 . 
     In another embodiment, the pivoting member  39  comprises an extension member  37   a  which is directly connected to the light pan  42 , as shown in FIG.  8 . The lower member  37  or the extension member  37   a  may be coupled to the light pan  42  by fasteners, rivets or the like. Since the extension member  37   a  is pivotably coupled to the light pan  42 , the extension member  37   a  may easily pivot about the light pan  42 . 
     Likewise, the upper member  41  may be attached to the light socket  38  by fasteners, rivets or the like. Moreover, the pivoting member  39  may be made from material such as metal or plastic or anything that is capable of pivoting the light socket  38  from its horizontal position to its vertical position with respect to the light pan  42 . 
     The ceiling fan  10  additionally includes a blade holder  30 . As discussed above, the blade holder  30  includes a lower portion  36  which is coupled to the hub  26 . The blade holder  36  defines a ledge  50 , to which the fan blade  28  attaches such that the fan blade  28  extends radially from the hub  26 . The ceiling fan  10  illustrated in FIG.  1  and FIG. 2 includes the split-blade design as discussed above. Thus, as pictured in FIG. 3, two ledges  50  extend from the blade holder  30 , each ledge  50  forming the floor of a channel  52  which includes two side walls  54  in a spaced relationship extending generally perpendicular to the floor  50 . Each channel  52  receives one segment  56  (one side of the V-shaped cut out) of the fan blade  28 . 
     The first end  32  of the fan blades  28  each defines at least one bore  58  therethrough. The split-blade embodiment pictured herein includes two bores  58  extending through each blade segment  56 . Each channel floor  50  may include at least one retaining member  60  extending upwards therefrom. The blade holder  30  embodiment of FIG. 3 includes four retaining members  60 , each being generally cylindrical in shape, corresponding to the bores  58  through the fan blades  28 . At least a portion of the retaining member  60  extends through the bore  58  in the fan blade segment  56  seated within the channel  52 . A fastener such as a screw  62  extends through the bores  58  and into the retaining member  60  to fix the fan blade  28  within the channel  52 . Alternate fastening methods may be employed, such as providing openings in the channel floor  50 , either in lieu of the retaining members  60  or in conjunction therewith, wherein a bolt extends through the channel floor  50  and the blade  28  with a nut threaded thereabout. 
     A cover plate  64  may fit over the fan blade segment  56  such that it is sandwiched between the channel floor  50  and the cover plate  64 . An embodiment of the cover plate  64  is illustrated in FIG.  4 . The cover plate  64  further defines a bore  66  extending therethrough having an axis common to the bores  58  extending through the fan blades  28 . The fastener  62  extends through the cover plate  64  and the fan blade  28 , terminating in the retaining member  60  for fixing the fan blade  28  in its sandwiched position between the floor  50  and the cover plate  64 . This configuration for fixing the fan blade  28  to the blade holder  30  is best illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     The blade holders  30  form an interlocking segment of a motor-concealing member  68  which rotates about the motor  12  with the hub  26 . FIG. 5 shows an alternate view of the blade holder  30 , which includes an upper portion  70  having first  72  and second  74  ends arranged such that the first end  72  of one blade holder  30  is coupled to the second end  74  of the adjacent blade holder. As shown in FIG.  3  and FIG. 5, each end  72  and  74  of the upper portion  70  defines a tab  76  and  78 , respectively, extending therefrom, with one tab being positioned on a plane lower than the other, so that when adjacent blade holders are positioned in an abutting relationship, the tabs  76  and  78  overlap. A fastener  80  such as a nut and bolt or rivet couples the blade holders  30  together. Thus, the blade holders  30  having their upper portions  70  coupled together and their lower portions  36  coupled to the hub  26  form a dish-like member  68  which conceals the motor  12 . The light pan  42  may be positioned such that at least a portion of the light sockets  38  within the circumferential trough  46  are below the upper portion  70  such that the motor-concealing member  68  also rotates about the trough  46 . 
     The novel blade holders  30  of the invention provide several benefits. First, the blade holders  30  couple the fan blades  28  to the rotor  16  in a very robust manner. Known ceiling fans typically use a flange having one end to which a fan blade is attached with bolts or screws, with the opposite end bolted to the fan&#39;s rotor. In contrast, the novel blade holder  30  of the present invention uses the combination of the channel  52  and cover plate  64  to “surround” the fan blade  28  and hold it securely in place. 
     Next, the blade holder lower portions  36  coupled to the hub  26 , and the upper portions  70  are each coupled to the adjacent blade holder, forming an integral unit  68 . The upper portion  70  and the lower portion  36  each form a concentric ring, which provides better balance for the fan blades. A common problem with known ceiling fans is the “wobble” caused by unbalanced blades. This problem is greatly reduced in a ceiling fan employing blade holders  30  in accordance with the present invention. 
     Moreover, the combined blade holders  30  form a motor-concealing member  68  which rotates with the hub  26 . This eliminates the need for a decorative motor housing, and the cost associated therewith. Additionally, the motor-concealing member  68  rotates about the motor  12 , moving the air around the motor  12  and cooling it. Still further, in one embodiment, the light sockets  38  in the circumferential trough  46  are positioned such that at least a portion of the light bulbs  40  are located below the top plane of the motor concealing member  68 . Thus, the rotating motor concealing member  68  also cools the light bulbs  40  within the circumferential trough  46 . The circumferential trough  46  also further conceals the motor  12 . 
     Thus, the ceiling fan  10  of the present invention provides an improved, integral up light feature which provides desired indirect lighting without requiring additional ceiling-clearance. Further, the blade holders  30  of the invention couple the fan blades  28  to the rotor  16  of the ceiling fan motor  12  in a stable, robust manner, which improves the ceiling fan&#39;s  10  balance. The pivoting light sockets  38  in the up light, moreover, provide more visibility for the sockets  38  and the light bulbs  40  and ease for accessing the light bulbs  40 . They further reduce the space between the trough and the socket necessitated by conventional sockets for threading and unthreading bulbs. The motor-concealing member  68  with the fan blades  30  coupled thereto provides a single, integrated rotating unit which provides a sleek, low profile appearance and functions to cool the fan motor  12  and the up-light fixture, while eliminating the need to provide an additional, costly decorative motor housing. 
     The above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention are made by way of example and not for purposes of limitation. Many variations may be made to the embodiments and methods disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Alternate embodiments are envisioned which include varying numbers and styles of fan blades. Other embodiments may include integral down-light fixtures. The present invention is intended to be limited only by the scope and spirit of the following claims.