Mounting device for a ceiling fan

A mounting device for a ceiling fan includes a plate having a protrusion formed in a middle portion and having a pair of flanges oppositely formed beside the protrusion, a notch formed between the protrusion and each of the flanges, a panel including a pair of flaps engaged through the notches of the plate and arranged such that the flaps are located above and supported by the flanges, and a pad engaged between each of the flaps and the respective flanges of the plate. The panel can thus be solidly coupled to the plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a mounting device, and more particularly 
to a mounting device for a ceiling fan. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A typical mounting device for mounting a ceiling fan to the ceiling is 
shown in FIG. 4 and comprises a plate 1 including a plurality of holes 12, 
13 formed therein, a screw 4 engaged in each of the holes 13 and fixed to 
the plate 1 by welding processes, a hook 5 engaged in one of the holes 13 
and fixed to the plate 1 by welding processes, a protrusion 10 formed in 
the middle portion of the plate 1 and protruded upward, an opening 11 
formed in the center of the protrusion 10. The plate 1 can be attached to 
the ceiling by screws (not shown) which engage through the other holes 12. 
A panel 2 includes an orifice 22 formed in the middle portion and four 
notches 21 formed in the end portions for engagement with the screws 4, a 
pad 3, a washer 31 and a nut 41 are engaged on each of the screws 4 for 
fixing the panel 2 to the plate 1. 
However, in such a mounting device, the screws 4 and the hook 5 should be 
welded to the plate 1, this complicates the manufacturing processes of the 
mounting device. The pads 3 and the washers 31 can not be easily engaged 
on the screws 4 when the screws 4 are not welded in good shape, i.e., the 
screws 4 are not exactly perpendicular to the plate 1. The pads 3 can not 
be easily engaged in the notches 21 of the panel 2. In addition, the whole 
ceiling fan should be supported by the user when threading the nuts 41. 
Furthermore, the whole ceiling fan is supported by the four nuts 41, such 
that the ceiling fan is apt to fall down when the nuts 41 have become 
loose. 
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the 
afore-described disadvantages of the conventional mounting devices for 
ceiling fans. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a mounting 
device for solidly attaching the ceiling fan to the ceiling. 
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a 
mounting device for a ceiling fan comprising a plate including a 
protrusion formed in a middle portion thereof and a pair of flanges 
oppositely formed beside the protrusion, a notch formed between the 
protrusion and each of the flanges, a panel including a pair of flaps 
oppositely formed thereon and engaged through the notches of the plate and 
arranged such that the flaps are located above and supported by the 
flanges respectively, and a pad engaged between each of the flaps and the 
respective flanges of the plate, whereby, the panel is solidly coupled to 
the plate. 
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided 
hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a mounting device for fixing a ceiling fan 30 to 
the ceiling in accordance with the present invention comprises a plate 60 
including an opening 69 formed in the center thereof, the plate 60 
includes a protrusion 61 protruded upward from the middle portion thereof 
and a pair of flanges 62 oppositely formed beside the protrusion 61, a 
plurality of holes 63 are formed in the protrusion 61, screws (not shown) 
may be engaged through the holes 63 for fixing the plate 60 to the 
ceiling, two apertures 64 and a slot 65 are formed in each of the flanges 
62, an ear 68 is formed in the free end portion of each of the flanges 62 
and includes two punctures 66 formed therein for fixing to the ceiling fan 
30, and a notch 67 is formed between the protrusion 61 and each of the 
flanges 62. 
A panel 70 includes an orifice 71 formed in the center portion thereof and 
includes two flaps 72 formed thereon, each of the flaps 72 includes two 
screw holes 73 formed therein, and a tab 74 is depended downward from the 
free end portion of each of the flaps 72, the flaps 72 are engaged through 
the respective notches 67 of the plate 60 such that the flaps 72 are 
located above the respective flanges 62, and the screw holes 73 of the 
flaps 72 are aligned with the apertures 64 of the plate 60. As best shown 
in FIG. 3, a pad 80 is engaged between each of the flaps 72 and the 
respective flanges 62 of the plate, each of the pads 80 includes two 
orifices 81 aligned with the apertures 64 of the plate 60 and aligned with 
the screw holes 73 of the flaps 72, and includes a groove 82 formed 
therein and aligned with the slot 65 of the respective flanges 62. The 
tabs 74 are engaged through the respective grooves 82 of the pads 80 and 
the slots 65 of the flanges 62 such that the panel 70 can be secured to 
the plate 60; in addition, a screw 90 is engaged through each of the 
apertures 64 and the respective orifices 81 and threadedly engaged with 
the screw holes 73 of the panel 70 such that the panel 70 can further be 
secured to the plate 60. 
Accordingly, the mounting device in accordance with the present invention 
includes a pair of pads 80 which can be easily engaged between the flanges 
62 of the plate 60 and the respective flaps 72 of the panel 70, and the 
panel 70 can be solidly secured to the plate 60. In addition, the flaps 72 
of the panel 70 are supported on the flanges 62 of the plate 60 such that 
the panel 70 will not be disengaged from the plate 60 and such that the 
ceiling fan can be stably supported in place. 
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been 
made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed 
construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted 
to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as 
hereinafter claimed.