Hanger bracket with male and female connections

Devices, apparatus, systems and methods of hanging ceiling fans and safely making electrical connections between the motor and the mount bracket. The invention allows for the bulky, heavy ceiling fan motor to be left safely on the ground while the wiring from the ceiling box to the mount bracket is done. When the ceiling fan motor is securely hung in the mounting bracket, male and female electrical connectors between the motor and the mounting bracket can be safely interlocked to one another creating a much safer installation over conventional installation techniques.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to hanging ceiling fans, and in particular to devices, apparatus, systems and methods of installing a ceiling fan mounting bracket to a ceiling electrical box, and hanging an end of the motor to the bracket and connecting the wiring from the motor to bracket with male and female electrical connector(s).

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

When hanging a ceiling fan, it is necessary to hardwire the ceiling fan to the home wiring. This installation has generally involved supporting the heaviest part of the fan by hand or by a hanger until the wiring is completed before the fan can be installed, which can be physically dangerous to the installer since the work involves the installer standing on a ladder with their hands holding heavy weights above their head. The wiring often requires the installer to take bare ends of opposite wires which are then twisted together, followed by a wire nut being screwed onto the twisted portions.

Other types of ceiling fan installation has required the ceiling fan motor to be supported by the installer or hung out of the way while the wiring is being done. This type of installation has the heaviest part of the ceiling fan (the motor) by hand “in the way” while the wiring is being completed between the home wiring and the fan. Similarly, wiring is often done by the installer twisting bare ends of wires together followed by twisting a wire nut thereon. Having to connect the wiring on top of a ladder with one hands stretched over one's head can be quite difficult as well as dangerous if the installer should fall.

Additional problems with the prior art is that excess, loose wiring must often be shoved into the canopy/shroud to be moved out of sight that is not easy to do with wiring located above the head of the installer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of installing a ceiling fan mounting bracket to a ceiling electrical box, and hanging an end of the motor to the bracket and connecting the wiring from the motor to bracket with male and female electrical connector(s).

A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of hanging ceiling fans, which allows for the wiring connections to easily, occur while the ceiling fan mounting bracket is installed.

A third objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of allowing the ceiling fan installer to perform all of the wiring for installation before the heavy part of the ceiling fan has to be lifted into place, which makes the installation easier, faster and safer for the installer.

A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of allowing the ceiling fan installer to perform all of the wiring for installation without having to perform the wiring when the ceiling motor is in the way of the installation, which makes the installation easier, faster and safer for the installer.

A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of allowing wiring connections between the ceiling fan mount bracket and ceiling mount to occur while the ceiling fan mounting bracket is installed, which allows for the bulky, heavy ceiling fan motor to be left safely at ground level, while wiring is occurring. When the ceiling fan motor is securely in the mounting bracket, the male connector from the motor can be mateably interlocked with the female connector from the mounting bracket.

A sixth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of wiring connections between the ceiling fan mount bracket and ceiling fan to occur while the ceiling fan mounting bracket is installed, with interlocking wire connectors mateably attachable to one another between the fan motor and the mounting bracket, and excess loose wiring is looped about brackets on the mounting bracket.

The invention allows for the ceiling fan installer to attach the hanger bracket with a female connector attached to a home wiring. The ceiling fan can then be installed into the mounting bracket, followed by a mateable male connector from the motor mateably interlocking with the female connector. No other interim step is needed such as holding or hanging the fan motor out of way to wire the fan motor to the hanger bracket.

The invention allows for the ceiling fan installer to perform all of the wiring before the heavy part of the ceiling fan has to be lifted into place, which makes the installation easier, faster and safer for the installer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A list of components will now be described.10. Ceiling fan with easy connect hanger installed.12. joist15. Ceiling surface.20. Mounting bracket.22. c shaped flange30. Outlet box. Part of the homes electrical system.40. Bracket (canopy) shroud.50. Fan assembly.52. Fan motor55. Fan blades.60. Motor hanging rod.70. Motor mounting ferrule.80. House wiring coming out of outlet box.90. Wire nut.100. Mounting bracket harness. Part of the mounting bracket.111. Male locking tab.112Contact pins in male connector.113Male locking step.110. Male connector. Terminates one end of the mounting bracket harness and is secured to the mounting bracket.120. Mounting screws. Used to secure mounting bracket to outlet box.121. openings in bracket125. threaded sockets in ceiling junction box130. Fan motor wiring harness. Emerges from top of motor hanging rod and is terminated with a female connector that will mate to the mounting bracket harness connector.135. Female connector. Terminates one end of the fan motor wiring harness.136. Female locking bridge.137. Locking surface of bridge.138. Contact pins in female connector.139. Locking ramp. Pushes locking tab away from connector which helps to lock male locking step against locking surface of female locking bridge.140. Harness support hooks. These are a part of the mounting bracket and are used as a reel to wrap the excess length of the fan wiring harness around so that it can be easily managed allowing for easy installation of the bracket shroud.150. Harness support bracket. This is a part of the mounting bracket and is used to contain and manage the excess length of the fan wiring harness.

FIG. 1is a bottom perspective view of a ceiling fan10secured to an electrical utility (outlet) box30by the ceiling fan motor52with fan assembly50being mounted by a support rod60to a mounting bracket20. The fan assembly50further includes fan blades55attached to the motor52. A shroud (canopy)40covers the mounting bracket20underneath. The shroud (canopy)40with mounting bracket20is attached to a ceiling junction box30which is usually attached to joists12behind a ceiling15.

FIG. 2is an enlarged view of the mounting bracket20with motor mounting ferrule70on support60rod, where the ferrule70is hung on c shaped flange22on the bottom of the mounting bracket20. Here, the ceiling fan assembly50is supported by support rod60and ferrule70to the mounting bracket20which is attached to the electrical junction box30in the ceiling15. Here, the fan motor wiring harness130with female connector135is wrapped about support hooks140and held by harness support bracket150.

FIG. 3is an exploded view of the mounting bracket20spaced apart from the ceiling electrical junction box30depicted inFIG. 2.FIG. 4shows the mounting bracket20electrically attached to the junction box30, and ready to be mechanically attached to one another. The installer can take the wire ends of the mounting bracket harness100which can be twisted about the outer ends of the house wiring80. Next, wire nuts90can be tightened over the twisted ends to form the electrical connection between the ceiling junction box30and the mounting bracket20. The mounting bracket20can be mechanically attached to the ceiling junction box30by mounting screws120which can pass through openings121in the mounting bracket20and into threaded sockets125in the ceiling junction box30. The male connector110and the harness support hooks140are shown and will be explained in more detail later.

FIG. 5is an exploded view of the ceiling fan assembly50and motor52with support rod60and ferrule70spaced apart from the ceiling junction box30with attached mounting bracket20ofFIG. 4. The installer pre-attaches the mounting bracket20to the ceiling fan junction box30. Next, the installer lifts the ceiling fan assembly50so that the ferrule70is hung by the c shaped flange22of the bracket20.

FIG. 6is a perspective view of the upper part of the support rod60for the ceiling fan assembly50with motor52ofFIG. 5hanging from the mounting bracket20which has been attached to the ceiling junction box30with the male electrical connector110and female electrical coupler135separated from one another.

FIG. 6Ais an enlarged view of the male and female interlocking electrical couplers110,135between the ceiling fan assembly50with motor52and the mounting bracket20ofFIG. 6. Female electrical connector135includes contact pins138(not shown) that are similar to contact pins112of the male connector110. Female connector135includes female locking bridge136with locking ramp portions139on the side of the connector135, and fan motor wiring harness130extending therefrom.

FIG. 6Bis an enlarged view of the male electrical connector110ofFIG. 6Awith contact pins112, male locking tab111having male locking step113.

FIG. 6Cshows the male and female interlocking electrical couplers110,135ofFIG. 6Ainterlocked with one another.FIG. 6Dis an enlarged view of the locking tab111with step113abutting against locking surface137of locking bridge136ofFIG. 6C, with the ends of the tab111resting on angled side portions of locking ramp139.

FIG. 7is a perspective view of the ceiling fan assembly50with support rod60and ferrule70hanging from the bracket20with the male and female connectors110,135interlocked fromFIG. 6with one another and excess loose wiring130wrapped about opposite facing hooks140and supported by a harness support bracket150. The opposite facing hooks140allow for any excess and loose wiring to be wrapped around the hooks140and held in place, with the bracket150supporting and raising the loose and excess loose wiring130.

Although the embodiment shows the female connector is shown on the mounting bracket and the male connector is on the motor, the invention can be practiced with the male connector on the mounting bracket and the female connector on the motor.

While the embodiment shows using male and female connectors to attach the motor wiring to the bracket wiring, the invention can be practiced with other types of easy to attach wiring coupling, such as but not limited to wiring fasteners that snap with one another, and the like.

Although the embodiment shows only attaching the mounting bracket wiring to the motor wiring with male and female attachment fasteners, the invention can allow for attaching the ceiling mount wiring to the motor mount bracket wiring using male and female wire coupler fasteners.