Patent Abstract:
Mechanisms, devices, apparatus, systems and methods of installing ceiling fan motor housings to ceiling mounted plates without using loose fasteners such as screws, and the like. A plate having a plurality of slots about the perimeter can be pre-mounted to a ceiling. A motor housing having clips on interior perimeter edges of the base can be positioned so that the clips are inserted into the slots. Next, the motor housing can be twisted clockwise until the clips lock to the slots allowing the ceiling fan motor to be hung without any loose fasteners. The twist-lock eliminates unsightly fasteners, such as screws underneath the housing, quickens installation time, and is easier and safer than traditional ceiling fan installation techniques.

Full Description:
This invention claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/286,168 filed Dec. 14, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to mounts for ceiling fixtures, in particular to mechanisms, devices, apparatus and methods for allowing a motor housing on a ceiling fan to be twist mounted to a pre-attached ceiling plate without using visible fasteners. 
     BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART 
     The mounting of ceiling fans are often difficult since installers will need to have their hands raised above their head while supporting heavy components such as the ceiling fan motor, motor housing, and the like. Installations often will take place with the installer being perched on a ladder which also adds to the requirement of the installer having to maintain their balance while doing the installation. Currently, the decorative shell housings covering the ceiling fan motor must be fastened often by screws, and the like, into a ceiling mounted plate. The combination of having to hold a screw driver over one&#39;s head with loose screw fasteners while supporting a motor housing with or without a heavy motor is tedious and time consuming. Furthermore, it is potentially dangerous if the housing with or without the motor happens to fall. 
     In addition, the screw type fasteners will tend to fall out during installation which causes the installer to have to repeat the attempts to mount the fan. The falling screws will often become lost so that additional screw type fasteners must be used, which adds additional time and material expense to the installation of the fan. 
     Additionally, the appearance of visible screw heads from the attached motor housing beneath the fan is not a desirable since the appearance of these fasteners takes away from the aesthetic effect after the ceiling fan is installed. 
     Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide mechanisms, devices, apparatus, systems and methods of mounting a ceiling fan motor housing to a ceiling attached plate that eliminates having to use and lose fasteners such as screws, and the like. 
     A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide mechanisms, devices, apparatus, systems and methods of mounting a ceiling fan motor housing to a ceiling attached plate that results in an improved aesthetic appearance since fasteners are no longer visible from beneath the fan. 
     A third objective of the present invention is to provide mechanisms, devices, apparatus, systems and methods of mounting a ceiling fan motor housing to a ceiling attached plate that substantially reduces the installation time of mounting a ceiling fan motor. 
     A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide mechanisms, devices, apparatus, systems and methods of mounting a ceiling fan motor housing to a ceiling attached plate that is easier, quicker and more safe to install than traditional methods of using fasteners to mount a ceiling fan motor. 
     A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide mechanisms, devices, apparatus, systems and methods of mounting a ceiling fan motor housing to a ceiling attached plate while only having to twist and lock the ceiling fan motor onto the ceiling attached plate. 
     A hanging system for mounting ceiling fans to ceiling mounted plates, can include a plate that is mounted to a ceiling adjacent to a power supply, a ceiling fan motor housing cover, and a plurality of clips and slots for mounting the motor housing cover to the mounted ceiling plate by twist locking clips into respective slots, without using loose screw fasteners to attach the motor housing to the plate, and without using visible fasteners that attach the motor housing cover to the ceiling fan motor. 
     The system can include the plurality of slots about a perimeter of the plate, and the motor housing includes the clips about a perimeter of the housing. 
     The system can include the plurality of slots about a perimeter of the motor housing, and the plate includes the clips about a perimeter of the plate. 
     The clips can be C-shapes, with exposed leg portions of at least one bend. 
     The plate can have a substantially disc shape. There can be four clips that twist lock about four longitudinal slots. The clips can be pre-attached about an inner surface of an open base edge on a wide open end of housing cover. 
     A method of mounting ceiling fan motors to ceiling mounted plates without using loose fasteners, can include the steps of providing a mounting plate, providing a ceiling fan motor housing, providing a plurality of clips, and a plurality of slots, attaching the mounting plate to a ceiling and twisting the clips into the slots so that the ceiling fan motor housing is attached to the ceiling mounted plate, without using additional loose fasteners, and without having visible fasteners that attach the motor housing to the ceiling fan motor. 
     The twisting can be clockwise twisting of the motor housing relative to the mounted plate. The twisting can be counter-clockwise twisting the motor housing relative to the mounted plate. 
     The method can include the steps of providing the slots about the perimeter of the plate, providing the clips about the perimeter of the motor housing, inserting the clips into the slots, and twisting the clips until the clips are locked into the slots. 
     The method can include the steps of providing the slots about the perimeter of the motor housing, providing the clips about the perimeter of the plate, inserting the clips into the slots, and twisting the clips until the clips are locked into the slots. 
     The method can include the step of attaching a motor to the plate before the motor housing is attached to the plate. 
     The method can include the step of pre-attaching the clips about an inner surface of an open base edge on a wide open end of the housing cover. 
     The clips can be C-shapes with an exposed leg portion having at least one bend. Four clips and four longitudinal slots can be used. Alternatively, less or more clips and slots can be used as needed. 
     Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the novel twist lock mechanism with ceiling fan components ready for installation. 
         FIG. 2  shows the twist lock components and the ceiling fan of  FIG. 1  installed on a ceiling. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged upper perspective view of the motor housing twist locked to the ceiling mounting plate with partial cut-away views of two of the twist hook mechanisms. 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged view of one of the twist lock mechanisms of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 4B  is an enlarged view of another one of the twist lock mechanisms of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     A list of the components will now be described.
       1 . twist lock mechanism     10 . Ceiling joist     20 . Ceiling mounted outlet box     23 . Joist mounting fasteners (screws)     25 . mounting (female fasteners) nuts     30 . Ceiling drywall     100 . novel mounting plate   105. raised middle portion     110 . mount holes to attach to outlet box     115 . screw fasteners attach plate to outlet box     120 . longitudinal oval slots spaced about perimeter of plate     130 . downwardly extending hook on male coupler fastener     135 . hook end     140 . male coupler fastener     200 . fan components     210 . hang bracket     213 . mounting holes for hang bracket     215 . female fasteners (nuts)     217 . hanger opening in hang bracket     220 . rotor     230 . motor     240 . light attached beneath motor     300 . motor cover housing     305 . inner perimeter of the open base edge of cover housing     310 . clips pre-attached along inner edge of housing perimeter     312 . clip bases     313 . step portion     314 . lower ledge     315 . mounting end     316 . C-shaped clip     317 . lower leg     318 . pre-bent upper leg     325 . opening in bottom of cover housing     410 . blade arms     415 . mounting fasteners to attach blade arms to rotor     420 . ceiling fan blades     425 . fasteners (screws) to attach inner blade ends to blade arms   

       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the novel twist lock mechanism  1  with ceiling fan components  200  ready for installation.  FIG. 2  shows the twist lock components of the clips  310  on the ceiling motor housing  300  attached to the novel mounting plate  100  with the ceiling fan components  200 ,  300  of  FIG. 1  installed on a ceiling  30 .  FIG. 3  is an enlarged upper perspective view of the motor housing  300  twist locked by clips  310  to the ceiling mounting plate  100  with partial cut-away views of two of the twist hook mechanisms  312 ,  313 ,  314 ,  316 ,  317 ,  318 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the novel invention can be attached to a conventional power outlet box  20  that has been mounted to a joist  10  behind ceiling type drywall  30  by conventional fasteners  23 , such as screws, and the like. The outlet box  20  is usually pre-wired with loose wires (not shown) that can be used to power a later installed ceiling fan, and the like. The outlet box  20  can have mounting fasteners  25 , such as nuts, and the like, on a lower surface of the box  20 . 
     The novel mounting plate  100  used in the invention can have a disc configuration with raised middle portion  105 . The novel mounting plate  100  can next be securely attached to the outlet box  20  in the ceiling  30  by using conventional fasteners  115 , such as screws. which can pass through differently located mount holes  110  in the mounting plate  100 . The differently located mount holes  110  can be selectively used depending upon the location of the female fastener locations  25  in the ceiling outlet box  20 . 
     The novel plate  100  can also have a plurality of longitudinal oval slots  120  equally spaced about a perimeter of the plate  100 . In a preferred embodiment there can be four longitudinal oval slots  120  equally spaced. However, more or less is possible as needed and/or desired. 
     Protruding beneath of the mounting plate  100  can be a male coupler fastener  130  with threaded sides, and a lower hook end  135 . Additionally, protruding beneath an opposite side of the mounting plate  100  can be another male coupler fasteners  140  also with threaded sides. 
     A fan motor  230  can be provided with rotating rotor  220 , and lower extending light  240 , and a hanging bracket  210 . The hanging bracket  210  can have a hanger opening  217  therethrough. This hanging opening  217  allows the hanging bracket  210  to be next lifted and hooked onto the lower extending hook end  135  on the male fastener  130  protruding underneath the plate  100 . Although not shown, this loose hook hanging of the motor  230  will allow the installer to attach the exposed wire ends (not shown) from the motor  230  to wires (not shown) in the ceiling outlet box  20 . After the wiring has been completed, the hanging bracket  210  on the motor can be attached by passing mounting holes  213  in the bracket  210  over the downwardly extending male fasteners  130 ,  140  that were pre-attached to the plate  100 . After pushing up the hanging bracket  210 , fasteners  215 , such as female nuts  215 , can be tightened onto the male fasteners  130 ,  140  so that the hanging bracket  210  is now directly attached to the plate  100 . 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged upper perspective view of the motor housing  300  twist locked to the ceiling mounting plate  100  with partial cut-away views of two of the twist hook mechanisms  310 ,  312 ,  315 .  FIG. 4A  is an enlarged view of one of the twist lock mechanisms  310 ,  312 ,  315  of  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the motor cover housing  300  can have a plurality of pre-attached clips  310  that are attached along an inner perimeter of the open base edge  305  of the wide open end of the housing shell  300 . In a preferred embodiment four clips  310  equally spaced apart from one another can be used. Less or more clips  310  can be used as long as the number of clips  310  matches the number of longitudinal slots  120  in the novel mounting plate  100 . Each of the clips  310  can have a base  312  that is pre-attached about the open base edge  305  of the wide open end of the housing shell  300 . The clips have the base  312  adjacent to a step portion  313 , and lower ledge  314 . A mounting end  315  on the lower ledge  314  attaches the lower leg  317  of a C-shaped clip  316 , that has an pre-bent upper leg  318 . The upper leg  318  can have one or more angle bends for to enhance attachment capability of the clips  310 . 
     After the motor hanging bracket  210  is attached to the mounting plate  100 , the installer can orient the housing cover  300  over the motor  230  and plate  100  so that the bendable pre-bent clip portions  318  of the C-clips  316  are all inserted into each of the longitudinal slots  120  in the plate  100 . Here, the light  240  can pass through and extend beneath the lower opening  325  of the housing cover  300 . The step  313  or lower ledge  314  can be positioned to abut against a lower surface perimeter of the plate  100 . Next, the installer can twist the cover housing  300  in a clockwise direction relative to the plate  100  so that the exposed ends of the upper legs  318  of the clips  310  hook onto edge ends of the longitudinal slots  120 . The clockwise rotation can continue until the clips  310  can no longer be rotated and have become locked onto the plate  100 . 
     Next, the installer can attached the inner ends of the blade arms  410  to the rotor  220  by fasteners  415  such as screws, bolts, and the like, that fasten into mateable female slots (not shown) underneath the rotor  220 . Next, the installer can attach the blades  420  to the outer ends of the blade arms  410  by top mounted fasteners  425 , such as screws. 
     Although the preferred embodiment shows the longitudinal slots  120  on the plate  100 , the invention can be used with the longitudinal slots  120  on the motor housing and the clips  310  on the plate  100 . Still furthermore, the invention can be practiced with longitudinal slot(s)  120  and clip(s)  310  on both the plate  100 , and slot(s)  120  and clip(s)  310  on the motor housing  300 . 
     Although the preferred embodiment shows the twist locking being installed by rotating the housing  300  clockwise, the invention can be practiced with a twist lock being rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. 
     Although the description references male and female fasteners, the locations and types of fasteners can be varied as needed. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5