Patent Abstract:
An apparatus for mounting ceiling fan blades onto ceiling fan blade mounting ring rotor extension. The fan blade attachment mount is can be adapted to fit a multitude of fan rotors configurations. The appearance of the mounting and support members is aesthetically pleasing and the mounting apparatus provides a stable connection between a plurality of ceiling fan blade assemblies and a variety rotor extension mounting surfaces of a ceiling fan.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting a ceiling fan blade onto a ceiling fan motor mounting ring, and more particularly to an apparatus for mounting a ceiling fan blade that can fit several fan motor mounting ring configurations. 
     Ceiling fan blades are typically attached to a motor rotor or an extension thereof, such as a mounting ring. The fan blades are attached through an arm or bar attached to both the blade and the mounting ring. 
     In addition, it has been found that ceiling fan blades are frequently changed. In some cases this is to modify the appearance of a ceiling fan by detaching old blades and subsequently attaching new ones of a different color or style. In other cases, the attachment mount which connects a fan blade to a fan motor mounting ring is damaged either through stresses caused by repeated start-ups of the rotor, or by the fan blade coming in contact with another object and causing bending or breaking of the fan blade mount. In either case, or for what ever reason, there exists a need for the replacement of ceiling fan attachment mounts, and in particular mounts that provide optimal stability and safety. 
     Replacing ceiling fan blade attachment mounts presents some difficulties, however. First, to replace a broken fan blade mount in the past, it was necessary to contact the manufacturer or distributor of the fan to order replacement parts. Unfortunately though, the manufacturer may no longer be in business or as is more often the case, is not manufacturing that particular model such that new fan blade attachment mounts are no longer compatible with an older model. Plus, even if new attachment mounts are available, it may take several weeks to receive them. Thus, an independent source of fan blade attachment mounts is needed. 
     Moreover, ceiling fans come in a wide variety of styles and from a large number of manufacturers. As such, various fan blade mounting hole configurations exist, depending on a fan&#39;s particular manufacturer and model number. In particular, the circumferential positioning of mounting screw holes around their respective blade mounting rings depends on the number of required blades, the diameter of the mounting ring, the particular mounting design of each type of fan, and the bolt hole pattern in the ring. 
     As a result, various fan blade mounting rings, which receive blade attachment mountings and thus provide a surface for the connection of attachment mountings (and their blades) to fan rotors, differ with respect to mounting fastener hole positioning. For example, mounting rings that accommodate five blades have different relative circumferential mounting bolt hole positioning than mounting rings that accommodate only four blades. Even between fans having the same number of blades, one manufacturer of a four-blade fan may design a mounting surface such that the spacing and relative positioning of mounting fastener holes differs from that of another manufacturer&#39;s four-blade fan. This case and others like it where mounting hole positioning differs, have traditionally required at least two fan blade attachment mounts, one for four blade fans, the other for five blade fans. The alternative is a spacer. 
     Such cases required the production and marketing of separate attachment mountings to ensure optimal stability and safety during fan operation. Each of these unfunctional blade attachment mounts, however, accommodate only one of the many unique fastener hole patterns found on the various ceiling fan attachment mount receiving surfaces. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART INCLUDING INFORMATION 
     Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     Several attachment mounts exist for attaching ceiling fan blades onto the mounting ring of a ceiling fan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,751, teaches a universal fan blade mounting assembly that attaches to a ceiling fan mounting ring to accommodate a number of fan motor housings. The patent discloses a slot, rather than a hole for receiving one of the two mounting screws typically used for fan blade mounting attachments. The screw in the slot locates the mount but the stresses are placed on the other screw. As the blade attachment undergoes significant centrifugal forces, the slot attachment tends to loosen. The mounting not only then is susceptible to significant vibration, but the second un-slotted screw hole attachment position receives additional stress, and becomes more likely to loosen. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,310, teaches an attachment ring for reducing vibrations and for attaching the ceiling fan bracket to the ceiling fan motor. The attachment ring has no apparent ability to use the device to fit motor mounting rings having variable screw hole positionings. 
     Design Patent No. D271,134 and U.S. Design Patent No. D271,134, likewise teach fan blade attachment mounts, but none of these allow multi-fan type use. 
     Clearly, there exists room for improvement in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that allows attachment of ceiling fan blades to the mounting surface of several types of ceiling fan blade mounting rings. 
     It is an additional object of this invention to provide a more stable, durable and thus safer fan blade attachment mount. 
     It is an additional object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that alleviates undue stresses imposed thereon. 
     It is an additional object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that is simple in design, light-weight, sturdy, and does not look like an after-market universal adaptor. 
     It is yet a further and more particular object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that is easy-to-install. 
     These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a fan blade attachment mount for supporting and connecting a ceiling fan blade to various fan blade mounting rings having distinct mounting surfaces and receiving points, comprising an elongated support member having a proximal end adapted to connect to the ceiling fan mounting ring, and a distal end adapted to connect to a fan blade; a first flange portion connected to the proximal end and having at least one hole; a second flange portion connected to the proximal end and having one or more holes, each adapted to receive a fastening means; wherein said attachment mounting is adapted to being fastened to a plurality of mounting rings having varying receiving point configurations, according to which of the one or more holes in the second flange portion, operably receives the fastening means for connection to the mounting surface. Thus, the objects of the invention are accomplished by the fan blade mounting as described herein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description, given with reference to the various figures of drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 s a side perspective view of a ceiling fan having a blade connected to a ring mounting by an attachment mount in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top assembly perspective view of a ceiling fan blade attached to a rotor mounting ring via an attachment mount in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the attachment mount in FIG. 2; 
     FIGS. 4 a-d  are bottom perspective cutaway views of the proximal ends of various embodiments of attachment mounts in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom, assembly perspective view of the proximal end of an attachment mount having channels which receive two insertable plates; and 
     FIGS. 6 a-d  are perspective views of plates having variously positioned holes to receive mounting screws for fastening of the attachment mounting in FIG. 5 to a fan rotor extension. 
     FIGS. 7 a ,  7   b , and  7   c  are views of decorative inserts useable with the attachments disclosed. 
     FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  are perspective and plan views of alternative attachments having a different mounting for the blade support member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, therefore, FIG. 1 shows a ceiling fan  1  attached to a ceiling  3 . Ceiling fan  1  has blades  5  that are connected to the ceiling motor&#39;s rotor extension. (Such as a mounting ring—not shown because it is encased by housing  7 ) by attachment mounts  9 . These attachment mounts  9  lend increased stability, durability, and strength while at the same time providing attachment of ceiling fan blades to the mounting surface of several types of ceiling fan blade mounting rings. As such, fan blade attachment mount  9  is adapted to support and connect ceiling fan blade  5  to various fan blade mounting rings (not shown) and other rotor extensions, each having distinct mounting surfaces and distinct receiving point configurations (both not shown). 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fan blade attachment mount  9  includes an elongated support member  11  having relative to the blade, a proximal end  15  and a distal end  13 . The elongated support member  11  is reinforced by web segments  25  that are integral with the rigid, and preferably brass or other metal structure, of support member  11  and base  17 . Distal end  13  is adapted to attach to a fan blade  5  at attachment holes  27 . Screws  29  thread through holes  27  and into attachment threads  31  of blade  5  thus to attach the distal end  13  of the attachment mount  9  to fan blade  5 . 
     Proximal end  15  includes a kidney/disc-shaped base  16 . One end of base  16  acts as a first flange portion  17 . It has two circular holes  18 ,  19 . The other end of base  16  is a second flange portion  21 . It also has a pair of concentric holes  23 ,  24 . The proximal end  15  is fastened to the mounting surface  33  of a rotor mounting ring  35  by fasteners into threaded mounting holes  37 ,  39 . Fasteners such as screws  41 ,  43  attach each of the flange portions  17 ,  21  to mounting surface  33  at holes  37 ,  39  respectively. It should be noted that mounting holes  37 ,  39  vary in their relative positioning to one another as determined by differences in mounting hole patterns of varying ceiling fan mounting rings. As seen in FIG. 2, screw  41  fits through hole  18  and into mounting hole  37 . Likewise, fastening screw  43  fits into hole  24  and into mounting hole  39 . This is because the distance between hole  18  and hole  24  is equidistant to the distance between mounting hole  37  and mounting hole  39 . In other words, mounting screw holes  37 ,  39  are separated by a distance D 1 , and holes  18 ,  24  are separated by a distance D 2 . As seen in FIG. 2, distance D 1  is equal to the distance D 2 . It should be noted, therefore, that if the distance between receiving points, and in particular mounting screw holes  37 , 39  on mounting ring  35 , were shorter, i.e. if this distance was equal to the distance D 3  between holes  18 ,  23 , then holes  18 ,  23  would be used for fastening attachment mounting  9  to the existing mounting ring instead. 
     Thus, the attachment mount of the embodiment seen in FIG. 2 allows attachment of fan blades to at least two types of ceiling fans having varying mounting surfaces and receiving points. As seen in FIG. 3, holes  18 ,  19 ,  23 ,  24  allow mounting on two types of ceiling fans, those having mounting screw holes spaced at a distance equal to distance D 2 , and those having mounting screw holes spaced at a distance equal to distance D 3 . 
     Similarly, alternate embodiments such as those shown in FIGS. 4 a-d  allow attachment of fan blades to a diverse assortment of ceiling fans, each having different mounting screw hole configurations. As seen in FIG. 4 a , either of holes  51  or  53  may be used with hole  55  to fasten attachment mount  59  to two possible mounting surfaces having different mounting screw hole positions. 
     Likewise, for the alternate embodiment seen in FIG. 4 b , one of holes  61 ,  63 , or  65  may be employed with hole  67  to fasten attachment mount  71  to a mounting ring mounting surface. This allows connection of attachment mount  71  to mounting rings having three differently spaced mounting fastener hole configurations. 
     FIG. 4 c  shows attachment mount  85 . It may be attached by using either of holes  73 ,  75 , or  77  in tandem with one of holes  79  or  81  for fastening to as many as six different mounting ring mounting surfaces, each having a different mounting fastener hole configuration. 
     Finally and in the same manner, FIG. 4 d  illustrates attachment mount  101  having holes  87 ,  89 ,  91 ,  93 ,  95 ,  97 . As with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 a-c , attachment mount  101  is employed by using one of holes  87 ,  89 , or  91  as well as one of holes  93 ,  95 , or  97 . Such use enables attachment to up to nine different mounting surfaces. 
     As seen in FIGS. 4 b-d , holes  61 ,  63 ,  65 ; holes  73 ,  75 ,  77 ; holes  87 ,  89 ,  91 ; and holes  93 ,  95 ,  97  are linearly disposed. These holes are tangent to one another and, in fact, overlap one another. As such, these sets of holes are linearly disposed and adjacently overlapping. For example, just as in FIGS. 4 b  and  4   c , holes  87 ,  89 , and  91  seen in FIG. 4 d  exist in a linear fashion. Hole  87  is tangent to hole  89  and hole  89  is tangent to both holes  87  and  91 . Hole  91  is tangent to hole  89 . As such, fastening screws used to attach attachment mounts having holes that are linearly disposed and adjacently overlapping cannot slide from one of the holes into another of the adjacent overlapping holes. 
     Holes  51  and  53  in FIG. 4 a  are also linearly disposed. Nonetheless, holes  51 ,  53  in FIG. 4 a  are separated by a space  52 . This space  52  is formed of the metallic, solid structure of base  58 . 
     As seen in FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment of the present invention is an attachment mount  201  having an elongated member  203 , and a kidney/disc-shaped base  205  that has ends  207 ,  209 , respectively. Attachment mount  201  also has channel  211  on end  207  and channel  213  on end  209 . These channels  211 ,  213  have inner side walls  215 ,  217  respectively. They also have respective concentric lips  219 ,  221 . 
     Plates  223  and  225  fit snugly into respective channels  211 ,  213 , against respective concentric lips  219 ,  221 , and within respective inner walls  215  and  213 . Plates  223 ,  225  have holes  227 ,  229 ,  231  through which fastening screws  233 ,  235  thread. This allows fastening of attachment mount  201  to a ceiling fan rotor mounting ring (not shown) having a mounting surface with a specified mounting hole configuration. As seen in FIG. 5, screw  233  can be used to fit one of two mounting surfaces when using plate  223  with plate  225 . This is accomplished by choosing either holes  227  or  229  depending on the distance of mounting screw holes in a particular mounting screw hole configuration. 
     As seen in FIGS. 6 a-d , the attachment mount  201  seen in FIG. 5 may be used on a multitude of ceiling fan mounting surfaces. FIG. 6 a  illustrates a plate  251  having two holes  253  and  255 . FIG. 6 b  shows a plate  257  having a hole  259 . Hole  259  is positioned differently in either of holes  253  or  255  found on plate  251 . Likewise, hole  263  in FIG. 6 c  is positioned relative to plate  261  than either holes  253 ,  255 , or  259 . Finally, as seen in FIG. 6 d , hole  267  which is placed at the end of plate  265  provides an additional position through which screws  235  or  233  can fit to attach attachment mount  201  to the mounting surface of a fan blade mounting ring. It should be noted that the plates illustrated in FIGS. 6 a-d  are merely exemplary of the large number of hole positions available in mounting plates in accordance with the present invention. 
     Attachment mounts in accordance with the present invention are preferably made from brass, but may be made from any suitably rigid and reinforced metal or plastic in compliance with government safety standards and the rigors of day-to-day fan use. 
     The invention has been described in terms of screws as the conventional method of attachment. Alternative fasteners including bolts, Dzus fasteners, expansion bolts, rivets, etc. may be used. 
     The desirability and hence the ultimate utility of the attachment mounts of this invention lies in having the appearance of original equipment. FIGS. 7 a ,  7   b  and  7   c  show components which serve to disguise the universal nature of this adaptor. FIG. 7 a  is a plug  301  for insertion into an unused hole such as two of holes  18 ,  19 ,  23  and  24  of FIG.  3 . 
     The plug has a head  302  with a finish pattern identical to that used in the screw used to hold the adaptor to the mounting ring. Splayed end  303  extends to a depth slightly greater than the depth of the adaptor and holds the plug in place in the blind hole. FIG. 7 b  shows a double plug  305  with a pair of spaced heads  306 , 307 , each attached to splayed ends  308 ,  309 , the arrangement being held together by bridge plate  310 . 
     For the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the device  311  having a plate  312  having a hole  313  and a fake fastener  314  may be used. Preferably, the plate is reversible, having a head  314  on both sides. 
     FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  are variants of the attachment mount shown in FIGS. 4 a, b, c  and  d . In this embodiment, the attachment  401 , having flange surfaces  417  and  421  is a substantially flat sector  407  having formed therein multiple holes  431 ,  433 ,  435 ,  437  and  439 . The number and location of the holes depends upon alternative bolting patterns in the mounting ring. The elongated support member  411  is formed to be integral with a lip or step  413  having ends  409 ,  409   a . The flat surface  409  allows the holes to be positioned where support member  411  would otherwise be attached, thus enabling greater universality of application. 
     It should be noted that the present invention is useful for, and may be adapted to fit any extension of a ceiling fan rotor having a surface for receiving a fan blade attachment mount. Moreover, receiving points as defined herein, shall include not only mounting screw holes, but other female-type connections, male-type connections, tabs, clips, pins and various and assorted other connection mechanisms. 
     In addition, an alternative embodiment has one or more connectors such as a tab, locking pin or other structure instead of the holes in the flange portions. Such structures should provide requisite stability for the needed fan blade attachment. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the materials of the apparatus may be metal or rigid high-strength plastic or composite materials. The metal or coated finish on the exterior of any portion of the attachment mount, including but not limited to, the elongated support member  11 , the base  16  (or flange) and the plates may be of any color or texture. Likewise, the distal end  13  as well as any portion or the whole of the attachment mounting  9  may take on a multitude of decorative and/or ornamental shapes and/or features. In addition to screws, other fastening means, including connectors, pins, rivets, bolts and the like, may be utilized. As mentioned, holes need not be present, as a wide assortment of connectors comprising various structures, and fastening means may be used in tandem or alone. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the above described embodiments each provide an apparatus for connecting ceiling fan blades to variety of ceiling fan rotor extension mounting surfaces. Each is an attachment mount having an elongated support member adapted to connect to a fan blade at its distal end and a variety of fan rotor extensions at its proximal end. 
     It is thus seen that the apparatus of the present invention meets the objectives and advantages herein set forth. It allows attachment of ceiling fan blades to the base of a wide variety of ceiling fan mounting rings having various diameters and/or attachment point positions, that has increased stability. It alleviates undue stresses imposed thereon to provide a more durable and thus safer, fan blade mounting. The present invention also provides a fan blade mounting that is simple in design, light-weight, sturdy and easy-to-install. Many variations will undoubtedly become apparent to one.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8