Abstract:
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.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/731,349 filed Nov. 29, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by specific reference thereto. 
    
    
     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&#39;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. 
     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 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. 
     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 a bottom perspective view of a ceiling fan secured to an electrical utility box by the motor being mounted to a mounting bracket. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the bracket with rod to motor supported thereon attached to the electrical junction box in the ceiling. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the mounting bracket spaced apart from the ceiling electrical junction box depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows the mounting bracket electrically attached to the junction box, and ready to be mechanically attached to one another. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the ceiling fan motor with support rod spaced from the ceiling junction box with attached mounting bracket of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the upper part of the support rod for the ceiling fan motor of  FIG. 5  hanging from the mounting bracket which has been attached to the ceiling junction box with the male and female electrical couplers separated from one another. 
         FIG. 6A  is an enlarged view of the male and female interlocking electrical couplers between the ceiling fan motor and the mounting bracket of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of the male electrical connector of  FIG. 6A . 
         FIG. 6C  shows the male and female interlocking electrical couplers of  FIG. 6A  interlocked with one another. 
         FIG. 6D  is an enlarged view of the locking tab and locking bridge of  FIG. 6C . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the motor with support rod hanging from the bracket with the male and female connectors interlocked in  FIG. 6  with one another and excess loose wiring wrapped about opposite facing hooks and supported by a harness support bracket. 
     
    
    
     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. 
     In the Summary above and in the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. 
     In this section, some embodiments of the invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime notation is used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments. 
     A list of components will now be described.
       10 . Ceiling fan with easy connect hanger installed.     12 . joist     15 . Ceiling surface.     20 . Mounting bracket.     22 . c shaped flange     30 . Outlet box. Part of the homes electrical system.     40 . Bracket (canopy) shroud.     50 . Fan assembly.     52 . Fan motor     55 . 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.     112  Contact pins in male connector.     113  Male 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 bracket     125 . threaded sockets in ceiling junction box     130 . 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. 1  is a bottom perspective view of a ceiling fan  10  secured to an electrical utility (outlet) box  30  by the ceiling fan motor  52  with fan assembly  50  being mounted by a support rod  60  to a mounting bracket  20 . The fan assembly  50  further includes fan blades  55  attached to the motor  52 . A shroud (canopy)  40  covers the mounting bracket  20  underneath. The shroud (canopy)  40  with mounting bracket  20  is attached to a ceiling junction box  30  which is usually attached to joists  12  behind a ceiling  15 . 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the mounting bracket  20  with motor mounting ferrule  70  on support  60  rod, where the ferrule  70  is hung on c shaped flange  22  on the bottom of the mounting bracket  20 . Here, the ceiling fan assembly  50  is supported by support rod  60  and ferrule  70  to the mounting bracket  20  which is attached to the electrical junction box  30  in the ceiling  15 . Here, the fan motor wiring harness  130  with female connector  135  is wrapped about support hooks  140  and held by harness support bracket  150 . 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the mounting bracket  20  spaced apart from the ceiling electrical junction box  30  depicted in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  shows the mounting bracket  20  electrically attached to the junction box  30 , and ready to be mechanically attached to one another. The installer can take the wire ends of the mounting bracket harness  100  which can be twisted about the outer ends of the house wiring  80 . Next, wire nuts  90  can be tightened over the twisted ends to form the electrical connection between the ceiling junction box  30  and the mounting bracket  20 . The mounting bracket  20  can be mechanically attached to the ceiling junction box  30  by mounting screws  120  which can pass through openings  121  in the mounting bracket  20  and into threaded sockets  125  in the ceiling junction box  30 . The male connector  110  and the harness support hooks  140  are shown and will be explained in more detail later. 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the ceiling fan assembly  50  and motor  52  with support rod  60  and ferrule  70  spaced apart from the ceiling junction box  30  with attached mounting bracket  20  of  FIG. 4 . The installer pre-attaches the mounting bracket  20  to the ceiling fan junction box  30 . Next, the installer lifts the ceiling fan assembly  50  so that the ferrule  70  is hung by the c shaped flange  22  of the bracket  20 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the upper part of the support rod  60  for the ceiling fan assembly  50  with motor  52  of  FIG. 5  hanging from the mounting bracket  20  which has been attached to the ceiling junction box  30  with the male electrical connector  110  and female electrical coupler  135  separated from one another. 
       FIG. 6A  is an enlarged view of the male and female interlocking electrical couplers  110 ,  135  between the ceiling fan assembly  50  with motor  52  and the mounting bracket  20  of  FIG. 6 . Female electrical connector  135  includes contact pins  138  (not shown) that are similar to contact pins  112  of the male connector  110 . Female connector  135  includes female locking bridge  136  with locking ramp portions  139  on the side of the connector  135 , and fan motor wiring harness  130  extending therefrom. 
       FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of the male electrical connector  110  of  FIG. 6A  with contact pins  112 , male locking tab  111  having male locking step  113 . 
       FIG. 6C  shows the male and female interlocking electrical couplers  110 ,  135  of  FIG. 6A  interlocked with one another.  FIG. 6D  is an enlarged view of the locking tab  111  with step  113  abutting against locking surface  137  of locking bridge  136  of  FIG. 6C , with the ends of the tab  111  resting on angled side portions of locking ramp  139 . 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the ceiling fan assembly  50  with support rod  60  and ferrule  70  hanging from the bracket  20  with the male and female connectors  110 ,  135  interlocked from  FIG. 6  with one another and excess loose wiring  130  wrapped about opposite facing hooks  140  and supported by a harness support bracket  150 . The opposite facing hooks  140  allow for any excess and loose wiring to be wrapped around the hooks  140  and held in place, with the bracket  150  supporting and raising the loose and excess loose wiring  130 . 
     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. 
     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.