Patent Document

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/823,514 filed May 15, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its&#39; entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to ceiling fans, and in particular devices, apparatus, systems and methods of coupling a downrod to a ceiling fan motor where a threadable coupling arrangement includes a spring that automatically locks the motor to the downrod after the motor is threadably attached to the downrod. 
     BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART 
     Downrods are popular to allow ceiling fans to hang substantially lower from a ceiling. To attach the downrod often requires the installer to screw the top of the ceiling fan motor into a lower end of the downrod as shown and described in relation to U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,190 to Lackey. Another technique is to have use a cotter type pin to insert through mateable holes in both a coupling socket on top of the fan motor and into side opening(s) along the lower end of the downrod, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,729,725 to Markwardt and 4,810,207 to Butterfield. 
     Merely screwing the fan motor housing to the downrod may not be sufficient to keep the fan from detaching from the downrod. For example, the constant vibration of the ceiling fan in operation can cause the ceiling fan to detach from the down rod overtime. An uncoupling of the fan can cause damage to the fan itself and further cause serious harm to persons underneath the fan. 
     Using cotter type pins to connect the downrod to the ceiling fan motor also has problems. For example, the installer having to line up the side opening in the female socket coupler to the side opening in the downrod which can be time consuming and difficult, especially if the installer is trying to raise the motor over their head to attach it to a pre-mounted downrod. Similar to the threaded arrangement, the motor can become detached over time if the cotter pin becomes loose and falls out of the connection point and can become lost. A pin may allow for a loose fit attachment, where the motor may be loosely attached to the downrod causing undesirable vibration noise to occur when the fan is running. 
     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 coupling a downrod to a ceiling fan motor where a threadable coupling arrangement includes a spring that automatically locks the motor to the downrod after the motor is threadably attached to the downrod. 
     A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of coupling a downrod to a ceiling fan motor which does not easily become detached overtime. 
     A third objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of easily coupling a downrod to a ceiling fan motor without using tools and loose pins. 
     A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, apparatus, systems and methods of coupling a downrod to a ceiling fan motor in a vibration free tight fit arrangement. 
     A novel motor housing attached coupler with internal threads can be configured to be mated with a corresponding downrod with external threads so that the downrod threads into the female socket portion of the novel coupler. 
     The invention can use a downrod with external threads and at least one cavity drilled near the end of the rod 
     The coupler can have a spring clip attached to the outside of the coupler, facing inward. Once the downrod is being threaded into the coupler, the spring clip will automatically engage with a side hole in the downrod when aligned it becomes aligned. 
     Once the spring clip has engaged through the outside of the coupler and inside of downrod cavity, the downrod will not be able to unthread itself. 
     An additional set screw can be used for extra security to further lock the coupler to the down rod. 
     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  shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a ceiling fan with attached coupler spaced from a downrod and a ceiling fan canopy. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the novel downrod coupler of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the downrod coupler of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the downrod coupler of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the downrod coupler of  FIG. 4  along arrow B. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom partial ghost view of the downrod coupler of  FIG. 3  along arrow  6 X. 
     
    
    
     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 listing of the components is described below.
           1 . Ceiling fan     10 . Ceiling ring     12 . canopy     13 . plate     14 . upper coupler     16 . ball     20 . downrod     21 . upper end     22 . upper pin/screw/fastener     23 . pin hole     26 . threaded lower end     27 . side hole for screw     29 . side opening for clip     30 . coupler for motor housing     31 . internal threads     32 . side hole for screw     34 . side opening for clip     37 . nut under base     38 . base of coupler     39 . side pin/screw/fastener     40 . spring clip     42 . tab end     44 . bent portion     46 . leg     48 . fastener though leg     49 . side screw     50 . motor housing with fan blades       

       FIG. 1  shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a ceiling fan  1  with attached novel coupler  30  spaced from a downrod  20  and a ceiling fan canopy  12 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the novel downrod coupler  30  of  FIG. 1  attached to the lower end of the downrod  20 . 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the downrod coupler  30  with attached downrod  20  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the downrod coupler with attached downrod  20  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the downrod coupler  30  of  FIG. 4  along arrow B.  FIG. 6  is a bottom partial ghost view of the downrod coupler  30  with attached downrod  20  of  FIG. 3  along arrow  6 X. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the invention can be used with a ceiling fan  1  having a traditional ceiling ring  10  that attaches to a ceiling on an upper side, and a lower side having a canopy  12  with lower plate  13  that attaches to an upper coupler  14 . A ball  16  attached to the lower portion of the upper coupler  14  is also attached to an upper end  21  of a downrod  20  with pin/fastener  22  inserted through a pin hole  23 , which are known features in the prior art. 
     The downrod  20  with lower threaded end  26  and side hole  27  for pin/screw  39  is modified to have an additional side opening  29  for use with the novel spring clip  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , the novel lower coupler  30  can include an upper opening having internal threads  31  for mateably receiving the exterior threaded end  26  of the downrod  20 . Lower coupler  30  can include a side hole  32  for receiving pin/screw  39 , and a side opening  34  for receiving the bent portion  44  of the spring clip  40 . On the bottom of the coupler  30  can be an enlarged base  38  with nut  37  that attaches to the motor housing  50  of the ceiling fan  1 . 
     The spring clip  40  can include an upper outwardly protruding tab end  42  an inwardly bent portion  44 . A lower vertical leg  46  attaches the spring  40  to the side of the coupler  30  by a fastener  48 , such as a pin or screw. 
     The invention can be practiced after the ceiling ring with canopy  12 , plate  13 , upper coupler  14  with ball  16  and upper end  21  of downrod  20  have been installed in place to suspend below a ceilng. An installer can quickly and securely attach the downrod  20  to the ceiling fan motor  50  using the novel coupler  30  that has been pre-attached to the motor  50 . 
     The installer can thread the lower end  26  of the downrod  20  into the internal threads  31  in the top of the coupler  30 . The inwardly bent portion  44  on the leg  46  of the spring clip  40  is biased to press into the side opening  34  of the coupler  30  and then into the side opening  29 . The lower end  26  of the coupler  20  screws into the coupler  30  until the bent portion  44  of the spring clip  40  engages with the side opening  29  of the downrod  20 . The clip  40  engages the downrod  20  preventing any further rotating movement of the downrod  20 . 
     At this point, the downrod  20  and lower coupler  30  can then be securely fastened to the top of the ceiling fan motor  50  by an additional set screw/pin  39  that passes through a side hole  32  in the coupler  30  and side hole  27  in the downrod  20 . 
     To separate the motor  50  from the downrod  20 , the installer can remove the set screw/pin  39 . Next, the bent portion  44  of the spring clip  40  can be disengaged by pulling on tab  42  and unscrewing the coupler  30  from the lower end  26  of the downrod  20  until the coupler  30  becomes separated from the motor  50 . 
     While the drawings show the spring clip attached to the coupler to engage a side opening in the bottom of the downrod, the invention can be practiced where the spring clip is part of the bottom of the downrod which engages an opening in the coupler. 
     Although the novel coupler is shown attaching the motor to the bottom of the downrod. The coupler can be used to couple the top of the down rod to the ceiling mount portion. 
     Although the invention shows the novel coupler attached to a ceiling fan motor, the novel coupler can be used to attach other downwardly supported lights, and any other products that can attach to a downrod. 
     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 Category: 2