Ceiling fan assembly

• US 20060278766A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Cool Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Air Cool Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Wang, Cliff
• Granted Patent: US 7,300,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/74.100
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/088 Ceiling fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/601 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps

Abstract

A ceiling fan assembly includes a hanger bracket secured to a conventional overhead support member and a fan motor depending from the hanger bracket. A housing encapsulating the fan motor and the hanger is detachably secured by a detent engagement means. An element of the detent engagement means is integral with the hanger bracket and a complemental element of the detent engagement means is integral with the housing. When engaged, the housing obscured the detent engagement means.

Claims

1. In a ceiling fan assembly including an overhead support member, a hanger bracket secured to said support member and a fan motor depending from said hanger bracket, improvements therein comprising a housing secured to said hanger bracket and encapsulating said hanger bracket and said fan motor.

2. The improvements of claim 1, wherein said housing is detachably secured to said hanger bracket.

3. The improvements of claim, 2 including:

a first detent engagement pair for detachably securing said housing to said hanger bracket; and

a second detent engagement pair opposing said first detent engagement pair for detachably securing said housing to said hanger bracket.

4. The improvements of claim 3, wherein each said detent engagement pair includes an element of said engagement pair carried by said mounting bracket and a complemental element of said detent engagement carried by said housing.

5. The improvements of claim 4, wherein:

said element of said detent engagement pair includes a pin projecting radially from said hanger bracket; and

said complemental element of said detent engagement pair includes a recess for matingly receiving said pin.

6. The improvements of claim 5, wherein each said recess is integral with a circumferentially extending slot sized to receive the respective pin therein.

7. The improvements of claim 6, further including a ramp associated with each said slot for initially receiving the respective pin and guiding said pin into said slot.

8. The improvements of claim 3, wherein said housing includes a terminal portion adjacent an upper edge thereof for obscuring said first and said second detent engagement pairs when said housing is affixed to said mounting bracket.

9. The improvements of claim 1, wherein said hanger bracket includes:

a first component securable to said overhead support member; and

a second component having said motor secured thereto and detachably securable to said first member.

10. The improvements of claim 1, wherein a switch box and a plurality of blade irons depend from said motor and said housing includes an opening for receiving said switch box and said blade irons there through.

11. A ceiling fan assembly comprising:

a hanger bracket secured to a selected overhead support member;

a fan motor depending from said hanger bracket and having a rotatably driven hub;

a plurality of blade irons affixed to said hub and depending from said motor;

a fan blade affixed to and extending radially from each of said plurality of blade irons; and

a housing secured to said hanger bracket and encapsulating said fan motor and said hanger bracket.

12. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 11, wherein:

said housing is securable to said hanger bracket in response to rotation of said housing in a first direction relative hanger bracket; and

said housing is removable from said hanger bracket in response to rotation of said housing in a second direction relative said hanger bracket.

13. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 11 including:

a first detent engagement pair interacting between said housing and said hanger bracket for detachable securement of housing to said hanger bracket; and

a second detent engagement pair opposing said first detent engagement pair for detachable engagement of said housing to said hanger bracket.

14. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 13, wherein:

said first detent engagement pair includes an element of a detent engagement pair carried by one of said hanger bracket and said housing and a complemental element of said detent engagement pair carried by one of said hanger bracket and said housing; and

said second detent engagement pair includes an element of a detent engagement pair carried by one of said hanger bracket and said housing and a complemental element of said detent engagement pair carried by one of said hanger bracket and said housing.

15. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 14, wherein:

said element of said first detent engagement pair includes a first pin extending radially from said hanger bracket and said complemental element of said first engagement pair includes a first recess carried by said housing for matingly receiving said first pin; and

said element of said second detent engagement pair includes a second pin extending radially from said hanger bracket in opposition to first pin and said complemental element of said second detent engagement pair includes a second recess carried by said housing for matingly receiving said pin.

16. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 15, wherein:

said first recess is integral with a first circumferentially extending slot sized to receive said first pin therein; and

said second recess is integral with a second circumferentially extending slot sized to receive said second pin therein.

17. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 16, further including:

a first ramp associated with said first circumferentially extending slot for initially receiving the said first pin and guiding the pin into said first slot; and

a second ramp associated with said second circumferentially extending slot for initially receiving the said second pin and guiding the pin into said second slot.

18. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 15, wherein said first pin is urged into mating engagement with said first recess and said second pin is urged into mating engagement with said second recess in response to downward gravitational pull upon said housing.

19. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 13, wherein said housing includes a terminal portion adjacent and upper edge thereof for obscuring said first detent engagement pair and said second detent engagement pair.

20. The ceiling fan assembly of claim 13, wherein said hanger bracket includes:

a first component secured to said overhead support member; and

a second component having said motor secured thereto and detachably securable to said first member.