Ceiling fan guard

• US 4,657,485 A
• Filed: 04/19/1984
• Issued: 04/14/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard K. Hartwig
• Original Assignee: Richard K. Hartwig
• Inventors: Hartwig, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garrett, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/602,002
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 416/5, 416/170 C, 416/247 R, 415/121 G, 415/62, 98/40.08, 98/40.21, 362/96, 248/230, 248/225.31
• US Class Current: 416/247.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/703 specially for fans, e.g. fan guards

Abstract

A fan guard for ceiling fans comprises a circular grill member supported below the blades of the fan on equally spaced support arms extending radially outward from a clamp attached to the pipe extension suspending the motor housing from the ceiling. The fan guard may be provided with a circumferential open skirt portion, or an enclosed skirt portion interposed between the support arms and the grill. The grill member includes arcuate removable portions for adapting the guard to receive a depending portions of a conventional ceiling fan.

Claims

1. The combination with a ceiling fan suspended from a ceiling by a pipe attached to the ceiling at one end and attached at the other end to the motor of such fan of a guard comprising;

a clamp fitting tightly around and releasably connected to the pipe suspending said ceiling fan at a point below the ceiling and above said motor and being the sole support of said guard,

circumferentially spaced supporting arms with unsupported ends extending radially outward from said clamp and terminating beyond the blades of said fan,

a circular grill member supported from said support arms below the blades of said fan and extending peripherally outward beyond the ends of said blades, and

supporting means releasably attached to said supporting arms at one end and at the other end to said grill member.

2. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said supporting means includes a circumferentially open skirt portion interconnecting said supporting arms and said grill member.

3. A fan-guard combination according to claim 2 in which

said open skirt portion comprises

a series of parallel, axially-aligned rings positioned between said supporting arms and said grill member on the periphery of said supporting means in a vertically spaced relation,

means supporting said rings and secured on said supporting means.

4. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said supporting means includes a circumferentially-extending, peripherally-enclosed skirt portion interposed between said supporting arms and said grill member.

5. A fan-guard combination according to claim 4 in which

said enclosed skirt portion comprises

a cylinder of sheet material extending downward from said supporting arms to a point below said fan blades,

means on the lower edge portion of said skirt receiving and supporting said grill member, and

a series of circumferentially-spaced, vertical slots having closed top portions positioned on the inner surface of said skirt in axial alignment with the extended ends of said supporting arms and slidably receiving the same.

6. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said circular grill member includes a removable portion for adapting said fan guard to receive selected depending portions of said ceiling fan.

7. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said clamping means comprises a two-piece cylindrical clamp having first and second semi-cylindrical segments,

means on said clamp segments connecting the same releasably around said fan motor suspension pipe.

8. A fan-guard combination according to claim 7 in which

said clamp includes means for adapting the same to fit different sizes of fan motor suspension pipes.

9. A fan-guard combination according to claim 8 in which

said first semi-cylindrical segment has an opening at one end,

said second semi-cylindrical segment has a tongue at one end fitting into and forming a hinge with said opening in said first segment,

the other ends of said segments having holes therein,

means secured in said holes to clamp said segments together around said fan supporting pipe, and

said adapting means comprises a set screw.

10. A fan-guard combination according to claim 7 in which

said first semi-cylindrical segment has an opening at one end,

said second semi-cylindrical segment has a tongue at one end fitting into and forming a hinge with said opening in said first segment,

the other ends of said segments having holes therein, and

means secured in said holes to clamp said segments together around said fan supporting pipe.

11. A fan-guard combination according to claim 7 in which

said clamping means further includes a section of material insertable between said segments and said suspension member for preventing damage to said pipe.

12. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said supporting arms comprise at least three circumferentially spaced arms extending radially outward from said clamping means, having a fixed end and a distal end, and

each of said arms having an opening at its distal end to receive one end of said supporting means.

13. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said circular grill comprises a plurality of concentrically spaced rings in the same horizontal plane,

a plurality of equally spaced radially rods extending from the central ring across each of said concentrically spaced rings to the outermost ring and secured thereto, and

means on said outer ring secured to said supporting means.

14. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said supporting means comprises wire members each having at least one hooked end secured on each of said supporting arms.

15. A fan-guard combination according to claim 1 in which

said supporting means comprises wire members each having at least one hooked end secured to and supporting said grill member.

16. A guard for a ceiling fan suspended from a ceiling by a pipe attached at one end to the ceiling and at the other end to the fan motor, comprising;

a clamp adapted to fit tightly around said suspending pipe to releasably connect said guard to said pipe at a point below the ceiling and above said motor and being the sole support of said guard,

circumferentially spaced supporting arms with unsupported ends extending radially outward from said clamp and terminating beyond the blades of said fan when installed thereon,

a circular grill member supported from said support arms below the blades of said fan when installed thereon and extending peripherally outward beyond the ends of said blades, and

supporting means releasably attached to said supporting arms at one end and at the other end to said grill member.

17. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said supporting means includes a circumferentially open skirt portion interconnecting said supporting arms and said grill member.

18. A guard according to claim 17 in which

said open skirt portion comprises

a series of parallel, axially-aligned rings positioned between said supporting arms and said grill member on the periphery of said supporting means in a vertically spaced relation,

means supporting said rings and secured on said supporting means.

19. A guard according to claim 17 in which

said supporting means includes a circumferentially-extending, peripherally-enclosed skirt portion interposed between said supporting arms and said grill member.

20. A guard according to claim 19 in which

said enclosed skirt portion comprises

a cylinder of sheet material extending downward from said supporting arms to a point below said fan blades when installed on said fan support,

means on the lower edge portion of said skirt receiving and supporting said grill member, and

a series of circumferentially-spaced, vertical slots having closed top portions positioned on the inner surface of said skirt in axial alignment with the extended ends of said supporting arms and slidably receiving the same.

21. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said circular grill member includes a removable portion for adapting said fan guard to receive selected depending portions of said ceiling fan when installed on said fan support.

22. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said clamping means comprises a two-piece cylindrical clamp having first and second semi-cylindrical segments,

means on said clamp segments adapted to connect the same releasably around said fan motor suspension pipe.

23. A guard according to claim 22 in which

said clamp includes means for adapting the same to fit different sizes of fan motor suspension pipes.

24. A guard according to claim 23 in which

said first semi-cylindrical segment has an opening at one end,

said second semi-cylindrical segment has a tongue at one end fitting into and forming a hinge with said opening in said first segment,

the other ends of said segments having holes therein,

means secured in said holes adapted to clamp said segments together around said fan supporting pipe, and

said adapting means comprises a set screw.

25. A guard according to claim 22 in which

said first semi-cylindrical segment has an opening at one end,

said second semi-cylindrical segment has a tongue at one end fitting into and forming a hinge with said opening in said first segment,

the other ends of said segments having holes therein, and

means secured in said holes adapted to clamp said segments together around said fan supporting pipe.

26. A guard according to claim 22 in which

said clamping means further includes a section of material insertable between said segments and said suspension member for preventing damage to said pipe.

27. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said supporting arms comprise at least three circumferentially spaced arms extending radially outward from said clamping means, having a fixed end and a distal end, and

each of said arms having an opening at its distal end to receive one end of said supporting means.

28. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said circular grill comprises a plurality of concentrically spaced rings in the same horizontal plane,

a plurality of equally spaced radially rods extending from the central ring across each of said concentrically spaced rings to the outermost ring and secured thereto, and

means on said outer ring secured to said supporting means.

29. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said supporting means comprises wire members each having at least one hooked end secured on each of said supporting arms.

30. A guard according to claim 16 in which

said supporting means comprises wire members each having at least one hooked end secured to and supporting said grill member.