AU732368B3 - A mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address of Service: SHELL ELECTRIC MFG. (HOLDINGS) CO., LTD.

Yau Yung BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 Invention Title: A MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR CEILING FAN BLADES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:la A MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR CEILING FAN BLADES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a fan, and more particularly, it relates to a mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades.

At present, with the commercially available ceiling fan, the fan blades are connected to the motor through screws. Usually, the procedure of installation work is as follows: an operator takes off firstly screws and spring washers form the motor, then aligns the screw hole of the fixing end of the blade with the fixing screw holes on the motor, the screws are made to pass through the screw holes of the spring washer and those of the fixing end of the fan blade as well as the fixing screws holes in the motor, finally the screws are tightened up, thereby the installation work of fan blade is completed. Because the fan blade is of a certain weight, it is not very easy to align the screw holes of the fixing end of the blade with the screw holes in the motor, moreover, the operator must work on a ladder or on a supporting platform, in which the moving range of feet is limited, with a longer period of time, hands and neck of the operator will be aching and limp, or if a firm foothold is not achieved, danger will follow. In addition when a screw is fixed, the screw will often come off from the screw hole and fall on the floor or ground due to the inappropriate force used, in this case, the operator has to climb down or has the screw picked up by another person to fix it again, obviously it is very inconvenient and troublesome and longtime has to be spent.

-2- It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

To this end, the present invention provides a mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades, comprising the fixing member for mounting blades on the motor, wherein said fixing member for each fan blade is the screws which are preset into two fixing screw holes defined in the motor and which pass through two holes provided on the fixing end of the fan blade at the positions corresponding to the positions where the fixing screw holes on the motor are positioned, thereby the fan blade is mounted on the motor for ceiling fan.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 'comprising', and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".

Preferably, on one side of the position where the fan blade is mounted on the motor a thrust brake is provided.

Preferably, the fixing end of the fan blade includes also at least one positioning pin, and a positioning pin hole matched with the at least one positioning pin, the positioning pin hole is provided on the peripheral surface of the motor on which the fan blade is mounted, and at the position corresponding to the position where the positioning pin is provided on the fixing end of fan blade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following a preferred embodiment according to the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, among the drawings: 03 't.

3 Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades according to invention; Fig.2 is a exploded view of the thrust brake and screws preset on the motor, and Fig.3 is a perspective schematic view of the screw with the attached washer of the mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig.2, the mounting mechanism for each fan blade of ceiling fan according to-the invention comprises two screws 3 preset in the fixing screw holes 2 defined in the motor 1 for ceiling fan.

Here the term "preset" means that all the screws 3 are tightened in the fixing screw holes 2 defined in the motor 1 before leaving factory in such a manner that only a few turns are needed to completely tightened up the screws. As shown in Fig.3, a washer 4 is attached to the screw 3, the inner diameter of the washer is smaller than the diameter of the threads of the screw 3, and a plurality of tooth-like protrusions are provided on the outer periphery of the washer. Such protrusions are used to raise the anti-loose capability of the screw.

As shown in Fig.l 1, there are provided two holes 6 in the blade fixing end 5 of the ceiling fan at the positions corresponding to the positions of the two fixing screw holes defined in the motor 1, and the diameter of these holes is larger than the diameter of the cap portion (head portion) of the two screw 3 which are preset in the holes 2 defined in the motor 1 and the outer diameter of the washer 4, there is provided a outwardly extending portion on the same side of the periphery of the hole.

The end portion of this outwardly extending portion is semi-circle in shape. The size or width of this outwardly extending portion is just 4 sufficient to allow the screw shank of the screw 3 to move in it. When the fan blades is mounted on the motor, it is only necessary to slip the two holes 6 defined in the fixing end 5 of the fan blade over the screw 3 and the washer 4, and push the fixing end 5 of the fan blade to make the screw 3 enter into the outwardly extending portion of the hole 6 so that the fan blade can be placed on the fixing position, finally the screw is tightened up, for which a few turns of the screw are enough.

As shown in Fig. 1,2, by the side of the position where the fan blade is mounted on the motor, there is provide a thrust brake 7, the thrust brake 7 includes a rectangular slot 8 which is defined in the peripheral surface of the motor on which the blade is mounted and a anti-thrust spring plate 9 which can enter into the slot and can stop the move of the fan blade.

One end of said spring plate 9 is fixed on the peripheral surface of the motor by a small screw 10, it extends toward the other end in a slope manner, and continuously extend vertically downward again from the top of the slope, and the vertical portion of said spring plate 9 forms a anti-thrust faceto prevents the fan blade from moving further, the vertical portion of the said spring, when pressed, can enter into the rectangular slot 8 and press tightly against the side wall of the slot, when the pressure force is released, the spring plate rises from the slot 8 on its own elasticity, and is positioned at the anti-thrust position. when the fixing end 5 of the fan blade is pushed to make the screw 3 enter entirely into the outwardly extending portion of the hole 6, the vertical end of the spring plate 9 which is pressed by the fixing end 5 of the blade can just spring out from the rectangular slot 8 and position itself at the anti-thrust position, and when the blade is running, it can play a role of stopping the fixing end so that the fixing end 5 of the fan blade cannot be pushed forward to make the screw 3 move toward the hole 6 from the outwardly extending portion due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the fan blades, thereby the operation of the ceiling fan is safe and reliable.

As shown in Fig.1, in order to make operation of the ceiling fan more safe, there are provided two positioning pins 11 on the fixing end of the fan blade, correspondingly there are provided holes 12 for the positioning pins 11 on the motor at the positions where the fan blades are fixed, said positions correspond to the positions of two positioning pins.

When the fixing end 5 of the fan blade is pushed into the hole 6, the bottom surface of the blade fixing end presses against the spring plate 9 and makes said spring plate 9 enter into the slot 8 along the slope portion of the spring plate. Once the screw shank enters into the outwardly extending portion of the hole 6, the spring plate 9 is no longer under the pressure force of the fixing end 5, at this time, the spring plate 9 springs out of the slot 8, and is positioned in the anti-thrust position. At this time, the positioning pins 11 on the fixing end 5 of the fan blade also enter into the positioning hole 12 at the corresponding positions on the motor, thereby the blade is securely mounted on the motor. On the other hand, the fixing end is pressed against by the spring plate 9, finally, the screw is tightened up and the mounting work is completed.

In the above, the mounting mechanism for one fan blade as well as the whole procedure of the installation work are described, as to the second and the third fan blades, the mounting mechanisms and the mounting process are all the same as first fan blade.

Summing up the above, the invention has the advantages of simple structure, convenient installation, easy operation, improved safety and results, with the mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades according to -6the invention, due to the fact that labor and time can be saved, it has excellent economic effects.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

Claims (3)

1. A mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades, comprising the fixing member for mounting blades on the motor, wherein said fixing member for each fan blade is the screws which are preset into two fixing screw holes defined in the motor and which pass through two holes provided on the fixing end of the fan blade at the positions corresponding to the positions where the fixing screw holes on the motor are positioned, thereby the fan blade is mounted on the motor for ceiling fan.

2. A mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades according to claim 1, wherein on one side of the position where the fan blade is mounted on the motor is provided a thrust brake.

3. A mounting mechanism for ceiling fan blades according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said fixing end of the fan blade includes also at least one positioning pin, and a positioning pin hole matched with the at least one positioning pin, said positioning pin hole is provided on the peripheral surface of the motor on which the fan blade is mounted, and at the position corresponding to the position where the positioning pin is provided on the fixing end of fan blade. DATED this 1 th Day of September, 2000 SHELL ELECTRIC MFG. (HOLDINGS) CO., LTD Attorney: RUSSELL J. DAVIES Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS