Patent Application
20230096083
This document relates generally to the fan arts and, more particularly, to a retention system for aligning and attaching a fan blade to a hub of a fan, such as for example a ceiling fan.
A fan typically includes a central hub with a plurality of blades extending radially from the hub. There are various methods for attaching blades to the hub. Most approaches rely on a linking element, such as a blade iron. However, this attachment configuration creates a weak structural link between the hub and blade.
Another shortcoming of the use of a linking element is that such is normally externally visible by a user after installation. Therefore, any fasteners used to attach the airfoil to the hub via a blade iron are also normally visible. This exposure of fasteners can cause both an unpleasant aesthetic and may also expose fasteners to environmental degradation.
Furthermore, in the case of a ceiling fan, assembly is typically completed at the installation site, as such fans are normally shipped in a partially assembled state, with at least the blades unattached to the hub. This is generally to promote ease of shipment, as a fully assembled ceiling fan would require much larger and bulkier shipping containers than a partially disassembled fan. Such assembly of blades at the point of installation may be unpleasant for the user.
Thus, a retention system for fan blades is desired that overcomes some or all of the foregoing issues, and perhaps others that have yet to be discovered.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a fan is provided, which may be embodied in the form of a ceiling fan, but could also take any other form (including, for example, a directional fan, a pedestal fan, or the like). The fan includes a motor adapted to rotate a hub about an axis. The hub may comprise first and second hub parts adapted to mate to form the hub, the first and second hub parts having a gap therebetween. A plurality of fan blades are also provided, each of the fan blades having an end portion located in the gap formed between the first and second hub parts.
In some embodiments, one of the first and second hub parts includes a projection and the other of the first and second hub parts includes a receiver adapted for receiving the projection. In some embodiments, the end portion of the one or more blades includes at least one receiver for receiving a projection formed on one of the first and second hub parts. The at least one receiver may comprise an open-ended groove for receiving an axially extending projection from one of the first and second hub parts, which projection and groove may have substantially equal widths. The other of the first and second hub parts includes a cavity for receiving the projection when the first and second hub parts are mated.
The first and second hub parts may be annular. The first and second hub parts may each include opposing contoured or curved surfaces that match corresponding surfaces of the end portions of the plurality of blades. Each of the first and second hub parts may include axially aligned apertures and further including at least one fastener for positioning in the axially aligned apertures to connect the first and second hub parts.
The fan may also include a hub cover adapted to cover at least one of the first and second hub parts, the hub cover including a generally circumferentially extending slot for receiving the end portion of at least one fan blade. The hub cover may include at least one access opening for aligning with the axially aligned apertures of the first and second hub parts to provide access to the fastener. An adapter may be configured to remain stationary during use while the hub and plurality of fan blades rotate, and wherein the first hub part includes a projection adapted to engage the adapted to prevent rotation of the hub when the fastener is loosened while still retaining the first hub part to the second hub part, and to allow rotation when the fastener is sufficiently tightened to secure the plurality of fan blades in place.
A further aspect of the disclosure relates to a fan, comprising a motor adapted to rotate a hub about an axis. The hub comprises first and second hub parts adapted to mate, one of the first and second hub parts including a projection generally aligned with the axis. One or more fan blades are provided, which may have an end portion with a receiver adapted to receive the projection.
In some embodiments, the receiver comprises an open-ended groove extending transversely to the axis, the open-ended groove having a first width substantially equal to a second width of the projection. In some embodiments, the receiver comprises an aperture. In some embodiments, the first and second hub parts include a plurality of projections, and the one or more fan blades include a plurality of receivers, each adapted to receive at least one of the projections.
In some embodiments, the first and second hub parts include contoured or curved surfaces that match a corresponding surface of at least one of the one or more fan blades. The fan may further include an adapter configured to remain stationary during use while the hub and fan blades rotate, and wherein the first hub part includes a projection adapted to engage the adapted to prevent rotation of the second hub when separated apart but still connected and to allow rotation when the first and second hub parts are in position for securing the one or more blades in place.
A further aspect of the disclosure pertains to a fan, comprising a motor adapted to rotate a hub about an axis, and a plurality of fan blades adapted to be connected to the hub. An adapter is configured to remain stationary during use while the hub and fan blades rotate, and a portion of the hub is adapted to be selectively deployed to engage the adapter to prevent rotation of the hub.
In some embodiments, the hub comprises first and second hub parts adapted to mate to form the hub, the first and second hub parts having a gap therebetween, and each of the fan blades includes an end portion located in the gap formed between the first and second hub parts. At least one fastener is adapted for connecting the first and second hub parts together, wherein a loosened condition of the fastener corresponding to a position of the portion of the hub to prevent rotation thereof.
Also disclosed is a method of assembling a fan. The method comprises capturing an end portion of each of a plurality of fan blades between first and second parts of a hub adapted to be rotated by a motor. The method may further comprise the step of preventing rotation of the hub when the first and second parts are separated to install or remove one or more of the plurality of fan blades. The capturing step may comprise passing an end portion of at least one fan blade through a slot in a hub cover and into a gap between the first and second hub parts, and then tightening one or more fasteners to close the gap and capture the end portion between the first and second hub parts.
The end portion of each fan blade may include a groove, and the passing step comprises passing a projection on one of the first and second hub parts into the groove.
The above and further advantages according to the inventions disclosed herein may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The drawings are not necessarily drawn proportionally or to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity or several physical components may be included in one functional block or element. Further, sometimes reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a fan 10 with a blade alignment and retention system is provided. With reference to
The fan 10 further includes a plurality of blades 22 extending radially from the hub 12. Any number of blades 22 may be provided, including three, four, five, six, eight, or more blades. Each blade 22 may have an airfoil shape, and thus may have a degree of curvature along at least one end directed away from the hub 12 that creates air disruptions upon operation of the fan 10. As will be described below, the blades 22 may be adapted to engage the hub 12, such as between the hub parts 16, 18.
With reference to
The lower hub part 18 may further include one or more one or more lower retention elements, such as a boss or projection 18b, extending generally in an axial direction for retaining a fan blade 22. The lower hub part 18 may further include a lower hub alignment feature, such as a receiver 18c, for receiving a portion of the upper hub part 16 to achieve proper alignment when mated.
The upper hub part 16 may further include upper engagement elements, such as receivers in the form of apertures or recesses 16b, for cooperating with the lower retention elements, or projections 18b, in order to retain an associated fan blade 22. These recesses 16b may receive the projections 18b of the lower hub part 18 in order to capture the fan blade 22 upon assembly, as detailed below. The upper hub part 16 may additionally include a upper hub alignment feature, such as alignment projection 16c, for aligning the upper hub part 16 with the lower hub part 18. As can be seen, the alignment projection 16c may be adapted to be received within receiver 18c, thereby limiting or preventing relative movement therebetween.
In another aspect, the blade 22 may include one or more guides in the form of apertures 22b. These apertures 22b may be adapted for aligning with the lower and upper engagement elements, or projections 16c, 18b, such that upon assembly, the position of the blade 22 is fixed with respect to the lower and upper hub parts 16, 18. As illustrated, the lower engagement elements in the form of projections 18b may be adapted to pass through the apertures 22b, and into the upper hub receivers 16b, thereby fixing the relative positions of the hub parts 16, 18, while sandwiching a first end portion of the blade 22 closest to the axis of rotation therebetween.
With reference to
The cover 14 may further include a pattern of access holes 14b. As will be explained further below, these holes 14b may coordinate with attachment points between the lower and upper hub parts 16, 18 to facilitate final assembly at the installation site.
One or more locking features may be provided in the hub cover 14, which may prevent rotation of the fan 10 unless proper blade attachment has occurred, as is explained below. As may best be seen in
The assembled hub 12 is connected to a motor 20, as illustrated in further detail in
The hub cover 14 may be installed onto the upper hub part 16, thereby preventing the screw 26, along with any washer(s) 28, from separating, while still allowing access to the screws 26 through the access holes 14b. The use of the hub cover 14 in this manner maintains the screws 26 in a relative position, such as being aligned with or at least partially threaded through at least the lower hub part 18, even if at least partially unscrewed. This allows for a more pleasant installation experience for the end user, as they do not have any chance of dropping fasteners, such as screws 26. The hub cover 14 may also protect the screws 26 and the washers 28 from environmental degradation.
The alignment projection 16c of the upper hub part 16 may align with the receiver 18c, as well as the groove 22a, thereby locating the blade 22 in the appropriate position relative to the hub 12. The recesses 16b may be aligned with the coordinating bosses 18b of the lower hub part 18, with the bosses 18b being inserted into the recesses 16b. The screw 26 may be accessed through the lower hub cover 14, as noted above, thereby allowing for tightening the hub parts 16, 18, with the blades 22 therebetween. During this tightening, the alignment projection 16c and the receiver 18c act as a guide rail for the lower hub part 18 to travel vertically along the upper hub part 16 until assembly is complete, as shown in
In another aspect, the fan 10 may include a locking system to prevent rotation if the blades 22 are not properly or fully installed, thus preventing or limiting the potential for damage due to a blade becoming dislodged from the hub 12. This locking system is illustrated with
With reference to
As illustrated in
With reference to
Each of the following terms written in singular grammatical form: “a”, “an”, and “the,” as used herein, means “at least one” or “one or more.” Use of the phrase “One or more” herein does not alter this intended meaning of “a”, “an”, or “the.” Accordingly, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used herein, may also refer to, and encompass, a plurality of the stated entity or object, unless otherwise specifically defined or stated herein, or the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the phrases: “a unit”, “a device”, “an assembly”, “a mechanism”, “a component,” “an element”, and “a step or procedure”, as used herein, may also refer to, and encompass, a plurality of units, a plurality of devices, a plurality of assemblies, a plurality of mechanisms, a plurality of components, a plurality of elements, and, a plurality of steps or procedures, respectively.
Each of the following terms: “includes”, “including”, “has”, “having”, “comprises”, and “comprising”, and, their linguistic/grammatical variants, derivatives, or/and conjugates, as used herein, means “including, but not limited to”, and is to be taken as specifying the stated components), feature(s), characteristic(s), parameter(s), integer(s), or step(s), and does not preclude addition of one or more additional component(s), feature(s), characteristic(s), parameter(s), integer(s), step(s), or groups thereof. Each of these terms is considered equivalent in meaning to the phrase “consisting essentially of” Each of the phrases “consisting of” and “consists of, as used herein, means “including and limited to.” The phrase “consisting essentially of” means that the stated entity or item (system, system unit, system sub-unit device, assembly, sub-assembly, mechanism, structure, component element or, peripheral equipment utility, accessory, or material, method or process, step or procedure, sub-step or sub-procedure), which is an entirety or part of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed invention, or/and which is used for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed invention, may include at least one additional feature or characteristic” being a system unit system sub-unit device, assembly, sub-assembly, mechanism, structure, component or element or, peripheral equipment utility, accessory, or material, step or procedure, sub-step or sub-procedure), but only if each such additional feature or characteristic” does not materially alter the basic novel and inventive characteristics or special technical features, of the claimed item.
The term “method”, as used herein, refers to steps, procedures, manners, means, or/and techniques, for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those steps, procedures, manners, means, or/and techniques, either known to, or readily developed from known steps, procedures, manners, means, or/and techniques, by practitioners in the relevant field(s) of the disclosed invention.
Terms of approximation, such as the terms about, substantially, approximately, generally, etc., as used herein, refer to ±10% of a numerical value or as close as possible to a condition.
It is to be fully understood that certain aspects, characteristics, and features, of the invention, which are, for clarity, illustratively described and presented in the context or format of a plurality of separate embodiments, may also be illustratively described and presented in any suitable combination or sub-combination in the context or format of a single embodiment. Conversely, various aspects, characteristics, and features, of the invention which are illustratively described and presented in combination or sub-combination in the context or format of a single embodiment may also be illustratively described and presented in the context or format of a plurality of separate embodiments.
Although the invention has been illustratively described and presented by way of specific exemplary embodiments, and examples thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, or/and variations, thereof, will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that all such alternatives, modifications, or/and variations, fall within the spirit of, and are encompassed by, the broad scope of the appended claims.
This patent application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/812,815 filed on Mar. 9, 2020 and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application. Ser. No. 62/815,687, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62815687 | Mar 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16812815 | Mar 2020 | US |
| Child | 17977321 | US |
