Patent Application
20060263224
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ceiling fans.
More particularly, the present invention relates to hanger assemblies for depending a ceiling fan from an overhead support device.
In a further and more specific aspect, the instant invention concerns an aesthetically enhanced hanger bracket of the above type.
2. The Prior Art
Ceiling fans are conventionally suspended from a ceiling by means of a hanger assembly. A known hanger assembly includes a hanger bracket securable to an overhead support member such as an electrical junction box. The hanger bracket includes slots which receive screws there through for engagement with the flanges of the junction box.
A ball socket is formed into the top of the hanger bracket. A ball, supported in the ball socket for swivel motion, supports a depending down rod. Attachment means, integral with the lower end of the down rod, are secured to the fan. A canopy, generally in the shape of an inverted dome, includes a central opening through which the down rod passes and an upper rim which encircles the peripheral sidewall of the hanger bracket.
The rim of the canopy is secured to the hanger bracket by means of a plurality of screws which extend through openings in the rim of the canopy and threadedly engage within the hanger bracket. The heads of the screws reside external of the canopy.
It is recognized that the exposed screw heads detract from the aesthetics of the hanger assembly. Accordingly, the prior art has provided a rim cover which encapsulates the screw heads. In accordance with one embodiment, the prior art has provided a rim cover having a plurality of J-shaped recesses formed into the inside surface which receive the heads of the screws. In accordance with another embodiment, the rim cover is fabricated of a resilient material. An annular groove formed in the inner surface of the resilient cover receives the screw heads in snap engagement.
While encasing the screw heads, the rim covers provided by the prior art have not proven to be entirely satisfactory. Forming a J-shaped groove into the inner surface of the rim cover requires that the rim cover be extraordinarily thick. Also forming such grooves requires extraneous and relatively expensive manufacturing. Fabricating the rim cover of a resilient material detracts from the desired aesthetics. It is also noted that the screw heads tend to be relatively small with rounded exposed surfaces which do not adequately engage the prior art rim covers.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
The above problems and others are at least partially solved and the above objects and others realized in a hanger assembly including a hanger bracket having a peripheral sidewall and securable to an overhead support member which is integral with a ceiling. A down rod having a lower end engagable with a fan is suspended from the hanger bracket. A canopy having an opening for receiving the down rod there through includes an upper rim for receiving the sidewall of the hanger bracket therein.
A plurality of mounting screws secures the canopy to the hanger bracket. Each screw extends through a respective opening in the rim of the canopy and is engaged within the hanger bracket. Each screw includes a head residing external of the rim of the canopy. Next provided is a rim cover for encapsulating the heads of the screws and securable to the rim of the canopy.
Preferably, the rim cover is received by the rim of the canopy in snap engagement. An element of a detent engagement pair is carried by the rim of the canopy and a complemental element of the detent engagement pair is carried by the rim cover for detachable engagement with the element carried by the canopy. More specifically, one of the element or complemental element of the detent engagement pair includes an indentation. The other of the element and complemental element of the detent engagement pair includes a protrusion matingly receivable within the indentation.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the indention is formed into the upper rim of the canopy and the protrusion extends inwardly from the rim cover. Further the protrusion is resilient.
In one embodiment, the protrusion is carried by a base affixed to the rim cover. In another embodiment, there is a finger having a lower end affixed to the rim cover and an opposing upper end, a front face and an opposing rear face. There is a gap between the rear face of the finger and the rim cover. The finger is flexurally resilient in reciprocal directions relative to the rim cover, and the protrusion the protrusion is carried by the front face of the finger.
The rim cover includes an upper edge which is receivable in juxtaposition with the ceiling. The rim cover further includes an in turned lower edge which is received in juxtaposition with the canopy.
The objects and advantages of the instant invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
Turning now to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout the several views, attention is first directed to
Hanger bracket 12 includes base 17, upper surface 18 and peripheral sidewall 19. Spherical ball socket 20 is formed into bracket 12 at a generally central location. Key 22 projects radially inward from ball socket 20. Threaded bores 23 extend into base 17 from peripheral sidewall 19.
Slots 24 extending through base 17 accommodate mounting screws which pass through the slots 22 and threadedly engage an overhead support member. Although the overhead support member is not specifically illustrated, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that conventional overhead support members include electrical junction boxes, especially devised struts and beams, all of which are considered to be integral with a ceiling. Further, when hanger bracket 12 is secured to the overhead support member, upper surface 18 abuts the ceiling.
As seen with further reference to
Canopy 14, generally in the shape of an inverted dome as illustrated in
A plurality of openings 37 extend through upper rim 35 of canopy 14. Openings 37 are spaced to align with the threaded bores 23 in hanger bracket 12. A screw 38 extends through each opening 37 and threadedly engaged with a respective threaded bore 23 in peripheral sidewall 19 of hanger bracket 12. A particularly noted in
Rim cover 15, illustrated in further detail in
Attention is now directed to
As further seen in
The present invention is described above with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made in the described embodiment without departing from the nature and scope of the present invention. For instance, while the hanger assembly is illustrated as circular, it is contemplated that the assembly may assume a multi-sided or free form configuration. Furthermore, although protrusions 47 are attached to bases 48 which are integrally formed with sidewall 43, protrusions 47 can be mounted in place in other ways.
For instance,
Various further changes and modifications to the embodiment herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof.
Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same, the invention claimed is:
