Wall-Mounted Fan

Abstract

A wall-mounted fan, such as used in residential settings, includes a base, an arm, and a housing. The housing includes an oscillator motor and a fan blade motor that may be operated at variable speeds. The arm connects the housing to the base and the base connects the wall-mounted fan to the wall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Electrically powered fans can be powered by either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) motors. AC motors are generally larger and louder than their DC counterparts. Additionally, AC motors are less efficient, and thus more expensive to operate, than DC motors. Fans that operate with AC motors require speed control by large surface switch systems on the base of the fan in order to provide variable speed. These switch systems, when used with wall-mounted fans, take up a lot of space on the wall, creating a less visually appealing structure.

Additionally, many fans incorporate other electrically powered devices into the fan. For example, ceiling fans often include a light and wall-mounted fans often include an oscillating motor. In order to have separate control of the fan motor and any other electrically powered device(s), either separate electrical power is required, leading to the use of two hot wires in a three wire system (one hot wire per electrically powered device), or a splitting device used with a single hot wire that provides for separate control of the multiple devices is required. However, the two hot wire in a three wire system can be complicated for residential customers and may require costly electrical modifications in residences wired with a single hot wire in a two wire system. Additionally, the splitting device used with AC is large and not aesthetically pleasing in the residential context. Therefore, there exists a need for a fan with multiple electrically powered devices (e.g., a fan blade motor and an oscillator motor) that can run on a single hot wire in a two wire system and remain aesthetically pleasing.

Moreover, current wall-mounted fans are manufactured as being able to work with only one AC power supply voltage level (e.g., they only work with 110V or 220V AC power input). However, different countries use different voltages. Therefore, there exists a need for a market fungible bi-volt wall-mounted fan that operates on either 110V or 220V AC power.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to electrically powered fans, and in particular, to residential wall-mounted fans.

An electrically powered fan in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a wall-mounted fan comprising: a fan blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades; a direct current (DC) motor configured to rotate the fan blades; a controller configured to control operation of the direct current motor at variable speeds; an AC to DC converter configured to convert an AC power input to DC power supplied to the direct current motor; and a hanger bracket for supporting the controller, converter, direct current motor and fan blade assembly, and configured to be mounted to a wall; wherein the fan has a wall-mounting surface area of less than about a circle of twelve inches, and more preferably, less than about ten inches in diameter.

An electrically powered fan in accordance with another embodiment of the invention includes a wall-mounted fan comprising: a fan blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades; a direct current motor configured to rotate the fan blades; a controller configured to control operation of the direct current motor at variable speeds; an AC to DC converter configured to convert an AC power input to DC power supplied to the direct current motor; an oscillator mechanism and an oscillator motor configured to operate the oscillator mechanism; a hanger bracket for supporting the controller, converter, direct current motor, oscillator mechanism and motor, and fan blade assembly, and configured to be mounted to a wall; an arm for coupling to the hanger bracket; wherein the fan is configured to operate on a single hot-wire in a two wire system; and wherein the fan has a wall-mounting surface area of less than about a circle of twelve inches, and more preferably, less than about ten inches in diameter.

An electrically powered fan in accordance with another embodiment of the invention includes a wall-mounted fan comprising: a fan blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades; a housing including:

(i) a direct current motor configured to rotate the fan blades;

(ii) an AC to DC converter configured to convert AC power input to DC power supplied to the direct current motor;

(iii) an oscillator mechanism and an oscillator motor configured to operate the oscillator mechanism;

(iv) a wireless receiver capable of wireless communication with a wireless device; and

(v) a controller configured to control operation of the direct current motor at variable speeds;

a hanger bracket for supporting the housing and the fan blade assembly, and configured to be mounted to a wall; an arm for connecting the hanger bracket to the housing; wherein the fan has a wall-mounting surface area of less than about a circle of twelve inches, and more preferably, less than about ten inches in diameter; wherein the fan operates on a single hot-wire in a two wire system; and wherein the controller is capable of receiving input from the wireless device through the wireless receiver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For purposes of illustration the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a side view of a wall-mounted fan in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a side exploded view of a base of the wall-mounted fan of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2A is an aerial view of a junction box suitable for use in mounting a base of a wall mounted fan in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is an aerial view of a hanger bracket suitable for use in mounting a base of a wall mounted fan in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2C is an aerial view of a canopy suitable for use in mounting a base of a wall mounted fan in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2D is an exploded view of the base of the base of the wall-mounted fan in the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, and 2C.

FIG. 3A is a side view of the base and an arm of one embodiment of the wall-mounted fan in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1A-B and 2A-C.

FIG. 3B is a side view of a base and an arm of a wall-mounted fan in accordance with the other various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3C is a side view of a base and an arm of a wall-mounted fan in accordance with the other various embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, a wall-mounted fan in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a side view of a wall-mounted fan 100 according to an embodiment is depicted. The wall-mounted fan includes a base 120 where the fan 100 is mounted to a wall 110, which includes a hanger bracket 124 capable of being mounted to a wall junction box 122 that may already be present in the wall 110 or separately provided, and a canopy 126. The wall mounted fan 100 also includes a housing 130, which includes therein a DC fan blade motor 132, an oscillator mechanism 160 and an oscillator motor 134, a controller 136, and at least one AC to DC converter 138. Suitable DC fan blade motors, oscillator motors (both AC and DC), controllers and converters are known and available commercially from various sources. For example, motors, controllers and converters can be obtained commercially from various distributors, and directly from manufacturers, such as Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd., and Creative Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. The wall-mounted fan 100 further includes an arm 140 for connecting the base 120 to the housing 130. The wall-mounted fan 100 further includes a fan blade assembly 150, which includes fan blades 152 and a cage 154 for protecting the fan blades 152 from objects exterior to the cage 154.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2D, an exploded view of a base 120 is depicted. The wall junction box 122 is designed to be fit into the wall 110 of a building and to be securable to a building structure, such as a wall stud. However, the wall junction box 122 may also be secured to drywall with drywall mounting hardware (not shown). The wall junction box 122 includes at least one mounting device 210. The at least one mounting device 210 is for receiving a fastener 220. The mounting device 210 and fastener 220 may include devices well-known in the art so long as the mounting device 210 is capable of receiving the fastener 220, for example, by threading on both. The mounting device 210 further includes an aperture (not shown) and a cavity 212. The aperture allows wiring, such as general electrical wiring found in a residential home, to pass into the cavity 212 where the wiring may then be electrically coupled to the electrical wiring of the wall-mounted fan. The cavity 212 allows for excess wiring to be coiled or stored therein without having to cut excess wire.

A hanger bracket 124 is also shown. The hanger bracket 124 includes a plurality of mounting holes 222, a shaft 224, a plurality of arm tighteners 226, and a base 228. The mounting holes 222 are sized and shaped to receive and allow the fastener(s) 220 to pass therethrough, thus securing the hanger bracket 124 to the junction box 122. In an embodiment, the mounting holes 222 are located in the base 228 of the hanger bracket 124. The shaft 224 protrudes from the base 228 such that the shaft 224 is generally perpendicular to the wall 110. In one embodiment, the shaft 224 protrudes at a right angle from the base 228. In another embodiment, the shaft 224 protrudes at an angle oblique to the base 228. For example, the shaft 224 may protrude from the base 228 at any angle ranging from 50 degrees to 130 degrees. In another embodiment, the shaft 224 may protrude from the base 228 at any angle ranging from 70 to 110 degrees. In these oblique embodiments, the shaft is not necessarily perpendicular to the wall. The shaft 224 is sized and shaped to be coupled to the arm 140. In one embodiment, the shaft 224 and the arm 140 are generally cylindrical in shape. In such an embodiment, the diameter of the shaft 224 may be slightly larger than the diameter of the arm 140 such that the arm 140 may be received by the shaft 224. In another embodiment, the diameter of the shaft 224 may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the arm 140 such that the shaft 224 may be received by the arm 140. In a particular embodiment, the diameter of the shaft 224 may range from about 0.5 inches to about 1.5 inches. In yet another embodiment, the diameter of the shaft 224 is about 1.0 inches. In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 2A-2D, the shaft 224 is cylindrical in shape, however, this shape is not limiting. Though generally cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section, the shaft 224 may be any geometric shape so long as it is capable of coupling with the arm 140. It is preferable that the shaft 224 and the portion of the arm 140 coupling to the shaft 224 be generally the same shape such that their coupling is more secure. The shaft 224 also protrudes from the base 228 at a length. The shaft 224 length may range from about 1.0 inches to about 3.0 inches. In one embodiment, the shaft length 224 is about 2.0 inches. The arm tighteners 226 in the shaft 224 are designed to tighten around the arm 140 once the arm 140 is received by the shaft 224 (or vice-versa).

The canopy 126 includes a canopy aperture 230, a canopy cavity 232, a canopy base 234 and has a canopy diameter 236. The canopy aperture 230 is sized and shaped to receive the arm 140, allowing the arm 140 to pass therethrough. As depicted by Line A in FIG. 2D, the arm 140 (not shown) passes through the canopy aperture 230 and is then received by (or receives) the shaft 224. The canopy base 234 then rests against the wall 110 such that the junction box 122 and hanger bracket 124 are blocked from visibility, by being covered by the canopy. In other words, at least the shaft 224—and any other portion of the hanger bracket 124 extending beyond the plane of the wall 110—is entirely disposed within the canopy cavity 232.

The canopy diameter 236 is measured as the longest point of the canopy base 234. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2A-2D, the canopy base 234 is circular in shape, therefore the canopy diameter 236 is readily determined. However, the canopy base 234 is not limited to being circular in shape. The canopy base 234 may be any shape. In an embodiment where the canopy base 234 is not circular, the canopy diameter 236 is determined as the longest point of that shape. For example, if the canopy base 234 is triangular, the canopy diameter 236 may be the length of one side of the triangle. Similarly, if the canopy base 234 is rectangular, the canopy diameter 236 will be the length from one corner to the opposite corner. It is ideal to minimize the canopy diameter 234. This is to allow for a more visually appealing wall-mounted fan 100 by taking up less space on the wall at the point of mounting. This is accomplished by the setup of the components within the housing 130, described below. In one embodiment, the canopy diameter 236 is less than about 10 inches. In another embodiment, the canopy diameter 236 is less than about 8 inches. In yet another embodiment, the canopy diameter 236 is less than about 6 inches.

When the components of the base 120 are installed, the wall-mounted fan 100 has a wall-mounting surface area defined by the shape of the base 120 components used to support the wall-mounted fan 100. The wall-mounting surface area is the amount of space on the wall taken up by the components used as defined by the largest perimeter of the components used. The shape that defines the wall-mounting surface area will best be understood by the following examples. For example, in an embodiment where just the hanger bracket 124 is used as the base 120 (i.e., no canopy 126 is used to cover the hanger bracket 124), the wall-mounting surface area is determined by the size of the hanger bracket 124 that covers the wall 110. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2B, the base 228 of the hanger bracket 124 would define the wall-mounting surface area because it is the portion that takes up area on the wall 110. In this embodiment, the wall-mounting surface area would be the area taken up by the smallest square 227 that surrounds the base 228, including the indents 229 in the base 228. Therefore, if the base 228 of the hanger bracket 124 is shaped like a star, the wall-mounting surface area can be defined by either the circle whose perimeter intersects each of the points of the star or the geometric shape made by drawing a straight line from point to point of the star, whichever is larger. In other words, both exemplary wall-mounting surface areas of a star include the indents made between the points of the star. In another exemplary embodiment, where the hanger bracket 124 and the canopy 126 are used as the base 120, the wall mounting surface area is defined by the shape of the canopy base 234. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2C, the canopy base 234 is circular in shape, and therefore the wall-mounted surface area is the area of that circle, which for circular shapes with constant diameters is defined as the constant pi (it) multiplied by the radius of the circle squared. The area of irregular circular shapes, and thus the wall-mounted surface area, is determined through other calculations known in the art. The canopy base 234 may be other shapes and the method for determining the wall-mounting surface area for other shapes is the same as that described above with respect to the hanger bracket 124.

In general, the wall-mounting surface area of a fan in accordance with various embodiments of the invention is minimized, for example, for aesthetic purposes. In various embodiments, the wall-mounting surface area is no larger than the surface area occupied by a hanger bracket sized to support the weight of the fan. In various embodiments, the wall-mounting surface area is no larger than the surface area occupied by a canopy sized to cover a hanger bracket sized to support the weight of the fan. In various embodiments, the wall-mounting surface area is no larger than a circle of about twelve inches in diameter, preferably no larger than a circle of about 10 inches in diameter, more preferably no larger than a circle of about 8 inches in diameter, and even more preferably no larger than a circle of about 6 inches in diameter.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-C, the arm 140 is depicted. The arm 140 has a proximal end 310 and a distal end 320. The proximal end 310 includes a first portion 312 and a second portion 314. The first portion 312 passes through the canopy aperture 230 and is received by (or receives) the shaft 224 of the hanger bracket 124, as depicted by Line B. The first portion 312 generally runs in a straight-line direction to allow for proper fitting of the canopy 126 over the hanger bracket 124. However, those of skill in the art will understand that a curved first portion 312 may be achieved if the canopy 126 and hanger bracket 124 are formed accordingly to allow for the canopy base 234 to rest flush against the wall 110. The second portion 314 may be curved, as depicted in FIG. 3A. The distal end 320 includes a first housing mount 322, a second housing mount 324, and a third portion 326. The third portion 326 may be curved in a direction opposite to the curve of the second portion 314, as depicted in FIG. 3A, but does not have to be curved in any particular direction. One purpose of the curvature in the third portion 326 is to allow the distal end 320 to wrap around the housing 130. The first and second housing mounts 322, 324 are designed for securing the arm 140 to the housing 130. In one embodiment, the third portion 326 spans from the first housing mount 322 to the second housing mount 324. Although the terms “curved” have been used to describe the shape of the various portions of the arm 140, these portions may also be straight and/or include directional changes through abrupt changes, such as one or more elbow connector(s), as depicted in FIGS. 3B and 3C. Moreover, the arm 140 is generally tubular such that the necessary wiring may travel through the arm 140 and stay hidden from the exterior of the fan and from the eyes of a user. The arm 140 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as metal or hardened plastic and may be an integral piece (e.g., forming it as a single piece of material or welding the various arm 140 components together) or may be formed as multiple pieces that are fitted together during installation of the arm 140 (i.e., by friction fit or by fasteners).

At the distal end 320 of the arm, the housing 130 is coupled to the one or more housing mounts 322, 324. The housing 130 includes the fan blade motor 132, the oscillator motor 134, the controller 136 and an AC to DC converter 138. In the embodiments depicted, these components are shown as disposed within the housing. However, this is not necessary. Some components may be located exterior to the housing. These components work in concert to provide a more efficient and simpler to install wall-mounted fan 100. As described above, for prior fans to have two separately controlled motorized functions, two hot-wires in a three wire system were required—one hot-wire going to each motorized function. This system is more complex for the residential user, especially if the residential wiring only includes a single hot-wire in a two wire system. The present wall-mounted fan 100 separately operates the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 with only a single hot-wire in a two wire system.

The AC to DC converter 138 converts the AC received from the residential wiring into an appropriate DC voltage that may operate at least the fan blade motor 132, and optionally, the oscillator motor 134. Further, the AC to DC converter may be designed such that it is capable of converting either 110 volt AC or 220 volt AC. This allows the wall-mounted fan 100 to be market fungible in that a single type of fan may be manufactured that covers nearly all types of ACs available in the various geographic markets.

The controller 136 controls the operation of the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134. Each of the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 may operate at variable speeds, such as low, medium, and high. The controller 136 is operably coupled to the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 and controls whether the two motors are on or off, and if the motor is on, at which speed the motor operates. The controller 136 is also capable of receiving a user's selection of desired operation—i.e., on, off, low, medium, or high speed. The controller 136 may receive the user's selection through a wireless receiver 137 that is in communication with the controller. The wireless receiver 137 may be in wireless communication with a wireless device (not shown), such as a wireless remote, mobile device (e.g., tablet or smart phone), or wireless switch. In one embodiment, the wireless device is capable of sending signals that allow the controller 136 to control operation of both of the fan blade motor 132 and oscillator motor 134 individually. The controller 136 may also receive the user's selection by a wired device (not shown)—such as a wall switch or a turnstyle knob on the wall-mounted fan—that is operably coupled to the controller 136. In one embodiment, the signal(s) received from the wired device by the controller 136 allows the controller 136 to control operation of both of the fan blade motor 132 and oscillator motor 134 individually. In yet another embodiment, the wired device may send a signal to the controller allowing the controller to operate only one of the fan blade motor 132 or oscillator motor 134. In this embodiment, the wireless receiver would receive a signal, and send the signal to the controller, capable of operating the other of the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134. Moreover, in this embodiment, the wireless receiver may still be capable of receiving signals capable of controlling the operation of both the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134.

For embodiments where the controller 136 is capable of controlling variable speeds of at least one of the fan blade motor 132 and oscillator motor 134, the controller 136 is preferably a DC controller. That is, the controller 136 (or portion of the controller 136) that controls variable speeds of a motorized device is operably coupled to a DC motor for that variable speed functionality. In prior fans that provide variable speed operation of an AC motor (e.g., an AC fan blade motor 132) a large switch system is required to control the variable speeds. Due to the size of the switch system required to control variable speed of an AC fan blade motor 132 and the heat given off by an AC fan blade motor 132 (which would burn out a switch system used to control an AC fan blade motor 132 if the AC fan blade motor 132 is placed too close to the AC switch system), the switch system must be located at the base 120 of the wall-mounted fan 100. DC fan blade motors 132 run cooler than AC fan blade motors 132 and therefore can be placed close to the switch system used to control a DC fan blade motor 132. In residential use, a large switch system located at the base is undesirable because it covers a large portion of the wall 110 surface, which is visually unappealing to the residential wall-mounted fan 100 user. In the present wall-mounted fan 100, the use of an AC to DC converter 138 and a controller 136 that controls variable speed for a DC motor—which is smaller than the large AC switch system—allows for the controller 136 to be located at a place other than the base 120—i.e., in the housing 130—which makes the present wall-mounted fan 100 more visually appealing, and thus desirable, for the residential user. However, this is not to say that no motorized component of the present wall-mounted fan 100 can be powered by an AC motor (see below). This merely means that an AC motor, if used in the present wall-mounted fan, can only be operated in an “on” and an “off” state, and not at variable speeds.

The fan blade motor 132 is operably coupled to the fan blades 152 such that the fan blade motor 132 is capable of causing the fan blades 152 to spin as desired. In one embodiment, the fan blade motor 132 may operate at variable speeds—e.g., low, medium, and high. In an embodiment where the fan blade motor 132 operates at variable speeds, the fan blade motor 132 is a DC motor. DC motors are more efficient and quieter than AC motors. This will save the wall-mounted fan 100 user money over the lifetime of the wall-mounted fan 100 and allow the wall-mounted fan 100 to be used in a noise sensitive environment, which is often desirable in residential operation. Additionally, as described above, the use of a DC motor for variable speed use allows for a more visually appealing fan by not requiring a large AC switch system. In an alternative embodiment, the fan blade motor 132 may be an AC motor. In this embodiment, the fan blade motor 132 will preferably only operate in an “on” and an “off” state.

The oscillator motor 134 is operably coupled to an oscillator mechanism 160, which is capable of rotating the fan blade assembly 150 back-and-forth about an axis, allowing the fan blades 152, when “on”, to push air in a varying direction. For example, the oscillator motor 134 may cause the fan blade assembly 150 to rotate in a vertical or horizontal direction. In one embodiment, the oscillator motor 134 may operate at a plurality of variable speeds—e.g., low, medium, and high. In an embodiment where the oscillator motor 134 operates at variable speeds, the oscillator motor 134 is a DC motor. The use of a DC motor in a variable speed embodiment allows for a smaller controller 136 to be used, which, in turn, allows for, at least, a more visually appealing base 120 of the wall-mounted fan 100. In an alternative embodiment, the oscillator motor 134 is an AC motor. In this embodiment, the oscillator motor 134 may only operate in an “on” and an “off” state.

The foregoing may be better understood in light of the following non-limiting examples.

Example 1

In the first example, the fan blade motor 132 and oscillator motor 134 are DC motors. To ensure the desirably small size of the base 120, both the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 may operate at variable speeds, but do not have to operate at variable speeds. In this example, the controller 136 is capable of operating each of the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 at individual, variable speeds, if desirable.

Example 2

In the second example, the fan blade motor 132 is a DC motor and the oscillator motor 134 is an AC motor. To ensure the desirably small size of the base 120, only the fan blade motor 132 is capable of being controlled by the controller 136 to operate at variable speeds. The oscillator motor 134 may only operate in an “on” and an “off” state, which may be controlled by the controller 136.

Example 3

In the third example, the fan blade motor 132 is an AC motor and the oscillator motor 134 is a DC motor. To ensure the desirably small size of the base 120, only the oscillator motor 134 is capable of being controlled by the controller 136 to operate at variable speeds. The fan blade motor 132 may only operate in an “on” and an “off” state, which may be controlled by the controller 136.

Example 4

In the fourth example, both the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 are AC motors. To ensure the desirably small size of the base 120, both the fan blade motor 132 and the oscillator motor 134 are only capable of operating in an “on” and an “off” state, which may be controlled by the controller 136.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Numeral Item
100     wall-mounted fan
110     wall
120     base
122     junction box
124     hanger bracket
126     canopy
130     housing
132     fan blade motor
134     oscillator motor
136     controller
137     wireless receiver
138     AC to DC converter
140     arm
150     fan blade assembly
152     fan blades
154     cage
160     oscillator mechanism
210     mounting device
212     cavity
220     fastener
222     mounting holes
224     shaft
226     arm tighteners
227     square
228     base
229     indents
230     canopy aperture
232     canopy cavity
234     canopy base
236     canopy diameter
310     proximal end (arm)
312     first portion (of proximal end)
314     second portion (of proximal end)
320     distal end (arm)
322     first housing mount
324     second housing mount
326     third portion (arm)

Claims

1. A wall-mounted fan comprising: a fan blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades;a direct current motor configured to rotate the fan blades;a controller configured to control operation of the direct current motor at variable speeds;an AC to DC converter configured to convert an AC power input to DC power supplied to the direct current motor; anda hanger bracket for supporting the controller, converter, direct current motor and fan blade assembly, and configured to be mounted to a wall;wherein the fan has a wall-mounting surface area of less than about a circle of twelve inches in diameter.

2. The wall-mounted fan of claim 1, further comprising an oscillator mechanism operated by an oscillator motor.

3. The wall-mounted fan of claim 2, wherein the oscillator motor is an alternating current motor that operates in only an “on” or an “off” state.

4. The wall-mounted fan of claim 2, wherein the oscillator motor is a second direct current motor to be controlled separately from the fan blade motor at variable speeds.

5. The wall-mounted fan of claim 1, wherein the fan operates on a single hot-wire in a two wire system.

6. The wall-mounted fan of claim 1, wherein the AC to DC converter is capable of converting both a 110 volt AC power input and a 220 volt AC power input to DC power.

7. The wall-mounted fan of claim 1, further comprising an arm to connect the hanger bracket to a housing, wherein the housing includes the direct current motor.

8. The wall-mounted fan of claim 7, wherein the arm includes a curved proximal end and a curved distal end; wherein the curved proximal end is received by the hanger bracket;wherein the curved proximal and the curved distal end curve in different directions.

9. The wall-mounted fan of claim 8, wherein the curved distal end further comprises: a first housing mount and a second housing mount;a third portion;wherein the first housing mount and the second housing mount are to be coupled to the housing;wherein the third portion curves around the housing when the first housing mount and the second housing mount are coupled to the housing.

10. The wall-mounted fan of claim 8, wherein the curved proximal end further comprises: a first portion and a second portion;wherein the first portion is generally straight and is to be received by the hanger bracket;wherein the second portion defines the curve in the curved proximal end.

11. The wall-mounted fan of claim 1, wherein the wall mounting surface area is less than about a circle of eight inches in diameter.

12. The wall-mounted fan of claim 1, further comprising a canopy disposed over the hanger bracket.

13. A wall-mounted fan comprising: a fan blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades;a direct current motor configured to rotate the fan blades;a controller configured to control operation of the direct current motor at variable speeds;an AC to DC converter configured to convert an AC power input to DC power supplied to the direct current motor;an oscillator mechanism and an oscillator motor configured to operate the oscillator mechanism;a hanger bracket for supporting the controller, converter, direct current motor, oscillator mechanism and motor, and fan blade assembly, and configured to be mounted to a wall;an arm for coupling to the hanger bracket;wherein the fan is configured to operate on a single hot-wire in a two wire system; andwherein the fan has a wall-mounting surface area of less than about a circle of twelve inches in diameter.

14. The wall-mounted fan of claim 13, further comprising a canopy disposed over the hanger bracket.

15. The wall-mounted fan of claim 13, wherein the hanger bracket includes a shaft to receive the arm.

16. The wall-mounted fan of claim 13, wherein the oscillator motor comprises an alternating current motor.

17. The wall-mounted fan of claim 13, wherein the oscillator motor comprises a second direct current motor.

18. A wall-mounted fan comprising: a fan blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades;a housing including: a direct current motor configured to rotate the fan blades;an AC to DC converter configured to convert AC power input to DC power supplied to the direct current motor;an oscillator mechanism and an oscillator motor configured to operate the oscillator mechanism;a wireless receiver capable of wireless communication with a wireless device; anda controller configured to control operation of the direct current motor at variable speeds;a hanger bracket for supporting the housing and the fan blade assembly, and configured to be mounted to a wall;an arm for connecting the hanger bracket to the housing;wherein the fan has a wall-mounting surface area of less than about a circle of twelve inches in diameter;wherein the fan operates on a single hot-wire in a two wire system; andwherein the controller is capable of receiving input from the wireless device through the wireless receiver.

19. The wall-mounted fan of claim 18, wherein the wall-mounting surface area is less than about a circle of eight inches in diameter.

20. The wall-mounted fan of claim 18, wherein the oscillator motor is an alternating current motor.

21. The wall-mounted fan of claim 18, further comprising a junction box including at least one mounting device and capable of being mounted to a wall; wherein the hanger bracket includes at least one mounting hole;wherein an at least one fastener secures the hanger bracket to the junction box by the at least one mounting device and at least one mounting hole.