Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting a ceiling fan blade onto a ceiling fan motor mounting ring, and more particularly to an apparatus for mounting a ceiling fan blade that can fit several fan motor mounting ring configurations.
Ceiling fan blades are typically attached to a motor rotor or an extension thereof, such as a mounting ring. The fan blades are attached through an arm or bar attached to both the blade and the mounting ring.
In addition, it has been found that ceiling fan blades are frequently changed. In some cases this is to modify the appearance of a ceiling fan by detaching old blades and subsequently attaching new ones of a different color or style. In other cases, the attachment mount which connects a fan blade to a fan motor mounting ring is damaged either through stresses caused by repeated start-ups of the rotor, or by the fan blade coming in contact with another object and causing bending or breaking of the fan blade mount. In either case, or for what ever reason, there exists a need for the replacement of ceiling fan attachment mounts, and in particular mounts that provide optimal stability and safety.
Replacing ceiling fan blade attachment mounts presents some difficulties, however. First, to replace a broken fan blade mount in the past, it was necessary to contact the manufacturer or distributor of the fan to order replacement parts. Unfortunately though, the manufacturer may no longer be in business or as is more often the case, is not manufacturing that particular model such that new fan blade attachment mounts are no longer compatible with an older model. Plus, even if new attachment mounts are available, it may take several weeks to receive them. Thus, an independent source of fan blade attachment mounts is needed.
Moreover, ceiling fans come in a wide variety of styles and from a large number of manufacturers. As such, various fan blade mounting hole configurations exist, depending on a fan""s particular manufacturer and model number. In particular, the circumferential positioning of mounting screw holes around their respective blade mounting rings depends on the number of required blades, the diameter of the mounting ring, the particular mounting design of each type of fan, and the bolt hole pattern in the ring.
As a result, various fan blade mounting rings, which receive blade attachment mountings and thus provide a surface for the connection of attachment mountings (and their blades) to fan rotors, differ with respect to mounting fastener hole positioning. For example, mounting rings that accommodate five blades have different relative circumferential mounting bolt hole positioning than mounting rings that accommodate only four blades. Even between fans having the same number of blades, one manufacturer of a four-blade fan may design a mounting surface such that the spacing and relative positioning of mounting fastener holes differs from that of another manufacturer""s four-blade fan. This case and others like it where mounting hole positioning differs, have traditionally required at least two fan blade attachment mounts, one for four blade fans, the other for five blade fans. The alternative is a spacer.
Such cases required the production and marketing of separate attachment mountings to ensure optimal stability and safety during fan operation. Each of these unfunctional blade attachment mounts, however, accommodate only one of the many unique fastener hole patterns found on the various ceiling fan attachment mount receiving surfaces.
Several attachment mounts exist for attaching ceiling fan blades onto the mounting ring of a ceiling fan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,751, teaches a universal fan blade mounting assembly that attaches to a ceiling fan mounting ring to accommodate a number of fan motor housings. The patent discloses a slot, rather than a hole for receiving one of the two mounting screws typically used for fan blade mounting attachments. The screw in the slot locates the mount but the stresses are placed on the other screw. As the blade attachment undergoes significant centrifugal forces, the slot attachment tends to loosen. The mounting not only then is susceptible to significant vibration, but the second un-slotted screw hole attachment position receives additional stress, and becomes more likely to loosen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,310, teaches an attachment ring for reducing vibrations and for attaching the ceiling fan bracket to the ceiling fan motor. The attachment ring has no apparent ability to use the device to fit motor mounting rings having variable screw hole positionings.
Design Patent No. D271,134 and U.S. Design Patent No. D271,134, likewise teach fan blade attachment mounts, but none of these allow multi-fan type use.
Clearly, there exists room for improvement in the art.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that allows attachment of ceiling fan blades to the mounting surface of several types of ceiling fan blade mounting rings.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a more stable, durable and thus safer fan blade attachment mount.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that alleviates undue stresses imposed thereon.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that is simple in design, light-weight, sturdy, and does not look like an after-market universal adaptor.
It is yet a further and more particular object of this invention to provide an apparatus for attaching a fan blade that is easy-to-install.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a fan blade attachment mount for supporting and connecting a ceiling fan blade to various fan blade mounting rings having distinct mounting surfaces and receiving points, comprising an elongated support member having a proximal end adapted to connect to the ceiling fan mounting ring, and a distal end adapted to connect to a fan blade; a first flange portion connected to the proximal end and having at least one hole; a second flange portion connected to the proximal end and having one or more holes, each adapted to receive a fastening means; wherein said attachment mounting is adapted to being fastened to a plurality of mounting rings having varying receiving point configurations, according to which of the one or more holes in the second flange portion, operably receives the fastening means for connection to the mounting surface. Thus, the objects of the invention are accomplished by the fan blade mounting as described herein.