U.S. patent application number 10/995815 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-10 for ceiling fan with multiple motors.
Invention is credited to Young, Stanfield.
Application Number | 20050249598 10/995815 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35239595 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050249598 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Young, Stanfield |
November 10, 2005 |
Ceiling fan with multiple motors
Abstract
A ceiling fan suspended from a mounting rod with multiple motors
mounted to the mounting rod that drive more than one rotatable hub.
A plurality of fan blades are coupled to the rotatable hubs and the
blades rotate with the rotatable hubs.
Inventors: |
Young, Stanfield; (Los
Alamitos, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER & MCKENZIE
PATENT DEPARTMENT
2001 ROSS AVENUE
SUITE 2300
DALLAS
TX
75201
US
|
Family ID: |
35239595 |
Appl. No.: |
10/995815 |
Filed: |
November 23, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10995815 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
29204854 |
May 5, 2004 |
|
|
|
10995815 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
29204841 |
May 5, 2004 |
|
|
|
10995815 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
29204842 |
May 5, 2004 |
|
|
|
10995815 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
29204851 |
May 5, 2004 |
|
|
|
10995815 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
29204850 |
May 5, 2004 |
|
|
|
D508991 |
|
|
|
|
10995815 |
Nov 23, 2004 |
|
|
|
29204852 |
May 5, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
416/198R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 19/024 20130101;
F04D 25/088 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
416/198.00R |
International
Class: |
B63H 001/16 |
Claims
1. A fan comprising, a mounting rod; a plurality of motors mounted
to the mounting rod each driving a rotatable hub; and a set of fan
blades coupled to each rotatable hub and rotatable with its
rotatable hub.
2. The fan of claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors are coupled
in a stack-wise arrangement to the mounting rod.
3. The fan of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of motors
drives a rotatable hub.
4. The fan of claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors are enclosed
by a motor housing.
5. The fan of claim 4, wherein each set of fan blades extends
radially from the motor housing.
6. The fan of claim 5, wherein each fan blade is connected to its
rotatable hub via a blade mounting arm.
7. An apparatus comprising, a mounting rod; a plurality of
rotatable hubs rotatably mounted on the mounting rod; and a set of
fan blades coupled to each rotatable hub and rotatable with its
rotatable hub.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said rotatable hubs are driven
by a plurality of motors.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the motors are enclosed by a
motor housing.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising a light source mounted
below the motor housing.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light source receives
power through the mounting rod.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light source is
rotationally fixed.
13. A fan comprising, a mounting rod; a plurality of rotatable hubs
rotatably mounted on the mounting rod, wherein each of the
rotatable hubs is driven by an independent motor that causes its
rotatable hub to rotate; and a set of fan blades supported by each
rotatable hub, wherein the set of fan blades rotates when its
rotatable hub rotates.
14. The fan of claim 13, wherein the motors that drive the
rotatable hubs are enclosed within a motor housing.
15. The fan of claim 13, wherein each set of fan blades is attached
to its rotatable hub with a blade pitch of greater than 12
degrees.
16. The fan of claim 15, wherein each set of fan blades is attached
to its rotatable hub with a blade pitch of 20 degrees.
17. A system comprising, a mounting rod; a plurality of rotatable
hubs rotatably mounted on the mounting rod; a plurality of motors
fixedly mounted to the mounting rod and coupled to the rotatable
hubs; and a set of fan blades supported by and rotated with each
rotatable hub.
18. A method comprising, spinning a first set of fan blades about
an axis of rotation, wherein the first set of fan blades is
attached to a first rotatable hub; and spinning a second set of fan
blades about the same axis of rotation, wherein the second set of
fan blades is attached to a second rotatable hub.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first set of fan blades and
second set of fan blades rotate in the same direction about the
axis of rotation.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first set of fan blades and
second set of fan blades rotate in opposite directions about the
axis of rotation.
Description
PRIOR RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 29/204,854, filed May 5, 2004, and a continuation-in part
of application Ser. No. 29/204,841 filed May 5, 2004, and a
continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/204,842 filed May
5, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
29/204,851 filed May 5, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of
application Ser. No. 29/204,850 filed May 5, 2004 and a
continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/204,852 filed May
5, 2004.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH STATEMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention is directed to a ceiling fan. The invention is
further directed to a ceiling fan comprising a plurality of
motors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Ceiling fans are well known as effective means for
circulating air in enclosed spaces. They are employed chiefly in
warm weather conditions for cooling and ventilating rooms. Ceiling
fans are usually centered on the ceiling of a room and are
typically operated to push air downward in the center of a room. In
other words, the fan blades move in a counterclockwise direction,
thereby resulting in the downward movement of air closer to the
center of the fan, and an upward movement of air away from the
center of the fan.
[0006] Certain ceiling fans may be fitted with a switch that
switches the direction of the fan blades to a clockwise direction,
i.e., they are reversible. This can help push the warmer air that
is typically trapped near the ceiling back down into a room away
from the center of the fan, thus "de-stratifying" the layers of
warm air. As a result, the warm air is circulated to the floor of
the room where it is needed, and the heating system does not
overwork to warm the room.
[0007] Ceiling fans in the prior art typically comprise a single
reversible motor that is capable of directing the flow of air in
one of two directions at any given time depending on the rotational
direction of the fan blades. In these fans, the reversible motor is
mounted to a mounting rod and drives a central hub. Typically, a
plurality of fan blades is coupled to and rotatable with, the
central hub. Therefore, a ceiling fan whose blades are rotating in
a counterclockwise direction will push air downward closer to the
center of the fan, while a ceiling fan that is rotating in a
clockwise direction will push air downward away from the center of
the fan. In both of these scenarios, the movement of air is
uni-directional. Although the unidirectional movement of air
generated by a plurality of fan blades that are driven by a single
motor provides satisfactory air circulation, a greater level of air
circulation may be obtained by the presence of a plurality of
motors that drive a plurality of hubs coupled to a plurality of fan
blades.
[0008] Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a fan that is
capable of providing improved air circulation compared to the fans
in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An embodiment of the invention provides a fan comprising a
mounting rod, a plurality of motors mounted to the mounting rod and
driving a plurality of rotatable hubs, and a set of fan blades
coupled to each rotatable hub and rotatable with its rotatable
hub.
[0010] Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an
apparatus comprising a mounting rod, a plurality of rotatable hubs
rotatably mounted on the mounting rod, and a set of fan blades
coupled to each rotatable hub.
[0011] An aspect of the invention is directed to a fan comprising a
mounting rod, a plurality of rotatable hubs rotatably mounted on
the mounting rod, wherein each of the rotatable hubs is driven by a
motor that causes the rotatable hubs to rotate, and each rotatable
hub is connected to a set of fan blades that is supported by its
rotatable hub, and the set of fan blades rotates when its rotatable
hub rotates.
[0012] A further aspect of the invention is directed to a system
comprising a mounting rod, a plurality of rotatable hubs rotatably
mounted on the mounting rod, a plurality of motors fixedly mounted
to the mounting rod and coupled to the rotatable hubs and a set of
fan blades supported by and rotated with each rotatable hub.
[0013] An embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of
rotating a fan by spinning a first set of fan blades about an axis
of rotation, and spinning a second set of fan blades about the same
axis of rotation. Another aspect of the invention is directed
towards the rotation of the first set of fan blades and the second
of fan blades about an axis of rotation in the same direction. A
further aspect of the invention is directed towards the rotation of
the first and second set of fan blades about an axis of rotation in
opposite directions.
[0014] An aspect of the invention is directed to a method of
circulating air by spinning two sets of fan blades about an axis of
rotation, wherein each set of fan blades is attached to its own
rotatable hub, and each rotatable hub is connected to a mounting
rod that forms the axis of rotation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, exemplify the invention
and together with the description, serve to explain the principles
of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from below of an embodiment
of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows an elevation view of the embodiment of the
invention in FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows an elevation view of the embodiment of the
invention in FIG. 1.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged elevation view of the invention in
FIG. 1 with the housing depicted in dotted lines to illustrate the
placement of the motors within the housing.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged perspective view from above of the
housing portion of the invention in FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows an enlarged perspective view from below of the
housing portion of the invention in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the
invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
[0023] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a ceiling fan 10. The
fan 10 comprises a hub 12, which includes a motor housing 14, a
first rotatable hub 16 and a second rotatable hub 20. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the housing 14 is mounted stationarily
on a mounting rod 18 and the first and second rotatable hubs 16 and
20 are rotatably mounted on the mounting rod 18. The first and
second rotatable hubs 16 and 20 are independently mounted on the
mounting rod 18. Therefore, the first and second rotatable hubs 16
and 20 rotate independently of one another around an axis formed by
the mounting rod 18. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a mounting cup 104
through which the fan 10 is mounted on the ceiling. In certain
embodiments of the invention, the mounting cup 104 may contain
electrical connections that transmit power to the fan 10 and
facilitate its operation.
[0024] In the ceiling fan embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the mounting
rod 18 is also referred to as a down rod, which should be generally
construed to refer to various components of a down rod assembly and
cap, unless indicated otherwise. The fan 10 includes one or more
fan blades. For convenience, a plurality of fan blades will be
designated by reference number 28. Specifically, a set of fan
blades attached to the first rotatable hub 16 is referred to as
28a, and a set of fan blades attached to the second rotatable hub
20 is referred to as 28b. The plurality of fan blades, 28a and 28b,
extend radially from the motor housing 14. The plurality of fan
blades 28a and 28b are coupled to and rotatable with the first and
second rotatable hubs 16 and 20 respectively.
[0025] Now referring to FIG. 2, each of the plurality of fan blades
28a and 28b is coupled to the first and second rotatable hubs 16
and 20 respectively, via a blade mounting arm 22. The proximal end
of the blade mounting arm 22 is connected to first rotatable hub 16
or the second rotatable hub 20, and the distal end of the blade
mounting arm 22 connects to each of the plurality of fan blades 28a
and 28b.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the hub 12 may comprise a
light source 50. Typically the light source 50 is electrically
powered. Such a device may be generally referred to as an
electrical device. An electrical device is defined herein as a
device powered by alternating current or direct current, for
example, or any other conventional electrical power source. The
light source 50 is not connected to the second rotatable hub 20,
but is instead connected in a fixed manner to the mounting rod 18,
i.e., not rotating relative to the rod 18. Therefore, the second
rotatable hub 20 is rotatable relative to the light source 50.
Conversely, when the light source 50 is mounted to and rotatably
fixed to the mounting rod 18, the light source 50 may be rotatable
relative to the second rotatable hub 20 if the mounting rod 18 is
permitted to rotate. Furthermore, not all embodiments of the fan 10
comprise a light source 50. In some embodiments, the light source
50 is removable and a removable cap (not shown) can be connected in
place of the light source 50 to hub 12.
[0027] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show elevation views of the fan 10. The
independent movement of the first and second rotatable hubs 16 and
20 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the
rotatable hubs 16 and 20 are positioned in such a way as to
illustrate their ability to rotate independently from one another.
In FIG. 2, the two sets of fan blades, 28a and 28b, are offset by
90.degree. relative to one another. In FIG. 3, the two sets of fan
blades, 28a and 28b are vertically aligned (non-offset) relative to
one another.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows the placement of the first and second motors 32
and 34 within the first and second rotatable hubs 16 and 20,
respectively. The first and second motors 32 and 34 are secured to
the mounting rod 18. The motors 32 and 34 are arranged in a
stack-wise arrangement as shown in FIG. 4 and are connected to the
mounting rod 18 by a connecting mechanism 36. The first and second
motors 32 and 34 are connected to the mounting rod 18 in a manner
that allows them to freely rotate about the central axis of the
mounting rod.
[0029] The rotation of the first and second motors 32 and 34 causes
the rotation of the first and second rotatable hubs 16 and 20
respectively, which in turn rotates the plurality of fan blades 28a
and 28b that are attached to the rotatable hubs 16 and 20. Thus, by
controlling the first and second motors 32 and 34, the rotation of
the first and second rotatable hubs 16 and 20 about the mounting
rod 18 can be selectively controlled. Both the speed of rotation
and the direction of rotation, i.e., clockwise or counterclockwise
rotation about the mounting rod, may be controlled. Furthermore,
the direction in which the rotatable hubs 16 and 20 are rotating
about the mounting rod 18 can be reversed manually.
[0030] In certain embodiments of the invention, the plurality of
fan blades 28 are attached to the plurality of rotatable hubs 16
and 20 with a blade pitch of greater than 12 degrees. In other
embodiments of the invention, the plurality of fan blades 28 are
attached to the plurality of rotatable hubs 16 and 20 with a blade
pitch of 20 degrees. The blade pitch governs the extent of air
circulation provided by the rotation of the plurality of fan blades
28. Generally, the greater the blade pitch, the greater the extent
of air circulation provided by the fan blades.
[0031] In FIG. 5, a power switch 42, is adapted to be coupled to a
power source and to receive power from the power source. The power
switch 42 is electrically coupled via leads 44 to the first and
second motors 32 and 34 to transfer power therethrough.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view from below of the housing 14
and the second motor 34. The blade mounting arm 22 connects one of
the plurality of fan blades 28 (see FIGS. 2-3) to the second
rotatable hub 20.
[0033] An embodiment of the invention is directed to an apparatus
that comprises a mounting rod 18 and a plurality of rotatable hubs
16 and 20 rotatably mounted on the mounting rod 18 and two sets of
fan blades, 28a and 28b, attached to each of the rotatable hubs 16
and 20.
[0034] Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a system
comprising a mounting rod 18, a plurality of rotatable hubs 16 and
20 rotatably mounted on the mounting rod 18, a plurality of motors
32 and 34 fixedly mounted to the mounting rod 18 and coupled to the
rotatable hubs 16 and 20, and two sets of fan blades 28a and 28b
supported by and rotated with the rotatable hubs 16 and 20.
[0035] A further embodiment of the invention is directed to a
method of rotating a fan 10, comprising the steps of spinning a
first set of fan blades 28a about an axis of rotation, and spinning
a second set of fan blades 28b about the same axis of rotation. In
an embodiment of the invention, the first set of fan blades 28a
rotate about the axis of rotation in the same direction as the
second set of fan blades 28b. In another embodiment of the
invention, the first set of fan blades 28a rotate about the axis of
rotation in the opposite direction from the second set of fan
blades 28b. In an embodiment of the invention, the first set of fan
blades 28a remains stationary, while the second set of fan blades
28b rotates about an axis of rotation. In another embodiment of the
invention, the first set of fan blades 28a rotates about an axis of
rotation, while the second set of fan blades 28b remains
stationary.
[0036] In an embodiment of the invention, a first set of fan blades
28a is attached to a rotatable hub 16, and is rotated in a
clockwise direction, and a second set of fan blades 28b is attached
to a rotatable hub 20, and is rotated in a counter-clockwise
direction. In another embodiment of the invention, a first set of
fan blades 28a is attached to a rotatable hub 16, and is rotated in
a counter-clockwise direction, and a second set of fan blades 28b
is attached to a rotatable hub 20, and is rotated in a clockwise
direction.
[0037] An aspect of the invention is also directed to a method of
circulating air by rotating a fan comprising the steps of spinning
a first set of fan blades 28a about an axis of rotation, and
spinning a second set of fan blades 28b about the same axis of
rotation. In an embodiment of the invention, the first set of fan
blades 28a rotate about the axis of rotation in the same direction
as the second set of fan blades 28b. In another embodiment of the
invention, the first set of fan blades 28a rotate about the axis of
rotation in the opposite direction from the second set of fan
blades 28b.
[0038] While the invention has been described with reference to one
or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will
recognize that many modifications may be made thereto without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Each of these
embodiments, and obvious variations thereof, is contemplated as
falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which
is set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *