U.S. patent application number 11/175222 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-11 for combination of ceiling fan and light unit.
Invention is credited to Ming-chi Tseng.
Application Number | 20070009362 11/175222 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37618461 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070009362 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tseng; Ming-chi |
January 11, 2007 |
Combination of ceiling fan and light unit
Abstract
A ceiling fan includes a bottom hood with a tube which has a
passage defined axially therethrough and a fixing device is
connected to the tube and includes a compartment in which a first
connection member is received. A first end of the first connection
member extends through a radial through hole in the tube and enters
the passage. A first pushing member biases the first connection
member away from the tube. A light unit has a connection protrusion
which extends through the bottom hood and is inserted into the
tube. A second connection member is connected to the connection
protrusion and is engaged with the first end of the first
connection member to combine the ceiling fan and the light
unit.
Inventors: |
Tseng; Ming-chi; (Wufong
Township, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENBERG, KLEIN & LEE
3458 ELLICOTT CENTER DRIVE-SUITE 101
ELLICOTT CITY
MD
21043
US
|
Family ID: |
37618461 |
Appl. No.: |
11/175222 |
Filed: |
July 7, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
416/210R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 29/601 20130101;
F04D 25/088 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
416/210.00R |
International
Class: |
F04D 29/34 20060101
F04D029/34 |
Claims
1. A combination of ceiling fan and a light unit, wherein the
ceiling fan comprises a bottom hood having a tube extending upward
from a top thereof and a passage is defined axially through the
tube, a groove is defined axially in an inner periphery of the
passage and a through hole is defined radially through the tube; a
fixing device is connected to the tube and has at least one
compartment in which a first connection member is received, a first
end of the first connection member extends through the through hole
and enters the passage, a first pushing member biasing the first
connection member, and the light unit has a connection protrusion
which extends through the bottom hood and is inserted into the
tube, a second connection member is connected to the connection
protrusion and engaged with the first end of the first connection
member.
2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing device
includes a first compartment and a second compartment which is in
communication with the first compartment, the first connection
member is received in the first compartment and includes an
inclined guide surface, a stop member is received in the second
compartment and a second pushing member located on a top of the
stop member to push the stop member at a lower position where a
second end of the first connection member is stopped by the stop
member.
3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein a length of the
second connection member is longer than that of the first end of
the first connection member.
4. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein a rack is
connected to the first end of the first connection member.
5. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stop member
includes a shank which extends through a hole defined through the
bottom hood.
6. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first pushing
member is located in an axial direction of the stop member so as to
push the stop member downwardly, the second pushing member is
located raidally relative to the tube so as to push the first
connection member toward the stop member.
7. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing device
includes a chamber in which a second connection member is received,
a first end of the second connection member extends through the
tube and enters the passage of the tube, a second end of the second
connection member is a pull rod which extends through a wall of the
bottom hood, a biasing member is mounted to the pull rod.
8. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the biasing
member is located radially relative to the tube and biases the
second connection member toward the tube.
9. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pull rod
extends through a hole defined through the wall of the bottom hood.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a combination of ceiling
fan and light unit and more particularly, to a quick engaging
device for connecting the ceiling fan and the light assembly within
a short period of time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A conventional combination of a ceiling fan 7 and a light
unit 8, wherein the ceiling fan 7 includes a wire connection disk
65 extending from an underside thereof and a bottom hood 6 is
connected to the ceiling fan 7 so as to accommodate the wire
connection disk 65 in the bottom hood 6. A tube 61 extends from a
top of the hood 6 and includes a passage 62 defined axially through
the tube 61. Two L-shaped grooves 63 are defined in an inner
periphery of the passage 62 and each groove 63 is composed of a
vertical groove and a horizontal groove. The light unit 8 includes
a connection protrusion 81 which has two pins 82 extending radially
therefrom and the connection protrusion 81 is inserted in the
passage 62 and the two pins 82 are engaged with the two L-shaped
grooves 63 by rotating the connection protrusion 81. A biasing
member 64 pushes the wire connection disk 65 downward so as to
electrically contact the terminal end 811 on the connection
protrusion 81. However, the L-shaped grooves 63 are located at
lower position so that when the light unit 8 is connected to the
ceiling fan 7, there will be a visible seam at outside of the
combination. Dust and insets could enter the connection area
between the bottom hood 6 and the light unit 8.
[0003] The present invention intends to provide a quick engaging
device for easily and conveniently connecting the ceiling fan and
the light unit without a visible seam.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates to a combination of ceiling
fan and a light unit, wherein the ceiling fan comprises a bottom
hood with a tube extending upward from a top thereof and a passage
is defined axially through the tube. A fixing device is connected
to the tube and has a compartment for receiving a first connection
member therein. A first end of the first connection member extends
through a radial through hole of the tube and enters the passage. A
first pushing member biases the first connection member away from
the tube. The light unit has a connection protrusion which extends
through the bottom hood and is inserted into the tube. A second
connection member is connected to the connection protrusion and
engaged with the first end of the first connection member.
[0005] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a
quick connection device that provides a convenient way to combine
the light unit and the ceiling fan without an obvious seam
therebetween.
[0006] The present invention will become more obvious from the
following description when taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration
only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view to show the combination of
the ceiling fan and the light unit of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 shows that the light unit is to be connected with the
ceiling fan of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the fixing device for
connecting the ceiling fan and the light unit of the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view to show the engagement of the
first end of the first connection member and second connection
member on the connection protrusion;
[0011] FIG. 5 shows the first connection member is disengaged from
the second connection member on the connection protrusion by
pushing the stop member upward;
[0012] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the fixing device;
[0013] FIG. 7 shows the connection of the ceiling fan and the light
unit of the embodiment in FIG. 6;
[0014] FIG. 8 shows a conventional combination of ceiling fan and
light unit, and
[0015] FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the conventional
combination of ceiling fan and light unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the ceiling fan of the present
invention comprises a bottom hood 1 which has a hollow tube 11
extending upward from a top thereof and a passage 13 is defined
axially through the tube 11. A groove 14 is defined axially in an
inner periphery of the passage 13 and a through hole 15 is defined
radially through the tube 11. A fixing device 2 is connected to the
tube 11 and includes a first compartment 21 and a second
compartment 22 which is in communication with the first compartment
21. A Z-shaped first connection member 23 is received in the first
compartment 21 and a first end of the first connection member 23
extends through the through hole 15 and enters the passage 13. A
rack including a plurality of teeth 231 are defined in the first
end of the first connection member 23 and a first pushing member 27
is located raidally relative to the tube 11 so as to push the first
connection member 23 toward the stop member 25. An inclined guide
surface 232 is defined in a top surface thereof. A stop member 25
is received in the second compartment 22 and a second pushing
member 24 is located axially on a top of the stop member 25 to push
the stop member 25 at a lower position where a second end of the
first connection member 23 is stopped by the stop member 25. The
stop member 25 includes a shank 251 which extends through a hole 26
defined through the bottom hood 1.
[0017] A light unit 3 has a connection protrusion 31 which extends
through the bottom hood 1 and is inserted into the tube 11. A
second connection member 33 is connected to the connection
protrusion 31 and has a second connection member 33 connected
thereto which is inserted in the groove 14 in the tube 11. The
second connection member 33 is engaged with the teeth 231 of the
first end of the first connection member 23 to combine the ceiling
fan and the light unit 3. A length of the second connection member
33 is longer than that of the teeth of the first end of the first
connection member 23 so that the distance between the light unit 3
and the ceiling fan can be decided by engaging the teeth 231 with
the second connection member 33 at different positions.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, when disengaging the ceiling fan and the
light unit 3, the user simply pushes the shank 251 upward to remove
the large block end of the stop member 25 from the second end of
the first connection member 23, the first connection member 23 is
pushed by the first pushing member 27 to disengage the teeth 231
from the second connection member 33. The spring force of the
second pushing member 24 is larger than that of the first pushing
member 27 so that when releasing the stop member 25, the large
block end of the stop member 25 moves over the inclined guide
surface 232 and pushes the first connection member 23 toward the
tube 11.
[0019] FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the combination
wherein the fixing device 51 includes a chamber 52 in which a third
connection member 53 is received. A first end of the third
connection member 53 extends through the tube and enters the
passage 56 of the tube, and a second end of the third connection
member 53 is a pull rod 54 which extends through a hole defined
through a wall of the bottom hood 5. A biasing member 55 is mounted
to the pull rod 54 and located radially relative to the tube so as
to bias the third connection member 53 toward the tube. The third
connection member 53 includes teeth so as to be engaged with the
second connection member on the connection protrusion 31. The user
may pull the pull rod 54 to disengage the teeth on the third
connection member 53 from the second connection member on the
connection protrusion 31.
[0020] While we have shown and described the embodiment in
accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those
skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
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