US 7,351,037 B1
Y-connect fastener for ceiling fan blades
John F. Mares, Coppell, Tex. (US); Michael D. R. Miller, Fort Worth, Tex. (US); Jeffrey A. Guyer, Dallas, Tex. (US); Jibum Jung, Grand Prairie, Tex. (US); Richard H. Crawford, Jr., Austin, Tex. (US); Jason T. Herlehy, Austin, Tex. (US); and Bradley A. Jackson, Austin, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Litex Industries, Limited, Having a General Partner of Libco International, L.L.C., Grand Prairie, Tex. (US)
Filed on May 03, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/120,910.
Application 11/120910 is a continuation in part of application No. 11/039143, filed on Jan. 19, 2005, granted, now 7,223,078, filed on May 29, 2007.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/629064, filed on Nov. 18, 2004.
Int. Cl. F01D 5/30 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 416—210R  [416/214 R] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for firmly fastening a fan blade to a bracket arm mounted a ceiling fan motor, the fan blade having a plurality of mounting apertures extending transversely through an inward end of the fan blade, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of protuberant members extending from the bracket arm, said protuberant members having shank portions and head portions which fit through the apertures in a the fan blade to extend outward of the fan blade on an opposite side of the fan blade from the bracket arm;
a rotary plate fastener having an upper surface, a lower surface and peripheral edge portions extending between said upper and lower surfaces, said peripheral edge portions having openings which are aligned for registering adjacent to said shank portions of said protuberant members extending through the fan blade;
said openings including a first opening and second openings, said first opening adapted for defining an axis and receiving a first one of said protuberant members along said axis for rotating said rotary plate fastener about said axis, and said second openings aligned for receiving respective ones of said protuberant members as said rotary plate fastener is rotated around said axis; and
wherein said rotary plate fastener is first moved to dispose said first opening around said first one of said protuberant members, and then rotated about said axis to twist said second openings around said shank portions of said respective ones of said protuberant members, such that said rotary plate fastener is pressed between said head portions of said protuberant members and a surface of the fan blade.