C-connect fastener for a ceiling fan blade

摘要

C-connect fasteners (24) are provided for securing ceiling fan blades (26) to mounting brackets (20). Protuberant members (32) extend from the mounting brackets (20), and have heads (72) and shanks (74) which fit through apertures (62) in the ceiling fan blades (26). The C-connect fasteners (24) have an upper surface (36), a lower surface (38), and a peripheral edge (40) extending between the upper and lower surfaces (36, 38). An C-shaped opening (46) is formed in the peripheral edge (40) for sliding around the shank (74) and wedging the C-connect fastener (24) between the head (72) of the protuberant member (32) and the upper surface of ceiling fan blade (26). Resilient tabs (52) are spaced about the peripheral edge (40) the C-connect fastener (24) and press the upper surface (36) of the C-connect fastener (24) into the head (72) of the protuberant member (32).

主权项

1. An apparatus firmly fastening a fan blade to a bracket arm mounted to 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 the fan blade to extend outward of the fan blade on an opposite side of the fan blade from the bracket arm; a C-connect fastener having an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral edge extending between said upper and lower surfaces, said peripheral edge portion having an opening which for registering adjacent to said shank portion of one of said protuberant members extending through the fan blade; said peripheral edge including two flats defined to extend within said opening adjacent a portion of said opening shaped for receiving said shank portion of said protuberant member, wherein said flats are disposed in opposed relation spaced apart a distance which is smaller than a thickness of said shank portion; and wherein when said C-connect fastener is first moved to dispose said opening adjacent to said one of said protuberance members, and then pushed to move said openings around said shank portion of said one of said protuberant members, said C-connect fastener is pressed between said head portion of said one of said protuberant members and a surface of the fan blade; and wherein said C-connect fastener further comprises resilient tabs formed by slots extending to extend said peripheral edge of said C-connect fastener, wherein two of said slots are disposed adjacent to opposite sides of each of said resilient tabs and one of said slots is disposed between a main body of said C-connect fastener and an inwardly disposed side of each of said resilient tabs, and wherein said resilient tabs are configured to press against the fan blade when said C-connect fastener is wedged between the surface of the fan blade and said head of said protuberant member.