# US 10,502,228 B2 · Locking flywheel blade > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,228 B2 - Document ID: US10502228B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/278,842 - Filed: 2016-09-28 - Published: 2017-02-09 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-28 - Assignees: Chien Luen Industries Co., Ltd., Inc. - Applicants: Chien Luen Industries Co., Ltd., Inc. - Inventors: Zachary Zauhar; Francisco Biancuzzo; Eliezer Rivera; Tien S. Lowe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502228B2 ## CPC - F04D 29/34: Blade mountings {(for axial flow compressors F04D29/322)} - F04D 25/088: {Ceiling fans} - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) ## Abstract Systems, devices, apparatus and methods for easily attaching and detaching blades to flywheels/rotors on motors by inserting tab portions of the root ends of the blades into sockets on the flywheel/rotor. Inserting the root end of the blades into the slots causes raised ridges to slide into and snapably lock into grooves, which automatically locks the blades to the flywheel/rotor on the ceiling fan. Bending or pulling or pushing a free end of a sheath separates the ridge from the groove which allows the root ends of the blades to be released and easily pulled out from the sockets. Another embodiment has two free ends which can be pinched or pushed together with a hinge portion between, that also separates ridges from grooves, and allows the blades to be pulled from the flywheel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ceiling fan comprising: a ceiling fan motor having a rotatable flywheel with a top and a bottom, and an outer perimeter side wall perpendicular to the top and the bottom of the flywheel; a plurality of slots through the outer perimeter side wall of the flywheel; a plurality of fan blades having root ends; and catch members adjacent to each of the slots for allowing the root ends of the blades to be automatically locked to the rotatable flywheel by sliding the root ends of the blades through the slots of the rotatable flywheel toward the motor, wherein the catch members include: sheaths attached adjacent to each of the slots, wherein the root ends of the blades become locked to the sheaths when the root ends of the blades are inserted into each of the slots, and locked in place by the catch members. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ceiling fan of claim 1, wherein the root ends of each blade include a groove for catching into a raised ridge on an inner surface of each sheath. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ceiling fan of claim 2, wherein each sheath includes a first free end and a second free end separated by one another by a hinge portion, wherein pinching and bending the first free end and the second free end together separates the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blade to be released and freely pulled out from the slot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ceiling fan of claim 1, wherein the root ends of each blade include a raised ridge for catching into a groove on an inner surface of each sheath. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ceiling fan of claim 4, wherein each sheath includes a first free end and a second free end separated by one another by a hinge portion, wherein pinching and bending the first free end and the second free end together separates the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blade to be released and freely pulled out from the slot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The ceiling fan of claim 2, wherein each sheath includes a fixed edge and a free end, wherein bending the free end removes the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blade to be released and freely pulled out from the slot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The ceiling fan of claim 5, wherein each sheath includes a fixed edge and a free end, wherein bending the free end removes the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blade to be released and freely pulled out from the slot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The ceiling fan of claim 6, wherein the free end includes a tab. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The ceiling fan of claim 7, wherein the free end includes a tab. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ceiling fan of claim 1, wherein each sheath is fixably attached to the flywheel during manufacturing of the ceiling fan. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The ceiling fan of claim 10, wherein each sheath is attached to the flywheel by a screw fastener. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ceiling fan of claim 1, further comprising a longitudinal groove that is slidable into a longitudinal ridge which prevents installers from installing the blades upside down. ### Claim 13 A method of assembling blades to a ceiling fan, comprising the steps of: providing a ceiling fan motor with a rotatable flywheel with a top and a bottom, and an outer perimeter side wall perpendicular to the top and the bottom of the flywheel; providing a plurality of slots through the outer side wall of the flywheel; slidably inserting root ends of the blades into the slots toward the motor; and snapably locking the blades to the flywheel by snapping catch members, into grooves wherein the locking step includes the steps of: providing a groove on each root end of the blades; providing a raised ridge on an inner surface adjacent to each of the slots; and snapably locking the raised ridge into each groove after pushing the root ends of the blades through the slots. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: releasing the blades from the slots by bending a free end portion of sheaths attached to the fly wheel which removes the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blades to be freely pulled out from the slots. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of: attaching the sheaths to the fly wheel by screws. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: releasing the blades from the slots by pinching a first free end and a second free end together on opposite sides of a hinge portion, which separates the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blades to be released and freely pulled out from the slots. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: providing a tab; and bending the tab to separate the raised ridge from the groove. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: providing two tabs separated from one another by a hinge portion; providing two raised ridges and two grooves; and pinching the two tabs together to separate the raised ridges from the grooves. ### Claim 19 A method of assembling blades to a ceiling fan, comprising the steps of: providing a ceiling fan motor with a rotatable flywheel with a top and a bottom, and an outer perimeter side wall perpendicular to the top and the bottom of the flywheel; providing a plurality of slots through the outer side wall of the flywheel; slidably inserting root ends of the blades into the slots toward the motor; and snapably locking the blades to the flywheel by snapping catch members into grooves, wherein the locking step includes the steps of: providing a groove on an inner surface adjacent to each of the slots; providing a raised ridge on each root end of the blades; and snapably locking the raised ridge into each groove after pushing the root ends of the blades through the slots. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: releasing the blades from the slots by bending a free end portion of sheaths attached to the fly wheel which removes the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blades to be freely pulled out from the slots. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of: attaching the sheaths to the fly wheel by screws. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: releasing the blades from the slots by pinching a first free end and a second free end together on opposite sides of a hinge portion, which separates the raised ridge from the groove, and allows the blades to be released and freely pulled out from the slots. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of: providing a tab; and a raised ridge on an inner surface adjacent to each of the slots, wherein the blades are attached to the flywheel when the root ends of the blades are inserted into the slots and each raised ridge snapably locks into each groove. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of: providing two tabs separated from one another by a hinge portion; providing two raised ridges and two grooves; and pinching the two tabs together to separate the raised ridges from the grooves. ### Claim 25 A ceiling fan comprising: a ceiling fan motor having a rotatable flywheel with a top and a bottom, and an outer perimeter side wall perpendicular to the top and the bottom of the flywheel; a plurality of slots through the outer perimeter side wall of the flywheel; a plurality of fan blades having root ends; and a groove on each root end of the blades; a raised ridge on an inner surface adjacent to each of the slots, wherein the blades are attached to the flywheel when the root ends of the blades are inserted into the slots and each raised ridge snapably locks into each grove. ### Claim 26 A ceiling fan comprising: a ceiling fan motor having a rotatable flywheel with a top and a bottom, and an outer perimeter side wall perpendicular to the top and the bottom of the flywheel; a plurality of slots through the outer perimeter side wall of the flywheel; a plurality of fan blades having root ends; and a groove on an inner surface adjacent to each of the slots; a raised ridge on each root end of the blades, wherein the blades are attached to the flywheel when the root ends of the blades are inserted into the slots and each raised ridge snapably locks into each groove; bending the tab to separate the raised ridge from the groove.