Fan locking and disconnection device and related systems
AssigneeLankota Group, Inc.
InventorDaniel McGaugh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various fan blade locking devices which operate to lock the blades of a fan in place and disconnect power to the fan. The locking device has an actuable bolt that, when in the locked position, extends to and contacts the fan blades and thereby stops the fan blades from turning. Additionally, the bolt has a contact washer coupled thereto such that the contact washer can engage with and disengage from a switch, thereby completing or interrupting a circuit supplying power to the fan, which allows for the locking device to prevent the fan from being actuated while the bolt is in contact with the fan blades.
Claims16
A fan locking and disconnection device, the device comprising:
- (a) a device housing coupleable to an external surface of a fan;
- (b) a switch disposed within the device housing;
- (c) a bolt slidably disposed within the device housing, the bolt comprising:
- (i) a contact washer attached to the bolt;
- (ii) an engaged position wherein the bolt is frictionally engaged with a fan blade and the contact washer is not in contact with the switch;
- and
- (iii) a disengaged position wherein the contact washer is in contact with the switch;
- (d) an actuation handle operably coupled to the bolt, wherein the actuation handle comprises:
- (i) a locked position wherein the bolt is in the engaged position;
- and
- (ii) an unlocked position wherein the bolt is in the disengaged position;
- and
- (e) an electrical cable electrically coupled at a first end to the switch, wherein the electrical cable is configured to be electrically coupleable at a second end to a fan control box.
A fan locking system, comprising:
- (a) a fan;
- (b) an elongate bolt comprising:
- (i) an engaged position wherein the bolt is in frictional contact with the fan;
- and
- (ii) a disengaged position wherein the bolt is retracted from the fan;
- (c) a handle operably coupled with the bolt, wherein the handle is constructed and arranged to urge the bolt between the engaged and disengaged positions;
- (d) a switch;
- (e) an electrical cable operably coupled with the switch, wherein the electrical cable and the switch are part of an electrical start circuit for the fan;
- and
- (f) a contact washer disposed along the bolt,
- wherein, when the bolt is in the disengaged position, the contact washer is in operative contact with the switch, and
- wherein, when the bolt is in the engaged position, the contact washer is not in contact with the switch.
A method of controlling blades of a fan, the method comprising:
- coupling a fan locking device to a side of the fan, the fan locking device comprising:
- (a) an elongate bolt;
- (b) a handle operably coupled with the bolt;
- (c) a switch;
- (d) an electrical cable operably coupled with the switch, wherein the electrical cable and the switch are part of an electrical start circuit for the fan;
- and
- (e) a contact washer disposed along the bolt;
- urging the handle into an engaged position wherein the bolt is in frictional contact with the fan;
- and
- urging the handle into a disengaged position wherein the bolt is retracted from the fan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.