US 4,538,973 AGranted

Remotely controlled ceiling fan and light circuit

OwnerPaul G. Angott, Keith D. Jacobinventors

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Abstract

A ceiling mounted fan and light assembly remotely controlled by radio signals propagated by a remote transmitter with the transmitter having independent controls for the fan and light respectively. The receiver has two channels and is responsive to the signals for setting the power supplied to the fan drive motor and light respectively at different levels so that the rotational speed of the fan may be set at various different levels and the illumination of the light may be set at various different levels.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A fan assembly (20) for being mounted to a ceiling and suspension therefrom and comprising:

support means adapted for connection to a ceiling;
a fan blade means (22) rotatably supported by said support means;
an electrical drive motor (24) supported by said support means for rotating said fan blade means;
an electrical light means (26) supported by said support means for selectively providing illumination;
receiver means (48) electrically connected respectively to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) and adapted for electrical connection to the electrical power outlet for controlling the electrical power supply to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) independently of one another in response to predetermined first and second radio signals;
said receiver means (48) including electrical current regulator means (60, 61, 62, 63) for establishing the magnitude of electrical power supplied to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) respectively over a predetermined range of power in response to said first and second radio signals respectively so that the employment of said first radio signal determines the speed of rotation of said drive motor (24) for said fan blade means (22) and the employment of said second radio signal determines the degree of illumination of said light means (26);
said regulator means including memory means (61) for establishing the level of magnitude of power and for providing a predetermined reference level within said predetermined range of power supplied to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) respectively, and reset means (65, 66) for resetting said memory means (61) to said reference level in response to the employment of said respective radio signals;
characterized by said regulator means including power level divider means (62) for dividing said predetermined range of power supplied to said drive motor (24) into a first plurality of stepped power levels and for dividing said predetermined range of power supplied to said light means (26) into a second plurality of stepped power levels of decreasing magnitude of power from stepped level to stepped level in said predetermined range of power supplied to said light means (26) so that the degree of change of illumination from said light means between adjacent stepped levels visually appears substantially equal.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A fan assembly (20) for being mounted to a ceiling and suspension therefrom and comprising:

support means adapted for connection to a ceiling;
a fan blade means (22) rotatably supported by said support means;
an electrical drive motor (24) supported by said support means for rotating said fan blade means;
an electrical light means (26) supported by said support means for selectively providing illumination;
receiver means (48) electrically connected respectively to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) and adapted for electrical connection to the electrical power outlet for controlling the electrical power supply to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) independently of one another in response to predetermined first and second radio signals;
said receiver means (48) including electrical current regulator means (60, 61, 62, 63) for establishing the magnitude of electrical power supplied to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) respectively over a predetermined range of power in response to said first and second radio signals respectively so that the employment of said first radio signal determines the speed of rotation of said drive motor (24) for said fan blade means (22) and the employment of said second radio signal determines the degree of illumination of said light means (26);
said regulator means including memory means (61) for establishing the level of magnitude of power and for providing a predetermined reference level within said predetermined range of power supplied to said drive motor (24) and said light means (26) respectively, and reset means (65, 66) for resetting said memory means (61) to said reference level in response to the employment of said respective radio signals;
characterized by said regulator means including power level divider means (62) for dividing said predetermined range of power supplied to said drive motor (24) into a first plurality of stepped power levels and for dividing said predetermined range of power supplied to said light means (26) into a second plurality of stepped power levels of decreasing magnitude of power from stepped level to stepped level in said predetermined range of power supplied to said light means (26) so that the degree of change of illumination from said light means between adjacent stepped levels visually appears substantially equal.

5 more elements