Indirect uplighting for ceiling fans

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the invention include a housing for light bulbs or light sources, above, and attached to or integrated with, a ceiling fan, thus providing soft non-glaring indirect light upwardly into a room. Light bulbs or light bulb fixtures do not intrude into the space of the room either upwardly or downwardly or horizontally.

Claims

1. An indirect uplight arrangement for a ceiling fan having a fan support pole comprising: (a) a substantially circular and flat disk-shaped uplight housing attached to, or comprising an integral part of, a ceiling fan and situated above the fan, (b) a substantially circular and flat lid of the uplight housing on the top of the housing, (c) one or more light emitting holes in said substantially circular and flat lid, and (d) one or more light bulbs inside said housing substantially positioned under said light emitting holes.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a lightbulb support inside said housing attached to said bulbs, and further comprising wiring attached to said bulbs.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, further comprising a hole for a fan support pole substantially in the center of said lid.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising one or more uplight diffusers positioned in said one or more light emitting holes.

5. An indirect uplight arrangement for a ceiling fan with a fan support pole comprising: (a) a substantially circular and flat disk-shaped uplight housing attached to, or comprising an integral part of, a ceiling fan and situated above the fan, (b) a translucent or transparent substantially circular and flat lid of the uplight housing on the top of the housing, and (c) one or more light bulbs inside said housing.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 further comprising a lightbulb support inside said housing attached to said bulbs, and further comprising wiring attached to said bulbs.

7. The arrangement of claim 6 further comprising a hole for a fan support pole substantially in the center of said lid.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

9. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

10. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

11. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

12. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

13. The arrangement of claim 6 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

14. The arrangement of claim 7 wherein the light bulbs are selected from a group comprising traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, bulbs containing light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any substantially compact electric light source.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) This Brief Description and the Detailed Description Of The Drawings cover only some embodiments and variations of the invention, and other embodiments and variations will be clear to those skilled in the art from the description, drawings, and Additional Embodiments, etc. The Drawings are illustrative and not limiting.

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of the invention with uplight housing 4 with light emitting holes 6. The light holes could be in various numbers and shapes.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the lid 5 removed to show internal parts for FIG. 1 including the internal light bulbs and wiring. The uplight housing is integral with the fan motor housing, or could be attached by many conventional means.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with transparent/translucent lid 5a through which light from the bulbs can pass upward from the fan assembly.

(5) FIG. 4 shows the internal parts of FIG. 3 similarly to FIG. 2.

(6) In this application, the term “light bulb” includes an incandescent bulb, a compact fluorescent bulb, a bulb containing LEDs, or any other compact electric light source

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(7) FIG. 1 shows fan blades 1, fan support pole 2, substantially circular and flat disk-shape uplight housing 4, substantially circular and flat lid of uplight housing and fan enclosure 5, light emitting holes 6, uplight diffusers 7, and fan motor rotor 13. The uplight diffusers could be any transparent or translucent material such as plastic or glass. Parts 4 and 5 could be made of metal, plastic or other conventional materials. In all Figures, the embodiments of the present invention do not include parts 2, 1, 13, 12, 3.

(8) FIG. 2 is essentially the same as FIG. 1, with the lid 5 removed. It shows fan support pole 2, holes 8 for fan support pole. It shows light emitting holes 6, uplight diffusers 7, fan motor rotor 13. It shows fan motor housing 3. It shows internal parts of the uplight housing 4, including light bulb support 9, light bulbs 10, wiring 11. The wiring could be attached to the rest of the fan by conventional methods (not shown) including passing through a hole in the fan motor housing 3 through the fan support pole attachment 12.

(9) FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1 but with a transparent/translucent lid 5a instead of lid 5 with light emitting holes 6 and diffusers 7.

(10) FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 except there is a translucent/transparent lid 5a instead of lid 5 with light emitting holes 6. In FIGS. 3 and 4 light from the bulbs is emitted upwardly through translucent/transparent lid 5a instead of through light emitting holes and diffusers 6 and 7. The other parts 1, 8, 2, 9, 10, 11, 3, 12, 13 are the same.

DESCRIPTION-PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(11) The following embodiment or variation of the invention is the embodiment presently preferred by the Inventor, but over time other embodiments and variations and uses in other areas may become preferred to those skilled in the art. The preferred embodiments include the embodiments in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

OPERATION OF ONE EMBODIMENT

(12) The lights could be operated by a separate room wall switch in addition to the fan wall switch, or by a pull chain hanging from the fan (all not shown), all as commonly provided for conventional ceiling fans.

ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS

(13) Additional embodiments could include different materials for uplight housing 4, lid 5, diffusers 7, lid 5a, holes 6 of many varying shapes and numbers, and many kinds of light emitting devices in addition to incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, etc.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE

(14) A number of changes are possible to the methods, parts, uses described above while still remaining within the scope and spirit of the invention. The specifics about the form and use of the invention described in this application (including the specifics in the Background, Field, Related Art, Summary, Purposes and Advantages, Abstract, Preferred Embodiment, Additional Embodiments, Descriptions of the Drawings, etc.) are examples and are not intended to be limiting in scope. Those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, permutations, additions, subtractions and sub-combinations thereof, and may discover new fields of use. The scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims and their legal equivalents, not the examples, purposes, summary, preferred embodiments, additional embodiments, operation, parameters, or limitations etc. given above. It is intended that the claims are interpreted to include all such variations, modifications, additions, subtractions, permutations and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope, including those which may be recognized later by those skilled in the art.

(15) Aspects, as described above, may be implemented in many different forms of hardware in the implementations illustrated in the figures. The actual hardware used to implement these aspects is not limiting of the description provided herein. Thus, the operation and behavior of the aspects were described without reference to the specific hardware—it being understood that hardware can be designed to implement the aspects based on the description herein.

(16) Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the invention. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification.

(17) No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used.

(18) Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages.

(19) Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description.

(20) It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described herein.

(21) Unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

(22) Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps.

(23) To aid the Patent Office and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicant wishes to note that she does not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.