Segmented Ceiling Fan Mounting Plate for Water-Sealed Repair Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing mounting plate configuration in ceiling fans allows water to reach electrical components and inhibits access for repairs, as it requires a slot for the motor shaft, which can damage wires and restricts later maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling fan assembly with a multi-segmented mounting plate that surrounds the motor shaft instead of sliding over the wiring, eliminating the need for a slot and providing easier access for repairs by allowing the plate to be disassembled around the wires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a mounting plate with a slot is used to allow the motor shaft to extend through, then the mounting plate can be assembled easily, but water can penetrate through the slot to reach electrical components
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate is divided into multiple segments that can be assembled separately around the motor shaft and then joined together. This segmentation allows the plate to be installed without requiring a continuous slot, thereby preventing water penetration while maintaining ease of assembly. The segments create a sealed barrier against water ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-segment mounting plate is designed to nest around the motor shaft and wiring harness, with each segment fitting sequentially. This nesting approach allows the plate to envelop the shaft without cutting through it, eliminating the need for a water-exposed slot while facilitating straightforward installation.
2Ease of manufacture
If a mounting plate with a slot is used to allow motor shaft access, then assembly is simplified, but later access to electrical components for repairs is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate is divided into multiple removable segments that can be separated to provide access to the motor shaft and electrical components during maintenance. This segmentation maintains the simplicity of initial assembly while enabling easy disassembly for repairs, directly addressing both assembly ease and repair accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate transitions from a fixed, permanent structure to a dynamic, reconfigurable assembly. The segments can be easily detached and reattached, allowing the plate to adapt between its installed state during operation and its disassembled state during maintenance, thereby facilitating both simple assembly and easy repair access.
3Ease of operation
If a slot is created in the mounting plate for wire passage, then wires can exit the motor shaft, but the slot damages the wires and creates water pathways
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate segments are designed to nest around the wiring harness, creating a protective enclosure that guides wires through the assembly without requiring cuts or slots. This nesting configuration allows wires to pass through the motor shaft while being protected from damage and preventing water access to electrical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate segments function as flexible protective shells that can accommodate wire routing without rigid slots. These thin film-like segments wrap around the wires and motor shaft, providing a protective barrier that maintains wire integrity while allowing necessary passage, and simultaneously blocking water pathways.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling fan assembly having a motor with a rotor and a stator, at least one blade operably coupled to the stator, a motor shaft extending from the stator and having an internal wire passage and a wire opening in a side of the motor shaft, with the wire opening providing access to the internal wire passage, a control mounting plate having a motor shaft opening through which the motor shaft extends and an electronic control unit carried by a side of the control mounting plate.