Detachable blades for a ceiling fan

Abstract

A detachable blade and support assembly for a ceiling fan includes a support having an insert groove, a blade having an insert end portion inserted into the insert groove and having two retaining grooves formed respectively formed in two opposite side surfaces, and a mounting unit connecting the blade to the support. The mounting unit includes two side resilient members disposed on the support and having engaging portions engaging respectively and fittingly the retaining grooves in the support to retain releaseably the insert end portion of the blade in the insert groove in the support, a centrifugal resilient member for preventing the engaging portions of the side resilient members from movement in the retaining grooves in the blade.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A detachable blade and support assembly for a ceiling fan comprising:
 a support having an insert groove;   a blade having an insert end portion that is inserted into the insert groove, and a free end portion that is opposite to the insert end portion, the insert end portion having an end surface, two opposite side surfaces extending respectively from two opposite sides of the end surface, and two retaining grooves formed respectively formed in the side surfaces; and   a mounting unit including two side resilient members disposed on the support and having engaging portions engaging respectively and fittingly the retaining grooves in the support to retain releaseably the insert end portion of the blade in the insert groove on the support, a centrifugal resilient member disposed between the end surface of the blade and the support so as to prevent the engaging portions of the side resilient members from movement in the retaining grooves in the blade.   
     
     
         2 . The detachable blade and support assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the centrifugal resilient member is configured as a curved spring plate, the mounting unit further including a rib extending from the support, and a fixed post fixed on the support and adjacent to the rib, the centrifugal unit having a mounting end sleeved rotatably on the fixed post, a free end in contact with the rib, and a blade engaging section disposed between the mounting end and the free end. 
     
     
         3 . The detachable blade and support assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support further has a base wall, an outer peripheral wall extending upwardly from the base wall, a hole formed through the outer peripheral wall and permitting the insert end portion of the blade to extend therethrough, and two guide blocks fixed on the base wall and defining the insert groove therebetween, each of the guide blocks having a vertical groove that permits a respective one of the side resilient members to be inserted thereinto. 
     
     
         4 . The detachable blade and support assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein each of the side resilient members is configured as a spring plate, and has a vertical plate portion inserted into and fixed within the vertical groove in a respective one of the guide blocks, a hole portion formed through the vertical plate portion, and a movable plate portion extending from the vertical plate portion and into the hole portion and having a retaining end section that is engaged in a respective one of the retaining grooves in the blade and that is removable from the respective one of the retaining grooves to allow removal of the blade from the support, the movable plate portions of the side resilient members constituting the engaging portions, the movable plate portion of each of the side resilient members having an inclined section extending from the vertical plate portion into the insert groove in the support, and an intermediate section extending from an end of the inclined section in a direction away from the insert groove, the retaining end section extending from an end of the intermediate section distal from the inclined section in a direction away from the inclined section. 
     
     
         5 . The detachable blade and support assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the blade has two opposite inclined surfaces each formed with a disassembly groove, each of the guide blocks having a disassembly hole aligned with the disassembly groove in a respective one of the inclined surfaces.