Ceiling fan

Abstract

A ceiling fan includes a central hub, a motor disposed in the central hub, an impeller coupled to the motor, and a plurality of fan blades extending outwardly from the central hub. The central hub includes an interior chamber. The impeller is operable to rotate relative to the central hub. At least one of the plurality of fan blades includes a nozzle that defines an interior passageway and an outlet. The interior passageway of the nozzle is in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the central hub. The motor actuates the impeller for drawing air into the interior chamber of the central hub, forcing the air to the interior passageway of the nozzle, and expelling the air from the outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ceiling fan comprising:
 a central hub including an interior chamber;   a motor disposed in the central hub;   an impeller coupled to the motor for rotation relative to the central hub; and   a plurality of fan blades extending outwardly from the central hub,
 at least one of the plurality of fan blades including a nozzle that defines an interior passageway and an outlet, and 
 the interior passageway of the nozzle being in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the central hub; 
   wherein the motor actuates the impeller for drawing air into the interior chamber of the central hub, forcing the air to the interior passageway of the nozzle, and expelling the air from the outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The ceiling fan of  claim 1 , further comprising a drive assembly supported by the central hub, the drive assembly operable to move the plurality of fan blades relative to the central hub. 
     
     
         3 . The ceiling fan of  claim 2 , wherein the drive assembly is operable to rotate the plurality of fan blades about a central axis of the central hub. 
     
     
         4 . The ceiling fan of  claim 2 , wherein the drive assembly is operable to tilt a fan blade of the plurality of fan blades about a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to a central axis of the central hub. 
     
     
         5 . The ceiling fan of  claim 2 , wherein the drive assembly includes:
 a first motor;   a first ring gear coupled to the first motor;
 the first ring gear being configured to induce rotation of the plurality of fan blades; 
   a second motor; and   a second ring gear coupled to the second motor,
 the second ring gear being configured to induce oscillation of the plurality of fan blades. 
   
     
     
         6 . The ceiling fan of  claim 1 , wherein the central hub includes an inlet in fluid communication with the interior chamber, and wherein the air enters the interior chamber through the inlet. 
     
     
         7 . The ceiling fan of  claim 6 , wherein the inlet is positioned above the plurality of fan blades. 
     
     
         8 . The ceiling fan of  claim 1  further comprising a light positioned below the plurality of fan blades. 
     
     
         9 . The ceiling fan of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fan blades includes a nozzle that defines an interior passageway and an outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The ceiling fan of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fan blades comprises multiple outlets. 
     
     
         11 . The ceiling fan of  claim 10 , wherein the multiple outlets are formed in a decorative design. 
     
     
         12 . A ceiling fan comprising:
 a central hub having a central axis;   a plurality of fan blades extending outwardly from the central hub,
 a fan blade of the plurality of fan blades having a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the central axis; and 
   a drive assembly supported by the central hub,
 the drive assembly being operable to rotate the plurality of fan blades relative to the central axis of the central hub, and 
 the drive assembly being operable to rotate the fan blade relative to the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         13 . The ceiling fan of  claim 12 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of fan blades includes a respective longitudinal axis,   the drive assembly is configured to simultaneously rotate each of the plurality of fan blades relative to the respective longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         14 . The ceiling fan of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of fan blades is independently rotatable to a respective tilt angle by the drive assembly, and wherein at least a first tilt angle is different from a second tilt angle. 
     
     
         15 . The ceiling fan of  claim 12 , wherein the drive assembly includes a motor operable to rotate the plurality of fan blades relative to the central axis. 
     
     
         16 . The ceiling fan of  claim 12 , wherein the drive assembly includes a ring gear secured to a section of the central hub that supports the plurality of fan blades, and wherein a motor is coupled to the ring gear to rotate the ring gear for inducing rotation of the plurality of fan blades relative to the central axis. 
     
     
         17 . The ceiling fan of  claim 12 , wherein the each of the plurality of fan blades includes a respective oscillation gear, and wherein the drive assembly is configured to move each respective oscillation gear to tilt each of the plurality of fan blades. 
     
     
         18 . The ceiling fan of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a motor disposed in the central hub; and   an impeller coupled to the motor;
 the motor being configured to actuate the impeller to draw air into the central hub and force the air through the plurality of fan blades. 
   
     
     
         19 . A ceiling fan comprising:
 a central hub including:
 an interior chamber; 
 a first motor disposed in the central hub; and 
 an impeller coupled to the first motor; 
   a plurality of fan blades extending outwardly from the central hub,
 each of the plurality of fan blades including a nozzle and an oscillation gear, 
 each nozzle defining an interior passageway and an outlet, and 
 the interior passageway of each nozzle being in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the central hub; 
   a drive assembly supported by the central hub, the drive assembly including:
 a ring gear coupled to a respective oscillation gear of each of the plurality of fan blades; and 
 a second motor coupled to the ring gear, 
   wherein the second motor is configured to move the ring gear relative to a central axis of the hub to tilt each of the plurality of fan blades relative to a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the central axis; and   wherein the first motor is configured to actuate the impeller to draw air into the interior chamber of the central hub, force the air to the interior passageways of the nozzles, and expel the air out from the outlets of the plurality of fan blades.   
     
     
         20 . The ceiling fan of  claim 19 , wherein the drive assembly further comprises:
 a second ring gear supporting the plurality of fan blades; and   a third motor coupled to the second ring gear,
 the third motor being configured to rotate the second ring gear for rotating the plurality of fan blades about the central axis.