Patent attributes
A locking device is provided for a cooling fan assembly. The assembly includes a central hub. A plurality of blades are operatively connected to and configured to selectively rotate around the central hub. A blade ring is fixedly connected to respective outermost radial portions of the plurality of blades. The blade ring may be annularly-shaped and defines at least one blade ring slot. The locking device is configured to selectively prevent the plurality of blades from rotating. The locking device includes a movable member and an actuation device for moving the movable member. The movable member is slidable relative to the blade ring between two positions, an unlocked position that substantially permits the plurality of blades to rotate and a locked position that substantially prevents the plurality of blades from rotating.