Access panel and method of manufacture
OwnerGabriel Williamsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An access panel system for providing access into a space behind a surface, such as a ceiling, is disclosed. The system comprises an access panel frame adapted to be disposed in a corresponding opening in the surface, the frame formed from a first sheet of drywall, the access panel frame having an upper frame surface, a lower frame surface and a frame opening, the frame opening formed by milling a section from the sheet of drywall. The system further comprises an access panel formed from a second sheet of drywall, wherein the access panel includes a stepped portion and a flanged portion milled from the second sheet of drywall, and wherein the stepped portion is laterally dimensioned to fit into the frame opening and the flanged portion is adapted to engage the upper frame surface.
Claims7
A method of forming an integrated access panel system for providing flush mounted access through a rough opening in a drywall ceiling into a space above the drywall ceiling, the drywall ceiling having an exterior facing surface, the integrated access panel system comprising a frame and an associated access panel, the method comprising:
- providing a first sheet of conventional drywall, the first sheet of conventional drywall comprising a gypsum core of substantially uniform thickness, covered on a first side by a layer of face paper and on a second, opposing side by a layer of backing paper;
- utilizing a CNC milling machine having a bit to controllably mill a section from the first sheet of conventional drywall to form the frame, the frame having a milled peripheral edge and a milled frame opening edge defining a frame opening within the frame, the milled peripheral edge dimensioned to fit into the rough opening in the drywall ceiling, the layer of face paper of the frame adapted to be substantially flush with the exterior facing surface of the drywall ceiling when installed in the drywall ceiling;
- providing a second sheet of conventional drywall having a thickness greater than the thickness of the first sheet of conventional drywall, the second sheet of conventional drywall comprising a gypsum core of substantially uniform thickness covered on a first side by a layer of face paper and on a second, opposing side by a layer of backing paper;
- utilizing the CNC milling machine having the bit to controllably mill the second sheet of conventional drywall to create the access panel, the CNC milling machine forming the access panel having a stepped profile comprising a flanged portion and a stepped portion, the stepped portion having a peripheral edge dimensioned to provide a controlled fit with the frame opening and the flanged portion adapted to rest on an upper surface of the frame such that when the access panel is disposed in the frame, the layer of face paper of the access panel is substantially flush with the layer of face paper of the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.