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US 2003/0192268 A1Published application
Suspended ceiling support structure
AssigneeVib
InventorStanislaw Zaborowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ceiling support system for a suspended ceiling is provided that includes resilient clamps for attachment to the underside surface of a structural ceiling and inter-engaging ceiling runners that are shaped to be fitted into and be grasped by such clamps. The engagement edge of the runner is shaped to allow the runner to maintain multiple stable positions: a normal, ceiling panel supporting orientation, and a canted orientation for installation of ceiling panels. Runners may be joined end to end with an engagement piece. Cross-runners may be joined to runners with an engagement piece interfitted with a connector plate mounted transversely in the web of a runner.
Claims12
A supporting framework for a suspended ceiling comprising:
- (a) a plurality of longitudinal ceiling runners each being generally of an inverted “T” shape in cross-section and comprising:
- i) a pair of laterally extending support flanges providing ledge surfaces for carrying ceiling panels;
- and
- ii) an upwardly directed, clamp-penetrating leg with a web portion extending from said support flanges and terminating at a peripheral clamp-penetrating end portion;
- and,
- (b) a plurality of clamps each having a baseplate with a fastening hole and resiliently expandable sides terminating at a pair of lips defining a nip to provide a retention force, said baseplate and sides defining an internal receiving space for receiving the clamp-penetrating end portion of the leg of the runner,
- wherein said clamp-penetrating end portion of each runner is positionable within said receiving space and is of a shape compatible for being engaged by said clamps to permit the runner to maintain either of the following first and second stable orientations:
- (c) a first stable orientation, wherein the clamp penetrating leg is engaged by the clamp means with the flanges in a central, symmetrically aligned, horizontal orientation, and
- (d) a second stable orientation wherein the clamp penetrating leg and the lateral flanges are obliquely canted with respect to the nip and the baseplate,
- whereby when the runner is slightly rotated about either of said stable orientations said lips are spread apart to provide a restoring force which establishes said stable orientation.
7 more elements
A method of installing ceiling panels of a suspended ceiling comprising the steps of:
- (1) providing a plurality of resilient clamps and fastening such clamps in place in parallel rows beneath components of a structural ceiling, said clamps each having a baseplate and resiliently expandable sides terminating at a pair of lips that define a nip, said baseplate and sides defining an internal receiving space;
- (2) providing a plurality of longitudinal ceiling runners which are generally of an inverted “T” shape in cross-section, each runner having a pair of laterally extending support flanges that provide ledge surfaces for carrying ceiling panels, and an upwardly directed clamp-penetrating leg having a web portion with a peripheral clamp-engaging end portion,
- wherein said clamp-engaging end portion is of a shape which permits the runner to maintain at least the following stable orientations with respect to the clamp when the clamp is engaged with the runner, namely:
- i) a first stable orientation, wherein the clamp penetrating leg is inter-engaged beneath the clamp means with the flanges in a central, symmetrically aligned horizontal orientation, and
- ii) a second stable orientation wherein the clamp penetrating leg and the lateral flanges are obliquely canted with respect to the nip and the baseplate,
- (3) forming parallel rows of installed runners by placing the peripheral, clamp-penetrating end portion of each of said runners at the nips of a row of said clamps and pressing such end portions through the lips of said clamps to penetrate into the internal receiving space of the clamp whereby the runner is held in place by the clamp through the action of the lips grasping the web portion of the runner with the peripheral end portion of the clamp-engaging leg within said internal receiving space;
- (4) canting at least one of said runners out of alignment with the orientation of an adjacent parallel runner to provide space for a ceiling panel to be placed between said canted runner and said another runner;
- (5) inserting a ceiling panel therebetween;
- and,
- (6) realigning said runners to retain the ceiling panel in place.
7 more elements
A framework for a suspended ceiling comprising:
- (a) at least two longitudinal ceiling runners each of which are generally of an inverted “T” shape in cross-section in their lower portion, each runner having a pair of laterally extending support flanges that provide ledge surfaces for carrying ceiling panels, an upwardly directed web portion terminating in an enlarged upper end portion and respective runner ends to be joined together;
- (b) an engagement piece having two vertically oriented plate portions joined by a bridge to define a vertical slot therebetween,
- wherein the slot is dimensioned to embrace the thickness of the web of a runner permitting the engagement piece to be fitted embracingly to the respective web portions of said two runners, connecting such runners to each other.
A ceiling support framework for a suspended ceiling comprising:
- (a) at least two respective longitudinal and cross ceiling runners each of which are generally of an inverted “T” shape in cross-section in their lower portion, each having a pair of laterally extending support flanges that provide ledge surfaces for carrying ceiling panels and each having an upwardly directed web portion, the longitudinal runner having a vertical slot formed in its web portion;
- (b) a connector plate dimensioned to be fitted through said slot, transversely across said longitudinal runner;
- and
- (c) an engagement piece having two vertically oriented plates joined by a bridge to define a vertical slot therebetween,
- wherein the plates and vertical slot are dimensioned and positioned to embrace both the thickness of the web of the cross runner at one end of such cross runner and the thickness of the connector plate on the longitudinal runner, permitting the engagement piece to provide a supporting connection between the end of said cross runner and the connector plate of said longitudinal runner.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.