Clip for attaching ceiling panels to T-grid
AssigneeUSG Interiors, Inc.
InventorsAlan Wendt, Martin Likozar, James Lehane
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adaptor clip, for converting a standard tee grid ceiling to a snap-up panel system, comprising an injection-molded plastic body that includes gripping elements for engaging the tops of the flanges of the tee grid and support elements for mating with the upstanding peripheral flanges of the snap-up panels. The clip is arranged to be quickly and easily installed without tools by simply positioning it against the lower faces of intersecting tee grid members so that its center underlies the center of the intersection and rotating it about a vertical axis.
Claims17
A clip having elements arranged to couple with the flanges of intersecting ceiling grid tees and sustain downward vertical forces, the clip having gripping elements that engage the upper surfaces of the flanges of the ceiling grid tees, the clip being arranged so that downward vertical loads on the clip are transferred to overlying portions of the grid through the gripping elements, the clip including a pair of opposed panel support elements, said opposed panel support elements being disposed on opposite sides of a plane that is coincident with the plane of a tee on which the clip is installed, each support element having a surface that has an upwardly facing component adapted to interengage with a surface having a downwardly facing component on a peripheral flange of a rectangular snap-up ceiling panel.
An adaptor for mounting rectangular ceiling panels on a suspended ceiling grid of inverted tee shaped grid members with generally horizontal flanges and vertical webs, the adaptor having gripping elements for engaging upper surfaces of the grid tee flanges and panel support elements for carrying the ceiling panels, the panel support elements being arranged to engage re-entrant surface portions on peripheral upstanding flanges of the ceiling panels and thereby transfer the weight of the panels to the suspended grid.
A suspended ceiling comprising a rectangular grid of intersecting inverted tees having horizontal flanges at their lower extremities, a plurality of adaptor clips made separately from the tees and attached to the flanges of the tees adjacent their intersections, and a plurality of rectangular pan-shaped panels supported on the grid by the clips, the clips mating with portions of peripheral flanges of the panels to support the panels in a plane below the tee flanges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.