# US 2020/0399896 A1 · Ceiling system

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- Number: US 2020/0399896 A1
- Document ID: US20200399896A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/010,495
- Filed: 2020-09-02
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-03
- Assignees: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
- Applicants: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
- Inventors: Robert A. DUSCHL
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399896A1

## CPC

- E04B 9/0435: {having connection means at the edges}
- E04B 9/24: with the slabs, {panels,} sheets or the like positioned on {the upperside of}, or held against {the underside of the} horizontal flanges of the supporting construction {or accessory means connected thereto}
- E04B 9/28: with the slabs, {panels,} sheets or the like having grooves engaging with horizontal flanges of the supporting construction or accessory means connected thereto
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})

## Abstract

A ceiling system, a ceiling panel, and a method of covering a ceiling support with a plurality of ceiling panels. In one aspect, the invention may be a ceiling system comprising: a plurality of ceiling panels, each of the ceiling panels comprising: an upper face; a lower face opposite the upper face; a first edge, a second edge, a third edge opposite the first edge, and a fourth edge opposite the second edge; each of the first and second edges comprising a tongue; and each of the third and fourth edges comprising a groove; and a plurality of alignment clips, each of the alignment clips comprising a cruciform rib element.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of covering a ceiling support with a plurality of ceiling panels, each of the ceiling panels comprising an upper face, a lower face opposite the upper face, a first edge, a second edge, a third edge opposite the first edge, and a fourth edge opposite the second edge, each of the first and second edges comprising a tongue, and each of the third and fourth edges comprising a groove, the method comprising:
a) mounting the ceiling panels to the ceiling support in an interlocked arrangement so that the tongues of the ceiling panels nest within the grooves of adjacent ones of the ceiling panels, the ceiling panels mounted so that the upper faces of the ceiling panels oppose a lower surface of the ceiling support; and
b) during step a), positioning an alignment clip having a cruciform rib element at an intersection of four of the ceiling panels, the cruciform rib element of the alignment clip maintaining the four ceiling panels in orthogonal alignment with one another.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein a first portion of each alignment clip is located above the lower face of each ceiling panel and below the lower surface of the ceiling support.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the cruciform rib element comprises: (1) a first rib section located between the first edge of a first one of the four ceiling panels and the third edge of a second one of the four ceiling panels; (2) a second rib section located between the second edge of the second one of the four ceiling panels and the fourth edge of a third one of the four ceiling panels; (3) a third rib section located between the third edge of the third one of the four ceiling panels and the first edge of a fourth one of the four ceiling panels; and (4) a fourth rib section located between the fourth edge of the fourth one of the four ceiling panels and the second edge of the first one of the four ceiling panels.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3 wherein the first and third rib elements are parallel to each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step b) comprises positioning the alignment clip such that a portion of a base plate of the alignment clip is between the lower face of the ceiling support and the upper face of each of the first, second, third and fourth ones of the four ceiling panels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5 wherein each of the alignment clips comprise a second portion located between the upper face of the ceiling panel and the lower surface of the ceiling support.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6 wherein the second portion of the alignment clip is a base plate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein step a) comprises adhering and/or fastening the ceiling panels to the ceiling support.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein ceiling support is located in an interior room that comprises a floor, whereby the lower face of each ceiling panel faces the floor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9 wherein each of the alignment clips are concealed by the plurality of ceiling panels when observing the lower face of each of the ceiling panels within the interior room.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the ceiling panels are formed from a fibrous material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11 wherein the fibrous material is selected from mineral fiber, mineral wool, rock wool, stone wool, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the each of the first, second, third and fourth edges comprises an upper edge portion adjacent the upper face, a lower edge portion adjacent the lower face, and a middle edge portion between the upper and lower edge portions; the middle edge portion of each of the first and second edges comprising a tongue; the middle edge portion of each of the third and fourth edges comprising a groove configured to receive the tongue; the upper edge portion of each of the third and fourth edges comprising a first flange having a lower flange surface that partially defines the groove, the first flange terminating in a distal surface and having a thickness (t) measured from the upper face of the ceiling panel to the lower flange surface of the first flange; the upper edge portion of each of the first and second edges comprising a first recess comprising a first recess wall surface and a first recess floor surface, the first recess floor surface partially defining the tongue, the first recess having a depth (D) measured from the upper face of the ceiling panel to the first recess floor surface, the first recess configured to receive the first flange; the lower edge portion of each of the third and fourth edges comprising a second flange having an upper flange surface that partially defines the groove, the second flange terminating in a distal surface; the lower edge portion of each of the first and second edges comprising a second recess comprising a second recess wall surface and a second recess floor surface, the second recess floor surface partially defining the tongue, the second recess configured to receive the second flange; and wherein D−t≥0.75 millimeters.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13 wherein for each of the third and fourth edges, the groove is defined by the lower flange surface of the first flange, the upper flange surface of the second flange, and a groove wall surface extending between the upper flange surface of the second flange and the lower flange surface of the first flange, and wherein the first flange has a first length measured from the groove wall surface to the distal surface of the first flange, the second flange has a second length measured from the groove wall surface to the distal surface of the second flange, and the first length being greater than the second length.

### Claim 15

A ceiling panel comprising: an upper face; a lower face opposite the upper face; a first edge, a second edge, a third edge opposite the first edge, and a fourth edge opposite the second edge;
wherein each of the first and second edges comprise a tongue; and each of the third and fourth edges comprise a groove;
wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth edges comprise a first edge portion adjacent the upper face and a second edge portion below the first edge portion;
wherein the second edge portion of each of the first and second edges comprises the tongue; the second edge portion of each of the third and fourth edges comprises the groove; the first edge portion of each of the third and fourth edges comprises a first flange that terminates in a distal surface; the first edge portion of each of the first and second edges comprising a first recess comprising a first recess wall surface and a first recess floor surface;
wherein the first flanges is configured to be able to nest within a first recess of an identical adjacent ceiling panel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The ceiling panel according to claim 15 further comprising: for each of the ceiling panels, each of the first, second, third, and fourth edges comprising a third edge portion adjacent the lower face, the second edge portion located between the first and third edge portions;
wherein the third edge portion of each of the first and second edges comprising a second recess comprising a second recess wall surface and a second recess floor surface;
wherein the third edge portion of each of the third and fourth edges comprising a second flange that terminates in a distal surface; and
wherein when the ceiling panel is in an interlocked arrangement with an identical ceiling panel, the second flanges nest within the second recesses of the adjacent ones of the identical ceiling panel so that the distal surfaces of the second flanges abut the second recess wall surfaces of the second recesses.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The ceiling panel according to claim 16 wherein the first recess has a length measured from the first recess wall surface to a distal surface of the tongue and the first flange has a length measured from a groove wall surface of the groove to the distal surface of the first flange, the lengths of the first recess and the first flange being substantially the same.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The ceiling panel according to claim 16 wherein the groove is defined by a lower flange surface of the first flange, an upper flange surface of the second flange, and a groove wall surface extending between the upper flange surface of the second flange and the lower flange surface of the first flange, and wherein the first flange has a length measured from the groove wall surface to the distal surface of the first flange, the second flange has a length measured from the groove wall surface to the distal surface of the second flange, and the length of the first flange is greater than the length of the second flange.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The ceiling panel according to claim 15 wherein the ceiling panels are formed from a fibrous material.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The ceiling panel according to claim 17 wherein the fibrous material is selected from mineral fiber, mineral wool, rock wool, stone wool, and combinations thereof.