Panel assembly for a suspended ceiling system, corner bracket thereof, and related methods
AssigneeArmstrong World Industries, Inc.
InventorScott D. HARNISH
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A panel assembly for a suspended ceiling system, an adjustable corner bracket thereof, and a method of assembling such a panel assembly. The panel assembly may include a ceiling panel having a groove in its rear surface, a plurality of suspension bars disposed within the groove along the sides thereof, and a plurality of corner brackets disposed within the groove along the corners thereof. The corner brackets may include a first arm portion extending along a first arm axis and a second arm portion extending along a second arm axis. The corner brackets may be adjustable to alter an angle measured between the first and second arm axes so that the corner brackets may be used in different grooves having different shapes.
Claims21
A panel assembly for a suspended ceiling system, the panel assembly comprising:
- a ceiling panel comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a groove formed into the rear surface, the groove comprising a plurality of sides and a plurality of corners;
- a plurality of suspension bars disposed within the groove of the ceiling panel along the sides thereof, each of the suspension bars defining a channel;
- a plurality of corner brackets disposed within the groove of the ceiling panel along the corners thereof, each of the corner brackets comprising a first arm portion extending along a first arm axis and at least partially nesting within the channel of a first one of the suspension bars and a second arm portion extending along a second arm axis and at least partially nesting within the channel of a second one of the suspension bars;
- and
- wherein the corner brackets are adjustable to alter an angle measured between the first and second arm axes.
(canceled)
A method of assembling a panel assembly of a suspended ceiling system, the method comprising:
- adjusting a plurality of corner brackets so that an angle measured between a first arm axis of a first arm portion and a second arm axis of a second arm portion of each of the corner brackets matches an interior angle of a polygon-shaped groove formed into a rear surface of a ceiling panel;
- and
- inserting the plurality of corner brackets and a plurality of suspension bars into the polygon-shaped groove in the rear surface of the ceiling panel, wherein the corner brackets are positioned along corners of the polygon-shaped groove and the suspension bars are positioned along sides of the polygon-shaped groove.
An adjustable corner bracket for a panel assembly of a suspended ceiling system, the adjustable corner bracket configured to be disposed within a groove on a rear surface of a ceiling panel of the panel assembly, the adjustable corner bracket comprising:
- a first arm component comprising a first arm portion that extends along a first arm axis, the first arm component comprising a first aperture;
- a second arm component comprising a second arm portion that extends along a second arm axis, the second arm component comprising a second aperture that is surrounded by an annular wall that nests within the first aperture of the first arm component to couple the second arm component to the first arm component;
- and
- wherein the first and second arm components are rotatable relative to one another about a rotational axis that intersects the first and second apertures to adjust an angle measured between the first and second arm axes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.