US 5,024,034 AGranted

Non-directional suspended ceiling panels

AssigneeAlcan Aluminum Corporation

InventorJ. Lynn Gailey

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Abstract

A new and useful latch structure for suspending ceiling panels from a grid of inverted T-beam support members. The latch structure comprises a relatively rigid, hook-shaped member which is coupled to a respective ceiling panel so as to move with the ceiling panel relative to the inverted T-beam support members. Each hook-shaped member can tilt, or pivot, relative to its respective ceiling panel. Each hook-shaped latch member is biased by gravity toward a locking position. As a ceiling panel is brought upward against an inverted T-beam support member, the inverted T-beam support member engages the hook-shaped latch member and tilts the latch member away from its locking position, to allow the latch member to clear the inverted T-beam support member. Once the hook-shaped latch member clears the transverse leg of the inverted T-beam support member, the latch member tilts, or pivots, under the influence of gravity, to its locking position. In that position, a locking portion of the latch member will engage the top side of the transverse leg of the T-beam support member, and suspend the ceiling panel from the T-beam support member. An access opening in the ceiling panel enables the hook-shaped latch member to be disengaged from the inverted T-beam member. The access opening is designed to allow any handy implement (e.g., pencil, screwdriver, etc.) to be inserted therethrough to tilt the latch member away from its locking position, to enable the latch structure to be disengaged from the T-beam support member. The ceiling panel can then be readily removed from the inverted T-beam support member.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Apparatus comprising an inverted T-beam support member, a ceiling panel, and a latch structure for suspending the ceiling panel from the inverted T-beam support member;

said latch structure being coupled with said ceiling panel and being movable therewith relative to said inverted T-beam support member;
said latch structure being moveable relative to said ceiling panel and being biased by gravity toward a locking position;
said latch structure being adapted to engage the inverted T-beam support member to suspend said portion of said ceiling panel therefrom when said ceiling panel is in a predetermined orientation relative to said inverted T-beam support member and said latch structure is in said locking position;
and
said latch structure being adapted to be moved relative to said ceiling panel and away from said locking position to enable said ceiling panel to be suspended from or separated from the inverted T-beam support member;
wherein said latch structure includes a locking portion extending away from said ceiling panel when said latch structure is in said locking position;
said locking portion being disposed to be engaged by an inverted T-beam support member as said ceiling panel is being moved to said predetermined orientation relative to said inverted T-beam support member;
said latch structure being movable away from said locking position by engagement of said locking portion of said latch structure with said inverted T-beam support member as said ceiling panel is being moved to said predetermined orientation;
and
said latch structure being biased by gravity to its locking position when said ceiling panel has been moved to said predetermined orientation, to enable said latch structure to support said ceiling panel from said inverted T-beam member when said ceiling panel has been moved to said predetermined orientation.

7 more elements

Apparatus comprising a grid comprising a plurality of inverted T-beam support members, a plurality of ceiling panels located below said grid, and latch structure coupled to each of the ceiling panels for enabling each of the ceiling panels to be suspended from or separated from the inverted T-beam support members of the grid;

said plurality of ceiling panels, when suspended from said grid, combining to form a substantially continuous ceiling;
the latch structure coupled with each ceiling panel being biased by gravity toward a locking position relative to its respective ceiling panel;
and
the latch structure coupled with each ceiling panel being movable against the influence of gravity and relative to its respective ceiling panel to enable its respective ceiling panel to be suspended from or separated from the inverted T-beam support members of the grid without requiring suspension or separation of any adjacent ceiling panels from the inverted T-beam support members of the grid;
wherein each latch structure comprises a relatively rigid hook-shaped latch member coupled with a respective ceiling panel;
each hook-shaped latch member being adapted to tilt as a relatively rigid body relative to its respective ceiling panel as the ceiling panel is being suspended from or separated from an inverted T-beam support member of said grid;
wherein each ceiling panel has a main body portion and a side wall extending away from said main body portion;
said side wall having an insertion opening and an access opening therein;
the hook-shaped latch member associated with the ceiling panel being hooked about the insertion opening of the ceiling panel to couple the hook-shaped latch member with the ceiling panel;
the hook-shaped latch member being adapted to tilt relative to an edge of the insertion opening;
and
the access opening being located to enable an implement to be inserted therethrough and against the hook-shaped latch member to tilt said hook-shaped latch member against its gravitational bias.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.