Universal load-bearing hanger bracket and method for hanging a lighting fixture below a grid ceiling system at on-grid or off-grid locations

A load-bearing hanger bracket for suspending a lighting fixture from on-grid and off-grid locations within a grid ceiling system having a T-bar grid formed by connected T-bar members to which accessory mounting rails can optionally be attached and having ceiling tiles supported by the T-bar grid, said hanger bracket comprising

• two opposed elongated hanger strips having opposed lower bent sections which when joined together form a T-bar channel for capturing a T-bar member of a grid ceiling system thereby providing a first attachment structure for attaching the hanger bracket to a T-bar,
• at least one fastener for joining said opposed hanger strips together to form an elongated bracket body having a base end, a top end, lateral edges, and at least one load wire attachment point at said top end,
• a lighting fixture attachment element projecting from the base end of said bracket body, and
• a rail gripping structure on at least one lateral edge of at least one of the hanger strips of said bracket body for gripping a mounting rail of a grid ceiling system, said rail gripping structure forming a second attachment structure on said bracket body for attaching the hanger bracket to a mounting rail connected between T-bars of the grid ceiling system at a selected location along the mounting rail, whereby the hanger bracket can be used to hang a lighting fixture from a T-bar member of the ceiling grid or from a mounting rail attached between T-bar members in order to place the lighting fixture at desired on-grid or off-grid locations within the grid ceiling system.

A load-bearing hanger bracket assembly for suspending a lighting fixture with an electrical feed from on-grid and off-grid locations within a grid ceiling system having a T-bar grid formed by connected T-bar members to which accessory mounting rails can optionally be attached and having ceiling tiles supported by the T-bar grid, said hanger bracket assembly comprising

• an elongated bracket body having a base end, a top end, and at least one load wire attachment point,
• an electrical junction box attached to the said bracket body,
• a lighting fixture attachment element projecting from the base end of said bracket body,
• a first attachment structure at the base end of said bracket body for attaching the hanger bracket assembly to a T-bar member of a grid ceiling at a selected location along said T-bar member, and
• a second attachment structure on said bracket body above said first attachment structure for attaching the hanger bracket assembly to a mounting rail connected between T-bars of the grid ceiling system at a selected location along the mounting rail, whereby the hanger bracket assembly can be used to hang a lighting fixture from a T-bar member of the ceiling grid or from a mounting rail attached between T-bar members in order to place the lighting fixture and an electrical feed thereto through said junction box at desired on-grid and off-grid locations within the grid ceiling system.

A hanger bracket assembly for suspending a lighting fixture with a plug-in electrical feed from a grid ceiling system having a T-bar grid formed by connected T-bar members, said hanger bracket assembly comprising

• a bracket body having a base end and at least one load wire attachment point,
• an electrical junction box attached to the bracket body, said electrical junction box having a bottom wall proximate to the base end of said bracket body,
• a female plug connected to the bottom wall of said junction box, said female plug having a downwardly facing plug end for receiving a male plug of a power cord of a lighting fixture suspended from the hanger bracket assembly,
• a lighting fixture attachment element projecting from the base end of said bracket body, and
• an attachment structure on said bracket body for attaching the hanger bracket assembly to a grid ceiling.

A method of electrically connecting lighting fixtures to a drop ceiling comprising

• providing electrical outlets at pre-selected lighting fixture suspension locations above the drop ceiling wherein each of said electrical outlets has a female plug having a downwardly facing plug end extending through the drop ceiling next to a suspension location for the lighting fixtures,
• wiring the electrical outlets so as to electrify same,
• hanging lighting fixtures from the drop ceiling having power cords with a male plug end of sufficient length to reach the ceiling, and
• plugging the male end of the power cords of the lighting fixtures into the female plugs of the prewired electrical outlets above the drop ceiling next to a suspension location of the lighting fixtures.