# US 8,739,488 B2 · Apparatus for securing ceiling panels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,488 B2 - Document ID: US8739488B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/578,610 - Filed: 2011-02-15 - Published: 2012-12-06 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-16 - Applicants: Yaakov Vakhnin - Inventors: Yaakov Vakhnin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739488B2 ## CPC - 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 9/068: {with double web} - E04B 9/247: {by means of sliding or pivoting locking elements, held against the underside of the supporting construction} - 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 panel assembly for being secured to, and for concealing, a suspended inverted T-shaped, longitudinally extending main runner having a vertically disposed web, a horizontally disposed flange divided by the web to equal flange portions, and a protuberance at a terminal end of each of the flange portions, which comprises: a main section with a first and second lateral edge and visible panel sections and two support sections laterally extending in opposite directions, which are disposed above the main section. The two support sections releasably contact two adjacent and laterally spaced main runners, respectively, and one of the sections is adapted to multi-directionally stiffen a corresponding main runner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ceiling panel assembly for concealing a first main runner and for being secured to said first main runner and to a second main runner adjacent to, and laterally spaced from, said first main runner, wherein each of said first and second main runners is suspended, is inverted T-shaped, is longitudinally extending, and has a vertically disposed web, a horizontally disposed flange divided by said web to equal flange portions, and an oval protuberance at a terminal end of each of said flange portions, said panel assembly comprising: a) a main section having an upper horizontal and substantially planar upper surface, first and second opposed lateral edges downwardly extending from said upper surface, and a bottom surface coinciding with one or more visible panel sections that are visible to a person located below said main section; b) first and second support sections fixedly connected to said main section and laterally extending in opposite directions, said first and second support sections being disposed above said upper surface and said first and second lateral edges of said main section; c) said first support section, comprising: i) a planar flange-underlying element in unforcible contact with the first main runner flange; ii) first and second vertically extending elements which vertically extend from said flange-underlying element and which are laterally spaced in first and second directions, respectively, from the web of said first main runner, for unforcibly contacting said protuberance of a corresponding flange portion of said first main runner from the side; and iii) an element substantially parallel to said flange-underlying element for unforcibly contacting said protuberance of a corresponding flange portion from above, wherein said first and second support sections releasably contact said first and second main runners, respectively, wherein said first support section is a multi-directionally stiffening support section for stiffening and unforcibly contacting in four different translational directions the flange of said first main runner which overlies the main section of said panel assembly, said four different translational directions including: i) in said first direction, towards said first vertically extending element; ii) in said second direction which is opposite to said first direction, towards said second vertically extending element; iii) upwardly towards said element substantially parallel to said flange-underlying element; and iv) downwardly towards said flange-underlying element, wherein said second support section is a stabilizing support section for unforcibly contacting the flange of said second main runner which is multi-directionally stiffened by another panel assembly laterally spaced in said first direction from, and adjacent and identical to, said panel assembly, wherein the main section of said panel assembly is raisable above the flange of said first and second main runners, when being released therefrom. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the element substantially parallel to the flange-underlying element is a flange abuttable element for engaging a flange portion of the first main runner when the stabilizing support section is raised, to prevent the panel assembly from falling through a ceiling opening, wherein the multi-directionally stiffening support section is connected to the planar flange-underlying element, wherein one end of the flange-underlying element laterally extends from the first lateral edge of the main section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 2, wherein the flange abuttable element extends from, and is substantially perpendicular to, one of the first and second vertically extending elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the flange-underlying element extends between the first and second vertically extending elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second support sections are connected to the one or more panel sections and the flange-underlying element is in abutting relation with a planar upper surface of the one or more panel sections. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the length of the main runner flange is substantially equal to that of the flange-underlying element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the multi-directionally stiffening support section is dimensioned such that one flange portion of the first main runner overlies the first lateral edge of the main section of said panel assembly and extends to the second lateral edge of another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction, and adjacent and identical to said panel assembly to define a gap between the first lateral edge of said panel assembly and the second lateral edge of said another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly, wherein the first lateral edge of said panel assembly and the second lateral edge of said another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly are straight edges and said gap has a predetermined and uniform width, and all first lateral edges of each of a row of said panel assemblies are essentially coplanar and all second lateral edges of each of a row of said another panel assemblies which are laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly are essentially coplanar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 7, wherein the gap has a width of less than 5 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more visible panel sections has a straight bottom edge and all bottom edges of each of a plurality of said panel assemblies are essentially coplanar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizing support section comprises a force appliable element extending from the second lateral edge of said panel assembly and connected to the main section of said panel assembly, for unforcibly contacting one of the flange portion protuberances of the second main runner. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 10, wherein the force appliable element is substantially perpendicular to the web of the second main runner. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the main section further comprises a frame member to which the one or more visible panel sections are attachable, said frame member comprising one or more connecting members disposed below and fixedly connected to or integral with the first and second support sections. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 12, which is customizable and further comprises an ornamental element attached or applied to one or more of the panel sections. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, which is longitudinally slidable, when displaced, so as to pass below a plurality of spaced cross runners extending between the first and second main runners, without interference. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 3, wherein the element substantially parallel to the flange-underlying element is a flange abuttable element for engaging a flange portion of the first main runner when the stabilizing support section is raised, to prevent the panel assembly from falling through a ceiling opening, wherein the multi-directionally stiffening support section is integral with the planar flange-underlying element, wherein one end of the flange-underlying element laterally extends from the first lateral edge of the main section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 15, wherein the multi-directionally stiffening support section is dimensioned such that one flange portion of the first main runner overlies the first lateral edge of the main section of said panel assembly and extends to the second lateral edge of another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction, and adjacent and identical to said panel assembly to define a gap between the first lateral edge of said panel assembly and the second lateral edge of said another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly, wherein the first lateral edge of said panel assembly and the second lateral edge of said another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly are straight edges and said gap has a predetermined and uniform width, and all first lateral edges of each of a row of said panel assemblies are essentially coplanar and all second lateral edges of each of a row of said another panel assemblies which are laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly are essentially coplanar. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the multi-directionally stiffening support section unforcibly contacts the flange of the first main runner in a rotational direction about the protuberance which is spaced from the web of the first main runner in the first direction and towards the web of the first main runner. ### Claim 18 A ceiling panel assembly for concealing a first main runner and for being secured to said first main runner and to a second main runner adjacent to, and laterally spaced from, said first main runner, wherein each of said first and second main runners is suspended, is inverted T-shaped, is longitudinally extending, and has a vertically disposed web, a horizontally disposed flange divided by said web to equal flange portions, and an oval protuberance at a terminal end of each of said flange portions, said panel assembly comprising: a) a main section having an upper horizontal and substantially planar upper surface, first and second opposed lateral edges downwardly extending from said upper surface, and a bottom surface coinciding with one or more visible panel sections that are visible to a person located below said main section; and b) first and second support sections fixedly connected to said main section and laterally extending in opposite directions, said first and second support sections being disposed above said upper surface and said first and second lateral edges of said main section, c) said first support section, comprising: i) a protuberance-fastening element having the same curvature as said protuberance, for unforcibly contacting substantially the entire outer surface of one of the flange portion protuberances which is spaced from the web of the first main runner in a first direction; ii) a planar flange-underlying element in unforcible contact with the first main runner flange and tangentially and laterally extending from a first end of said protuberance-fastening element; and iii) a translation-limiting element substantially parallel to, and located above, said flange-underlying element, and laterally extending from a second end of said protuberance-fastening element by a discontinuity therebetween, in unforcible contact with the first main runner flange, wherein said first and second support sections releasably contact said first and second main runners, respectively, wherein said first support section is a multi-directionally stiffening support section for stiffening and unforcibly contacting in four different translational directions the flange of said first main runner which overlies the main section of said panel assembly, said four different translational directions including: i) in said first direction, in cooperation with said protuberance-fastening element; ii) in a second direction which is opposite to said first direction, in cooperation with said discontinuity; iii) upwardly, in cooperation with said translation-limiting element and said discontinuity; and iv) downwardly, in cooperation with said flange-underlying element, wherein said second support section is a stabilizing support section for unforcibly contacting the flange of said second main runner which is multi-directionally stiffened by another panel assembly laterally spaced in said first direction from, and adjacent and identical to, said panel assembly, wherein the main section of said panel assembly is raisable above the flange of said first and second main runners, when being released therefrom. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The ceiling panel assembly according to claim 18, wherein the multi-directionally stiffening support section is dimensioned such that one flange portion of the first main runner overlies the first lateral edge of the main section of said panel assembly and extends to the second lateral edge of another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction, and adjacent and identical to said panel assembly to define a gap between the first lateral edge of said panel assembly and the second lateral edge of said another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly, wherein the first lateral edge of said panel assembly and the second lateral edge of said another panel assembly which is laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly are straight edges and said gap has a predetermined and uniform width, and all first lateral edges of each of a row of said panel assemblies are essentially coplanar and all second lateral edges of each of a row of said another panel assemblies which are laterally spaced in the second direction from said panel assembly are essentially coplanar. ### Claim 20 A ceiling panel assembly for concealing a first main runner and for being secured to said first main runner and to a second main runner adjacent to, and laterally spaced from, said first main runner, wherein each of said first and second main runners is suspended, is inverted T-shaped, is longitudinally extending, and has a vertically disposed web, a horizontally disposed flange divided by said web to equal flange portions, and an oval protuberance at a terminal end of each of said flange portions, said panel assembly comprising: a) a main section having an upper horizontal and substantially planar upper surface, first and second opposed lateral edges downwardly extending from said upper surface, and a bottom surface coinciding with one or more visible panel sections that are visible to a person located below said main section; b) first and second support sections integral with said main section and laterally extending in opposite directions, said first and second support sections being disposed above said upper surface and said first and second lateral edges of said main section; and c) said first support section, comprising: i) a planar flange-underlying element in unforcible contact with the first main runner flange; ii) first and second vertically extending elements which vertically extend from said flange-underlying element and which are laterally spaced in first and second directions, respectively, from the web of said first main runner, for unforcibly contacting said protuberance of a corresponding flange portion of said first main runner from the side; and iii) an element substantially parallel to said flange-underlying element for unforcibly contacting said protuberance of a corresponding flange portion from above, wherein said first and second support sections releasably contact said first and second main runners, respectively, wherein said first support section is a multi-directionally stiffening support section for stiffening and unforcibly contacting in four different translational directions the flange of said first main runner which overlies the main section of said panel assembly, said four different translational directions including: i) in said first direction, towards said first vertically extending element; ii) in said second direction which is opposite to said first direction, towards said second vertically extending element; iii) upwardly towards said element substantially parallel to said flange-underlying element; and iv) downwardly towards said flange-underlying element, wherein said second support section is a stabilizing support section for unforcibly contacting the flange of said second main runner which is multi-directionally stiffened by another panel assembly laterally spaced in said first direction from, and adjacent and identical to, said panel assembly, wherein the main section of said panel assembly is raisable above the flange of said first and second main runners, when being released therefrom.