U.S. patent number 3,875,717 [Application Number 05/392,408] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-08 for unitary device for joining removable ceiling tile to hanger member.
Invention is credited to Wolfgang Moeller.
United States Patent |
3,875,717 |
Moeller |
April 8, 1975 |
Unitary device for joining removable ceiling tile to hanger
member
Abstract
An improvement in a suspended ceiling tile construction
comprising a generally inverted T-shaped hanger means, a first
horizontal portion of which supports a permanent ceiling tile and a
second horizontal portion of which extends toward a removable
ceiling tile, the generally vertical member of said T-shaped hanger
means provided with means to suspend the hanger means from a
permanent ceiling, said improvement comprising a clip having an
inwardly directed arcuate surface made of a resilient material
disposed over a portion of the upper surface of said second
horizontal position at the terminal edge thereof a portion of said
clips being disposed contiguously in contacting relationship below
a portion of a bottom surface of said removable ceiling tile to
support the same, said clip having a lip projecting downwardly
therefrom, especially a clip where arcuate portion is joined to the
portion in contact with the bottom surface of the removable ceiling
tile by a contour member disposed along the vertical edge of the
removable ceiling tile.
Inventors: |
Moeller; Wolfgang (Glen Head,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
27013868 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/392,408 |
Filed: |
August 30, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/506.08;
52/127.6; 52/506.07 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
9/26 (20130101); E04B 9/003 (20130101); Y10T
403/602 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
9/22 (20060101); E04B 9/00 (20060101); E04B
9/26 (20060101); E04b 005/52 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/127,484,497,496,498,502,489,144,145,476,488,492,509,494,495,357,475
;98/4D,4DL ;240/9A,9R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
848,847 |
|
Sep 1960 |
|
GB |
|
1,037,172 |
|
Jul 1966 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Murtagh; John E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burgess, Dinklage & Sprung
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a suspended ceiling tile construction comprising a generally
inverted T-shaped hanger means, a first horizontal portion of which
supports a permanent ceiling tile and the second horizontal portion
of which extends towards a removable ceiling tile, the generally
vertical member of said inverted T-shaped hanger means provided
with means to suspend the hanger means from a permanent ceiling,
the improvement which comprises a clip running horizontally and
having an arcuate surface directed toward said removable tile made
of a resilient material disposed over a portion of the upper
surface of said second horizontal portion at the terminal edge
thereof, a portion of said clip running horizontally and being
disposed contiguously in contacting relationship below a portion of
a bottom surface of said removable ceiling tile to support the
same, said clip having a lip portion projecting downwardly
therefrom.
2. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein the arcuate portion
of the clip is joined to the portion in contact with the bottom
surface of the removable ceiling tile by a contour member disposed
along the vertical edge of the removable ceiling tile.
3. An improvement according to claim 2 wherein the arc of said clip
is integral with a vertical riser in turn connected to a descending
generally vertical member, which generally vertical member faces
said arc.
4. An improvement according to claim 2 wherein the contour member
is a generally U-shaped member adaptable to engage a portion of the
terminal edge of the removable ceiling tile.
5. An improvement according to claim 4 wherein the clip has an
angularly disposed portion which extends above the upper surface of
removable ceiling tile to join a generally vertically descending
member in turn connected to a generally parallel portion which
terminates in a second vertical portion in turn terminating into a
horizontal ledge generally parallel to said horizontal portion the
region between said horizontal portion and said horizontal ledge
accommodated by a portion of the terminal edge of the removable
ceiling tile.
6. In a suspended ceiling tile construction having a hanger member
having a generally horizontal lip extending toward a removable
ceiling tile said construction having a permanent ceiling tile
abutting said hanger member on one side thereof and said removable
ceiling tile abutting said hanger member on the other side thereof
said construction improved by a clip having an inwardly directed
arcuate surface made of a resilient material disposed over a
portion of the upper surface of the horizontal lip at the terminal
edge thereof a portion of said clip being disposed contiguously in
contacting relationship below a portion of a bottom surface of said
removable ceiling tile to support the same said clip having a lip
projecting downwardly therefrom.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to suspended ceiling tile construction. More
particularly, this invention relates to an improved simple device
for removable securing a removable ceiling tile to a stationary
ceiling tile disposed in a juxtaposition thereof, both of said
ceiling tiles being in a suspended ceiling tile construction.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the assembly of suspended ceiling tiles framed members generally
speaking are secured to the permanent ceiling via frames which
descend vertically and define what is known in the trade as a
Z-bar. The Z-bar is either in the shape of the letter H turned
90.degree., or in the shape of a Z with the bottom horizontal
member extending on either side of the vertical member. Generally,
speaking a Z-bar is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,179. As seen
therein the Z-bar is affixed to the permanent ceiling by use of
separate clamp means and a suitable fastener such as a screw.
The Z-bar carries the suspended ceiling tiles which are
appropriately mounted against the lowermost generally horizontal
member. When it is desirous to dispose against a permanent ceiling
tile a removable ceiling tile the prior art has provided a bracket
means engageable with the Z-bar which is adapted to extend over a
portion of the removable panel to be disposed there-against. A
threaded member passes through such bracket and through the panel
itself. There is positioned beneath the removable ceiling tile a
generally circular button which is reciprocally threaded with the
vertically disposed threaded with the vertically disposed threaded
member so that it can be screwed into the portion of the threaded
member extended beneath the removable ceiling tile. The removable
ceiling tile is affixed to the assembly by initially placing the
bracket in position and moving the ceiling tile into position
effecting creation of a hole through the ceiling tile to
accommodate the vertically positioned threaded member. When the
ceiling tile is in place the generally circular button is screwed
onto the portion of the threaded member extending beneath the
ceiling tile.
When it is desired to remove the ceiling tile the button must be
completely removed from the assembly before the removable ceiling
tile can be lowered. When removed the space occupied by the
removable ceiling tile still contains the bracket member which
extends inwardly from the edge of the permanent ceiling tile. When
one bears in mind that a present reason for providing removable
ceiling tiles in commercial installation is to provide access to
structural members such as wires and airconditioning ducts, it is
seen that it is a decided disadvantage to have a projecting bracket
in the limited space provided in which to carry out the inspection
of or modification to the structural members. Specifically, the
average workman can readily harm himself or his clothing when
working in such narrow space because he will undoubtedly come into
engagement with the relatively permanent bracket on which to fasten
and secure the removable ceiling tile via the button.
There is still another decided disadvantage which resides in the
fact that the button must be removed free of the balance of the
assembly. Bearing in mind its small size it can readily get lost
thereby necessitating the replacement of the button and the
additional nuisance when it is time to reinsert the ceiling tile. A
third distinct disadvantage of the ceiling tile construction
resides in the fact that it is necessary to make a hole completely
through the ceiling tile to accommodate the threaded member. Such
is difficult to do without creating a mess and without undoubtedly
mutilating the removable ceiling tile.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a simple
means for securing a removable ceiling tile to a permanent ceiling
tile. It is an object of this invention to provide a means to
secure the removable ceiling tile to the Z-bar or other hanger
means whereby the means employed consist of only one part. It is
further object of this invention to provide a clip means for
securing a removable ceiling tile to a hanger means employed in
suspended ceiling tile structure which clip means is removed the
removable ceiling tile when the same is removed from the hanger
means which carry the common ceiling tile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly, this invention contemplates an improvement in a suspended
ceiling tile construction comprising a generally inverted T-shaped
hanger means, a first horizontal portion of which supports a
permanent ceiling type and a second horizontal portion of which
extends toward a removable ceiling tile, the generally vertical
member of said T-shaped hanger means provided with means to suspend
the hanger means from a permanent ceiling tile, said improvement
comprising a clip having an inwardly directed arcuate surface made
of a resilient material disposed over a portion of the upper
surface of said second horizontal portion at the terminal edge
thereof, a portion of said clip being disposed contiguously in
contacting relationship with a portion of a bottom surface of the
said removable ceiling tile to support the same, said clip having a
lip projecting generally downwardly therefrom.
In a particularly desirable embodiment there is contemplated such
an improved suspended ceiling tile construction wherein the arcuate
portion of the clip is joined to the portion in contact with the
bottom surface of the removable ceiling tile by a contour member
disposed along the vertical edge of the periphery of the removable
ceiling tile in facing relationship with the edge of an abutting or
facing permanent ceiling tile.
The present invention further contemplates such a clip which clip
comprises an arcuate lip of a resilient material, the arc of which
faces a generally vertical member of said clip which generally
vertical member terminates in a generally horizontal ledge having
connected thereto a generally vertical lip member. There is
especially contemplated a clip of a continuous resilient sheet
material having at one end thereof a terminal arcuate member
angularly connected to a generally vertical portion on said clip
which generally vertical portion is in facing relationship with
said arcuate member, said vertical portion having a generally
horizontal portion disposed beneath said vertical portion, said
horizontal portion terminating in a second vertical portion, in
turn, joined to a horizontal ledge generally parallel to said
horizontal portion, said ledge provided with the generally vertical
lip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The present invention can be more readily understood and
appreciated when reference is made to the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a suspended ceiling
construction according to the present invention showing a permanent
ceiling tile held by a generally inverted T-shaped member said
permanent ceiling tile in facing relationship edge wise with the
edge of a removable ceiling tile held in position on the inverted
T-shaped member by a resilient clip member;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the method by which the
removable ceiling tile is removed from the hanger means holding the
permanent ceiling tile; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clip member disposed along the
periphery of the removable tile seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings herein FIG. 1 shows a generally inverted
T-shaped hanger means 2 connected to a support for which, in turn,
can be connected to a permanent ceiling. The combination of
inverted T-shaped member 2 and horizontal member 4 can be
considered as the Z-bar. For the description of the present
invention it is only necessary to consider that portion of the
Z-bar which represents an inverted T or a horizontal leg thereof.
There is disposed about a first horizontal portion 6 of the
inverted T member 2 a permanent ceiling tile 8. Permanent ceiling
tile 8 contains a groove 10 of a size corresponding to the
thickness of the first horizontal member 6. Ceiling tile 8 has a
lower lip 12 which is disposed beneath the vertical section 14 of
the generally inverted T-shaped hanger means 2.
In facing relationship with the edge 16 of the permanent ceiling
tile 8 is an edge 18 which constitutes one of the vertical edges of
the removable ceiling tile 20. Removable ceiling tile 20 comprises
the first vertical edge 18, a horizontal portion 22 and a generally
vertically portion 24. Disposed about the periphery of the terminal
edge of removable ceiling tile 20 is a clip member of the present
invention which is a generally strip material of a resilient
substance formed in the configuration shown in FIG. 3.
Referring to FIG. 3 which shows the clip member from the opposite
direction to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the clip member has an
arcuate lip 32 and rises angularly by a surface 34 to meet a
generally vertical portion 36 which terminates in a first
horizontal portion 38. Horizontal portion in turn is connected to a
second vertical portion 40 which in turn terminates into a
horizontal ledge 42 which is generally parallel to horizontal
portion 38. Disposed on horizontal ledge 42, such as the end
thereof, is a generally vertical lip member 44.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the clip member of FIG. 3 is inserted
over the edge 18 and overlies the vertical portion 22 of the
removable ceiling tile 20. The horizontal ledge 42 of the clip
member is disposed beneath a bottom surface of the removable tile
20 so as to run contiguosly therewith over a portion of the
surface. The horizontal ledge 42 is in contacting relationship with
a portion 50 of the bottom surface of the removable ceiling tile
20. In actual practice the lower surface 52 of the horizontal ledge
42 will be in general aligned with the lower surface 54 of the main
portion of the removable ceiling tile 20. The horizontal portion 38
and the horizontal ledge 42 are so sized as to receive the edge
member or portion 56 of the removable ceiling tile 20. The
interconnecting second vertical portion disposed between horizontal
portion 38 and horizontal ledge 42 runs along and is contiguous and
in contacting relationship with the facing edge 18 of the removable
ceiling tile 20.
The clip member has an arcuate portion 32 which lies over a
terminal edge 60 of the second horizontal member of the generally
inverted T-shaped hanger means. The material of the clip member is
resilient so that when the clip is in position as shown in FIG. 1
and a force is applied in the direction of the arrow shown therein
as by pulling on the generally vertically extending member 44 the
strip material of the clip will deformed inwardly inasmuch as the
material of the portion 34 of the clip is resilient. This
deformation will be of sufficient magnitude to allow the clip
member to be removed free the terminal edge 60 of the heart of the
second horizontal portion of the generally inverted T-shaped hanger
member.
Similarly when the removable ceiling tile 20 is to be reinserted
the resilient surface of the angularly disposed member 34 will be
such as to permit such surface to be deformed inwardly towards the
generally vertical surface 36. When the generally inwardly directed
arcuate surface 32 reaches the terminal edge 60 of the second
horizontal portion of the generally inverted T-shaped hanger means,
the same will deform inwardly until the terminal edge of the
arcuate portion 32 overlies the terminal edge 60 of the horizontal
portion facing the removable ceiling tile 20.
It is therefore seen that the clip member of the present invention
is a single unitary piece of a resilient material. It is readily
applied to the edge of currently employed removable ceiling tiles
merely by disposing the same along the contour as shown in FIG. 2
and slightly wrapping the same to lodge it in contacting
relationship with the edge of the removable ceiling tile 20. No
additional procedures are required to dispose the same in operative
relationship to the entire suspended ceiling tile assembly. The
ceiling tile is then raised in the position shown in FIG. 2 to that
of the position of FIG. 1.
The clip member of FIG. 3 is made of a resilient material. As such
it can be made of numerous available materials including synthetic
polymer materials as well as metals. The lip member 44 can be of
different colors so that each color can represent a different
function disposed between the permanent ceiling and the ceiling
tile. Thus, when the personnel of a building want to locate, for
instance, plumbing lines they look for the color on vertical lip 44
corresponding to plumbing lines. The lip 44 is then engaged and
pulled slightly in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 to
dislodge the removable ceiling tile 20 from the position shown in
FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2.
It will be understood that other constructions are possible within
the scope of the present invention. Thus, the drawings depict a
particular desirable mode wherein the arcuate portion of the clip
is joined to that portion underlying the removable ceiling tile by
portions which run along the edge contour of removable ceiling tile
and are in facing relationship with the edge 16 of the permanent
ceiling tile. However, is also contemplated that the vertical
portion 24 descends through the body of the removable ceiling tile
20. A horizontal portion is then provided at the terminal edge
thereof to support a portion of removable ceiling tile 20. Such
horizontal portion is provided with a lip member descending
generally vertically therefrom but to serve as a ledge which is
grasped. In such embodiment the clip works essentially the same as
the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. The ceiling tile is
dislodged by virture of the resilient cam-like action which occurs
at the arcuate portion 32 facing the terminal edge 60 of the second
horizontal portion of the inverted T-shaped hanger means 2.
Naturally, the horizontal portion disposed along the bottom age of
the ceiling tile 20 can run in either direction i.e. it can run
towards the space between the paneling ceiling tile and the
removable ceiling tile or it can run in a direction opposite
thereto. In either event the removable ceiling tile is readily
removed from the inverted T-shaped bracket. The clip member stays
positioned on to the removable ceiling tile and does not present an
obstruction when a worker insert his hands into the space provided
by the removal of the removable ceiling tile 20. Therefore, the
operation is as safe as the general construction provides.
Accordingly there is provided a simple effective unitary ceiling
tile construction wherein the clip member employed to engage the
removable ceiling tile comprises only one part and thus there is no
problem of parts being separated from one another as is the case in
the construction of U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,179.
Other advantages of the present invention will be obvious to one of
still in the art after having viewed the above disclosure.
Thus, the terms and expressions used herein have been used as terms
and expressions of illustration and not of limitation as there is
no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of
excluding any equivalents, or portions thereof, its various
modifications and departures from the above disclosure will become
apparent to one skilled in the art.
The clip can of course be used in system having other than an
inverted T-structural hanger member. For instance they can be used
when a Z-bar is used in which case the clip engages over the
horizontal member as described. Thus the invention can be
considered to reside in a suspended ceiling tile construction
having a hanger member having a generally horizontal lip extending
toward a removable ceiling tile said construction having a
permanent ceiling tile abutting said hanger member on one side
thereof and said removable ceiling tile abutting said hanger member
on the other side thereof said construction improved by a clip
having an inwardly directed arcuate surface made of a resilient
material disposed over a portion of the upper surface of the
horizontal lip at the terminal edge thereof a portion of said clip
being disposed contiguously in contacting relationship below a
portion of a bottom surface of said removable ceiling tile to
support the same said clip having a lip projecting downwardly
therefrom.
* * * * *