U.S. patent number 3,685,238 [Application Number 05/035,245] was granted by the patent office on 1972-08-22 for coffered ceiling system.
Invention is credited to Richard L. Fisher, Stephan C. Nestel, John C. Niemi.
United States Patent |
3,685,238 |
Fisher , et al. |
August 22, 1972 |
COFFERED CEILING SYSTEM
Abstract
A conventional suspended ceiling grid supports coffer frames,
each frame prefabricated from four sheet metal strips of identical
construction formed with inwardly extending flanges at the top and
bottom and an upturned flange at the inner edge of the top flange,
and groove-forming flanges at a single end of each member receiving
the unflanged end of another of the members, the four members of a
frame being fastened together and then installed to the grid and
topped by a coffer panel.
Inventors: |
Fisher; Richard L.
(Indianapolis, IN), Nestel; Stephan C. (Indianapolis,
IN), Niemi; John C. (Indianapolis, IN) |
Family
ID: |
21881511 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/035,245 |
Filed: |
May 6, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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751972 |
Aug 12, 1968 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/506.07;
52/145; 52/781; 92/145; 52/DIG.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
9/02 (20130101); E04B 9/34 (20130101); E04B
9/06 (20130101); Y10S 52/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
9/06 (20060101); E04B 9/00 (20060101); E04B
9/34 (20060101); E04B 9/02 (20060101); E04b
001/82 (); E04b 005/52 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/484-486,730-732,144,145,656,475,476 ;287/189.36D |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Abbott; Frank L.
Assistant Examiner: Ridgill, Jr.; James L.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 751,972, filed Aug.
12, 1968, now abandoned.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. In a coffered ceiling, the combination comprising:
a plurality of generally upstanding wall members, each of said
members having its ends joined with two others of said members to
form a first coffer frame having a plurality of walls; and
a suspended grid receiving said first coffer frame thereon, said
grid having a plurality of elongated horizontally extending main
runners in parallel horizontally spaced relationship to each other
and having a plurality of elongated horizontally extending cross
runners in parallel horizontally spaced relationship to each other
and intersecting said main runners, the runners of one of said
pluralities of runners having outwardly extending shelves thereon,
one of said wall members of said first frame being rested upon and
supported by one of said shelves on one of said runners, and
another of said wall members on an opposite wall of said first
frame being rested upon and supported by one of said shelves of
another of said runners whereby said first coffer frame is
supported on said grid;
at least two of said wall members having thereon panel support
means and panel locating means adjacent an upper margin
thereof.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein:
each of said wall members has a vertical wall surface portion with
a first inturned flange at the top margin thereof serving as the
said panel support means thereof; and a panel rests on said first
inturned flange of at least two of said wall members to form a
coffer and is confined between said panel locating means said panel
resting loosely on said flanges and being freely movable upward
from said flange to facilitate removal of said panel from said
coffer frame.
3. The combination of claim 2 wherein:
at least one of said members has perforations in said vertical wall
surface thereof and a sound absorbent material is disposed at the
back of said perforated vertical wall surface portion under said
flange.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein:
at least one of said members has perforations in a vertical wall
surface thereof to permit passage of fluid therethrough.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein:
a first two of said members have vertical wall surface portions
with flanges at end margins thereof turned back toward each other
to form facing grooves on each of said members, and;
the other two of said members have vertical wall surface portions
with inwardly turned flanges at end margins thereof received in
said grooves.
6. The combination of claim 1 wherein:
each of said members has a vertical wall surface portion with a
first inturned flange at the top margin thereof providing said
panel support means and an upturned flange at the inner margin of
said inturned flange providing said panel locating means, and a
second inturned flange at the lower margin of said wall surface
portion, and a third inturned flange at an end margin of said wall
surface portion, and an outwardly turned flange beginning at the
inner margin of said third flange and extending generally parallel
to said third flange and providing an outwardly facing vertical
groove to receive the vertical wall portion of another of said
members at an unflanged end thereof.
7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the unflanged end of each of
said members is received in the vertical groove in an adjacent one
of said members and affixed thereto.
8. The combination of claim 6 wherein a panel rests on at least two
of said wall members and between said upturned flanges to form a
coffer.
9. The combination of claim 1 and further comprising:
upstanding webs on said runners;
a plurality of frames like said first frame, said frames being
disposed in adjacent areas of said grid on opposite sides of said
webs,
a plurality of panels, each different one of said panels being
mounted to a different one of said frames to form a coffer.
10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said frames are received
entirely atop said suspended grid, the combination further
comprising:
a second suspended grid above the first mentioned grid, said wall
members having upper flanges extending horizontally over portions
of said second grid, and said panels being received on said wall
members at said flanges.
11. A member for a coffered ceiling, said member comprising:
a wall portion which is longer from end to end than it is high from
the lower margin to the upper margin thereof;
an upper flange inwardly turned at the upper margin of said wall
portion;
a lower flange inwardly turned at the lower margin of said wall
portion;
a third flange inwardly turned from one end margin of said wall
portion, and;
an outwardly turned flange beginning at the inner margin of said
third flange and extending generally parallel to said third flange
and providing an outwardly facing groove between said third flange
and said outwardly turned flange.
12. The member of claim 11 wherein the other end margin of said
wall portion is unflanged and receivable in a groove of another
member like the member defined in claim 11.
13. The member of claim 11 and further comprising:
a locator flange upwardly turned at the inner margin of said upper
flange, said member terminating at the upper margin of said locator
flange.
14. In a coffered ceiling, the combination comprising:
a plurality of coffer frame forming members, each of said members
having its ends joined with two others of said members to form a
first coffer frame, at least two of said members having panel
support means thereon adjacent an upper margin thereof;
a suspended grid receiving said first frame thereon, said grid
having a plurality of elongated horizontally extending main runners
in parallel horizontally spaced relationship to each other and
having a plurality of elongated horizontally extending cross
runners in parallel horizontally spaced relationship to each other
and intersecting said main runners, the runners of one of said
pluralities of runners having outwardly extending shelves thereon,
one of said members of said first frame being rested upon and
supported by one of said shelves on one of said runners, and
another of said members of said first frame being rested upon and
supported by one of said shelves of another of said runners whereby
said first coffer frame is supported on said grid;
a plurality of coffer frames like said first frame, said frames
being disposed in adjacent areas of said grid,
each of said frames being supported on said shelves of said grid
runners independently of each other of said frames.
15. The combination of claim 14 wherein:
said frames are received entirely atop said suspended grid.
16. The combination of claim 14 and further comprising:
a plurality of panels received on said panel support means.
17. The combination of claim 16 wherein:
at least two of said members of each of said frames has panel
locating means adjacent upper margins thereof, with one of said
panels being located between two of said locating means in one of
said frames to form a coffer.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to suspended ceilings and more
particularly to those of the coffered type.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coffered ceilings have been known and used since the early ages of
building construction. Some of the early efforts required great
time, effort, and expense. Some of the more recent work with
ceiling construction of the coffered type has resulted in some
improvements and variations. Examples can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos.
as follows:
2,884,512 Wakefield Apr. 28, 1959 3,277,624 Cornell Oct. 11, 1966
3,359,697 Smith et al. Dec. 26, 1967 Re 25,628 Kruger Aug. 4,
1964
In these times when building construction costs continue to rise
rapidly, there has remained a need for still further cost reduction
in ceiling construction, consistent with favorable appearance,
versatility, and satisfactory performance. The present invention is
directed to achievement of this.
SUMMARY
Described briefly, in a typical embodiment of the present
invention, a coffer frame having the desired exterior appearance
characteristics for the overall design effect to be achieved, is
prefabricated from pre-formed sheet members with appropriate
flanging thereon. The flanges facilitate the mounting thereof in a
conventional suspended grid, as well as serving to receive and
locate coffer panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The full nature of the invention will be understood from the
accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coffered ceiling incorporating
the present invention and viewed from below.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a panel of this ceiling of FIG. 1,
with portions being broken away to illustrate certain features.
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the portion shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a section taken at line 4--4 in FIG. 2 and viewed in the
direction of the arrows.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a typical wall member of one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a section like FIG. 4 but showing an embodiment with a
double grid suspension.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a coffer frame for the double grid
suspension arrangement.
FIG. 8 is a section on a vertical plane and illustrating a
combination coffered and un-coffered ceiling incorporating an
embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a ceiling
using a grid system with main runners 11 and cross runners 12. One
of a number of coffers is provided at 13 and includes panels 14 at
each side of a recessed lighting fixture 16, the entire coffer
being recessed in a frame supported by two of the main runners 11
and two of the cross runners 12. Another coffer is shown at 17 and
does not include a lighting fixture. This coffer also has a coffer
panel 18 frame by four walls supported on two of the main runners
11 and two of the cross runners 12. Details of this arrangement
will be better understood upon reference to FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, we are looking down on the top of the coffer
panel 18, the corners of which are broken away to show details of
the supports therefor. These supports are four identical frame
members 19, 21, 22, and 23. The construction details of these
members can be best appreciated by referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 along
with FIG. 2. In addition to the upstanding wall portion thereof,
(having face 37 in FIG. 4, for example) which happens to be planar
in the illustrated example, there is an inwardly turned flange 24
at the lower margin, and an inwardly turned flange 26 at the upper
margin, an upwardly turned flange 27 at the inner margin of flange
26, an inwardly turned flange 28 at one end margin, and an
outwardly turned flange 29 beginning at the inner margin of flange
28 and extending back outward parallel to flange 28 and forming an
outwardly opening groove 31 between flanges 28 and 29. There is no
flange at the opposite edge 32 of the vertical face of the member.
This latter detail might be more readily apparent upon reference to
member 19 in FIG. 2 wherein the broken out portions of the top
flange 33 thereof help to show that the unflanged edge portion 34
of member 19 is received in the groove 31 of the member 23. It is
secured in this location by suitable means such as the rivet shown,
but a variety of other means might also be used, including spot
welding, for example. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the frame member
23 rests on the outwardly extending lower flange or shelf 36 of the
runner 11. The vertical outer face 37 is virtually flush with the
outer margin 38 of the runner shelf 36. The panel 18 of acoustical
board or other material rests on the upper flange or shelf 26 of
member 23. It rests likewise on the corresponding portions of the
other three members of the coffer frame. It is in this manner that
a coffer is provided in the suspended ceiling supported by the grid
of runners 11 and 12 suspended from an overhead structure by wires
39.
The coffer wall members thus far described can be incorporated in
virtually any conventional suspended ceiling grid. They can be of
virtually any dimensions desired and a variety of materials,
thicknesses, surface finishes, and fastening means can be used.
Standard lighting fixtures can be used within the coffer frame,
either of the surface or recessed types, the latter being
illustrated by way of example at 16 in FIG. 1. The exterior
surfaces such as surface 37 of coffer frame member 23 can be
painted, can have a simulated wood grain finish, or any other
desired finish. A variety of decorative effects can be readily
achieved thereby. Moreover it can have designs thereon, either flat
or elevated. Varieties of perforations can be used such as the air
delivery type slots shown at 41 in FIG. 5, or sound absorbent
circular perforations as at 42.
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the opposite side of the web 43 of
runner 11 can also be provided with a coffer including the coffer
frame members 44, 46, and 47 (the fourth coffer wall member being
deleted to conserve space in the drawing) and the coffer panel 48.
The coffer frame rests on the lower flange or shelf of each of the
four runners defining the coffer area, just as in the previously
described coffer.
There are instances when it might be desirable to employ the
present invention in a ceiling of a type which already has a 2 hour
fire rating. An example is shown in FIG. 6 where, in addition to
the lower grid, a virtually identical upper grid is employed with
runners in vertical projection with those of the lower grid. Runner
11U is an example. It is supported by a loop 49 in the hanger wire
51 in much the same manner as the lower runner 11 is supported by
the loop 52. The coffer wall member 53 has the planar vertical wall
surface 54 in the illustrated example, although non-planar surfaces
might also be used as suggested above with reference to the
previous embodiment. At the upper edge of this wall is an inwardly
turned flange or shelf 56 with an upturned flange 57 at the inner
margin thereof. At the lower margin of the surface 54 is an
inturned flange 58 resting on the shelf of the lower runner 11.
Although the wall member of this embodiment as thus described is
the same as in the previously described embodiment, FIG. 7
illustrates a difference in that the end margins are not flanged in
the same way as in the previously described embodiment. In this
case, as shown in FIG. 7, a reverse turned flange 59 is provided at
one end and flange 62 at the other end, to form facing grooves at
the opposite ends of the member. The wall members forming the two
opposite walls of the coffer are formed in this way. The other two
walls are formed by members 63 and 64 which have inwardly turned
end flanges at 66 and 67, for example on member 63. These flanges
are received in the grooves of the wall members 53 and 68 and
secured thereto by rivets, spot welding or other suitable means. So
it is seen that this coffer frame differs somewhat from the other
one but serves to mount a coffer panel 69 (FIG. 6) to complete the
assembly in a manner similar to that for the previously described
embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a vertical section through a ceiling employing regular
acoustical ceiling board panels 71 supported on some of the runners
11, and similar or identical panels at 72 received on upper runners
11U. In this instance the panels 72 are coffers, and the coffer
frames may be formed of components as shown and described with
reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In this instance also, the space
between the coffer wall members 73 and 74 is batt filled as shown
at 76 which, in cooperation with perforations in the wall members
73 and 74 such as shown at 42 in FIG. 5, serves a sound reduction
purpose.
While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail
in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be
considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as
other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons
skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention,
reference being made to the appended claims.
* * * * *