AU2004100681A4 - Suspension clip - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicants: STIPO KASALO DANIEL KASALO Invention Title: SUSPENSION CLIP The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 SUSPENSION CLIP FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a suspension clip for supporting suspended ceiling systems, of particular but by no means exclusive application in engaging and suspending the top cross rails of suspended ceiling systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Existing suspended ceilings comprise a grid (commonly of steel or aluminum) that supports ceiling panels, and is itself supported by vertical rods. Each of these rods has a hook at its upper end for engaging whatever structure supports the suspended ceiling (such as a rafter or a more permanent ceiling), and is attached to the grid by means of a suitable clip. In one particular existing system, the grid comprises a series of parallel furring channels for receiving the ceiling panels; the furring channels are supported from above by a series of parallel top cross rails disposed at right angles to the furring channels.

"Top cross rail clips" (or "TCR clips") are clipped to the top cross rails, and each of the TCR clips engages a lower, threaded portion of a respective suspension rod.

The TCR clip and the suspension rod are locked together by means of a pair of nuts that are threaded onto the rod and are clamped about a portion of the clip. The height of the ceiling can be adjusted to some extent by adjusting the position on the threaded portion of the suspension rod at which the nuts are clamped about the TCR clip.

However, this arrangement provides very limited height adjustment and, more problematically, height adjustment is difficult to effect as a spanner or wrench is generally required to adjust the nuts, in an environment that is frequently difficult to access. Adjusting the height of a suspended ceiling is therefore time consuming.

3 Furthermore, particular care is required to ensure that the height of the ceiling is adjusted uniformly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides, therefore, a device for providing support in a suspended ceiling system, comprising: a first portion having a member extending therefrom; and a second portion for engaging said first portion, having a plurality of engagement means for engaging said member; wherein one of said first and second portions is removably attachable to a suspended ceiling member, the other of said first and second portions is provided with attachment means for attachment to a support structure, and the height of said ceiling is adjustable by selectively engaging said member with one of said engagement means.

Preferably the member is a tab and the engagement means is an aperture such as a slot. It will be understood, however, that a single engagement means could comprise a plurality of apertures.

Thus, the height of the ceiling can be quickly set or altered by engaging the member with the appropriate engagement means, with the one portion attached to a member of the suspended ceiling and the other to a support structure.

In one particular embodiment, the first portion is removably attachable to the suspended ceiling member, and the second portion is provided with an attachment means for attachment to the support structure.

4 Preferably the attachment means has an attachment aperture for receiving a securing means (such as a bolt, screw, pin, rivet or the like).

Preferably one of said first and second portions is adapted to be clipped to said suspended ceiling member or slid into engagement with said suspended ceiling member.

Preferably said member includes a releasable locking means for releasably engaging said second portion when said first and second portions are engaged and thereby inhibit disengagement of said first and second portions.

Preferably said releasable locking means is a tongue integral with said member.

Preferably said first portion includes a plurality of members.

The member may be substantially perpendicular to a main body of said first portion so that, in use, it is essentially horizontal. Alternatively, the member may be at an acute angle to a main body of said first portion so that the first portion constitutes a hook.

The present invention also provides a method of suspending a suspended ceiling system, comprising: attaching a first portion to a suspended ceiling member; attaching a second portion to a support structure; and engaging said first portion and said second portion; wherein one of said first and second portions has a member extending therefrom, and the other of said first and second portions has a plurality of engagement means for receiving said member, so that said first and second portions can be readily engaged and disengaged to set or 5 adjust the height of said ceiling by engaging said member and one of said engagement means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In order that the invention may be more clearly ascertained, embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is view of a suspension clip according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2A is a side view of the bracket portion of the suspension clip of figure 1; Figure 2B is front view of the bracket portion of figure 1; Figure 2C is a top view of the bracket portion of figure 1; Figure 3A is a side view of the clip portion of the suspension clip of figure 1; Figure 3B is front view of the clip portion of figure 1; Figure 3C is a top view of the clip portion of figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the clip portion of the suspension clip of figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the engagement of the bracket portion and the clip portion of the suspension clip of figure 1; Figure 6 is a side view of the engagement shown in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the clip portion of a suspension clip according to another embodiment, comparable to the view of figure 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT Figure 1 is a view of a device in the form of a suspension clip 10 for supporting a suspended ceiling according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The 6 suspension clip comprises a bracket portion 20 for attachment to a support structure such as a rafter or the like, and a clip portion 30 for engaging a top cross rail of a suspended ceiling. The bracket portion 20 has a plurality of horizontal slots 22; the clip portion 30 has a tab 32 that is receivable by each of slots 22. The length of the suspension clip 10 can be adjusted by inserting tab 32 in a desired one of the slots 22.

Consequently, the height of the suspended ceiling can correspondingly be adjusted. The bracket portion 20 and clip portion 30 are described in greater detail as follows.

Referring to figures 2A, 2B and 2C, the bracket portion is of 0.8 mmn steel with a main or vertical portion 24 approximately 11 cm high and 4.5 cm wide. The bracket portion 20 also includes an integrally formed plate 26 extending perpendicularly from the vertical portion 24 by approximately 3.5 cm.

Vertical portion 24 includes a series of parallel, horizontal slots 22 each approximately 16 x 2 nunmm, and spaced apart vertically 4 mm centre to centre. A pair of stamped vertical grooves 28 is provided on either side of the slots 22 to provide additional rigidity to the vertical portion 24. Grooves 28 to some extent compensate for the loss of rigidity due to the provision of slots 22.

As is apparent from figure 2A, the grooves are convex when seen from the rear of bracket portion 20, and referring to figure 2B concave when viewed from the front of bracket portion Bracket portion 20 is intended to be attached to a rafter or other support structure that, ultimately, will support a suspended ceiling. Consequently, the integrally formed plate 26 is provided with a hole 29 by means of which bracket portion 20 can be attached to that support 7 structure by means of, for example, a bolt, screw or other like fastener.

Referring the figures 3A, 3B and 3C, the clip portion is of mild steel of approximately 0.4 mm thickness. Clip portion 30 has a main body in the form of vertical portion 34 of compable width to that of the vertical portion 24 of bracket portion 20 but, at its upper periphery, narrows progressively to the approximate width of slots 22 of bracket portion 20. Tab 32 extends perpendicularly from the upper end of vertical portion 34 and is, as explained above, adapted to be received by any of the slots 22 of bracket portion 20. Tab 32 is provided with an integral tongue 36 that extends towards vertical portion 34 of clip portion 30. The free end of tongue 36 is below the tab 32 by approximately 1 nun so that, when tab 32 is inserted into a slot 22, the tongue 36 passes entirely through slot 22. When being passed through the slot 22, tongue 36 is urged by the periphery of slot 22 into the plane of tab 32 but, once tongue 36 has passed entirely through slot 22, tongue 22 returns resiliently back to its normal position so that accidental disengagement of bracket portion 20 and clip portion 30 is inhibited. This process is described in further detail below.

Clip portion 30 has an additional tab 38 that has the same width as tab 32 but extends only about as third as far from vertical portion 34 as does tab 32. The vertical distance between tab 32 and additional tab 38 is equal to an integral multiple of the centre to centre spacing of slots 22 so that in use additional tab 38 is generally received by another of slots 22 to add stability to the engagement of bracket portion 20 and clip portion Additional tab 38 could but in this embodiment does not have a tongue comparable to tongue 36 of tab 32.

8 The lower portion of clip portion 30 is bifurcated, thereby defining an intermediate slot 40. Slot 40 also has a widened portion 42. Slot 40 allows a user to readily resiliently distort clip portion 30 so that it can be fitted to a top cross rail. The top cross rail itself is accommodated by widened portion 42, which is shaped to be complementary with the profile of a top cross rail.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of clip portion 30, viewed generally from the rear. In this view it is more apparent how tongue 36 extends rearwardly and downwardly from tab 32.

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, perspective and side views of the engagement of the bracket portion 20 and the clip portion 30. Figure 5 depicts partial engagement, as tab 32 and additional tab 38 are inserted into respective slots 22 in bracket portion 20. In this depiction, tab 32 and additional tab 38 are inserted into slots separated into three intermediate slots.

Figure 6 depicts the ultimate engagement of bracket portion 20 and clip portion 30, with both tab 32 and additional tab 38 extending fully through their respective slots 22. Tongue 36 is shown passed fully through respective slot 22, so tongue 36 is shown in its normal, non-displaced position. As will be apparent from this figure, it is necessary in order to disengage bracket portion 20 and clip portion 30 to push tongue 36 upwards and generally into the plane of tab 32 and then to pull clip portion 30 out of engagement with bracket portion It will be apparent, therefore, that adjusting the total height of the suspension clip 10 can be effected easily and quickly. It should be noted that the range of height adjustment is equal to the centre to centre distance between the uppermost and the lowermost slots 22 in 9 bracket portion 20. It will be appreciated, however, that when tab 32 in clip portion 30 is received by the lowermost slot in bracket portion 20, additional tab 38 will not be received by such a slot. Nevertheless, in some applications this will still be an acceptable configuration.

It will also be appreciated that the bracket portion can be manufactured in a number of different lengths.

Slots 22 would then be provided in only the lower portion of the bracket portion. Alternatively, however, bracket portions of greater lengths can be provided with slots over essentially their entire length, so that during use, such bracket portions can be shortened to a desired length by means of a suitable cutting implement. In some embodiments, the suspension clip may be of a plastics, of aluminium, of an alloy or of another material of sufficient strength. In some cases, therefore, it may be possible to break rather than cut longer bracket portions to length manually.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a clip portion 50 of a suspension clip of another embodiment that in most respects is identical with suspension clip 10 of figure 1.

However, tab 52 of clip portion 50 is disposed at an acute angle to the vertical portion 54 of clip portion 50, so that the clip portion 50 has a hook-like form. This means that engagement of the clip portion 50 and the corresponding bracket portion (not shown but identical with the bracket portion 20 of figure 1) is still more secure, since the weight of a suspended ceiling will tend to maintain the engagement of the clip portion and the bracket portion. Tab 52 is provided with a tongue 56 (essentially identical with tongue 36 of clip portion but tongue 56 is in this embodiment less important owing to the hook-like shape of clip portion 50 so in some application may be unnecessary. Hence, in some 10 embodiments a tongue may not be provided. Indeed, it may be found that, even with the configuration of the clip portion of figure 1, the tongue is not necessary.

Modifications within the scope of the invention may be readily effected by those skilled in the art. It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described by way of example hereinabove.

In the claims that follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise owing to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Further, any reference herein to prior art is not intended to imply that such prior art forms or formed a part of the common general knowledge.

Claims (3)

1. 2. A device as claimed in claim i, wherein said first portion is removably attachable to the suspended ceiling member, and said second portion is provided with the attachment means.
2. 3. A device as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, wherein said member is a tab and each of the engagement means is a slot for receiving said member.
3. 4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said member includes a releasable locking means for releasably engaging said second portion when said first and second portions are engaged and thereby inhibit disengagement of said first and second portions. A method of suspending a suspended ceiling system, comprising: attaching a first portion to a suspended ceiling member; 12 attaching a second portion to a support structure; and engaging said first portion and said second portion; wherein one of said first and second portions has a member extending therefrom, and the other of said first and second portions has a plurality of engagement means for receiving said member, so that said first and second portions can be readily engaged and disengaged to set or adjust the height of said ceiling by engaging said member and one of said engagement means. Dated this 17th day of August 2004 STIPO KASALO and DANIEL KASALO By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia