CA2120985A1 - Wooden modular retrofit to a t bar ceiling - Google Patents

Abstract

This is a decorative wooden retrofit trim which attaches to the T bars of an existing T bar ceiling via clinched over channel brackets. This is a modular system with interchangeable pieces. With the exception of the shortened pieces that have to abut to the wall pieces, where full size tiles might not be used because of uneven dimensions of the room. The rest, more central wooden pieces, are the length of the T-bar from crossing to crossing Each piece has wedge shaped ends, with reveal cuts to accentuate the joints ,therefore making the joints attractive.

Description

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Background of the invention After having installed many T bar ceilings, it became evident that although the ceiling was ver,v practical, the hard metal finish of the T bars, often clashed with the wooden decor of the rest of the room. A first attempt to make the T bars more attractive, was to rnake the T bars out of wood. This proved to be very labor intensive, and since the wood trim also had to support the ceiling panels, the wooden trim strips had to be long, and tended to warp.
A solution was sought that would allow the wooden trim pieces to be shorter so that warping would not be a problem. The solution was to make the pieces the length of the T bar, from crossing to crossing, and to support the wooden trim pieces to the existing T bars via the two types of tin channel clinch brackets of Fig. 4 item 2 and Fig.11 item 8. The problem of poorly fitting joints was over come, by having the four trim pieces join as four wedges, with reveal cuts to make the joints obvious and decorative. The result was a beautiful ceiling trim.

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2l2~q~5 Specihcations and detailed description The common pieces of the ceiling trim (as viewed from below are shown in Fig 1 as item ~1) are the length of the T-bar ceiling from crossing to crossing.Each one of these common pieces is wedge shaped at each end with reveal cuts on both sides of each wedge, as shown in Fig.1. Although the reveal cuts could be just beveled edges, more decorative reveal cuts could be used.
The top of each common trim piece(item 1 ) has a channel ,the width of the flat bottom of the T bar cut along irs entire length as shown in Fig 2. A cross sectional view of the same channel is shown in Fig 3 The tin channel brackets (shown in fig 4 as item 2) are stapled into the channel as shown in fig 5, The cross sectional view of this is shown in fig 6. The staple is shown as item3 Fig 7 shows a cross sectional view of a common trim piece (item1) in place up against the bottom of the T bar, such that the bottom flat part of the T-bar is seated in the bottom of the tin channel bracket, but Wore the channel brackethas been clinched over. (The T-bar is shown as item 4). Fig 8 shows a cross sectional view of the common trim piece (item1) attached to the T bar (item 4) via the clinched over channel bracket (item 2) Fig 9 shows a shortened trim piece (item 5) abutting to the perimeter trim piece (item 6) (This view is from below, looking up at the ceiting). Fig 10 shows the same shortened trim piece abutting to the perimeter trim piece from a side view. This side view shows more clearly the reveal cut Fig 11 shows one of the wall channel bracket ~item8) that is used to support the perimeter trim pieces(item 6). Fig12 shows a cross sectional view ofthe perimeter trim piece (item 6), and Fig13 shows the wall channel bracket (item 8) stapled to the perimeter trim piece. The staple is shown as item 9.
Fig 14 shows the original T-bar ceiling edging(item 10) before the wooden trim piece is attached. Fig 15 shows the wooden perimeter trim piece (item6) attached but not yet clinched to the existing T-bar ceiling wall edging (item 10).
Note item 10, (the edgina) may have to be pried away from the wall by about 1116th of an inch to allow item 8 (the channel bracket~ to slide in behind it. Fig 16 shows a wall trim piece(item6) permanently attached to the original T-bar edging(item !0) via the clinched over wall channel bracket (item 8) -i~ 17 5hl~ phct~ ~:Q,I~ l ,~h ~f~ ~m~le~e~ ~e l r~.

2 l2~q~5 Summary The clinched over channel brackets hold the decorative wooden trim pieces onto the existing T-bar ceiling by wrapping the channel brackets around the T-bars. Because the trim pieces are short warping is not a problem. And because of the reveal cuts the joints are decorative rather than unsightly. The system is modular therefore all the perimeter pieces are interchangeable and all the central field pieces are interchangeable

Claims

In summary the patent claim is for:
(1) a retrofit wooden trim that attaches to an existing T-bar ceiling via clinched over channel brackets that wrap around the T-bars.
(2) All joints have reveal cuts to make the joints decorative.
(3) This is a modular system with interchangeable parts.