EP0433389B1

EP0433389B1 - Improvements in or relating to ceiling suspension arrangements

Info

Publication number: EP0433389B1
Application number: EP89910895A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Graham Bennett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-09-09
Filing date: 1989-09-07
Publication date: 1993-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2009-09-07
Also published as: WO1990002857A1; EP0433389A1; AU4320389A; DE68905604D1; DE68905604T2

Abstract

Three parallel support members (12a, 12b and 12c) are each suspended by three rods (14a, 14b and 14c) respectively with the rods having been connected to and slid along the support members during suspension. Planks (16 and 18) connect the support members together rigidly. Wooden slats (26 and 28) are then nailed to the downwardly facing surface of the planks (16 and 18) to completely cover the arrangement from beneath.

Description

The present invention relates to a ceiling suspension arrangement comprising an elongate extruded support member and a plurality of suspension elements, the suspension elements and the support member being adapted such that, when assembled, the suspension elements can be attached to the support member at any position along the length of the support member whereby the support member may depend from the suspension elements, the support member including at least one outwardly facing channel in which a component, when the arrangement is assembled, is supported, the component extending along the channel when the component is supported in the outwardly facing channel of the support member and the component being available to provide support for other parts of the ceiling arrangement.
U.S. Patent No. 3 685 235 (Bajer Industries Inc.) shows a suspended ceiling arrangement in which an elongate insert is provided which is flush with the channel in which it is located and which is available to provide support for other parts.
According to the present invention, a ceiling arrangement is characterised in that the component comprises a wooden component and, when the component is supported in the outwardly facing channel, the component extends downwardly and beyond the outwardly facing channel with the projecting portion of the component being available to provide support for other parts of the ceiling arrangement.
As the support member may depend from the suspension elements, the support member, when so depending tends to maintain its correct vertical alignment with its own weight tending to resist any movement of the centre of gravity of the extrusion away from beneath its region of dependency. Alternatively or additionally, as the suspension elements can be attached to the support member at any extent along the length of the support member, the suspension elements or mountings for the suspension elements can be located in line before attaching the suspension elements to the support member, and the location of the mounting of the upper end of the suspension elements above the support member is not crucial.
The projecting portion of the component, when the arrangement is assembled, may be adapted to have other parts of the ceiling arrangement fastened thereto.
The projecting portion of the component may be arranged to provide an upwardly facing surface for providing support for other parts of the ceiling arrangement.
When the component is supported in the channel, a portion of the outwardly facing channel may co-operate with the component to resist attempted removal of the component from the channel. When the component is supported in the channel, the resistance to attempted removal may be applied along substantially the complete length of the extent of the component within the channel.
The projecting portion of the component may extend beyond at least one side of the support member.
The suspension elements may be arranged to be connected to the support member and may be able to move along the extent of the support member when so connected. The ability of being able to move while being connected enables accurate alignment of the two components to be achieved.
Two suspension elements may be included, arranged to be attached to the support member, with a third suspension element being arranged to be attached to the support member at a location between the other two suspension elements.
In an assembly of a suspended ceiling arrangement as herein referred to at least two elongate extruded support members may be spaced from each other, each being attached to and depending from a plurality of spaced suspension elements, the support members being connected together. The two support members may be located at different heights from each other.
The present invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a suspended ceiling arrangement 10;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the end of an extrusion 30 comprising part of a support member 12;
Figure 3 is a perspective exploded view of two alternative brackets 32 and 34 from which a rod 14 may be suspended from its uppermost end;
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the bracket 34 of Figure 3 in position with a rod 14 extending downwardly therefrom and connected to a support member 12 at its lowermost end, and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified support member 12.

The ceiling arrangement 10 shown schematically in Figure 1 includes three parallel support members 12A, 12B and 12C, each of which are suspended by three rods 14A, 14B and 14C respectively. The support member 12B is suspended between the other members 12A and 12C at a higher elevation than those other members.
The support members 12A and 12B are connected by a series of spaced shaped wooden planks 16, and the support members 12B and 12C are connected by a series of spaced shaped wooden planks 18, although only one of the planks 16 and 18 are shown. The support members and planks form a rigid structure.
Where the planks co-operate with the support members 12A and 12C, and where the plank 18 co-operates with the support member 12B, the planks are shaped to slot over those members.
The planks 16 and 18 are connected together at their upper ends by a tie member 20 which extends through openings in the contacting planks 16 and 18 and has abutments (not shown) which prevent relative movement of the planks and the tie member 20 in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the tie member 20. The tie member 20 will also extend through the other planks along the length of the arrangement, and there may be nine such planks spaced evenly from each other along that extent. In addition to the tie member 20, further tie members 22 and 24 may be provided for the planks 16 and 18 respectively which extend through the series of planks to prevent relative movement of the planks in the direction along the arrangement at a location intermediate the support members. The resistance to the relative movement may be provided by attaching abutments to the planks or tie members or both on one or both sides of the planks.
The planks 16 and 18 present a downwardly facing working surface to which tongued and grooved wooden slats 26 and 28 respectively can be nailed such that a person viewing the arrangement from below may only be able to see the slats 26 and 28.
If desired, the slats 26 and 28 can also be nailed to a downwardly facing wooden surface of the support members 12A and 12C the form of which surface will become apparent when viewing the detailed figures discussed below.
The arrangement is assembled by first locating the end rods 14 on each support member 12 and getting the support member 12 in the required orientation and then fitting the intermediate rod 14 in position with the rod 14 being able to be attached, and its suspension point adjusted after the end rods have been attached to the support member and adjusted. If desired, more than the three rods shown may be attached in which instance the members 12 may be of considerably greater length.
The planks 16 and 18 are then located in position and the tie members 20, 22 and 24 threaded through and secured. Thereafter the slats 26 and 28 are fastened in position.
In alternative embodiments (not shown) adjacent support members may be located at the same elevation. Alternatively or additionally, the downwardly facing surface of the planks may be curved in the extent between the support members to enable slats to present a curved surface.
The extrusion 30 shown in Figure 2 includes a mid flat wall 36 which defines the base of an upwardly extending channel 38 including opposed walls 40 and which also defines the base of a downwardly extending channel 42 including opposed walls 44.
The opposed surfaces of the walls 40 include inwardly directed ridges 46 which can be threadably engaged by the rod 14, as shown in Figure 4. The downwardly extending channel 42 includes a pair of barbed edges 48 on each opposed wall 44 into which a wooden workpiece 50 is arranged to be inserted, as seen in Figures 4 and 5.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the threaded rod 14 is connected to the bracket 34 by an upper nut 52 resting on the top of a plate 54 of the bracket. The rod 14 is located in the position shown by being slid through an open end 56 of the bracket. The bracket is held in place by a pair of screws 58 or other attachments which pass through a plate 60 of the bracket into the roof member 62 through an existing roofing panel 64. The bracket includes a stepped edge 66 between the plates 54 and 60 in order that a tool can be inserted between the panel 64 and the plate 54 to hold or rotate the nut 52 when the rod and nut undergo relative rotation to alter the height of the rod 14. A hole 67 is made in the panel 64 through which the rod 14 extends whereby the degree of adjustment of the height of the rod is increased greatly.
The lower end of the rod threadably engages the inwardly directed ridges 46 such that the support member 12 depends downwardly from the rod.
When setting up the configuration shown in Figure 4, the rod is attached to the extrusion 30 and can be slid along the extrusion whilst remaining connected by virtue of the screw thread of the rod sliding between the ridges 46. The threaded bar or rod is then placed in the position shown and the nut 52 is rotated to bring the support member to the required height. Lock nuts 68 and 70 are then tightened respectively to hold the rod against sliding in the extrusion and to grip the bracket 34 and prevent further rotational movement of the rod. Alternatively, the rod can be supported on the bracket 34 by the nut 52 and adjusted to be approximately in the right position before then rotating the rod to connect it to the extrusion and possibly sliding the rod in the extrusion to align the rod and extrusion before tightening the lock nuts 68 and 70.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), a portion of the nut 52 is removed such that it can be connected to the bar by being pushed from a side of the bar. This feature allows adjustment of the height of the bar to be rapid, with the nut being slid onto the bar from on top of the bracket once the bar is at the desired elevation.
The workpiece 50 shown in Figures 4 and 5 which may be a wooden piece, is pushed or banged into the channel 42 with the barbed edges 48 resisting withdrawal of the piece 50 evenly along the complete length of the extrusion. Alternatively or additionally the removal of the workpiece can be resisted by crimping the walls of the channel to press a portion of the walls of the channel into the workpiece or by screws or nails extending through the walls of the channel or by any other means extending into the workpiece or by glue or any combination thereof. If desired the extrusion may be of plastics or metal such as aluminium.
The exposed surfaces of the workpiece 50 shown in Figure 4 can be used to attach other components of the system such as slats which can be fastened to the workpiece. The workpiece 50 shown in Figure 5 includes a pair of channels 70 and 72, one of which extends outwardly and the other of which extends outwardly and upwardly into which other components of the ceiling arrangement (not shown) may be inserted or may co-operate with.
In a modification or addition to the illustrated arrangement, the rods or attachments can be connected to the upwardly facing channel 38 of the extrusion by locating the attachment into the channel by causing relative translational movement and then causing relative pivotal movement either to bring a portion of the attachment into co-operation with the ridges 40 or to wedge a portion of enlarged diameter into contact with the walls 40 or ridges.
The ceiling arrangement makes it possible to create unrestricted designs for ceilings and suspensions made from timber combined with other relevant materials.
It can be seen that attachments can be secured to the sides or top and bottom of the support members. Furthermore the planks may be pre-shaped and may be attached to the support members by any convenient means such as by screws co-operating with the channel 38 of the extrusion.
In an alternative embodiment one or more of the rods may be indirectly connected to the extrusion via a bracket which bracket is connected to the extrusion by any means as herein described and the bracket may be connected to the rod by suitable means, such as by sliding open ended members through adjacent threads such that the bracket rests on the open ended members.

Claims

A suspended ceiling arrangement (10) comprising an elongate extruded support member (12, 30) and a plurality of suspension elements (14), the suspension elements (14) and the support member (12, 30) being adapted such that, when assembled, the suspension elements can be attached to the support member at any position along the length of the support member, whereby the support member (12, 30) may depend from the suspension elements 14 , the support member including at least one outwardly facing channel (42) in which a component (50), when the arrangement is assembled, is supported, the component (50) extending along the channel when the component (50) is supported in the outwardly facing channel (42), with the component being available to provide support for other parts of the ceiling arrangement, characterised in that, the component comprises a wooden component and, when the component is supported in the outwardly facing channel (42), the component (50) extends downwardly and beyond the outwardly facing channel with the projecting portion of the component being available to provide support for other parts of the ceiling arrangement.
An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 in which the projecting portion of the component, when the arrangement is assembled, is adapted to have other parts of the ceiling arrangement fastened thereto.
An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the projecting portion of the component is arranged to provide an upwardly facing surface for providing support for other parts of the ceiling arrangement.
An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which, when the component is supported in the channel, a portion of the outwardly facing channel co-operates with the component to resist attempted removal of the component from the channel.
An arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 in which, when the component is supported in the channel, the resistance to attempted removal is applied along substantially the complete length of the extent of the component within the channel.
An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the projecting portion of the component extends beyond at least one side of the support member.
An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the suspension elements (14) are arranged to be connected to the support member (12, 30) and to be able to move along the extent of the support member when so connected.
An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim arranged to include two suspension elements (14) attached to the support member (12, 30), with a third suspension element (14) being arranged to be attached to the support member (12, 30) at a location between the other two suspension elements.
An assembly of a suspended ceiling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim including at least two elongate extruded support members (12, 30) spaced from each other, each being attached to, and depending from a plurality of spaced suspension elements (14), the support members being connected together.
An assembly as claimed in Claim 9 in which two support members (12, 30) are located at different heights from each other.