EP0652337A1

EP0652337A1 - Suspension device for a supporting profile of a ceiling or the like

Info

Publication number: EP0652337A1
Application number: EP93203098A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pieter Marcel De Graaf
Original assignee: Maars Holding BV
Current assignee: Maars Holding BV
Priority date: 1993-11-04
Filing date: 1993-11-04
Publication date: 1995-05-10

Abstract

Suspension device for a supporting profile (20) of a ceiling. The device consists of a top elongated bearing part (4) and a bottom bearing unit (1), consisting of a bottom elongated bearing part (2) of flat material, and a resilient bracket (3) with diverging legs (5a, 5b), each with an opening (8a, 8b). The top bearing part (4) is inserted through the openings (8a, 8b) of the bracket legs (5a, 5b) and is fixed in the openings (8a, 8b) as the result of tilting and the resilience of the bracket legs (5a, 5b). The bottom bearing part (2) has a bottom suspension end which is suitable for suspending the profile (20) therefrom. After coupling of the bottom bearing unit (1) to the supporting profile (20), the legs (5a, 5b) of the bracket (3) extend essentially at right angles to the profile (20). The bottom suspension end of the bottom bearing part is formed as a hook (11) with an upward bent lip (13) parallel to the flat material of the bottom bearing part (2). The hook (11) is suitable to be inserted through an opening (25) of a vertical part (21) of the supporting profile (20). The bottom bearing part (2) has a resilient tongue (14) bent towards the side of the lip (13), and a bottom end of which is a free end and ends just above the vertical part of the profile (20).

Description

The invention relates to a suspension device according to the preamble of claim 1.
A suspension device of the above type is known from German Patent Specification DE-B-1215334. With the known device the bottom bearing part has horizontal slits through which the legs of the resilient bracket are inserted, so that the base of the bracket lies against the bottom bearing part. Since the legs diverge from the slits, the bracket and the bottom bearing part are prevented from coming apart, so that they form a unit. By bending the two legs of the resilient bracket towards each other, the top and bottom bearing parts can be slid vertically relative to each other. After releasing the legs of the bracket the top bearing part is firmly wedged again against the edges of the openings of the bracket legs. The bottom bearing part has a bottom suspension end consisting of a slit which goes out vertically from the bottom edge of the bottom bearing part and ends in an opening with greater, circular cross-section than the width of the slit. The width of the slit is approximately the same as the thickness of a top vertical part of the supporting profile, and the cross-section of the opening at the end of the slit is approximately equal to the cross-section of a thickened part or bead on the top end of said vertical part of the supporting profile.
The abovementioned document also discloses that, as an alternative, the bottom suspension part and the bracket can be fixed to each other by means of rivets, screws or spot-welding.
The supporting profile of the ceiling is generally an inverted T-shape, on the flanges of which, for example, tiles and light fittings can be placed. The supporting profile is suspended from a fixed ceiling by means of a number of suspension devices. In this case each suspension device and the supporting profile are connected to each other through the bottom suspension end of each suspension device being slid from the end of the supporting profile over the top thereof with the thickened part or bead. Therefore, after the supporting profile has been suspended, the fitting of additional suspension devices, or removal thereof if they are too much in the way, is very time-consuming.
Since the bottom bearing part is relatively broad, both in the vicinity of the bracket and in the vicinity of the slit and the opening of the bottom suspension end thereof, this makes it difficult to fit, for example, tiles and light fittings on the supporting profiles of the ceiling and/or the supporting flanges of the supporting profile must be relatively broad, which makes fitting of the ceiling expensive, or can give the ceiling an unattractive appearance.
The supporting profiles are often rolled and consist of two layers of sheet material, in which the top bead is hollow. In order to limit the production costs thereof, full right or acute angles are not possible in practice here. The dimensions of the slit and the opening of the bottom suspension end of the bottom bearing part are therefore fairly critical. In this connection, the bottom bearing part must also be prevented from accidentally shooting over the bead, as the result of twisting thereof. It is therefore necessary for the material at either side of the slit and the opening of the bottom suspension end to be rigid, the result of which is that the bottom bearing part is thick, and therefore difficult to process and expensive.
Since the bottom bearing part and the resilient bracket are made of different materials, connecting them together is also difficult and relatively expensive. As described in the abovementioned document, screwing or spot-welding together has major disadvantages.
The top bearing part generally has a top suspension end by means of which the device is suspended from an eye attached to the fixed ceiling beforehand. It is time-consuming and sometimes impossible - for example because of the presence of hard grit in a concrete fixed ceiling - to fit the eyes at precisely desired places and distances on the fixed ceiling. It is also possible that there are locally differing, i.e. asymmetrical, loads on the supporting profiles of the ceilings. Therefore it is sometimes desirable for the suspension devices to be able to hang obliquely. However, since the known suspension device can slide over the bead of the T-shaped supporting profile, the known device tends to hang vertically from an initially desired slanting position. This can deform the ceiling, which can damage the ceiling and can give the ceiling an unattractive appearance.
The object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known suspension device.
For this purpose, the invention primarily provides a suspension device according to claim 1. As a result, the suspension device is of very small width, viewed at right angles to the supporting profile. In addition, the device is easy to place extra and to remove, while after the installation of the ceiling it is still securely locked relative to the supporting profile. Since the supporting profile is suspended from a bottom hook of the device, the thickness of the bottom bearing part can be limited. Therefore, in addition and if desired, the width of the T-shaped profile can be limited, which can give a more attractive appearance.
The tongue is preferably a part pressed out of the material of the bottom bearing part. This means that the bottom bearing part including the tongue is made of the resilient material of the tongue, which is used for locking the bottom bearing part on the supporting profile, which makes the bottom bearing part including the tongue simple and cheap to produce.
The bracket is preferably a part pressed out of the material of the bottom bearing part. This reduces the number of parts of the device by one, and the bottom bearing part can consist entirely of the relatively thin, resilient and cheap material of the bracket.
The lip preferably extends upwards to against a top bead of the profile. This prevents rotation of the bottom bearing part about a vertical axis relative to the supporting profile. Since one side of the flat bottom bearing part lies against the bead, this prevents undulating of the supporting profile in a horizontal plane.
The bottom bearing part preferably has such a bend about a horizontal axis below and in the vicinity of the bracket that the bracket extends essentially the same distance on either side of a vertical plane through a bearing part of the hook of the bottom bearing part. The result of this is that at either side of the vertical part of the T-shaped supporting profile as much space as possible is created for manoeuvring, for example, tiles and light fittings which have to be fitted on the edges of the profile.
Preferably the lip has a smaller width than the remainder of the bottom bearing part, and at the side of the bottom bearing part with the bracket the width of the hook gradually increases upwards from a bearing part of the hook. By this in a slanting position of the device relative to the profile in the vicinity of the hook, the bead of the profile is not found to be a hindrance.
Dutch Patent Specification NL-C-142755 discloses a suspension device consisting of a top bearing part of bar material, a bracket and a bottom bearing part of bar material. The bottom bearing part is connected to the bracket in such a way that it does not slide. The bottom bearing part has a bottom end which is bent in the form of a hook and which is intended for insertion through an opening of a vertical part of a supporting profile, for suspension of the profile therefrom. The bottom bearing part is not locked to the profile, so that they can come apart from each other after coupling. In order to prevent this, the hook could be pinched shut after the profile has been suspended, but this makes subsequent removal thereof very difficult. Because of the bar-type material of the bottom bearing part and the shape of the hook the hook has a disadvantageously great width near the supporting profile. The bracket and the bottom bearing part have to be made separately and are fairly difficult to be coupled to each other, which makes the suspension device expensive.
The invention is explained with reference to the drawings of a preferred embodiment of a suspension device according to the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a front view of a bottom bearing unit of a bottom bearing part and a bracket of a suspension device according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows a side view of the unit of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the unit of Fig. 1 with a part of a top bearing part, and coupled to a supporting profile; and
Fig. 4 shows a side view of the arrangement of Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 shows, in a vertical use position thereof, a front view of a bearing unit 1, hereinafter also called bottom bearing unit, consisting of a bottom bearing part 2 and a bracket 3. The bottom bearing unit 1 together with a top bearing part forms a suspension device for a supporting profile 20 (see Figs. 3 and 4) of a ceiling. Figs. 3 and 4 show a part of such a top bearing part 4. As known per se (see, for example, NL-C-142 755 and DE-B-12 15 334), the top bearing part 4 can consist of a straight bar with a bent top end (not shown, see NL-C-142 755).
Fig. 2 shows a side view of the bottom bearing unit 1. The bottom bearing part 2 and the bracket 3 are formed from one piece of resilient, relatively thin sheet material. The bracket 3 consists of two legs 5a, 5b with a base 6 between them. The bottom leg 5a is pressed out of the material of the bottom bearing part 2, so that the bottom bearing part 2 has an opening 7. Each leg 5a, 5b has an opening 8a, 8b with a common vertical axis 9. A vertical reinforcement rib 10 is pressed into the base 6 of the bracket 3.
The cross-section of each of the openings 8a, 8b of the bracket 3 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the top bearing part 4. When the top bearing part 4 is being coupled to the bottom bearing unit 1 of the suspension device, the legs 5a, 5b of the bracket 3 are bent towards each other in a manner known per se, and the bar-type top bearing part 4 is inserted through the openings 8a, 8b. The legs 5a, 5b are then released, with the result that the bar-type top bearing part 4 is wedged firmly against the edges of the openings 8a, 8b. After the device has been suspended by means of the top, bent suspension end of the top bearing part 4, the top bearing part 4 and the bottom bearing unit 1 can be slid vertically relative to each other in the same way.
The bottom bearing part 2 of the bearing unit 1 has a bottom suspension end which is designed in the form of hook 11. The hook 11 has a bearing part 12 in its lowest part. The hook 11 extends from the body of the bottom bearing part 2 by way of the bearing part 12 to an upward bent lip 13.
In the bottom part of the bottom bearing part 2 a tongue 14 is pressed out in the direction of the axis 9, so that the bottom part of the bottom bearing part 2 has an opening 15 (Fig. 3). The bottom edge of the tongue 14 is rounded in a plane parallel to a tilting axis thereof.
Figures 3 and 4 show the bottom bearing unit 1 connected to a supporting profile 20, which is essentially an inverted T-shape with a vertical part 21 and bottom supporting flanges 22 at either side of the vertical part 21. At the top side the vertical part 21 has a thickened part or bead 23. The vertical part 21 has vertical slits, such as the slit 24, which serve for coupling of similar supporting profiles extending at right angles to the profile 20 shown in Figures 3 and 4, and narrowed ends of which project through such slits 24. The vertical part 21 of the profile 20 also has openings 25 which are suitable for allowing through the end with the lip 13 of the hook 11 of the bottom bearing part 2.
At either side of an opening of the supporting profile through which it is inserted, the hook 11 could be the same width as the body of the bottom bearing part 2. However, a relatively narrow part of the hook 11 at the side thereof with the lips 13 will suffice, which means that round openings 25 with smaller cross-section, which are simpler and cheaper to provide in the vertical part 21 of the profile 20, will suffice.
At the side of the bottom bearing part 2 with the bracket 3, the bottom bearing part 2 could remain the same width downwards to the bearing part 12 of the hook 11. However, as shown in Fig. 1, the width of the hook 11 preferably decreases gradually from the body of the bottom bearing part 2 to the bearing part 12 of the hook 11. By this the suspension device can be placed and maintained better in a slanting position.
The hook 11 preferably extends with straight faces downwards to a point. By this the hook 11 causes minimal hindrance during the manoeuvring of, for example, tiles and light fittings in the vicinity of the hook 11.
The width of the hook (according to the views of Figures 2 and 4, at right angles to the profile 20) is preferably such and the lip 13 preferably extends so far upwards that the bead 23 of the profile 20 touches the body of the bottom bearing part 2 and the lip 13. This makes the width of the bottom bearing unit minimal, so that manoeuvring of, for example, tiles and light fittings between the various profiles 20 is facilitated. In addition rotation of the bottom bearing unit 1 about the vertical axis 9 is prevented then, with the result that undulation and twisting of the profile 20 in a horizontal plane is prevented.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the dimensions of the bottom bearing unit 1, in particular of the tongue 14, are selected in such a way that the bottom end of the tongue 14 rests against the top side of the bead 23 of the profile 20. This means that accidental vertical movement, and thus decoupling of the bottom bearing unit and the profile 20, is prevented. Depressing the tongue 14 unlocks the coupling, and the bearing unit 1 can easily be fitted and removed.
Between the bracket 3 and the hook 11 of the bottom bearing unit 1, the bottom bearing part 2 has a bend 30, along which the part of the bearing unit 1 above that is bent away so much further from the common axis 9 that the bracket 3 extends essentially the same distance on either side of the axis. This means that on either side of the profile 20 the same amount of space is provided on those two sides for manoeuvring, for example, tiles and light fittings with equal ease.
The embodiment of the suspension device according to the invention shown in the figures is a very advantageous embodiment because it is made in a simple cheap way from a single piece of flat resilient material, it has a minimum width over a height up to almost the bracket 3 thereof, it permits the use of narrow supporting flanges 22 of the supporting profiles 20, it can be coupled to and decoupled from a supporting profile 20 in a quickly and easily lockable manner, and it permits and ensures a desired alignment of the various supporting profiles. Due to the fact that the suspension device can be connected to the profile 20 in such a way that it does not slide, the suspension device can be placed at an angle relative to the profile without any problem. Any hindrance of the tongue 14 is prevented here through the fact that, as stated, the tongue 14 is rounded at the bottom side. The abovementioned minimum width at right angles to the profile 20 has the advantage that a relatively large amount of space is provided for manoeuvring, for example, tiles or light fittings. An advantage of this is that, after installation of the lowered ceiling, if persons have to work in the space above the lowered ceiling and have no knowledge of the construction, in particular of the position and the shape of the suspension device, the risk of damage to, for example, the tiles when they are moved is reduced considerably. On the other hand, in the past, when prior art suspension devices were used, damage to tiles often occurred in such situations, and damaged tiles often had to be replaced.
Embodiments in which the bracket and the bottom bearing part are separately manufactured parts which are connected after manufacture are also possible within the scope of the invention.
Within the scope of the invention the top bearing part can be in various forms and cross-sections and can be made of, for example, flat material.

Claims

Suspension device for a supporting profile (20) of a ceiling, which device consists of a top elongated bearing part (4), a bottom elongated bearing part (2) of a flat material, and a resilient bracket (3) with diverging legs (5a, 5b), each with an opening (8a, 8b), the top bearing part (4) being inserted through the openings (8a, 8b) of the bracket legs (5a, 5b) and the top bearing part (4) being fixed in the openings (8a, 8b) as the result of tilting and the resilience of the bracket legs (5a, 5b), the bottom bearing part (2) has a bottom suspension end which is suitable for supporting the profile (20), and the bottom bearing part (2) and the bracket (3) form a unit (1), the bracket legs (5a, 5b) of which extend essentially at right angles to the flat material of the bottom bearing part (2), characterized in that the bottom suspension end of the bottom bearing part is formed as a hook (11) with an upward bent lip (13) parallel to the flat material of the bottom bearing part (2), the hook (11) being suitable for inserting through an opening (25) of a vertical part (21) of the supporting profile (20), while the bottom bearing part (2) has a resilient tongue (14) which is bent towards the side of the lip (13), and a bottom end of which is a free end and ends just above the vertical part (21) of the profile (20).
Suspension device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tongue (14) is a part pressed out of the material of the bottom bearing part (2).
Suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bracket (3) is a part pressed out of the material of the bottom bearing part (2).
Suspension device according to claim 3, characterized in that the bracket (3) has a vertical reinforcement rib (10) in a base part (6) thereof.
Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lip extends upwards to against a top bead (23) of the profile (20).
Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom bearing part (2) has such a bend about a horizontal axis below and in the vicinity of the bracket (3) that the bracket (3) extends essentially the same distance on either side of a vertical plane through a bearing part (12) of the hook (11) of the bottom bearing part (2).
Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lip (13) has a smaller width than the remainder of the bottom bearing part (2), and at the side of the bottom bearing part (2) with the bracket (3) the width of the hook (11) gradually increases upwards from a bearing part of the hook (11).
Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sides of the hook (11) extend downwards with essentially straight faces to a point.
Suspension device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom edge of the resilient tongue (14) is rounded in a plane through a tilting axis of the tongue.