GB2204073A - Suspended ceiling system and tiles therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a suspended ceiling system comprising a support matrix and a plurality of tiles (74). The tiles (74) are configured so as to be supported by and so as to conceal the support matrix (10). Tiles (74) have a first side face (84) with a lip (88) extending from the back face (76) of the tile. A second side face (82), which extends parallel to the first side face (84), has a lip (90) extending from the front face (78) of the tile (74) and an undercut shoulder (92) adjacent the back face (76) of the tile. A third side face (80) has a lip (94) extending from the front face (78) of the tile. The arrangement is such that the lip (88) of the first side face (84) and the undercut shoulder (92) of the second side face (82) support the tile (74) upon the matrix (10) while lips (90, 94) conceal the matrix (10). <IMAGE>

Description

Title:- SUSPENDED CEILING SYSTEM AND TILES THEREFOR The present invention relates to suspended ceiling systems and tiles therefor.

There are two forms of suspended ceiling system in wide spread use. These are commonly referred to as the lay-in or T-bar system and the Zed system. These systems are illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, respectively.

Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings each include three views, (a) to (c), which in both cases respectively illustrate: a partial perspective view of the support frame; a perspective view of one of the plurality of tiles to be supported upon the frame; and a partial vertical section illustrating the support of the tiles upon the frame.

The conventional T-bar system is illustrated in figure 1. The support frame, as illustrated in figure l(a), comprises a rectangular matrix formed from lengths of T-shaped bar. The support frame 10 is suspended from rafters or similar structural members (not shown) of the building, usually by simple wire supports 14 which hook into aperture provided in the upright portion of the T-bars. That is, the cross-member 16 of the T-bar forms the lowermost part of the frame and the upright 18 extends upwardly. The cross-members 16 actually support the tiles and the support can therefor be considered as a planar matrix.

A plurality of tiles 20 are supported upon frame 10, each tile 20 being located in a interstice of the matrix of the frame. Each tile 20 has a square back face 22 and a square front face 24. The back face 22 is larger than the front face 24 and the four side faces 26 of the tile each comprise a lip 28 which extends from or is a continuation of back face 22, with an inclined surface 30 extending from the base of the lip 28 to the front face 24. Surface 30 is inclined so as to facilitate location of the tiles on the support frame 10 and also add a certain aesthetic attraction.

The assembled arrangement is shown in figure l(c) where it will be seen that the lips 28 rest upon the upper surface of the cross-member 16 of each T-bar 12.

Of course, in the fully assembled condition the cross-members 16 of support frame 10 are visible from the underside of the ceiling. The exposed portions of the support frame 10 are sometimes considered to be unattractive and require the provision and maintenance of a suitable finish, such as paint. As a consequence, an alternative system was developed and this alternative is illustrated in figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

The system illustrated in figure 2 is commonly referred to as the Zed system and this name derives from the shape of the bars 32 used to support the tiles 34.

Referring to figure 2(a), the support frame 36 is far more complex than the T-bar frame shown in figure l(a).

Square section channels 38 are supported from the rafters or other structural members (not shown) of the building by brakcets 40. The plurality of channels 38 are equally spaced apart in a mutually parallel arrangement across the area to be covered by the suspended ceiling. Zed bars 32 are suspended from the channels 38 by clamps 42. It is an important characteristic of this system that the Zed-bars 32 are suspended beneath the channels 38. Although Zed-bars 32 are orthogonal to channels 38, actual support of the tiles is by parallel cross-members which do not form a planar matrix.

The Zed-bars 32 are essentially T-bars with an elongated upright member including an inclined portion 44 which offsets the free end 46 of the upright with respect to the portion 48 which is joined to the cross-member 50. The free end 46 of the upright is doubled back from the offset position so as to form a hook 52. Hook 52 engages a hook configuration 54 provided at the lower portion of each clip 42. A bolt 56 threadedly engages the top surface of clamp 42 and bears upon the upper surface of channel 38 thus drawing the doubled over hook 52 of the Zed-bar against the underside of channel 38 and securing the support structure 36 together.

Support frame 36 accommodates tiles of the form illustrated in figure 2 (b). Each tile 34 has a back face 58 a front face 60 and four side faces. Two of the sides faces, designated by reference numeral 62 are planar and the remaining two sides faces, 64 and 66, are configured so as to support the tile 34 upon the cross-members 50 of the Zed-bars 32. Side faces 64 and 66 are mutually parallel and face 66 includes a lip 68 which extends from or is a continuation of back face 58. Side face 64 has a lip 70, which extends from or is a continuation of. front face 60, and has an undercut shoulder 72 adjacent the back face 58. Lip 68 and undercut shoulder 72 rest upon the upper side of cross-members 50 of Zed-bars 32, thus supporting the tile 34.As will be appreciated from figure 2(c), in the assembled arrangement lip 70 extends across the lower face of cross-member 50, thus the support frame 36 is fully concealed from view. The planar faces 62 of tiles 34 abut each other and the front surfaces 60 of the tiles therefor form a continuous surface. as viewed from beneath the ceiling.

It is immediately apparent that the Zed system involves a significant burden in terms of materials and installation effort, as contrasted with the T-bar system. Additionally, close abutment between the side faces 62 of tiles 34 has the result that even small deviations in tile dimensions can produce a significant cumulative short fall across the width of a ceiling. Any such shortfall must be removed by introducing a small but constant gap between the tiles, which can be tedious.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved suspended ceiling system.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a suspended ceiling system comprising a planar support matrix and a plurality of tiles, wherein the tiles are configured so as to be supported by and so as to conceal the support matrix.

The present invention provides the benefit of the above described Zed system while avoiding the additional material and labour costs associated therewith. This is achieved by use of the support frame such as shown in figure l(a) rather than. shown in figure 2(a). It will be immediately apparent that the system of the present invention canot be implemented using either of the tiles illustrated in figure l(b) or 2(b).

Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tile for use in a suspended ceiling system of the type defined by the first aspect of the invention, the tile having a front face, a back face and four side faces, wherein a first one of the side faces has a lip extending from the back face, a second one of the side faces parallel to the said first one has a lip extending from the front face and an undercut shoulder adjacent the back face, and a third one of the side faces has a lip extending from the front face, the lip of the first side face and the undercut shoulder of the second side face operably supporting the tile upon the support matrix.

Preferably each tile is manufactured by moulding and is provided with an insert of thermally insulating material.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures l(a), (b) and (c) illustrate the known T-bar suspended ceiling system, Figures 2(a), (b) and (c) illustrate the known Zed suspended ceiling system, Figures 3(a), (b) and (c) illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, and, Figures 4(a) and (b) illustrate a modified form of tile for use in the present invention.

In a preferred arrangement the present invention uses the support matrix 10 as illustrated in figure 1 (a). Thus, figure 3 (b) corresponds to figure l(c), although of course the tiles are different. A tile 74 for use in the present invention is shown in a perspective view in figure 3(a). Tile 74 has a back face 76, a front face 78 and four side faces 80,82,84 and 86.

Side face 84 includes a lip 88 which extends from or is a continuation of back face 76. Parallel to side face 34 is side face 82 which has a lip 90 which extends from or is a continuation of front face 78. Adjacent the back face 76, side face 82 has an undercut shoulder 92. Side face 86 is planar and side face 80 has a lip 94 which extends from or is a continuation of front face 78. As can be seen in figure 3(a) the undercut shoulder 92 of side face 82 does not project above lip 94. But lips 90 and 94 merge with each other such that the full front surface of the tile is square.

Tile 74 is supported on support matrix 10 by the undercut shoulder 92 of side face 82 and by the lip 88 of side face 84. This is illustrated in the partial vertical section through the assembled structure which constitutes figure 3(b). Similar to the arrangement shown in figure 2(c), lip 90 of tile 74 acts to conceal the support frame, which in this case is support matrix 10 rather than Zed-bars 32. It should be noted that the upper face 96 of lip 90 is inclined with respect to the horizontal, preferably by an angle such as 20 (this angle is exagerated in figure 3(b)). Inclination of surface 96 assists in installation of tile 74 in support matrix 10.

Contrasting side face 64 of tile 34 with side face 82 of tile 74; the distance between the vertical end faces of lip 90 and shoulder 92 is greater than that between the vertical end faces of lip 70 and shoulder 72. Additionally, the-depth of the undercut of shoulder 92 extends further into the body of the tile, as contrasted with the depth of the undercut of shoulder 72. A further contrast between tiles 74 and 34 is that tile 74 preferably has a reduced overall thickness, which in practice may amount to a difference of approximately 5mm. The main distinguishing features between tiles 74 and 34 is, however, the provision of lip 94 on side face 80 of tile 74. Whereas the planar faces 62 of tiles 34 abut each other, lips 94 are provided on tiles 74 so as to conceal the cross-members which are orthogonal to those engaged by side faces 82 and 84.

Figure 3(c) is a partial vertical section through the assembled system showing the relationship between side faces 80 and 86 of adjacent tiles 74, together with the associated T-bar 12 of the matrix support 10. Lip 94 extends across the width of cross-members 16 of T-bar 12. Thus, lips 90 and 94 of the plurality of tiles 74, in the assembled system, fully conceal the support matrix 10 (from being viewed from beneath the ceiling).

This arrangement therefore achieves the benefit that the front faces 78 of the tiles 74 constitute a continuous ceiling surface, as in the known Zed-system, while retaining the reduced material and labour advantages of the support matrix of the known T-bar system. Additionally, each tile 74 is located in a interstice of the support matrix 10 and thus the previously described potential disadvantage of the Zed system, wherein tolerances between adjacent tiles can result in a cumulative short fall in coverage, is avoided.

Tiles 74 are preferably formed of plaster and are manufactured by moulding.. Front face 78 of the tile may carry a textured pattern which may be coloured. In a most preferred form, tile 74 is provided with an insert 98 of thermally insulating material, that is a material with a higher coefficient of thermal insulation as compared with the material of the tile itself. This is illustrated in figures 4(a) and (b). Figure 4(a) is a perspective view similar to that of figure 3(a) and figure 4(b) is a partial vertical section through the tile shown in figure 4(a). As shown in figures 4(a) and (b), the insert 98 is in the form of a square slab inset in and open to the back face of the tile. Substantially the whole of the back face of the tile is replaced by the insert. Insert 98 may be formed of a material such as a stable phenolic material which not only provides good thermal insulation but.which also has low smoke generation and complements the sound insulation and moisture resistant characteristics of the plaster material of the tile. The thermal insert 98 may be introduced during moulding of the tile so as to facilitate manufacture and avoid the need for separate bonding.

Various modifications of the above described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS:

1. A suspended ceiling system comprising a planar support matrix and a plurality of tiles, wherein the tiles are configured so as to be supported by and so as to conceal the support matrix.

2. A tile for use in a suspended ceiling system as claimed in claim 1, the tile having a front face, a back face and four side faces, wherein a first one of the side faces has a lip extending from the back face, a second one of the side faces parallel to the said first one has a lip extending from the front face and an undercut shoulder adjacent the back face, and a third one of the side faces has a lip extending from the front face, the lip of the first side face and the undercut shoulder of the second side face operably supporting the tile upon the support matrix.

3. A tile as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fourth side face of the tile is planar.

4. A tile as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the lip of the second side face has its surface facing the back face inclined with respect to the front face.

5. A tile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inclined surface is inclined with respect to the front face by an angle of substantially 20.

6. A tile as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, comprising an insert of material having a higher coefficient of thermal insulation than the material of the tile itself.

7. A tile as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the tile is manufactured by moulding.

8. A tile as claimed in claims 6 and 7, wherein the insert is introduced during moulding of the tile.

9. A tile as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the tile is formed of a plaster material.

10. A tiles claimed in any of claims 2 to 9, wherein the front face of the tile carries a textured pattern.

11. A ceiling formed using the suspended ceiling system of claim 1.

12. A suspended ceiling system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference and as illustrated in figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A tile for use in a suspended ceiling system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A tile for use in a suspended ceiling system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.