GB2330593A

GB2330593A - Trim strip for fittings in false ceilings

Info

Publication number: GB2330593A
Application number: GB9822560A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Massimo Gattari
Original assignee: Iguzzini Illuminazione SRL; Iguzzini Illuminazione SpA
Current assignee: Iguzzini Illuminazione SRL; Iguzzini Illuminazione SpA
Priority date: 1997-10-16
Filing date: 1998-10-15
Publication date: 1999-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-15
Also published as: FR2769932A3; ES1041124U; GB2330593B; ES1041124Y; FR2769932B3; CH694101A5; DE29818459U1; IT237980Y1; GB9822560D0; ITMI970741U1

Abstract

A trim strip for finishing apertures in false ceilings, suitable to house, for example, a lighting device, said trim strip being formed of a base profile 100 which comprises two cross pieces or ribs 110, 120 perpendicular to each other so as to be substantially characterised by a rotated T or L shape, said first cross piece 110 positioned inside said false ceiling and said second cross piece 120 forming the external finish to said aperture, having at least one outwardly extending projection 130, 140 thereon, which allow to attach said lighting device.

Description

1 2330593 FRAME FOR FALSE CEILING SLOTS The present invention refers to a

frame for false ceiling slots.

The builtin lighting devices of the traditional type are usually provided with a perimetric abutment frame, which forms an abutment edge to the inner locking means and, at the same time, it has the function of a cover for the hole, made to install the lighting device, and of a finishing motif of the false ceiling edge.

In fact, without a cover plate, the edge of the false ceiling, actually damaged during the cutting operation, is visible to the observe.-.

Further, without said abutment element, it would be 15 impossible to fix the lighting device by abutment against said thickness.

However, the presence of a perimetric frame on flat surfaces, as for instance the ceiling, is not pleasant from the point of view of the architectural aesthetics.

The false ceilings, for this type of products, are usually made of plaster board.

Further, finished or semifinished products are not available, up to now, on the market which would allow to fix a lighting element to the ceiling by using an inner abutment edge, invisible to the observer, even because of the significant problems to manufacture and 2 to introduce said abutment edge inside the false ceiling; in fact, the only possibility to gain access to the false ceiling inner space, is from below and the false ceiling most common thickness commercially 5 available have dimensions of 12.5 and 15 mm.

A purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to realise a frame for false ceiling slots, which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages; i. e. to realise a frame with an inner abutment edge, invisible to the eyesight of a hypothetical observer, which allows to fix a built- in lighting element, which is therefore aligned with the false ceiling.

Another purpose of the present invention is to realise a frame for false ceiling slots having strong edges and having a double function, as an abutment and supporting element and an aesthetic finishing of the false ceiling edge.

A further purpose of the present invention is to disclose a frame for false ceiling slots which is reversible and suitable to be installed on at least two different dimensions of the false ceiling thickness.

The last but not the least purpose of the invention is to realise a frame for false ceiling slots in a simple and cheap way, without the need to use expensive materials or complex technologies.

3 Said purposes are achieved by a frame for false ceilings, according to claim 1, taken as reference.

Advantageously, a frame is realised which is suitable to achieve the above mentioned purposes by using an extruded profile with a particular shape and with proper dimensions; said frame can be inserted inside the false ceiling or it can simply be placed on one of its edges.

The base extrusion is formed by two crosspieces, perpendicular to each other and by two projections, having various configurations, in function of the manufacturing techniques of the frame.

The perpendicular crosspieces can be made in one single piece or "Ehey can be made by extrusion or they can be aggregated together.

The features of the invention will be better understood from the following description and from the attached drawings, related to a non limiting example of embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a base extruded product, suitable to realise frames for false ceiling slots, according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment 25 of a base extruded product, suitable to realise frames for false ceiling slots, according to the present 4 invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a base extruded product, suitable to realise frames for false ceiling slots, according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a partial section of a false ceiling area wherein a frame suitable to house built-in lighting devices, according to the invention.

Referring to the above mentioned figures, numeral 100 indicates, generally, an extruded profile suitable to realise a frame for slots 200 of false ceilings 350, according to the present invention.

Preferably, the extruded profile 100 allows to realise frames of rectangular shape, however it can be used to realise frames with different shapes.

In a first non limiting example of embodiment of the present invention, the base extrusion 100 is formed by two crosspieces or ribs 110, 120, perpendicular to each other and by two projections or appendices 130, 140, which extend outside the crosspiece 120, by the opposite side of the crosspiece 110 longitudinal dimension.

The appendices 130, 140 can have different configurations, in function of the different manufacturing features of the frames; for instance, said appendices can be straight or hook shaped, as in the examples of figures 1 and 2. The crosspiece 110 is not symmetrically connected to the crosspiece 120, but it is positioned in such a way that it generates two different height dimensions, indicated by H1 and L -L is possible to thickness of the Preferably, the 12.5 and 15 mm, projections 130, from the nearest H2, respectively; in this way, it use just one frame for two different false ceiling 350.

heights H1 and H2 have a dimension of respectively, meanwhile each one of the is placed at the same distance D corresponding front surface 180, 190.

Further, it is possible to realise base extruded profiles 100 which are less expensive than the one above described; said profiles comprise a crosspiece 110, a rib 160 perpendicular to the crosspiece and with a length less extended than the crosspiece 120 length and just one abutment projection 170, of a proper shape. The extruded profile 100, above described, is shown in Figure 3 in a schematic way; said profile 100 fully overcomes the problem of fixing a lighting device or lighting body, contained inside a box-like element 300, inside a false ceiling 350, in a way similar to the products shown in Figures 1 and 2; however, it is possible to use said profile only with false ceilings 350 having just one thickness.

6 It should be noted that the thickness dimensions of the commercially available false ceilings 350 are equal to 6, 9, 10, 12.5, 15, 17 and 20 mm and, therefore, also the height H3 of the profile 100, which is shown in Figure 3, shall have a value selected from the above mentioned dimensions.

At any rate, the crosspieces 110 and 120 are realised in one piece, or they are realised by extrusion or they are aggregated together and the so far described extruded profile 100 allows to realise frames, mainly, but not only, of rectangular shape, said frames are inserted inside the false ceiling 350 and thenfixed therein according to the following procedure.

once the base extruded product 100 has been produced and cut so as to realise a continuous profile, having a shape similar to the required shape of the frame to be inserted, said extruded product is welded at its corners or blocked by angle stiffeners, and also by using different configurations of the projections 130, 140, 170.

At this point, with the frame laying on the inner side 320 of the false ceiling 350, said frame is locked by means of tapping screws 340, using the crosspiece 110 as supporting element of the screw 340.

2s The front surface 180 or 190 of the profile 100 is aligned with the false ceiling 350 and, therefore, the 7 installer just needs to fill and to smooth with plaster the gap existing between the frame and the hole previously made by the same installer on the false ceiling 350, in order to insert said frame inside the false ceiling.

One or more built-in lighting devices, not shown in the figures and contained in box-like elements 300, preferably made of metal, can be inserted inside the space 390 comprised between the lower edge of the original ceiling and the inner side 320 of the false ceiling 350; said devices abut against the projections 130, 140, 170, by means of mechanical abutment elements 400, on any inner point of the frame or on the inner side 320 of the false ceiling 350; then, the mechanical abutment elements 400 are locked, usually by means of a metal bracket 360 and of a fastening screw 370 or by means of springs.

Alternatively, the mechanical abutment elements 400 can be locked through any other suitable locking means.

The features of the frame for false ceiling slots, according to the present invention, are clear from the above description as well as the advantages.

In particular, said advantages are: - easiness of manufacturing; - bump resistance; 1 ' 8 - pleasant aesthetics of the false ceiling frame, which has an inner, not visible abutment edge; - possibility to house a built-in lighting device or lighting body; relatively low costs compared to the known art.

Finally, it is possible to introduce changes to the shown embodiments of the invention, without leaving the principles which are the base of the innovative idea, as well as it is possible that, in the embodiments of the invention, the materials and the dimensions may be chosen according to the technical requirements.

9

Claims

1. A frame for slots (200) positioned in false ceilings (350), suitable to house at least one builtin lighting device or lighting body, said frame has an abutment function for said lighting device and a finishing function for said outer edge (310) of said false ceiling (350), characterised in that it is formed by a base profile (100), which compr- ises at least two crosspieces or ribs (110, 120) perpendicular to each other and positioned inside said false ceiling (350) and at least one projection or appendix (130, 140), which allow to attach said lighting device, which is aligned with an inner side (320) of the false ceiling (350).

2. A frame as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said crosspieces (110, 120) are realised in one piece or are realised, alternatively, by extrusion or by aggregation.

3. A frame as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said profile (100) has substantially a rotated T shape and in that the projections (130, 140) are at least two, said projections (130, 140) extend from the first of said crosspieces (120) and extend in the opposite direction from the second of said crosspieces (110), with respect to said first crosspiece (120).

4. A frame as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said projection (130, 140) has a rectangular or hook-like shape.

5. A frame as claimed in claim 3, characterised in 5 that said first (120) and second crosspiece (110) are positioned in such a way that they generate two different heights (H1, H2) of said profile (100), in order to use just one frame for two different thickness of the false ceiling (350).

6. A frame as claimed in that said height dimensions mm respectively.

7. A frame as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said projections (130, 140) are each provided at the same distance (D) from corresponding front surfaces (180, 190) of the profile (100).

8. A frame as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said profile (100) has substantially a rotated L shape and in that said first crosspiece (120) is formed by a rib (160), wherein the length of said rib is equal to the thickness dimension (H3) of said false ceiling (350), said rib has an abutment projection (170).

9. A frame as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the thickness dimension (H3) of the false ceiling (350) may be equal to either one of the following measures: 6, 9, 10, 12.5, 15, 17 and 20 mm.

claim 5, characterised in (H1, H2) are 12.5 mm and 15

10. A frame as claimed in claim 1, characterised by being fixed to sa'Ld inner side (320) of the false ceiling (350), by locking means (340), and using at least one crosspiece (110, 120) as a support for the locking means (340).

11. A frame as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that at least one of the front surfaces (180, 190) of the profile (100) is aligned with the inner side (320) of the false ceiling (350).

12. A frame as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said built-in lighting device is contained inside at least one box-like element (300), which fills at least partially the space (390) between the lower edge of the original ceiling and said inner side (320) of the false ceiling (350), said box-like element (300) abuts against said projection (130, 140), by means of mechanical abutment and/or locking elements (360, 370, 400).

13. A frame as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that said box-like element (300) is made of metallic material.

14. A frame for the slots (200) of false ceilings (350) as substantially described and shown in the attached drawings.