JP7506891B2 - Ceiling panel suspension rod connection mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connecting mechanism for longitudinally connecting ceiling panel suspension rods for suspending ceiling panels.

As shown in Figure 18, the ceiling panel suspension rod f used in a system ceiling has a cross section that is roughly inverted T-shaped, with the horizontal part at the bottom serving as support edges g, g that support the end of the ceiling panel p. The wide part at the top is the locking protuberance i to which the hanger j is fixed. These ceiling panel suspension rods f are assembled in a lattice pattern to support multiple ceiling panels p in an aligned manner, thereby forming the ceiling inside the room.

As mentioned above, when assembling the ceiling panel hanging rods f in a grid pattern, they may be connected in a row by butting their longitudinal edges together. Therefore, a configuration using a connecting plate has been proposed as a connecting mechanism for connecting the ceiling panel hanging rods f in this way (for example, Patent Document 1). A pair of hooks for fitting the edges of the ceiling panel hanging rods f are formed in the center of the connecting plate in this configuration, and a fitting claw portion is formed on each of the left and right sides of the hook portion, which is bent in a protruding shape on the front side. After fitting the edges of each ceiling panel hanging rod f into the left and right hook portions, the connecting plate is pressed against each main plate portion by tapping the left and right fitting claw portions to position and fix it. Furthermore, the ceiling panel hanging rods and the connecting plate are screwed together by a screw. In this way, the ceiling panel hanging rods can be connected to each other in the longitudinal direction.

JP 2007-303267 A (see Figs. 7 and 8)

However, since lighting fixtures and air conditioning equipment may be installed on the ceiling, the ceiling panel hanging rods and the connecting plate pieces that connect the ceiling panel hanging rods together need to have the strength and rigidity to support them.

Meanwhile, in recent years, pipes for circulating cold or hot water are sometimes installed behind the ceiling boards as equipment for heating and cooling the room. This equipment cools and heats the room by radiant heat generated by circulating cold or hot water through the pipes, and can cool and heat the room without generating cold or hot air like a general air conditioner, so it is suitable for use in hospitals and the like.
In such air conditioning and heating equipment, the pipes are arranged on the back side of each ceiling panel in a serpentine manner, so the ceiling panel itself needs to have the strength and rigidity to support the pipes. Furthermore, in order to enhance the radiation effect, the ceiling panel is made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity. For this reason, when the air conditioning and heating equipment is installed, a metal (e.g., iron) ceiling panel and pipes having thermal conductivity are used. When such a metal ceiling panel and the pipes are installed, the weight of these is supported by the ceiling panel suspension rod, so the load on the ceiling panel suspension rod increases, and the load acting on the connecting plate that connects the ceiling panel suspension rods also increases. Here, a downward bending moment acts on the ceiling panel suspension rod due to the load, and as a result, a tensile stress acts mainly in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction) on the connecting plate to which the ceiling panel suspension rod is connected. However, since the connecting plate pieces of the conventional configuration described above are relatively thin plates and are arranged on only one side (the front or back) of the ceiling panel hanging rod, there was a risk that when the ceiling panel hanging rod is connected using this connecting plate piece, the connecting strength and rigidity may not be sufficient to withstand the load (tensile stress).

The present invention aims to provide a connection mechanism for a ceiling panel suspension rod that can provide higher connection strength and rigidity than the conventional configuration, so that the metal ceiling panel on the back side of which the ductwork for the heating and cooling equipment is installed can be stably supported.

The present invention is a connection mechanism that connects long ceiling panel hanging rods, each of which has a support edge at the lower end of its main plate portion that supports the end of the ceiling panel, in the longitudinal direction by butting together its longitudinal edges, and includes an insertion hole formed at the longitudinal end of the ceiling panel hanging rod, which penetrates the main plate portion in the front-to-back direction, a locking protrusion inserted into one of the insertion holes of the ceiling panel hanging rods, and a locking protrusion inserted into the other insertion hole. A connecting mechanism for a hanging rod for a ceiling panel is provided with a pair of connecting pieces arranged on the front and back sides of the hanging rod for a ceiling panel, and the connecting pieces arranged on the front and back sides of the hanging rod for a ceiling panel have the locking protrusions and the locking holes facing each other, and the locking protrusions are inserted into the locking holes through the insertion holes of the hanging rod for a ceiling panel, thereby connecting the hanging rods for a ceiling panel to each other.

In such a configuration, when a tensile stress acts on the connecting pieces due to a bending moment acting on the ceiling panel hanging rod connected by the front and back connecting pieces, one of the connecting pieces on the front or back is pulled to one side in the longitudinal direction by one of the ceiling panel hanging rods having an insertion hole through which the locking protrusion of the connecting piece is inserted, and the other connecting piece on the front or back is pulled to the other side in the longitudinal direction by the other ceiling panel hanging rod having an insertion hole through which the locking protrusion of the connecting piece is inserted. The locking protrusion of one connecting piece is fitted into the locking hole of the other connecting piece, and the locking protrusion of the other connecting piece is fitted into the locking hole of one connecting piece, so that the locking protrusion of one connecting piece is fastened from both sides in the longitudinal direction by the insertion hole of one ceiling panel hanging rod and the locking hole of the other connecting piece, and the locking protrusion of the other connecting piece is fastened from both sides in the longitudinal direction by the insertion hole of the other ceiling panel hanging rod and the locking hole of one connecting piece. As a result, the locking protrusions of the front and back connecting pieces cannot be released from the insertion hole and the locking hole, and the connecting pieces are locked so as not to move relative to each other in the longitudinal direction (pulling direction), so that the strength and rigidity of the connection between the ceiling panel hanging rods is dramatically improved compared to the conventional configuration described above. Therefore, since the configuration of the present invention has connecting strength and rigidity sufficient to withstand the load from the above-mentioned metal ceiling panels and ducts, it can be suitably used when introducing heating and cooling equipment using such ceiling panels and ducts.
In addition, the configuration of the present invention also contributes to the improvement of the connection strength and rigidity mentioned above by connecting the ceiling panel hanging rods to each other with two connecting pieces on the front and back (the conventional configuration only has one on the front and back). Furthermore, the configuration of the present invention has the excellent advantage of being able to improve the connection strength and rigidity as mentioned above without increasing the plate thickness of the connecting pieces, and therefore is able to suppress the increase in weight at the connecting parts.

Furthermore, the connection mechanism of the present invention is not limited to application to ceiling structures that support the heavy ceiling panels mentioned above, but can also be applied to structures that require improved strength and rigidity, such as seismic reinforcement. In other words, the configuration of the present invention can be applied to a highly seismically resistant ceiling structure, and by replacing the connection mechanism in a conventional ceiling structure (a structure using non-metallic ceiling panels) with the configuration of the present invention, the ceiling structure can also be seismically reinforced.

In the connecting mechanism of the ceiling panel hanging rod of the present invention described above, the connecting piece is provided with a flat main piece portion that abuts against the main plate portion of the ceiling panel hanging rod, and a locking hole is formed in the main piece portion, and a locking protrusion is cut upright from the main piece portion.

With this configuration, the connecting piece has the locking projection and the locking hole molded integrally with the main piece, so the aforementioned effect of improving the connection strength and rigidity can be stably achieved. In addition, the connecting piece can be molded from a single flat plate from which the locking projection can be formed by cutting and raising it, which has the excellent advantage of reducing manufacturing costs and making the manufacturing process more efficient.

In the connecting mechanism of the ceiling panel hanging rod of the present invention described above, a configuration is proposed in which the connecting piece has a pressure contact part that is pressed against the main plate part of the ceiling panel hanging rod in a location where there is no locking protrusion or locking hole, and is fixed in position.

Here, the pressure-welding portion is preferably cut into the main surface (main piece) in the longitudinal direction, bent in a mountain shape in the surface direction, and has a sawtooth-shaped engagement tooth portion formed at the upper end that presses against the lower part of the locking protuberance provided at the upper end of the main plate portion of the ceiling panel hanging rod.

With this configuration, the connecting piece is more firmly fixed to the ceiling panel hanging rods when the ceiling panel hanging rods are connected to each other. This further improves the connection strength and rigidity mentioned above.

Another aspect of the present invention is a connection mechanism that connects long ceiling panel hanging rods, each of which has a support edge at the lower end of its main plate portion that supports the end of the ceiling panel, in the longitudinal direction by butting its longitudinal end edges together, and includes a first connection piece disposed on one side of the front or back of the ceiling panel hanging rod, and a locking protrusion formed at the longitudinal end of the ceiling panel hanging rod that penetrates the main plate portion in the front-back direction and is inserted into the insertion hole of each ceiling panel hanging rod that butts its longitudinal end edges together. The ceiling panel hanging rod is connected to each other by forming a locking hole that faces the insertion hole of each ceiling panel hanging rod that has its longitudinal end edge butted against each other, and by providing a second connecting piece that is arranged on the other side of the ceiling panel hanging rod, the locking protrusions of the first connecting piece that is arranged on one side of the ceiling panel hanging rod are inserted through the insertion hole of the ceiling panel hanging rod into the locking hole of the second connecting piece that is arranged on the other side of the ceiling panel hanging rod, thereby connecting the ceiling panel hanging rods to each other.

In this configuration, when a bending moment acts on the ceiling panel hanging rod connected by the first and second connecting pieces and a tensile stress acts on the connecting pieces, the first connecting piece is pulled to both sides in the longitudinal direction by the ceiling panel hanging rod, and the locking protrusions of the first connecting piece are fastened by the insertion holes of the ceiling panel hanging rod and the locking holes of the second connecting piece, so that the locking pieces of the first connecting piece and the locking holes of the second connecting piece cannot be separated, and the connecting pieces are locked so that they cannot move in the longitudinal direction (pulling direction). This allows the strength and rigidity of the connection between the ceiling panel hanging rods to be dramatically improved compared to the conventional configuration described above. Therefore, this configuration has a connection strength and rigidity that is sufficient to withstand the load caused by the metal ceiling panel and ductwork described above, and can be used preferably when introducing heating and cooling equipment using such ceiling panels and ductwork.

As described above, the connection mechanism for the ceiling panel hanging rod of the present invention can dramatically improve the connection strength and rigidity of the ceiling panel hanging rod compared to conventional configurations, making it suitable for use when installing air conditioning equipment that uses metal ceiling panels and pipes.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a ceiling panel suspension rod 1. 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view, respectively, of a ceiling panel suspension rod 1. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a front view of a connecting piece 21 of the first embodiment. 1A is a front perspective view of a connecting piece 21, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the connecting mechanism of the ceiling panel suspension rod 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 5. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion Z in FIG. 9 . 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the process of attaching a connecting piece 21 to a ceiling panel hanging rod 1. FIG. 11A and 11B are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of a connecting piece 51 of a second embodiment. A front view showing the connecting mechanism of the ceiling panel suspension rod 1 in Example 2. 13A is a front perspective view of a first connecting piece 61 of Example 3, and FIG. 13A is a front perspective view of a second connecting piece 71 of the third embodiment, and FIG. A front view showing the connecting mechanism of the ceiling panel suspension rod 1 in Example 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the assembled state of a ceiling panel p using a ceiling panel hanging rod f. FIG.

Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show a long ceiling panel suspension rod 1 that is connected to each other by a connection mechanism according to the present invention. The ceiling panel suspension rod 1 is made of steel material and has a vertically standing flat main panel 2, a support beam 3 provided at the lower end of the main panel 2, and a locking ridge 4 provided at the upper end of the main panel 2. The support beam 3 has support edges 5, 5 protruding outward on both sides of the front and back of the main panel 2, and supports the ceiling panel 10 by placing the end of the ceiling panel 10 on the support edges 5, 5. The locking ridge 4 is wider in the front and back directions than the main panel 2, and a hanger (not shown) is fixed to it (see Figure 18).

The lower part of the locking ridge 4 has upper mating recesses 7, 7 recessed upward along the longitudinal direction on both the front and back sides of the upper end of the main plate 2. In addition, the support edges 5, 5 of the support beam 3 have lower mating recesses 8, 8 recessed downward along the longitudinal direction so as to face the upper mating recesses 7, 7 of the locking ridge 4, respectively. These upper mating recesses 7, 7 and lower mating recesses 8, 8 are used to engage the connecting pieces 21, which will be described later, and will be described in detail later.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 has a rectangular insertion hole 9 formed at the longitudinal end of the main panel portion 2, which penetrates the main panel portion 2 in the front-to-back direction.

Next, the connecting pieces 21 for connecting the above-mentioned ceiling panel hanging rods 1 in the longitudinal direction will be described.
3 and 4 show a connecting piece 21 of Example 1. The connecting piece 21 of this example is formed from a steel plate and includes a main piece portion 22 in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate, a locking protrusion 23 cut and raised from the main piece portion 22, and a locking hole 24 formed as an opening in the main piece portion 24. Furthermore, the main piece portion 24 is provided with pressure contact portions 25 having sawtooth engagement teeth 26 at their upper ends at positions longitudinally outboard of the locking protrusion 23 and at positions longitudinally outboard of the locking hole 24, respectively.

The height dimension of the main piece 22 of the connecting piece 21 is slightly shorter than the distance between the upper fitting recess 7 and the lower fitting recess 8 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, and the connecting piece 21 is fitted in a uniform manner between the upper fitting recess 7 and the lower fitting recess 8 (see Figures 5, 6, 8, and 11).

The locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 is bent in the left-right direction from the main piece 22, and is formed in an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape with the thickness direction along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). That is, the locking protrusion 23 of Example 1 is formed so that its surface direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the locking hole 24 is opened in a rectangular shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, and is opened with a dimension that allows the locking protrusion 23 to be inserted. The locking protrusion 23 is formed so that it is inserted into the insertion hole 9 of one of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1 and protrudes to the back side of the main plate portion 2 when the connecting piece 21 is attached between the upper fitting recess 7 and the lower fitting recess 8 in a state in which the two ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are arranged in a straight line with their edges butted against each other (hereinafter referred to as the butted state). When the locking projection 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 9, the locking hole 24 is positioned so that it faces the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1. Here, in this embodiment 1, the connecting piece 21 is formed so that the locking projection 23 and the locking hole 24 are symmetrical with respect to an imaginary center line in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction).

As shown in Figures 5 to 9, such connecting pieces 21 are attached to both the front and back sides of the main plate portion 2 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 when the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted together, so that the locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 attached to one side of the front and back passes through the insertion hole 9 of one of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1 and fits into the locking hole 24 of the connecting piece 21 attached to the other side of the front and back, and the locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 on the other side of the front and back passes through the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1 and fits into the locking hole 24 of the connecting piece 21 on the other side of the front and back.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pressure contact portions 25 are provided at symmetrical positions on the longitudinal outside of the locking protrusion 23 and on the longitudinal outside of the locking hole 24, with two each. The pressure contact portion 25 is bent in a mountain shape toward the main surface side of the main piece portion 22, and the engagement teeth portion 26 is formed at the upper end thereof, which is pressed into the upper fitting recess 7 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1. When the connecting piece 21 is attached between the upper fitting recess 7 and the lower fitting recess 8 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 as described above, the pressure contact portion 25 is pressed toward the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, so that the engagement teeth portion 26 bites into the upper fitting recess 7 (see Figure 11). This allows the connecting piece 21 to be firmly fixed in position to the ceiling panel hanging rod 1.

Next, the manner in which the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 is connected by the connecting piece 21 will be described.
The two ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted against each other with their edges facing each other. In this butted state, as shown in Figures 11(A)-(B), one connecting piece 21 is attached between the upper fitting recess 7 and the lower fitting recess 8 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 from either the front or back side of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, and the locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 9 of one of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, and the locking hole 24 is positioned so as to face the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1. Similarly, as shown in Figures 11 (B) to (C), another connecting piece 21 is attached between each upper mating recess 7 and lower mating recess 8 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 from the other front or back side of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, 1, and the locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1 and the locking hole 24 is positioned in a position facing the insertion hole 9 of the one ceiling panel hanging rod 1. As a result, the locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 attached to one side of the front or back is fitted into the locking hole 24 of the connecting piece 21 on the other side of the front or back through the insertion hole 9 of one of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, and the locking protrusion 23 of the connecting piece 21 on the other side of the front or back is fitted into the locking hole 24 of the connecting piece 21 on one side of the front or back through the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1 (see Figures 8 to 10).

After the connecting pieces 21, 21 are attached to both the front and back sides of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 in this way, the pressure contact portions 25 of the connecting pieces 21, 21 are pressed as described above, so that the engagement teeth 26 of each pressure contact portion 25 bite into the upper mating recesses 7 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, as shown in Figure 11 (D). In this way, the two ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are connected by the connecting pieces 21, 21.

The ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 connected by the connecting pieces 21, 21 as described above are assembled in a lattice shape as is conventionally known, and a hanger (not shown) is fixed to the locking protuberance 4 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1. The end of the ceiling panel 10 is then placed on the support edge 5 of the support beam 3 of each ceiling panel hanging rod 1 (see FIG. 2(B)), forming the ceiling.

As mentioned above, when equipment for cooling and heating is installed by circulating hot and cold water through ducts arranged on the back side of the ceiling panel 10, a metal (iron) ceiling panel 10 and piping are used (not shown). That is, a metal ceiling panel 10 with such ducts arranged on the back side is attached to the support edge 5 of the ceiling panel suspension rod 1 assembled in the lattice shape.

The metal ceiling panel 10 and the pipeline are relatively heavy, so the load caused by their weight is applied to the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, which generates a downward bending moment. As a result, a relatively large tensile stress corresponding to the weight acts along the approximately longitudinal direction (left-right direction) on the connecting pieces 21, 21 that connect the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 to each other.

When tensile stress acts on the connecting pieces 21, 21 through the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 connected by the connecting pieces 21, 21 in this way, the connecting piece 21 on the front or back, whose locking protrusion 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 on the left side in the longitudinal direction, is pulled leftward by the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, and the connecting piece 21 on the other side, whose locking protrusion 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 on the right side in the longitudinal direction, is pulled rightward by the ceiling panel hanging rod 1. Then, as the connecting pieces 21 on the front and back are pulled in opposite directions, the respective locking protrusions 23, 23 are fastened by the locking holes 24, 24 and the insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1. That is, the locking protrusion 23 of one of the connecting pieces 21 on the front and back sides is pulled leftward by the insertion hole 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 on the left side in the longitudinal direction, and is pulled rightward by the locking hole 24 of the connecting piece 21 on the other side of the front and back. As a result, the locking protrusion 23 of one of the connecting pieces 21 on the front and back sides is fastened by the insertion hole 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 on the right side in the longitudinal direction and the locking hole 24 of the other side of the front and back so that it cannot move left and right and cannot be separated. Similarly, the locking protrusion 23 of the other connecting piece 21 on the front and back sides is fastened by the insertion hole 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1 on the right side in the longitudinal direction and the locking hole 24 of the connecting piece 21 on the front and back sides so that it cannot move left and right and cannot be separated. In this way, the weight of the ceiling panel (and the pipeline) supported by the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 locks the front and back connecting pieces 21, 21, allowing the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 to be connected with extremely high strength and rigidity. Therefore, the connecting mechanism of Example 1 has a connecting strength and rigidity that can sufficiently support the weight of the metal ceiling panel and pipeline described above, and can stably support the ceiling panel for a long period of time.

The configuration of Example 1 is such that the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are connected by connecting pieces 21, 21 attached to both the front and back sides, so that the connecting strength and rigidity are well balanced on the front and back, further improving the connecting strength and rigidity, and also providing the excellent advantage of being able to stably maintain the connected state.

Furthermore, in the configuration of Example 1, the front and back connecting pieces 21, 21 that connect the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are firmly fixed in position by having the engagement teeth 26 of each pressure contact portion 25 bite into the upper fitting recesses 7 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, so that the effect of improving the connecting strength and rigidity can be stably achieved.

In addition, as described above, the connecting piece 21 of Example 1 is formed by processing a single steel plate, which has the excellent advantage of reducing manufacturing costs and improving the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

As shown in Fig. 12, the connecting mechanism of Example 2 has a connecting piece 51 equipped with a generally rectangular parallelepiped locking protrusion 53 with the thickness direction as the up-down direction, and a rectangular locking hole 54 with the left-right direction as the long side. Note that the configuration of Example 2 is the same as that of Example 1 described above, except for the shape of the locking protrusion 53 and locking hole 54 of the connecting piece 51, so the same components are denoted with the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted as appropriate.

The connecting piece 51 is formed from a steel plate as in the first embodiment described above, and includes a main piece portion 22 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, the locking projection 53 cut upright from the main piece portion 22, the locking hole 54 formed in the main piece portion 24, and a pressure contact portion 25 having a sawtooth engagement tooth portion 26 at the upper end.

In Example 2, the locking protrusion 53 is bent in the vertical direction from the main piece 22, and is formed into a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with its thickness direction aligned in the vertical direction. That is, the locking protrusion 53 in Example 2 is formed with its surface direction aligned in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the locking hole 54 is opened in a rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, and is formed with an opening of a size that allows the locking protrusion 23 to be inserted. The locking protrusion 53 and the locking hole 54 are formed in positions that are symmetrical with respect to the imaginary center line in the left-right direction of the connecting piece 51, as in Example 1 described above.

The locking protrusion 53 is formed so that when the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted together (the two ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted together and arranged in a straight line), and the connecting piece 51 is attached between the upper fitting recess 7 and the lower fitting recess 8, it is inserted into the insertion hole 9 of one of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1 and penetrates the main plate portion 2 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1. Then, when the locking protrusion 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 9, the locking hole 24 is positioned so as to face the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1.

In the case of the connecting piece 51 of the second embodiment, when the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted together, the connecting pieces 51, 51 are attached to both the front and back sides of the main plate portion 2 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, so that, as shown in FIG. 13, the locking protrusion 53 of the connecting piece 51 attached to one side of the front and back passes through the insertion hole 9 of one of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1 and fits into the locking hole 54 of the connecting piece 51 attached to the other side of the front and back, and the locking protrusion 53 of the connecting piece 51 on the other side of the front and back passes through the insertion hole 9 of the other ceiling panel hanging rod 1 and fits into the locking hole 54 of the connecting piece 51 on the other side.

The connecting mechanism of the second embodiment can connect ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 with their ends butted together, just like the first embodiment (the connecting process is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description of it will be omitted). The connecting mechanism of the second embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

That is, when the above-mentioned metal ceiling panel (with ducts arranged on the back side) is attached to the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 connected by the connecting pieces 51, 51 of the second embodiment, a relatively large tensile stress corresponding to the weight of the ceiling panel (and ducts) acts on the connecting pieces 51, 51. As a result, the front and back connecting pieces 51 are pulled left and right, and the respective locking protrusions 53, 53 are fastened by the locking holes 54, 54 and the insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 so that they cannot move left and right and cannot be separated. In this way, the connecting mechanism of the second embodiment can connect the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 with extremely high strength and rigidity because the front and back connecting pieces 21, 21 are locked by the weight of the ceiling panel (and ducts) supported by the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1.
Furthermore, in Example 2, the locking protrusion 53 of the connecting piece 51 is formed so that the longitudinal direction (plane direction) of the approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape is aligned with the pulling direction, and therefore, in a state where it is fastened in the left-right direction by the insertion hole 9 and the locking hole 54, it is less likely to deform than the above-mentioned Example 1 (where the thickness direction of the locking protrusion 23 is the pulling direction). Therefore, Example 2 has higher connecting strength and rigidity than Example 1.
Therefore, according to the connecting mechanism of Example 2, since it has the connecting strength and rigidity sufficient to support the weight of the metal ceiling panel and the pipeline described above, it can support the ceiling panel more stably over a long period of time.

In the configuration of Example 2, as in Example 1, the connecting pieces 51, 51 are attached to both the front and back sides of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, so that a good balance of connecting strength and rigidity can be achieved. In addition, the effect of being able to be firmly fixed in position by the impact pressure of the pressure contact portion 25 is achieved, and the effect of reducing manufacturing costs and improving the efficiency of the manufacturing process by forming from a single steel plate is achieved.

The connecting mechanism of the third embodiment connects the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 using a first connecting piece 61 having two locking projections 63, 63 and a second connecting piece 71 having two locking holes 74, 74.

As shown in Figure 14, the first connecting piece 61 is formed from a steel plate as in Example 1, and includes a main piece portion 22 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, two locking projections 63, 63 cut upright from the main piece portion 22, and a pressure contact portion 25 having a sawtooth engagement tooth portion 26 at the upper end. The locking projection 63 is bent in the left-right direction from the main piece portion 22, and is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with its thickness direction aligned with the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). As in Example 1, this locking projection 63 is formed so that its surface direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The first connecting piece 61 is provided so that the two locking projections 63, 63 can be inserted into the respective insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 when the first connecting piece 61 is attached to the front or back side of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 in a butted state (a state in which the two ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are arranged in a straight line with their edges butted against each other) (see FIG. 17). In this embodiment 2, the two locking projections 63, 63 are formed at positions that are symmetrical with respect to an imaginary center line in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction).

As shown in Fig. 15, the second connecting piece 71 is formed from a steel plate in the same manner as in Example 1, and includes a main piece portion 22 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, two locking holes 74, 74 formed in the main piece portion 22, and a pressure contact portion 25. The locking hole 74 is opened in a rectangular shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, and is formed with a size that allows the locking protrusion 23 to be inserted. The two locking holes 74, 74 of the second connecting piece 71 are provided so that they face the respective insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 when the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted together and attached to the front and back sides of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1. The two locking projections 63, 63 of the first connecting pieces 61, 61 attached to one side of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, 1 are fitted into the two locking projections 63, 63 through the insertion holes 9, 9 (see FIG. 17). In this embodiment 2, the two locking holes 74, 74 are formed in positions that are symmetrical with respect to an imaginary center line in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction).

In addition, in Example 3, the first connecting piece 61 has two locking projections 63, 63 and does not have a locking hole, and the second connecting piece 71 has two locking holes 74, 74 and does not have a locking projection, other than that, the connecting mechanism is the same as that of Example 1. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted as appropriate.

In the connecting mechanism of the third embodiment, when the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are butted together, a first connecting piece 61 is attached between the upper fitting recesses 7 and the lower fitting recesses 8 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 from one side of the front and back of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, and the locking protrusions 63, 63 of the first connecting piece 61 are inserted into the insertion holes 9 of both ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1. Meanwhile, a second connecting piece 71 is attached between the upper fitting recesses 7 and the lower fitting recesses 8 from the other side of the front and back of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, and the locking holes 74, 74 of the second connecting piece 71 are positioned so as to face the insertion holes 9 of both ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1. As a result, the locking projections 63, 63 of the first connecting piece 61 attached to one side of the front and back are inserted into the locking holes 74, 74 of the second connecting piece 71 on the other side of the front and back through the insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1. After the first connecting piece 61 and the second connecting piece 71 are attached in this manner, the pressure contact portions 25 are pressed, so that the engagement teeth 26 of each pressure contact portion 25 bite into the upper fitting recesses 7 of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1. In this way, the two ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 are connected by the connecting pieces 21, 21, as shown in FIG. 16.

The ceiling panel suspension rod 1 connected by the connecting mechanism of Example 3, like the above-mentioned Examples 1 and 2, has the connecting strength and rigidity to stably support a metal ceiling panel (with a pipe line arranged on the back side) for a long period of time.
That is, when the above-mentioned metal ceiling panel (with a duct on the back side) is attached to the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, 1 connected by the first connecting piece 61 and the second connecting piece 71, a relatively large tensile stress corresponding to the weight of the ceiling panel (and the duct) acts on the first and second connecting pieces 61, 71. As a result, the first connecting piece 61 having the locking protrusions 63, 63 inserted into the insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, 1 is pulled in the left-right direction, and the locking protrusions 63, 63 abut against the locking holes 74, 74 of the second connecting piece 71, respectively, preventing the left-right movement. In this way, the locking protrusions 63, 63 of the first connecting piece 61 are fastened by the insertion holes 9, 9 of the ceiling panel hanging rod 1, 1 and the locking holes 74, 74 of the second connecting piece 71 so that they cannot move in the left-right direction and cannot be separated. In this way, the first connecting piece 61 and the second connecting piece 71 are locked by the weight of the ceiling panel (and the pipeline) supported by the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, so that the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1 can be connected with extremely high strength and rigidity. Therefore, according to the connecting mechanism of the third embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, the connecting mechanism has a connecting strength and rigidity sufficient to support the weight of the metal ceiling panel and pipeline, and can stably support the ceiling panel for a long period of time.

In the configuration of Example 3, as in Examples 1 and 2, the first connecting piece 61 and the second connecting piece 71 are attached to both the front and back sides of the ceiling panel hanging rods 1, 1, so that a good balance of connection strength and rigidity can be achieved. In addition, the effect of being able to be firmly fixed in position by the impact pressure of the pressure contact portion 25 is achieved, and the effect of reducing manufacturing costs and improving the efficiency of the manufacturing process by forming from a single steel plate is achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described first to third embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.
For example, the first connecting piece of Example 3 can be configured to have two approximately rectangular locking protrusions with the thickness direction being the up-down direction, as in Example 2, and the second connecting piece can be configured to have two rectangular locking holes with the longitudinal direction being the left-right direction.

In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, each connecting piece is configured to have two pressure contact portions 25 on the longitudinal outer portion of the locking protrusion and on the longitudinal outer portion of the locking hole, but the number of pressure contact portions 25 can be changed as appropriate. For example, it is also possible to have one pressure contact portion 25 on each of the longitudinal outer portions of the locking protrusion and the longitudinal outer portion of the locking hole, or three pressure contact portions 25 on each of the longitudinal outer portions of the locking protrusion and the locking hole.

In addition, in the first to third embodiments, a ceiling structure having a metal ceiling panel 10 and ducts is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. Each of the connecting mechanisms (connecting pieces 21, 51, 61, 71) in the first to third embodiments can be applied to a ceiling structure that requires improved strength and rigidity, such as seismic reinforcement. For example, by applying each of the connecting mechanisms in the first to third embodiments to a ceiling structure that supports a non-metallic ceiling panel, a highly seismically resistant structure can be obtained. Alternatively, each of the connecting mechanisms in the first to third embodiments can be used as a replacement for seismic reinforcement of a conventional ceiling structure (a structure that uses non-metallic ceiling panels and does not have ducts). In this case, the conventional connecting mechanism used in the conventional ceiling structure can be replaced with each of the connecting mechanisms in the first to third embodiments to perform seismic reinforcement of the ceiling structure.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Ceiling panel suspension rod 2 Main panel portion 5 Support edge portion 9 Insertion hole 10 Ceiling panel 21, 51 Connection piece 22 Main panel portion 23, 53, 63 Locking protrusion 24, 54, 74 Locking hole 25 Pressure contact portion 61 First connection piece 71 Second connection piece

Claims (4)

A connecting mechanism for connecting long ceiling panel hanging rods each having a support edge portion for supporting an end of a ceiling panel at a lower end of a main panel portion in a longitudinal direction by butting the longitudinal end edges of the hanging rods together,
An insertion hole is formed at a longitudinal end of the ceiling panel hanging rod and penetrates the main panel in a front-back direction;
The ceiling panel hanging rod has longitudinal ends butted against each other, and has a locking protrusion inserted into one of the insertion holes and a locking hole facing the other insertion hole, and a pair of front and back connecting pieces are provided on both the front and back sides of the ceiling panel hanging rod,
A connecting mechanism for a ceiling panel hanging rod, characterized in that connecting pieces arranged on both the front and back sides of the ceiling panel hanging rod are arranged so that the locking protrusions and locking holes face each other and the locking protrusions are inserted into the locking holes through the insertion holes of the ceiling panel hanging rods, thereby connecting the ceiling panel hanging rods to each other. The connecting piece has a flat main piece portion that is brought into contact with the main plate portion of the ceiling panel hanging rod,
2. The connecting mechanism for a ceiling panel hanging rod according to claim 1, wherein a locking hole is formed in said main piece, and a locking protrusion is cut and raised upright from said main piece. The connecting mechanism for the ceiling panel hanging rod described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting piece is provided with a pressure contact portion at a portion where the locking protrusion and locking hole are not provided, which is positioned and fixed by being pressed against the main plate portion of the ceiling panel hanging rod. A connecting mechanism for connecting long ceiling panel hanging rods each having a support edge portion for supporting an end of a ceiling panel at a lower end of a main panel portion in a longitudinal direction by butting the longitudinal end edges of the hanging rods together,
An insertion hole is formed at a longitudinal end of the ceiling panel hanging rod and penetrates the main panel in a front-back direction;
a first connecting piece provided on one side of the ceiling panel hanging rod, the first connecting piece being formed with a locking protrusion that is inserted into each of the insertion holes of the ceiling panel hanging rods that are butted against each other at their longitudinal ends;
The ceiling panel is provided with a second connecting piece provided on the other side of the ceiling panel hanging rod, the second connecting piece having a locking hole formed therein and facing the insertion hole of each of the ceiling panel hanging rods whose longitudinal ends are butted against each other,
A connecting mechanism for a hanging rod for a ceiling panel, characterized in that each locking protrusion of a first connecting piece arranged on one side of the front or back of the hanging rod for the ceiling panel is inserted into each locking hole of a second connecting piece arranged on the other side of the front or back of the hanging rod for the ceiling panel through an insertion hole of the hanging rod for the ceiling panel, thereby connecting the hanging rods for the ceiling panel to each other.

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