US3228163A

US3228163A - Ceiling panels

Info

Publication number: US3228163A
Application number: US132030A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lindstrom Olov
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-08-17
Filing date: 1961-08-17
Publication date: 1966-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-11

Description

United States Patent Ofi ice 3,228,153 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 3,228,163 CEILING PANELS Olov Lindstrom, Bjornvagen 3, Lidiugo, Sweden Filed Aug. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,030 4 Claims. (Cl. 52492) This invention relates to improvements in ceiling panels and more particularly to a device for suspending such panels in mounting means attached to a ceiling, the ceiling panels having at least some of their edges provided with upstanding flanges and associated projections which latter are adapted to cooperate with the mounting means for realizing the suspension.

Essentially characteristic to the invention is that the projections are disposed at the sides of the flanges facing away from the ceiling panels and adapted to engage behind corresponding shoulders in the mounting means which are consitituted by resilient profile members and adapted to embrace the upstanding flanges of adjoining ceiling panels. The present invention makes it extremely easy to dismount a ceiling, since the projections are automatically brought out of engagement with the projections when the adjoining ceiling panels are caused to move apart by the insertion of a flat tool between the flanges and turning of said tool.

For a better understanding the invention will be described more in detail in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates an embodiment, chosen by way of example, of the device according to the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device on line II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of two adjoining ceiling panels;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a ceiling panel.

In the drawing, 1 designates the ceiling panels made of some suitable metal, such as aluminium. The panels 1 which are rectangular are provided at all four edges with upstanding integral flanges 2. In the mounted position of the ceiling the flanges 2 of adjoining panels 1 abut against each other.

As will appear from the drawing, the flanges 2 at one pair of opposed edges of the ceiling panels 1 are provided with projections 3 which are adapted to cooperate with the suspension device 4 for realizing the suspension. Said suspension devices 4 are constituted by resilient profile members which embrace the upstanding flanges 2 of the adjoining ceiling panels 1.

According to the invention, the projections 3 are disposed on the sides of the flanges 2 facing away from the ceiling panels 1, i.e., the projections are disposed at the outer sides of the flanges 2. The projections 3 could of course be disposed on the flanges 2, but in a preferred embodiment they consist of for instance bent-out or pressedout portions of the flanges 2.

As will best be seen from FIG. 2, the projections 3 on the flanges 2 are of a laterally successively decreasing extension so that they do not prevent the displacement of the flat tool in the space between the adjoining flanges 2. The projections in the embodiment illustrated have been formed by pressing the portion over a horizontal slit 5 outwardly.

The projections 3 on adjoining flanges 2 are laterally ofl set relative to each other so that they do not hamper each other. In order that there may not be any obstacle the flanges 2 are besides provided, laterally of the projections 3, with recesses 6 for the projections 3 of the adjoining ceiling panel 1.

The suspension devices 4 consisting of resilient profile members or the like are arranged to be fastened in a suitable manner to the ceiling where the panels 1 are to be mounted. The suspension devices 4 should be mounted in a parallel spaced relationship equal in width to that of the panels 1.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated of the suspension devices 4 the shoulders with which the projections 3 are to engage are constituted by opposed, oppositely directed horizontal members 7 on the ends of the resilient tongues forming the resilient profile member. The ceiling formed by the panels 1 shall thus rest on the members 7 in such a way as to be carried by the suspension devices 4 and not to be retained only frictionally by said means. The members 7 could possibly incline slightly in an upward direction toward their lines of contact with the flanges 2 of the ceiling panels 1.

The members 7 of the suspension devices 4, which serve as shoulders, terminate at their facing edges in obliquely downwardly directed portions 8 which extend away from each other. The portions 8 form a V-shaped convolution on the ends of the depending tongues of the suspension devices 4. The portions 8 also facilitate the introduction of the flanges 2 between the members 7 during the mounting of the ceiling.

Because the suspension devices 4 consist of a symmetrical profile member of equal cross section throughout its length it is entirely insignificant at what relative distance the projections 3 are arranged. The projections 3, however, should preferably be arranged at the corners of the panels 1, as is shown in the drawing. The number of projections 3 on each flange 2 may otherwise be adapted to the length of the panel 1.

While the invention has been described in the foregoing in a preferred embodiment thereof, it is understood that modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ceiling board installation, comprising a plurality of ceiling boards having upstanding flanges around the edges thereof with the flanges of adjacent boards abutting each other and said flanges having at least one aperture therein, the apertures in abutting adjacent flanges being oflset from each other in the direction of the length of the flanges, each flange having at least one projection thereon projecting outwardly of the flange away from the ceiling board toward an abutting flange, said projection being opposite an aperture in the abutting flange so that each projection projects through and beyond the aperture opposed to it, and a plurality of suspension devices, each comprising at least one pair of resilient depending readily outwardly divergeable tongues, and members on the ends oi said tongues extending substantially horizontally toward each other and toward the projections on said flanges, said projections resting on said members on the ends of said tongues, whereby when the abutting flanges are forced apart, the projections are retracted and the panels can then be disengaged from the suspension devices.

2. A ceiling board installation as defined in claim 1,

characterized by the fact that the projections of the flanges consist of pressed-out flange portions,

3. A ceiling board installation as claimed in claim 1 in which said parts on the ends of said tongues are V shaped convolutions having an upper part which constitutes the horizontally extending members.

4. A ceiling board installation as defined in claim 3, characterized by the fact that the remainder of said convolutions are obliquely downwardly directed portions which extend away from each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,478,060 8/ 1949 Spiess 52493 2,841,255 7/1958 Kemp 52395 3,058,171 10/1962 Wright 52493 FOREIGN PATENTS 579,608 7/ 1958 Italy.

10 RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A CEILING BOARD INSTALLATION, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CEILING BOARDS HAVING UPSTANDING FLANGES AROUND THE EDGES THEREOF WITH THE FLANGES OF ADJACENT BOARDS ABUTTING EACH OTHER AND SAID FLANGES HAVING AT LEAST ONE APERTURE THEREIN, THE APERTURES IN ABUTTING ADJACENT FLANGES BEING OFFSET FROM EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE FLANGES, EACH FLANGE HAVING AT LEAST ONE PROJECTION THEREON PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF THE FLANGE AWAY FROM THE CEILING BOARD TOWARD AN ABUTTING FLANGE, SAID PROJECTION BEING OPPOSITE AN APERTURE IN THE ABUTTING FLANGE, SO THAT EACH PROJECTION PROJECTS THROUGH AND BEYOND THE APERTURE OPPOSED TO IT, AND A PLURALITY OF SUSPENSION DEVICES, EACH COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF RESILIENT DEPENDING READILY OUTWARDLY DIVERGEABLE TONGUES, AND MEMBERS ON THE ENDS OF SAID TONGUES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY TOWARD EACH OTHER AND TOWARD THE PROJECTIONS ON SAID FLANGES, SAID PROJECTIONS RESTING ON SAID MEMBERS ON THE ENDS OF SAID TONGUES, WHEREBY WHEN THE ABUTTING FLANGES ARE FORCED APART, THE PROJECTIONS ARE RETRACTED AND THE PANELS CAN THEN BE DISENGAGED FROM THE SUSPENSION DEVICES.