Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B9/00—Ceilings; Construction of ceilings, e.g. false ceilings; Ceiling construction with regard to insulation
  • E04B9/06—Ceilings; Construction of ceilings, e.g. false ceilings; Ceiling construction with regard to insulation characterised by constructional features of the supporting construction, e.g. cross section or material of framework members
  • E04B9/12—Connections between non-parallel members of the supporting construction
  • E04B9/122—Connections between non-parallel members of the supporting construction one member passing through the other member, both members laying at least partly in the same plane

Definitions

• the invention relates to improvements in suspended ceiling grid construction and, in particular, to improvements in connector clips for ceiling grid members.
• Suspended ceiling grid members or runners typically comprise relatively long main runners and shorter cross runners. Both types of grid runners have connectors to join their ends to the ends of like members to construct a ceiling expanse of greater size than the length of individual main or cross runners.
• These end connectors are typically separate clip elements permanently attached to the grid runners themselves.
• the end connectors or clips are metal stampings, ordinarily of steel, formed with features that enable them to couple with identical units when one connector is pushed endwise into a lap joint with an opposing end connector. Depending on the clip design, the clips may directly abut or may have runner web areas disposed between them.
• the features stamped or otherwise formed into a connector that establish a connection are a lateral projection and the edge of a hole .
• a connection may fail under tension at a force level substantially below the design or normally expected capacity of the joint. This can occur when the joined connectors slip sideways and disconnect one lock engagement resulting in a severe reduction in the load capacity of the joint.
• the invention provides an end connector clip for suspended ceiling grid runners with improved clip-to-clip locking action.
• the improved locking function in accordance with the invention, is achieved by orienting the locking surfaces with an angle relative to the plane of the clip body proper greater than what results from conventional practice.
• a preferred manner of forming the inventive locking surfaces is by increasing the clearance between the punch and die elements that create the locking surfaces. This technique, it has been found, develops an orientation of a locking surface that, in use, counteracts forces that tend to laterally separate mating locking surfaces of a pair of coupled clips which otherwise could result in a major loss of retention force.
• the inventive technique is applied to both a locking projection and a projection receiving area of the clip.
• FIG. 1 illustrates portions of grid members, in the conventional form of inverted tees, for suspending ceiling panels
• FIG. 1 A is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the locking surfaces of a grid member end connector or clip
• FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the clip and end portion of a grid tee ;
• FIG. 3 A is a diagrammatic presentation of the locking areas of the clip
• FIG. 3B is a diagrammatic presentation of tooling, in vertical alignment with FIG.
• FIG. 3C shows a cross-section of portions of joined clips in a longitudinal plane transverse to the planes of the main body of the clips.
• a main tee 10 has a vertically oriented slot 12, one of many at regularly spaced interv als along its length in a central web 13. End portions of opposed cross tees 1 1 are positioned in line with the main tee slot.
• the tees 10, 11 are preferably roll-formed from light gauge sheet metal stock as is customary.
• the main tee 10 can have a typical length of 10 or 12 feet or metric equivalent and the cross tees 11 can have lengths of 4 feet, 2 feet, and 1 foot, or metric equivalent.
• the cross tees 11 have identical end connectors or clips 14 fixed to their ends such as by staking portions of the tee sheet metal stock through holes provided in the connectors.
• the illustrated connectors 14 are of the general type disclosed in U.S. Patents 5,517,796 and 5,761 ,868, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• the connectors 14 are stamped from steel sheet stock that is stronger and harder than that of the tees 10, 11.
• the numeral 16 indicates the forward end of a connector 14.
• Such sidewise slipping may result, inter alia, from variations in the clip material, the clip manufacturing process, deviation from an ideal clip shape, installation technique, and eccentric forces imposed on the joined clips or combinations of these factors.
• the failure of a lock set by lateral movement between lock area 17 and projection 18 is related to the orientation of their respective contacting edges, designated 21 , 22.
• Locking surfaces with such orientations have little or no resistance to forces tending to laterally separate the clips 14 and when the angle is measurably obtuse a reaction force is developed by the locking surfaces in response to a tensile force between the tees that may actually cause the clips to spring laterally apart and out of contact.
• a locking edge surface of a projection corresponding to the projection 18 when produced with conventional practice is prone to assume an obtuse angle relative to the plane of the clip.
• this edge surface is originally formed by stamping a hole in the plane of the original sheet stock forming the clip it can be slightly acute, i.e. less than 90 degrees.
• the edge surface can be drawn into an obtuse orientation.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams projected vertically relative to one another illustrating aspects of the invention.
• the lock area 17 is rearwardly bound by a locking area edge surface 21.
• the eventual projection 18 and an associated lock edge 22 are indicated.
• punch elements 26, 27 cooperating with die sections 28, 29 form holes 31 , 32, respectively.
• a forward edge or boundary of the hole 31 is the lock area edge 21 and a forward edge of a bow tie shaped hole 32 forms the projection lock edge 22.
• FIG. 3C the forward ends of a pair of mating clips 14 are diagrammatically illustrated.
• the images of FIGS. 3A and 3B correspond to the clip 14 on the left in FIG. 3C.
• FIG. 3B shows, on an exaggerated scale, a high degree of clearance between the punches 26, 27 and die openings 33, 34 at locations corresponding to the lock edges 21 , 22.
• a punch is slightly smaller than the hole or spaced from the die or cutting edge it operates with.
• the clearance between the punch and die at a side of a hole is about 8% to 10% of the thickness of the material being pierced.
• a hole punched in a metal sheet by a punch and die generally has a diameter or hole size at the punch side equal to the punch and at the die hole side equal to the diameter or size of the die hole. This means that the punched hole, if round, is actually slightly tapered, i.e.
• the angularity of the lock edges 21 , 22 can be advantageously increased.
• the clearance between the punch elements 26 and 27 and their respective die openings 33, 34 corresponding to the lock edges 21 , 22 can be about 25% of the thickness of the sheet metal used to form the connector or clip 14.
• the illustrated clip 14 can be formed of .015/.017 inch high tensile steel (160 KSI), stress relieved or type 301/302 stainless steel, half hard.
• 3B shows that the punched or sheared locking edges 21, 22 are in planes forming acute angles with respect to the side of the clip engaged by the clip 14R on the right. These edge surface angles are retained in the finish form of a clip 14.
• the angularity i.e. deviation from perpendicularity to the clip body, may be somewhat diminished but still prominent.
• FIG. 3C shows that the angles of the locking edge 21 of the lock or receiving area 17 of one clip and the projection lock edge 22 of the other clip are complementary.
• angles of these surfaces 21, 22 create a force component biasing the clips 14 together when a tension force exists in the pair of tees 1 1 connected to the clips.
• clips 14 with the acutely angled locking edge surfaces 21 , 22 significantly increase the reliability of a connection.
• the clips 14 are less susceptible to separating at one lock area and then failing at a reduced tension level.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Connection Of Plates (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)
• Insertion Pins And Rivets (AREA)
• Vehicle Interior And Exterior Ornaments, Soundproofing, And Insulation (AREA)
• Joining Of Building Structures In Genera (AREA)

Priority Applications (12)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=43494977

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (17)

Families Citing this family (9)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2009
  • 2009-12-07 US US12/631,892 patent/US9062447B2/en active Active
• 2010
  • 2010-11-18 AR ARP100104267A patent/AR084461A1/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-11-23 TW TW099140459A patent/TWI522516B/zh active
  • 2010-11-30 CN CN201080053060.XA patent/CN102667024B/zh active Active
  • 2010-11-30 CA CA2781378A patent/CA2781378C/en active Active
  • 2010-11-30 MY MYPI2012002503A patent/MY164669A/en unknown
  • 2010-11-30 EP EP10787969.4A patent/EP2510167B1/en active Active
  • 2010-11-30 DK DK10787969.4T patent/DK2510167T3/da active
  • 2010-11-30 WO PCT/US2010/058266 patent/WO2011071714A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2010-11-30 RU RU2012118265/03A patent/RU2562308C2/ru active
  • 2010-11-30 PL PL10787969T patent/PL2510167T3/pl unknown
  • 2010-11-30 JP JP2012542125A patent/JP5767240B2/ja active Active
  • 2010-11-30 ES ES10787969T patent/ES2859630T3/es active Active
  • 2010-11-30 MX MX2012005969A patent/MX336281B/es unknown
  • 2010-11-30 BR BR112012010551A patent/BR112012010551B1/pt active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-11-30 AU AU2010328464A patent/AU2010328464B2/en not_active Ceased
• 2012
  • 2012-05-15 ZA ZA2012/03539A patent/ZA201203539B/en unknown

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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