GB2232694A - Grid ceiling with separate connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

A grid ceiling comprises first and second hollow members 10, 12 of channel cross-section, the second members being arranged transverse to the first members, a longitudinal end of the second member abutting an upstanding side of the first member intermediate its longitudinal ends. The second member 12 is provided with a separate connecting element 28 removably engaged within its interior. The connecting element is formed at one end with at least one tongue 36, 38 and at least one hook 40 therebelow, to resiliently engage in a recess 24 and an associated aperture 28 in one side flange of the first member. The position of the connecting element is determined by at least one upwardly extending projection 46, 48 engaging in at least one notch 50, 52 in the inturned rim 20, 22 of the side flanges 16, 18 of the second hollow member 12. <IMAGE>

Description

A GRID CEILING The present invention relates to grid ceilings.

Grid ceilings comprise a number of longitudinally extending members and one form of such a grid ceiling involves a first elongate hollow member and a second elongate hollow member, the first and the second hollow members each being of a channel-shaped cross-section including a lower web portion joining two spaced side flanges forming the upstanding sides of the first and second members1 the cross-section of the second member additionally comprising inturned rims along the upper edges of said side flanges, the second member being arranged transverse to the first member, with a longitudinal end of the first member abutting an upstanding side of the second member intermediate the longitudinal ends.

The are various methods of joining the first and second members and the most conventional one is for the first member to have at its end one or more hooks which engage in recesses or apertures in the second member. This is perfectly satisfactory for most purposes but problems can arise where one is dealing with a room which is not of the standard dimension and it is sometimes necessary to arrange for a longitudinal end of the second member to abut an upstanding side of the first member intermediate its longitudinal ends and this cannot be done in this conventional way.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, for the second member to be provided with a separate connecting element which is cross-sectionally shaped so as to be removably engaged within the hollow interior of the second member, said separate connecting element being formed at one end with at least one projecting tongue and at least one projecting hook positioned therebelow, to engage with a set of accommodation openings comprising a recess and an associated aperture formed in at least one side flange of the first member, the recess being formed in the upper edge portion of said at least one side flange, a plurality of said sets being positioned at regular spaced intervals along the first member, a notch formed in at least one of the inturned rims of the second members and a co-operative upwardly extending projection on the associated connecting element engagable in said notch to determine an appropriate position of the connecting element with respect to the second member.

With such a structure it is possible for the connecting element to be inserted into the end of the hollow interior of the second member and for its position to be determined by the notch and upwardly extending projection so that the hook and tongue project outwardly from the end of the second member. This can be achieved at any position along the length of the first member when the latter has been cut to the desired length. All that would then be necessary to make the notches in the appropriate position or to use notches which have been provided at a particular pitch along the length. The structure is very simple but yet effective. A connecting element can be flexed inwardly so that the upwardly extending projection slide between the inturned rims of the second member and then be allowed to spring upwardly so that the projections engage in the notches.

Preferably the connecting element comprises a tongue and a hook extending from each of its upstanding side wall and an upwardly extending projection extends upwardly from each of the upstanding side wall to engage in a notch formed in each of the inturned rims.

The connecting element preferably has above the hook a rounded projection having a horizontally extending upper surface, said rounded projection causing slight resilient deformation of the side flange portion of the first member, directly above the upper surface of the rounded projection upon the insertion of the hook in a corresponding aperture, whereupon said side flange portion springs back over the upper surface around the projection to lock the hook in place with respect to the first member.

Advantageously the connecting element has a Ushaped cross-section which is open at the top and has a web portion and two upstanding side-walls all abutting corresponding portions inside the hollow interior of the member.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure is a perspective exploded schematic view of a portion of one embodiment of grid ceiling according to the invention.

The grid ceiling illustrated comprises substantially identical first and second members 10, 12 of hollow channel cross-section including a lower web 14 joining two spaced side flanges 16, 18 having inturned rims 20, 22 along the upper edges of the side flanges. At longitudinally spaced intervals along the length of the first and second hollow members 10, 12 are each provided with a set of accommodation openings including a recess 24 and an associated aperture 26 therebelow, formed in at least one of the side flanges 16, 18.

Longitudinally slidable into the second member 12 is a connecting element 28 which is also a channel crosssection including a lower web 30 and upstanding side walls 32, 34. The dimensions of the connecting element 28 are such as to enable it to slide tightly into the second member 12 with the webs and side flanges abutting the webs and side flanges of the second member.

At its right-hand, free-end, the side walls 32, 34 of the connecting element 28 are each provided with an upper projecting tongue 36, 38 and a lower projecting hook only one of which, 40, can be seen in the drawing. The tongue 36, 38 and the hooks 40 are dimensioned to engage in the recess 24 and the aperture 26 respectively. It will be noted that the side wall 34 (and the side wall 32 is similar) is provided with a rounded projection 42 which has a horizontally extending upper surface.This is adapted to engage in a slit portion 44 extending from the upper part of the aperture 26 and is designed to cause a slight resilient deformation of the side flange portion 16 of the first member 10, directly above the upper surface of the rounded projection upon insertion of the hook in the co-operating aperture 26, whereupon the side flange portion 10 springs back over the upper surface the rounded projection 42 to lock the hook 40 in place with respect to the first member.

It will be seen also that each side flange 32, 34 of the connecting element 28 is provided with an upwardly extending projection 46, 48 and the corresponding inturned rims 20, 22 of the second hollow member 12 is provided with notches 50, 52 dimensioned to accept these projections 46, 48 and positioned so that when projections are engaged in the notches the tongues 36, 38 and the hooks 40 project outwardly from the free end of the second member 12.

It would be appreciated that such a structure is easy to fit at the desired location on site and is simple and effective in operation.

The first hollow members 10 are provided with tongues and hooks (not shown) which are similar to the tongues and hooks 36, 38, 40 and these are used to engage in the recess and aperture 24, 26 in the first member.

Claims (8)

1. A grid ceiling comprising a first elongate hollow member and a second elongate hollow member, said first and second hollow members each being of substantially channel shaped cross-section, including a lower web portion joining two spaced side flanges, forming the upstanding sides of said first and second members, the cross-section of said second member additionally comprising inturned rims along the upper edges of said side flanges, said second member being arranged transverse to said first member with a longitudinal end of the second member abutting an upstanding side of the first member intermediate its longitudinal ends, said second member being provided with a separate connecting element which is cross-sectionally shaped so as to be removably engaged within the hollow interior of said second member, said separate connecting element being formed at one end with at least one projecting tongue and at least one projecting hook positioned therebelow, to engage with a set of accommodation openings comprising a recess and an associated aperture formed in at least one side flange of the first member, the recess being formed in the upper edge portion of said at least one side flange, a plurality of said sets being positioned at regular spaced intervals along the first member, a notch formed in at least one of the inturned rims of the second members and a co-operative upwardly extending projection on the associated connecting element engagable in said notch to determine an appropriate position of the connecting element with respect to the second member.

2. A grid ceiling according to claim 1, wherein each connecting element has above the hook a rounded projection having a horizontally extending upper surface, said rounded projection causing slight resilient deformation of the side flange portion of the first member, directly above the upper surface of the rounded projection upon insertion of the hook in the co-operating aperture, whereupon said side flange portion springs back over the upper surface of the rounded projection to lock the hook in place with respect to said first member.

3. A grid ceiling according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said connecting element has a U-shaped cross-section which is open at the top and has a web portion and two upstanding side walls all abutting corresponding portions inside the hollow interior of the second member.

4. A grid ceiling according to claim 3, wherein said connecting element comprises a tongue and a hook extending from each of its upstanding side walls and wherein an upwardly extending projection extends upwardly from each of the upstanding side walls.

5. A grid ceiling according to any preceding claim, wherein the connecting element when engaged with its upwardly extending projection in said notch has its tongue and hook extending beyond the longitudinal end of the second member.

6. A grid ceiling according to any preceding claim, wherein said connecting element is insertable in the second member by using the resilience of the second member and/or the connecting element itself.

7. A grid ceiling according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second members have identical cross-sections and wherein there is at least one further second member connected to said first member.

8. A grid ceiling substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.