ceiling anchor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mounting accessory for at least one ceiling tile, said accessory comprising a shaft equipped with fastening means for attaching said accessory to an external structure such as a ceiling or metal structure, said accessory further comprising support means, characterized in that said support means comprises at least one arm cooperating with said at least one tile. Fig 16

Description

Title of the invention: ceiling anchor

[0001] The invention relates to a suspended ceiling system. Previous art

[0002] The invention relates to a suspended ceiling system. Currently, suspended ceilings consist of rods fixed to the ceiling that support rails. These rails are used to support ceiling tiles forming a false ceiling. In fact, the rails are profiles onto which the false ceiling tiles can be laid. The rails form a grid that allows the false ceilings to extend over the entire space to be covered.

[0003] The disadvantage of the current system is that it is unsightly. Indeed, the current system is such that the rails are visible. This visibility of the rails makes the ceiling of tiles / slabs less aesthetically pleasing than a painted ceiling, for example.

[0004] Suspended ceilings are also known to comprise a set of suspended profiles 1000 supporting tiles 2000, these tiles being designed, once installed, to conceal the profiles. These tiles 2000 have, at their edges, notches 2002 and / or grooves 2004 so as to cooperate with the profile. More particularly, the two tiles attached to the same profile are designed such that a first tile has a notch on its underside while a second tile has a notch on its upper side, as well as a groove. This arrangement allows the first tile to rest on the profile and the second tile to cooperate with the profile via its notch while concealing the profile as seen in [Fig. 1].

[0005] The drawback of this system is its complexity, as it requires manipulating the slabs to make them cooperate with the profile, particularly to engage the profile in the groove. Furthermore, the presence of the offsets means that the slabs must be positioned with a specific orientation. In addition, the offsets weaken the slabs.

[0006] Moreover, this use of rails to support the plates entails an additional expense since it is necessary to install this structure. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an anchoring system that solves the disadvantages of the prior art by being simpler to use and which reduces noise and vibration while being as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a mounting accessory for at least one ceiling tile, said accessory comprising a shaft equipped with fastening means allowing the fixing of said accessory to an external structure of the ceiling or metallic type, said accessory further comprising support means, characterized in that said support means comprise at least one arm cooperating with said at least one slab to support it.

[0009] The advantage of the present invention is that it allows for the creation of a ceiling that is simple to assemble by simply placing the tiles on the support means formed by arms.

[0010] According to one example, the arm includes at least one load-bearing surface on which a slab is placed.

[0011] According to one example, the bearing surface is that of a plate extending from said arm.

[0012] According to one example, the bearing surfaces of two adjacent plates are joined.

[0013] According to one example, said arm comprises a core provided with at least one wing, said wing being the bearing surface.

[0014] According to one example, the shaft is adjustable.

[0015] According to one example, the support means include one, two, three or four arms.

[0016] According to one example, the arms are regularly distributed.

[0017] According to one example, the accessory further includes means for locking the slabs.

[0018] According to one example, the slab locking means comprise at least one blade or a block arranged on the arm or on the shaft.

[0019] The invention further relates to a suspended ceiling system comprising tiles supported by accessories, said accessories being the accessories according to the invention. Description of the figures

[0020] Other features and advantages will become clear from the description given below, by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0021] - [Fig.1] represents a profile view of a ceiling according to the prior art;

[0022] - [Fig.2] represents a profile view of a ceiling according to the invention;

[0023] - Figures 3, 6 and 7 represent a suspension according to the invention;

[0024] - Figures 4 and 5 represent adjustable suspension variants according to the invention;

[0025] - Figures 8 to 10 represent variants of the suspension arms according to the invention;

[0026] - [Fig. 1 1] represents suspension cables according to the invention with a different number of arm ;

[0027] - Figures 12 to 17 represent suspension arms with support surfaces according to the invention and variants;

[0028] - [Fig. 18] represents means for locking a slab of a hanger according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0029] The invention represented in [Fig.2] is a suspended ceiling system 1 according to the invention.

[0030] This suspended ceiling system 1 comprises a hanger 10 for supporting ceiling tiles 100 or panels. The tiles 100 thus comprise a lower face and an upper face. The lower face is the visible face when the tile is installed. The tiles 100 further comprise an edge or perimeter wall. This hanger 10 is attached to a structure S. This structure S can be a ceiling or a metal structure made of profiles.

[0031] This suspension arm 10, visible in [Fig. 3], comprises a shaft 12 in the form of a rod. This shaft includes, at one end, fastening means 14. These fastening means 14 allow the suspension arm 10 to be attached to a ceiling-type structure or a metal structure. These fastening means 14 include, for example, a plate that allows the rod to be screwed, riveted, glued, or snapped onto the structure. These fastening means 14 alternatively include a hook cooperating with a ring screwed onto the ceiling-type or metal structure. These fastening means 14 may also be in the form of a screw head that allows the shaft 12 to be screwed directly onto a structure. The suspension arm 10 is made of metal, plastic, polymer, carbon fiber, wood, or any other possible material.

[0032] In a variant shown in [Fig. 4], the shaft 12 is adjustable in length. According to a first solution shown in [Fig. 4], the shaft 12 of the suspension arm 10 is composed of two tubes 122 sliding one inside the other; locking means are provided to lock the position of the two sliding tubes 122 relative to each other. It is therefore necessary to have two portions with different diameters so that they can slide one inside the other.

[0033] In a second solution shown in [Fig. 5], the shaft 12 comprises two portions 123. These two portions 123 cooperate with an intermediate plate 124. This intermediate plate 124 includes two openings into which the portions 123 are inserted. The intermediate plate includes locking means for the two portions. Thus, either portion 123 can slide. Of course, it is possible to have only one portion slide. In this case, the intermediate plate 124 is fixed to one portion. This intermediate plate 124 then includes an opening to allow the other portion to be inserted and slide. This second solution advantageously allows for portions of the same diameter and is therefore simpler to manufacture. The intermediate plate 124 can be simple, i.e., flat, or have a complex shape allowing for several functions.For example, the intermediate turntable 124 is in the form of a C-shaped turntable. This C-shaped plate has two pairs of holes. Each pair has one hole located on each arm of the C. The two holes in each pair are positioned almost directly opposite each other. This arrangement allows the two shafts 123 to slide through these holes. These holes are arranged so that when pressure or force is applied to the arms of the C to bring them closer together, the holes in the pairs become perfectly aligned. This alignment allows the two shaft sections 123 to slide for length adjustment. When the force is released, the intermediate plate 124 tends to return to its original shape. In this case, the holes in the intermediate plate are no longer perfectly aligned, so the shafts 123 can no longer slide and are locked.

[0034] The shaft 12 includes, at its second end, support means 16. These support means 16 are intended to cooperate with the ceiling plates 100. These support means 16 include at least one arm 161. This arm 161 has a cross-section and a profile.

[0035] In a first form visible in [Fig.6], this arm 161 has an L-shaped profile. This L-shaped arm is welded to the rod forming the shaft 12. For this purpose, the arm has two perpendicular portions with a portion parallel to the shaft 12. The arm 161 is attached to the shaft by this portion.

[0036] In a second form visible in [Fig. 7], this arm 161 has a straight profile. This arm 161 is welded to the shaft 12. Alternatively, this arm 161 is fixed to the shaft 1 by means of an intermediate element such as a plate 162. This plate 162 has a shape and dimensions allowing the arms 161 to be fixed.

[0037] Of course, this intermediate element 162 is not limited in its use to this second form and can very well be used for the first form. This avoids welding the arms 161 directly onto the shaft 12.

[0038] In both forms, the arm(s) 161 have a cross-section that can have various shapes, such as a square or circular cross-section, tubular or not. The arm 161 is alternatively in the form of a web, for example, an I-beam, which can be fitted with at least one flange to form an L-shaped, T-shaped, L-shaped, H-shaped, or H-shaped cross-section. In the case of an H-shaped cross-section, it is pivoted so that the two arms are parallel and parallel to the ground, as shown in Figures 8 to 10.

[0039] The support means 16 of the suspension system include at least one arm 161. In variants, the support means 16 include one, two, three or four arms 161 as seen in [Fig. 11]. These arms 161 are regularly or irregularly distributed.

[0040] In the case where the arms 161 are regularly spaced, they are spaced at an angle. For two arms 161, they are spaced 180 degrees apart, and 120 degrees for three arms. and 90 degrees for four 161 arms. Of course, the 161 arms can have a regular spacing or not.

[0041] It is also possible that the arms extend in parallel. In this case, the suspension 10 comprises two parallel arms 161.

[0042] The arms 161 are arranged to cooperate with the slabs 100 forming the false ceiling or suspended ceiling.

[0043] According to the invention, the arms 161 are arranged to include at least one support or bearing surface 163. This support surface 163 is used to support at least one slab 100. This support surface 163 extends from said arms 161. More particularly, each arm 161 has at least one bearing surface 163 that extends. The slab 100 is thus supported by its lower face.

[0044] In a first embodiment as shown in [Fig. 12], the support surface 163 is the surface of a plate 165 extending from the arm 161. This plate 165 is local, i.e., a point, or extends over all or part of the length of said arm. In the case of several surfaces, these may extend on both sides of the arm 161.

[0045] In a variant of this first embodiment shown in [Fig. 13], the bearing surfaces 163 of two adjacent arms 161 are joined. This joining takes place in an area close to the shaft 12. Alternatively, this joining can take place in an area close to the end of the arms 161. For this, the extension of the bearing surfaces 163 is such that they extend symmetrically.

[0046] This joint advantageously increases the support surface 163 while providing more stability in the support of the slab.

[0047] In a second embodiment shown in [Fig. 14], the load-bearing surface 163 is an integral part of the arm. Indeed, depending on the shape of the arm's profile, the arm may naturally have a surface that extends and serves to support a slab 100. Thus, an arm 161 having a cross-section in -1- or -j- or L, comprising at least one flange, naturally has at least one surface for supporting a slab. This second embodiment is advantageous in that the load-bearing surface 163 extends over the entire length of the arm.

[0048] In a variant of this second embodiment, the bearing surfaces 163 of two adjacent arms 161 are joined. This joining takes place in an area close to the shaft 12 as seen in [Fig. 15].

[0049] The installation of the slabs consists, firstly, of installing the hangers 10 by fixing them to the ceiling or to a dedicated structure. Optionally, the shaft 12 of the hanger 10 is adjusted in length.

[0050] The hangers 10 are arranged and positioned according to their configuration and that of the slabs. Indeed, depending on the shape of the slabs 100, the hangers 10 can This includes more or fewer arms (161). Furthermore, 10 different suspension cables with various configurations can be used. Thus, it is possible to have suspension cables with one, two, three, or four arms to support the slabs.

[0051] Next, the slabs are positioned to bear on the load-bearing surfaces 163 of the slabs, as shown in [Fig. 16]. Depending on the configuration of the load-bearing surfaces 163, the slabs may include at least one groove arranged along their edge. The slab may include several grooves or a single groove extending around its periphery. A plate 165 or a portion of the arm 161, acting as a load-bearing surface 163, is adapted to fit into a groove to support the slab. This allows for support means 16 to become invisible.

[0052] In one variant, the hanger 10 includes means for locking the slabs 17. These locking means 17 are arranged so that the slab 100, once installed, is interposed between the load-bearing surface 163 and the locking means 17. This then prevents the slabs 100 from jumping or coming loose in case of contact.

[0053] In a first example shown in [Fig. 17], the locking means 17 comprise at least one protruding element 171 such as a stud or a tab. This protruding element 171 extends from the arm 161. This protruding element is positioned on said arm so as to be spaced away from the supporting surface. This spacing is such that the slab can be inserted between the supporting surface and the protruding element.

[0054] In a second example shown in [Fig. 18], the slab locking means 17 comprise at least one retaining blade 172. This retaining blade 172 extends directly from the shaft 12 of the hanger 10 or from a locking plate. This locking plate is mounted fixed or sliding on the shaft 12. In the case of a sliding locking plate, locking means are arranged to secure the position of said plate. Preferably, the number of retaining blades is equal to the number of arms.

[0055] It is possible to combine the locking means 17 of the first example and the second example, i.e. an element 171 arranged on the arm and a retaining blade 172 extending from the shaft 12.

[0056] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example but is susceptible to various variants and modifications which will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0057] In this respect, it is possible that the locking means 17 include magnets. These magnets are arranged on the arms and on the slabs and are designed to make contact during the installation of the slab.

Claims

Demands

1. Mounting accessory (10) for at least one ceiling tile (100), said accessory comprising a shaft (12) equipped with fastening means (14) enabling the attachment of said accessory to an external structure of the ceiling or metallic type, said accessory further comprising support means (16), said support means comprising at least three arms (161) cooperating with said at least one tile to support it, characterized in that the at least three arms are distributed angularly in the same plane.

2. Accessory according to the preceding claim in which the arm (161) comprises at least one bearing surface (163) on which a slab is placed.

3. Accessory according to the preceding claim, wherein the bearing surface (163) is that of a plate (165) extending from said arm.

4. Accessory according to the preceding claim, in which the bearing surfaces of two adjacent plates are joined.

5. Accessory according to the preceding claim, wherein said arm comprises a core provided with at least one wing, said wing being the bearing surface.

6. Accessory according to any one of the preceding claims in which the shaft (12) is adjustable.

7. Accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support means (16) comprise four arms.

8. Accessory according to the preceding claim, in which the arms are regularly distributed.

9. Accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein it further comprises means for locking (17) the slabs.

10. Accessory according to the preceding claim, wherein the slab locking means comprise at least one blade or stud arranged on the arm or on the shaft.

11. Suspended ceiling system comprising tiles supported by accessories, said accessories being the accessories according to any one of the preceding claims.

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