Suspended Ceiling Clip Assembly With Interlocking Fins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Suspended ceilings lack improvements in visual aesthetics, with existing clip assemblies primarily focused on convenience for office spaces without addressing the visual aspect.
Innovation Solution
A clip assembly for suspended ceilings comprising a top member with downwardly extending lateral walls and a bottom member with outward fins, allowing for adjustable and secure mounting of runners to an overhead structure, enhancing visual appeal and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional clip assemblies are used for suspended ceilings, then the ceiling system provides functional convenience for office spaces, but the visual aesthetics of the ceiling are not improved
Solution Approach 1:
The clip assembly is divided into two separate members: a top member that attaches to the overhead structure and a bottom member that connects to the runner. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the top member for structural integration and the bottom member for aesthetic appearance, resolving the contradiction between functional convenience and visual aesthetics.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the clip assembly are given different properties: the top member features a channel with inward fins for structural engagement and adjustability, while the bottom member has outward fins for aesthetic alignment with the runner. This local differentiation allows the assembly to simultaneously achieve functional convenience through the top member's structural design and visual aesthetics through the bottom member's appearance-oriented design.
2Ease of operation
If the bottom member is inserted into the channel via sliding fins, then the assembly process becomes easier, but the structural complexity of the clip assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom member is designed to be inserted into and nested within the channel of the top member. The outward fins on the bottom member slide along the inward fins of the top member during assembly, creating a nested configuration that simplifies the assembly process while the fin structures provide the necessary structural complexity for secure attachment and adjustability.
Data Source
AI summary
A clip assembly for a suspended ceiling having a ceiling panel and a runner comprises a top member and a bottom member. The top member has an upper wall for being secured to an overhead structure and a pair of lower spaced apart lateral walls downwardly extending from the upper wall. The lateral walls comprise respective outer surfaces and inner surfaces defining a channel therebetween. At least one inward fin extends from each of the inner surfaces into the channel in an upwardly sloped direction. The bottom member comprises a bottom end for being secured to the runner and opposite lateral surfaces therebetween. At least one outward fin extends from each of the lateral surfaces in a downwardly sloped direction that is complementary to the upward sloped direction of the at least one inward fin. The bottom member is inserted into the channel.