L-Shaped Ceiling Grid Adapter for Single Beam Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suspended ceiling grid systems require two cross beams to securely connect with a main beam, which is not feasible in decorative designs or when space is needed for fixtures, and fail to maintain connection under stress, particularly during seismic events.
Innovation Solution
An L-shaped adapter is used to secure a single cross beam to a main beam, occupying the space of the omitted second connector, with one leg extending along the cross beam and the other along the main beam, and secured with a rivet, ensuring the connection remains stable under stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If only a single cross beam is connected to the main beam through a slot, then the ceiling allows for decorative designs or fixture installations, but the connection fails to maintain structural integrity under stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adapter as an intermediary component that mediates between the single cross beam connector and the main beam slot. The adapter fills the space where a second connector would normally be, providing the necessary structural support and connection stability while allowing the design flexibility of having only one visible cross beam.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is segmented into distinct functional components: the cross beam connector, the adapter, and the main beam slot. This segmentation allows the adapter to independently provide the structural support function while the cross beam connector maintains the aesthetic function, resolving the contradiction between design flexibility and connection stability.
2Reliability
If two cross beams are connected to the main beam through a slot, then the connection maintains structural integrity under stress, but the ceiling cannot accommodate decorative designs or fixture installations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the structural support function from the second cross beam and consolidates it into the adapter component. This allows the second cross beam to be omitted entirely for aesthetic purposes, while the adapter independently provides the necessary structural support to maintain connection stability.
3Ease of operation
If a single cross beam connector is inserted into the slot without an opposing connector, then the connector is loosely held and cannot resist pull-out forces, but adding a second connector defeats the decorative or spatial purpose
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter serves as a mediator that provides the missing structural support function. It is inserted into the slot alongside the single cross beam connector, filling the space where a second connector would normally be, thereby providing the necessary resistance to pull-out forces while maintaining the simplicity of having only one visible cross beam connection.
Data Source
AI summary
An L-shaped adapter that secures a single cross beam to a main beam, in a suspended ceiling.The adapter is applied to a prior art connection designed to connect opposing cross beams to each other and to a main beam.