Cross Panel Grid Alignment and Fixture Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customization of cross tee grid members and ceiling tiles for suspended ceilings is expensive and often requires coordination between multiple trades, complicating the installation process due to the need for custom sizes and shapes to accommodate non-standard light fixtures and air vents, disrupting the regular grid pattern.
Innovation Solution
A rectangular sheet metal cross panel with blade-like connectors at its corners that engage the webs of main tees, allowing for alignment and stabilization of the tees, providing structural support and accommodating various sizes and shapes while integrating utility functions like sound passage and air circulation, and concealing fixtures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom cross tee grid members are made to accommodate non-standard light fixtures and air vents, then the aesthetic appearance and functional integration are improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The ceiling panel is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as both a visible ceiling surface and a structural cross-tee member. The panel includes integrated connectors that engage with main tees in conventional connector receiving slots, eliminating the need for separate custom cross-tees while accommodating non-standard fixture spacing through its adjustable design
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom cross tee grid members are fabricated for each unique fixture spacing, then the functional integration is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
A single standardized panel design serves multiple spacing requirements through its adjustable connector configuration. The panel can be installed at various orientations and positions to accommodate different fixture spacings without requiring custom fabrication, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The panel system allows for dynamic adjustment of fixture locations by reconfiguring the panel orientations and positions within the grid. This flexibility enables accommodation of non-standard spacings using standard components, eliminating the need for expensive custom fabrication
3Reliability
If traditional grid and panel systems are used with multiple trades involved, then the functional requirements are met, but the installation time and coordination complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of ceiling panels and cross-tee structural members into a single integrated component. This consolidation allows a single trade to complete both panel installation and structural support tasks simultaneously, eliminating the need for coordination between multiple trades and significantly improving installation productivity
4Adaptability or versatility
If the ceiling grid pattern is interrupted by light fixtures and air vents, then the functional requirements are met, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The panel serves dual purposes as both a visible ceiling surface and a structural support element. By integrating the cross-tee function into the panel itself, the design maintains the visual continuity of the ceiling surface while accommodating fixtures and vents, thereby preserving aesthetic appearance while meeting functional requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A cross panel for a grid type suspended ceiling comprising a sheet metal body forming a rectangular face adapted to close the space between the flanges of a pair of parallel grid tees. The panel has four connectors each adjacent a respective corner of the panel face and adapted to extend through a slot in the web of the adjacent grid tee for interlocking the panel to the tees in a manner that maintains the parallel spacing and alignment of the tees and affords a simple, aesthetically pleasing appearance.