Sloped Ceiling Bracket with Adjustable Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mounting of standard wall angles in sloped ceilings is aesthetically and functionally unacceptable, as it does not seamlessly integrate with the ceiling's slope, leading to unsightly appearances and potential structural issues.
Innovation Solution
A bracket made of a rectangular flat steel sheet with a hinge or bend line, allowing it to be bent to match the ceiling's slope, concealing the attachment to the wall and securely supporting the wall angle at the top or bottom edge of a sloped ceiling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard wall angles are mounted conventionally in sloped ceilings, then installation is simple and uses standard components, but the appearance is aesthetically unacceptable and does not seamlessly integrate with the ceiling slope
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bracket as an intermediary component between the standard wall angle and the sloped ceiling. This bracket is specifically designed to accommodate both the standard wall angle and the sloped ceiling geometry, allowing the standard components to be used while achieving aesthetic integration. The bracket acts as a mediator that translates the standard mounting interface into a configuration suitable for sloped surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is divided into multiple functional segments: a mounting portion that attaches to the wall, a sloped portion that aligns with the ceiling slope, and connection features that secure the wall angle. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function while collectively solving the overall problem of integrating standard components into a sloped ceiling system.
2Shape
If custom fabricated wall angles are used for sloped ceilings, then aesthetic integration is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is designed as a universal component that can be used with standard wall angles in sloped ceiling applications. Instead of creating custom wall angles for each sloped ceiling, the same bracket design can accommodate various standard wall angles and adjust to different slope angles, reducing manufacturing complexity and enabling standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket incorporates adjustable parameters such as the slope angle and mounting position, allowing it to adapt to different ceiling configurations without requiring custom fabrication. By changing the bracket's orientation and adjustment parameters rather than its fundamental design, the system achieves aesthetic integration while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Shape
If the bracket is bent to match the ceiling slope, then aesthetic integration is achieved, but the bracket structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is designed with inherent flexibility and adjustability, allowing it to be bent or adjusted to match different ceiling slopes. This dynamic capability enables the bracket to adapt to various slope angles while maintaining a relatively simple base structure. The bracket can be manually or mechanically adjusted to the required angle without requiring complex pre-formed geometries for each possible slope.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a bracket and method of its use for adapting standard wall angle trim for use in sloped ceiling construction. The disclosed bracket arrangement can be used for the top edge or bottom edge of a sloped ceiling and be adjusted to match the angle of any practical ceiling slope. In disclosed embodiments, the bracket has the form of a rectangular flat steel sheet. The sheet has a hinge or bend line running lengthwise in its mid-area. The bend line is made by cutting the sheet intermittently along its length and thereby dividing the sheet into two sections. The cuts may be made, for example, by punching elongated slots along the bend line in a blank being formed into the bracket. Also punched into the bracket blank are a plurality of holes distributed lengthwise on marginal areas of the two sections of the blank.