Suspended Ceiling Rail-and-Wire Assembly for Modular Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suspended ceiling systems often require complex installation processes and materials that are not cost-effective or environmentally friendly, lacking flexibility in design and material composition.
Innovation Solution
A suspended ceiling system utilizing non-metallic panels made from recycled materials, such as plastic and rubber, with a rail and wire configuration that allows for easy installation and adjustment, using connections like tongue-and-groove or snap-fit mechanisms to form a stable ceiling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional suspended ceiling systems are used, then structural support and ceiling formation are achieved, but installation complexity increases and material sustainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ceiling system is divided into modular panel assemblies, each comprising a panel, runner, and wire components that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation simplifies installation while maintaining structural integrity, directly addressing the contradiction between ease of manufacture and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail assembly serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, guides panel positioning through slots, and enables adjustable panel placement. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall system while easing installation.
2Reliability
If traditional ceiling materials are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but environmental sustainability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional metal or wood to recycled plastic materials, maintaining structural integrity through careful design of panel thickness and runner-wire-rail mechanisms while improving sustainability by utilizing post-consumer waste materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes composite construction with plastic panels, plastic runners, and coordinated metal wires, creating a hybrid structure that leverages the sustainability benefits of recycled plastics while maintaining the strength where needed through strategic material selection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed ceiling panels are used, then structural stability is achieved, but design flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The runner assemblies are designed to slide within rail slots, enabling dynamic adjustment of panel positions during installation and maintenance. This dynamic capability provides design flexibility while the rail constraints maintain panel stability in the final configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The runner acts as an intermediary component between the panel and the rail, allowing the panel to be suspended and positioned flexibly while the rail provides stable structural support. This intermediary mechanism enables both adaptability and stability simultaneously.
4Strength
If complex connection mechanisms are used, then panel attachment strength is improved, but installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire attachment mechanism is designed to be self-securing within the runner, eliminating the need for complex fastening operations. The wires attach to panels and slide into place within the runner, providing secure attachment while dramatically reducing installation time through self-service assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The runners are pre-configured with wire attachment points and slot positions, allowing panels to be quickly connected without on-site fabrication or complex assembly steps. This preliminary preparation of components reduces installation time while maintaining attachment strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling system configured such that when a runner of a first panel assembly and a runner of a second panel assembly are each slidably disposed within a channel of a rail and the rail is attached to the support member, the first panel assembly and the second panel assembly are independently suspended by respective wires from the rail. Sliding the runner of the first panel assembly towards the runner of the second panel assembly translates the respective panels of the panel assemblies towards each other, thereby positioning an edge of the panel of the first panel assembly adjacent an edge of the panel of the second panel assembly for attachment, such that the second planar surface of the panel of the first planar assembly and the second planar surface of the panel of the second planar assembly at least partially define an interior surface of the ceiling.