Telescoping Bar Hanger with Detachable Nailing Bridge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bar hangers for recessed luminaires and lighting fixtures are limited in adjustability once attached to ceiling joists, as they are permanently deformed during installation, and lack versatility for mounting to both ceiling joists and T-bar supports in suspended ceilings.
Innovation Solution
A bar hanger assembly with telescoping support arms and a detachable attachment member that can be bent to accommodate both ceiling joists and T-bar supports, allowing for adjustable positioning and secure attachment using sliding movement and fasteners, with a nailing bridge for easy removal and repositioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a barbed or hooked nailer is driven into the joist to fix the bar hanger, then the bar hanger is securely mounted to the ceiling joist, but the wood and the nailer are permanently deformed and cannot be easily removed, limiting adjustability
Solution Approach 1:
The bar hanger is divided into separate components: a barbed nailer portion and a bridge portion that can be detached from each other. The bridge remains attached to the luminaire while the nailer is driven into the joist, allowing the luminaire to be removed and repositioned by detaching and reattaching the bridge component.
Solution Approach 2:
The barbed nailer is driven into the joist to provide secure anchoring, while the bridge portion is designed to be recoverable and reusable. After the nailer is installed, the bridge can be detached from the nailer, allowing the luminaire to be removed and reinstalled elsewhere using the same nailer and bridge components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a two-piece assembly with slidable rails is used to fit between adjacent ceiling joists, then the bar hanger can accommodate different joist spacing, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bar hanger incorporates slidable components that allow the bridge to move along the barbed nailer, enabling adjustment of the effective length to accommodate different ceiling joist spacings. This dynamic adjustment mechanism is simpler than traditional two-piece assemblies with multiple slidable rails.
3Reliability
If a bar hanger is designed for ceiling joist attachment, then it provides secure mounting, but it cannot be used with T-bar supports in suspended ceilings, reducing versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The bar hanger design incorporates features that allow it to function with both ceiling joists and T-bar supports. The bridge component can be attached to various support structures, and the barbed nailer can be used with joists while alternative attachment methods work with T-bars, making the same basic design universally applicable to different ceiling types.
Data Source
AI summary
A bar hanger assembly is provided for supporting a recessed electrical device in a ceiling support. The bar hanger includes first and second telescoping support arms that are slidably connected together for adjusting the length of the bar hanger. The support arms having an elongated body with first and second ends and a mounting plate coupled to the first end. The mounting plate is oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body. An attachment member is coupled to a bottom edge of the mounting plate for attaching to the bottom edge of a ceiling joist. The attachment member includes a detent extending from one side thereof. The attachment member can be bent from a first position perpendicular to the mounting plate to a second position parallel to the mounting plate for attaching to a T-bar support.