Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This a division of copending Canadian Patent Application
Serial No. 308,250 filed July 27, 1978 and entitled "Ceiling
Runner Attachment System and Clip Therefor".
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
. _ . . .. _ . _ .
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceiling runner
attachment system in which an attachment clip is provided
that is engageable with either air distribution bars or
inverted-T runners thereby providing attachment means for
1~ ceiling runners positioned either parallel the supporting
structure or perpendicular to the supporting structure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable to provide an interface connection
between panel engaging ceiling runners and ceiling support
structures that will provide acoustical and structural
integrity. It is particularly desirable ~or such connections
to be adaptable when wall panels, or partitions, are installed
parallel or transverse to air distribution bars or, parallel
or transverse to conventional T grids, Similarly, in combination
support structure systems where air distribution bars comprise
a portion of the ceiling str~cture and conventional inverted-
T runners comprise the remaining portions of -the ceiling
structures, it is also desirable to provide attachment means
adaptable to such combinations wherein wall panels, or
partitions, may be positioned parallel or transverse to said
supporting ceiling structures.
Attachment runner systems have been constructed in the
past. One such attempt is shown in U. S. Patent ~o. 3,0~3,735,
to ~lavener, which provides an attachment clip for attachment
to ceiling T grids above the attachment to partition ceiling
runners along the underncath side of the clip. Problems
still remain unsolved ~Jhile this cli~ is designed to provide
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attachment to ceiling T gri~s without defacing the exposed
grid flange with screw holes or the like, the rotating snap-
on engagement severely scratches the grid flange none the less,
Bolting is required to secure partition ceiling runners to the
clip and a gap is left between the ceiling runner and T grid
as a result of the combined thickness of the clip and fastener
means. Moreover, an additional problem is confronted in that
partition ceiling runners installed p~rpendicular to the ceiling
T grid provide less lateral resistance to loads than those
installed parallel the ceiling T grid because the clip has a
tendency to slide in that direction, Lastly, in combination
grid systems wherein the supporting structures comprise both
air distribution bars and inverted-T runners, a different
attachment clip ~ould be required for enga~ement with engageable
flanges located on conventional air distribution bars~
In another ceiling runner attachment system a steel
bar portion is twist-engaged to a ceiling grid~ A second member,
being a metal pan with legs e~tending upwardly, is snapped-on
to engage the bar member and provide a space between the
pan and the bar for insertion of acoustical material. A
partition ceiling runner is then fastened, by screws or the
like, to the underside of the pan member. This clip structure
is adaptable to use with air distribution bars, as well as
conventional T grid systems, since a gap is pro~ided hetween
the pan the bar members to permit air flow therethrough
However, certain disadvantages entail the use of this attachment
system. The pan member provides an unsightly appearance from
below. Again, as with previous systems, the t~ist-engaging
attachment of the bar members scratches and mars the ceiling
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grid system support members. The pan member, being of sheet
metal construction, lacks rigidity and is susceptible to
flexing. Finally, with transverse partition alignments,
sufficient resistance to lateral loading cannot be accomplished
unless the bar member is fastened by screws or the like to the
ceiling grid after the initial twist engagement.
Other attachment systems have been utilized for
ceiling runner attachment systems. No systems in the past have
been able to overcome the obstacles created in trying to obtain
an acoustical ceiling having a recessed ceiling system that
provides a shadow line effect wherein no marring of the grid
support member occurs during installation and wherein exposed
flanges of support structures remain free from screw holes,
or the like, for fastening means. In addition to these basic
problems, unsolved in the past, a further problem, that stood
unsolved, was the inability of previous systems to provide an
attachment system that would accommodate a ceiling support
structure comprising both air distribution bars and conventional
inverted-T runners wherein demountable partition assemblies
were desired that kept the exposed portions of ceiling structures
undamaged during installation and after removal. Along with
the foregoing, an obstacle is presented in attempting to solve
the attachment difficulties without restricting air flow in
systems incorporating air distribution bars. It has
furthermore been desirable for such a system to also provide a
means for ceiling runners, engaged to wall panels or partitions,
to be located either parallel or perpendicular to such ceiling
structure support members. Prior structures have not solved
these numerous attendant prGblems which arise in attempting to
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provide this long desired ceiling runner attachment system.
The new and useful ceiling runner attachment system of this
invention overcomes all of the deficiencies associated with
prior systems.
SUM~A~Y OF THE I~VENTIO~
It is therefore an important object of this invention
to provide a ceiling runner attachment system that provides
structural and acoustical integrity when partitions are
installed parallel or perpendicular to air distribution bars,
or parallel or transverse to conventional inverted-T runner grid
members, or parallel or transverse to conventional inverted-T
runner grid systems with air distribution bars positioned along
portions of inverted-T runners.
An accordingly critical objective of this invention is
to provide an attachment system, incorporating air distribution
bars, that does not restrict air flow.
~ t is an additional object of this invention to provide
an attachment clip for connecting ceiling runners to air
distribution bars when positioned either parallel or perpendicular
to the air distribution bars.
It is another object of this invention to provide an
attachment clip for the connection of ceiling runners to
in~erted-T runners when positioned either parallel or perpendicular
to said inverted-T runners.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a
ceiling runner system which provides sound attenuation
properties along the connection hetween the ceiliny runner
and ceilin~ support member.
It is still further another obiect of this invention to
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provide a ceiling runner attachment system which is demountable.
It is still another object of this invention to
provide for demountability of ceiling runners without defacement
or marring of exposed portions of ceiling support structures.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide
a ceiling runner attachment system, and attachment clip therefor,
in which the attachment clip is usable for the attachment of
a ceiling runner to either an air distribution bar or a
conventional inverted-T runner thereby providing a system with
the economy and practicabilit~ of interchangeable components.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon
reference to the drawings and detailed description.
The present invention provides a ceiling runner
system comprising: an inverted-T runner ceiling grid; a
plurality of attachment clips secured to the web of an inverted-
T runner by fastener means and supportingly engaged by the arms
of the inverted-T runners; at least one ceiling panel having an
edge supportingly resting upon the arm of an inverted-T runner;
at least one ceiling runner located either parallel or
perpendicular to an inverted-T runner comprising a top plate
and depending flange members wherein the top plate is attached
by fastening means to at least one attachment clip; at least
one wall panel having a top edge engaged to a flange member of the
ceiling runne~.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the attachment clip
according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the attachment clip shown in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the ceiling runner attachment
system according to the invention incorporating an air
distribution bar and ceiling runner in parallel relationship.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line ~ -- 4 of
FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows, showing the ceiling
runner attachment system incorporating an air distribution
bar in parallel relationship to a ceiling runner.
~ IG. 5 is a sectional view of a ceiling runner according
to the invention, positioned perpendicular to an air distribution
bar, and alternatively, perpendicular to an inverted-T runner,
shown in phantom.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the ceiling runner
attachment system, according to the invention, showing the ceiling
runner attached to an inverted-T runner in a parallel
relationship.
_SCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
This invention may be more fully described, but is not
limited, by reference to the attached drawings and following
discussion of the preferred embodiments discussed hereinafter.
FIG. 1 shows the preferred emboaiment of the attachment
clip 10 in perspective view. Securing plate 11 is generally
vertically disposed and pro~ided with screw holes 17 for
attachment to a supportinq structure. Extending outwardly
from the lower edge of securing plate 11 is hearing seat 12
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upon which edges of ceiling tile supportingly rest when the
clip 10 is attached to a supporting structure in the ceiling
runner attachment system according to this invention. At
the opposite edge of bearing seat 12, leg portion 13 depends
downwardly and outwardly at an oblique angle terminating at
the other end in a bottom plate 14 extending inwardly therefrom
in a plane generally parallel to the plane of bearing seat
12. From opposing sides of leg portion 13, bracing tabs 15
and 16 extend inwardly at generally right angles to the plane
of securing plate 11. In the preferred embodiment bracing
tabs 15 and 16 have generally trapezoidal configuration; also,
securing plate 11, bearing seat 12, leg portion 13 and bottom
plate 14 all have generally rectangular configuration.
FIG. 2 is a side view of attachment clip 10 as shown
in FIG. 1. In this embodiment of the invention bracing tabs 15
and 16 extend from the bottom end of the side ~dges of leg
portion 13 for substantia~y the entire length of the side
edges but stop short of bearing seat 12 thereby providing a
space 18 into which a flange portion, or the like, of a
supporting structure may be supportingly engaged ~y attachment
clip 10. It is further seen, in this embodiment of the
i~vention, that the bracing tabs 15 and 16 extend inwardly
from leg portion 13 at generally right angles to the plane
of securing plate 11 but terminate short of this plane.
Further, in this embodiment, the bottom edges of bracin~
tabs 15 and 16 are coplanar with the bottom plate 14
In FIGS. 3-6, four orientations of the ceiling runner
attachment system according to the invention are shown,
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FIGS. 3 and 4 depict a ceiling runner parallel to an air
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distribution bar with an inverted-T runner supportingly-engaqed
within theair distribution bar. FIG. 5 illustrates the ceiling
r~r ~cjnnecting perpendicular to an air distribution bar. FIG. 5 also
shows, in phantom, the substantially similar attachment
situation of a ceiling runner connecting perpendicular to an
inverted-T runner alone. FIG. 6 shows a ceiling runner parallel
with, and connectin~ to, an inverted-T runner, thus illustrating
the ~ourth of four typical orientations provided by the ceilin~
runner attachment system of this invention.
Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 3 and 4, an
air distribution bar 30 is positioned along a supportingly
engaged inverted-T runner 25 with attachment clips 10 secured
and supportingly engaged to the air distribution bar 30 and
securing ceiling runner 40 below. Air distribution bar 30 has
side walls 31 and 32 respectively having longitudinal flanges
33 and 34 extending outwardly therefrom. Attachment clips 10
are secured by means of self-tapping screws 29 inserted throuqh
screw holes 17 of securing plates 11 and engaginq side walls
31 and 32 of air distribution bar 30. Flanges 33 and 34 are
positioned within spaces 18 to supportinaly enya~e attachment
clips 10. The edges of ceiling tile 21 supportingly rest along
the upper side of longitudinal ~langes 33 and 34; and, at
attachment clip 10 locations, the ceiling tile supportingly rest
on bearing seats 12 as shown in FIG. 4. Supportinyly eng~ed
within the conventional air distribution bar 30 is conventional
inverted-T runner 25. Inverted-T runner 25 comprises web portion
26 and opposing arms 27 and 2~ extending out~rdly ~ro~ the lo ~ cnd of the
web portion 26 thereby comprisin~ the cross poxtion of the
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"T". Supporting means 35, being a clip or the like, depends
inside air distribution bar 30 and suppo.~tingly engages
inverted-T runner 25. Ceiling runner 40 is located in parallel
orientation with air distribution bar 30. A top plate 41
communicates with bottom plate 14 of attachment clips 10 and
is fastenea thereto by self-tapping screw 19 extending upwardly
through top plate 41 then into and through bottom plate 14 of
attachment clips 10. In the preferred embodiment one self-
tapping screw 19 provided for each attachment clip 10 is
sufficient for proper securement of top plate 41 to bottom
plate 14. Along with having top plate 41, ceiling runner 40
comprises two pairs of flanges depending from said top plate 41,
these being flanges 42, 43, 44 and 45, Between oppos,ing pairs
of flanges, conventional wall panels 22 have top edges disposed
therebetween. Thus, as shown in ~IG, 4, a double row panel
alignment is contemplated in the preferred embodiment having a
wall ca~ity 23 between opposing spaced~apart rows of wall
panels 22. Centrally located on top plate 41, and extending
upwardly therefrom, raised rib 46 extends longitudinally along
substantially the full length of ceiling runner 40, Raised
rib ~6 provides increased strength ~or ceiling runner 40 and
added sound attenuation. Between the bottom of i.nverted-T
runner 25 and the top of raised rib 46 acoustical sound barrier
material 39 is positioned along substantially the full length
of ceiling runner 40. ~coustical sound barrier material 39
preferably comprises an acoustical closed-cell foam, Acoustical
sound barrier material 39 inhibits the transmission of sound
over wall panels 22 and ceiling runner ~0, thus attaini.ng a
desirable objective of this invention.
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The ceiling runner attachment system shown in ~IGS.
3 and ~ provides desirable structural stability, acoustical
int~grity, and unrestricted air distribution flow to either
sid~ of a wall partition along which an air distribution bar,
of conventional structure, is located. It is illustrated in
FIG. 4 that by providing an oblique downwardiy extending leg
portion 13 of attachment clip 10, bottom plate 14 has a greater
engageable surface area for engagement with top plate 41 of
ceiling runner 40 by means of self-tapping screws 19, Bracing
tabs 15 of attachment clip 10 provide rigidity and stability
by preventing bending along the upper and lower edges of leg
portion 13. The air flow passing downward through air
distribution bar 30 is bifurcated due to the arrangement of
inverted-T runner 25, acoustical sound barrier material 39,
and raised rib 46. In this preferred configuration, the air
flow is thereby split and flows unrestricted over either side
of ceiling runner 40. It is shown in FIG. 3 that for an
attachment clip 10 a single self-tapping screw 29 is sufficient
for securement of securing plate 11 to the side wall 32. It
is also to be noted that in the preferrcd embodiment attachment
clip3 10 need not be positioned directly opposite one another
on the air distribution bar 30 as shown in FIG, 4. They may be
staggered along either side of the air distribution bar 30 as
attachment re~uirements dictate.
Referring now to ~IG. 5, it is seen that a side view
of an air distri~ution ~ar 30 is depicted with a transverse
section~l view of a cei~ing runner 50. Also, shown in phantom,
a pictorially similar attachment is depicted with a side view
of inverted-T number 75 likewise connected to ~ranversely
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positioned ceiling runner 50. In this embodiment, the
objective of providing a ceiling runner attachment system
wherein ceiling runners can connect perpendicular to air
distribution bars and inverted-T runners is obtained. This
conformation shows attachment clips 10 engaging air
distribution bar 30 as in FIG. 4, but here the securement of
ceiling runner 50 is now transverse rather than parallel to air
distribution bar 30. In this preferred embodiment, ceiliny
runner 50 comprises raised rib 56 extending upward from the
center of top plate 51. From top plate 51 two pairs of
flanges downwardly extend, these being flanges 52, 53, 54
and 55, Between flanges of opposing pairs of flanges 52 - 53
and 54-55, the top edges of conventional wall panels 22 are
therebetween positioned and thereby define a ~all cavity 23
therebetween. Extending for the substantially the full
length of ceiling runner 50, and being located between the
top side of raised rib 56 and bottom of longitudinal flanges
33 and 34, acoustical sound barrier material 39 is positioned,
thus providing attenuation of sound transmission over ceiling
runn~er 50~ Of course, along lengths of the ceiling runner away
from intersections with air distribution bars, the acoustical
sound barrier materia7 contacts the bottom side of ceiling tile
21. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5, two attachment
clips 10 are staggered along either side of air distribution
bar 30 and located on either side of raised rib 56 of
transversely positioned ceiling runner 50. Ilowever, dependiny
on the needs of the particular construction, one, two, three
or four attachment clips 10 may be provided, since with four
quadrants, four possible positions for attachment are created
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by this intersection, as shown in FIG, 5. Also, a single
self-tapping screw 19 and single self-tapping screw 29 are
sufficient for securing each attachment clip 10 in this
preferred embodiment. Additional self-tapping screws 19 and
29 may be provided for an attachment clip 10 as particular
needs may require.
FIG. 6 shows the preferred embodiment of the ceiling
runner attachment system of this invention wherein a ceiling
runner 60 is in parallel alignment with an inverted-T runner
75. Inverted-T runner 75 is a conventional runner in ceiling
grid system construction, having web portion 76 and arms 77
and 78 extending outwardly from the lower end of web 76 thereby
defining the cross portion of the "T", In the preferred
embodiment, attachment clips 10 are positioned on opposite
sides of inverted-T runner 75 such that a single self-tapping
screw 29 attaches opposing securing plates 11 of both
attachment clips 10 through corresponding screw holes 17 with
web portion 76 supportingly engaged therebetween. Upon upper
sides of bearing seats 12, and upon upper sides of arms 77 and
7~, conventional ceiling tile 21 have their edges supportingly
resting, Ceiling runner 60 comprises top plates 61 havin~ two
pairs of flanges 62-63 and 64-65 depending downwardly therefrom,
Extending upwardly from top plate 61 is raised rib 66 exten~ing
longitudinally and heing centered alon~ ceiliny runner 60. The
upper surface of top plate 61 communicates w~th the bottom of
bottom plates 14 of attachment clips 10~ Self-tapping screws
19 are screwed upwardly through top plate ~1 to ~ngage bottom
plate 14. In the preferred embodiment, a single self-tappiny
screw 19 is sufficient for each individual attachmcnt clip 10,
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Positioned, between, and contac~ing both, raised rib 66 and
inverted-T runner 75, acoustical sound barrier material 39
extends for substantially the full length of ceiling runner 60
thereby providing a means for inhibiting sound transmission over
the tops of ceiling runner 60 and wall panels 22. Bracing
tabs 15 provide needed lateral and longitudinal rigidity to
attachment clips 10 for attachment with ceiling runner 60,
The orientation wherei-n a ceiling runner is positioned
perpendicular to an inverted-T runner is depicted with phantom
line inverted-T runner 75 in FIG, 5. Both the orientation
and connection of a transverse ceiling runner in the inverted-T
runner situation and in the air distribution bar situation are
clearly represented with reference to FIG. 5. In this preferred
embodiment, two attachment clips 10 are staggered on either
side of inverted-T runner 75 in a ceiling grid system. In
FIG. 5, the orientation, as compound with that of FIG~ 6, shows
that the attachment clips 10 connect to inverted-T runner 75
in the identical manner. In this preferred embodiment, an
attachment clip 10 is ~ocated on either side of raised rib 56
and a single self-tapping screw 19 is sufficient for each
attachment clip 10 for the connection through top plate 51 with
bottom plates 1~. At this intersection, acoustical sound
barrier material 39 is positioned along the top of raised rib
56 and contacts the bottom side of inverted-T runner 2~, ~s
discussed above, regarding the perpendicular intersection of
the ceiling runner 50 with air distribution bar 30, one, two,
three or four attachment clips can be provided at this
intersection as re~uired.
In the preferred embodiments of this invention, as
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described herein, an esthetic connection is provided for a
ceiling runner to either an air distribution bar of conventional
design or an inverted-T runner of conventional design~ The
ceiling runner attachment system in the preferred embodiments
is adaptable to combinations of air distribution bar members
with inverted-T runner members. In using the attachment clip
as provided herein, the benefits associated with consistency
of appearance is maintained, and structural ana acoustical
integrity is provided.
Although shown in the preferred embodiments to have
four depending flanges, many types of ceiling runner
configurations are operable with the ceiling runner attachment
system of this invention. For example, flanges 43 and 44 of
ceiling runner 40 shown in FIG. 4 could be removed and wall
panels 25 engaged to the inside or outside vertical sur~aces of
remaining flanges 42 and 45 to provide yet another embodiment
within the scope of the invention, Likewise, the number of
attachrnent clips used in a ceiling runner attachment system
is not to be considered limited by the drawinc~s and discussion
of the preferred embodiments, since enumera~lc locations and
combinations of clips along ceiling supporting structurcs are
possible as requirements of strength, stability, esthetics,
and the like, will vary.
In the preferred ernbodiments of this invention, self-
tapping screws 19 and 29 are to be considered as also having
self-drilling properties. It is intended that other operable
fastening means are incluaable within the scope of this
invention.
Further embo~iments of this invention will become
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apparent to those skilled in the art The cei~ing runner
attachment system, and clip therefor, is not intended to be
limited by the drawings, and equivalent embodiments of this
lnvention are intended to be accordingly considered within
the purview of the invention herein.
Having fully described this new and unique invention,
the following is claimed:
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