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EP-4735704-A1 - CEILING SYSTEM

EP4735704A1EP 4735704 A1EP4735704 A1EP 4735704A1EP-4735704-A1

Abstract

There is provided a ceiling system comprising: at least one elongate carrier configured to be suspended from an overhead structure, the elongate carrier having an upper side and a lower side; a ceiling element coupled to the elongate carrier; wherein the lower side of the elongate carrier has a coupling recess at which the ceiling element is coupled to the elongate carrier; the coupling recess has first and second projections, formed respectively on a first side of the coupling recess and a second side of the coupling recess, which is on an opposite side of the coupling recess from the first side; the ceiling element has first and second apertures formed on opposite sides of the ceiling element and configured such that, when the ceiling element is inserted in the coupling recess of the elongate carrier, the first aperture of the ceiling element can receive the first projection of the coupling recess and the second aperture of the ceiling element can receive the second projection of the coupling recess; and the first projection in the coupling recess is closer to the lower side of the elongate carrier than the second projection.

Inventors

  • LANGEVELD, MICHIEL
  • FICK, JOHN

Assignees

  • Hunter Douglas Industries B.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240627

Claims (17)

  1. 1. A ceiling system comprising: at least one elongate carrier configured to be suspended from an overhead structure, the elongate carrier having an upper side and a lower side; a ceiling element coupled to the elongate carrier; wherein the lower side of the elongate carrier has a coupling recess at which the ceiling element is coupled to the elongate carrier; the coupling recess has first and second projections, formed respectively on a first side of the coupling recess and a second side of the coupling recess, which is on an opposite side of the coupling recess from the first side; the ceiling element has first and second apertures formed on opposite sides of the ceiling element and configured such that, when the ceiling element is inserted in the coupling recess of the elongate carrier, the first aperture of the ceiling element can receive the first projection of the coupling recess and the second aperture of the ceiling element can receive the second projection of the coupling recess; and the first projection in the coupling recess is closer to the lower side of the elongate carrier than the second projection.
  2. 2. The ceiling system of claim 1, wherein the coupling recess comprises an indentation in the first side of the recess, above the first projection, that is configured such that the ceiling element, with the first projection received in the first aperture of the ceiling element, can rotate about an axis parallel to its length between a coupled position in which the second projection is received in the second aperture of the ceiling element, and a partially uncoupled position in which the second projection is removed from the second aperture.
  3. 3. The ceiling system of claim 2, wherein the coupling recess is configured such that, when the ceiling element is rotated to the partially uncoupled position within the coupling recess, the ceiling element can be translated relative to the coupling recess in order to remove the first projection of the coupling recess from the first aperture of the ceiling element in order to decouple the ceiling element from the coupling recess.
  4. 4. The ceiling system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the elongate carrier has plural coupling recesses and a separation between adjacent coupling recesses is configured such that, when the ceiling element is rotated to the partially uncoupled position, it is not in contact with a ceiling element coupled to an adjacent coupling recess that is in the coupled position.
  5. 5. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first and second apertures of the ceiling element is a blind aperture.
  6. 6. The ceiling system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second apertures of the ceiling element is a groove extending the length of the ceiling element.
  7. 7. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, comprising first and second elongate carriers, each having respective coupling recesses, wherein the ceiling element extends at least between the first and second elongate carriers and is coupled to the respective coupling recesses of the first and second elongate carriers.
  8. 8. The ceiling system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second apertures of the ceiling element is elongate such that the aperture can receive the corresponding projection of a coupling recess of the first elongate carrier and the corresponding projection of a coupling recess of the second elongate carrier.
  9. 9. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when the ceiling element is coupled to the elongate carrier, part of the ceiling element is received in the coupling recess of the elongate carrier and part of the ceiling element extends away from the lower side of the elongate carrier.
  10. 10. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ceiling element and the coupling recess are configured such that the weight of the ceiling element encourages the first and second projections into the first and second apertures, respectively.
  11. 11. The ceiling system of claim 10, wherein the coupling recess of the elongate carrier further comprises a biasing member, configured to exert a force between the elongate carrier and the ceiling element in the same direction as the weight of the ceiling element.
  12. 12. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims wherein the ceiling element is formed from a solid elongate beam of material.
  13. 13. The ceiling system of claim 12, wherein the ceiling element is formed from wood.
  14. 14. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate carrier comprises an elongate base and first and second elongate side walls extending away from the base; and the coupling recess is formed as first and second cut-away sections in the first and second elongate side walls that are aligned with each other.
  15. 15. The ceiling system of claim 14, wherein the coupling recess comprises a pair of first projections formed in the first and second cut-away sections of the first and second elongate side walls on the first side of the coupling recess and a pair of second projections formed in the first and second cut-away section of the first and second elongate side walls on the second side of the coupling recess.
  16. 16. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ceiling system comprises a plurality of ceiling elements.
  17. 17. The ceiling system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate carrier includes at least two suspension points, separated from one another in the elongate direction of the elongate carrier, at which the elongate carrier is suspended from the overhead structure.

Description

CEILING SYSTEM The following disclosure relates to a ceiling system, in particular a suspended ceiling system. A variety of ceiling systems are known, in which ceiling elements are supported by carriers. It is desirable for such systems to be designed with consideration for the ease of installation while ensuring that the ceiling elements are securely coupled to the carriers once installed in order to minimise the risk of a ceiling element falling from a ceiling system, which may risk injury to people in the space below and/or damage. It may be desirable to provide a ceiling system with improved ease of installation of ceiling elements to carriers that maintains reliability of installation. According to the invention, there is provided a ceiling system as defined in the appended claims. Embodiments will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a ceiling system; Figure 2 illustrates a coupling of a ceiling element to a carrier in a ceiling system according to Figure 1; Figures 3 to 5 illustrate the steps required to couple and uncouple a ceiling element to and from a carrier; Figure 6 illustrates any alternative configuration of a coupling recess; and Figure 7 illustrates a ceiling element supported by first and second elongate carriers, shown in cross-section. Figure 1 depicts an example of a ceiling system 10 according to the present disclosure. In the arrangement depicted in Figure 10, a plurality of ceiling elements 11 are coupled to an elongate carrier 12. It should be appreciated that any number of ceiling elements 11 may be coupled to an elongate carrier 12. Each ceiling element 11 may be coupled to one or more elongate carriers 12 in order to support the weight of the ceiling element 11. For example, the ceiling element 11 may extend between, and be coupled to, at least first and second elongate carriers 12. In an arrangement as depicted in Figure 1, the one or more elongate carriers 12, may in turn be connected to and supported by one or more suspension hangers 13 that are connected to an overhead structure. Each elongate carrier 12 may be supported by at least two suspension hangers 13 for stability. Alternative arrangements for mounting the elongate carriers 12, such as directly connecting the elongate carriers 12 to an overhead structure, may also be used. Figure 1 depicts the ceiling elements 11 in cross-section, for the convenience of explaining the configuration of the coupling of the ceiling element 11 to the elongate carrier 12. It should be appreciated, however, that the ceiling element 11 may extend into the plane of the Figure. For example, the ceiling element 11 may be elongate in a direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1. For clarity, in the present disclosure, this direction may be referred to as the length of the ceiling element 11. The height of a ceiling element 11 may refer to its size in a vertical direction when installed. However, it should be appreciated that the use of these terms does not imply any relative size of the ceiling element in these directions. Accordingly, for example, the ceiling element 11 may be larger in its length direction than its height. Equally, the ceiling element 11 may be smaller in its length direction than its height. Figure 2 depicts in more detail an example of an arrangement for coupling a ceiling element 11 to an elongate carrier 12 according to the present disclosure. As shown, the elongate carrier 12 has an upper side 15 and a lower side 16. In the lower side 16 of the elongate carrier 12 one or more coupling recesses 20 are provided, into which the ceiling element 11 may be at least partially inserted in order to couple the ceiling element 11 to the elongate carrier 12. The coupling recess 20 has a first side 25 and a second side 26 provided on opposite sides of the coupling recess 20. The first and second side 25, 26 of the coupling recess 20 may be on opposite sides of the coupling recess 20 in a direction that is parallel to the length of the elongate carrier 12. The first side 25 of the coupling recess 20 includes a first projection 21. The second side 26 of the coupling recess 20 includes a second projection 22. Correspondingly, the ceiling element 11 has a first side 37, configured to engage with the first side 25 of the coupling recess 20. The ceiling element 11 has a second side 38, on the opposite side of the ceiling element 11 from the first side 37, that is configured to engage with the second side 26 of the coupling recess 20. The ceiling element 11 additionally includes a first aperture 31 provided on the first side 37 of the ceiling element 11 and a second aperture 32 provided on the second side 38 of the ceiling element 11. The ceiling element 11 and the coupling recess 20 within the elongate carrier 12 are configured such that, when the ceiling element 11 is inserted in the coupling recess 20,