SUPPORT METAL STRUCTURE FOR A FALSE CEILING

• US 20150121800A1
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giuseppe Cipriani
• Original Assignee: Giuseppe Cipriani
• Inventors: Cipriani, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 9,212,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/848
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/068 with double web
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/10 Connections between parallel members of the supporting construction E04B9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/122 one member passing through the other member, both members laying at least partly in the same plane
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/127 one member being discontinuous and abutting against the other member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49623 Static structure, e.g., a building component

Abstract

A steel article for false ceilings or for supporting false ceilings and process for making the article is described. The article has the following combination of features: maximum tensile strength Rm greater than 500 N/mm² and elongation from 0% to 15%.

Claims

1. A T-shaped steel section bar for a support structure for false ceilings or for supporting false ceilings, wherein the T-shaped steel section bar is made of a galvanized steel strip or sheet metal of thickness equal to or lower than 0.25 mm, wherein the steel presents the following combination of features:

maximum tensile strength Rm from 500 N/mm² to 1000 N/mm²; and

elongation from 2% to 8%.

2. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 1, wherein said article has maximum tensile strength RM from 650 N/mm² to 850 N/mm².

3. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 1, wherein the steel is non-stainless steel.

4. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 1, wherein the steel is steel comprising a coating.

5. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 4, wherein the coating is a zinc-based coating or a zinc alloy-based coating.

6. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 1, wherein the section bar is either able:

to be directly joined to another metal section bar via an integral coupling element integrally formed as one piece with the T-shaped section bar, or

to be indirectly joined to another metal section bar via a clip, or connection article, said clip or connection article being an element separate from the section bar and having elongation ability greater than the section bar.

7. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 6, wherein said section bar is of shape elongated along a longitudinal direction and includes at least two sheet metal or strip portions, side-by-side, or overlapped, the one with the other in said longitudinal direction.

8. The T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 7, wherein the section bar comprises a single sheet metal folded on itself to define an overlap of walls, wherein said two sheet metal portions are said walls of said sheet metal, and are set in contact the one with the other.

9. A combination of a T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 6, with said clip, or connection article, said clip being an element separate from the section bar and having elongation ability greater than the section bar.

10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said clip is of stainless steel.

11. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said clip is suitable for being fixed to said section bar and includes a plate sheet metal body having at least one through hole, said plate sheet metal body comprising at least one deformed sheet metal portion, said deformed sheet metal portion being protruding from one face of said plate sheet metal body and surrounding at least partially said through hole of the clip, wherein said section bar has at least one through hole intended to be aligned to the through hole of the clip, wherein said deformed sheet metal portion of the clip is inserted in the through hole of the section bar and wherein the deformed sheet metal portion has an insertion clip portion received in the through hole of the section bar, and a riveted clip portion that protrudes radially with respect to the insertion portion of the clip.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein said deformed sheet metal portion is a deep-drawn sheet metal portion.

13. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said clip has a thickness greater than a thickness of the section bar.

14. A support structure for a false ceiling including the combination of a clip and a T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure according to claim 9.

19. A support structure for a false ceiling including the T-shaped steel section bar of a support structure as set forth in claim 6.

15. A process for making a T-shaped steel section bar for supporting of false ceilings, wherein said T-shaped steel section bar is made from a starting galvanized steel strip or sheet metal of thickness equal to or lower than 0.25 mm and the steel of said strips having the following combination of features

maximum tensile strength from 500 N/mm² to 1000 N/mm²;

and

elongation of from 2% to 8%.

16. The process according to claim 15, wherein said starting steel article has maximum tensile strength RM of from 650 N/mm² to 850 N/mm².

17. The process according to claim 15, wherein said starting steel article is a strip that is subject to a zinc-coating step.

18. The process according to claim 15, wherein the same steel strip is used either to make a T-shaped section bar able to be:

directly joined to another metal section bar via an integral coupling element, or

indirectly joined to another metal section bar via a clip, or connection article, said clip being an element separate from the section bar and having elongation ability greater than the section bar.