Faced ceiling system

• US 9,938,717 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AWI Licensing Company
• Original Assignee: AWI Licensing Company
• Inventors: Gaydos, Christopher D., Springer, Brian L., Shearer, Lori Jo L., Huntzinger, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): FIGUEROA, LUZ ADRIANA
• Application Number:
  US14/661,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20160273218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 52145, 522206, 5250607, 5250608, 5250609, 525061, 52417, 181290, 181291
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/0435 having connection means at the edges
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/245 by means of screws, bolts or clamping strips held against the underside of the supporting construction E04B9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 9/28 with the slabs, panels, sheets or the like having grooves engaging with horizontal flanges of the supporting construction or accessory means connected thereto
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/042 Joint tapes
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/08 composed of a plurality of similar covering or lining elements, E04F13/072 takes precedence; borders, skirtings E04F19/02; of webs or fabrics E04F13/002; fixing strips E04F19/06; separate provisional spacers between adjacent tiles E04F21/0092; implements or means for setting tiles E04F21/18
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0837 extending completely through the covering elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0864 composed of superposed elements which overlap each other and of which the flat outer surface includes an acute angle with the surface to cover
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0885 specially adapted for being adhesively fixed to the wall; Fastening means therefor; Fixing by means of plastics materials hardening after application
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0889 characterised by the joints between neighbouring elements, e.g. with joint fillings or with tongue and groove connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/165 for finishing joints, e.g. implements for raking or filling joints, jointers bricklayers' tools E04G21/16; repairing, e.g. filling cracks, E04G23/02 ; wallpaper scrapers or the like B44C7/02; implements for cleaning joints A47L13/10

Abstract

A ceiling system in one embodiment conceals joints between adjoining ceiling panels to provide a monolithic ceiling appearance. The system includes the support structure and ceiling panels each having a top surface, bottom surface, and peripheral edges. In one embodiment, the peripheral edges of the panels may have a hybrid edge detail including a first edge profile and a second edge profile different than the first. A facing material, bonded to the bottom surfaces of ceiling panels after securement to the support structure, has a continuous uninterrupted extent to cover and conceal multiple panels and joints. The facing may be adhesively bonded to the panels.

Claims

1. A faced ceiling system comprising:

a ceiling support structure comprising a T-bar having a bottom flange, the bottom flange including an upward facing top surface that is opposite a downward facing bottom support surface;

a plurality of acoustic ceiling panels each having a width, a length, a top surface facing the ceiling support structure, an opposing bottom surface facing an interior space below the ceiling panels, and a plurality of peripheral edges extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the plurality of peripheral edges comprising;

a first edge having a groove, the first edge comprising a first mounting flange having a top surface opposite a bottom surface and an end surface extending therebetween, the bottom surface of the first mounting flange forming a ceiling of the groove, the end surface extending beyond the bottom surface of the ceiling panel, and the top surface of the ceiling panel comprising the top surface of the first mounting flange and the top surface of the first mounting flange abuttingly engaging and attached to the downward facing bottom surface of the ceiling support structure, and

a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge having a tongue configured to be inserted into the groove of the first edge;

a plurality of laterally spaced apart joints formed between mating the first and second edges of adjoining ceiling panels;

a facing sheet adhesively bonded to the bottom surfaces of at least two ceiling panels, the facing sheet extending continuously across the bottom surfaces of the at least two ceiling panels to conceal the joint formed therebetween, the facing sheet extending a distance that is larger than a lateral width of the at least two ceiling panels combined; and

a fastener extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the first mounting flange and into the T-bar such that the fastener extends beyond the upward facing top surface of the bottom flange of the T-bar.

2. The ceiling system according to claim 1, wherein the facing sheet covers at least two joints formed between adjoining ceiling panels.

3. The ceiling system according to claim 1, wherein the facing sheet covers substantially the entire bottom surfaces of the at least two ceiling panels.

4. The ceiling system according to claim 1, wherein the facing sheet is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven filled material, nonwoven pre-painted material, a fabric, and a perforated material.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the first mounting flange is flush and coextensive with the top surface of the ceiling panel.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first edge of each ceiling panel comprises a second mounting flange having a top surface opposite a bottom surface and an end surface extending therebetween, wherein the top surface of the second mounting flange forms a floor of the groove.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the bottom surface of the second mounting flange is flush and coextensive with the bottom surface of the ceiling panel.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the end surface of the first mounting flange extends beyond the end surface of the second mounting flange.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the groove comprises a stop wall that extends from the bottom surface of the first mounting flange to the top surface of the second mounting flange.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the end surface of both the first and second mounting flanges extend beyond the stop wall of the groove.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic ceiling panel comprises mineral fiber.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein for two adjoining ceiling panels, the tongue of a first ceiling panel conceals the fastener extending through the second ceiling panel.

13. A ceiling system comprising:

a grid support system comprising a plurality of intersecting grid support members, the grid support members each comprising a T-bar having a bottom flange, the bottom flange including an upward facing top surface that is opposite a downward facing bottom support surface;

a plurality of acoustic ceiling panels attached to the downward facing bottom support surfaces of the grid support system, each ceiling panel including a pair of opposed peripheral edges extending between an upper surface and a lower surface, the pair of opposed peripheral edges including a tongue-and-groove portion and a shiplap portion;

a plurality of laterally spaced apart joints formed between mating and interlocking the tongue-and-groove portions of the opposed peripheral edges of adjoining ceiling panels; and

a facing sheet adhesively bonded to the lower bottom surfaces of a plurality of ceiling panels, the facing sheet extending continuously across the bottom surfaces of at

least two ceiling panels to conceal the joint formed therebetween, the facing sheet extending a distance that is larger than a lateral width of the at least two ceiling panels combined,

wherein an airflow resistance as measured from the facing sheet to the upper surface of the ceiling panels is at least 0.5 NRC; and

a fastener extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the first mounting flange and into the T-bar such that the fastener extends beyond the upward facing top surface of the bottom flange of the T-bar.

14. The ceiling system according to claim 13, wherein the facing sheet is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven filled material, nonwoven pre-painted material, a fabric, and a perforated material.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the top surface of the ceiling panel abuttingly engages and attaches to the downward facing bottom support surface of one of the grid support members.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the facing sheet has a thickness in a range from about 10 mils to about 15 mils.