VIBRATION ISOLATING CEILING HANGER

Abstract

A device for suspending a ceiling from a building structure includes a first support wire with a first hoop portion and at least one first hook portion, a second support wire with a second hoop portion and at least one second hook portion, a first isolation cup, a second isolation cup, and a spring between the first and second isolation cups. The first and second support wires are positioned such that the first and second hoop portions are adjacent first and second ends of the spring, respectively, the first hook portion bears against the second isolation cup and the second hook portion bears against the first isolation cup.

Claims

1. A device for suspending a ceiling from a building structure, comprising: a first support wire comprising a first hoop portion and at least one first hook portion; a second support wire comprising a second hoop portion and at least one second hook portion; a first isolation cup; a second isolation cup; and a spring disposed between the first and second isolation cups and having a first end and a second end, wherein at least a portion of the first support wire and at least a portion of the second support wire is positioned through a hollow inner portion of the spring; wherein the first and second support wires are positioned such that the first and second hoop portions are adjacent the first and second ends of the spring, respectively, and the at least one first hook portion is adapted to bear against the second isolation cup and the at least one second hook portion is adapted to bear against the first isolation cup.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first isolation cup comprises: a first opening through which the first and second support wires pass; a first bearing surface for receiving one of the first or second hook portions; and a first annular shelf adjacent the first opening opposite the first bearing surface; and the second isolation cup comprises: a second opening through which the first and second support wires pass; a second bearing surface for receiving one of the first or second hook portions; and a second annular shelf adjacent the second opening opposite the second bearing surface; wherein the first and second ends of the spring are positioned against the first and second annular shelves, respectively.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first isolation cup comprises a first surface opposite the first bearing surface and the second isolation cup comprises a second surface opposite the second bearing surface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second isolation cups comprises an annular notch between the first or second annular shelves and the first or second surface, respectively.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and second isolation cups comprise at least one trough on the first or second bearing surface into which the first or second hook portion is received.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second isolation cups are comprised of elastomeric material.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second support wires comprise two first or second hook portions.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second isolation cups comprise two corresponding troughs on the first or second bearing surface into which the two first or second hook portions are received.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the spring is a coil spring.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the spring is a linear spring.

11. A suspended ceiling system comprising the device of claim 1, and further comprising: a first connector with a first end coupled to the first hook portion of the first support wire and a second end coupled a ceiling structure; and a second connector with a first end coupled to the second hook portion of the second support wire and a second end coupled to a suspended ceiling structure.

12. A device for suspending a ceiling from a building structure, comprising: a first support wire comprising a first hoop portion and two first hook portions; a second support wire comprising a second hoop portion and two second hook portions; a first isolation cup comprising: a first opening through which the first and second support wires pass; a first bearing surface for receiving the two second hook portions; and a first shelf surface adjacent the first opening; a second isolation cup comprising: a second opening through which the first and second support wires pass; a second bearing surface for receiving the first two hook portions; and a second shelf surface adjacent the second opening; and a spring disposed between the first and second isolation cups and having a first and second end positioned against the first and second shelf surfaces, respectively; wherein the first and second support wires are positioned such that the first and second hoop portions are adjacent the first and second ends of the spring, respectively, and the two first hook portions are adapted to bear against the second isolation cup and the two second two hook portions are adapted to bear against the first isolation cup.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the two first hook portions of the first support wire are positioned at about 90-degree angle relative to the two second hook portions of the second support wire.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the first isolation cup comprises two first opposing troughs on the first bearing surface for receiving the two second hook portions of the second support wire, wherein the second isolation cup comprises two second opposing troughs on the second bearing surface for receiving the two first hook portions of the first support wire.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the two first troughs of the first isolation cup are positioned at about 90-degree angle relative to the two second troughs of the second isolation cup.

16. A method for suspending and isolating a floating ceiling from a ceiling structure comprising the steps of: providing a vibration isolating hanger comprising: a first support wire comprising a first hoop portion and at least one first hook portion; a second support wire comprising a second hoop portion and at least one second hook portion; a first isolation cup; a second isolation cup; and a spring disposed between the first and second isolation cups and having a first end and a second end; wherein the first and second support wires are positioned such that the first and second hoop portions are adjacent the first and second ends of the spring, respectively, and the at least one first hook portion is adapted to bear against the second isolation cup and the at least one second hook portion is adapted to bear against the first isolation cup; attaching a first end of a first connector to the first hoop portion of the first support wire and attaching a second end of the first connector to the ceiling structure; and attaching a first end of a second connector to the second hoop portion of the second support wire and attaching a second end of the second connector to the floating ceiling.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second isolation cups are comprised of elastomeric material.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the spring is a coil spring.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the spring is a linear spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The features of the application can be better understood with reference to the drawings described below, and the claims. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles described herein. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of the vibration isolating ceiling hanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vibration isolating ceiling hanger of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIGS. 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view, respectively, of a support wire of the vibration isolating ceiling hanger of FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 4A is a side view of an isolation cup according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 4B is a top view of the isolation cup of FIG. 4A.

[0026] FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the isolation cup of FIG. 4A taken along line A-A in FIG. 4B.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a suspended ceiling system according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The following definitions and methods are provided to better define the present disclosure and to guide those of ordinary skill in the art in the practice of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise noted, terms are to be understood according to conventional usage by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

[0029] As used in the description, the terms top, bottom, above, below, over, under, above, beneath, on top, underneath, up, down, upper, lower, front, rear, back, forward and backward refer to the objects referenced when in the orientation illustrated in the drawings, which orientation is not necessary for achieving the objects of the invention.

[0030] The term about or approximately when immediately preceding a numerical value means a range (e.g., plus or minus 10% of that value). For example, about 50 can mean 45 to 55, about 25,000 can mean 22,500 to 27,500, etc., unless the context of the disclosure indicates otherwise, or is inconsistent with such an interpretation. For example, in a list of numerical values such as about 49, about 50,about 55, . . . , about 50 means a range extending to less than half the interval(s) between the preceding and subsequent values, e.g., more than 49.5 to less than 52.5. Furthermore, the phrases less than about a value or greater than about a value should be understood in view of the definition of the term about provided herein. Similarly, the term about when preceding a series of numerical values or a range of values (e.g., about 10, 20, 30 or about 10-30) refers, respectively to all values in the series, or the endpoints of the range.

[0031] As used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

[0032] The term comprising is synonymous with including, having, containing, or characterized by. These terms are inclusive and open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[0033] Embodiments of the present technology disclosed herein are directed to vibration isolating ceiling hangers. In one exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a ceiling hanger 10 is provided that comprises a spring 1, two support wires 2, and two isolation cups 3. The spring 1 is disposed between the two isolation cups 3 and the support wires 2 extend through the hollow central portion of the spring 1 and the central openings 6 in each of the isolation cups 3. The support wires 2 each have hook portions 4 that hook over the isolation cups 3. Some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-3B, may have two hook portions 4, while others may have one hook portion. The support wires 2 also have hoop portions 5 which attach to the building structure or items to be hung via a suitable coupling device, such as, e g., hanging wire. FIG. 1 shows a side view of the hanger 10, and FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the hanger 10.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spring 1 may be a linear coil spring. In other embodiments, springs with a non-linear spring rate may be used. The spring 1 may be made with any suitable material, such as stainless or carbon steel, or another material. It is envisioned that two springs may be used, with a smaller diameter spring positioned inside a larger diameter spring to provide desired deflection and load capacity capabilities to the hanger 10, depending on the application.

[0035] The springs may be selected to provide particular operating static deflections desired for particular applications. Static deflection is the displacement of the spring under a constant load. It is typically measured in millimeters or inches and represents how much the spring compresses when subjected to the weight of the object it is supporting. For a vibration isolation spring, the static deflection indicates how flexible or stiff the spring is under the given load. The more the spring compresses, the lower its natural frequency and the better it is at isolating lower-frequency vibrations. In some exemplary embodiments, the spring 1 has a static deflection of about 0.25 inches to about 6 inches, or from about 0.25 inches to about 1 inch, or from about 1 inch to about 2 inches, or from about 2 inches to about 4 inches, or from about 4 inches to about 6 inches, or other suitable ranges. The spring 1 may have a lateral stiffness that is equal to or greater than its vertical stiffness. In some embodiments, the spring 1 is chosen such that the hanger 10 can support loads up to 150 lbs with a 5 safety factor to failure.

[0036] FIGS. 3A and 3B show front and side views of the support wire 2. The size, shape and configuration of the wires 2 may be adjusted based on the application. In some embodiments, a width of the wire 2 at the outer dimension of the hook portions 4 is from around 1 inch to around 12 inches, or from around 1.5 inches to around 6 inches, or from around 2.5 inches to around 3 inches, or around 2.75 inches. A length of the wire 2 from the hoop portion to the opposite end may be from about 2.5 inches to about 25 inches, or from about 4 inches to about 10 inches, or from about 5 inches to about 6 inches, or about 5.31 inches long. Other dimensions may be used in other embodiments depending on the intended application. In some embodiments, the support wires 2 may be constructed from stainless steel, although other materials are employed in other embodiments. In additional embodiments, music wire, piano wire, chromium, monel, alloy materials, oil tempered wire, chrome silicon, or other suitable materials may be used. In some embodiments, the support wire has the form of a round hook-style hoop portion and a single hook portion connected together by a single rod. In other embodiments, the hoop portion is in the form of a closed loop. In yet additional embodiments, four support wires may be used each with two hook portions such that each isolation cup 3 supports two sets of hook portions-one from each support wire 2.

[0037] FIGS. 4A-4C shows various views of the isolation cups 3 according to an embodiment of the invention. The isolation cups 3 function to isolate the spring 1 and support wires 2 from vibrations coming from the building structure or ceiling materials. The cup 3 has a generally cylindrical shape and includes an opening 6, as shown in FIG. 4B, through which the support wires 2 pass when the hanger 10 is assembled. It is understood that the isolation cup may have different shapes other than cylindrical according to particular applications. The isolation cups 3 may be formed of an elastomeric material, EPDM, Neoprene, Rubber, SBR, cork, fiberglass, or another material suitable for dampening vibrations. In some exemplary embodiments, the outside diameter of the isolation cup 3 is between around 1 inch to around 3 inches, or around 2.16 inches. The inside diameter of the opening 6 of the isolation cup may be from around 0.5 inches to around 2 inches, or around 1.31 inches. The height of the isolation cup may be around 0.3 inches to around 1 inches, or around 0.63 inches. In other exemplary embodiments, other dimensions may be used according to the intended application.

[0038] The isolation cup 3 has a first surface 9 and a second surface 11. The first surface 9 is a bearing surface for receiving the hook portion(s) 4 of the support wires 2. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the first surface 9 includes two troughs 8 for receiving the hook portions of the support wires 2. The troughs assist with keeping the support wires 2 in place relative to the isolation cup 3. A different number of troughs may be provided on the first surface depending on the number of hook portions of the support wire supported by the isolation cup 3, for example four troughs in the four-support wire embodiment described above.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 4C, the inner opening 6 of the isolation cup 3 may include an annular shelf 7. The annular shelf 7 has a surface against which an end of the spring 1 bears when the hanger is assembled. In some embodiments, there is an annular notch 12 provided between the annular shelf 7 and the second surface 11, as shown in FIG. 4C. The notch receives at least a portion of a spring coil at one end of the spring 1. This arrangement assists with keeping the end portions of the spring 1 in place relative the isolation cups 3 when the hanger 10 is in the assembled configuration and the spring 1 forms a friction fit inside the cups 3 and against the annular shelf 7. The size and shape of the notch 12 in the isolation cup 3 may be adjusted depending on a particular spring 1 used in the hanger 10.

[0040] In the embodiment of the hanger 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when assembled, the two support wires 2 extend through the internal space of the spring 1 and the openings 6 in the isolation cups 3 in an opposing configuration. In other words, the support wires 2 are arranged so that the hoop portions 5 of each wire are at opposite ends of the hanger and the hook portions 4 each wire are likewise at opposite end of the hanger. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the hook portions of the first support wire are oriented at an about 90-degree angle relative to the hook portions of the second support wire. In other embodiments, the hook portions of the wire may be oriented at different angles relative to each other. Similarly, in this embodiment, the troughs 8 of the first isolation cup and the troughs 8 of the second isolation cup may be oriented so that they form a 90-degree angle with respect to each other. In other embodiments, the troughs may be oriented at different angles relative to each other to accommodate various support wire orientations.

[0041] In some embodiments, the vibration isolating hanger of the invention is intended for lower-weight dropped ceilings, which allows the device to have a reduced overall weight. Other embodiments include heavier duty support wires, spring, and cups to support heavier weight ceilings.

[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates a ceiling structure with the installed hanger 10. In this embodiment, the hanger 10 attaches to the building structure 20 and load 22, such as the ceiling grid and tile, using ceiling tile hanger wire 24, 26. The wire wraps around the hoop portions 5 of the support wires 2. Other types of connectors may be used to attach the hoop portions of the support wires to the ceiling structures. The upper support wire attaches to the structure 20 and the lower support wire attaches to the load 22. As load is added to the hanger 10, the upper support wire supports the bottom of the hanger, and the lower support wire applies the load to the top of the hanger compressing the spring. The isolation cups on both ends of the spring isolate the spring and the support wires, preventing unwanted vibration and noise transfer to the surrounding structure.

[0043] Although the technology has been described and illustrated with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions, and additions may be made therein and thereto, without parting from the spirit and scope of the present technology.