Accessible stabilizer bar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8955272-B1
Application number	US-201313953928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Feb 17, 2015
Grant date	Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

An elongated stabilizer bar for maintaining a pair of grid runners in parallel upright positions to support a panel on respective grid runner support surfaces, the stabilizer bar having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, the horizontal leg having self-penetrating tabs arranged to pierce and thereby grip a core of the panel to fix the stabilizer bar to the panel, a vertical leg having a vertical slot at each end, the slot having an open bottom, the slot having a horizontal width adapted to receive and confine an upper reinforcing bulb of a respective one of the pair of grid runners to thereby restrain the respective grid runner against excessive bowing and twisting deflection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elongated stabilizer bar for maintaining a pair of grid runners in parallel upright positions to support a panel on respective grid runner support surfaces, the stabilizer bar having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, the horizontal leg having self-penetrating tabs arranged to pierce and thereby grip a core of the panel to fix the stabilizer bar to the panel, the vertical leg having a vertical slot at each end, the slot having an open bottom, the slot having a horizontal width adapted to receive and confine an upper reinforcing bulb of a respective one of the pair of grid runners in an installed position to thereby restrain the respective grid runner against excessive bowing and twisting deflection and permit the stabilizer bar and panel to be freely and simultaneously lifted from respective installed positions for access to a space above the grid runners.

2. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 1 , comprising a sheet metal body.

3. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said body has a generally right angle configuration.

4. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said tabs are cut out from respective parts of the sheet metal body.

5. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said tabs include generally vertically depending tabs.

6. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said tabs include tabs that are adapted to engage vertical edges of a panel overlying the support surfaces of the grid runners.

7. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said tabs are deployable by manual force applied by a person installing the stabilizer bar on a panel.

8. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said tabs are joined to a horizontal leg at respective lines of weakness.

9. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the lines of weakness are determined by a through hole disposed between a tab and the horizontal leg.

10. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the vertical edge tabs have a construction that enables a portion thereof to pierce a panel edge with a horizontal component of motion.

11. A stabilizer bar as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said horizontal leg includes holes dimensioned to accept screws to fix the stabilizer bar to a high density board.

12. In a suspended ceiling, a pair of parallel grid runners, the grid runners having panel supporting surfaces and reinforcing bulbs above the supporting surfaces, a panel extending horizontally between said grid runners and carried on the supporting surfaces, an elongated rigid stabilizer bar fixed directly to a rear upper face of the panel transversely of said grid runners, the stabilizer bar having a vertical slot at each end thereof, the slots having a configuration to slip over a respective reinforcing bulb when the panel is lowered from an elevation above said support surfaces onto said support surfaces, the slot configuration when the panel is supported on said support surfaces laterally confining the respective reinforcing bulb in both lateral directions and permitting the panel to be raised for access to a plenum above the ceiling and then be reinstalled without separation of the stabilizer bar from the panel.

13. A method of stabilizing the grid runners of a suspended ceiling so that access to a space above the ceiling is available and subsequent loss of a stabilizing function is avoided comprising the steps of providing an elongated metal stabilizer bar with integral fastening tabs at least some of which are deployable by manual bending and penetration into a core of an acoustical panel to fix the stabilizer bar to the panel and with open bottom slots at each end for closely laterally fitting opposite sides of a reinforcing bulb of a respective grid runner and capable of receiving the bulb when the panel to which the stabilizer bar is fixed is lowered onto panel supporting surfaces of the grid runners.

Assignees

• Usg Interiors Llc

Inventors

• Underkofler Abraham M
• Gulbrandsen Peder J
• Paulsen Mark R

Classifications

• E04B9/067 Primary

  with inverted T-shaped cross-section · CPC title

• E04B9/242 Primary

  with separate retaining elements · CPC title

• E04B9/16

  the members lying in different planes · CPC title

• E04B9/127

  one member being discontinuous and abutting against the other member · CPC title