Faceted metal suspended ceiling

Abstract

A non-planar suspended panel system comprising a metal grid formed of curved main runners and straight cross runners extending between the main runners, a plurality of panels supported on the grid, the panels each having flat major faces with quadrilateral profiles, the edges of a panel being aligned with a pair of main runners and a pair of cross runners, each panel having flanges at its edges extending between its flat face and the runners in a manner that disposes the plane of its flat face generally parallel to chordal lines in the planes of the main runners between the intersections of the associated cross runners and main runners, whereby the panel system extends over a three dimensional surface and the surface is formed of a multitude of facets each formed by one of said panels.

1 . A non-planar suspended panel system comprising a metal grid formed of curved main runners and straight cross runners extending between the main runners, a plurality of panels supported on the grid, the panels each having flat major faces with quadrilateral profiles, the edges of a panel being aligned with a pair of main runners and a pair of cross runners, each panel having flanges at its edges extending between its flat face and the runners in a manner that disposes the plane of its flat face generally parallel to chordal lines in the planes of the main runners between the intersections of the associated cross runners and main runners, whereby the panel system extends over a three dimensional surface and the surface is formed of a multitude of facets each formed by one of said panels. 
     
     
         2 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said panels each include a flange extending generally perpendicularly to the plane of the flat face. 
     
     
         3 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said panels include flanges having edges, distal from the flat face, having a shape that conforms to the curvature of an associated main tee. 
     
     
         4 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said panels are attached to said grid by resilient springs biasing said panels toward said grid. 
     
     
         5 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said panels are formed of sheet metal. 
     
     
         6 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein said sheet metal is aluminum. 
     
     
         7 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said springs engage said cross runners. 
     
     
         8 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said springs are torsion units. 
     
     
         9 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the torsion units include tangs that in a free state are divergent. 
     
     
         10 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein said cross runners have slots to receive said divergent tangs. 
     
     
         11 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein said tangs and slots are arranged so that said springs serve, to raise their respective panel towards an associated cross runner. 
     
     
         12 . A suspended panel system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of said panel edges has a flange that contacts an overlying runner.