The present disclosure relates to modular surface presentation products. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to panels for decorating or presenting a ceiling or other host structure
Modular products are available for covering a ceiling or assembling a suspended decorative structure. Some of the products are slatted for a decorative open effect. The slats are typically attached to rails only along a single side or edge for a one-sided attachment. This may permit distortions of the product to non-planar of skewed configurations. In some assemblies, the product may be only peripherally supported, meaning any skewing or warping of the product not only degrades appearance but can cause instability of an assembly and related safety issues.
This summary is provided to briefly introduce concepts that are further described in the following detailed descriptions. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it to be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
An embodiment a presentation panel for installation on a host structure with an adjacent presentation panel includes: a first base beam including a front surface having spaced slots; a second base beam including a front surface having spaced slots; and multiple presentation members each attached to each of the first base beam and second base beam. The presentation members are mutually parallel, extend longitudinally, and are laterally spaced. The presentation members include a first laterally outer most presentation member, a second laterally outer most presentation member opposite the first laterally outer most presentation member, and multiple intermediate presentation members. Each intermediate presentation member has a respective portion received by a respective slot of the first base beam and a respective portion received by a respective slot of the second base beam. A terminal portion of the first base beam extends laterally beyond the first laterally outer most presentation member. A terminal portion of the second base beam extends laterally beyond the first laterally outer most presentation member. An edge of the second laterally outer most presentation member extends laterally beyond ends of the base beams opposite the terminal portions thereof for engaging base beams of an adjacent presentation panel when said presentation panel and adjacent presentation panel are installed adjacently on a host structure.
Each said mounting slot may have three planar sides in three-sided engagement with a respective portion of an intermediate presentation member.
The terminal portion of the first base beam may include a two-sided first recess; and the terminal portion of the second base beam may include a two-sided second recess.
When the presentation panel and an adjacent presentation panel are installed adjacently on a host structure, the first recess and second recess may receive respective portions of the edge of the of the second laterally outer most presentation member of the adjacent presentation panel.
The first base beam may include at least one pilot hole, and the second base beam may include at least one pilot hole, for securing the presentation panel to a host structure.
Each pilot hole may be positioned between adjacent slots.
The terminal portion of each base beam may be at a first end of the base beam; and each base beam, at a second end thereof opposite the first end, may have a two-sided recess in which the second laterally outer-most presentation member is partially received.
Each base beam may include a respective rectangular linear rail having two opposite sides, a back surface, and a front surface opposite the back surface, wherein the slots are defined in the front surface.
The presentation members may be attached to the front surface of the base beams, within the slots, by respective fasteners; and the fasteners may be countersunk at the back surfaces of the base beams.
The presentation members may be attached to the front surfaces of the base beams by adhesive within the slots.
The slots may be uniformly spaced along the base beams for uniform spacing of the presentation members.
The presentation members may have uniform lateral widths.
The presentation members may extend, at each end thereof, longitudinally beyond the base beams.
The presentation members may have uniform longitudinal lengths.
The above summary is to be understood as cumulative and inclusive. The above described embodiments and features are combined in various combinations in whole or in part in one or more other embodiments.
The previous summary and the following detailed descriptions are to be read in view of the drawings, which illustrate particular exemplary embodiments and features as briefly described below. The summary and detailed descriptions, however, are not limited to only those embodiments and features explicitly illustrated.
These descriptions are presented with sufficient details to provide an understanding of one or more particular embodiments of broader inventive subject matters. These descriptions expound upon and exemplify particular features of those particular embodiments without limiting the inventive subject matters to the explicitly described embodiments and features. Considerations in view of these descriptions will likely give rise to additional and similar embodiments and features without departing from the scope of the inventive subject matters. Although steps may be expressly described or implied relating to features of processes or methods, no implication is made of any particular order or sequence among such expressed or implied steps unless an order or sequence is explicitly stated.
Any dimensions expressed or implied in the drawings and these descriptions are provided for exemplary purposes. Thus, not all embodiments within the scope of the drawings and these descriptions are made according to such exemplary dimensions. The drawings are not made necessarily to scale. Thus, not all embodiments within the scope of the drawings and these descriptions are made according to the apparent scale of the drawings with regard to relative dimensions in the drawings. However, for each drawing, at least one embodiment is made according to the apparent relative scale of the drawing.
Like reference numbers used throughout the drawings depict like or similar elements. Unless described or implied as exclusive alternatives, features throughout the drawings and descriptions should be taken as cumulative, such that features expressly associated with some particular embodiments can be combined with other embodiments.
A decorative panel 10 of the prior art for mounting on a host structure 6 such as a ceiling using a hanging support 8 or other fastener is shown in
An improved surface presentation panel 20, according to at least one embodiment, is illustrated in
In various implementations and uses, the host structure 5 may be a ceiling, a wall, a drop-ceiling suspension piece or a portion of a hanging support assembly for a suspending-ceiling. Thus, the host structure generically represents may possible structures to which the panel 20 can be attached without being a part of the invention. The base beams 40 are expected to be generally rearward or background, and the presentation members 70 are expected to be generally forward or foreground from a viewer's perspective with reference to, for example, an occupant in room such as a living space, work space, or lobby.
The presentation members 70 are mutually parallel for aesthetic elegance. For convention in these descriptions, an axis to which the presentation members 70 are parallel is referenced as the longitudinal axis 72 (
Each base beam 40 is illustrated as a generally rectangular linear rail have a front surface 44, an opposite back surface 46, and two sides 48. Multiple mounting slots 50 are defined in the front surface 44 between the two sides for receiving respective portions of the presentation members 70. The mounting slots 50 are perpendicular to the length axis of the base beam 40 in the illustrated embodiment.’
A particular one of the presentation members 70a is shown in dashed line in
In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting slots 50 are uniformly spaced along the base beams 40 for uniform spacing of the presentation members 70 along the lateral axis 42. In other embodiments, the mounting slots 50 can be staggered or pattern-spaced to maintain the presentation members 70 in other decorative spacing arrangements.
Pilot holes 56 are illustrated as formed through the base beams 40 for securing the panel 20 to a host structure 5 using mounting fasteners 60, a representative one of which is shown in
Additionally, mounting holes 62 are defined through the base beams 40 for securing the presentation members 70 to the base beams 40 using attachment fasteners 64. A representative attachment fastener 64 is shown in
The presentation members 70 are illustrated as generally four-sided rectangular slats, each having a back surface 76 for engaging the sunken mounting faces 52 of the base beams 40, a front surface 74 opposite the back surface 76 for presentation, and laterally-facing opposing sidewalls 78 having forward portions for presentation adjacent the front surface 74 and rearward portions that engage the sidewalls 54 of the mounting slots 50 of the base beams 40. The presentation members 70 can be slats, blades, baffles and other forms.
The presentation members 70 are shown as vertical slats in the illustrated embodiment, referring to their depth D (
The spacing between the sidewalls 54 of each mounting slot 50 (
Various materials and modes of fabrication for panels 20, base beams 40, and presentation members 70, are within the scope of these descriptions. All particular examples thereof provided in these descriptions are non-limiting. In at least one advantageous and exemplary embodiment, the base beams 40 are machined out of rigid, black PVC material. This eliminates touch ups or painting when the product is cut or machined and eliminates unsightly, unfinished edges.
The mounting slots 50 can be machined as precision dados to keep the presentation members 70 straight and consistent. This reduces the chances of the blades twisting, turning, curling, etc., which are common problems with prior-art products such as that of
The mounting holes can be precisely placed and machined at each mounting slot 50 for easy assembly of the presentation members 70 to the base beams 40 for a product that is more secure than that using, for example staples as in some prior art panels 20. The use of removable fasteners such as screws also allows for the easy removal of presentation members 70 where needed for installation purposes, such as for light integration, air diffusers, product exchange, and warranty repair work, etc., and creates a safer, stronger, superior finished product.
The presentation members 70 vary in material and configuration in various embodiments. In at least one embodiment, the presentation members 70 have cores of engineered wood product, such as fiberboard, and are decoratively surfaced, for example with synthetic laminate. The decorative surfacing may be limited, for example, to the front surface 74 and sidewalls 78. The back surface 76 of the presentation members 70, in such an example, may be defined by the core material without decorative surfacing to save on costs given that the back surface faces the base beams 40 and host structure upon installation, out of sight from the perspective of a room occupant.
Further advantageous features of the surface presentation panel 20 relate to the mounting of multiple panels 20 in adjacent relation. In particular, the panel 20 has an asymmetry along its lateral sides in that each base beam 40 extends from a common side of the panel 20, whereas, along an opposite side of the panel 20, a lateral portion of a presentation member 70 extends laterally beyond ends of the base beams 40. This permits the extending portion of each base beam 40 to tuck under the lateral portion of the presentation member 70 of an adjacent panel 20 to visually hide the ends of the base beams 40 for a continuous aesthetic look upon installation. This is represented in
As represented in
At the first ends 28 of the base beams 40, the terminal portion 26 has a two-sided first recess 34, which can be termed a rabbet, having a sunken planar mounting face and a laterally outward facing planar sidewall. Similarly, the second end 30 of each base beam 40 has a two-sided second recess 36, which can be termed a rabbet, having a sunken planar mounting face and a laterally outward facing planar sidewall. The second laterally outer-most presentation member 70c is received partially by the second recess 36 and is secured to the base beam 40 via fasteners and optionally adhesive.
In an installation of adjacent panels 20, the first recesses 34 of the terminal portions 26 of the base beams 40 along the first side 22 of one panel 20 receive the edge 80 along the outer-most presentation member 70c of an adjacent panel 20. In such engagement, the first recess 34 and second recess 36 cooperatively form a mounting slot for the second laterally outer-most presentation member 70c. Thus, adjacent panels 20 are registered in precise relative placement and their edges are visually occluded by the foreground laterally outer most presentation members 70c that overhang the rabbeted terminal portions 26 of the base beams 40 for a continuous and seamless aesthetic look upon installation.
As the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the surface presentation panel 20 described with reference to
Particular embodiments and features have been described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that these descriptions are not limited to any single embodiment or any particular set of features, and that similar embodiments and features may arise or modifications and additions may be made without departing from the scope of these descriptions and the spirit of the appended claims.