Patent ID: 9657475
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: A62C,E04B

Claim:
1. A drop panel unit, arranged to form a portion of a suspended ceiling system, the drop panel unit comprising: a frame, with sides of the frame defining a drop panel opening; at least one pair of drop panels, each pair of drop panels comprising a first drop panel and a second drop panel, the at least one pair of drop panels having combined dimensions for completely covering the drop panel opening, each first drop panel and second drop panel having a hinge along one edge for hinging each first drop panel to one side of the frame and each second drop panel to the opposing side of the frame, to provide for the drop panels to rotate about the hinge by gravity from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation; a mounting beam having end portions thereof terminating on opposing sides of the frame and extending completely across between the opposing sides of the frame, and the mounting beam being disposed to lie above and overlying the drop panel opening defined by the sides of the frame; an electromagnetic support disposed between the mounting beam and at least one of the first and second drop panels to magnetically hold the first and second drop panels in the horizontal orientation when electric power is provided to the electromagnetic support; and a damper disposed between the mounting beam and each drop panel to slow the rotation of the drop panels from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation when electric power to the electromagnetic support is removed.