Patent Publication Number: US-2009224128-A1

Title: Suspended ceiling projector mount apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/876,978 filed Jun. 25, 2004, which claims filing date of priority to the Jul. 3, 2003 U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/484,701. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates, in general, to ceiling mounted supports and, more particularly, to ceiling mounted supports for projectors. 
     In educational settings, it is common to mount projectors, such as LCD projectors, on the ceiling to provide clear, unimpeded visual displays and to avoid disrupting classroom seating. 
     Heretofore, projector ceiling mounting apparatus has been an on site mounting task wherein a variety of apparatus are employed to mount the projector to the ceiling. Such apparatus frequently make use of a mounting bracket with an aperture which is available from the projector manufacturer. 
     Ceiling mounting of projectors is further complicated by the common use of suspended drop ceilings wherein relatively thin acoustic panels are removably suspended in a grid mounted to the overhead ceiling studs. Such ceilings require special mounting provisions to accommodate the thin, weak acoustic panels employed in such ceilings. 
     Thus, it would be desirable to provide a drop ceiling projector mounting apparatus which simplifies the task of mounting a projector mount in a drop or suspended ceiling. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a ceiling mount apparatus including a mounting board formed of a rigid material mountable in a drop ceiling grid, a mounting support, and a projector. 
     The mounting support of the apparatus includes first and second ends. The first end threadingly engages a projection ceiling mount plate affixed to the projector housing. The second end may be threaded or smooth. The second end extends through an aperture in the mounting board to fix the mounting support to the mounting board by means of a clamp. 
     The ceiling mount apparatus also includes a support member being attached to an inner surface of the mounting board. The support member includes an aperture that is coaxially aligned with an aperture in the mounting board. 
     The ceiling mount apparatus also includes optional safety features, such features including a safety strap where one end of the strap is secured to a fixed ceiling member, i.e. ceiling stud, etc., and the other end is affixed to a fastening means of the apparatus. This optional safety strap is used to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the mounting board from the ceiling grid. 
     Another safety feature of the ceiling mount apparatus is a safety pin that extends through diametrically opposed apertures on the second end of the mounting support. The safety pin feature prevents the support member of the apparatus from inadvertently dislodging from the mounting board. 
     Another optional feature of the ceiling mount apparatus is to include an electrical outlet on the mounting board. Additionally, a predetermined length electrical cord can optionally be pre-wired to the electrical outlet. 
     Furthermore, optional audiovisual features can be included on the mounting apparatus; such features include but are not limited to speakers, etc. 
     The ceiling mount apparatus of the present invention provides a drop ceiling projector mounting apparatus which simplifies the task of mounting a projector mount in a drop or suspended ceiling. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a ceiling mount apparatus according to the present invention, depicted mounted in a drop ceiling; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the upper surface of the ceiling mount apparatus depicted in a partially installed position in a drop ceiling; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial, perspective view showing the pipe clamp according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the installation of the optional safety stop screws according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing additional optional features of the ceiling mount apparatus of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and to  FIGS. 1-4  in particular, there is depicted a ceiling mount apparatus suitable for mounting projectors or other audio/visual equipment on a ceiling and, preferably in a drop or suspended ceiling. 
     The apparatus  10  includes a mounting board or panel  20  which is sized to fit within a 2′×2′ standard drop ceiling grid opening as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . If the grid opening is 4′×2′, the existing ceiling panel, as described in the installation manual procedures hereafter, can be cut to 2′×2′ and a center divider strip added to the ceiling grid before the mounting board  20  can be installed in the ceiling grid. 
     Alternately, a 2′×4′ mounting board can be made for direct installation in the grid opening. 
     The mounting board  20  is formed of a suitable, rigid material having sufficient strength to support approximately twenty pounds; although higher article support weights are also possible. For example, the mounting board  20  can be formed of melamine covered particle board having white exterior surfaces. 
     A mounting support  24  in the form of a hollow metal pipe, formed of steel or other suitable strong material, is fixedly mounted on the mounting board  20  such that a threaded first end  26  in  FIG. 1  extends a short distance below what will be the exposed surface of the mounting board  20 . The external threads on the end  26  are adapted to threadingly engage a standard projector ceiling mount plate, not shown in  FIG. 1 , which is mountable on the projector  12  by means of fasteners. The shape of the mounting plate will vary from projector manufacturer to projector manufacturer and is not shown in  FIG. 1  due its common availability. 
     The opposite or second end  28  of the mounting support or pipe  24  may be threaded or alternatively, can have a smooth exterior. The mounting support or pipe  24  extends through an aperture  30  in the mounting board  20 . The second end  28  of the mounting support or pipe  24  projects the short distance above the surface  33  of the mounting board  20  which is normally disposed within the ceiling grid and covered from view. A support member or plate  32  is glued or otherwise fastened, such as by nailing, to the surface  33  of the mounting board  20  and has an aperture  34  slightly larger than the aperture  30  in the mounting board  20 . The aperture  34  is coaxially aligned with the aperture  30 . 
     The mounting support or pipe  24  is affixed to the mounting board  20  by means of a clamp means  40  shown in  FIG. 3 . The clamp means  40  includes a generally U-shaped saddle  42  formed of a first leg  44 , opposed second leg  46  and a central leg  48  spanning and interconnecting one end of side legs  44  and  46 . The opposed spaced ends of each of the side legs  44  and  46  are generally aligned and at a smaller spacing from the opposed portions of the opposite side leg then an enlarged diameter center section which snugly conforms to the outer diameter of the pipe  24 . A bolt  50  is mountable through aligned apertures in one end of the side legs  44  and  46 . A nut is used on the bolt  50  to tighten the side legs  44  and  46  securely about the outer diameter of the pipe  24 . 
     The central leg  46  is secured, such as by a nut and bolt  52 , to one leg of an angle bracket  54 . The other leg of the angle bracket  54  is fixed to the support plate  32 , also by means of a nut and bolt  56 , by example only. The angle bracket  54  supports the U-shaped clamp  42  on a support plate  32 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , one edge of the opposite ends of the side legs  44  and  46  of the clamp  42  rest on one surface of the support plate  32 . The support plate  32  distributes the weight of the pipe  24  and the clamp means  40  over a large surface. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , an optional safety strap means  60  has at least one and preferably both ends secured to the fastener  56  used to attach the angle bracket  54  to the support plate  32 . The other end of the strap means  60  is wrapped around or can be tied to a fixed ceiling located member, such as a ceiling stud, truss, or an electrical or water pipe, or an HVAC duct, as explained in step eight in the installation manual which forms part of this specification. The safety strap means  60  provides an added securement capability in case the mounting board  20  accidentally becomes dislodged from the ceiling grid by preventing the mounting board  20  from completing separating from the grid and falling toward the floor. 
     Another safety feature is provided by an optional safety pin  64  shown in detail in  FIG. 3 . The safety pin  64  extends through aligned, diametrically opposed apertures in the second end  28  of the pipe  24 . A nut  66  secures the safety pin  64 , which can be a bolt,  65 , in position, with one end  68  of the safety pin  64  projecting outwardly beyond the inner diameter of the aperture  34  in the support plate  32 . The safety pin  64  will engage the side legs  44  and  46  of the clamp  40  if the pipe  24  inadvertently moves from its fixed position in the clamp  40  in a downward direction through the mounting board  20 . The safety pin  64 , in combination with the strap means  60 , insures that the projector  12  carried on the end of the pipe  24  does not fall away from the mounting board  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , another optional feature of the ceiling mount apparatus is an electrical outlet  70  which is premounted on the upper surface  33  of the mounting board  20 . Further optionally, the outlet  70  may be provided with a predetermined length, such as 25 feet, by example only, of an electrical cord  72 . By example, the cord  72  is a twelve gauge, three-wire, metal shielded cable. With the socket portion of the electrical outlet  70  exposed through a face plate on the lower exposed surface  21  of the mounting board  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the power cord  72  from the projector  12  may be easily connected to the outlet  70  to receive electrical power. 
     Installation of the ceiling mounting apparatus of the present invention 
     is extremely easy. Since all of the elements, including any optional elements, are premounted on the mounting board  20 , once the safety strap  60  is attached to ceiling support member, the mounting board  20  can be inserted through the opening in the ceiling grid and then dropped into engagement with the ceiling grid members. The electrical conductor  72  may then be attached to electrical power within the ceiling. 
     Another optional safety feature of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 4  and includes at least one and preferably a plurality, with four being provided by way of example only, of mounting screws  80  which are threaded through the grid members, preferably in the upright members  82  into the mounting board  20  of the drop ceiling grid, and more on each side edge of the mounting board  20 . Engagement of the screws  80  through the upright grid support members  82  and the mounting board  20  fixes the mounting board  20  in place and prevents any inadvertent movement or disengagement of the mounting board  20  from the ceiling grid. 
     Refer now to  FIG. 5 , several other optional features of the present ceiling mount apparatus  10  are also shown. 
     At least one and, preferably, a plurality, such as two or more, speakers  88  are mounted on the mounting board  20  and extend below the lower exposed surface  21  of the mounting board  20 . Apertures formed in the mounting board  20  in line with the speakers  88  provide openings for passage of power conductors and audio cables from the projector  12  to each speaker  88 . For example, the speakers  88  may be Mediaphile speakers which provide 360° sound dispersion. 
     Some speakers require DC power for operation. An AC/DC  12  volt power converter  90  is plugged into one of the sockets in the outlet  70  to convert the AC power provided by the outlet  70  to the low level DC power required for operation of the speakers  88 . The low voltage power cord from the converter  90  can pass through an opening in the projector mounting plate and then through the tube  24 , and above the mounting board  20  to the two connections at the speakers  88 . 
     Other electrical networking or computer signal cables or conductors may also pass from a building computer network or nearby computer, through the ceiling down through the tube  24  to connections on the projector  12 . This provides a clean, aesthetic appearance for such conductors and provides a measure of protection for the conductors or cables. 
     In conclusion, there has been disclosed an apparatus for mounting an audio/visual projector in a drop ceiling grid.