Patent ID: 8046966

Claim:
A suspended ceiling assembly for installation in a room bounded by walls and overhead structure from which to suspend a ceiling, comprising: a drop-in ceiling panel framework connectable to overhead structure of a room and formed of a plurality of support members for installation between the walls of a room, said support members including runners and cross members disposed in intersecting relationship forming cells for receipt of drop-in ceiling panels, said runners and cross members positioned at intersections whereby a runner is continuous through the intersection and first and second cross members abut and are intersected by the runner at the intersection; a plurality of drop-in ceiling panels installed in the cells formed by the runners and the cross members; a number of connectors connecting the runners and cross members at points of intersection, each connector including: a top plate; a first pair of legs straddling the runner and wherein each leg is fixed to a side surface of the runner on one side of the intersection; a second pair of legs straddling the runner and wherein each leg is fixed to a side surface of the runner on the side of the intersection across the first pair of legs; a third pair of legs straddling a first of the intersecting cross members and wherein each leg is fixed to a side surface of the first of the intersecting cross members; a fourth pair of legs straddling a second of the intersecting cross members and wherein each leg is fixed to a side surface of the second of the intersecting cross members; said legs each connected to the top plate to hold the runner and cross members in position with respect to each other; and at least one shoulder extending downward from the top plate and between one of said cross members and said runner, wherein one of said third or fourth pair of legs extend from the shoulder.