IP Library Granted Patent US 12,442,186
Granted Patent B2
US 12,442,186 · App. 18/428,730 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Ceiling system and ceiling baffle thereof

Inventors: Dustin Headley (Hoffman Estates, IL); Jason Gillette (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: Turf Design, Inc.
E04B9/001E04B1/84E04B9/0414E04B9/045G10K11/162G10K11/168E04B2001/829E04B9/064E04B9/366
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,442,186
App. No.
18/428,730
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A ceiling system and a ceiling baffle thereof. The ceiling baffle may include a body portion and at least one locking mechanism. The body portion may have a top edge having a recess that is defined by a floor, a first wall extending from the floor to the top edge, and a second wall extending from the floor to the top edge. The at least one locking mechanism may protrude from the floor of the recess along a longitudinal axis and be spaced apart from the first wall by a first gap and from the second wall by a second gap. The at least one locking mechanism may have a first engagement surface that faces the floor of the recess on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second engagement surface that faces the floor of the recess on a second side of the longitudinal axis.

Claims (31)

1. A ceiling baffle comprising:

a body portion comprising a top edge, a recess in the top edge that is defined by a floor, a first wall extending from the floor to the top edge, and a second wall extending from the floor to the top edge;

at least one locking mechanism protruding from the floor of the recess along a longitudinal axis, that at least one locking mechanism being spaced apart from the first wall by a first gap and from the second wall by a second gap, the at least one locking mechanism comprising a first engagement surface that faces the floor of the recess on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second engagement surface that faces the floor of the recess on a second side of the longitudinal axis;

wherein the ceiling baffle is a monolithic component comprising the body portion and the at least one locking mechanism; and

wherein the ceiling baffle is configured to be mounted to a ceiling hanger by engagement between the first and second engagement surfaces of the at least one locking mechanism and engagement surfaces of the ceiling hanger.

2. The ceiling baffle according to claim 1 wherein the monolithic component that comprises the body portion and the at least one locking mechanism are formed from a compressible material.

3. The ceiling baffle according to claim 1 wherein the body portion and the at least one locking mechanism are formed from a felt material.

4. The ceiling baffle according to claim 1 wherein the at least one locking mechanism comprises a base portion that protrudes from the floor of the recess and a top portion that extends from the base portion, the top portion comprising a first lower surface portion that protrudes from the base portion towards the first wall of the recess to form the first engagement surface and a second lower surface portion that protrudes from the base portion towards the second wall of the recess to form the second engagement surface.

5. The ceiling baffle according to claim 1 wherein the body portion of the ceiling baffle comprises a first major surface, a second major surface, a bottom edge, and the top edge, and wherein when the ceiling baffle is mounted to the ceiling hanger, the first and second major surfaces are oriented vertically and the bottom surface is oriented horizontally and faces downwardly.

6. A ceiling system comprising:

at least one ceiling hanger, each of the at least one ceiling hanger being elongated along a first axis and comprising:

a top wall and first and second sidewalls that collectively define a cavity having an open bottom end; and

a first engagement feature located on a first side of the first axis and extending from the first sidewall into the cavity and a second engagement feature located on a second side of the first axis and extending from the second sidewall into the cavity;

at least one ceiling baffle comprising:

a top edge;

at least one recess comprising a floor that forms a lower boundary of the recess, a first wall that extends from the floor to the top edge, and a second wall that extends from the floor to the top edge; and

a locking mechanism protruding from the floor of the recess towards the top edge along a second axis, the locking mechanism comprising a first engagement surface located on a first side of the second axis and a second engagement surface located on a second side of the second axis;

the at least one ceiling baffle configured to be coupled to the at least one ceiling hanger by inserting the locking mechanism of the at least one ceiling baffle through the open bottom end and into the cavity of the at least one ceiling hanger until the first and second engagement surfaces of the locking mechanism engage the first and second engagement features of the at least one ceiling hanger, the first wall of the recess faces an outer surface of the first sidewall of the at least one ceiling hanger, and the second wall of the recess faces an outer surface of the second sidewall of the at least one ceiling hanger.

7. The ceiling system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one ceiling baffle is moved in a direction perpendicular to the first axis to insert the locking mechanism into the cavity of the ceiling hanger.

8. The ceiling system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one locking mechanism is altered from an original shape to a compressed state as the at least one locking mechanism passes through the open bottom end of the cavity, the at least one locking mechanism returning to the original shape once fully seated within the cavity of the at least one hanger.

9. The ceiling system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one ceiling baffle and the locking mechanism are formed from a felt material.

10. The ceiling system according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one locking mechanism comprises a base portion that is connected to the floor of the recess and a top portion that extends from the base portion towards the top edge of the ceiling baffle, the top portion comprising a first lower surface portion that protrudes from the base portion towards the first wall of the recess to form the first engagement surface and a second lower surface portion that protrudes from the base portion towards the second wall of the recess to form the second engagement surface, each of the first and second lower surface portions being spaced apart from the floor by a cut out.

11. The ceiling system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one locking mechanism is spaced apart from each of the first and second side walls of the recess.

12. A ceiling baffle comprising: a bottom end, a top end, a first side end extending from the bottom end to the top end, a second side end extending from the bottom end to the top end, and a baffle axis extending from the first side end to the second side end; a locking mechanism comprising a side profile when viewed from a viewing angle that is perpendicular to the baffle axis, the side profile comprising a first downwardly facing shoulder, a second downwardly facing shoulder, a first chamfered surface extending from the first downwardly facing shoulder towards a top end of the locking mechanism, and a second chamfered surface extending from the second downwardly facing shoulder towards the top end of the locking mechanism; wherein the first and second downwardly facing shoulders of the locking mechanism are configured to engage a ceiling hanger to mount the ceiling baffle to the ceiling hanger; a recess in the top edge, the recess being defined by a recess floor, a first wall that extends from the recess floor to the top edge, and a second wall that extends from the recess floor to the top edge; and wherein the locking mechanism protrudes from the recess floor and is spaced from each of the first and second walls of the recess.

13. The ceiling baffle according to claim 12 wherein each of the first and second downwardly facing shoulders is oriented parallel to the recess floor, the first downwardly facing shoulder being spaced from the recess floor by a first cut out and the second downwardly facing shoulder being spaced from the recess floor by a second cut out.

14. The ceiling baffle according to claim 12 further comprising a plurality of the locking mechanisms that are arranged in a spaced apart manner in a direction of the baffle axis.

15. The ceiling baffle according to claim 12 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the baffle axis, wherein the first downwardly facing shoulder is located on a first side of the longitudinal axis and the second downwardly facing shoulder is located on a second side of the longitudinal axis.

16. The ceiling baffle according to claim 12 wherein the ceiling baffle is a monolithic component formed from a compressible material.

17. The ceiling baffle according to claim 12 wherein the ceiling baffle is a monolithic component formed from a felt material.

18. The ceiling baffle according to claim 15 wherein the felt material is a PET felt.

19. A ceiling baffle comprising: a bottom end, a top end, a first side end extending from the bottom end to the top end, a second side end extending from the bottom end to the top end, and a baffle axis extending from the first side end to the second side end; a locking mechanism comprising a side profile when viewed from a viewing angle that is perpendicular to the baffle axis, the side profile comprising a first downwardly facing shoulder, a second downwardly facing shoulder, a first chamfered surface extending from the first downwardly facing shoulder towards a top end of the locking mechanism, and a second chamfered surface extending from the second downwardly facing shoulder towards the top end of the locking mechanism; wherein the first and second downwardly facing shoulders of the locking mechanism are configured to engage a ceiling hanger to mount the ceiling baffle to the ceiling hanger; a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, each of the first and second surfaces extending between the bottom end and the top end and between the first side end and the second side end; and wherein each of the first and second downwardly facing shoulders extend from the first surface of the ceiling baffle to the second surface of the ceiling baffle.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2025
From: TURF DESIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS THE COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073194/0509 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2025
From: HEADLEY, DUSTIN; GILLETTE, JASON
To: TURF DESIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 070665/0396 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 17902479 · Sep 2, 2022
Continuation 16669910 · Oct 31, 2019
Continuation 15639638 · Jun 30, 2017
Provisional Application 62518347 · Jun 12, 2017
Provisional Application 62517640 · Jun 9, 2017
Provisional Application 62357026 · Jun 30, 2016
Provisional Application 62357066 · Jun 30, 2016
Related Publication 20240167274A1 · May 23, 2024
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