Architectural fixture connection system

Abstract

An architectural fixture assembly includes a first beam and a second beam which are configured to be coupled together by a connector. The first beam includes a first end having an opening into an interior portion. The second beam includes a first end having an opening into the interior portion. The connector includes a first portion that is configured to be located within the interior portion of the first beam while the second portion of the connector protrudes from the first end of the first beam via the opening in the first end of the first beam. The second portion of the connector is configured to be located within the interior portion of the second beam to couple the first and second beams together with the first end of the first beam in abutment with the first end of the second beam

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An architectural fixture assembly comprising:
 a plurality of first beams and a plurality of second beams configured to be coupled together to form a first lattice assembly, each of the plurality of first beams being elongated between a first end and a second end along a first beam axis and comprising an interior portion that is open at the first end;   a plurality of first connectors, each of the plurality of first connectors comprising a first portion configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of first beams and a second portion that is configured to protrude from the first end of the one of the plurality of first beams; and   a plurality of third beams, each of the plurality of third beams comprising a first end and an interior portion that is open at the first end, wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of first connectors is configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of third beams to couple the plurality of third beams to the first lattice assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of first beams is perpendicular to each of the plurality of second beams. 
     
     
         3 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 2  wherein each of the plurality of third beams is elongated along the first beam axis of one of the plurality of first beams when the plurality of third beams are coupled to the first lattice assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising;
 the plurality of third beams and a plurality of fourth beams, the plurality of third beams and the plurality of fourth beams configured to be coupled together to form a second lattice assembly; and 
 wherein the second lattice assembly is configured to be coupled to the first lattice assembly by the plurality of first connectors. 
 
     
     
         5 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 4  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of second beams being elongated between a first end and a second end along a second beam axis and comprising an interior portion that is open at the first end; 
 a plurality of second connectors, each of the plurality of second connectors comprising a first portion configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of second beams and a second portion that is configured to protrude from the first end of the one of the plurality of second beams; and 
 a plurality of fifth beams and a plurality of sixth beams, the plurality of fifth beams and the plurality of sixth beams configured to be coupled together to form a third lattice assembly, each of the plurality of sixth beams being elongated between a first end and a second end along a sixth beam axis and comprising an interior portion that is open at the first end; and 
 wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of second connectors is configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of sixth beams to couple the third lattice assembly to the first lattice assembly. 
 
     
     
         6 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of first beams and each of the plurality of second beams is formed from a sound absorbing acoustical material. 
     
     
         7 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of first beams comprising a first engagement feature and each of the plurality of third beams comprising a third engagement feature; 
 each of the plurality of first connectors comprising a second engagement feature that is configured to interact with the first engagement feature of the one of the plurality of first beams and a fourth engagement feature that is configured to interact with the third engagement feature of the one of the plurality of third beams to prevent disengagement between each of the plurality of first connectors and the one of the plurality of first and third beams that the first connector is located within. 
 
     
     
         8 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of first beams comprising a plurality of first alignment notches and each of the plurality of second beams comprising a plurality of second alignment notches that are configured to engage with the plurality of first alignment notches to couple the plurality of first beams to the plurality of second beams. 
 
     
     
         9 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of first beams comprising a bottom side, a first side extending from a first proximal end that is connected to the bottom side to a first distal end, and a second side extending from a second proximal end that is connected to the bottom side to a second distal end, the first side comprising at least one first notch that extends from the first proximal end towards the first distal end, and the second side comprising at least one second notch that extends from the second proximal end towards the second distal end; 
 each of the plurality of second beams comprising a bottom side, a first side extending from the bottom side to a first distal end, and a second side extending from the bottom side to a second distal end, the first side comprising at least one third notch that extends from the first distal end towards the bottom side, and the second side comprising at least one fourth notch that extends from the second distal end towards the bottom side; and 
 wherein the plurality of first beams and the plurality of second beams are configured to be coupled together to form the first lattice assembly via engagement between: (1) the at least one first notch of the first side of the first beam and at least one of the at least one third notch and the at least one fourth notch of the second beam; and (2) the at least one second notch of the second side of the first beam and at least one of the at least one third notch and the at least one fourth notch of the second beam. 
 
     
     
         10 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 the plurality of first beams being arranged parallel to one another and the plurality of second beams being arranged parallel to one another. 
 
     
     
         11 . An architectural fixture assembly comprising:
 a plurality of first beams and a plurality of second beams that are configured to be coupled together to form a first lattice assembly, each of the plurality of first beams and each of the plurality of second beams comprising an interior portion;   a plurality of third beams and a plurality of fourth beams that are configured to be coupled together to form a second lattice assembly, each of the plurality of third beams and each of the plurality of fourth beams comprising an interior portion;   a plurality of first connectors, each of the plurality of first connectors comprising a first portion configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of first beams and a second portion configured to protrude an end of the one of the plurality of first beams; and   wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of first connectors is configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of third beams to couple the second lattice assembly to the first lattice assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 the plurality of first beams being arranged parallel to one another, the plurality of second beams being arranged parallel to one another, the plurality of third beams being arranged parallel to one another, and the plurality of fourth beams being arranged parallel to one another; and 
 wherein when the first and second lattice assemblies are coupled together, each of the plurality of first beams is coaxial with the one of the plurality of third beams and the plurality of second beams and the plurality of fourth beams are parallel. 
 
     
     
         13 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 a plurality of fifth beams and a plurality of sixth beams that are configured to be coupled together to form a third lattice assembly, each of the plurality of fifth beams and each of the plurality of sixth beams comprising an interior portion; 
 a plurality of second connectors, each of the plurality of second connectors comprising a first portion configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of second beams and a second portion configured to protrude an end of the one of the plurality of first beams; and 
 wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of second connectors is configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the plurality of sixth beams to couple the second third assembly to the first lattice assembly. 
 
     
     
         14 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 11  wherein each of the plurality of first beams is perpendicular to each of the plurality of second beams, and wherein each of the plurality of third beams is perpendicular to each of the plurality of fourth beams. 
     
     
         15 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of first, second, third, and fourth beams being elongated from a first end to a second end, and each of the first and second ends defining an opening into the interior portion. 
 
     
     
         16 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 each of the plurality of first beams comprising a first engagement feature and each of the plurality of third beams comprising a third engagement feature; 
 each of the plurality of first connectors comprising a second engagement feature that is configured to interact with the first engagement feature of the one of the plurality of first beams and a fourth engagement feature that is configured to interact with the third engagement feature of the one of the plurality of third beams to prevent disengagement between each of the plurality of first connectors and the one of the plurality of first and third beams that the first connector is located within. 
 
     
     
         17 . An architectural fixture assembly comprising:
 a first beam comprising a first end, a second end, and an interior portion, the first end of the first beam defining an opening into the interior portion of the first beam;   a second beam comprising a first end, a second end, and an interior portion, the first end of the second beam defining an opening into the interior portion of the second beam;   a connector comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the connector configured to be located within the interior portion of the first beam while the second portion of the connector protrudes from the first end of the first beam via the opening in the first end of the first beam, wherein the second portion of the connector is configured to be located within the interior portion of the second beam to couple the first and second beams together with the first end of the first beam in abutment with the first end of the second beam.   
     
     
         18 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 17  further comprising:
 the first beam comprising a first engagement feature and the second beam comprising a second engagement feature; 
 each of the plurality of first connectors comprising a third engagement feature that is configured to interact with the first engagement feature of the first beam and a fourth engagement feature that is configured to interact with the second engagement feature of the second beam to prevent disengagement between the first connector and the first and second. 
 
     
     
         19 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 17  further comprising:
 the first beam comprising a first sheet having a top side with a first fold line located between a central portion and a first side portion of the first sheet and a second fold line located between the central portion and a second side portion of the first sheet, the first sheet configured to be altered from a flat configuration to a folded configuration by folding the first side portion relative to the central portion about the first fold line and folding the second side portion relative to the central portion about the second fold line; and 
 the second beam comprising a second sheet having a top side with a first fold line located between a central portion and a first side portion of the second sheet and a second fold line located between the central portion and a second side portion of the second sheet, the second sheet configured to be altered from a flat configuration to a folded configuration by folding the first side portion relative to the central portion about the first fold line and folding the second side portion relative to the central portion about the second fold line; and 
 wherein the first and second sheets are formed from a nonwoven polymer. 
 
     
     
         20 . The architectural fixture assembly according to  claim 17  further comprising:
 a first lattice assembly comprising a plurality of the first beams oriented parallel to one another and a plurality of third beams oriented parallel to one another; 
 a second lattice assembly comprising a plurality of the second beams oriented parallel to one another and a plurality of fourth beams oriented parallel to one another; and 
 a plurality of the connectors, each of the plurality of connectors configured to be located within the interior portion of one of the first beams and the interior portion of one of the second beams to couple the first and second lattice assemblies together.