CZ20023525A3 - Compressible building panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A structural panel for use in building structures or in the formation, finish or decoration thereof includes an outer sheet and a connector sheet with a plurality of collapsible or compressible dividers therebetween. The panel in a rest condition is expanded and of a desired thickness for final use but can be compressed into a relatively thin thickness or profile for shipping purposes. The panel is very lightweight but structurally strong and can be selectively bent in one transverse direction if desired. The panel can be easily cut or formed into any predetermined size or shape.

Description

Technical field

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Pat. Provisional Application No. 60/199208 filed April 24, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully described herein.

The invention relates to a building panel to be used as a ceiling panel or wall panel, comprising an outer plate with a plurality of separate manifolds protruding from one face thereof and a connecting plate or the like, parallel and spatially separated from the outer plate connecting the manifolds together along their sides distal to external circuit board. The manifolds are compressible for at least some time when applying pressure to reduce panel thickness if desired, for example for transportation purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Building panels used for finishing or decoration take a variety of forms, from plasterboard to decorative or acoustic ceiling panels. Of course, such panels have different characteristics, but they also have a number of drawbacks in terms of weight, transport, poor appearance or acoustic changes, and the like.

Some panels with suspended ceilings, for example, used in systems where the grid members

2784820 (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 inverted T defines rectangular holes in which acoustic panels and the like are placed. Such acoustic panels are typically inherently rigid and somewhat brittle. As a result, they are difficult to insert or remove from the grid and in many cases are easily damaged during such a procedure. In addition, the ceiling panels are relatively heavy and have a fixed thickness, so that their transport dimensions are identical to their installation dimensions. Due to their weight and volume during transportation, the price per square meter of such a panel is relatively high.

Gypsum is also relatively heavy, difficult to handle and has transport dimensions identical to installation. Transport costs for plasterboard are therefore also relatively high.

It is clear from the foregoing that the building panels used in the construction, finishing and decoration of buildings have a number of drawbacks. A panel that would overcome such shortcomings would therefore be highly desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The building panel of the present invention can be used in many different ways, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art when reading this disclosure. However, the panel essentially comprises an outer panel. a plate of semi-solid material with a plurality of dividers protruding from its face. The connector in the form of a plate is attached to the distal edges of the manifolds. The connector may take the form of another plate of material, strands of connecting fibers or the like.

The manifolds are essentially flexible and can take up small space, semi-rigid tapes of various forms. In one of the described embodiments, the dividers are elongated cells with collapsible walls, such that upon transverse or transverse pressure on the cell in predetermined directions, the cell is folded into

The manifolds can be formed by folding the material so that the longitudinal sides or baffles bend inward or outward when the manifold is laterally compressed. The manifolds are designed to normally occupy an extended or extended position of a predetermined arrangement and are resilient to return to the arrangement upon compression. The manifolds are fixed to the outer plate and connecting so that they remain in the same position with respect to them.

The panel produced in this way will be appreciated to assume an expanded shape as normal under rest conditions, but by applying pressure to the outer plate or connector, the manifolds are collapsed to allow the panel to assume a very small thickness or profile. This is, of course, very advantageous for transportation purposes, since a larger number of panels can be stored in a container than prior art panels which have

transportation and use permanent thickness. Panels j sou also filled mainly by air, and therefore have very small weight. Further will be more detailed description appreciated that panels can

bend in at least one direction to facilitate assembly of lowered ceilings and the like, but are resilient to return to the original shape in the rest position. In addition, these panels are not fragile and cannot be easily damaged. Moreover, they can be cut easily to any predetermined size and / or configuration.

Decorative panels can also overlap the outer panel, (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 connecting panel, etc. of the panel to give the panel an aesthetic appearance. For example, the panel may be overlaid with a wood veneer board, shaped or patterned paper, colored paper, thin sheet, polyester, other synthetic material, fibers, non-cotton, and the like to achieve any desired appearance. In addition, the panel can be lined inside or outside with a metal foil to change the properties of the panel.

Overview of the drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a panel made in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a partial isometric top view of a lowered ceiling within a building that includes the panels of FIG. Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front view of the web of material of which the panel divider according to the present invention is made; 6 shows a front view of the web of material shown in FIG. 4 after scoring, as shown in FIG. 5 (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 FIG. 7 FIG. 8 FIG. 8A FIG. 9 FIG. 10 FIG. 11 Fig. 12 Fig. 13 Fig. 14 a front view of the web of material shown in Fig. 6 after being folded according to pre-formed fold lines, a front view of the distributor shown in Fig. 7 after pressing.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the encircled region of Fig. 8, a front view similar to Fig. 8, with an adhesive layer shown in dashed lines above and below the divider Front view similar to Fig. 9 with outer plate and connecting plate positioned above and below adhesive layers. 10 is a partial back view of a panel made in accordance with the present invention with a decorative layer of material bonded to the outer panel of the panel by a partial back view of the panel in FIG. Fig. 12, which has distributors with asymmetric partitions and which is fully expanded (2484820_EN.doc)

12.11.2002 Fig. 15 rear view similar to Fig. 14 with partially compressed panel Fig. 16 Rear view similar to Fig. 15 with slightly more compressed panel Fig. 17 Rear view similar to Fig. 16 with fully compressed panel Fig. 18 Isometric view of 14 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the panel shown in FIG. 18; FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the panel shown in FIG. 18 in a fully compressed state; FIG. 21 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the panel as shown in FIG. Figure 20 is an isometric view of a plurality of panels stacked in a compressed state; Figure 23 is an isometric view of the panels shown in Figure 22 in an expanded state; Figure 24 is an enlarged partial rear view of the panel shown in Figure 14 with end supports; which prevents the panel from bending Fig. 25 a partial section in the plane 25-25 of Fig. 24 (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. Fig. 26 is a partial isometry with a portion showing an end support at one end of the panel and a second end support installed at the opposite end of the panel; Fig. 27 a partial vertical section of a portion of the panel showing an alternative manifold; a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 27 showing yet another alternative manifold arrangement, wherein the metal foil is attached to the outer surface of the manifold; Fig. 9 shows a cross section of the panel in Fig. 14, the panel being compressed on the upper side of Fig. Figure 29 is a rear view of the panel of Figure 14, the panel being concave upwardly; Figure 32 is a panel view of a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the partition walls are preferentially symmetrical rather than asymmetric as shown in Figure 30. 31 Fig. 33 isometric view of the sir 1 according to the invention, wherein the connecting means are elongate wires or fibers that are distally attached to the manifolds from the outer plate.

(2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. FIG. 34 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the panel shown in FIG. 33; FIG. 35 is an isometric view of the panel of FIG. 33, wherein the panel is bent or curved so as to be concave at the top; corresponding to the panel in Fig. 32 Fig. 3 7 is a view of the panel shown in Fig. 36, where the panel is partially compressed; Fig. 3 8 is a view of the panel in Fig. 37, where the panel is fully compressed. Fig. 38 in a fully compressed state Fig. 40 isometric view of the panel shown in Fig. 36 in a fully expanded state Fig. 41 isometric view of a number of panels of the type shown in Fig. 36 that are compressed and stacked Fig. 42 isometric 36 a schematic rear view of a panel with asymmetric distributors showing its dimensional characteristics (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 Fig. 44 schematic rear view of a panel with symmetrical dividers showing its dimensional characteristics Fig. 45 enlarged enlarged rear view of a part of the panel in Fig. 43 showing other dimensional characteristics Fig. 46 enlarged view. Fig. 47 is a view similar to Fig. 45 showing a panel compressed by force F Fig. 48 a rear view similar to Fig. 46 showing a panel compressed by force F Fig. 49 isometric view of another embodiment of a manifold for use in a panel according to the invention Fig. 50 view 49 is a rear view of the panel comprising a plurality of splitters shown in FIG. 49 in an expanded state; FIG. 52 is a reduced rear view of the panel shown in FIG. 51 in a compressed state; FIG. 53 isometric view of yet another; an embodiment of a manifold for use in a panel according to the invention (2484820_EN.doc) 12. Fig. 54 a rear view of the manifold shown in Fig. 53 Fig. 55 a rear view of a panel made in accordance with the present invention using the manifolds in Fig. 53 with the panel in the expanded state Fig. 56 a reduced back view of the panel in Fig. 55 57 is an isometric view of yet another embodiment of a manifold for use in a panel according to the present invention. FIG. 58 is a rear view of the manifold shown in FIG. 57; FIG. 59 is a rear view of a panel utilizing the manifold in FIG. 60 is a rear view of the panel shown in FIG. 59 in a compressed state FIG. 61 isometric view of yet another manifold for use in a panel according to the present invention FIG. 62 a rear view of the manifold shown in FIG. 61 FIG. 63 61 to a panel using the splitters shown in Fig. 61, wherein the panel is in the expanded state of Fig. 64 a rear view of the panel shown in Fig. 63 in a compressed state (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. 2002 Fig. 65 is an exploded isometric view of a panel similar to Fig. 1 which has been reinforced by adding additional manifolds at the ends of the panel that extend perpendicular to the primary manifolds Fig. 66 Side view of the panel shown in Fig. 65 Fig. 67 Fig. 65 is a rear view of another embodiment of the present invention in which the panel can be bent at right angles; Fig. 69 is an isometric view of the panel made as in Fig. 68, wherein the panel is in the fully compressed state of Fig. 68; Fig. 70 is a side view of the panel shown in Fig. 69 Fig. 71 a rear view similar to Fig. 68, the panel being slightly more expanded Fig. 72 isometric view of the panel of Fig. 68, the panel being bent at right angles and fully expanded Fig. 73 a rear view of the panel as Fig. 72 is shown in Fig. 74 a partial isometric view of a panel end with a partially cut panel segment (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. Fig. 75 is a partial isometric view similar to Fig. 74, wherein the partially trimmed panel segment has been compressed and ready to fit the elongate clamp Fig. 76 is a partial isometric view similar to Fig. 74 and Fig. 75 showing a clamp mounted to the compressed panel segment Fig. 77 partial isometric view similar to Fig. 76, wherein the clamp mounted on the compressed panel segment is bent up; Fig. 78 a partial isometric view similar to Fig. 77, wherein the clamp mounted on the compressed panel segment is bent 90 ° into contact with the new panel end. 78 is a partial isometric view of an alternative ceiling system configuration where panels are suspended rather than supported by a support grid; FIG. 81 is an isometric view of a panel for use in the ceiling system shown in FIG. 80 is a partial isometric view of the end of the clamp member used in FIG 81 is a partial isometric view of the clamp of FIG. 82 mounted at the longitudinal end of the panel shown in FIG. 81 (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002

giant. 84 enlarged. Fig. 80 partial longitudinal section in the plane 84-84 on giant. 85 enlarged Fig. 80 partial cross section in plane 85-85 on giant. 86 partial vertical section similar to Fig. 85 with conventional acoustic tiles removed from their supported position relative to the support members giant. 87 partial transverse vertical panel cut on

Fig. 81 showing an outer plate extended over

longitudinal edge of the panel Fig. 88 partial vertical rust similar Fig. 8 7

with an enlarged outer plate bent up and glued to the longitudinal end of the panel in Fig. 81

giant. 89 partial vertical section pressed panel similar to Fig. 88 with slightly giant. 90 partial vertical rust similar Fig. 8 9 with panel further compressed giant. 91 partial vertical rust similar Fig. 90 with the panel substantially fully compressed

Fig. 92 is a partial longitudinal vertical section showing an outer plate extending beyond one end of the panel of Fig. 81 (2484820_EN. doc) 12.11. Fig. 93 Longitudinal partial sectional view similar to Fig. 92 with a reinforcement strip attached to the overlapping portion of the outer plate Fig. 94 Longitudinal partial vertical section similar to Fig. 93 with a clamp attached to the overlapping portion of the outer plate Fig. 95 Longitudinal partial vertical section similar to Fig. 94 Fig. 92Α-95Ά views identical to Figs. 92-95, respectively, showing an alternate clamping system for clamping the end of the panel with a compressed end to somehow replace the reinforcing strip used in Figs. 92-95 FIG. 96 is an enlarged partial vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 96-96 in FIG. 81 of the panel showing the removal of one distributor to facilitate bending of the panel; FIG. the gaps created by removing the splitter, as shown Fig. 97 Fig. 99 graph of acoustic performance comparison of panel according to the invention and other panels (2484820_EN.doc)

12.11. 2002

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The compressible building panel 50 of the present invention is probably best illustrated in Figures 1 and 12 and comprises a plurality of preferably parallel manifolds or beams 52 extending between the outer plate 54 (not shown in Figure 1) and the connecting plate 56. As seen in Figs. 1 and 12, a decorative plate 58 may be provided to cover the outer plate 54. As will be explained in more detail later, the panel is compressible from its normal expanded state shown in Figs. 1 and 12 to a fully compressed or collapsed state as shown in Figs. 17. The panel is also flexible in one transverse direction, as will be described in more detail later, but may be reinforced to avoid bending in any direction. The panel consists mainly of air and is therefore very lightweight and easy to handle.

Panel 50 has many possible applications in buildings, for example, it can be used as a masonry panel, fixed ceiling panel, suspended ceiling panel, etc. The description also suggests that various sizes of these panels can be produced, some of which may be compared to conventional panels used in buildings unusually large. For the purpose of this description, a panel of conventional size is used and for use on suspended ceilings as shown in Fig. 2.

In a typical suspended ceiling system, the support grid of the elongated rotated T-support members 60, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, is fixed to the ceiling in a conventional manner, thereby defining rectangular apertures 62 and peripheral support edges 64 along these apertures. a ceiling tile or panel 50 can be placed. Traditional ceiling panels that are not flexible or otherwise resilient are inserted into these rectangular holes 62 (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. They are very difficult to insert, and because they are also fragile, they often break or damage when inserted. The panel according to the invention, as will be recognized from the following description, is unconditionally flexible so as to facilitate its insertion into rectangular openings in the suspended ceiling system and return to the desired planar orientation upon placement.

As probably best seen in Fig. 12, the manifolds 52 are formed from individual strips 66 (Fig. 4) of material that has been folded and folded to the desired configuration so that when incorporated into the panel 50 they are transversely compressible, allowing compression of the panel , if required. The manifolds are fastened by their upper portion to the connecting plate 56 and the lower portion to the outer plate 54 with joints suitably formed by adhesive 68, but other systems for joining components will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The outer panel is alternately glued or otherwise attached directly face to the decorative panel 58, which is exposed to the interior of the building, the components of which panel. Yippee. The sheet may be defined as one or more pieces of material interlocking, glued, welded or otherwise joined together to form a large surface. The decorative board may be any material such as natural wood or imitation, vinyl, patterned or shaped paper, foil, polyester or other synthetic material, non-cotton fibers or the like. This material would of course be chosen for the desired decoration of the room in which the panel will be built, but it can also be selected for its acoustic properties.

In the present embodiment, the plate 54, the connecting plate 56, and the distributors 52 may, but need not, be made of the same material. This material may be a fiberglass plate consisting of randomly oriented glass fibers bonded together by resin. As will be explained in more detail below, the resin may be thermosetting or thermoplastic, depending on the desired properties of the panel. The adhesive 68 used to bond the various components of the panel may typically be a thermosetting adhesive that bonds adjacent components at a predetermined temperature. Examples of suitable adhesives include, of course, polyurethane resin, thermofusible copolyester, thermofusible polyurethane reactive adhesives, two-component epoxy resins, two-component urethanes and RTV silicones.

The splitters 52, as best seen in the cross-section of FIG. 12, may be combined from one continuous strip of material in combination, but in the present embodiment, the individual splitters have an elongated cellular or tubular configuration. Each distributor is made of a material tape 66, such as glass wool, in the manner shown in Figures 4-11.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the flat strip 66 before it enters the creasing machine. In the creasing machine, as seen in Fig. 5, the material passes between the rotary knurling wheels 70 and the return rollers 72 such that longitudinal grooves 74 are formed in the material at predetermined laterally spaced positions. In the preferred system, the knurling wheels have an arcuate groove with a diameter of approximately 1/32 and the return rollers have a hardness of 90 durometers. With this device, a suitable crease is created without cutting the material or damaging many, if any, glass fibers, so that the material's flexibility is maintained. As will be appreciated, first to the left on the material web, as shown in Fig. 5, a groove 74a is formed near the left edge of the upper surface and a further groove 74b is formed on the upper surface slightly to the left of the center. Between the two sites a groove 74c is formed on the lower surface of the tape. Corresponding grooves are formed on the right side of the strip such that the strip has six grooves upon leaving the creasing machine as shown in Fig. 6. The material strip 66 is then bent and along the longitudinal grooves as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 8A. the side edges 76 of the tape are joined together in a centered position at the top of the distributor 52. Preferably, the breaking diameter of the fibers in the material is less than the combined thickness of the bent material, so that there is minimal damage to the fibers during bending, if any. After this shaping, the manifolds form an elongate tube or cell comprising two truncated triangles 78 and 80 that are inverted with each other. The lower triangle 78 has a wider base than the upper triangle 80. The glass wool material from which the distributor is made is semi-rigid so that it can be bent along the grooves 74, but remains substantially flat between these bends. Applying pressure to the cell as arranged in FIG. 7 in the vertical direction causes compression of the cell components such that the distributor assumes the compressed configuration as shown in FIG. 8. In the compressed state, adhesive 68 may be applied to the top and bottom of the distributor, it is preferably a thermosetting or thermoplastic adhesive used by any of a number of possible methods known to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 10, the manifold 52 with adhesive 68 applied to its top and bottom surfaces is then inserted between the outer plate 54 and the connecting plate 56, and as seen in FIG. 11, the entire laminate plate is then compressed between the heat plates 82 which activate the adhesive 68 in the case of thermoplastic adhesives or act as a catalyst in the case of thermosetting adhesives. If selected (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. 2002, the heat-curable adhesive can be used to increase the degree of cure by further heat treatment.

When using a thermosetting adhesive to join the glass fibers in the strips 66 and sheets 54 and 56 of the material, the panel 50 naturally expands to its predetermined shape as shown in Figure 12 when compressed and bonded together, as shown in Figure 12. If the glass fiber binding resin is a thermoplastic resin, it remains compressed, but it only needs to be reheated and the tapes are unconditionally expanded by the action of heat, such as a hair dryer. Under any circumstances, the panel can either be unconditionally expanded or selectively expanded to the desired height or thickness.

Although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the material of which the manifolds 52, the outer plate 54 and the connecting plate 56 can be changed, and in fact each of these parts may be made of a different material, the following materials for the outer and connecting plates and distributors:

JM type 8802-100GSM (Thermoplastic Resin Glass Insulation Mat) or JM type MF5020GSM (Thermoset Resin Glass Insulation Mat), both manufactured by Johns-Manville Corp. of Denver, Colorado, or Ahistrom type 51 5 0 GSM (Glass fabric with thermosetting resin) manufactured in Ahistrom of Karhula, Finland.

There are also other materials that can be used well, for example, for the outer plate or connecting plate, but not for the manifolds, and vice versa, there are materials that can be used well for the manifolds, but not for the outer and connecting boards.

(2484820_EN.doc) 12.11. 2002

For example, the outer and tie plates may be of one of many board materials such as paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, polyester, other synthetic material and the like. It does not even need to have structural stability, as the panel is provided by distributors. These distributors, on the other hand, although preferably made of fiberglass, can be made of carbon fiber insulating mats, some papers, cardboard, cotton materials, films, or combinations thereof, with the important property of having a predetermined modulus of elasticity similar to specific the materials mentioned above, which allows their bending while maintaining their flexibility. When such materials are to be scored to define the bending lines, as discussed above in connection with the glass wool material, it is important that the material retains the modulus of elasticity after scoring, which is of course true in the case of glass wool or carbon fiber materials.

As seen in FIG. 13, the decorative plate 58 can also be placed between the outer plate 54 and the heat press 82 with the corresponding adhesive 66 therebetween to connect the decorative plate directly to the outer plate. The resulting panel is, of course, shown in FIG. 12. In joining the decorative panel to the outer panel, in addition to the above-mentioned alternatives, a porous decorative panel may be used, which is attached to the cover panel by an adhesive in a grid or printed spot pattern. This will allow lamination to make it easier to transmit or pass through the sound. Conversely, if a continuous layer of adhesive is used to bond the decorative plate and the bonding plate, the sound transmission through the laminate is reduced. During the lamination process, the relatively unstable decorative plate can be flat-mounted and stabilized, whereby the resulting flat surface also optionally provides puncture resistance of the cover plate. It will be appreciated that the acoustics of the panel can be changed by changing the material of the outer panel, the tape material, the adhesive material, the bonding plate, the cavity between the plates, the way the panels are assembled and the like.

Also, other materials may cover or laminate the tie plate 56. For example, films may be applied to the bonding plate or another plate of a material other than fiberglass may be laminated. In this case, the panel can be handled without gloves, since glass wool can be rough or otherwise harmful in contact with the skin. In addition, a brand or square mesh can be embossed on the film or laminate for the bonding plate 56 to facilitate cutting the panel to the desired size. Further, as mentioned previously in connection with the outer plate 54, the bonding plate may be overlaid with porous laminates or films for acoustic purposes.

as mentioned, many materials can be used in the present invention, but in a preferred mode, the splice plate and the manifolds are made of the same kind of material as a glass wool mat manufactured by Johns-Manville Corporation and may be designated as No. 5802 or No. 1. 5803 Johns-Manville 5802 is a 120g / m ² mat consisting of 10% PET, 65% 16-micron glass fiber and 25% MF. 5803 is a 100g / m ² mat consisting of 12% PET, 68% 16-micron glass fibers and 20% MF. MF is an abbreviation for a melamine-formaldehyde resin that exhibits heat-curable resin properties. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate. Distributors made of either 5802 or 5803 material have the ability to expand after little or no heating after being cut and bent as described previously and fully compressed. A more detailed description of Johns-Manville products and related products can be found in US patent applications no.

(2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002

840 413 and δ. No. 5,972,434, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The preferred outer sheet is a composite laminate of an aesthetically attractive material that has been laminated on a glass-free cotton base using a co-polyester heat-melt adhesive. Three different laminates are equally desirable. The first laminate utilizes a substrate base in a natural thermally bonded nonwoven polyester having a basis weight in the range of 45-75 g / m ² and can be obtained from Hollingsworth and Vose of Floyd, West Virginia. The adhesive pattern used to thermally bond the polyester fibers in the nonwoven substrate becomes a visual pattern on the underside of the outer panel. When using a small dot pattern with a bond area of approximately 7%, the polyester nonwoven supplied by Hollingsworth and Vose as TR2315A-B is preferred. When using a large dot pattern with a mating surface of approximately 21%, the material TR2864C1 supplied by Hollingsworth and Vose is preferred. One of the nonwoven base substrates is then coated over the mask with a coating with an additional weight of 15 to 25 g / m ² with resin binders / flame retardants. Coatings can be developed to increase the durability of the nonwoven substrate by adding flame retardants. The polyester nonwoven base substrate may then be passed through a heatcoating / laminating rollers where a fireproof co-polyester adhesive, for example from EMS Chemie North America of Sumter, North Carolina, is applied to the surface of either the polyester nonwoven base substrate or the coating material. The coating weight of this adhesive is dependent on the desired bond strength between the polyester base substrate and the glass nonwoven materials. In general, adhesives with a basis weight in the range of 30 to 45 g / m ^{2 have} been found to be satisfactory. The gravure cylinder with a 25x25 hatched pattern is used for pressure lamination of nonwoven fiberglass onto (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 polyester nonwoven base substrate. The depth of engraving on the gravure cylinder is the main variable related to the weight of the applied adhesive. The adhesive composition obtained from EMS Chemie is a 50:50 mixture of two materials, a material designated EMS as Grilltex D1573G and a Grilltex VP1692G material. EMS Grilltex VP1692G contains 25% organic phosphorous flame retardants. In the resulting 50:50 mixture, the proportion of flame retardant mixture is then approximately 13.5%. After application of the adhesive to the surface of the polyester nonwoven material, the adhesive is kept molten until it reaches the roll of the cover / laminating machine where it is joined to the nonwoven fiberglass. The nonwoven glass wool is preferably the aforementioned 5802 (120g / m ² ) mat sold by Johns-Manville, the Ahlstrom nonwoven glass wool designated GFT-413G10-60-1300 (60g / m ² ) or the nonwoven glass wool mat GFT-413G10- 80-1300 (80 g / m ^2). The composite laminate made of the above materials is naturally translucent, and this property, combined with the ability of light to propagate down along the cells defined between the splitters, allows the finished panel to see shadows in the two cell contact areas.

If desired, this shielding can be reduced by using a silver, gray or black aesthetic material on the back instead of the aforementioned polyester nonwoven material. The back side is the one on which the heat-melt adhesive is applied and the nonwoven glass wool mat is laminated thereto. Staining reduces the amount of light that can pass through the cells down and the surface upwards, reducing the shadow effect.

An alternative aesthetic material to the nonwoven polyester described above is a woven material that is silver, gray or black on one side. To achieve this, woven material from Gilford technical textiles (2484820_EN.doc) is used 12.11. 2002 of Greensboro, North Carolina, with a woven material composed of two different types of yarn in a single woven construction. Preferred types of yarn are nylon and polyester. Nylon yarns are mostly on one side of the mat and polyester on the other. The woven material is cross-dyed with black dye, which dyes nylon and leaves polyester white. A self-extinguishing solubilizer may also be added to the coloring composition. The fabric can then be stabilized and a melamine resin is added to cure the fabric. The woven material can then be passed through a cover / laminating roller to laminate the woven material to a nonwoven fiberglass material as previously described with the polyester fiber material. A preferred gravure cylinder pattern is used when it has a randomly calculated dot pattern and is well known in the industry. When the silver, gray or black side of the fabric is laminated to a nonwoven glass wool material, the light transmittance through the laminate is reduced by the presence of a darker layer. The visual appearance of the surface is unique in that it mimics the appearance of a perforated metal ceiling panel. You can also laminate the white side of the woven material to the nonwoven fiberglass material, while the appearance of the woven lamination mimics the material of the metal screen, but also eliminates the shading effect.

Another way to reduce the shading of reflected and transmitted light is to use a black, gray, or silver colored nonwoven glass wool material. If the black, gray or silver colored nonwoven fiberglass is laminated to the polyester fiber mat or woven mat described previously, the shading effect can also be reduced.

It should also be noted that the coloring of aesthetic material, whether polyester fiber mats or woven material, can be achieved by printing or covering the material with a dye. This includes a secondary printing or opacity step that adds cost. Dyed adhesives can also be used as a low cost solution for shading and / or increased whiteness of the aesthetic material surface.

Giant. 14-17 show the assembled panel 50 in a progressively compressed state. Fig. 14 shows the panel in a fully expanded state and Fig. 17 is a fully compressed state.

Fig. 18 is an isometric view of panel 50 and its magnification is shown in Fig. 19. It will also be readily appreciated that the manifolds 52 are equally spaced from one another, while extending parallel and longitudinally relative to the panel. Of course, in Figs. 18 and 19, the panel is in a fully expanded state, and the panel in the fully compressed state is shown in Figs. 20 and 21, respectively.

The problem with conventional ceiling panels is that they retain a constant size during transportation, installation and use. A desirable feature of the panel of the present invention is that although the panel has a predetermined rest thickness in a fully expanded state that corresponds to the thickness of conventional panels, it can be compressed for shipping purposes so that many more panels can be stored in a single shipping container. significantly reduces shipping costs. Upon removal from the shipping container, the panels either naturally expand when thermosetting resin has been used in the glass wool material or need to be heated when a thermoplastic resin has been used. Although the panel could be expanded to any desired thickness, the preferred ceiling panel may have a thickness range of 12 to 16 mm in the desired expanded state depending on the panel size, but may be thicker or thinner depending on the size of the panel (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 for use, and have a thickness of approximately 3-4 mm in a fully compressed state.

panel panel

As best seen in FIG. 31, the panel 50 can best be bent transversely to the direction in which the elongate dividers 52 extend to facilitate insertion of the panel into, for example, a suspended ceiling support structure. In fact, the panel can be made in a curved shape, which takes on at rest if, for some reason, it is desired to be curved in the opposite direction, i.e. in the direction of the manifold guide, does not bend too easily because the tubular structure of the manifolds prevents it. However, the stiffness of the panel can be substantially increased, if desired, so that bending in the transverse direction is also prevented by placing the support members 84 along opposite sides of the panel so as to cover the open ends 86 of the tube or cell manifolds. The support members 84 may be either rigid channel members 88 (plastic, aluminum, etc.) preformed in a C-shape as shown in Figs. 24 and 25, or they may be strips 90 of adhesive material, for example fixed to the ends of the panel. As shown in FIG. 26. Although the tapes of adhesive material have some flexibility, they are rigid enough to prevent the panel from bending in the transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction of the manifolds when incorporated at the ends of the panel. Plastic, vinyl or the like tapes may be an example of a suitable adhesive tape. As a further alternative, as shown in Figs. 65-67, a manifold 52a may be placed at both ends of the panel to cover the ends of the parallel manifolds 52. The outer plate 54 and the connecting plate 56 are expanded to cover the manifolds 52a that serve to strengthen the panel in the transverse direction.

The panel can also be reinforced transversely by incorporating transverse manifolds (not shown) at selected locations on the panel. The transverse manifolds may extend perpendicular to the primary manifolds and may occupy the same or altered position relative to the transverse position of the primary manifolds. Of course, the transverse manifolds can be attached to the panel by glue as well as the primary manifolds. The height of the manifolds, whether primary or transverse, can also be varied across the width of the panel to produce various design and aesthetic effects.

To change the design characteristics of the manifolds 52, the outer or inner surface of the manifold can also be laminated with a sheet of other material, such as a metal plate material 92, which slightly strengthens the manifold material as shown in Figures 28 and 27, respectively. The metal plate may also affect the thermal characteristics of the panel. Giant. 27 shows a metal plate material on a panel with a support member 88, while FIG. 28 does not include a support member. Of course, the lamination process will take place during the manufacture of the distributor and preferably immediately prior to the creasing.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 30, the panel produced by the above process is characterized in that by applying pressure to any location on the panel surface, the panel bends only at that location and not on the opposite side of the panel. The panel can also support several times its weight without bending on the opposite side. For example, an expanded 26mm panel of 610x1219mm (24x48 inches) manufactured according to the present invention weighs about 0.9 kilograms (1.98 lbs). This panel can carry up to 2.9 kilograms (6.38 pounds) in the form of a 254 mm (10 inch) diameter weight without observing minimal deflection on the opposite side of the panel. Point loads with a diameter of approximately 51 mm (2 inches) and a weight of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) can also easily support this panel without bending on the underside.

In Fig. 33-3, a second embodiment of panel 94 is shown wherein the connector plate 54 has been replaced by a connector in the form of a plurality of elongated resilient but non-extensible bands or fibers 96. These bands or fibers may be plastic, nylon or other similar material with the same or similar properties. The tapes or fibers may be glued or otherwise attached to the tubular manifolds 52 while extending transversely thereto, the fibers preferably being parallel to each other and separated from each other. The panel 94 thus produced can be easily bent in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction of the manifolds, as shown in Fig. 35 and as previously described.

In each embodiment described above, the manifolds have identical side walls 98 (FIGS. 12 and 34) that have longitudinal fold lines 100 such that the side walls bend inwardly as the panel is compressed. This defines upper and lower portions 98a and 98b on the sidewalls respectively, having a rectangular shape, but wherein the upper portion 98a has a smaller dimension than the lower portion 98b. This arrangement can be referred to as an asymmetric arrangement in which the top of the manifold has a different dimension than the bottom.

A third panel of Figs. 36-42 of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in and in this embodiment, the panel 102 is identical in Fig. 12 except that the crossbars 104 in the manifolds 105 have a symmetrical configuration. In other words, the panel 102 comprises an outer plate 54 and a connecting plate 56 interconnected by the splitters and partitions, and may comprise a decorative panel 58 overlapping the outer plate, 12.11. 2002 if required. However, the fold lines 106 along the crossbars 104 are positioned such that the upper rectangular portion 104a of each crossbeam is the same size as the lower rectangular portion 104b. The panel 102 is again compressible.

The compressed and expanded form of the panel 102 shown in Figs. 3-38 is isometrically shown in Figs. 39 and 40, and it will be appreciated that the panel can be fully compressed to a thickness much smaller than that of the normal expanded state.

As can be seen in Figures 41 and 42, a significant amount of space can be saved when the panel is folded, which of course significantly reduces transportation costs, since more panels can be compressed and transported in a container than conventional ceiling panels.

The advantage of panels using symmetrical splitters lies in the telegraphy that can occur in compressed panels if they are not carefully monitored. Telegraphy is a phenomenon that can occur in compressed panels of the type described herein when the board is compressed firmly against other panel components, such as dividers and partitions. If the pressure is too high or the manifolds exhibit too much resistance, contours can be seen on the plate where the crossbar is attached and where not.

is to her

Referring to Fig. 17, which shows a panel with asymmetric manifolds, it will be recognized that there are gaps between manifolds along their joints to the connector plate, but such a gap does not exist at all when using symmetrical manifolds, as best seen in Fig. 38. of a panel with symmetrical distributors, as shown in Fig. 38, telegraphy virtually eliminated regardless of the pressure applied to the panel. However, it should also be recognized that there is less tendency for telegraphy therefrom in panels according to the invention with symmetric or asymmetric distributors. because when the splice plate is pushed down against the manifolds, they do not resist pressure but simply compress, so that adequate pressure can be applied to attach the splice plate to the splitters without producing telegraphy.

By varying the location of the fold line 106 on each lateral cross member of the manifold 105, the compression resistance of the panel can also be controlled. For example, in the resting expanded state of the asymmetric panel 50 described as the first embodiment of the present invention and shown in Figs. 43 and 45, an obtuse angle (α) is formed on the side wall 98 that is greater than the corresponding angle (d) on the wall 104 as shown in Fig. 46 of the symmetric panel. However, the height A is identical for each panel in the expanded state. Note also the difference in the lengths B and C of the upper and lower portions 98a and 98b, respectively, of the asymmetric divider side walls, where in the symmetric divider shown in Fig.

The greater the angle (a) or (d) at the side of the crossbar, the greater the compression resistance of the panel as shown in FIGS. 47 and 48. FIGS. 47 and 48 show the same force acting on the asymmetric panel distributor 50. 47 and the symmetrical panel divider 102 in FIG. 48 and it can be seen that a force of the same magnitude compresses the multiple panel with symmetrical dividers. This is because the angle in the side of the crossbar of the panel with symmetrical dividers is less than the angle in the panel with asymmetric dividers.

Z9ARAR9n 07 drv-1 19 11 9ΠΠ9

By way of example and not limitation, the parameters shown in Figures 43-46 for a panel manufactured according to the present invention, which has been found to be satisfactory and whose outer plate, connecting plate and manifolds are made of 100GSM Johns Manville # 8802 fiberglass, fall within the following ranges:

X = 5 to 10 mm

S = 20 to 40 mm

A = 15 to 26 mm

B = 8 to 10 mm C = 13.5 to 17 mm D = 13.5 to 15 Dec mm a = 100 ALIGN! it 120 degrees b = 100 ALIGN! az 120 degrees

In another alternative embodiment 108 of the panel of the present invention shown in Figs. 51 and 52, the splice plate of the previous embodiments is replaced by a single manifold 110. The manifold 110, as best seen in Figs. 49 and 50, has a constricted configuration defining two trunks. triangular areas 112 and 114 inverted to each other similarly to the first described embodiment of the present invention, but the top side of the manifold has a long horizontal flange adapted to overlap the adjacent manifold to have a segmented connecting plate 116 consisting of a plurality of interconnected tapes defined by the horizontal top Distributor flange. Although the manifold 110 has been shown as asymmetric, it could in fact assume a symmetrical arrangement similar to that shown in the third embodiment described herein. The manifold therefore has a base 118, a left side rung 120 and a right side rung 122, each side rung having horizontal flanges 124 and 126 at the top, respectively. Both sidewalls have a bending line 128, so that the sidewalls bend under pressure on the top or bottom of the distributor. The horizontal upper flange 126 of the right sidewalls has approximately a third of the width at the top.

But the horizontal flange 124 of the left side manifold is slightly longer than the manifold base 118, so that it overlaps and overlaps the horizontal upper flange 122 of the right manifold.

As best seen in FIG. 51, when the plurality of manifolds 110 are placed adjacent to each other, the upper horizontal flange 124 extends from the left side rung 120 over the right side rung 122 and overlaps with the upper horizontal flange 124 of the left side rung 120 . Thus, these overlapping horizontal upper flanges 124 of the left side rungs form in combination. segmented but integrated connecting plate. Of course, the upper horizontal flange 124 of the left side rails of each manifold is adhesively attached to the upper horizontal flange 126 of the right side rail and also the upper horizontal flange 124 of the left side rail of the manifold that is just to the right of it. A cover plate 130 is attached to each manifold to interconnect the manifolds along their bases, and of course, a decorative panel (not shown) can be attached to the underside of the outer panel or segmented splice board (if not shown) if desired.

Yet another embodiment 132 of the panel made in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figs. 53-55, and in this embodiment, the dividers 134 are not cellular, but preferably are strips of material that have been bent in a zigzag shape and attached between the outer plate 136 and a connecting plate 138 so as to form a cellular compressible panel. First, let's take a look at Figs. 53 and 54, where the manifold 134 is made of a strip of material having a pair of outer parallel bending lines 140 and inner parallel bending lines 142, but the outer bending lines are formed by bending in Opposite directions and inner bending lines were formed by bending in opposite directions. This defines pairs of attachment surfaces or marginal regions 144 and 146 between the outer fold lines 140 and the lateral edges 148 of the tape that can be attached in any suitable manner to the outer board and the tie plate respectively. Between these marginal regions of the manifolds, the central portion 150 of the manifold has two internal bends that allow the strip to be compressed under transverse pressure on one of the marginal regions. 53 and 54 is shown in Figs. 55 and 56 in an expanded and compressed state respectively.

Another manifold 152 is shown in Figs. 57 and 58 for use in the panel 154 shown in Figs. 59 and 60 in an expanded and compressed state, respectively. The manifold 152, as seen in Figs. 57 and 58, includes a pair of parallel outer fold lines 156 with bends in the same direction positioned inwardly from the side edges 158 of the strip of material from which the manifold is made and a third fold line 160 between these parallel outer fold lines. lines. The upper marginal region 162 is defined between the edge of the material web and one of the outer fold lines, and the second, much larger lower marginal region 164 is defined along the bottom of the divider between the associated edge of the material web and the adjacent fold line. Opposite bending is provided on the center bending line 160 such that the divider has upper and lower marginal regions of different widths that both project to the right of their adjacent fold lines as shown in Fig. 8. The upper marginal region 162 of each divider is attached to the connecting plate 166 (2484820_EN.doc) 12.11.2002 in parallel positions, while the lower marginal regions 164 are adapted to extend to the right and overlap a small portion of the adjacent adjacent distributor on the right. The protruding lower marginal regions are connected to each other, thereby forming an integrated segmented outer plate 168 formed from a plurality of lower marginal regions of respective splitters. Of course, a decorative panel (not shown) may be used to overlap the interconnected lower marginal regions to provide a different panel appearance.

A similar embodiment 170 of the manifold is shown in Figs. 61-64 where a material strip is again provided with a pair of outer fold lines 172 and a central fold line 174 therebetween, with upper and lower marginal areas 176 and 178 that are defined between the edges 180 and The bends on the outer bending lines 172 are in the opposite direction to the bending along the central bending line 174 so that the outer and lower marginal regions both project horizontally to the right, as seen in FIG. 62. As will be appreciated, both horizontal the regions extend over the middle fold line 174 and are adapted to overlap the upper and lower marginal. of the adjacent manifolds to the right, so that they can be fixed in any suitable manner to produce a panel shown expanded in Fig. 63 and compressed in Fig. 64.

In another embodiment of the panel 182 manufactured according to the present invention and shown in Figs. 68-73, the panel again has an outer plate 54, a connecting plate 56, and a plurality of dividers 184 extending therebetween. As probably best seen in FIGS. 68 and 71, the dividers 184a in one portion of the panel have a Z-shaped cross section, while the dividers 184b in another portion of the panel have a cross-section of the opposite shape. At the location 186 where the direction of the manifolds changes, the panel can be bent at right angles, as shown in Figures 72 and 73, so that the panel can, for example, follow the rectangular contours of the building elements on which mounts. For example, the panel may be wrapped around a rectangular air conditioning system of the compressed air conduit type found in the house and the like.

Referring again to Figs. 68 and 71, it will be recognized on the right side of the panel that the dividers 184a have a Z-shaped cross section to define an upper horizontal flange 188 that extends to the left, a lower horizontal flange 190 that extends to the right and a diagonal connection flange 192 that connects the right edge of the upper flange to the left edge of the lower flange. Of course, the Z-shaped dividers 184a are made similar to those described above by creating fold lines on the strips of the material from which the dividers are made and then bending the strips of material along these fold lines. Of course, the opposite cross-section distributors 184b have an upper horizontal flange 194 that extends to the right, a lower horizontal flange 196 that extends to the left, and a diagonal connecting flange 198 that extends from the left edge of the upper flange to the right edge of the lower flange.

As best seen in Figs. 68 and 71-73, at a location 186 where the direction of the manifolds changes (in the panel shown near its center), the panel can be bent at a right angle. The panel can be fully expanded, as shown in Figs. 72 and 73, such that the manifold flanges are perpendicular to each other to form rectangular cells.

Referring to Figs. 68 and 69, it will be appreciated that the panel can also be compressed, as well as the previously described embodiments of the panel.

36 manufactured according to the present invention.

The panel is also adaptable to transverse reinforcement in the manner shown in Figs. 74-79. Here, it will be appreciated that a panel segment near its end may be partially cut at 89 by cutting the connector plate 56 and the manifolds 52 (transversely to the length of the manifolds) but not cutting the outer plate 54. This cut creates a small material tape 91 that can be compressed independently 75 is shown in order to obtain a reinforcement clamp 93. The reinforcement clamp in the present embodiment is substantially of J-shaped cross section with a long side 95, separated by a parallel short side 97, a connecting wall 99 joining corresponding edges of long and short sides and overhang 101 of long The clamp is mounted on a compressed strip of material to keep the material in a compressed state. The clamp and the compressed material can then be bent up as shown in Figs. 77 and 78 to form a reinforcement along the end of the panel. Of course, the reinforced strip of material can be secured in the up-bent position by adhesive, as shown in Figs. 78 and 79, if desired.

A clamp with suitable modification, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, may also be used as a mounting clamp for hanging the panel onto the ceiling support members (not shown) such as the type described in co-pending application Serial No. 08 / 752,957 filed April 10, 2000 entitled A Cladding System and Panel for Use in Such a System having the same owner as the present invention. This application is incorporated herein by reference.

It is further evident from the foregoing description of various embodiments of the present invention that each manifold has unique properties,

HΑΆάΜΓι Γ7 HnH 19 11 9ΠΠ9 which can be incorporated into other embodiments. By way of example only, the upper and lower portions of the side baffles of the different manifolds or the upper and lower portions of the walls separating the upper and lower marginal regions may have the same or different dimensions to define symmetric or asymmetric dividers. Further, simply by varying the angle in the side member of the manifold, one panel is more compressible than another. Similarly, by placing the distributors at greater distances, the panel will be more flexible in the transverse direction to the distributors. The divider depth will also affect the strength of the panels (assuming the other parameters remain unchanged) so that the length and width of the panel (i.e. the content) can be significantly increased without changing the strength or properties of the panel joints simply by increasing the depth of the dividers. Also, as mentioned previously, a number of aesthetic and acoustic properties can be created by laminating different kinds of decorative panels to the outer panel of the panel so that one can create a different color, pattern, texture, etc. outside the room in which the panel is used.

It will further be appreciated from the foregoing description that the material of which the outer plate, connection plate, or manifold is made may be varied to achieve different panel properties. For example, the materials may be varied to obtain different acoustic properties of the panel or other light transmittance properties. The material may also be a fire retarder to prevent the spread of fire in the building where the panels are used. It would also be possible to use different materials in the panel with, for example, a cover plate or connecting plate made of the same or different materials and distributors also made of materials that are the same or different from the cover or tie plate material. The distributors in one panel can be made of different materials. For example, certain distributors can be provided to provide flexibility and

Compressibility of the panel, while other distributors can be provided to change the acoustic properties, light transmittance or fire performance of the panel. The panels can also be laminated in the building to change the acoustic properties or light transmittance of the panels.

While the panels described previously have been principally described for use as a substitute for conventional acoustic tiles that are supported on the T-shaped support members of the soffit structure, the panel can be slightly changed to be hung on the same T-shaped support members. of the invention for T-shaped support members 60, panels may be used to replace or renew an existing ceiling system with or without removing acoustic cladding placed or supported on top of the T-shaped support members 60.

A panel 200 that has been modified to be hung or supported by T-shaped support members 60 is shown in Figs. 80-96 with a plurality of panels shown in Fig. 8 installed under existing acoustic panels 202 supported by the support members 60. As will be it will be appreciated that each panel 200 is of the general type described previously and has, as seen in Figs. 84-86. an outer plate 204, a connecting plate 206, and a plurality of parallel cell dividers 208 therebetween. Preferably, the cell splitters are naturally compressible, as described previously, and are best seen in Figs. 87-91, where they are formed from individual strips of material that have been scored and bent to define elongate tubes with two overlapping truncated triangular regions 210. and 212. The manifolds 208 have compressible center walls 214 with fold lines 216 that allow the side walls to bend either inwardly as shown in Fig. 8991 or outwardly as shown in Figs. 87 and 8 8 depending on the94R4R9n C7 rlnpl. 19 11 9ΠΠ9 under a number of conditions, including the type of adhesive used in the material of the glass wool mat, from which the distributors are made and the behavior of the distributors in cold and heat, which will be described in more detail below. .

At each end of the panel 200 along the open ends of the cell splitters 208, a single clamp 218 is fastened to the panel, as best seen in Figs. 81-86. The terminals are preferably elongate molded members of solid material such as aluminum, plastic, and the like, and are generally J-shaped, as probably best seen in Fig. 82. Thus, they define a vertical main flat portion 220 with a lower protruding overhang 222 from the lower edge. main parts. The hook-shaped channel 224 extends from the upper edge of the main portion. Also, along the upper edge, a second horizontally open hook channel 226 is formed which projects from the main portion in the opposite direction to the overhang 222. The inclined rib 228 protrudes down from the upper edge of the main portion below the horizontally opened channel 226.

Referring to Figs. 92-95, clamp 218 is secured to the end of panel 200 either by cutting the end of the panel as previously described so that the outer plate 204 protrudes longitudinally at the opposite end of the panel or the outer plate may be made slightly longer and wider. 87 and 92, defining the longitudinal overhangs 230 of the outer plate and the transverse overhangs 232 of the outer plate. The elongate straight reinforcing strip 234, which may be made of plastic, aluminum, cardboard or the like, is glued to the upper surface of the longitudinal overhang 230 of the outer panel, where it protrudes over the end of the panel. is shown in Fig. 94 by inserting ί'ΊΛΟιΙΟΠΛ -i -

40 stiffening clips and longitudinal overhangs of the outer plate into downwardly open channels 224 shaped adjacent the main portions with an overhang over the innermost edge of the reinforcements. With the terminals so positioned, the longitudinal overhangs 230 of the outer plate, the stiffener 234, and the clamp 218 can be bent up, as shown in Fig. 95, until the connector plate 206 at opposite ends of the panel reaches the horizontally open J-shaped channels 226 and the inclined ribs 228. The underside of the horizontally open J-shaped channels 226 can be adhesively or otherwise attached to the connector plate 206 to hold the clamp in the position shown in Fig. 95.

The inclined rib 228 of each clamp protrudes below the connector plate 206 to hold the panel in a fully expanded state. By following the same procedure at each longitudinal end of the panel, each panel is provided with a clamp and the horizontally open J-shaped channels 226 are positioned to be fastened to the rim of the T-shaped support member 60 as shown in FIG. 84 and 85.

An alternative way of attaching a J-shaped clamp to the panel ends is shown in Figs. 92A-95A. In an alternative system, a cut or groove is made at the open longitudinal end of the panel by the splice plate 206 and the open ends of the splitters 208, as shown in Fig. 92A, to define a slight gap between separate portions of the splice plate, splitter and remainder of the panel. The splice plate and manifolds are then compressed down close to the outer plate 204 and the compressed material is inserted into the downwardly open J-shaped channels 224 so that the clamp overhang 222 extends over the innermost edge of the compressed material as shown in Fig. 94A. The clamp into which the compressed material is enclosed is then bent up, as shown in Fig. 95A / OAft / IROn 40 4 4 ΟΠΠΟ and 'fixed in position, preferably with glue, to define the longitudinal end of the panel.

As shown in Fig. 83, the ends of the horizontally open J-shaped channels 226 are located inwardly from opposite longitudinal ends of the clamp 218 to accommodate a T-shaped support member 60 that extends perpendicular to the T-shaped support member 60 to which the clamp is fastened. In this way, the panels may be supported by the conventional design of the T-shaped support members rather in a pendant than a support method with or without another set of acoustic tiles supported by the structure. In other words, the panels 200 to which the clamps 218 are attached can be used in conjunction with an existing support structure or in conjunction with a new support structure in exactly the same way. It will also be appreciated that the clamps adjacent to the longitudinally aligned panels may abut (Fig. 85) so that the ends of the outer panels of the panels are only slightly spaced apart to give the ceiling a substantially consistent appearance without virtually any indication of the structure on which the panels are suspended. . Further, due to the fact that the clamps hold the panels in their fully expanded state, the lower or outer panel 204 of each panel will be horizontally aligned with the outer panel of the adjacent panel to give the ceiling formed from these panels a smooth uniform appearance. Referring to Figs. 87-91, the lateral overhangs 232 of the outer plate may be folded to the adjacent side wall 214 of the outermost manifold and secured thereto by a suitable adhesive to give the panel its final form on its side walls.

Sometimes it may be desirable to bend the panel around a corner or to form a corner. With the panel of the present invention, such a fold or corner can be made in an aesthetically attractive manner, as shown in Figs. 97 and 98. In Fig. 97, it can be seen that the distributor 208 including the connector plate 206 at its top can be separated from the remainder of the panel. where a bend or crease in the panel is desired, and at the point where the manifold has been removed, the outer plate 204 remains. The remaining portions of the panel can be bent in one direction or another as shown in Fig. 98 so that one portion of the rest of the panel is oriented perpendicular to the second portion with the outer plate continuously passing around the bend to define a fully completed corner of the panel. Such a bend of the panel may be desirable, for example, in a sunroof where the window is raised above the ceiling level into the upward recessed area and following the procedure shown in Figs. 97 and 98, the panel or panels may be stretched from the normal ceiling level upward into the sunk recessed area.

As mentioned previously, the preferred material from which the manifolds are made comprises glass wool and a mixture of thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin. The material so formed tends to remain in a flat planar orientation even after being scored and bent, as previously described, into the manifold arrangement as shown, for example, in Figs. 89-91. In order to maintain the arrangement of each manifold with the inwardly bent side walls 214, the panel needs to be kept at least slightly compressed for a long time or the bent side walls bend outward in an attempt to return to a flat planar configuration. Of course, the manifolds cannot return to their flat planar orientation because they are fastened at the top and bottom to the outer plate 204 and the connector plate 206, but the side walls will try to straighten over time if they are not held compressed and 88 from its inwardly curved position to its outwardly curved position in FIG. 88, wherein the side walls abut against the side walls of adjacent distributors, thereby reinforcing and reinforcing the panel so that it is virtually / - "

O 4 «I ΟΛΛΟ

- 43 incompressible. The panel in its substantially compressed state is shown in Fig. 96. In other words, in order to maintain the compressible nature of the finished panel, the side walls inwardly need to be bent as shown in Figs. 89-91.

The tapes of material from which the manifolds 208 are made are bent in an unheated environment and onto the tapes or outer plate 204 and the tie. The hot melt adhesive is applied to the plate 206 prior to lamination. As mentioned previously, although the panels 200 are maintained in a compressed state as shown in Figs. 89-91, they will expand over time to the state in Fig. 88 in which the panel arrangement is no longer compressible. The time it takes for the manifolds to change from the arrangement of Figures 98-91 to the arrangement of Fig. 88 depends on many factors, including the resin used in the material of the manifolds and also whether or not the material was heated when they were The manifolds in the compressed state in Figs. 89-91. By heating the manifolds in the compressed state, the time it takes them to expand into the arrangement of Fig. 88 is increased. Also, by increasing the proportion of thermoplastic resin used in the manufacture of the material from which the manifolds are made, the time it takes to transfer the manifolds from the arrangement of Fig. 89 to the arrangement of Fig. 88 can be extended. For example, the transition time can range anywhere from 15 minutes to 32 hours.

Thus, when the panels 200 are manufactured and transported, they are preferably transported in a compressed state so that a relatively large number of panels can be stored and transported in a relatively small container, particularly as compared to conventional acoustic tiles of fixed depth, i.e. of the invention. However, once the panels are removed from the shipping container, the AO Λ ΟΟΛ Z * '· immediately expands from the arrangement shown in Fig. 91 through the arrangement shown in Fig. 90 to the arrangement shown in Fig. 89. for the aforementioned period of time for which they will go to the configuration shown in Fig. 88 where the panel becomes incompressible. During this time, the panels can be cut to the desired shape and installed in the grid system before the panels become substantially incompressible. Therefore, they can be bent for easy insertion into the holes defined between the support members in the support grid system if they are inserted before they become incompressible.

As mentioned earlier, the panels produced according to the present invention have the desired acoustic properties that can be varied according to various parameters. By comparing one embodiment of the present invention with conventional acoustic tiles, one can see the acoustic benefit of a panel made in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 99 is a graph comparing the panel of Fig. 14 according to the present invention to other acoustic tiles. The X axis is the frequency in hertz and the Y axis is the noise reduction coefficient. The three panels compared to the panel made in accordance with FIG. 14 of the present invention are hard mineral acoustic tiles manufactured by Armstrong under the trade mark "Cirrus, a 2-inch (2 inch) glass wool tile made in Ecophon of Sweden under the trade mark Focus a 0, 7 mm thick metal panel with perforations and overlapping nonwoven wool panel made in Hunter Douglas of Rotterdam, Netherlands, under the designation Luxalon 300C.

As can be seen, the acoustic panel in Fig. 14 exhibits better properties than the three compared panels at low frequencies as well as at high frequencies, and approximately comparable properties at mid frequencies.

4044 onno

- 45 -.

Although the invention has been described to a certain extent in particular, it is to be understood that this description is intended to serve as an example and that changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Represented by:

Dr. Petr Kalenský v.r.

JOINT LAW OFFICE ALL GREEN SWIMMING POOL CALCULATORS AND PARTNERS 120 00 Prabe 2, Hálkova 2 Czech Republic / QAíURQn z7 z-W ío-h onno. . . . - I u

JUDr. Petr Kalensky - 46 attorney

120 00 Prague 2, Halkova 2

Claims (9)

PATENT CLAIMS CLAIMS 1. A compressible building panel comprising, in combination, at least one outer plate of a material having an inner and an outer face, a plurality of manifolds that are expanded and fixed to the inner face at rest and protrude from the inner face, the dividers being compressible and coupling means for resiliently connecting the manifolds at locations distal to the outer plate. Panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the distributors are elongated and extend parallel to each other. Panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the distributors are made of semi-solid material. Panel according to claim 3, characterized in that the distributors are independent of one another. Panel according to claim 4, characterized in that the distributors are collapsible to a compressed state. A panel according to claim 4, characterized in that the distributors have a bias to assume a standstill. Panel according to claim 6, characterized in that the dividers are made of independent plates of semi-rigid but flexible material, the plates being bent so that 07BAS9A / OABAfiOfl Γ7 Hnfl ΊΟ 1-1 ΟΠΠΟ To define the valves,. which are attachable to the outer plate and the connecting means and a pair of crossbars extending between the outer plate and the connecting means, the walls being compressible. Panel according to claim 7, characterized in that the partitions are substantially elongated and planar with a longitudinal bend that allows the partitions to be bent substantially frontally with the flaps in a compressed state. A panel according to claim 7, characterized in that the panels are made of glass wool containing a plurality of glass fibers bonded together by resin. Panel according to claim 10 9, characterized s e by IN/ that the resin is heat curable. A panel according to claim 9, you from learning s e by that thermoplastic resin. A panel according to claim 9, characterized s e by that the outer plate is made of glass cotton wool • A panel according to claim 12, characterized s e by that the connecting means are plate material. A panel according to claim 13, you signifying s e by that the connecting means are fiberglass board. A panel according to claim 12, characterized s e by wherein the connecting means comprises a plurality of flexible but non-extensible fibers attached to the manifolds. A panel according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that the panel is a ceiling panel. The panel of claim 7, wherein the partition walls comprise a longitudinal bend defining a pair of partition parts. The panel of claim 17, wherein said panel portions have the same size. The panel of claim 17, wherein said panel portions have different sizes. The panel of claim 1, further comprising a decorative plate attached to the outer face of the outer plate.