RU2266375C2 - Compressible building panel - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: building, particularly construction panels for building structure erection, finishing and decoration.

SUBSTANCE: building panel comprises outer sheet, connection sheet and a large number of cross-pieces arranged in-between. In relaxed position the panel is expanded so that the panel has desirable thickness for final use thereof. The panel may be compressed to obtain panel having decreased thickness or narrow profile for following transportation. Panel may be selectively bent in one transversal direction, cut or shaped to impart any predetermined size and shape to the panel.

EFFECT: increased structural strength and reduced weight thereof.

35 cl, 99 dwg

Description

A building panel, which can be used as a ceiling panel or wall panel, includes an outer sheet having a large number of spacers spaced apart from one another, and a connecting sheet or the like that is parallel to the outer sheet and spaced from it, while connecting the spacers with each other along their sides, remote from the outer sheet. The spacers can be compressed at least for a period of time when pressure is applied to them to reduce the thickness of the panel, if desired, for example, for transportation purposes.

Building panels used for finishing or decorating building structures can take many forms, both in the form of an internal wall lined with dry plaster and in the form of decorative or acoustic ceiling panels. Although, obviously, such panels have different characteristics, they have many disadvantages, for example, in terms of weight, transportation, limited variety in terms of aesthetics and acoustics, and the like.

Some of these panels are used, for example, in suspended ceiling systems in which a lattice structure of inverted T-shaped elements forms rectangular openings in which acoustic panels or the like are placed. Such acoustic panels are typically rigid and somewhat brittle in nature. As a result, difficulties arise when they are inserted into the support lattice structure and removed from it, and during this process they can easily be damaged. In addition, the ceiling panels are relatively heavy and have a constant thickness, so their dimensions in the state of transportation are similar to the mounting dimensions. Due to the weight and volume of such panels during transportation, the cost of their square meter is relatively high.

The inner walls, lined with dry plaster, are also relatively heavy, working with them is difficult, and their dimensions during transportation are identical to the mounting dimensions. Therefore, the cost of transporting such walls is also relatively high.

From the above, it is obvious that the construction panels used in construction, as well as for the fine and decorative finishing of building structures, are characterized by numerous disadvantages. Therefore, it is desirable that there is a panel devoid of such disadvantages.

The building panel according to the invention can be used in many different cases, which will be obvious to qualified specialists in this field when reading the proposed description. A panel generally generally includes an outer sheet of semi-rigid material with a large number of spacers protruding from one surface thereof. A connector in the form of a sheet or the like is attached to the far edges of the spacers. The connector may be made in the form of another sheet of material, strands of connecting fibers and the like.

The spacers can be folding in nature and can take many forms. In some of the described embodiments, the spacers may be elongated cells having folding sides, so that if lateral or lateral pressure is applied to the cell in predetermined directions, it will settle and occupy a reduced space. Spacers can be formed by bending a strip of semi-rigid material so that the longitudinal sides or walls are bent inward or outward when the spacer is compressed laterally. The spacers are designed so that, under normal conditions, they are in a straightened or elongated state, while having a given configuration, and have the elasticity to return to this configuration after removing the compression force. Spacers are attached to the outer sheet and to the connector so that they remain in the proper position relative to them.

It is obvious that the panel, formed as indicated, takes an expanded shape in its normal state of rest, but in the case of applying pressure to the outer sheet or to the connector, the spacers are flattened, thereby making it possible to give the entire panel a very small thickness or narrow profile. This, of course, represents a significant advantage during transportation, since a larger number of panels can be placed in the container than would be possible with the known panels, which have the same thickness during transportation and use. In addition, the panels are mainly filled with air and therefore have a very low weight.

From the following more detailed description, it will also be apparent that the panels can be bent in at least one direction to facilitate their installation in a suspended ceiling or the like, however, they are resilient to return to their normal position in the state peace. In addition, the panels are not fragile and are not easy to damage. Further, they can be cut quite simply to obtain a given size and / or to give them any given configuration.

Decorative sheets can also be applied to the outer sheet, the connecting sheet or the like that is part of the panel to give the panel a desired aesthetic appearance. For example, a sheet of plywood, vinyl, patterned or contour paper, colored paper, thin metal, polyester, other synthetic material, fabric, non-woven material, or the like, can be applied in such a way that the panel will have any desired appearance when used . In addition, the panel for changing its properties may be lined with metal foil from the inside or outside.

Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be more easily understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the structure when considered in conjunction with the drawings, as well as from the attached claims.

1 is an isometric view of a panel according to the invention.

Figure 2 presents a fragmentary isometric view, if you look up at the suspended ceiling in a building structure with built-in panels in figure 1.

Figure 3 presents an enlarged fragmentary section along the line 3-3 in figure 2.

4 is a front elevational view of a strip of material from which the spacer of a panel according to the invention is made.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the strip of material shown in FIG. 4, in which embossments are made to form preliminary fold lines.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the strip of material shown in FIG. 4 after embossing as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the strip of material shown in FIG. 6, which is bent along preformed fold lines.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the spacer shown in FIG. 7, which has been compressed.

On figa presents an enlarged section of the circled zone in Fig.8.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view similar to that of FIG. 8, with an adhesive layer shown by dashed lines above and below the spacer.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view similar to that of FIG. 9, with an outer sheet and a connecting sheet located above and below the adhesive layers.

11 is a front elevational view showing the composite shown in FIG. 10, which is compressed between the heating elements to provide heating.

On Fig presents a fragmentary end view in height of the panel according to the invention with a decorative layer of material, by means of an adhesive attached to the outer sheet of the panel.

On Fig presents a fragmentary end view along the height of the panel shown in Fig, compressed between the heated pressing elements.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel shown in Fig, having struts with asymmetric walls, while the panel is fully expanded.

On Fig presents an end view in height, similar to the view shown in Fig.14, while the panel is partially compressed.

On Fig presents an end view in height, similar to the view in Fig.15, while the panel is subjected to slight additional compression.

On Fig presents an end view in height, similar to the view shown in Fig.16, while the panel is fully compressed.

On Fig presents a perspective view of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents an enlarged isometric view of part of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents a perspective view of the panel shown in Fig, which is in a fully compressed state.

On Fig presents an enlarged isometric view of part of the panel shown in Fig. 20.

Figure 22 is an isometric view of a large number of panels stacked when they are in a compressed state.

FIG. 23 is an isometric view of the panels shown in FIG. 22 when they are in an expanded state.

On Fig presents an enlarged fragmentary end view along the height of the panel shown in Fig, with the end supports of the panel, which prevent its bending.

On Fig presents a fragmentary section along the line 25-25 in Fig.24.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary isometric view of the removed parts showing the end support at one end of the panel and the second end support mounted on the opposite end of the panel.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical cross section of part of the panel, illustrating an alternative embodiment of the construction of the spacer, according to which the spacer includes an inner layer of metal foil.

FIG. 28 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of a panel similar to that shown in FIG. 27, showing yet another alternative spacer structure according to which a metal foil is applied to its outer surface.

On Fig presents a cross section of the panel shown in Fig, while the panel is compressed from the side of its upper surface.

On Fig presents a section along the line 30-30 in Fig.29.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel shown in Fig, while the panel is curved to obtain a concavity, open up.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel according to the second variant embodiment of the invention, in which the walls of the spacers are symmetrical and not asymmetric, as shown in Fig.

FIG. 33 is an isometric view showing a panel according to the invention, in which the connecting means are elongated strands or fibers that are attached to spacers away from the outer sheet.

FIG. 34 is an enlarged isometric view showing a portion of the panel of FIG. 33.

FIG. 35 is an isometric view of the panel shown in FIG. 33, wherein the panel is curved or bent so that it is concave in an upward direction.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel according to the invention and the corresponding panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents a view in height of the panel shown in Fig.36, while the panel is partially compressed.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel shown in Fig.37, while the panel is fully compressed.

On Fig presents a perspective view of the panel shown in Fig, while the panel is in a fully compressed state.

On Fig presents a perspective view of part of the panel shown in Fig, is in a fully expanded state.

On Fig presents a perspective view of a large number of panels of the type shown in Fig.36, while the panels are compressed and stacked.

On Fig presents a perspective view of part of the panels of the type shown in Fig, with the panels stacked in a fully expanded state.

On Fig presents a schematic end view in height of the panel with asymmetric spacers, illustrating its dimensional characteristics.

On Fig presents a schematic end view of the height of the panel with symmetrical spacers, illustrating its dimensional characteristics.

On Fig presents an enlarged end view in height of part of the panel according to Fig, illustrating other dimensional characteristics.

On Fig presents an enlarged end view in height of part of the panel according to Fig, illustrating other dimensional characteristics.

Fig. 47 is an end elevational view similar to that shown in Fig. 45, illustrating a panel compressed with force F.

On Fig presents an end view in height, similar to the view shown in Fig, illustrating the panel, compressed with force F.

49 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spacer structure for use in a panel according to the invention.

On Fig presents an end view of the height of the spacers of Fig. 49.

On Fig presents an end view of the height of the panel, which includes a large number of spacers on Fig, are in an expanded state.

On Fig presents a reduced end view along the height of the panel shown in Fig, while the panel is in a compressed state.

Fig. 53 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spacer structure for use in a panel according to the invention.

In Fig.54 presents an end view of the height of the spacers in Fig.53.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel according to the invention using the spacers according to Fig, while the panel is in an expanded state.

On Fig presents a reduced end view along the height of the panel according to Fig, being in a compressed state.

Fig. 57 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spacer structure for use in a panel according to the invention.

On Fig presents an end view of the height of the spacers of Fig. 57.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel using the spacers of Fig.57, while the panel is shown in an expanded state.

On Fig presents a reduced end view along the height of the panel shown in Fig, while the panel is in a compressed state.

Fig. 61 is a perspective view of another spacer for use in a panel according to the invention.

On Fig presents an end view of the height of the spacers shown in Fig.61.

On Fig presents an end view of the height of the panel using the spacers shown in Fig, while the panel is in an expanded state.

On Fig presents a reduced end view along the height of the panel shown in Fig.63, while the panel is in a compressed state.

On Fig presents an exploded view in isometric panel, similar to the panel shown in figure 1, which is hardened by providing additional struts at the ends of the panel, perpendicular to the main struts.

Fig.66 is a side elevational view of the panel shown in Fig.65.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel shown in Fig.65.

On Fig presents an end view in height of another embodiment of the invention, according to which the panel can be curved at a right angle.

On Fig presents a perspective view of the panel of Fig, with the panel is in a fully compressed state.

On Fig presents a side view of the height of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents an end view in height, similar to the view shown in Fig, while the panel is slightly further expanded.

On Fig presents a perspective view of the panel according to Fig, bent at a right angle, while the panel is fully expanded.

On Fig presents an end view in height of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in isometric end of the panel, while part of the panel is partially cut off.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in isometric, similar to the view shown in Fig, with a partially cut off portion of the panel, compressed and designed to receive an elongated clip.

Fig. 76 is a fragmentary isometric view similar to that shown in Figs. 74 and 75, showing a clip mounted on a compressed portion of a panel.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in isometric, similar to the view shown in Fig, with the clip mounted on a compressed section of the panel, bent up.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in isometric, similar to the view shown in Fig, with the clip mounted on the compressed section of the panel, bent 90 ° to adjoin the new end of the panel.

On Fig presents an enlarged fragmentary view in section along the line 79-79 in Fig.78.

On Fig presents a fragmentary isometric view of an alternative layout of the ceiling system, in which the panels are hung from the supporting lattice structure, rather than resting on it.

On Fig presents a perspective view of a panel intended for use in the ceiling system shown in Fig. 80.

On Fig presents a fragmentary isometric view of the end face of the clamping element used in the panel of Fig.

On Fig presents a fragmentary isometric view of the clamp of Fig, mounted on the longitudinal end of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section along the line 84-84 shown in Fig. 80.

On Fig presents an enlarged fragmentary view in section along the line 85-85 shown in Fig. 80.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, while eliminating the support connection of conventional acoustic cladding tiles with supporting elements.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical cross section of the panel shown in Fig, showing the outer sheet extending from the longitudinal side edge of the panel.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, with the elongated outer sheet folded up and attached by adhesive to the longitudinal end of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, while the panel is slightly compressed.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, while the panel is subjected to additional compression.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, while the panel is virtually completely compressed.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section, showing the outer sheet extending in the longitudinal direction from one end of the panel shown in Fig.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, with a reinforcing strip held on the elongation of the outer sheet.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section, similar to the view shown in Fig, with a clip attached to the extension of the outer sheet.

On Fig presents a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section similar to the section shown in Fig, with the clip bent upward so that it lies on top of the longitudinal end of the panel.

On Figa-95A presents views identical to those shown respectively in Fig.92-95, showing an alternative system of attaching the clamp to the end of the panel, while the end of the panel is compressed so as to replace the reinforcing strip used according to Fig.92-95 .

On Fig presents an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical cross section along the line 96-96, shown in Fig.

On Fig presents a cross section with the removed parts, which shows the removal of one spacer to facilitate bending of the panel.

FIG. 98 is a cross-sectional view with parts removed, similar to that shown in FIG. 97, showing a panel bent relative to the gap where the spacer was removed, as shown in FIG. 97.

99 is a graph illustrating acoustics comparison between a panel according to the invention and other panels.

The compressible building panel 50 according to the invention, probably best shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, includes a large number of folding, preferably parallel, struts or crossbars 52 extending between the outer sheet 54 (not visible in FIG. 1) and the connecting sheet 56. Decorative sheet 58, which is shown in figures 1 and 12, can be applied for laying over the outer sheet 54 with the contact of their surfaces. It will be explained in more detail below that the panel can be compressed from its usual expanded state shown in FIGS. 1 and 12 to a fully upset or compressed state shown in FIG. The panel can also be curved in one transverse direction, which will be described in more detail below, but can be hardened to prevent bending in any direction. The panel mainly contains air, so it is lightweight and easy to manipulate.

Many diverse applications of the panel 50 in building structures are possible, for example, it can be used as a wall panel, a fixed ceiling panel, as a panel for a suspended ceiling and the like. From the following description, it will also be clear that the panels can be made in different sizes, some of which can be unusually large compared to conventional panels used in building structures. For the purposes of the proposed description, the panel is presented with normal dimensions and is intended for use in a suspended ceiling, as shown in figure 2.

In a typical suspended ceiling system, the lattice structure of elongated, inverted T-shaped elements 60, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is conventionally held from the ceiling side, forming rectangular openings 62 and peripheral abutment edges 64 around these openings, on which ceiling tile or panel 50 may be located. Traditional ceiling panels that cannot be curved or otherwise flexible are difficult to insert into rectangular openings 62, and because they also have x upkost, occur during the insertion of numerous damage or destruction. The panel according to the invention, as can be understood from the following description, is characterized by the possibility of its bending, which facilitates its insertion into the rectangular hole of the suspended ceiling system, and once the panel is in place, it will again take the desired flat shape.

12, it is probably best shown that the spacers 52 are formed from individual strips 66 (FIG. 4) of material on which embossed folding lines are preliminarily applied and which are bent to obtain the desired configuration, so that when they are inserted into the panel 50, they can settle in the transverse direction, which allows you to compress the panel if desired. The spacers are fastened along their upper parts to the connecting sheet 56 and along the lower parts to the outer sheet 54 by means of joints which are desirably made by means of an adhesive 68, however, other systems for connecting the components will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The outer sheet, in turn, by gluing or otherwise attached to its surface to the surface of the decorative sheet 58, which is a sheet facing inward from the building structure into which the panel is embedded. The sheet may be formed from one or more pieces of material joined, joined, welded, or otherwise bonded to form a widespread surface. The decorative sheet may be any material, for example, natural or synthetic wood, vinyl, patterned or contour paper, foil, polyester, other synthetic materials, fabric, non-woven materials, or the like. Of course, this material is usually chosen for the desired decorative finish of the room in which the ceiling panel is integrated, however, the material can also be selected due to its acoustic properties.

In the disclosed embodiment, the outer sheet 54, the connecting sheet 56, and the spacers 52 may be made of the same material, but this is not necessary. The material may be a fiberglass sheet consisting of randomly oriented glass fibers bonded to each other by resin. It will be further explained in more detail that the resin, depending on the desired characteristics of the panel, may be a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. Adhesive 68 used to join the various components of the panel can usually be a thermosetting adhesive that binds adjacent components when the desired temperature is reached. However, examples of suitable adhesives may include polyurethane resins, copolyester hot melt adhesives, hot melt polyurethane reactive adhesives, two-part epoxy resins, two-part urethanes, and room temperature vulcanizable silicones.

As best shown in cross-section in FIG. 12, the spacers 52 can be combined to form one continuous strip of material, however, in the disclosed embodiment, each of the individual spacers has an elongated cellular or tubular configuration. Each spacer is formed from a strip 66 of material, such as fiberglass, as shown in FIGS. 4-11.

Figure 4 presents a front view of a flat strip 66 before it passes into the machine for applying embossed fold lines. In an embossing machine for folding fold lines, as shown in FIG. 5, material is passed between the embossing rotary wheels 70 and the supporting rolls 72, wherein at the predetermined locations of the material spaced apart in the transverse direction, fold lines are formed by embossing 74 extending in the longitudinal direction. In a preferred system, the wheels for embossing fold lines have an arcuate edge with a diameter of approximately 1/32 inch (0.079 cm) and a hardness of the support rolls of the hardness tester is 90 units. In the case of such a device, an effective bending line is formed without cutting the material or at least without damaging many glass fibers, if damage occurs at all, so that the material retains its elastic properties. It can be seen that starting from the left side of the strip of material, as shown in FIG. 5, the fold line 74a is located close to the left edge in the upper surface, and the other fold line 74b is located in the upper surface at a location that is slightly spaced left from the center. Between these two places on the lower surface of the strip is a fold line 74c. The corresponding fold lines are located on the right side of the strip, so that six fold lines will be formed in the strip leaving the embossing machine for folding the fold lines, as shown in FIG. 6. Then, the strip 66 of material is bent over and along the longitudinal fold lines, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 8A, bringing the side edges 76 of the strip together with each other in the central place of the upper part of the spacer 52. It is preferable that the diameter of the fibers of the material at which they occur fracture was less than the combined thickness of the bent material, so if fiber damage occurs during bending, it will be minimal. In the case of such a formation, the spacer takes the form of an elongated tube or cell consisting of two truncated triangles 78 and 80, which are inverted with respect to each other. The lower triangle 78 has a wider base than the upper triangle 80. The fiberglass material of the spacer is a semi-rigid material, so it can be bent and bent along the bend lines 74, however, it will actually remain flat between these bends. Exposure of pressure in the vertical direction to the cell having the configuration shown in FIG. 7 leads to subsidence of the cell components, while the spacer assumes a compressed form, which is shown in FIG. 8. Adhesive 68 may be applied in compressed form to the upper and lower parts of the spacer, while it is preferred that the adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive applied by any of various methods that are well known to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 10, then a spacer 52 with adhesive 68 applied to its upper and lower surfaces is passed between the outer sheet 54 and the connecting sheet 56 and, as shown in FIG. 11, then the entire laminate structure is compressed between the heated plates 82, which activate the adhesive 68 in the case of thermoplastic adhesives or act as a catalyst in the case of thermosetting adhesives. After that, heat can be used to increase the cure rate of the thermoset adhesive if this substance is selected.

If thermosetting resin is used to adhere the glass fibers in the strips 66 as well as the material sheets 54 and 56, the panel 50 will naturally expand to bring it into the pre-forming state shown in FIG. 12 after compression and adhesion have been performed. If the resin that binds fiberglass is a thermoplastic resin, then it will remain in a compressed state, and only re-heating is necessary so that the strips perform their inherent expansion under the action of heat, which can be supplied by a hair dryer. Under these conditions, the panel can either perform its inherent expansion, or it can be selectively expanded to obtain the desired height or thickness.

Although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is possible to change the material from which the spacers 52 are made, the outer sheet 54 and the connecting sheet 56, and in fact each of them, can be made of different materials, for the purposes of the present description for the outer and connecting sheets, and for spacers, the following materials can be considered satisfactory: JM type 8802-100GSM (mat made of glass material with thermoplastic resin) or JM type MF5020GSM (mat made of glass material with thermosetting resin), each of toryh produces Johns-Manville Corp., Denver, Colorado, or Ahlstrom type 5150GSM (glass fiber with thermosetting resin), manufactured by Ahlstrom, Karhula, Finland.

There are other materials that can satisfactorily function, for example, as an outer sheet or connecting sheet, but not as spacers, and, conversely, there are some materials that can satisfactorily act as spacers, but not as an outer and connecting sheet . For example, the outer and connecting sheets can be one of many different types of sheet material, such as paper, cardboard, plastic, polyester, other synthetic materials, and the like. There is even no need to ensure structural stability, since struts give such stability to the panel. On the other hand, although the spacers are preferably made of fiberglass, they can be made of carbon fiber mats, some paper, cardboard, woven materials, films, or a combination thereof, and an important distinguishing feature is that these materials have some a given modulus of elasticity, which is similar to the modulus of elasticity of certain materials mentioned above, and which makes it possible to bend them, but so that they remain elastic. If materials must be embossed to form bend lines, as discussed above in relation to fiberglass material, it is important that the material retains a modulus of elasticity after embossing to form bend lines, which is certainly true for fiberglass and carbon fiber.

As shown in FIG. 13, a decorative sheet 58 may also be located between the outer sheet 54 and the heating press 82 with a corresponding adhesive 66 between them to adhere the surfaces of the decorative sheet and the outer sheet. The resulting panel is shown in FIG. To adhere the decorative sheet to the outer sheet, in addition to the above alternative options, a porous decorative sheet can be used that adheres to the cover sheet by means of an adhesive applied in the form of a grid or in the form of printed dots. Due to this, it is possible to more freely pass sound through a layered structure or transmit it through it. On the contrary, if a continuous layer of adhesive is used to connect the decorative sheet and the cover sheet, sound transmission through the layered structure will be weakened. In the process of obtaining a layered structure, a relatively unstable decorative sheet can be given flatness and stability with a flat surface, possibly also providing resistance to shocks and punctures, replacing the resistance of the cover sheet. Obviously, the acoustics of the panels can be changed by replacing the outer sheet material, the strip material, the adhesive, the connector sheet, the gap between the sheets, the method by which the connection is made to obtain an assembly, or the like.

Other materials may also cover or overlap the connecting sheet 56. For example, films can be applied on top of the connecting sheet, or an additional sheet of a material other than fiberglass material can be layered on it. In this case, the panel can be operated without gloves, since fiberglass can have an abrasive effect on unprotected skin, or it can dangerously affect it in another way. In addition, the manufacturer’s identification code or dimensional grid can be printed onto the film or on the laminate structure for the bonding sheet 56 to facilitate cutting the panel to obtain the desired size. Further, as mentioned previously with respect to the outer sheet 54, porous layered structures or films can also be applied to the connecting sheet for acoustic purposes.

As mentioned, a large number of materials can be used according to the invention, however, in the preferred case, the connector sheet and spacers are made of the same material, which is a fiberglass mat manufactured by Johns-Manville Corporation, which may be mat with designation No. 582 or designation mat No. 5803 manufactured by Johns-Manville. Mat with designation No. 5802 has a weight-to-area ratio of 120 g / m ² and consists of 10% PET / 65% 16 micron glass / 25% MF. Mat with designation No. 5803 has a ratio between weight and area of 100 g / m ² and consists of 12% PET / 68% 16 micron glass / 25% MF. MF is the abbreviation for melamine formaldehyde resin, which exhibits the characteristics of a thermoset resin. PET is an abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate. Spacers made of material 5802 or 5803 have the ability to expand with little or no additional heating after embossing the folding lines and bending them in the manner described previously and after they are completely compressed. A more complete description of the products manufactured by Johns-Manville, as well as related products, can be found in US patent No. 5840413, 5942288 and 5972434.

Preferably, the outer sheet is a layered composite structure of an aesthetically pleasing textile material that is laminated to a glass nonwoven base using a hot melt copolyester adhesive. Three different layered structures are equally desirable. The first layered structure uses a base, which in nature is a heat-bonded polyester non-woven material whose weight per unit area is in the range of 45 to 75 g / m ² and which can be purchased from Hollingsworth and Vose, Floyd, West Virginia. The pattern of adhesive used to thermally bond the polyester fibers in a non-woven base becomes a visible pattern on the bottom surface of the outer sheet. When a small dot dot grip pattern is used, and the grip area is approximately 7%, the preferred polyester non-woven fabric is that designated by Hollingsworth and Vose as TR2315A-B. When a clutch pattern is used in the form of a large number of dots, and the clutch area is approximately 21%, the preferred material is that designated by Hollingsworth and Vose as TR2864C1. A shielding coating is then applied to any nonwoven base using an acrylic binder / flame retardant coating with an additional weight of 15 to 25 g / m ² . The coating formula can be formulated in such a way as to increase the durability of the non-woven base with additional flame retardation. Thereafter, the non-woven polyester base can be passed through the hot melt coating machine / sheet machine, where flame resistant complex copolyester adhesive obtained, for example, from EMS Chemie North America, Sumter, North Carolina, is applied to the surface a polyester non-woven base or material to be coated. The weight of the coating of this adhesive depends on the bonding strength that it is desirable to provide between the polyester non-woven base and glass non-woven materials. In general, it has been found that an adhesive is preferred having a weight per unit area in the range of 30 to 45 g / m ² . An engraving roller, preferably 25 × 25 mesh, is used to laminate the nonwoven glass material to the polyester nonwoven base by pressing. The depth of engraving on the engraving roller is basically interconnected with the weight of the adhesive applied to the area. The adhesive formula obtained from EMS Chemie is a 50:50 mixture of two materials, i.e. materials designated by EMS as Grilltex D1573G and Grilltex VP1692G. EMS Grilltex VP1692G is mixed with 25% filler in the form of an organic phosphorous flame retardant. In the resulting 50:50 mixture, a final filler content of flame retardant of approximately 13.5% is provided. After applying the adhesive to the surface of the polyester non-woven material, the adhesive is held in a molten state until it reaches a clearance in the roller coating machine / sheet machine, where it connects to the glass non-woven material. The glass non-woven fabric is the aforementioned 5802 (120 g / m ² ) mat material sold by Johns-Manville, Ahlstrom glass non-woven fabric designated GFT-413G10-60-1300 (60 g / m ² ) or non-woven glass mat from Ahlstrom designated GFT-413G10-80-1300 (80 g / m ² ). The composite layered structure made of the above materials is characterized by transparency, and this distinguishing feature, combined with the ability to pass light down the length of the cells formed between the spacers in the finished panel, allows you to see the shading in those areas where the two cells converge.

If desired, the shading can be reduced by using, instead of the aforementioned polyester non-woven fabric, a material that is satisfactory in relation to aesthetics having a silver, gray or black color on its back side. The back side is the side on which the adhesive is applied in the form of a hot melt and which is then laminated on a mat of glass non-woven material. Staining reduces the amount of light that can pass into the bottom of the cells and up through the surface, thereby reducing the shadow effect.

An alternative aesthetic material with respect to the polyester non-woven material described above is a knitted material which on the one hand has a silver, gray or black color. In order to ensure this, they use knitted material from a technical textile company Gilford, Greensboro, North Carolina, while the knitted material consists of two different types of threads in one knitted structure. Preferred yarns used are nylon and polyester. Nylon threads are mainly visible on one side of the mat, and polyester threads on the other side. Knitted material is a “cross-dyed” material in which black dyes are for nylon and white is left for polyester. A flame retardant and a composition to release soil particles can be added to the formulation of the staining solution. The knitted material is then stabilized and melamine resin is added to give the fabric stiffness. Thereafter, the knitted material may be passed through a roller coating machine / sheet machine for laminating the knitted material onto a glass non-woven material, as previously described with respect to polyester fiber material. The engraving roller pattern used in this case is an erratic computerized dot pattern that is well known in the industry. When the silver, gray or black side of the knitted material is layered on the glass nonwoven material, light transmission through the layered structure is reduced due to the presence of a darker layer. The appearance of the surface is unique because it mimics the appearance of a perforated metal ceiling panel. It is also possible to lay on the glass non-woven material the white side of the knitted material and, when this is done, the appearance of the knitted layered structure imitates a metal shielding material, and in this case, the effect of shading is also eliminated.

Another way to reduce the shadowing of reflected light or transmitted light is to use black, gray or silver colored glass non-woven material. If black, gray or silver colored glass non-woven fabric is laminated to a polyester fiber mat or to a previously knitted mat, the shading effect can also be reduced.

It should also be noted that the coloring of the material, which must meet the requirements for aesthetics, whether it is a polyester fiber mat or knitted material, can be achieved by coating the materials with color pigment or applying color pigment by printing. This entails the implementation of an auxiliary printing or coating step, which leads to additional costs. As a low-cost solution to the problem of shading and / or obtaining increased whiteness of the surface of the material, which must meet the requirements for aesthetics, you can use colored or pigmented adhesive.

On Fig-17 presents the prefabricated panel 50 in states of increasing compression, while in Fig.14 the panel is shown in a fully expanded state, and in Fig.17 - in a fully upset or compressed state.

On Fig shows a view of the panel 50 in isometric, and Fig.19 is an enlarged view thereof. It is obvious that the spacers 52 are evenly spaced from each other, while they extend along the panel parallel to each other. In FIGS. 18 and 19, the panel is fully expanded, and in FIG. 20 and 21, respectively, the panel is shown fully compressed.

The problem with conventional ceiling panels is that their size and thickness remain the same during transportation, installation and use. The desired distinguishing feature of the panel according to the invention is that although the panel has a predetermined thickness at rest, which can correspond to the thickness of a conventional ceiling panel when the panel is fully expanded, it can be compressed for transport, therefore it can be packed in one container for transport a greater number of panels, due to which the cost-effectiveness of transportation is significantly increased. When the panels are removed from the shipping container, they can be expanded naturally if thermosetting resin was used in the fiberglass material, or they can be heated to expand if thermoplastic resin was used. Although the panel can be expanded to any desired size, the preferred ceiling panel can have a thickness in the range of 12 to 26 mm, when the desired expansion depends on the length of the panel, but can also be thicker or thinner depending on its use and can have a thickness of approximately component 3-4 mm when it is in a fully compressed state.

On Fig best shown that the panel 50 can easily be bent or bent transverse to the direction in which the elongated spacer 52, to facilitate the insertion of the panel into the supporting structure, for example, a suspended ceiling. In fact, the panel can be preformed to give it a curved configuration, so that it will accept this configuration in a free state, if for some reason a curved panel is desired. The panel cannot be very easily bent or bent in the opposite direction, that is, in the direction in which the struts extend, since the tubular configurations of the struts will prevent this. However, if desired, additional rigidity can be imparted to the panel so that it is prevented from bending in any transverse direction by placing support elements 84 along opposite ends of the panel to close the open ends 86 of the tubular or cellular spacers. The support elements 84 may be either preformed C-shaped channel elements 88 (e.g., plastic, aluminum, etc.) having a rigid configuration, which are shown in Figs. 24 and 25, or may be strips 90 with adhesive material which, for example, are glued to the ends of the panel, as shown in FIG. Although the strips with adhesive material may have some flexibility, they can have sufficient rigidity, therefore, when combined with the ends of the panels, they accordingly prevent the panel from bending in the transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the spacers. An illustration of an acceptable adhesive strip is plastic or vinyl tape, or something similar. As an additional alternative, which is shown in FIGS. 65-67, a spacer 52a may be located at each end of the panel to cover the open ends of the parallel spacers 52. The outer sheet 54 and the connecting sheet 56 are elongated to close the spacers 52a, which serve to give panel stiffness in the transverse direction.

The panels can also be stiffened in the transverse direction also by embedding transverse struts (not shown) at selected locations on the panel. The cross braces must extend perpendicular to the main braces, and in so doing, they may take an identical or modified configuration with respect to the cross-sectional configuration of the main braces. Of course, the transverse struts can be connected in the panel by means of an adhesive, as well as the main struts. The height of the spacers, whether these spacers are basic or transverse, can also be changed across the width of the panel to provide various design and aesthetic effects.

To change the structural characteristics of the spacers 52, another sheet of material may also be laminated on the outer or inner surface of the spacer, and possibly metal sheet material 92, which gives the material a slightly greater rigidity, as shown in FIG. 28 and 27, respectively. The metal sheet also affects the thermal performance of the panel. FIG. 27 shows a metal sheet material on a panel with a support member 88, while FIG. 28 does not include a support member. Of course, the process of layering should occur during the formation of the spacer, and preferably immediately before the formation of fold lines by embossing.

As can be seen in FIGS. 29 and 30, the panel formed in accordance with the process described above is unique due to the fact that the pressure applied to any one place on one surface of the panel will compress the panel only in this place and will not deform the opposite side of the panel. The panel will also hold a significant portion of its weight without bending the opposite side of the panel. For example, a panel formed according to the invention, whose thickness is 26 millimeters, when expanded, having a width of 24 inches (60.96 cm) and a length of 48 inches (121.92 cm), weighs approximately 0.9 kg (1.98 lbs.) ) The panel can hold weights of up to 2.9 kg (6.38 lbs) in the form of a circular load of 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter with minimal bending that can be seen on the opposite side of the panel. Point loads, approximately 2 inches in diameter (5.08 cm) and 1 kg in weight (2.2 pounds), are also easily absorbed by the same panel without deflecting its bottom surface.

33-35, a second embodiment of a panel 94 is shown, in which the connection sheet 54 is replaced by a connection in the form of a large number of elongated flexible, but not stretchable, strands or fibers 96. These strands or fibers can be plastic, nylon or other similar with them material having the same or similar characteristics. The strands or fibers of the material by gluing or otherwise can be connected to the tubular spacers 52 ', passing transversely to them, while the fibers are spaced from each other, preferably located parallel to each other. The panel 94 thus formed can easily be bent or bent as shown in FIG. 35 in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the spacers, as the previously described panel.

In each of the above-described embodiments of the structure according to the invention, the spacers comprise identical side portions 98 (FIGS. 12 and 34) that have longitudinal fold lines 100, so that the side portions settle inward when the panel is compressed. In this case, the side parts form the upper and lower parts 98a and 98b, respectively, which have a rectangular configuration, however, the upper part 98a is smaller than the lower part 98b. This arrangement can be called an asymmetric arrangement, since the size of the upper part of the spacer differs from the size of its lower part.

A third embodiment of the structure according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 36-42, wherein the panel 102 according to this embodiment is identical to the panel shown in FIG. 12, except that the walls 104 of the struts 105 have a symmetrical configuration. In other words, the panel 102 includes an outer sheet 54 'and a connecting sheet 56' connected to each other by struts with walls, the panel may include a decorative panel 58 'lying on top of the outer sheet, if desired. However, fold lines 106 along the walls 104 are arranged such that the upper rectangular portion 104a of each wall is the same size as the lower rectangular portion 104b. Panel 102 may also be compressed.

The compressed and expanded shapes of the panel 102 shown in FIGS. 36-38 are shown in isometric views of FIGS. 39 and 40, it being obvious that the panel can be fully compressed to produce a depth or profile that is much less than the depth or profile in its normal advanced condition.

As can be seen in FIGS. 41 and 42, when the panels are stacked, considerable space can be saved by compressing the panels, which of course saves significant transportation costs since more panels can be compressed and transported in one container compared to the number conventional ceiling panels.

The advantage of panels that use symmetrical spacers is that there is no “cabling” that may occur in compressed panels without careful monitoring. “Cabling” is a phenomenon that may result from the compression of the panels of the type described here, when the sheet is pressed firmly against other components of the panel, such as spacers or their walls. If the pressure is very high or the struts have quite significant resistance, a picture of where the partition is attached to it and where not can be seen through the sheet.

Referring to FIG. 17, which shows a panel with asymmetric spacers, it can be seen that there are gaps between the spacers along their connections to the connection sheet, however, such a gap hardly exists when using symmetrical spacers, which is best shown in FIG. 38. Accordingly, in a panel that uses symmetrical spacers, as shown in FIG. 38, “cabling” is virtually eliminated, regardless of the pressure applied to the panel. However, it should also be borne in mind that in the case of a panel made according to the invention with symmetrical or asymmetric spacers, there is less tendency to “wire” due to the fact that when the connecting sheet is pushed down with force to the spacers, they do not resist pressure, but they are simply compressed so that an acceptable pressure can be applied to connect the connecting sheet to the spacers without causing “cabling”.

By changing the location of the fold line 106 in each side wall of the spacer 105, it is also possible to adjust the compressive strength of the panel. For example, in the free expanded state of an asymmetric panel 50, such as that disclosed as the first embodiment of the construction of the invention shown in FIGS. 43 and 45, an obtuse angle (a) is formed in the side wall 98, which is larger than the corresponding angle (d) in the wall 104 symmetrical panel, which is shown in Fig.46. However, the height A of each panel in the expanded state is the same. You can also notice the difference in length B and C, respectively, of the upper and lower parts 98a and 98b of the side walls of the asymmetric spacer, while in the symmetrical spacer shown in Fig. 46, the length D of the upper part 104a of the wall is identical to its lower part 104b.

The greater the angle (a) or (d) of the side wall, the greater will be the compression resistance of the panel, as shown in Figs. 47 and 48. Figs. 47 and 48 show the application of the same force F to the panel 50 with asymmetric spacers (see Fig. .47) and to the panel 102 with symmetrical spacers (see Fig. 48), while it can be seen that the same value of force compresses the panel with symmetrical spacers by a large amount. This is why the angle of the side wall in a panel with symmetrical struts is smaller than the angle in a panel with asymmetric struts.

For illustrative purposes only, without imposing any restrictions, it can be pointed out that in the case of a panel formed according to the invention, which is found to provide satisfactory performance and in which the outer sheet, the connecting sheet and the spacers are made of 100GSM Johns Manville glass mat # 8802, the parameters indicated in FIGS. 43-46 are in the following range:

X = 5-10 mm;

S = 20-40 mm;

A = 15-26 mm;

B = 8-10 mm;

C = 13.5-17 mm;

D = 13.5-15 mm;

a = 100-120 degrees;

b = 100-120 degrees.

In another alternative embodiment 108 of the panel according to the invention shown in FIGS. 51 and 52, the connecting sheet according to the previously described embodiments is eliminated by using a unique spacer 110. The spacer 110, as best shown in FIGS. 49 and 50, is generally configured hourglass, forming two zones 112 and 114 of truncated triangles inverted with respect to each other, similar to the first described embodiment of the invention, however, the upper part of the spacer has a long horizontal hole, is intended to overlap an adjacent spacer so as to have a segmented composite connecting sheet 116, which consists of a large number of interconnected strips formed by a horizontal upper branch of the spacer. Although the spacer 110 is shown asymmetric, it can in fact take on a symmetrical configuration similar to that shown in the third described embodiment of the invention. In this case, the spacer has a base 118, a left-side wall 120 and a right-side wall 122, with each side wall at its upper part having a horizontal branch, 124 and 126, respectively. Both side walls have fold lines 128, and the side walls will settle when to the top or lower spacers apply pressure. The horizontal upper branch 126 of the right side wall is approximately a third of the width of the strut in its upper part, but the horizontal branch 124 of the left-side strut is slightly longer than the base 118 of the strut, so that it lies on top of the horizontal upper branch 124 of the right strut and overlaps it.

As is best shown in FIG. 51, when a large number of spacers 110 are located in close proximity to each other, or they are adjacent to each other, the upper horizontal branch 124 of the left side wall 120 extends beyond the right side wall 122 and overlaps the upper horizontal branch 124 of the left side wall 120 of the proximal adjacent spacer on the right. In this case, the overlapping horizontal upper branches 124 of the left side walls in combination form a connecting sheet consisting of separate parts, but combined into a single whole. Of course, the upper horizontal branch 124 of the left-side walls of each strut is glued to the upper horizontal branch 126 of the right-hand wall and also to the upper horizontal branch 124 of the left-side wall of the strut, which is located directly to the right. A cover sheet 130 is attached to the base 118 of each of the spacers for interconnecting the spacers along their bases and, of course, if desired, a decorative sheet (not shown) can be attached to the underside of the outer sheet or of the individual parts of the connecting sheet.

Another embodiment 132 of the panel formed according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 53-55. In this embodiment, the spacers 134 are made by themselves and are not cellular within themselves, but are strips of material that are zigzag folded and secured between the outer sheet 136 and the connecting sheet 138 so as to form a mesh panel. Referring first to FIGS. 53 and 54, according to them, the spacer 134 is formed from a strip of material that has a pair of external parallel fold lines 140 and internal parallel fold lines 142, while bending along the outer fold lines is carried out in opposite directions; bending along the inner fold lines is also carried out in opposite directions. Due to this, a pair of mounting surfaces or edge zones 144 and 146 are formed between the outer fold lines 140 and the side edges 148 of the strip, which in any suitable way can be attached respectively to the outer sheet and to the connecting sheet. Between these edge zones of the spacers, the intermediate portion 150 of the spacer has two internal folds that allow the strip to settle when lateral pressure is applied to any of the edge zones. A panel 132 formed with spacers 134 according to FIGS. 53 and 54 is shown in FIGS. 55 and 56, respectively, in expanded and compressed states.

Another spacer 152 is shown in FIGS. 57 and 58; it is intended for use in the panel 154 shown in FIGS. 59 and 60, respectively, in the expanded and precipitated state. The spacer 152, which is shown in Figs. 57 and 58, includes a pair of parallel outer fold lines 156, the bend along which is carried out in the same direction and which are spaced inward from the side edges 158 of the strip of material from which the spacer is made, and between parallel to the outer fold lines there is an intermediate fold line 160. An upper edge zone 162 is formed between one edge of the strip of material and one of the outer fold lines, and a second, much larger lower edge zone 164 is formed along the bottom of the spacer between with its edge strip of material and the adjacent crease line. The bend in the opposite direction is made along the intermediate line of the bend 160, so that the spacer has upper and lower edge zones of different widths, both protruding to the right, as seen in Fig. 8, from the adjacent bend lines 156. The upper edge zone 162 of each strut is attached to the connecting sheet 166 in parallel, equally spaced places, while the lower edge zones 164 are intended to expand to the right and overlap a small portion of the subsequent adjacent spacer to the right. The overlapping lower edge zones are attached to each other, forming an outer sheet 168 of combined individual parts, formed by a large number of lower edge zones of the respective struts. Of course, in order to provide a variety of panels, in terms of aesthetics, a decorative sheet (not shown) can be applied to the interconnected lower edge zones or to the connecting sheet.

A similar embodiment 170 of the spacer structure is shown in FIGS. 61-64, where again the strip of material is provided with a pair of outer fold lines 172 and an intermediate fold line 174 between them, with upper and lower edge zones 176 and between the edges of the strip 180 and the outer fold lines 172 178. The folds along the outer lines of the fold 172 are made in the opposite direction with respect to the fold along the intermediate line of the fold 174 so that the upper and lower edge zones protrude horizontally to the right, as viewed in FIG. Obviously, both horizontal zones extend horizontally beyond the intermediate fold line 174 and are designed to overlap the upper and lower edge zones of adjacent spacers on the right, so that they can be attached to them in any suitable way to form the panel shown in the expanded state in FIG. 63 and in a compressed state in Fig.64.

In yet another embodiment of the structure of the panel 182, made in accordance with the ideas of the invention and shown in FIGS. 68-73, the panel again has an outer sheet 54, a connecting sheet 56 and a large number of spacers 184 extending between them. As is probably best shown in FIGS. 68 and 71, the struts 184a in the panel part have a Z-shaped cross section, while the struts 184b in the other panel part have the opposite Z-shaped cross section. In the place 186, where the direction of the spacers changes, the panel can be bent at right angles, as can be seen in Figs. 72 and 73, so that the panel can, for example, repeat the rectangular contours of the building components on which it is installed. For example, a panel can be wrapped around a rectangular channel of the type that can be created in a home for forced air or something similar.

Referring again to FIGS. 68 and 71, when examining the right-hand side of the panel, it will be obvious that the spacers 184a have a Z-shaped cross section to form an upper horizontal branch 188 that extends to the left, a lower horizontal branch 190 that extends to the right, and a diagonal a connecting branch 192 that connects the right edge of the upper branch to the left edge of the lower branch. The Z-shaped spacers 184a are certainly formed like the previously described spacers by arranging the fold lines in the strips of the material from which the spacers are made and then folding the bands of material along the fold lines. Opposite Z-shaped struts 184b on the left side of the panel, of course, have an upper horizontal branch 194 that extends to the right, a lower horizontal branch 196 that extends to the left, and a diagonal connecting branch 198 that extends from the left edge of the upper branch to the right edge of the lower branch .

On Fig and 71-73 best shown that in the place where the direction of the spacers changes (in the presented panel close to its center), the panel can be bent at right angles. After that, the panel can be completely expanded, as shown in Figs. 72 and 73, so that the branches of the spacers will be perpendicular to each other, whereby rectangular cells are formed.

Referring to FIGS. 68 and 69, it will be apparent that the panel can be compressed in the same way as in the case of the previously described embodiments of the panel structure manufactured according to the invention.

The panel also allows stiffening of its cross section in the manner shown in FIGS. 74-79. Obviously, a section of the panel close to its end can be partially cut as indicated by 89 by cutting through the connecting sheet 56 and the spacers 52 (in the direction transverse to the length of the spacers), but without cutting the outer sheet 54. This cut forms a small strip 91 of material that can be directly compressed, as best shown in FIG. 75, to fit the stiffening clamp 93. The stiffening clamp in the disclosed embodiment is in fact a J-shaped cross A sectional view with a long side 95 separated by a short parallel side 97, a connecting side 99 connecting the corresponding edges of the long and short sides, and a flange 101 extending from the long side along the edge opposite the connecting wall 99. The clamp is mounted on a compressed a strip of material so as to keep the material in a compressed state. After that, the clamp and the compressed material can be bent up, as shown in Fig.77 and 78, to provide rigidity along the end of the panel. Of course, the strip of material, which is given rigidity, can be fixed by means of an adhesive in a predetermined place, after it is bent up, if desired, as shown in Fig.78 and 79.

A clip with the corresponding modification, which is quite obvious to qualified specialists in this field, can also be used as a mounting clip for hanging panels from ceiling support elements (not shown), for example, of the type described in patent application pending No. 08 / 752957, which was submitted on April 10, 2000, is entitled “Coating system and panel intended for use in such a system” and has a common applicant with this invention.

When considering the above description of various embodiments of the invention, it should be borne in mind that each of the spacers has unique distinguishing features that can be incorporated into other embodiments of the design. By way of example only, it can be pointed out that the upper and lower parts of the side walls of different spacers, or the upper and lower parts of the walls separating the upper and lower edge zones, can have the same or different sizes to form symmetrical or asymmetric spacers. In addition, a simple change in the angle of the side wall of the spacer leads to the fact that the compressibility of one panel will be greater than the other panel. Similarly, by providing a large gap between the spacers, the panel can be more easily bent laterally with respect to the spacers. The height of the spacers will also affect the strength of the panels (assuming that other parameters remain unchanged), while the length and width of the panel (i.e. its limits) can be significantly increased without changing the characteristics regarding strength and adhesion, by simply increasing the height of the spacers. In addition, as mentioned earlier, a large number of properties relating to aesthetics and acoustics can be achieved by layering various types of decorative sheets on the outer sheet of the panel, so that you can give a different color, shape, texture or something similar to the interior of the room in which use the panel.

Further, from the above description, it will be apparent that the material from which the outer sheet, the connecting sheet or spacers are made, can be modified to obtain different panel characteristics. For example, the materials may be modified to obtain different acoustic characteristics of the panel or to obtain different characteristics regarding light transmission. In addition, materials can slow down combustion to prevent the spread of flame in a building in which the panels are used. You can also use different materials, for example, a covering sheet or a connecting sheet is made of the same or different materials, while the spacers are also made of a material that is the same material that goes on the manufacture of a covering or connecting sheet, or another material . The spacers of one panel themselves can be made of different materials. For example, some struts may be designed to provide a hallmark of the panel regarding resilience and compressibility, while other struts may be designed to alter the acoustic, light transmitting, or fire retardant ability of the panel. In addition, in the building structure, the panels can be stacked to change their acoustic or light transmitting ability.

Although the previously described panels are mainly described as being used to replace conventional acoustic tiles that are held onto the T-shaped support elements of the grid ceiling structure, the panel can be slightly modified so that it can hang from the same T-shaped support elements. It will be appreciated that due to the possibility of the panels according to the invention hanging from the T-shaped support elements 60, the panels can be used to replace or renew an existing ceiling system with or without removal of acoustic tiles located or held on top of the T-shaped support elements 60.

The panel 200, which is modified to be able to hang from the T-shaped support elements 60 or to hold on them, is shown in Figs. 80-96, while a large number of panels shown in Fig. 80 are set so that they lie under existing acoustic panels 202 held on the support elements 60. It is obvious that each panel 200, in General, is a panel of the previously described type and, as shown in Figs. 84-86, has an outer sheet 204, a connecting sheet 206 and a large number of parallel cellular struts 208, located GOVERNMENTAL between them. As previously described, the honeycomb spacers are compressible spacers in nature, which is best shown in FIGS. 87-91, since they are formed from separate strips of material onto which fold lines are applied by embossing and which are bent so as to form elongated tubes having two zones 210 and 212 in the form of truncated triangles superimposed on each other. The spacers 208 have deposited intermediate side walls 214 with fold lines 216 that allow the side walls to either settle inward, as shown in FIGS. 89-91, or expand outward, as shown in FIGS. 87 and 88, depending on a number of conditions, including the type of binder used in the fiberglass mat material from which the spacers are made, and from treating the spacers with heat and cold, which will be described in more detail below.

A unique clip 218 is attached to each end of the panel 200 along the open ends of the honeycomb struts 208, which is best seen in Figs. 81-86. The clamps are elongated and preferably extruded elements made of rigid material, for example aluminum, plastic or the like, and usually have an inverted J-shaped configuration, which is best probably shown in Fig. 82. However, they form a vertical main flat body 220 with a lower flange 222, protruding from the lower edge of the main body. The upper, hook-down channel 224 opening downward extends from the upper edge of the main body. Along the upper edge, a second, horizontal, hook-shaped channel 226 is also formed, which protrudes from the main body in the opposite direction with respect to the flange 222. An rib protruding at an angle 228 extends downward from the upper edge of the main body under the horizontal opening channel 226.

92-95 show that the clip 218 is attached to the end of the panel 200 either by cutting out the end of the panel, as described previously, so that the outer sheet 204 protrudes in the longitudinal direction from the opposite ends of the panel, or the outer sheet can be made slightly longer and wider than the rest of the panel, so that it naturally protrudes from opposite ends and from opposite sides, as shown in FIGS. 87 and 92, forming longitudinal extensions 230 of the outer sheet and side extensions 232 of the outer sheet. An elongated, straight, stiffening strip 234, which can be made of plastic, aluminum, cardboard, or the like, is attached to the upper surface of the longitudinal extensions 230 of the outer sheet by means of an adhesive, where it protrudes from the ends of the panel and then over the longitudinal the extensions of the outer sheet and stiffeners are clamped, as shown in FIG. 94, by introducing stiffening strips and longitudinal extensions of the outer sheet into downwardly opening J-shaped channels 224 close to the main cases, while the flanging 222 hangs along the inner edge of the stiffeners. With this arrangement of clamps, the longitudinal extensions 230 of the outer sheet, the stiffeners 234, and the clamp 218 can be bent upward as shown in Fig. 95, until the connecting sheet 206 at the opposite ends of the panel extends between the horizontally opening J-shaped channels 226 and the inclined ribs 228 clamps. After that, the lower side of the horizontally opening J-shaped channels 226 by means of an adhesive or by other means can be attached to the connecting sheet 206 to hold the clamp in the position shown in Fig. 95.

An inclined rib 228 of each clamp protrudes below the connecting sheet 206 to hold the panel in a fully expanded state. Obviously, when performing the same procedure from each longitudinal end of the panel, each panel will have a clip located on it, and the horizontally opening J-shaped channels 226 are positioned so that they are attached to the flange of the T-shaped support element 60, as shown in 84 and 85.

An alternative method of attaching a J-shaped clamp to the ends of the panel is shown in FIGS. 92A-95A. In an alternative system, a slot or slot is made at the open longitudinal end of the panel, extending downward through the connecting sheet 206 and the open ends of the struts 208, as shown in Fig. 92A, to form a slight gap between the cut parts of the connecting sheet and the struts and the rest of the panel.

Thereafter, the connecting sheet and the struts are pressed down to fit snugly against the outer sheet 204, and then this compressed material is inserted into the J-shaped clamp channels 224 that open downward so that the flanging of the clamp 222 hangs over the inner edge of the compressed material, as shown in FIG. 94A . Thereafter, the clamp with the compressed material enclosed therein is folded upward, as shown in FIG. 95A, and secured in an appropriate position, preferably by means of an adhesive, to form the longitudinal end of the panel.

As shown in FIG. 83, the ends of the horizontally opening J-shaped channels 226 are spaced inward from the opposite longitudinal ends of the clamp 218 to accommodate a T-shaped support member 60 that extends perpendicularly to the T-shaped support member 60 to which the clip is attached. At the same time, the panels can be held by a conventional lattice structure of T-shaped support elements by hanging rather than holding, together with or without another group of acoustic cladding tiles held by the lattice structure. In other words, the panel 200 with the clips 218 that are attached thereto can be used in conjunction with the existing grid structure, or in conjunction with the new grid structure in exactly the same way. It is also obvious that the clamps of adjacent longitudinally aligned panels can adjoin each other (Fig. 85), while the ends of the outer sheets of the panels are only slightly spaced apart to provide a substantially continuous appearance of the ceiling, with a virtually invisible grid structure the panels hanging from. Further, due to the clamps holding the panels in their fully expanded state, the bottom or outer sheet 204 of each panel will be horizontally aligned with the outer sheet of the adjacent panel to provide an appearance of a smooth and even ceiling formed from such panels. Referring to Figs. 87-91, according to them, the lateral extensions 232 of the outer sheets can be folded up to engage with the adjacent side wall 214 of the outer strut and fastened to it by means of an appropriate adhesive to give the panel a finished look along its side edges .

Sometimes it may be desirable to bend the panel around an angle or form an angle. In the case of the panel according to the invention, such a bend or angle can be made aesthetically pleasing, as shown in Figs. 97 and 98. In Fig. 97, it can be seen that the spacer 208 including a connecting sheet 206 extending along its upper part can be cut off from the rest of the panel at the point where a crease or bend is desired in the panel, leaving the outer sheet 204 where the spacer was removed. The remaining parts of the panel can be bent in one direction or another, as shown in Fig. 98, with one remaining part of the panel being oriented perpendicular to the other part, and the outer sheet 204 will continuously extend around the bend to form a fully trimmed corner of the panel. Such a bend in the panel may be desirable, for example, in the case of a skylight, when the window rises above the ceiling level into an upwardly deepened zone, and through the subsequent process shown in FIGS. 97 and 98, the panel or panels can be bent to extend from a normal ceiling level up into the deepened area of the skylight.

As mentioned previously, the preferred material from which the struts are made includes fiberglass and a mixture of thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin. The material thus formed tends to maintain a flat shape even after embossing the folding lines and bending them as described previously to obtain the spacer configuration shown, for example, in FIGS. 89-91. In order to maintain a bent shape when the side walls 214 of each strut are bent inward, the panel 200 must be kept in a state of at least some compression for a long period of time, or the bent side walls will bend outward, trying to return to a flat shape. Of course, the spacers cannot return to a flat shape, since they are attached along the lower and upper parts to the outer sheet 204 and to the connecting sheet 206, however, the side walls will try to straighten for some time if they are not kept in compression and when this happens, they move from their inwardly bent shape, shown in Fig. 89, to the outwardly bent shape, shown in Fig. 88, in which the side walls are adjacent to the side walls of adjacent struts, due to which they are mutually hardened and attached t is the rigidity of the panel, so that it actually becomes incompressible. The panel in its substantially incompressible state is shown in FIG. In other words, to maintain the compressibility of the finished panel, the side walls must be bent inward, as shown in FIGS. 89-91.

The strips of material from which the struts 208 are made are bent in an unheated medium and the adhesive in the hot melt state is applied to the strips or to the outer sheet 204 and the connecting sheet 206 before being layered on top of each other. As mentioned previously, if the panels 200 are not held in a compressed state, which is shown in FIGS. 89-91, they will be expanded for some time to the state according to FIG. 88, in which the shape of the panel will no longer be compressible. The period of time during which the spacers go from the configuration according to FIG. 89-91 to the configuration according to FIG. 88 depends on a certain number of factors, including the resin used in the material from which the spacers are made, and whether heat affects material when the struts are in compressed form according to FIGS. 89-91. By exposing the struts to additional heat when they are compressed, the period of time for which they expand to go to the configuration of FIG. 88 is lengthened. In addition, by increasing the percentage of thermoplastic resin used to form the material from which the struts are made, the transition time of the struts from the configuration of FIG. 89 to the configuration of FIG. 88 can be increased. The time period for such a transition may vary, for example, from 15 minutes to 32 hours.

Accordingly, when the panels 200 are formed and must be transported, it is desirable to transport them in a compressed state so that a relatively large number of panels can be packaged and transported in a relatively small container, especially compared to conventional acoustic tiles having a fixed height, i.e. a height similar to the height of the fully expanded panel 200 according to the invention. However, as soon as the panels are removed from the shipping container, they immediately expand, moving from the configuration shown in FIG. 91 to the configuration shown in FIG. 89 through the configuration shown in FIG. 90. They will save the configuration according to FIG. 89 for the aforementioned period of time, after which they will proceed to the configuration shown in FIG. 88, in which the panel becomes incompressible. During this period of time, the panels can be cut to obtain the desired shape and installed in the support grid system before the panels become virtually incompressible. Moreover, they can be bent for ease of insertion into the holes formed between the support elements in the support grid system, if they are inserted before they become incompressible.

As mentioned previously, the panel formed according to the invention has the desired acoustic properties and can be changed in accordance with various parameters. When comparing one embodiment of the invention with conventional acoustic tiles, the benefits in terms of acoustics obtained in the case of a panel formed according to the invention will be apparent. On Fig presents a graph comparing the panel shown in Fig and made according to the invention, with other acoustic tiles. The X-axis shows the frequency in hertz, while the Y-axis shows the reduction coefficient. noise. The three panels, which are compared with the panel of FIG. 14 of the invention, are solid mineral acoustic tiles manufactured by Armstrong with the Cirrus trademark, two inch (5.08 cm) fiberglass tiles manufactured by Ecophon from Sweden with trademark "Focus", as well as a metal panel with perforations and a thickness of 0.7 mm with a sheet of nonwoven fabric lying on top, manufactured by Hunter Douglas from Rotterdam, Holland, with the designation Luxalon 300C.

As you can see, the acoustic panel according to Fig. 14 works better than the three panels compared with it, at low frequencies, as well as at fairly high frequencies, and is comparable to them at intermediate frequencies.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of detail, it is obvious that its contents characterize examples, therefore, without deviating from the essence of the invention, which is defined in the attached claims, changes in details or design can be made.

Claims (35)

1. Compressible building ceiling or wall panel (50, 94, 102, 108, 132, 154, 182, 200), containing at least one outer sheet (54, 54 ', 116, 136, 168, 204) of the material, having an inner surface and an outer surface; a large number of compressible spacers (52, 52 ', 105, 110, 134, 152, 170, 184, 208) attached to and protrudes from the inner surface, and the spacers contain separate sheets of semi-rigid but bendable material, and a connecting means ( 56, 56 ', 96, 130, 138, 166, 206) for fastening the spacers to each other in places remote from the outer sheet, in which each spacer is longitudinally elongated and contains side walls extending in the longitudinal direction (98, 104, 120, 122, 192, 214) and longitudinally extending fold lines (74, 106, 128, 140, 142, 156, 160, 172, 174, 216) so that when pressure is applied to the outer sheet (54, 54 ′, 116, 136, 168, 204) or to the connecting means (56, 56 ′, 96, 130, 138, 166, 206) of the spacer (52, 52 ′, 105, 110, 134, 152, 170, 174, 208) are folded to reduce the thickness of the panel (50, 94, 102, 108, 132, 154, 182, 200), with each spacer (52, 52 ', 105, 110 , 134, 152, 170, 184, 208) expanded at rest and has the elasticity to return to such a configuration after removing the compression force so that the panel (50, 94, 102, 108, 132, 154, 182, 200) accepts extended form in its normal state of rest. 2. The panel according to claim 1, in which each of the spacers is made with the possibility of bending along the fold lines during compression. 3. The panel of claim 1, wherein the fold lines are resilient. 4. The panel according to claim 2, in which the fold lines are elastic, and each of the spacers is shifted to a resting state. 5. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the spacers are made parallel to each other. 6. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the independent sheets of spacers are bent so as to form walls and longitudinally extending parts that are the base, and the parts that are the base are adapted to be attached to the outer sheet and to the connecting means , and the walls are located between the parts that are the base, and can be folded. 7. The panel according to claim 6, in which the walls are made essentially elongated and planar, while the fold lines are located between the parts that are the base, and these walls to enable the walls to bend so that, when compressed, they are essentially opposite the base parts. 8. The panel according to claim 7, in which the fold lines are also located in each of the walls so as to define a pair of parts of the walls. 9. The panel of claim 7, wherein the base parts are attached to the outer sheet. 10. The panel of claim 9, wherein the base parts are also attached to the connecting means. 11. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the independent sheets of spacers are made of fiberglass, which includes a large number of glass fibers connected to each other by a resin. 12. The panel of claim 11, wherein the resin in the independent sheets is a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, or a combination of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. 13. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the outer sheet is made of fiberglass, which includes a large number of glass fibers connected to each other by a resin. 14. The panel of claim 13, wherein the resin in the outer sheet is a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, or a combination of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. 15. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the connecting means is made of a sheet of fiberglass, which includes a large number of glass fibers connected to each other by a resin. 16. The panel of claim 15, wherein the resin in the connecting agent is a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, or a combination of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. 17. The panel according to claim 11, in which the outer sheet and the connecting means are made of fiberglass, which includes a large number of glass fibers connected to each other by a resin. 18. The panel of claim 17, wherein the resin in the outer sheet and the connecting means are a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, or a combination of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. 19. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the connecting means includes a large number of flexible, but not extensible fibers connected to the spacers. 20. The panel of claim 8, in which part of the wall are the same size. 21. The panel of claim 8, in which part of the wall have different sizes. 22. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the outer sheet and the spacers are made of the same material. 23. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the connecting means is a connecting sheet. 24. The panel of claim 23, wherein the connecting sheet and spacers are made of the same material. 25. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which each of the spacers is made tubular with essentially flat upper and lower surfaces, the lower surface attached to the outer sheet and the upper surface attached to the connecting means, the upper and the lower surfaces are connected to the side walls by fold lines for folding outward. 26. The panel of claim 25, wherein the lower surfaces of adjacent spacers are attached to the outer sheet so that they are directly adjacent to each other. 27. The panel of claim 26, wherein the upper surfaces of adjacent spacers are attached to the connecting means so that they are spaced apart. 28. The panel of claim 27, wherein the side walls of each spacer comprise a pair of side walls, each of which has a fold line for folding inward. 29. The panel of claim 28, wherein each side wall has an upper portion above its fold line for folding inwards and a lower portion below its fold line for folding inwards. 30. The panel of claim 25, wherein the struts are parallel to each other. 31. The panel according to claim 6, in which the spacers are parallel to each other. 32. The panel according to claim 7, in which the spacers are parallel to each other. 33. The panel of claim 8, in which the spacers are parallel to each other. 34. The panel according to claim 9, in which the spacers are parallel to each other. 35. The panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which further includes a decorative sheet attached to the outer surface of the outer sheet.

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