SE542707C2

SE542707C2 - Table top plate

Info

Publication number: SE542707C2
Application number: SE1850125A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Erik Graesén; Stefan Fogelberg
Original assignee: Abstracta Ab
Priority date: 2018-02-05
Filing date: 2018-02-05
Publication date: 2020-06-30
Also published as: SE1850125A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a table top plate (1) comprising a supporting layer (3), a surface layer (5) and a sound absorbing layer (7) containing a cork material and arranged between the supporting layer (3) and the surface layer (5). The supporting layer (5) has a plurality of sound absorbing recesses(11).

Description

TABLE TOP PLATE Technical field The present invention relates to a table top plate comprising a supporting layer, a surface layer and a sound absorbing layer containing a cork material and arranged between the supporting layer and the surface layer.

Technical background Table top plates of the above mentioned type may be used e.g. in conference tables. The supporting layer mainly serves to provide the table top plate with enough strength to withstand loads that the table top plate may be subjected to. The surface layer, which is arranged on top of the sound absorbing layer, mainly serves to provide the table top plate with impact and abrasion resistance and to form an attractive finish of the table top plate. Typically, the supporting layer includes a wood fibre board and the surface layer often includes a wood veneer.

Such table top plates have the drawback that disturbing sounds may be generated in response to mechanical impacts, e.g. when cups, plates, cuttlery, bottles etc. are placed on the table top plate, which may result in a noisy environment. Particularly, in conference rooms and dinner rooms, where a large number of tables are often present, impact sounds may contribute substantially to a noisy environment.

EP 2210 736 A1 discloses a table top plate that comprises a sound absorbing layer containing a cork material, which may absorb impact sounds to some extent.

However, it is desired to further improve the sound absorbing charecteristics of a table top plate.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above described drawbacks, and to provide an improved sound absorbing table top plate.

This and other objects that will be apparent from the following summary and description are achieved by a table top plate according to the appended claims.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a table top plate comprising a supporting layer, a surface layer and a sound absorbing layer containing a cork material and arranged between the supporting layer and the surface layer, wherein the supporting layer has a plurality of sound absorbing recesses.

Thanks to the combination of cork material in the sound absorbing layer and sound absorbing recesses in the supporting layer a table top plate with very good sound absorbing characteristics is achieved. In case of mechanical impact to the table top plate the cork material in the sound absorbing layer and the sound absorbing recesses together absorb sound in a very efficient manner and, hence, disturbing sounds can be avoided.

Hence, a table top plate of this type may contribute to less noisy environments in e.g. conference rooms, dining rooms and kitchens or in other places where the table top may be used. A further advantage of the table top plate is that it may be formed from materials that can be recycled by means of incineration without being harmful to the environment. Also, the table top plate, or at least a major part thereof, may be formed from renewable materials.

The surface layer, which forms the top surface of the table top plate, mainly serves to provide the table top plate with impact and abrasion resistance and to form an attractive finish of the table top plate.

The sound absorbing layer is preferably bonded to the supporting layer as well as to the surface layer by means of an adhesive, e.g. glue, in order to further improve the sound absorbing effect and to provide a stable table top plate. Preferably, a glue that is not water based, such as a contact adhesive that is not suluble in water, is used in order to provide particularly good adhesion of the sound absorbing layer to the surface layer and the supporting layer and to provide for a cost-efficient production of table top plates.

The sound absorbing recesses may also be referred to as sound absorbing cavities or sound absorbing holes.

According to one embodiment the sound absorbing recesses are elongated, which facilitates the production of the supporting layer.

Furthermore, a desired distribution and/or level of coverage of the sound absorbing recesses over the surface of the supporting layer may be achieved in an efficient manner.

According to one embodiment the table top plate further comprises a cover layer arranged to cover said sound absorbing recesses. This embodiment has the advantage that the sound absorbing recesses are not visible, which provides for a more attractive appearance. The cover layer may thus form a bottom surface of the table top plate.

According to one embodiment the cover layer contains a cork material, which may further improve the sound absorbing charectistics of the table top plate.

According to one embodiment the cover layer is a bottom surface layer.

According to one embodiment the sound absorbing recesses are blind holes and preferably elongated blind holes. Preferably, said blind holes are drilled blind holes or milled blind holes, which facilitates the production of the table top plate.

According to one embodiment said sound absorbing recesses are arranged in at least one column.

According to one embodiment said sound absorbing recesses are arranged in a grid pattern comprising a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, which facilitates the production of the table top plate.

According to one embodiment the length of said elongated sound absorbing recesses is at least 5 times the width thereof and preferably at least 10 times the width thereof.

According to one embodiment said sound absorbing layer and/or said cover layer are/is formed from a natural cork material. Then, the sound absorbing layer and/or the cover layer are/is formed from a renewable material. The sound absorbing layer and/or the cover layer are/is preferably formed from a natural cork material having a thickness of at least 2 mm, more preferably a thickness of 2-10 mm and most preferably a thickness of 3-7 mm. Preferably, the sound absorbing layer and/or the cover layer are/is formed from a natural cork material having a density of 150-600 kg/m<3>.

According to one embodiment the supporting layer is formed by a plywood board or a medium density fibre board.

According to one embodiment the surface layer is formed by a material chosen from the group consisting of high pressure laminates, wood veneers and linoleum materials. Preferably, the surface layer has a thickness of at least 0,5 mm and more preferably a thickness of 0,5-4 mm.

According to one embodiment the sound absorbing recesses are formed as grooves having a groove bottom and a groove wall. Preferably said grooves are milled grooves, which provides for a simple and cost efficient production of the table top plate.

The sound absorbing recesses may be evenly distributed over the lower surface of the supporting layer.

The supporting layer may for instance comprise a wood board material or a laminate comprising several sub-layers, such as wood boards.

Preferably, the supporting layer comprises a wood board material, such as a fibre board, a particle board, a block board, a sheet of plywood or a massive wood board. The supporting layer preferably has a thickness of 15-40 mm and more preferably a thickness of 18-30 mm.

The supporting layer may thus comprise a plywood board or a wood fibre board, such as a medium density fibre board (often called MDF), which provides for a stable table top plate from a wood material. A table top plate comprising such a board further has the advantage that it may be mounted on, e.g., a frame structure or separate table legs in an easy and stable manner since such a board is capable of receiving fasteners, e.g. screws, in a proper manner. Even though the supporting layer and/or the surface layer thus may include compact material(s), disturbing sounds can be avoided due to the layer of cork material disposed between the supporting layer and the surface layer in combination with the sound absorbing recesses formed in the supporting layer.

Further advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will now be described in more detail with the reference to the accompanying schematic drawings which shows embodiments of the invention and in which: Fig. 1 shows, in an exploded view, parts of a table top plate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates different layers of the table top plate shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the table top plate illustrated in Fig. 1.

Technical description Fig. 1 illustrates different parts of a table. The table comprises a table top frame with four legs and a table top plate 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The table top plate 1 is shown in an exploded manner to more clearly illustrate different layers thereof. The table top plate 1 comprises a supporting layer 3, a surface layer 5, a sound absorbing layer 7, which is arranged between the supporting layer 3 and the surface layer 5, and a cover layer 9 arranged below the supporting layer 3. The supporting layer 3 is thus arranged between the sound absorbing layer 7 and the cover layer 9.

The supporting layer 3 has a plurality of elongated sound absorbing recesses 11. The sound absorbing recesses 11 are arranged in columns, each of which extends perpendicular to the long side of the table top plate 1. The longitudinal direction of the elongated recesses 11 thus extends parallel to the long side of the table top plate 1. In this embodiment there are six such columns with sound absorbing recesses 11. The sound absorbing recesses 11 are distributed evenly over the lower surface of the supporting layer 3, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2, which shows the table top plate 1 from below in an assembled state, and Fig. 3, which shows the assembled table top plate 1 in a sectional view, serve to illustrate the different layers of the layered table top plate 1 and the sound absorbing recesses 11 formed in the supporting layer 3.

At the very bottom of the table plate 1 there is the cover layer 9 which is arranged to cover the sound absorbing recesses 11 of the supporting layer 3. The cover layer 9 thus forms a bottom surface layer of the table top plate 1. Above the cover layer 9, the supporting layer 3, which is provided with a plurality of sound absorbing recesses 11, is arranged. Above the supporting layer 3 the sound absorbing layer 7, which contains a cork material, is arranged. Finally, above the sound absorbing layer 7 the surface layer 5 is arranged. The surface layer 5 is thus arranged at the very top of the table top plate 1 and thus forms a top surface layer thereof.

In this embodiment, the supporting layer 3 is formed from a 25 mm thick plywood board. The elongated sound absorbing recesses 11 are formed as grooves in the supporting layer 3, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. Each elongated sound absorbing recess 11, also referred to as sound absorbing groove, thus has a bottom, in the form of a groove bottom 13, and a side wall in the form a groove side wall 15. The grooves 11 may e.g. be produced by milling.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface layer 5 is formed from a 1 mm thick high pressure laminate.

The sound absorbing layer 7, as well as the cover layer 9, is in this embodiment formed from a 5 mm thick sheet of a natural cork material. A natural cork material having a density of 200 kg/m<3 >mat e.g. be used. The sound absorbing layer 7 is bonded to the surface layer 5 as well as to the supporting layer 3 with an adhesive. The sound absorbing layer 7 and/or the cover layer may be formed from a sheet formed from pieces of natural cork that have been compacted and bonded together by means of a suitable adhesive. Alternatively, the sound absorbing layer 7 and/or the cover layer 9 may be formed e.g. from a 5 mm thick sheet of natural cork material.

Preferably, the sound absorbing layer 7 and/or the cover layer have/has a thickness of 2-10 mm and more preferably a thickness of 3-7 mm.

Table top plates according to embodiments of the present invention may be used to form a work surface in a variety of applications, e.g. in conference tables, dinner tables, bench and/or work surfaces in kitchens etc. It is realised that various requirements as regards the use of the table top, e.g. required load carrying capacity, mounting capabilities, environmental conditions, thus need to be considered in the design of a table top plate.

The supporting layer 3 serves to provide the table top plate 1 with sufficient strength and/or durability. That is, e.g. load carrying capacity need to be considered when choosing the material(s) forming the supporting layer and the configuration thereof. For instance, a table top plate for mounting on a column support may need a higher resistance to bending loads compared to a table top plate for mounting on a frame structure having several attachment points distributed over a large area. In the case the table top plate is mounted on a stand or a column support the table top plate thus per se need to be able to carry more load.

The supporting layer 3, the surface layer 5, the sound absorbing layer 7 as well as the cover layer 9 may be formed in many alternative ways. Thus, a large number of embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that the described embodiments of the invention can be modified and varied by a person skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept defined in the claims.

Claims

1. Table top plate (1) comprising a supporting layer (3), a surface layer (5) and a sound absorbing layer (7) containing a cork material and arranged between the supporting layer (3) and the surface layer (5), characterised in that the supporting layer (3) has a plurality of sound absorbing recesses (11).

2. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sound absorbing recesses (11) are elongated.

3. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a cover layer (9) arranged to cover said sound absorbing recesses (11).

4. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cover layer (9) contains a cork material.

5. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sound absorbing recesses (11) are blind holes and preferably elongated blind holes.

6. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sound absorbing recesses (11) are arranged in at least one column.

7. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sound absorbing recesses (11) are arranged in a grid pattern comprising columns and rows.

8. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the length of said elongated recesses (11) is at least 5 times the width thereof.

9. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sound absorbing layer (7) and/or said cover layer (9) are/is formed from a natural cork material.

10. Table top plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting layer (3) is formed by a plywood board or a medium density fibre board.

11. Table comprising a table top plate (1) according to any one of the claims 1-10.