CN1246553C - compressible structural panels - Google Patents

Abstract

A structural panel (50) for use in a building structure or for the construction, finishing or decoration of a building structure comprises an outer layer (54) and a connecting layer (56) with a plurality of collapsible or compressible spacers (52) between the two layers. The panel is normally expanded and has a desired end use thickness, but may also be compressed into a thinner thickness and shape for ease of transport. The plate member is very light in weight but strong in construction and can be selectively bent in one lateral direction if desired. The plate member is easily cut into a predetermined size or shape.

Description

compressible structural panels

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims priority to US Provisional Application No. 60/199208, filed April 24, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

technical field

The present invention relates to a structural panel that can be used as a ceiling or wall panel, comprising an outer layer and a connecting layer, etc., wherein the outer layer has a plurality of spaced spacers protruding from one surface of the outer layer, The tie layer is parallel to the outer layer, is spaced from the outer layer, and joins the above-mentioned spacers together along their side facing away from the outer layer. The spacer is compressible, at least for a period of time, when it is subjected to pressure when it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the panels, for example during transport.

Background technique

Structural panels used to finish or decorate building structures come in a variety of forms: from dry-finish interior walls to decorative or acoustic ceilings. It is clear: despite their different characteristics, these panels have a number of disadvantages, eg from the point of view of weight, transport, lack of aesthetic/acoustic variety, etc.

Some of these panels are used, for example, in suspended ceiling systems in which a grid of inverted T-shaped supports forms rectangular openings in which panels such as acoustic panels are placed. Such sound-absorbing panels are usually rigid in themselves and have a certain degree of brittleness. Therefore, they are difficult to be inserted into and removed from the above-mentioned support grids, and in many cases the panels are prone to being damaged in the process. In addition, such ceiling panels are relatively heavy and have a fixed thickness, so that their transport dimensions are the same as their installation dimensions. Due to their heavy weight and bulk, the shipping cost per square foot of such panels is relatively high during shipping.

Dry faced interior walls are also relatively heavy and thus difficult to handle, and their shipping dimensions are exactly the same as their installation dimensions. Therefore, for dry facing interior walls, transportation costs are also relatively high.

From the foregoing it can be seen that panels for building, finishing and decorating building structures suffer from a number of disadvantages. Therefore, there is a need for a panel that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.

Contents of the invention

Those skilled in the art will clearly appreciate after reading this disclosure that the structural panel of the present invention can be used in a variety of applications. Basically, however, the structural panel usually consists of an outer layer of semi-rigid material from which a plurality of spacers protrude from one surface. A connector or similar mechanism in the form of a laminate is secured to the distal end of the spacer. The connection can be in the form of: another layer of material, connecting fiber strips, etc.

The spacer is collapsible in nature and can assume a variety of forms. In certain embodiments described herein, the spacers are elongated cells having collapsible sides such that when lateral or longitudinal pressure is applied to the cells in a predetermined direction, the cells will collapse into a very thin space. The spacer may be formed by folding a strip of semi-rigid material so that when the spacer is compressed laterally, the longitudinal sides or partitions will fold inwards or inwards. The structure of the spacer is designed such that it assumes an expanded or extended state of a predetermined configuration under normal conditions and is elastic so as to return to such an original configuration after being compressed. The aforementioned spacers are secured to the outer layer or connector so as to remain in place relative to the two components.

It will be appreciated that for a panel thus formed which assumes an expanded form in its unstressed normal state, by applying pressure to the outer layers or connections, the spacers can be collapsed so that the entire panel assumes a very thin thickness or profile. Such a design is of course very advantageous for transportation, because a greater number of panels can be loaded in the container than those of the prior art which have a constant thickness during transportation and use . The board of the present invention is mainly filled with air, so the weight is very light.

In addition, as will be seen in more detail below, these panels can be bent in at least one direction to facilitate installation in structures such as suspended ceilings, but are also resilient so that they can return to their normal time. In addition, these boards are non-brittle and not easily damaged. In addition, they can be cut to any predetermined size and/or configuration very simply.

The decorative layer can also be covered on the outer layer of the panel, the connecting layer and other components, so that the panel has the desired aesthetic effect. For example, when used, a layer of plywood, vinyl, patterned or textured paper, colored paper, thin metal, polyester, other synthetic materials, fibers, non-wovens, etc. can be covered so that the board has Any desired appearance. In addition, the panels may be lined inside or outside with metal foil to alter the properties of the panels.

Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be more fully understood with reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of a panel according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial upward axonometric view, which shows a kind of suspended ceiling in the building structure, and the panel shown in Fig. 1 is housed in the suspended ceiling;

Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a front view showing the strip of material used to manufacture the spacer in the panels of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a front view showing the strip of material shown in Figure 4, where the strip has been indented to form a pre-fold line;

The front view in Figure 6 shows the form of the strip of material shown in Figure 4 after it has been indented as shown in Figure 5;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the strip of material shown in Fig. 6 after being folded along the formed pre-folding line;

Fig. 8 is a front view of the spacer shown in Fig. 7 after being flattened;

Figure 8A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the circled area in Figure 8;

Fig. 9 is a front view similar to Fig. 8. In the figure, an adhesive layer is provided above and below the spacer, and the adhesive layer is indicated by a dotted line;

Figure 10 is a front view similar to Figure 9, in which the outer layer and the tie layer are arranged above and below the adhesive layer;

Figure 11 is a front view showing the thermal compression of the composition shown in Figure 10 between two heating elements;

Figure 12 is a partial end view showing a panel formed in accordance with the present invention and having a layer of decorative material adhesively secured to the outer layer of the panel;

Fig. 13 is a partial front view of the panel shown in Fig. 12 when it is compressed between heating and compressing elements;

Fig. 14 is an end view of the panel shown in Fig. 12, in which the spacer of the panel has asymmetric partition walls, and the panel is in a fully expanded state;

Figure 15 is an end view similar to Figure 14 with the panel partially compressed;

Fig. 16 is an end view similar to Fig. 15 with slight further compression of the plate;

Figure 17 is an end view similar to Figure 16, with the panel fully collapsed;

Figure 18 is an isometric view of the panel shown in Figure 14 .

Figure 19 is an enlarged isometric view showing a portion of the panel shown in Figure 18;

Fig. 20 is an axonometric view showing the state of the plate shown in Fig. 18 after being completely flattened;

Figure 21 is an enlarged axonometric view of part of the panels shown in Figure 20;

Fig. 22 is an axonometric view of several plates stacked together and simultaneously in a compressed state;

Figure 23 is an isometric view of the plurality of panels shown in Figure 22 in an expanded state;

Figure 24 is an enlarged fragmentary end view showing the panel shown in Figure 14 with end supports for restraining its bending;

Figure 25 is a partial sectional view taken along line 25-25 in Figure 22;

Figure 26 is a partial isometric view, with parts removed, to show an end support mounted on one end of the panel, and a second end support mounted on the opposite end of the panel;

Figure 27 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view through a portion of the panel showing an alternative embodiment of the spacer described above, wherein the inner layer of the spacer is lined with a layer of metal foil;

Figure 28 is a vertical sectional view through a panel similar to Figure 27, showing another alternative embodiment of the spacer described above, wherein metal foil is applied to the outer surface of the spacer;

Figure 29 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the panel shown in Figure 14, wherein the top surface of the panel is compressed;

Figure 30 is a sectional view along line 30-30 in Figure 29;

Figure 31 is an end view of the panel shown in Figure 14, with the panel being bent upward;

Figure 32 is an end view of a panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the spacers are symmetrical rather than asymmetrical as shown in Figure 31;

Figure 33 is an axonometric view showing a panel of the present invention in which the connecting structures are elongated straps or fibers secured to the side of the spacer away from the outer layer;

Figure 34 is an isometric view showing a portion of the panel shown in Figure 33;

Figure 35 is an isometric view of the panel shown in Figure 33, wherein the panel is bent or flexed so as to be concave upward;

Figure 36 is an end view of a panel constructed in accordance with the present invention, corresponding to the panel shown in Figure 32;

Figure 37 is an end view of the panel shown in Figure 36, wherein the panel is partially compressed;

Figure 38 is an end view of the panel shown in Figure 37, wherein the panel is fully crushed;

Figure 39 is an axonometric view of the panel shown in Figure 38 when it is in a fully flattened state;

Figure 40 is an axonometric view of the panel shown in Figure 36 in a fully expanded state;

Figure 41 is an axonometric view of multiple layers of panels of the type shown in Figure 36 being compressed and stacked together;

Figure 42 is a partial axonometric view of multiple layers of panels of the type shown in Figure 36 stacked together in a fully expanded state;

Figure 43 is a schematic end view of a panel with asymmetric spacers showing the dimensional characteristics of the panel;

Figure 44 is a schematic end view of a panel with symmetrical spacers showing the dimensional characteristics of the panel;

Figure 45 is an enlarged end view of a portion of the panel of Figure 43 showing other dimensional features;

Figure 46 is an enlarged end view of a portion of the panel of Figure 44 showing other dimensional features;

Figure 47 is an enlarged end view similar to Figure 45, showing a plate compressed with a force F;

Figure 48 is an enlarged end view similar to Figure 46, showing a plate compressed with a force F;

Figure 49 is an axonometric view of another embodiment of a spacer for a panel of the present invention;

Figure 50 is an end view of the spacer shown in Figure 49;

Figure 51 is an end view of a panel comprising several of the spacers shown in Figure 49 in expanded form;

Figure 52 is a reduced end view of the panel shown in Figure 51 in a compressed form;

Figure 53 is an axonometric view of yet another embodiment of a spacer for a panel of the present invention;

Figure 54 is an end view of the spacer shown in Figure 53;

Figure 55 is an end view of a plate in expanded form constructed in accordance with the present invention using the spacer shown in Figure 53;

Figure 56 is a reduced end view of the panel shown in Figure 55 in a compressed form;

Figure 57 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a spacer for a panel of the present invention;

Figure 58 is an end view of the spacer shown in Figure 57;

Figure 59 is an end view of a panel employing the spacer shown in Figure 57, in the expanded form;

Figure 60 is a reduced end view of the panel shown in Figure 59 in a compressed form;

Figure 61 is an isometric view of yet another embodiment of a spacer for a panel of the present invention;

Figure 62 is an end view of the spacer shown in Figure 61;

Figure 63 is an end view of a panel employing the spacer shown in Figure 61, in the expanded form;

Figure 64 is a reduced end view of the panel shown in Figure 63 in a compressed form;

Figure 65 is an exploded isometric view of a structural panel similar to that shown in Figure 1, in which the strength is increased by providing additional spacers at both ends of the panel extending perpendicularly to the main spacers;

Figure 66 is a side view of the panel shown in Figure 65;

Figure 67 is an end view of the panel shown in Figure 65;

Figure 68 is an end view of another embodiment of the present invention in which the plate can be bent at right angles;

Figure 69 is an isometric view of a panel constructed as in Figure 68, wherein the panel is in a completely flattened state;

Figure 70 is a side view of the panel shown in Figure 69;

Fig. 71 is an end view similar to Fig. 68, wherein the plate is slightly expanded than that shown in Fig. 68;

Figure 72 is an isometric view of the panel shown in Figure 68 bent at a right angle, with the panel fully expanded;

Figure 73 is an end view of the panel shown in Figure 72;

Figure 74 is a partial isometric view of a panel with a section of the panel partially cut away;

Fig. 75 is a partial isometric view similar to Fig. 74, wherein the partly cut-away panel is compressed so as to fit into a longitudinally elongated clip;

Figure 76 is a fragmentary isometric view similar to Figures 74 and 75, showing the above-mentioned clip installed on the compression section of the panel;

Figure 77 is a partial axonometric view similar to Figure 76, in which the above-mentioned clips installed on the compression section of the panel are folded upward;

Fig. 78 is a partial isometric view similar to Fig. 77, wherein the above-mentioned clip, already installed on the compressed section of the panel, is folded upward 90° to abut the newly formed end of the panel;

Figure 79 is a partially enlarged sectional view made along line 79-79 in Figure 78;

The enlarged axonometric view in Figure 80 shows an alternative arrangement of the ceiling system in which the individual panels are hung from a support grid rather than being supported by the support grid;

Figure 81 is an isometric view of a panel used in the suspended ceiling system shown in Figure 80;

Figure 82 is a fragmentary isometric view of one end of the clip member used on the panel shown in Figure 81;

Figure 83 is a partial isometric view of the clip shown in Figure 82 mounted on the longitudinal end of the panel shown in Figure 81;

Figure 84 is a partially enlarged longitudinal section view made along line 84-84 in Figure 80;

Figure 85 is a partially enlarged sectional view made along line 85-85 in Figure 80;

Figure 86 is a partial vertical section similar to Figure 85, with a conventional sound-absorbing brick removed from its support;

Figure 87 is a partial vertical sectional view of the panel shown in Figure 81, showing the outer layer extending from a longitudinal side edge of the panel;

Figure 88 is a partial vertical section view similar to Figure 87, with the extended outer layer being folded up and adhesively secured to a longitudinal end of the panel shown in Figure 81;

Figure 89 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Figure 88 with the plate slightly compressed;

Figure 90 is a view similar to Figure 89 having a vertical section with the plate further compressed;

Figure 91 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Figure 90, with the panel substantially completely flattened;

Figure 92 is a partial longitudinal vertical sectional view showing the outer layer extending longitudinally from one end of the panel shown in Figure 81;

Figure 93 is a partial longitudinal vertical sectional view similar to Figure 92, in which a reinforcement bar is provided on the above-mentioned outer layer extension;

Figure 94 is a partial longitudinal vertical section similar to Figure 93, with a clip fixed to the outer extension;

Fig. 95 is a partial longitudinal vertical section similar to Fig. 94, wherein the clip is folded up to be attached to the longitudinal end of the panel;

Figures 92A-95A are the same as Figures 92-95, respectively, showing an alternative system for attaching clips to the end of a panel, wherein the compression panel end is used instead of the system shown in Figures 92-95. the reinforcing bars used;

Fig. 96 is a partially enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken along line 96-96 in Fig. 81;

Fig. 97 is a transverse cross-sectional view after part of the structure is removed, and a spacer is removed in the figure to facilitate the folding of the panel;

Figure 98 is a transverse cross-sectional view similar to Figure 97 with part of the structure removed, showing the panels being folded around a space formed by removing spacers as shown in Figure 97; and

The graph in Figure 99 shows the results of comparing the sound absorption characteristics of panels according to the present invention with other panels.

Detailed ways

The compressible structural panel 50 of the present invention, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 12, comprises a plurality of collapsible spacers or braces 52, preferably parallel, in an outer layer 54 (not shown in FIG. 1 ) and a tie layer 56 . As shown in Figures 1 and 12, a decorative layer 58 may be laminated to the outer layer 54 in a face-to-face fashion. As will be explained in detail below, the panel is compressible from a normally expanded state as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12 to a fully collapsed or flattened state as shown in FIG. 17 . As will be described in more detail below, the panel can also be made to bend in a transverse direction, but it can also be stiffened against bending in any direction. In addition, the volume of the panel is mainly air and, therefore, is very light and easy to handle.

Panels have many possible applications in building construction, for example, it can be used as wall panels, fixed ceilings, and ceiling panels, among others. Additionally, as will be appreciated from the description below, the panels can be made in a variety of sizes, some of which are much larger than conventional panels used in building construction. For ease of description here, the panels shown are of normal size and are used in the suspended ceiling shown in FIG. 2 .

In a typical suspended ceiling system, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a grid of elongated inverted T-shaped supports 60 is usually supported by the roof, thereby forming rectangular openings 62 and surrounding these openings. The supporting peripheral edges 64 of the ceiling tiles or panels 50 are located in these openings. Ordinary ceiling tiles are incapable of bending or flexing, making it difficult to insert into the rectangular opening 62, and because they are fragile, they are often damaged or broken when inserted. As can be appreciated from the description below: the panels of the present invention are inherently bendable for easy insertion into rectangular openings in a ceiling system and, once in place, assume the desired flat orientation orientation.

It can be clearly seen from FIG. 12 that the spacer 52 is made from a single strip of material ( FIG. 4 ) that is preformed with creases and folded into the desired configuration so that when installed in the panel 50 , are laterally collapsible, allowing the panels to be compressed if required. The top of the spacer is fixed to the connecting layer 56 and the bottom is fixed to the outer layer 54, wherein the fixed connection is preferably carried out by adhesive 68, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that: Other forms of systems for connecting members may be used. In turn, the outer layer is glued or secured in face-to-face relationship to the finish layer 58, which is the layer exposed to the interior of the building structure to which the panel is installed. A "layer" as used herein is defined as a piece of material or pieces of material that are locked, joined, welded or joined together to form a broad surface. The decorative layer can be any material such as raw wood or composite board, vinyl, patterned or threaded paper, film, mylar, other synthetic materials, fibers, nonwovens, and the like. Of course, the material is usually selected according to the decorative effect of the room in which the ceiling is installed, but it can also be selected according to its sound-absorbing properties.

In the disclosed embodiment, outer layer 54, tie layer 56, and spacer 52 may be made of the same material, but this is not required. The material may be a glass fiber layer in which glass fibers are randomly oriented dispersed in a resin. As will be explained in more detail below, the resin may be a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin, depending on the desired characteristics of the panel. The adhesive 68 used to join the various components in the panel is typically a thermosetting adhesive which, when reached a predetermined temperature, joins adjacent components. However, suitable adhesives shown may include polyurethane resins, hot melt copolyesters, hot melt polyurethane reactive resins, two-part epoxy resins, two-part polyurethane resins, and RTV Silica gel.

As is clear from the cross-sectional view in Figure 12: a plurality of spacers 52 may be formed from a continuous strip of material, but in the embodiments disclosed here, each individual spacer is an elongated cell or tubular structure. Each spacer is formed from a strip 66 of fiberglass or the like in the manner shown in FIGS. 4 to 11 .

Figure 4 is a front view showing a flat strip which has not yet passed through a creasing machine. In the creasing machine, as shown in Figure 5, the material is passed between a rotating creasing wheel 70 and a support wheel 72, thereby forming longitudinally extending indentations 74 in the material at predetermined transverse intervals. In a preferred system, the crimping wheel has a curved crimping lip of approximately 0.794 mm (1/32 inch) diameter, and the backing wheel has a 90 durometer reading. With this arrangement, effective crease lines can be made without cutting through the material, or at least without damaging many of the glass fibers, if any, so that the elastic force of the material can be maintained. As can be appreciated, starting from the left side of the strip of material shown in Figure 5, one indentation 74a on the top surface is near the left edge and the other indentation 74b is slightly to the left of center on the top surface. Between these two locations, an indentation 74c is placed on the bottom surface of the strip. Corresponding indentations also exist on the right side of the strip so that, as shown in Figure 6, when the strip reaches the outlet, the crimping machine makes six indentations on it. The strip of material 66 is then flexed upwardly along the indentation as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 8A, causing the side edges 76 of the strip to come together at the center of the top of the spacer 52. Preferably, the broken diameter of the fibers in the material is smaller than the combined thickness of the folded material so that little, if any, damage is caused to the fibers during folding. So manufactured, the spacer forms an elongated tube or cell comprising two oppositely inverted truncated triangles 78 and 80 . The base of the lower triangle 78 is wider than the upper triangle 80 . The spacer is semi-rigid with fiberglass so that it can flex or fold along the indentations 74, but between the folds the structure remains substantially planar. Applying pressure in the vertical direction to a cell constructed as in FIG. 7 causes the elements of the cell to collapse so that the spacer assumes the compressed state shown in FIG. 8 . In this compressed state, the adhesive 68 can be applied entirely on the top and bottom of the spacer in a variety of different ways, the adhesive is preferably a thermosetting or thermoplastic adhesive, these adhesives are known in the art. known to the skilled person.

As shown in Figure 10, then the spacer 52 that the top surface and the bottom surface are coated with adhesive 68 penetrates between the outer layer 54 and the connecting layer 56, and as shown in Figure 11, after the press plate after heating 82, the press plate 82 activates the adhesive 68 in the case of a thermoplastic adhesive, or acts as a catalyst in the case of a thermosetting adhesive. In the case of a thermosetting adhesive, a subsequent heating process can be used to increase the rate at which the thermosetting adhesive hardens.

If a thermosetting resin is used to join the glass fibers in the strips, outer plies and tie plies, the panels will naturally expand to their pre-formed state shown in Figure 12 after being compressed and joined together. If the resin connecting the glass fibers is a thermoplastic resin, it will remain compressed but will only need to be reheated, upon which the strip will expand spontaneously, for example by heating with a hot air dryer. In any event, the panels expand either spontaneously or selectively to a desired height or thickness.

While the modification of the materials used for the spacer 52, the outer layer 54 and the connecting layer 57 will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and in fact they may also be made of different materials, for the convenience of description in this text, the following materials are found Suitable for the manufacture of outer layers, tie layers and spacers:

Glass mat with thermoplastic resin (Type JM, 8802-100GSM) or glass mat with thermosetting resin (Type JM, MF5020GSM), Johns-Manville, Denver, CO; or Ahstrom, Kahula, Finland Fiberglass fabric with thermosetting resin (Ahstrom type, 5150GSM).

There are also other materials which are suitable, for example, for the production of the outer layer or the connecting layer, but not for the production of the spacer; and vice versa, which are suitable for example for the production of the spacer but not for the production of the outer layer or the connecting layer. For example, the outer or tie layer can be one of many different types of material strips, such as paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, polyester, other synthetic materials, and the like. These materials need not even have structural stability, such as that provided by the spacers to the panels. On the other hand, in order to achieve a very important characteristic, the spacers, which are preferably made of glass fibers, can also be made of carbon fiber mats, certain papers, cardboards, fabrics, films or combinations of these materials, the important characteristics of which are Refers to materials similar to the specific materials specified above having some predetermined modulus of elasticity which allows them to be folded and yet remain elastic. For fiberglass materials, if the material is crimped to form the aforementioned fold lines, it is important that the material retains its modulus of elasticity after it has been crimped, which of course is achievable in the case of fiberglass or carbon fiber materials.

The decorative layer 58 shown in FIG. 13 may also be placed between the outer layer 54 and the platen 82, with the decorative layer attached to the outer layer in a face-to-face manner with a suitable adhesive therebetween. The result, of course, is the panel shown in FIG. 12 . When attaching the decorative layer to the outer layer, in addition to the above-mentioned options, it is also possible to use a porous decorative layer, which is attached to the cover layer with a grid-shaped or printed dot-patterned adhesive superior. This makes the laminate more permeable, or sound-transmitting. Conversely, if a continuous layer of adhesive is used to join the trim and cover, the transmission of sound through the laminate is reduced. Through this lamination process, a relatively weak decorative layer is leveled to form a flat and stable surface with impact and puncture resistance instead of the cover layer. Advantageously, the sound-absorbing properties of the panels can be varied by varying the material of the outer layers, the material of the strips, the adhesives, the connecting layers, the distance between the layers, the way they are assembled together, etc.

Other materials may also be covered or laminated on the tie layer 56 . For example, a film may be applied to the tie layer or an additional layer of non-fiberglass material may be laminated thereon. In this way, the panels can be handled without gloves since bare skin will not be scratched by the abrasive fiberglass. In addition, the film or laminate used for the joining layer 56 may be printed with the manufacturer's logo or with a measuring grid to facilitate cutting the board to the desired size. Furthermore, as described above for the outer layer 54, a porous laminate or film may also be overlaid on the tie layer for sound absorption purposes.

As already mentioned, many materials can be used in the present invention, but in a preferred mode, the tie layer and the spacer are made of the same material, which is fiberglass mat manufactured by Johns-Manville Company, The felt may be a Johns-Manville company felt (No. 5802 or No. 5803). Mat 5802 has a specific gravity of 120 g/m ² and consists of 12% PET, 65% 16 micron glass fibers, 25% MF. Mat 5803 is a mat comprising 12% PET, 68% 16 micron glass fibers, 20% MF, with a specific gravity of 100 g/ ^m2 . MF is the abbreviation of melamine formaldehyde resin, which has the characteristics of thermosetting resin. PET is an abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate. Spacers made of either material 5802 or material 5803 have the ability to expand with little or no additional heat after being crimped or folded as described above and fully flattened . A more detailed description of Johns-Manville Company and related products may be found in US Patent Nos. 5,840,413, 5,942,288 and 5,972,434, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The preferred outer layer is an aesthetically pleasing composite layer of textile material laminated to a fiberglass nonwoven backing with a hot melt copolyester adhesive. Three different laminates are equally desirable. The first laminate uses a substrate that is itself a thermally bonded polyester nonwoven with a basis weight in the range of 45-75 g/ ^m2 and is available from Hollingsworth and Vose, Floyd, WV. The company bought it. The adhesive pattern used to thermally bond the polyester fibers to the nonwoven substrate became a visible pattern on the bottom surface of the outer layer. A preferred polyester nonwoven material is a material from Hollingsworth and Vose (Part No. TR2315A-B) when using a small dot adhesive pattern of about 7% bond area. A preferred polyester nonwoven material is a material from Hollingsworth and Vose Company (Part No. TR2864C1) when the bonded area of the dot adhesive pattern is about 21%. Either of the nonwoven substrates described above was then screen coated with an acrylic adhesive/flame retardant coating to an increase in specific gravity of 15-25 g/ ^m2 . The coating can be formulated to increase the durability of the nonwoven substrate while also increasing flame retardancy. The polyester nonwoven substrate is then passed through a hot melt roll coater/laminator where a fire resistant copolyester adhesive, such as available from EMS Chemie North America of Sumter, North Carolina, is applied to the On the surface of a polyester nonwoven substrate, or applied to the material to be coated. The coat weight of the adhesive depends on the strength of the bond between the polyester nonwoven substrate and the glass nonwoven. It has been found that generally an adhesive having a basis weight between 30-45 g/ ^m2 is ideal. The glass nonwoven layer is tightly laminated to the polyester nonwoven substrate using a gravure roll, preferably with a 25 x 25 cross-hatch pattern. The depth of the pattern on the gravure wheel is primarily designed according to the weight of adhesive per unit area to be coated. The adhesive produced by EMS Chemie was mixed with two materials (materials with numbers Grilltex D1573G and Grilltex VP1692G from EMS) in a ratio of 50:50. EMS Grilltex VP1692G is a composition with 25% organophosphorus flame retardant filler. The result of the 50:50 blending was that the final product had a flame retardant filler content of about 13.5%. Then, an adhesive is applied to the surface of the polyester nonwoven, which remains molten until it reaches the nip of the roll coater/laminator where it is bonded to the glass nonwoven. Things are connected. The glass nonwoven is preferably the above-mentioned mat (5802, 120 g/m ² ) from Johns-Manville, glass nonwoven from Ahlstrom (number GFT-413G10-60-1300.60 g/m ² ), or a glass nonwoven produced by Ahlstrom (No. GFT-413G10-80-1300, 80 g/m ² ). Composite laminates made of the above materials are inherently translucent and are characterized by the ability, in the finished panel, of allowing light to pass through the length of the cells formed between the spacers so that two Shadows where the cells meet.

If desired, the shadow can be eliminated by using an aesthetic material with a silver, gray or black backside instead of the polyester nonwoven described above. The back side refers to the side that receives the hot-melt adhesive and is subsequently laminated to the glass nonwoven mat. The aforementioned colors attenuate the amount of light passing down through the apertures and up through the surface, thereby reducing shadowing effects.

An alternative aesthetic material to the polyester nonwovens described above is a knitted material with a silver, gray or black appearance on one side. To do this, a knitted material from Gilford Technical Textiles, Greensboro, North Carolina, was used in combination with another knitted material in which a single-ply knit construction contained two different types of yarn. The two yarns used are preferably nylon and polyester. Nylon threads are mostly on the matte side and polyester on the other. The knit material is "selectively dyed" with a black dye that has an affinity for nylon, while polyester remains white without being dyed. Flame retardants and stain release agents can also be added to dye bath formulations. Then, the knitted fabric is stabilized and melamine resin is added to increase the strength of the fiber. Subsequently, the knitted material was passed through a roll coater/laminator, and the knitted material and the polyester fiber material were laminated to the above-mentioned glass nonwoven material. In this case, the gravure roll pattern used is preferably a pattern with a randomly calculated lattice, such patterns being known on the market. When the silver, gray or black side of the knit is laminated to the glass non-woven material, the amount of light passing through the laminate is reduced due to the presence of the darker layer. What is unique about the visual appearance of this surface is that it simulates the appearance of a perforated ceiling. The white side of the knitted fabric can also be laminated to the glass non-woven material, if designed this way the knitted laminate looks like a metal screen material but also eliminates shadowing effects.

Another way to reduce reflected light and transmitted shadows is to use glass non-woven materials dyed black, gray or silver. Shadowing effects can also be reduced if the glass nonwoven dyed black, gray or silver is laminated as described above to a polyester fiber mat or knitted mat.

It should be noted that the aesthetic material, whether it is a polyester felt or a knitted material, can be dyed by printing or applying the material with a dye. This may involve a second printing or coating step, so will increase the cost. As a low-cost solution, the problem of shadowing effects and/or increasing the surface whiteness of aesthetic materials can also be solved by using colored or tinted adhesives.

Figures 14-17 illustrate the gradually compressed state of the assembled panel 50, wherein Figure 14 shows the panel in a fully expanded state, and Figure 17 shows the panel in a fully collapsed or compressed state.

Figure 18 is an isometric view of the panel 50 and Figure 19 is an enlarged representation of a portion thereof. It is easy to understand that the spacers 52 are evenly spaced at a certain distance from each other while extending parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the plate. Of course, in Figures 18 and 19 the panel is fully expanded, while in the corresponding views 20 and 21 the panel is shown fully collapsed.

One problem with common ceilings is that they remain the same size and thickness during shipping, installation and use. A desirable feature of the panels of the present invention is based on the fact that, when fully expanded, the panels have a normal predetermined thickness substantially comparable to that of a normal ceiling, but this thickness can be reduced for shipping, thereby greatly reducing shipping costs. When the panels are removed from the container, they expand naturally if a thermosetting resin is used in the fiberglass material, or by heating the panels if a thermoplastic resin is used. Although the panels can be expanded to any desired thickness, a preferred panel for ceilings can have a thickness in the range of 12-26mm, which can be suitably expanded to the span of the panel, but can also vary depending on the conditions of use. And slightly thicker or thinner, when completely flattened, its thickness is about 3-4mm.

It can be clearly seen from FIG. 31 that in a direction transverse to the direction in which the longitudinal spacers 52 extend, the panel 50 is amenable to flexing or bending, thereby facilitating insertion of the panel into a support structure such as a suspended ceiling. In fact, if it is required for some reason, the panel can be made into a curved configuration so that it is normally a curved panel. The plate is less prone to flexing or bending in the opposite direction, ie in the direction in which the spacer extends, since the tubular structure of the spacer would prevent such bending. However, it is also possible, if desired, to substantially stiffen the panel by providing braces 84 along opposite ends of the panel to cover the open ends 86 of the tubular or cell spacers, thereby inhibiting it from moving along either end. A transverse direction bending. The support 84 is either made of a rigid structural C-shaped channel member 88 (e.g., plastic, aluminum, etc.) as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, or as shown in FIG. 26, is made of adhesive material A strip 90, which may for example be glued to the end of the plate. Although the strip of adhesive material has some flexibility, at the same time it should have sufficient strength so that when fitted to the ends of the panel it will necessarily prevent the panel from bending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the spacer. Plastic or polyvinyl chloride insulating tape etc. are suitable adhesive tapes. As another alternative, as shown in FIGS. 65-67, a spacer 52a may be placed at each end of the plate to block the open ends of the parallel spacers 52. The outer layer 54 and the connecting layer 56 are extended to cover this spacer 52a, wherein the spacer 52a is used to increase the stiffness of the panel in the transverse direction.

The stiffness of the panel in the transverse direction can also be increased by providing transverse spacers (not shown) at several selected locations throughout the panel. The extending direction of the transverse spacer is perpendicular to the main spacer, and has the same or different cross-sectional structure as that of the main spacer. Of course, the transverse spacers can also be bonded to the board like the main spacers. The height of the spacers, whether they are main spacers or cross spacers, can be varied across the width of the panel to produce various structural and aesthetic effects.

In order to change the structural characteristics of the spacer 52, as shown in FIGS. The object material has a slightly higher stiffness. Metallic layers can also affect the thermal properties of the panel. Figure 27 shows a layer of metallic material on a plate with supports 88, whereas Figure 28 does not include supports. Of course, this laminate pressing can be performed during the forming of the spacer, preferably before crimping.

As shown in Figures 29 and 30, panels formed according to the above process are unique in that pressure applied at any location on the surface of the panel will compress the panel at that location only, without causing the The opposite side of the panel is deformed. A panel can support pressure several times its own weight without flexing on opposite sides. For example, a panel formed in accordance with the present invention when expanded is 26 mm thick, 60.96 cm (24 inches) wide, 121.92 cm (48 inches) long, and weighs approximately 9 kg (1.98 lbs). The panel can support a load of up to 2.9 Kg (6.38 lbs), which is a circular weight, 25.4 cm (10 inches) in diameter, with only minimal deflection observed on the opposite side of the panel. A point load of approximately 5.08 cm (2 inches) in diameter and weighing 1 Kg (2.2 lbs) was easily absorbed by the same panel, again without deflection on the bottom surface.

Referring to Figures 33-35, a second embodiment of a panel 94 is shown in which the tie layer 54 is replaced by a tie in the form of several elongated, but inextensible, flexible strips or fibers 96 . These strips or fibers may be plastic, nylon or other similar material having the same or similar characteristics. The strips or fibers of material may be bonded or attached to the tubular spacers 52' while extending transversely across the spacers, and the spaced apart fibers are preferably parallel. The plate member 94 thus formed can be easily bent or flexed in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the spacer, as shown in FIG. 35, like the above-mentioned plate member.

In each of the above-described embodiments of the invention, the spacers have identical side partitions 98 (see FIGS. 12 and 34 ) with longitudinal fold lines 100 so that when the panels are compressed, the side partitions will Collapse inward. These side partitions thus form an upper portion 98a and a lower portion 98b, respectively, which are rectangular in configuration, but wherein the upper portion 98a is smaller in size than the lower portion 98b. Since the upper part of the spacer has a different size than the lower part, this arrangement is called an asymmetrical arrangement.

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 36-42. In this embodiment, the panel 102 is identical to the panel shown in FIG. identical. In other words, the panel 102 includes an outer layer 54' and a connecting layer 56' connected to each other by spacers with partition walls, and if necessary, a decorative panel 58' can be covered on the outer layer. However, the fold lines 106 extending along the partition walls 104 are arranged such that the upper rectangular portion 104a of each partition wall has the same size as the lower rectangular portion 104b. Plate 102 is also compressible.

The compressed and expanded forms of the panel 102 shown in Figures 36-38, respectively, are shown isometrically in Figures 39 and 40, with the understanding that the panel can be compressed to a thickness or shape much smaller than its normal expanded state .

As shown in Figures 41 and 42, a considerable amount of space can be saved by compressing the panels when they are stacked, which obviously results in a considerable Many more panels can be compressed and shipped in the same container compared to

The advantage of using a plate with symmetrical spacers is that it eliminates the telegraphing that occurs when the plate is compressed, if not carefully observed. This telegraphing phenomenon is a phenomenon that occurs in panels of the type described after compression when a layer structure is pressed against other members of the panel, such as spacers or partitions. If the pressure is too great or if the spacers show too much resistance, the plies assume a visible pattern from which it can be seen where the bulkheads are secured and where they are not.

Referring to Figure 17, which shows a plate with an asymmetrical spacer, it can be understood that some spaces are formed along the junction of the spacer and the connecting layer, but it can be clearly seen from Figure 38 that such spaces are formed when using symmetrical partitions The situation is almost non-existent. Correspondingly, in the plate with symmetrical spacers shown in Fig. 38, no telegraphing was observed no matter how much pressure was exerted on the plate. However, it will be appreciated that in panels with symmetrical or asymmetrical spacers according to the invention, since the connecting layer does not resist the applied pressure but only compresses when it is pressed down against the spacer, the There is little tendency for telegraphing to occur, so that sufficient pressure applied when attaching the tie layer to the spacer does not cause telegraphing.

By varying the position of the fold line 106 on each side bulkhead of the spacer 105, the resistance of the panel to compression can be adjusted. For example, in the normal expanded position of the asymmetric panel 50 disclosed in the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. The corresponding corner (d) in the partition wall 104 of the piece. However, the height A of the two panels in the expanded form is the same. At the same time, it should be pointed out that: the lengths B and C of the upper part 98a and the lower part 98b of the side partition wall of the asymmetric spacer are different, and in the symmetrical spacer shown in Figure 46, the lengths B and C of the upper part 104a and the lower part 104b The length is the same.

The greater the angle (a) or (d) of the side partitions of the panels shown in Figures 45 and 46, the greater the resistance to compression of the panels as shown in Figures 47 and 48 . In Figures 47 and 48, the same force F is applied to the asymmetric spacer plate 50 in Figure 47 and the symmetrical spacer plate 102 in Figure 48, it can be seen that the same force makes the symmetrical spacer The compression of the plate is relatively large. This is because the angle of the side partition wall in the symmetrical spacer panel is smaller than the angle of the asymmetrical spacer panel.

By way of example, but not limitation: it has been found that a panel made according to the present invention has satisfactory properties, the outer layer, tie layer and spacers of the panel are all made of glass mat (100GSM Johns Manvill e#8802), the parameters marked in Figures 43 to 46 fall within the following ranges:

X＝5-10mm

S=20-40mm

A＝15-26mm

B＝8-10mm

C=13.5-17mm

D=13.5-15mm

a=100-120°

b=100-120°

In a panel 108 according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 51 and 52, by using a unique spacer 110, the connecting layer of the above-described embodiment is eliminated. It can be clearly seen from FIGS. 49 and 50 that the spacer 110 is basically an hourglass-shaped structure, and forms two mutually inverted truncated triangular regions 112 and 114, which is the same as the first embodiment of the present invention, However, the top of the spacer has a long horizontal wing adapted to cover an adjacent spacer, thereby having a segmented tie layer 116 comprising pieces of interconnecting strips formed by the horizontal upper wing of the spacer. bring. Although the spacer 110 is shown as asymmetrical, in fact it may assume a symmetrical configuration similar to the structure shown in the third embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the spacer has a base 118 , a left partition 120 and a right partition 122 , wherein the tops of the partitions on both sides have horizontal wings 124 and 126 respectively. Both side partitions have an indentation line 128 so that when pressure is applied to the top or bottom of the spacer, the side partitions will collapse. The width of the top horizontal wing 126 of the right bulkhead is about one third of the width of the top of the spacer, but the length of the left horizontal wing 124 of the spacer slightly exceeds the length of the base 118 of the spacer so that it covers and overlaps the spacer The right side horizontal wing 122 of object top.

It can be clearly seen from FIG. 51 that when several spacers 110 are arranged in a close adjacent relationship or in a side-by-side continuous relationship, the horizontal top wing 124 extends from the left side bulkhead 120 beyond the right side bulkhead 122 and is in contact with the right side bulkhead 122. The horizontal top wing edge 124 of the left bulkhead 120 of the next adjacent spacer on the right is in overlapping relationship. Therefore, the horizontal top flange 124 of the left side bulkhead forms a segmented but integral connecting layer in combination. Certainly, the horizontal top wing edge 124 of the left partition wall of each spacer is bonded and fixed on the horizontal top wing edge 126 of the right partition wall, and is also fixed to the horizontal top wing edge 124 of the left partition wall adjacent to the spacer on the right side simultaneously. . A cover layer 130 is fixed on the base 118 of each spacer so that the bases of these spacers are connected to each other. Of course, if desired, a decorative layer can also be fixed on the lower surface of the outer layer or the segmented connecting layer. (not shown).

In Figures 53-55, a panel 132 is shown formed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, in which the spacers 134 themselves are no longer cell-like, but instead are material folded in a zigzag shape and is secured between an outer layer 136 and a connecting layer 138, thereby also forming a cellular compressible panel. Referring first to Figures 53 and 54, the spacer 134 is formed from a strip of material having a pair of outer parallel indentation lines 140 and inner parallel indentation lines 142, however, the two outer parallel indentation lines are folded in opposite The folding direction of the inner parallel creasing lines is also reversed. Between the outer creasing line 140 and the side edge 148 of the strip, a pair of mounting surfaces or edge regions 144 and 146 are formed which can be secured to the outer and connecting layers, respectively, in any suitable manner. . Between these edge regions of the spacer, the middle part 150 of the spacer has two internal indentations by means of which the strip can collapse when subjected to lateral pressure on one of the edge regions. The panel 132 formed from the spacers shown in Figures 53 and 54 is shown in expanded and compressed states, respectively, in Figures 55 and 56.

Another spacer 152 for use in the panel 154 shown in Figures 59 and 60 is shown in expanded and compressed states in Figures 57 and 58, respectively. As shown in Figures 57 and 58, the spacer 152 includes a pair of parallel outer creasing lines 156, and these two creasing lines are folded inward in the same direction at a distance from the two side edges 158 of the strip of material forming the spacer, Between the two parallel outer creasing lines there is a third intermediate creasing line 160 . An upper edge region 162 is formed between an edge of the strip of material and one of the aforementioned outer indentation lines, and a much larger, second lower edge region 164 is formed along the bottom of the spacer between the corresponding edge of the strip of material and the adjacent indentation. between lines. The folds are made in opposite directions at the middle crease line 160 so that the spacer has upper and lower edge regions of different widths, both edge regions to the right from their adjacent fold line 156 as shown in FIG. side out. The upper edge region 162 of each spacer is secured to the tie layer 166 at positions parallel and equidistant from each other, while the lower edge region 164 is adapted to extend to the right so as to overlap the next spacer on the right a small part. The overlapping lower edge regions are affixed to each other to form an integral segmented outer layer 168 formed from the lower edge regions of the spacers. Of course, a decorative layer (not shown) can also cover the interconnected edge region, or a connecting layer can be provided to give the panels various aesthetic effects.

A similar embodiment 170 of the spacer is shown again in Figs. 61-64, wherein the strip of material is provided with a pair of outer creasing lines 172 and a middle creasing line 174 between them, an upper edge region 176 and a lower edge region. 178 are formed between the strip edge 180 and the two outer creasing lines 172, respectively. The folding at the outer creasing line 172 is in the opposite direction to the folding at the middle creasing line 174 so that, as shown in FIG. 62 , both the upper and lower edge regions project horizontally to the right. It will be appreciated that these two horizontal regions extend horizontally beyond the middle indentation line 174 and are adapted to overlap the upper and lower edge regions of the adjacent spacer on the right so that they can be indented in any suitable manner. These are fastened to form an expansion panel as shown in FIG. 63 and a compression panel as shown in FIG. 64.

As shown in Figures 68-73, in another embodiment of the panel 182 designed according to the present invention, the panel still has an outer layer 54, a connecting layer 56 and several spacers extending between these two layers. 184. It can be seen clearly from Figs. 68 and 71 that the cross section of the spacer 184a in part of the board is zigzag, while the cross section of the spacer 184b in another part of the board is reverse zigzag. As shown in Figures 72 and 73, at the location 186 where the direction of the spacer changes, the panel can be bent at a right angle so that the panel can for example conform to a right angle area in the building element to which it is to be installed. For example, the panels may bypass right-angled ductwork, which may be ductwork in a house for conducting forced air, etc.

Referring again to Figures 68 and 71, it will be appreciated that the spacer 184a in the right hand portion of the panel has a Z-shaped cross-section, thereby forming an upper horizontal wing 188 extending to the left and a lower horizontal wing extending to the right. Side 190 and a diagonal connect wing 192, which connects the right edge of the upper wing to the left edge of the lower wing. Of course, the zigzag spacer 184a can also be formed by a method similar to the above method, that is, creasing lines are set in the material strip for manufacturing the spacer, and then the material strip is folded along these creasing lines. Of course, the inverted Z-shaped spacer 184b in the left-hand portion of the panel has an upper horizontal wing 194 extending to the right, a lower horizontal wing 196 extending to the left, and a diagonal connecting wing 198, the wings 198 extends from the left edge of the upper wing to the right edge of the lower wing.

As is clear from Figure 68 and Figures 71-73, at the location 186 where the spacer fold changes (near the center in the illustrated panel), the panel can be bent at a right angle. The panels can then be fully expanded as shown in Figures 72 and 73 so that the wings of the spacers are perpendicular to each other, thereby forming rectangular cells.

Referring to Figures 68 and 69, it will be appreciated that the panel can also be compressed as panels made in accordance with the above-described embodiments of the invention.

The stiffness of the plate in the transverse direction can be increased in the manner shown in Figures 74-79. It will be appreciated that a section of the panel near its end may be partially cut at 89, which cuts through the tie layer 56 and spacer 52 (transverse to the length of the spacer), but does not cut Outer layer 54. The cut creates a small strip of material 91 that can be independently compressed to be contained within a stiffening clip 93 as shown in FIG. 75 . In the disclosed embodiment, the rigid clip is generally J-shaped in cross-section, having a long side 95, parallel short sides 97 spaced therefrom, and a connecting wall 99 interconnecting the respective edges of the upper and short sides. and a rim 101 depending from the opposite edge of the long side away from the connecting wall 99 . Clips are mounted to the compressed strip of material to hold the material in compression. Then, as shown in Figures 77 and 78, the clips and compressed are folded upwards to form a rigid section along the end of the panel. Of course, if desired, the strip of stiffening material could be adhesively secured in place after it has been folded up as shown in Figures 78 and 79 .

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the clip, with suitable variants, can also be used as a mounting clip for suspending panels from ceiling supports (not shown) in which the For example, co-pending application No. 08/752957, filed April 10, 2000, entitled "A Cladding System and Panel for Use in Such System" The type disclosed, this application and the present invention belong to the common applicant. The contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.

From the above descriptions of various embodiments of the present invention, we can further understand that various spacers with unique configurations can be used in other embodiments. By way of example only, the upper and lower portions of the side partitions of the various spacers, or the upper and lower portions of the side walls that separate the upper and lower edge regions, may have the same or different dimensions to create symmetrical and asymmetrical spacers. Additionally, simply changing the angle in the spacer-side bulkheads can make one panel more compressible than the other. Similarly, by spacing the spacers at a greater distance, the panel can be more easily bent in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the spacers. The depth of the spacer will also affect the strength of the plate (assuming other parameters remain constant), so that only by increasing the thickness of the spacer, the length and width (ie span) of the plate can be greatly increased without Change the strength and connection characteristics of the board. Also, as mentioned above, by laminating different types of decorative layers on the outer layer of the panel, a wide variety of aesthetic and sound-absorbing properties can be produced, allowing different colors, patterns, Effects such as texture.

Furthermore, it can be seen from the above description that different properties can be achieved for the panels by varying the materials from which the outer layers, the connecting layers or the spacers are made. For example, the board can have different sound-absorbing properties or different light-transmitting properties by changing the material. At the same time, these materials may also be fire resistant to prevent the spread of fire in buildings in which the panels are used. It is also possible to use different materials in the panels, for example the outer layer or the connecting layer is made of the same or different material and the spacer is made of the same or different material as one of the outer layer and the connecting layer. It is also possible to manufacture the spacers themselves from different materials in the same panel. For example, certain spacers may be provided to impart elastic and compressible properties to the panel, while other spacers may be provided to alter the panel's sound absorption properties, light transmission properties, or fire resistance, among other things. Likewise, panels can also be stacked in a building structure in order to modify the sound-absorbing or light-transmitting properties of said panels.

Although the panels described above are in principle intended as a replacement for ordinary sound-absorbing tiles, which are supported on the T-shaped supports of the ceiling grid, it is possible to slightly modify the panels so that they can be converted from the same T-shaped hanging from the support. It will be appreciated that by suspending panels of the present invention from T-shaped supports 60, existing ceiling systems may be replaced or updated with these panels, with or without removal of the panels already placed or supported on the T-shaped supports. Acoustic tiles on top of support 60.

Figures 80-96 show a panel 200 that has been modified to allow it to be hung from or supported on a T-shaped support 60, shown in Figure 8. Several panels are installed under the existing sound-absorbing panel 202 , which is supported on the support 60 . It will be appreciated that each panel 200 is of the general type described above and, as shown in Figures 84-86, has an outer layer 204, a connecting layer 206 and a plurality of cell spacers 208 arranged in parallel between the layers . As noted above, these cell spacers are preferably inherently compressible, and as best seen in Figures 87 to 91, these spacers are formed from individual strips of material that have been creased and folded so that An elongate tubular member having two inverted truncated triangular regions 210 and 212 is formed. Spacer 208 has collapsible medial sidewalls 214 with fold lines 216 that allow the medial sidewalls to either collapse inwardly as shown in FIGS. 89-91 , or expand outwardly as shown in FIGS. 87 and 88 , which This will depend on a number of circumstances including: the type of binder used to make the fiberglass mat material of the spacer, and the heating and cooling treatments of the spacer, which will be described in more detail below.

At each end of the panel 200 along the open ends of the cell dividers 208, a unique clip 218 is secured to the panel as shown in FIGS. 81-86. The clips are elongated and are preferably extrusions of a rigid material, such as aluminum, plastic, etc., having a generally inverted J-shape in construction as will be apparent from FIG. 82 . Thus, a vertical main plate body 220 is formed having a rim 222 protruding from its lower edge. An upper hook-shaped groove 224 opening downward extends from the upper edge of the main body. Also, a second or horizontally open hook-shaped slot 226 is formed along the upper edge, protruding from the main body in a direction opposite to the rim 222 . Beneath the horizontal opening slot 226, an inclined protruding rib 228 extends downward from the upper edge of the main body.

Referring to Figures 92-95, clips 218 may be secured to the ends of panel 200 in such a way, or as described above, by slotting the ends of the panel so that the outer layer 204 protrudes longitudinally beyond the panel. or by making the outer layer slightly longer and wider than the remainder of the panel so that it naturally protrudes from the opposite ends or sides to form the outer layer shown in Figures 87 and 92 Longitudinal extension 230 and lateral extension 232 . An elongated rigid straight strip 234, which may be made of plastic, aluminum, cardboard, etc., is bonded to the top surface of the outer layer protruding from the top surface of the longitudinally extending portion 230 of the end of the panel, and then, as shown in FIG. The longitudinal extension of the rigid strip and the outer layer is inserted into a downwardly opening J-shaped slot 224 adjacent to the main body, with the rim 222 of the clip over the innermost side of the rigid strip, and the clip is disposed on the innermost side of the rigid strip. The two longitudinal extensions of the outer layer and the rigid strip. With the clips thus in place, the longitudinal extension 230 of the outer layer, the rigid strip 234 and the clip 218 can be folded upwards as shown in FIG. Received between the horizontally open J-slot 226 and the angled rib 228 of the clip. The underside of the horizontally opening J-shaped slot 226 may then be glued or otherwise secured to the connection layer 206, thereby maintaining the clip in the state shown in FIG. 95 .

The angled ribs 228 of each clip extend below the connecting layer 206, thereby maintaining the panels in a fully expanded state. By performing the same process on each of the longitudinal ends of the panels, it can be appreciated that there will be a clip on each panel and that the horizontally opening J-shaped slot 226 can be positioned as shown in FIGS. 84 and 85 , fixed on the flange of the T-shaped support 60.

Another alternative method for securing the J-clip to the end of the panel is shown in Figures 92A-95A. In this alternative system, as shown in Figure 92A, a cut or slit is made at one longitudinal open end of the panel by cutting down through the open ends of the tie layer 206 and the spacer 208 so that the tie layer/spacer A gap is formed between the cut part of the object and the remainder of the panel. The tie layer and spacer are then compressed down into close adjacent relationship with the outer layer 204, and the compressed material is inserted into a downwardly opening J-shaped slot 224 in the clip, such that as shown in FIG. 94A That way, the rim 222 overlies the innermost edge of the compressed material. Thereafter, the clip with the compressed material contained therein is folded upwards and secured in place, preferably with adhesive, so that a longitudinal end of the panel is formed as shown in Figure 95A.

As shown in Figure 83, the end of the horizontal opening J-shaped groove 226 forms a space inwardly from two opposite longitudinal ends of the clip 218 to accommodate the T-shaped support 60, and the extending direction of the space is perpendicular to the T where the clip is fixed. Shaped support 60. In this way, the panels can be suspended, rather than supported, in the common grid of the T-shaped support, and the grid may or may not support other groups of sound-absorbing tiles. In other words, the panel 200 to which the clips 218 are secured can be used to connect to an existing grid, or it can be used to connect to a new grid in exactly the same way. As can be appreciated: the clips of adjacent longitudinally aligned panels may abut each other (FIG. 85) so that there is only a small spacing between the ends of the outer layers of the panels, thereby giving the ceiling a substantially A continuous appearance without seeing the trellis from which the panels are suspended. Additionally, because the clips hold the panels in their fully expanded state, the lower or outer layer 204 of each panel is horizontally aligned with the outer layers of adjacent panels, thus allowing a ceiling formed of such panels to Gives a smooth, even appearance. Referring to Figures 87-91, the laterally extending portion 232 of the outer layer may be folded upwardly into engagement with the adjacent side wall 214 of the outermost spacer and secured thereto with a suitable adhesive, thereby enabling The board has a smooth appearance along its side edges.

Sometimes it may be necessary to fold the panel around a corner, or to form a corner. Using the panels of the present invention, such folds or corners can be aesthetically formed by the method shown in FIGS. 97 and 98 . As can be seen in Figure 97, where the folds or bends are to be made on the panel, the spacer 208 and its top connecting layer 206 can be cut from the remainder of the panel, but the spacer is removed The outer layer at the location remains. The remainder of the panel can be folded in one direction or the other as shown in Figure 98 so that one remaining section of the panel can be oriented perpendicular to the other, with the outer layer 204 extending continuously around the corner, This results in a completely smooth corner of the panel. It is necessary to fold the panels such that, for example, in a skylight where the window is raised above ceiling level into an upwardly recessed area, by performing the steps shown in Figures 97 and 98, a panel can be folded or several panels are folded to extend upward from the usual ceiling height into the recessed area of the skylight.

As noted above, preferred materials for making the spacers include fiberglass and mixtures of thermosetting and thermoplastic resins. It is desirable that the material so formed remain in a planar orientation even when crimped or folded as described above into a spacer structure such as that shown in Figures 89-91. In order to maintain the folded structure in which the sidewalls 214 of each divider are folded inward, it is necessary to keep the panel 200 in at least a partially compressed state for a long period of time, otherwise the folded sidewalls will fold outwards. Restores its tablet orientation. Of course, if the above-mentioned spacers are fixed to the outer layer 204 and the connecting layer 206 along the top and bottom, then they will not return to the flat plate orientation, but if they are not held in compression, the sidewalls will not change after a period of time. When this happens, the sidewalls change from the inwardly folded orientation shown in Figure 89 to the outwardly folded orientation shown in Figure 88, wherein the sidewalls are aligned with the sides of adjacent spacers. The walls abut, thereby jointly strengthening and stiffening the panels so that they are substantially incompressible. Figure 96 shows a panel in its substantially incompressible state. In other words, in order for the entire panel to have compressible properties, the side walls need to be folded in as shown in Figures 89-91.

The strip of material from which the spacer 208 is made is folded in an unheated environment and coated on the strip or on the outer and tie layers before the strip is laminated together with the outer layer 204 and the tie layer 206 A hot melt adhesive. As noted above, unless the panels 200 are held in a compressed form, as shown in FIGS. Can be compressed again. The time period required for the plate to convert from the form shown in Figures 89-91 to the form shown in Figure 88 depends on a number of factors including: the resin used in the material from which the spacer is made, and when the spacer is in the form shown in Figure 89- Whether to heat etc. during the compressed form shown in 91. The time it takes for the spacers to expand to the form shown in FIG. 88 can be extended by heating the spacers in compressed form. Likewise, the time required for the spacer to convert from the form shown in FIG. 89 to the form shown in FIG. 88 can also be extended by increasing the thermoplastic resin used in the material formulation for making the spacer. As an example, the transition time may vary from 15 minutes to 32 hours.

Correspondingly, when the panel 200 is manufactured or transported, it is preferably shipped in a compressed state, so that more panels can be stacked and transported in a smaller container, compared with ordinary sound-absorbing bricks with a fixed thickness. This is especially true when the thickness of ordinary sound-absorbing tiles is similar to the thickness of the panel 200 according to the invention after full expansion. However, once the panels are removed from the shipping container, they immediately expand from the configuration shown in FIG. 91 through the configuration shown in FIG. 90 to the configuration shown in FIG. 89 . They will remain in the form shown in Figure 89 for a period of time as described above, after which they will convert to the form shown in Figure 88, in which case they will become incompressible. Thus, if inserted before becoming incompressible, they remain resilient and readily inserted into openings formed between supports in the support grid system.

As stated above, panels constructed in accordance with the present invention have desirable sound absorbing properties and this property can be varied as a function of parameters. By comparing an embodiment of the present invention with common sound-absorbing bricks, it can be seen that the panels constructed according to the present invention can obtain beneficial sound-absorbing effects. A comparison chart of the panel shown in FIG. 14 of the present invention with other sound-absorbing tiles is shown in FIG. 99 . The X-axis represents frequency in Hertz, while the Y-axis represents the noise attenuation factor. The three kinds of boards compared with the boards in Fig. 14 of the present invention are hard mineral wool sound-absorbing bricks produced by Armstrong, glass fiber bricks with a thickness of two inches produced by Sweden's Ecophon, and porous metal plates of 0.7mm. The metal panels had a non-woven fleece cover (code Luxalon 300C) produced by Hunter Douglas, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

It can be seen that the sound-absorbing panel in Figure 14 has better characteristics than the above three panels in both the lower frequency band and the relatively high frequency band, and also has better characteristics in the middle frequency band.

Although the present invention has been described above with a certain degree of specificity, it should be understood that the disclosure is for illustrative purposes only, and changes may be made to details or structures without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (26)

1. compressible structure plate comprises:

At least one has the outer material layer of inner surface and external surface;

A plurality of compressible septs are fixed to described inner surface and stretch out and be spaced from each other from described inner surface; And

Syndeton is used for described sept is fixed on jointly away from described outer field position;

Wherein each sept is vertically elongated and comprises the alar septum of longitudinal extension and the fold line of longitudinal extension, thereby, by applying pressure to skin or syndeton, make described sept fold and be compressed to reduce the thickness of plate along described fold line; And

Each sept expands when normality and thereby to be resilient will be rendered as expanded form so that be returned to such structure plate after being compressed under the state that does not stress;

Described sept comprises by fiber by make semi-rigid of resin-bonding together but the folding individual member bed of material.

2. plate according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described fold line is flexible and each fold line comprises not the impression of can the described fiber of heavy damage and forming.

3. plate according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described a plurality of septs are parallel to each other.

4. according to each described plate in the claim 1 to 3, it is characterized in that, the described individual course of described sept is folded so that limit the base portion of described alar septum and longitudinal extension, described base portion can be fixed to described skin and described syndeton, and described alar septum extends between described base portion and can subside.

5. plate according to claim 4, it is characterized in that, described alar septum is elongated and flat, and described fold line is into face-to-face relationship so that when compressing alar septum can be converted into described base portion between described base portion and the described alar septum.

6. plate according to claim 5 is characterized in that, described fold line also on each described alar septum so that limit a pair of next door part.

7. according to claim 5 or 6 described plates, it is characterized in that described base portion is fixed to described skin.

8. plate according to claim 7 is characterized in that described base portion also is fixed to described syndeton.

9. according to each described plate in the claim 1 to 3, it is characterized in that comprise that the material of the described individual course of described sept is made by glass fiber, this glass fiber with resin bonding together.

10. plate according to claim 9 is characterized in that, the material of described individual course that comprises described sept is by making with resin bonding glass fiber and carbon fiber together.

11. plate according to claim 9 is characterized in that, the described resin in described sept is the composition of thermosetting resin, thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin.

12. plate according to claim 9 is characterized in that, described skin is by making with resin bonding glass fiber together.

13. plate according to claim 12 is characterized in that, the described resin in described skin is the composition of thermosetting resin, thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin.

14., it is characterized in that described syndeton is made with resin bonding glass fiber together by one deck according to each described plate in the claim 11 to 13.

15. plate according to claim 14 is characterized in that, the described resin in described syndeton is the composition of thermosetting resin, thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin.

16., it is characterized in that described syndeton comprises many flexibilities that are connected to described sept but inextensible fiber according to each described plate in the claim 11 to 13.

17. plate according to claim 6 is characterized in that, described next door part is measure-alike.

18. plate according to claim 6 is characterized in that, described next door portion size difference.

19. plate according to claim 1 and 2 is characterized in that, described skin is by making with described sept identical materials.

20. plate according to claim 19 is characterized in that, described syndeton is by making with described sept identical materials.

21. plate according to claim 1 and 2 is characterized in that, each described sept is a tubulose, has flat upper and lower surface; Described soffit is fixed on the described skin, and described upper surface is fixed on the described syndeton; Described upper and lower surface is connected on the described alar septum by folded-out fold line.

22. plate according to claim 21 is characterized in that, the described soffit of adjacent spaces thing is fixed on the described skin with the relation of mutual direct neighbor.

23. plate according to claim 22 is characterized in that, the described upper surface of adjacent spaces thing is to be fixed on the described syndeton apart from one another by the relation of opening.

24. plate according to claim 1 and 2 is characterized in that, the described alar septum of each sept comprises a counter-lateral septum, and each has an inwardly folding fold line.

25. plate according to claim 24 is characterized in that, each alar septum has part above one, has the part below below its inwardly folding fold line above its inwardly folding fold line.

26. plate according to claim 1 and 2 comprises a decorative layer in addition, this decorative layer is fixed on the described outer field external surface.

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