Compressible structural panel

Compressible structure plate

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a plate formed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an upward exploded isometric view of a suspended ceiling in a building structure, with the panels of Figure 1 incorporated therein.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged and exploded cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a front view of a strip of material from which the splitter of the plate of the present invention is made.

Figure 5 is a front view of the strip of material shown in Figure 4, the strip of material being crimped to form a pre-fold line.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the material strip shown in Fig. 4 after being crimped as shown in Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is a front view of the strip of material shown in Figure 6 which has been folded along a pre-formed fold line.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the splitter shown in Fig. 7 which has been compressed.

FIG. 8A is an enlarged cross-section of the circular area in FIG. 8. FIG.

Fig. 9 is a front view similar to Fig. 8, and the adhesive layer shown by the dotted line is arranged above and below the divider.

Fig. 10 is a front view similar to Fig. 9, and an outer sheet and a connecting sheet are arranged above and below the adhesive layer.

Figure 11 is a front view showing that the composite depicted in Figure 10 is thermally compressed between heating elements.

Figure 12 is an exploded end view of a plate formed in accordance with the present invention, with a decorative material layer bonded to the outer sheet of the plate.

Figure 13 is an exploded end view of the plate shown in Figure 12, compressed between the hot pressing elements.

Fig. 14 is an end view of the plate shown in Fig. 12, the plate has a divider, the divider has an asymmetrical partition, and the plate is fully expanded.

Figure 15 is an end view similar to Figure 14 with the plate partially compressed.

Figure 16 is an end view similar to Figure 15 with the plate slightly compressed further.

Figure 17 is an end view similar to Figure 16 with the plate fully compressed.

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

Figure 19 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the plate shown in Figure 18.

Figure 20 is an isometric view of the plate shown in Figure 18 in a fully compressed condition.

Figure 21 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the plate seen in Figure 20.

Figure 22 is an isometric view of multiple plates stacked together in compression.

Figure 23 is an isometric view of the plate shown in Figure 22 in an expanded condition.

Fig. 24 is an enlarged and exploded end view of the plate shown in Fig. 14. The plate has end supports to prevent the plate from bending.

Fig. 25 is an exploded section taken along the line 25-25 of Fig. 24.

Figure 26 is an exploded isometric view, partially removed, showing an end support at one end of the plate and a second end support mounted on the opposite end of the plate.

Figure 27 is an exploded vertical section through a portion of the plate, showing an alternative embodiment of the divider, where the divider includes an inner layer of metal foil.

Figure 28 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 27 through a plate, showing yet another alternative configuration of the divider in which a metal foil is applied to the outer surface of the divider.

Figure 29 is a transverse section through the plate shown in Figure 14, with the top surface of the plate compressed.

Fig. 30 is a cross section taken along the line 30-30 of Fig. 29.

Fig. 31 is an end view of the plate shown in Fig. 14, which is recessed upward in a curved shape.

FIG. 32 is an end view of the plate according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the partitions of the divider are symmetrical, rather than asymmetrical as shown in FIG. 31.

Fig. 33 is an isometric view showing a plate according to the present invention, in which the connecting device is an elongated wire or fiber, which is fixed to the divider away from the outer plate.

Figure 34 is an enlarged isometric view showing part of the plate depicted in Figure 33.

Fig. 35 is an isometric view of the plate depicted in Fig. 33, the plate having been bent or curved to indent upward.

Figure 36 is an end view of a plate formed in accordance with the present invention and corresponding to the plate shown in Figure 32.

Figure 37 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 36, with the plate partially compressed.

Figure 38 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 37, with the plate fully compressed.

Figure 39 is an isometric view of the plate shown in Figure 38 in a fully compressed condition.

Figure 40 is an isometric view of a portion of the plate shown in Figure 36 in a fully compressed condition.

Figure 41 is an isometric view of a plurality of plates of the type shown in Figure 36 compressed and stacked together.

Figure 42 is an isometric view of a portion of the plates of the type shown in Figure 36, which have been stacked in a fully expanded condition.

Fig. 43 is a schematic end view of a plate with an asymmetric divider, and the dimensional characteristics are shown.

Fig. 44 is a schematic end view of a plate with a symmetrical divider, showing its dimensional characteristics.

Fig. 45 is an enlarged end view of a part of the plate of Fig. 43, showing other dimensional features.

Figure 46 is an enlarged end view of a part of the plate of Figure 44, showing other dimensional features.

Figure 47 is an end view similar to Figure 45, showing the plate compressed with force F.

Figure 48 is an end view similar to Figure 46, showing the plate compressed with force F.

Figure 49 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Figure 50 is an end view of the divider shown in Figure 49.

Figure 51 is an end view of a plate containing the plural divider shown in Figure 49 in an expanded form.

Figure 52 is a reduced end view of the plate shown in Figure 51 in compressed form.

Figure 53 is an isometric view of yet another embodiment of a divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Figure 54 is an end view of the divider shown in Figure 53.

Fig. 55 is an end view of the plate in accordance with the present invention and using the divider of Fig. 53 in an expanded form of the plate.

Figure 56 is a reduced end view of the plate of Figure 55 in compressed form.

Figure 57 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Figure 58 is an end view of the divider shown in Figure 57.

Fig. 59 is an end view of the plate using the divider of Fig. 57, and the plate is shown in an expanded form.

Figure 60 is a reduced end view of the plate shown in Figure 59 in compressed form.

Figure 61 is an isometric view of yet another divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Fig. 62 is an end view of the divider shown in Fig. 61;

Fig. 63 is an end view of the plate using the divider shown in Fig. 61, with the plate in an expanded form.

Figure 64 is a reduced end view of the plate shown in Figure 63 in compressed form.

Figure 65 is an exploded isometric view of the plate similar to that shown in Figure 1. The plate has been rigidized by providing additional dividers at the ends of the plate that extend perpendicular to the main divider.

Figure 66 is a side view of the plate shown in Figure 65.

Figure 67 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 65.

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

Figure 69 is an isometric view of the plate formed as in Figure 68, with the plate in a fully compressed state.

Figure 70 is a side view of the plate shown in Figure 69.

Figure 71 is an end view similar to Figure 68, with the plates slightly expanded further.

Figure 72 is an isometric view of the plate of Figure 68, the plate has been bent at a right angle and the plate is fully expanded.

Figure 73 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 72.

Figure 74 is an exploded isometric view of one end of the plate, with a section of the plate partially cut away.

Fig. 75 is an exploded isometric view similar to Fig. 74, with the partially cut-out section of the plate compressed and positioned for receiving a long clip.

Figure 76 is an exploded isometric view similar to Figures 74 and 75, showing that the clip has been installed on the compression section of the plate.

Figure 77 is an exploded isometric view similar to Figure 76, with the clip mounted on the compressed section of the panel folded upward.

Figure 78 is an exploded isometric view similar to Figure 77, in which the clip mounted on the compressed section of the plate has been folded 90° against the new end of the plate.

Fig. 79 is an enlarged and exploded cross-section taken along the line 79-79 of Fig. 78.

Figure 80 is an exploded isometric view of an alternative configuration of a ceiling system in which the panels are suspended rather than supported by a support grid.

Figure 81 is an isometric view of the panels used in the ceiling system shown in Figure 80.

Figure 82 is an isometric view of one end of the clamping member used in Figure 81.

Figure 83 is an exploded isometric view of the clip of Figure 82, which is mounted on the longitudinal end of the plate shown in Figure 81.

Fig. 84 is an enlarged and exploded longitudinal section taken along the line 84-84 of Fig. 80.

Fig. 85 is an enlarged and exploded cross-section taken along the line 85-85 of Fig. 80.

Fig. 86 is an exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 85, with traditional sound-proof tiles separated from their supporting relationship with the supporting member.

Fig. 87 is an exploded horizontal vertical section taken through the plate of Fig. 81, showing the outer plate extending from the longitudinal side edge of the plate.

Fig. 88 is an exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 87, and the extended outer sheet is folded upwards and bonded to the longitudinal end of the sheet of Fig. 81.

Figure 89 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 88, with the plates slightly compressed.

Figure 90 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 89, with the plates further compressed.

Figure 91 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 90, with the plate substantially fully compressed.

Figure 92 is an exploded longitudinal vertical section showing the outer sheet extending longitudinally from one end of the plate of Figure 81.

Fig. 93 is a longitudinal exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 92, with a stiffer strip supported on the outer panel extension.

Fig. 94 is a longitudinal exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 93, with a clip fixed to the outer panel extension.

Fig. 95 is a longitudinal exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 94, the clip is folded upward to cover the longitudinal ends of the plate.

Figures 92A-95A are views similar to Figures 92-95, showing an alternative system for attaching the clip to the end of the plate. The end of the plate is compressed in a way to replace the one used in Figures 92-95 The harder bar.

Fig. 96 is an enlarged and exploded horizontal vertical section taken along the line 96-96 of Fig. 81.

Fig. 97 is a transverse section with partial removal, showing the removal of a divider to facilitate the folding of the panels.

Figure 98 is a transverse section, some parts are similar to Figure 97 but removed, as shown in

Figure 97 shows the folded panels around the space where the divider is removed.

Fig. 99 shows a comparison of sound insulation between a plate according to the present invention and other plates.

Cross-reference of related applications. This application declares the rights to the U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/199208 filed on April 24, 2000, the full text of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Background of the invention Scope of the invention

A structural panel that can be used as a ceiling panel or a wall panel includes an outer sheet and a connecting sheet or the like. The outer sheet has a plurality of isolated dividers protruding from one side, and the connecting sheet is parallel to and isolated from the outer sheet, and Connect the dividers along their edges away from the outer sheet. When pressure is applied to the divider, the divider can compress at least a certain period of time to reduce the thickness of the plate when a transportation is required, for example.

Related skills

The structural panels used for the final finishing or decoration of the building structure have many forms, such as drywall, decorative or sound-proof ceiling panels. Although this plate obviously has different characteristics, it has many shortcomings, such as the lack of aesthetic or sound insulation changes from the standpoint of weight and transportation.

Some of these panels are used in, for example, a dropceiling system, in which a grid of an inverted T-shaped support member defines a rectangular opening, and sound insulation panels or the like are placed therein. This baffle is typically rigid but slightly brittle. As a result, they are difficult to insert or remove from the supporting grid, and in many cases, they are easily damaged during this process. In addition, the ceiling panels are heavy and have a fixed thickness, so that their transportation dimensions are the same as their installation dimensions. During transportation, due to their weight and volume, the cost per square foot of the plates is high.

The dry wall is also heavy, difficult to handle, and the transportation dimensions are the same as its installation dimensions. Therefore, the transportation cost of drywall is also higher.

It can be understood from the above that the structural panels used for the construction, final finishing and decoration of building structures suffer from many shortcomings. Therefore, there is a need for a plate that can overcome this shortcoming.

Summary of the invention

Those skilled in the art can understand when reading this disclosure that the structural plate of the present invention can be used for many different purposes. Basically, however, the plate typically contains an outer sheet of semi-rigid material, with a plurality of dividers protruding from one of its faces. A connector in the form of a sheet or similar device is fixed to the far edge of the divider. The connector may be in the form of another sheet material, connected fiber bundles, or the like.

The nature of the divider is that it can collapse and can take many forms. In some of the embodiments described, the divider is an elongated cell with a collapsible side, so that when lateral or lateral pressure is applied to the cell in a predetermined direction, it collapses into a shallow space. The divider can be formed by folding a strip of semi-rigid material so that when the divider is laterally pressurized, the longitudinal sides or partitions are folded inward or outward. The structure of the divider is so that it is usually located in the expanded or extended position of the predetermined structure, and is elastic to return to the structure after compression. The divider is fixed to the outer sheet and the connector so as to be held in position relative to each other. It can be understood that if a plate is formed in this way, it will be in an expanded form under normal static conditions, but by applying pressure to the outer plate or the connector, the divider is caused to collapse, allowing the entire plate to have a very thin thickness. Or contour. Of course, this is advantageous for transportation, because a larger number of plates can be contained in a container compared to plates of the prior art that have a uniform thickness during transportation and use. The plates are also preferably filled with air, so they are very light.

It can be better understood from the following more detailed description that the plates can be bent in at least one direction to facilitate installation in suspended ceilings or the like, but are elastic to restore their normal resting position. In addition, the plates are not brittle and are not easily damaged. In addition, they can be easily cut into any predetermined size and/or configuration.

The decorative sheet can also be covered on the outer sheet, connecting sheet or the like of the board to provide the desired beautiful appearance of the board. For example, it can be covered with wooden board, vinyl, patterned or contoured paper, colored paper, thin metal, polyester, other synthetic materials, cloth, non-woven fabric or the like, so that the board has any effect when in use. Desire appearance. In addition, the plate can be lined with metal foil inside or outside to change the properties of the plate.

With reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, in conjunction with the drawings and the attached scope of patent applications, you can have a more complete understanding of other features, characteristics and details of the present invention.

Schematic description

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a plate formed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an upward exploded isometric view of a suspended ceiling in a building structure, with the panels of Figure 1 incorporated therein.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged and exploded cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a front view of a strip of material from which the splitter of the plate of the present invention is made.

Figure 5 is a front view of the strip of material shown in Figure 4, the strip of material being crimped to form a pre-fold line.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the material strip shown in Fig. 4 after being crimped as shown in Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is a front view of the strip of material shown in Figure 6 which has been folded along a pre-formed fold line.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the splitter shown in Fig. 7 which has been compressed.

FIG. 8A is an enlarged cross-section of the circular area in FIG. 8. FIG.

Fig. 9 is a front view similar to Fig. 8, and the adhesive layer shown by the dotted line is arranged above and below the divider.

Fig. 10 is a front view similar to Fig. 9, and an outer sheet and a connecting sheet are arranged above and below the adhesive layer.

Figure 11 is a front view showing that the composite depicted in Figure 10 is thermally compressed between heating elements.

Figure 12 is an exploded end view of a plate formed in accordance with the present invention, with a decorative material layer bonded to the outer sheet of the plate.

Figure 13 is an exploded end view of the plate shown in Figure 12, compressed between the hot pressing elements.

Fig. 14 is an end view of the plate shown in Fig. 12, the plate has a divider, the divider has an asymmetrical partition, and the plate is fully expanded.

Figure 15 is an end view similar to Figure 14 with the plate partially compressed.

Figure 16 is an end view similar to Figure 15 with the plate slightly compressed further.

Figure 17 is an end view similar to Figure 16 with the plate fully compressed.

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

Figure 19 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the plate shown in Figure 18.

Figure 20 is an isometric view of the plate shown in Figure 18 in a fully compressed condition.

Figure 21 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the plate seen in Figure 20.

Figure 22 is an isometric view of multiple plates stacked together in compression.

Figure 23 is an isometric view of the plate shown in Figure 22 in an expanded condition.

Fig. 24 is an enlarged and exploded end view of the plate shown in Fig. 14. The plate has end supports to prevent the plate from bending.

Fig. 25 is an exploded section taken along the line 25-25 of Fig. 24.

Figure 26 is an exploded isometric view, partially removed, showing an end support at one end of the plate and a second end support mounted on the opposite end of the plate.

Figure 27 is an exploded vertical section through a portion of the plate, showing an alternative embodiment of the divider, where the divider includes an inner layer of metal foil.

Figure 28 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 27 through a plate, showing yet another alternative configuration of the divider in which a metal foil is applied to the outer surface of the divider.

Figure 29 is a transverse section through the plate shown in Figure 14, with the top surface of the plate compressed.

Fig. 30 is a cross section taken along the line 30-30 of Fig. 29.

Fig. 31 is an end view of the plate shown in Fig. 14, which is recessed upward in a curved shape.

FIG. 32 is an end view of the plate according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the partitions of the divider are symmetrical, rather than asymmetrical as shown in FIG. 31.

Fig. 33 is an isometric view showing a plate according to the present invention, in which the connecting device is an elongated wire or fiber, which is fixed to the divider away from the outer plate.

Figure 34 is an enlarged isometric view showing part of the plate depicted in Figure 33.

Fig. 35 is an isometric view of the plate depicted in Fig. 33, the plate having been bent or curved to indent upward.

Figure 36 is an end view of a plate formed in accordance with the present invention and corresponding to the plate shown in Figure 32.

Figure 37 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 36, with the plate partially compressed.

Figure 38 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 37, with the plate fully compressed.

Figure 39 is an isometric view of the plate shown in Figure 38 in a fully compressed condition.

Figure 40 is an isometric view of a portion of the plate shown in Figure 36 in a fully compressed condition.

Figure 41 is an isometric view of a plurality of plates of the type shown in Figure 36 compressed and stacked together.

Figure 42 is an isometric view of a portion of the plates of the type shown in Figure 36, which have been stacked in a fully expanded condition.

Fig. 43 is a schematic end view of a plate with an asymmetric divider, and the dimensional characteristics are shown.

Fig. 44 is a schematic end view of a plate with a symmetrical divider, showing its dimensional characteristics.

Fig. 45 is an enlarged end view of a part of the plate of Fig. 43, showing other dimensional features.

Figure 46 is an enlarged end view of a part of the plate of Figure 44, showing other dimensional features.

Figure 47 is an end view similar to Figure 45, showing the plate compressed with force F.

Figure 48 is an end view similar to Figure 46, showing the plate compressed with force F.

Figure 49 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Figure 50 is an end view of the divider shown in Figure 49.

Figure 51 is an end view of a plate containing the plural divider shown in Figure 49 in an expanded form.

Figure 52 is a reduced end view of the plate shown in Figure 51 in compressed form.

Figure 53 is an isometric view of yet another embodiment of a divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Figure 54 is an end view of the divider shown in Figure 53.

Fig. 55 is an end view of the plate in accordance with the present invention and using the divider of Fig. 53 in an expanded form of the plate.

Figure 56 is a reduced end view of the plate of Figure 55 in compressed form.

Figure 57 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Figure 58 is an end view of the divider shown in Figure 57.

Fig. 59 is an end view of the plate using the divider of Fig. 57, and the plate is shown in an expanded form.

Figure 60 is a reduced end view of the plate shown in Figure 59 in compressed form.

Figure 61 is an isometric view of yet another divider used in the plates of the present invention.

Fig. 62 is an end view of the divider shown in Fig. 61;

Fig. 63 is an end view of the plate using the divider shown in Fig. 61, with the plate in an expanded form.

Figure 64 is a reduced end view of the plate shown in Figure 63 in compressed form.

Figure 65 is an exploded isometric view of the plate similar to that shown in Figure 1. The plate has been rigidized by providing additional dividers at the ends of the plate that extend perpendicular to the main divider.

Figure 66 is a side view of the plate shown in Figure 65.

Figure 67 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 65.

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

Figure 69 is an isometric view of the plate formed as in Figure 68, with the plate in a fully compressed state.

Figure 70 is a side view of the plate shown in Figure 69.

Figure 71 is an end view similar to Figure 68, with the plates slightly expanded further.

Figure 72 is an isometric view of the plate of Figure 68, the plate has been bent at a right angle and the plate is fully expanded.

Figure 73 is an end view of the plate shown in Figure 72.

Figure 74 is an exploded isometric view of one end of the plate, with a section of the plate partially cut away.

Fig. 75 is an exploded isometric view similar to Fig. 74, with the partially cut-out section of the plate compressed and positioned for receiving a long clip.

Figure 76 is an exploded isometric view similar to Figures 74 and 75, showing that the clip has been installed on the compression section of the plate.

Figure 77 is an exploded isometric view similar to Figure 76, with the clip mounted on the compressed section of the panel folded upward.

Figure 78 is an exploded isometric view similar to Figure 77, in which the clip mounted on the compressed section of the plate has been folded 90° against the new end of the plate.

Fig. 79 is an enlarged and exploded cross-section taken along the line 79-79 of Fig. 78.

Figure 80 is an exploded isometric view of an alternative configuration of a ceiling system in which the panels are suspended rather than supported by a support grid.

Figure 81 is an isometric view of the panels used in the ceiling system shown in Figure 80.

Figure 82 is an isometric view of one end of the clamping member used in Figure 81.

Figure 83 is an exploded isometric view of the clip of Figure 82, which is mounted on the longitudinal end of the plate shown in Figure 81.

Fig. 84 is an enlarged and exploded longitudinal section taken along the line 84-84 of Fig. 80.

Fig. 85 is an enlarged and exploded cross-section taken along the line 85-85 of Fig. 80.

Fig. 86 is an exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 85, with traditional sound-proof tiles separated from their supporting relationship with the supporting member.

Fig. 87 is an exploded horizontal vertical section taken through the plate of Fig. 81, showing the outer plate extending from the longitudinal side edge of the plate.

Fig. 88 is an exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 87, and the extended outer sheet is folded upwards and bonded to the longitudinal end of the sheet of Fig. 81.

Figure 89 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 88, with the plates slightly compressed.

Figure 90 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 89, with the plates further compressed.

Figure 91 is an exploded vertical section similar to Figure 90, with the plate substantially fully compressed.

Figure 92 is an exploded longitudinal vertical section showing the outer sheet extending longitudinally from one end of the plate of Figure 81.

Fig. 93 is a longitudinal exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 92, with a stiffer strip supported on the outer panel extension.

Fig. 94 is a longitudinal exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 93, with a clip fixed to the outer panel extension.

Fig. 95 is a longitudinal exploded vertical section similar to Fig. 94, the clip is folded upward to cover the longitudinal ends of the plate.

Figures 92A-95A are views similar to Figures 92-95, showing an alternative system for attaching the clip to the end of the plate. The end of the plate is compressed in a way to replace the one used in Figures 92-95 The harder bar.

Fig. 96 is an enlarged and exploded horizontal vertical section taken along the line 96-96 of Fig. 81.

Fig. 97 is a transverse section with partial removal, showing the removal of a divider to facilitate the folding of the panels.

Figure 98 is a transverse section, some parts are similar to Figure 97 but removed, as shown in

Figure 97 shows the folded panels around the space where the divider is removed.

Fig. 99 shows a comparison of sound insulation between a plate according to the present invention and other plates.

Description of the preferred embodiment

The compressed structure plate 50 of the present invention is shown approximately most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 12, and includes a plurality of collapsible and preferably parallel dividers or beams 52, which extend on an outer sheet 54 (not shown in FIG. 1 Show) and a connecting piece 56 between. A decorative sheet 58, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 12, can be arranged to cover the outer sheet 54 face to face. As explained in more detail later, the plate can be compressed from its normal expanded state shown in FIGS. 1 and 12 to a completely collapsed or compressed state shown in FIG. 17. The plates can also be bent in a transverse direction, as will be explained in more detail below, but they can be rigidized to avoid bending in any direction. The plates are mostly composed of air, so they are very light and easy to handle.

The slab 50 has many possible uses in building structures. For example, it can be used as a wall slab, a fixed ceiling slab, a slab for hanging a ceiling, or the like. It can be understood from the following description that the plates can be made into different sizes, and compared with the traditional plates used in building structures, some of the sizes may be very large. In this disclosure, the plates are shown in a traditional size and used for the suspended ceiling shown in FIG. 2.

In a typical suspended ceiling system, the grid of an elongated inverted T-shaped support member 60, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, is traditionally supported by the ceiling to define a rectangular opening 62 and a surrounding support edge 64. The support edge 64 is Around the opening where ceiling tiles or slabs 50 can be placed. Conventional ceiling panels that cannot be bent or are easy to bend are difficult to insert into the rectangular opening 62, and because they are also brittle, they are damaged many times or cracked when inserted. It can be understood from the following description that the plate of the present invention can be bent by nature to facilitate its insertion into the rectangular opening in the suspended ceiling system, and once positioned, it will reside in the desired flat plane direction.

It can be seen most clearly from Fig. 12 that the divider 52 is formed by individual strips of material 66 (Fig. 4), which have been pre-folded and folded into the desired configuration, so that when the panel 50 is incorporated, it collapses laterally. This allows the plate to be compressed when needed. The divider is fixed to the connecting piece 56 along its top part and to the outer piece 54 along its bottom part. The connection is preferably achieved with an adhesive 68, but other systems for connecting parts are those familiar with this technique. Obviously easy to know. The outer sheet is bonded or fixed to the decorative sheet 58 in a face-to-face relationship, which is the sheet exposed to the building structure-the board is incorporated in it-the inner sheet. A sheet can be defined as one or more pieces of material that are interlocked, bonded, welded, or connected to define a wide and expanded surface. The decorative sheet can be any material, such as real or synthetic wood, vinyl, patterned or contoured paper, foil, polyester, other synthetic materials, cloth, non-woven fabric, or the like. Of course, the choice of this material is usually used for the desired interior decoration, which incorporates ceiling panels, but it can also be selected on the basis of its sound insulation.

In the disclosed embodiment, the outer sheet 54, the connecting sheet 56 and the divider 52 may-but not necessarily-be made of the same material. The material can be a fiberglass sheet, which is composed of fiberglass in any direction bonded together in a resin. As will be explained in more detail later, the resin can be a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin, depending on the desired characteristics of the sheet. The adhesive 68 used to bond the various parts of the plate can typically be a thermosetting adhesive, which bonds adjacent parts when a predetermined temperature is obtained. However, suitable adhesives include polyurethane resins, copolyester hot melts, hot-melt polyurethane resins, reactive adhesives, two-part epoxy resins, two-part urethane resins, and RTV Siloxane. The divider 52 shown most clearly in cross-section in FIG. 12 may be formed by a continuous strip of material together, but in the disclosed embodiment, it is an individual divider of a long cell-like or tubular structure. Each divider is formed from a strip 66 of material, such as fiberglass, in the manner shown in Figs. 4-11.

In Fig. 4, a front view of the flat strip 66 before entering the crimp is shown. In the crimping device, as seen in FIG. 5, the material passes between the crimping wheel 70 and the supporting roller 72, so that a longitudinally extending crease 74 is formed in the material at a predetermined lateral separation position. In a preferred system, the crimping wheel has an arched creasing edge with a diameter of about 1/32" to support the 90 durometer hardness of the roller system. With this device, an effective fold line is generated without cutting the material, or At least it will not damage much-if any-fiberglass, so as to maintain elasticity in the material. It can be understood that from the left side of the material strip shown in Figure 5, a crease 74a is located near the left edge of the top surface, and the other The crease 74b is located in the top surface and is slightly separated to the left from the center. Between these two positions, a crease 74c is located in the bottom surface of the strip. The corresponding crease is located on the right side of the strip, so that the strip is on the When leaving the crimping device, six creases are formed in it, as shown in Figure 6. Then, the material strip 66 is folded upward and along the longitudinal folds, as shown in Figures 7, 8 and 8A, so that the side of the strip The edge 76 meets at the center position on the top of the divider 52. Preferably, the breaking diameter of the fibers in the material (breaking diameter diameter) is less than the total thickness of the folded material, so that during the folding, the fiber suffers minimal-if any-damage. When so formed, the divider forms a long tube or cell, which is composed of two opposite truncated triangles 78 and 80. The bottom of the lower triangle 78 is wider than the upper triangle 80. The fiberglass material from which the divider is made is semi-rigid, so that it can be flexed and folded along the creasing line 74, but remains substantially flat between the folds. Applying the cells formed in FIG. 7 in the vertical direction can cause the parts of the cells to collapse, so that the divider becomes a compressed structure, as shown in FIG. 8. In the compressed structure, the adhesive 68 can be applied to the top and bottom of the divider, and the adhesive is preferably a thermosetting or thermoplastic adhesive applied in any different manner, which is easy for those familiar with the art to understand.

As seen in Fig. 10, the divider 52 applied on and underneath it with the adhesive 68 then passes between the outer sheet 54 and the connecting sheet 56, and as seen in Fig. 11, the entire layer sheet is then compressed between the heating plates 82, which It activates the adhesive 68 under the condition of a thermoplastic adhesive, or acts as a catalyst under the condition of a thermosetting adhesive. If a thermosetting adhesive is selected, the subsequent heat can be used to increase its curing rate.

If a thermosetting resin is used for the fiberglass in the bonding strip 66 and the material sheets 54 and 56, after being compressed and bonded together, the sheet 50 will naturally expand to its pre-formed condition, as shown in FIG. 12. If the fiberglass resin is a thermoplastic resin, it will remain compressed, but only needs to be reheated, and the strip will expand spontaneously by heating. The heat can be applied, for example, with a hair dryer. In any case, the plate can expand spontaneously, or selectively expand to a desired height or thickness.

Although the modification of the materials for manufacturing the divider 52, the outer sheet 54 and the connecting sheet 56 is obvious to those who are familiar with this technique, and in fact they can be made of different materials, in terms of this disclosure, regarding the external and For connecting pieces and dividers, the following materials have been found to be satisfactory.

JM type 8802-100GSM (glass mat with thermoplastic resin) or JM type MF5020GSM (glass mat with thermosetting resin), each manufactured by Johns-Manville, Denver, Colorado; or Ahlstrom, Karhula, Finland The Ahlstrom type 51 50 GSM (glass structure with thermosetting resin).

Other materials can also serve as an outer sheet or connecting piece, but cannot serve as a divider. On the contrary, there are certain materials that can serve as a divider, but cannot serve as an outer piece or connecting piece. For example, the outer sheet and the connecting sheet can be one of many different sheet-type materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, polyester, other synthetic materials, or the like. It does not even need to have structural stability, because this stability is given to the plates by the divider. On the other hand, although the divider is preferably made of fiber glass, it can be made of carbon fiber mat, some paper, cardboard, woven material, film or a combination thereof. The important characteristic is that they have a predetermined elasticity. The modulus, similar to the specific materials mentioned above, allows them to be folded but remains elastic. If the material is to be crimped to define the fold line, as described above in relation to the fiberglass material, it is important that the material maintains the modulus of elasticity after it has been crimped, which of course holds true for fiberglass or carbon fiber materials.

It can be seen from FIG. 13 that the decorative sheet 58 can also be placed between the outer sheet 54 and the hot press 82, with a suitable adhesive 66 interposed therebetween, so that the decorative sheet is adhered to the outer sheet in a face-to-face relationship. Of course, the resulting plate is shown in Figure 12. When bonding the decorative sheet to the outer sheet and the above-mentioned substitutes, a porous decorative sheet can be used, which is bonded to the cover sheet in a grid or printed dot pattern. This will allow the laminate to pass or transmit sound more freely. Conversely, if a continuous adhesive layer is used to combine the decorative sheet and the cover sheet, the transmission of sound through the laminate can be reduced. Through the lamination process, a relatively unstable decorative sheet can be made flat and stable, and the resulting flat surface may also provide resistance beyond the impact and perforation of the cover sheet. It can be understood that by changing the outer sheet material, the strip material, the adhesive, the connecting sheet, the spacing between the sheets-the way is to combine the assembly together-or the like, the sound insulation of the sheet can be changed.

Other materials can also be close to the cover or laminated to the connecting sheet 56. For example, the film can be applied over the connecting sheet or a sheet of non-fibrous glass material additionally laminated to it. The plates in this case can be handled without gloves because the fiberglass is abrasive or harmful to exposed skin. In addition, the film or laminate used for the connection sheet 56 may be printed with the manufacturer's identification symbol or measurement grid to facilitate cutting the sheet to a desired size. In addition, as described in relation to the outer sheet 54 as in the former, a porous layer or film may also be covered on the connecting sheet for sound insulation.

As mentioned, many materials can be used in the present invention, but in a preferred mode, the connecting piece and the divider are made of the same material, which is a fiberglass mat manufactured by Johns-Manville, and the mat is made of JohnS-Manville is marked as No. 5802 or No. 5803. 5802 is a 120g/m² pad composed of 10% PET/65% 16-micron glass/25% MF. 5803 is a 100 g/m² pad composed of 12% PET/68% 16-micron glass I20% MF. MF is an abbreviation for melamine formaldehyde resin, which exhibits the characteristics of a thermosetting resin. PET is an abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate. The divider made of 5802 or 5803 material has the ability to expand with little or no heat after it has been crimped and folded as described above and after it has been fully compressed. JOhnS _- A more complete description of Manvi11e products and related products can 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 sheet is a beautiful and pleasing composite laminate of textile materials, which has been laminated on a wave of glass non-woven base using a copolyester hot-melt adhesive. Three different laminates are equally preferred. The first laminate uses a heat-bonded polyester non-woven substrate with a basis weight in the range of 45 to 75 grams per square meter, and is available from Hollingsworth and Vose of Floyd, West Virginia. The adhesive pattern used to heat-bond the polyester fiber to the non-woven substrate becomes a visual pattern on the bottom surface of the outer sheet. When using a small dot bonding pattern with a bonding area of about 7%, the preferred polyester non-woven material is labeled TR2315A-B by H011iugsworth and vose. When using a dot bonding pattern with a large bonding area of about 21% s0, the preferred material is the one labeled TR2864C1 by Hollingswort and Vose. Then, any non-woven substrate is screened and coated with an acrylic adhesive/flame retardant coated with an additional weight of 15 to 25 grams per square meter. The coating can be planned to increase the durability of the non-woven substrate and increase flame retardancy. Then, the polyester nonwoven substrate can be passed through a hot-melt roll coater/laminator, where one is from EMSChemie North America of North Carolina, for example. Sumter's flame-retardant copolyester adhesives are applied on the surface of polyester non-woven substrates or materials to be coated on them. The coating weight of this adhesive depends on the strength of the bond between the polyester non-woven substrate and the glass non-woven material. Generally, it has been found that adhesives with a basis weight in the range of 30 to 45 g/m² are what is desired. The gravure printing roller-preferably with a 25×25 cross pattern on it-is used to compressively laminate the glass non-woven fabric on the polyester non-woven substrate. The depth engraved on the gravure printing roller is the main variable, which is related to the weight of the adhesive applied per unit area. The adhesive formula obtained from EMS Chemie is a 50:50 mixture of the two materials, and the materials are labeled by EMS as Grilltex D1573G and Grilltex VP1692G. EMS GrilltexVP1692G is a compound containing 25% organophosphorus flame retardant. The resulting 50:50 mixture produced a final flame retardant load of approximately 13.5%. After the adhesive is applied to the surface of the polyester fabric, the adhesive remains molten until it reaches the nip of the roll coater/laminator, where it is combined with the glass fabric. The glass nonwoven fabric is preferably the aforementioned 5802 (120 grams/square meter) mat sold by Johns-Manville, the glass nonwoven fabric from Ahlstrom and labeled GFT-413G10-60-1300 (60 grams/square meter) or From Ahlstrom and labeled as GFT-413G10-80 _- L300 (80 g/m²) non-woven glass matting material. The composite ply made of the aforementioned materials is translucent in nature, and this property and the ability of light to travel down the length of the cell (the cell line is defined between the dividers in a finished plate) can lead to A shadow is seen in the area where the two cells meet.

When needed, the shadow can be reduced by using a beautiful material instead of the aforementioned polyester non-woven fabric. The beautiful material has silver, gray or black on its back side. The back side is the one that receives the hot-melt adhesive and is then laminated on the glass non-woven mat. Coloring reduces the amount of light that can travel down the cell and travel up through the surface, thus reducing the shadow effect.

The aesthetic material replaced by one of the above-mentioned polyester fabrics is a woven material with a silver, gray or black appearance on one side. To achieve this, a woven material from Gilford technical textiles in Greensboro, North Carolina has been used. The woven material is composed of two different types of yarns in a single woven structure. The preferred yarns used are nylon and polyester. Nylon yarn is mainly visible on one side of the matt, while polyester is on the other side. The woven material is "cross-dyed" with black dye. The black dye has nylon affinity while keeping the polyester white. It is also possible to add flame retardants and detergents to the dye bath formulation. Then, the woven fabric is stabilized, and melamine resin is added to harden the fabric. Then, the woven material can be passed through a roll coater/laminator to laminate the woven material to the glass non-woven material as described for the polyester fiber material. The preferred gravure printing roller pattern used in this situation is one with a random computerized dot pattern, which is known in the industry. When the silver, gray, or black side of the braid is laminated to the glass non-woven material, the light transmittance through the laminate is reduced due to the presence of the darker layer. The visual appearance of the surface is unique because it mimics the appearance of perforated metal ceiling panels. You can also laminate the white side of the woven material to the glass non-woven material. When doing so, the appearance of the woven laminate imitates the metal screening material and eliminates the shadow effect.

Another way to reduce reflected light and cast shadows is to use colored black, gray or silver glass non-woven materials. If a matte black or silver glass fabric is laminated to the aforementioned polyester fiber mat or woven mat, the shadow effect can also be reduced.

It must also be noted that the coloring of the beautiful material, whether it is polyester fiber matting or woven material, can be obtained by printing or coating the material with a colored paint. This involves a one-step printing or coating step, which will increase the cost. The use of colored or matt adhesives can also serve as a low-cost solution for the shading of aesthetic materials and/or increased surface whiteness.

Figures 14-17 show the combined panel 50 in a gradually compressed state, Figure 14 shows the panel in a fully expanded state, and Figure 17 shows a fully collapsed or compressed state.

An isometric view of the plate 50 is shown in FIG. 18, and an enlarged view thereof is shown in FIG. 19. It can be easily understood that the dividers 52 are equally spaced from each other, are parallel to each other and extend in the longitudinal direction of the plate. Of course, individually, in FIGS. 18 and 19, the plate is fully expanded, while the plate is shown fully compressed in the corresponding views 20 and 21.

One of the problems with traditional ceiling panels is that they maintain the same size and thickness during transportation, installation and use. One of the desired characteristics of the panel of the present invention is that when the panel has a predetermined static thickness, which may be equivalent to the thickness of a traditional ceiling panel when it is fully expanded, it can be compressed for transportation, so that it is very Multiple plates can be packed in a container for transportation, thus improving transportation costs considerably. When the slabs are removed from the shipping container, if thermosetting resins are used for fiber glass materials, they will expand naturally, and if thermoplastic fibers are used, they can expand by heating. Although the slab can be expanded to any desired thickness, when the better slab used in the ceiling expands as desired, the thickness may be in the range of 12 to 26 mm, depending on the extension of the slab. But it can be thicker or thinner, depending on the application, and when fully compressed, the thickness is about 3-4 mm.

As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 31, the plate 50 can be easily flexed or bent transversely to the direction in which the elongated divider 52 extends to facilitate the insertion of the plate into a supporting structure such as a suspended ceiling. In fact, if a curved plate is required for some reason, the plate can be pre-formed in a curved structure so that it becomes its static structure. The plates cannot be easily flexed or bent in the opposite direction, that is, in the direction in which the divider extends, because the tubular structure of the divider prohibits this phenomenon. However, if necessary, the plate can be substantially rigidized so that the open end 86 of the tubular or cell divider is covered by placing the support member 84 along the opposite end of the plate, and the plate is prohibited. Bend in any lateral direction. The support member 84 may be a pre-formed C-shaped channel member 88 (such as plastic, aluminum, etc.) of rigid construction, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, or may be a strip of adhesive material 90, which is bonded to the plate The end, as shown in Figure 26. Although the sticky material strip has some flexibility, it has enough stiffness so that when combined at the end of the plate, it will instinctively prevent the plate from bending in the transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction of the divider. Plastic or vinyl tape or similar are examples of suitable adhesive strips. As shown in FIGS. 65-67, another option is that the divider 52a can be placed at each end of the plate to cover the open end of the parallel divider 52. The outer sheet 54 and the connecting sheet 56 extend to cover the divider 52a, and are used to rigidize the board in the crossing direction.

By setting up a cross divider (not shown) in the selected position of the entire plate, the plate can also be rigidized in the cross direction. The cross divider is perpendicular to the main divider, and its configuration may be the same or different from the cross section configuration of the main divider. Of course, the cross divider can be glued to the same plate as the main divider. The height of the divider, whether it is a main divider or a cross divider, can also be changed in the width direction of the plate to produce different structures and aesthetic effects.

In order to change the structural characteristics of the divider 52, the outer or inner surface of the divider can also be laminated with another material sheet-possibly a sheet metal material 92-which makes the material of the divider slightly more rigid, as shown in Figures 28 and 27. Show. The metal sheet also affects the thermal characteristics of the plate. Figure 27 shows a sheet metal material on a plate with a support member 88, while Figure 28 does not include the support member. Of course, the lamination process will occur during the formation of the divider, and preferably immediately before crimping.

As shown in Figures 29 and 30, the plate formed according to the above process is unique. The reason is that the pressure applied to one surface of the plate at any position will only pressurize the plate at that position, and will not cause The opposite side of the plate is deformed. The plate will also support most of its own weight, and the opposite side of the plate will not deflect. For example, a plate formed in accordance with the present invention-26 mm thick when expanded and 24 inches wide by 48 inches long-weighs approximately 9 kilograms (1.98 pounds). The plate can support a load of up to 2.9 kg (6.38 lb). It is round and 10 inches in diameter, with the smallest deflection observed on the opposite side of the plate. A point load with a diameter of approximately 2 inches and a weight of 1 kg (2.2 lbs) can also be easily absorbed by the same plate without deflection on the bottom surface.

Referring to FIGS. 33-35, a second embodiment of the plate 94 is shown, in which the connecting piece 54 has been replaced by a connector, in the form of a plurality of elongated flexible but non-extensible strips or fibers 96. These strips or fibers can be plastic, nylon, or other similar materials with the same or similar characteristics. The material strips or fibers may be bonded or bonded to the tubular divider 52' and extend laterally to that, and the fibers are preferably separated from each other in a parallel relationship. The thus-formed plate 94 can be easily flexed or bent in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the divider, as shown in FIG. 35, like the aforementioned plate.

In each of the foregoing embodiments of the present invention, the divider has the same side partition 98 (FIGS. 12 and 34), which has a longitudinal folding line 100, so that when the sheet is compressed, the side partitions collapse inward . Thus, the side partitions respectively define upper and lower portions 98a and 98b, which are rectangular in structure, but the size of the upper portion 98a is smaller than the lower portion 98b. This configuration can be referred to as an asymmetric configuration, where the upper part and the lower part of the divider are of different sizes.

The third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 36-42. In this embodiment, the plate 102 is the same as that shown in FIG. 12, but the partition 104 in the divider 105 has a symmetrical structure. In other words, the plate 102 includes an outer plate 54' and a connecting plate 56' connected to each other by a divider with a partition, and when necessary, may include a decorative plate 58' covering the outer plate. However, the arrangement along the fold line 106 of the partition 104 is such that the upper rectangular portion 104a and the lower rectangular portion 104b of each partition are of the same size. The plate 102 can be compressed again.

The compressed and expanded form of the plate 102 shown in Figs. 36-38 is equiangularly shown in Figs. 39 and 40, and it can be understood that the plate can be fully compressed to a depth or contour, which is much smaller than its normal expansion.

As shown in Figures 41 and 42, when the plates are stacked, a considerable amount of space can be saved by compressing the plates. Of course, it saves considerable practicality during transportation. The reason is that more plates can be compared with traditional ceiling plates. Compressed in a container and transported.

One of the advantages of using a symmetrical divider is the elimination of telegraphing, which may exist in the compressed plate if it is not carefully taken care of. Embossing is a phenomenon. When a plate is pressed tightly against other parts of the plate, such as a divider or a divider, it may occur in a compressed plate of the type described here. If the pressure is too large or the divider exerts too much resistance, the pattern can be seen through the sheet where the divider is fixed.

Referring to Figure 17, it shows a plate with an asymmetric divider. It can be understood that there is a gap between the plates-along their connection with the connecting piece, but when a symmetrical divider is used, the gap is almost Does not exist, as can be seen most clearly in Figure 38. Therefore, in a plate using a symmetrical divider, as shown in Fig. 38, imprinting is visually eliminated regardless of the pressure applied to the plate. However, it should also be understood that in the plates of the present invention with symmetrical or asymmetrical dividers, there is less tendency to imprint, because when the connecting pieces are forced downward against the divider, they do not resist pressure. It is only compressed, so that an appropriate pressure for bonding the connecting piece to the divider can be applied without imprinting.

By changing the position of the fold line 106 in each side partition of a divider 105, the resistance of the plate to compression can also be adjusted. For example, in the static expansion position of an asymmetric plate 50, such as that disclosed as the first embodiment of the present invention and shown in FIGS. 43 and 45, an obtuse angle (a) is formed in the side partition 98, which is larger than that shown in FIG. 46 Shows the corresponding angle (d) in the partition 104 of the symmetrical plate. However, the height A of each plate during expansion is the same. Please also note the difference in the lengths B and C of the upper and lower sections 98a and 98b of the asymmetric divider side divider. In the symmetric divider shown in FIG. 46, the upper divider 104a and the lower divider 104b have different lengths. The length D is the same.

The larger the angle (a) or (d) in the side partition, the greater the resistance to compressing the plate, as shown in FIGS. 47 and 48. As shown in FIGS. 47 and 48, an equal force F is applied to the asymmetric divider plate 50 of FIG. 47 and the symmetric divider plate 102 of FIG. 48, and it can be seen that the same amount of force makes the symmetrical divider plate Compress a larger number of tablets. This is because the corners in the side partition of the symmetrical divider plate are smaller than the corners in the asymmetrical divider plate.

The illustration is not restrictive. In a plate formed according to the present invention, it has been found to provide satisfactory performance, and the outer plate, connecting plate and divider are all made of 100GSM JOhns Manville#8802 glass matting material, the parameters indicated in Figures 43 to 46 fall within the following range: X=5 to 10 mm S=20 to 40 mm A=15 to 26 mm B=8 to 10 mm C=13.5 to 17 mm D=13.5 to 15 mm a=100 to 120 degrees b=100 to 120 degrees In another alternative embodiment 108 of the plate according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 51 and 52, the aforementioned The connecting piece of the embodiment is eliminated by the single divider 110. As can be seen most clearly in Figures 49 and 50, the divider 110 is generally an hourglass structure, defining two opposite truncated triangular regions 112 and 114, which are similar to the first illustrated embodiment of the present invention, but the divider There is a long horizontal leg at the top, which is suitable for overlapping an adjacent divider to have a segmented connecting piece 116 composed of a plurality of interconnecting strips defined by the horizontal top leg of the divider. Although the divider 110 has been shown to be asymmetrical, in fact, it can have a symmetrical structure similar to that shown in the third illustrated embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the divider has a base 118, a left side partition 120, and a right side partition 122, and each side partition has a horizontal leg 124 and 126 on its top. Both of the side partitions have a creasing line 128, so that when pressure is applied to the top or bottom of the divider, the side partitions will collapse. The horizontal top leg 126 of the right divider is about one third of the width of the divider at its top, but the horizontal leg 124 from the left divider is slightly longer than the base 118 of the divider so that it covers and overlaps The horizontal top leg 122 of the right divider.

It can be seen most clearly in FIG. 51, when the plural dividers 110 are arranged in a closely adjacent or consecutive side-by-side relationship, the top horizontal leg 124 from the left divider 120 extends beyond the right divider 122, and is opposite to the right Next, the top horizontal leg 124 of the left side partition 120 of an adjacent partition becomes an overlapping relationship. The overlapping horizontal top legs 124 from the left side partition thus together form a segmented and integral connecting piece. Of course, the top horizontal leg 124 from the left divider of each divider is glued to the top horizontal leg 126 from the right divider, and it is also glued to the top horizontal leg 124 from the left divider of the divider-which is next to To its right. A cover sheet 130 is fixed to the base 118 of each divider to interconnect with the divider along their base. Of course, when necessary, a decorative sheet (not shown) can be fixed under the outer sheet or a segmented connecting sheet .

Another embodiment 132 of a plate formed according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 53-55. In this embodiment, the divider 134 itself is not a cell shape, but a strip of material, which has been folded into a zigzag pattern and fixed on Between an outer sheet 136 and a connecting sheet 138, a cell-shaped compressed sheet is formed. First look at Figures 53 and 54, the divider 134 is formed by a strip of material, which has an outer parallel creasing line 140 and an inner parallel creasing line 142, but the outer creasing line is folded in opposite directions, and the inner creasing line is folded in opposite directions . A pair of joining surfaces or boundary areas 144 and 146 are thus defined between the outer creasing line 140 of the strip and the side connecting edge 148, which can be individually fixed to the outer sheet and the connecting sheet in any suitable manner. Among these boundary areas of the divider, one of the dividers has two inner folds in the middle portion 150 to allow the strip to collapse when lateral pressure is applied to either boundary area. The plate 132 equipped with the divider 134 of FIGS. 53 and 54 is shown in FIGS. 55 and 56 in expanded and compressed conditions, respectively.

Another divider 152 is shown in FIGS. 57 and 58 for the plate 154, which is shown in expanded and collapsed states in FIGS. 59 and 60, respectively. The divider 152 as seen in Figures 57 and 58 includes a pair of parallel outer creasing lines 156, which have folds in the same direction, separated inwardly from the side edge 158 of a strip of material forming the divider, and include a parallel outer The third middle creasing line 160 between creasing lines. An upper boundary area 162 is defined between a connecting edge of the material strip and one of the outer creasing lines, and a second, much larger lower boundary area 164 is defined along the bottom of the divider at the relevant connecting edge and adjacent creasing lines of the material strip between. A fold in the opposite direction is provided at the middle fold line 160, so that the divider has upper and lower boundary areas of different widths, when viewed in FIG. 8, the two protrude to the right from their adjacent fold line 156. The upper boundary area 162 of each divider is fixed to the connecting piece 166 at parallel and evenly spaced positions, and the lower boundary area 164 can extend to the right and overlap a small part of the next adjacent divider on the right. The overlapping lower boundary areas are fixed to each other, thereby forming a one-piece segmented outer sheet 168 formed by the plural lower boundary areas of the individual dividers. Of course, a decorative sheet (not shown) can be placed on the lower boundary area of the interconnection or above the connecting sheet to change the appearance of the sheet.

A similar embodiment 170 of the divider is shown in FIGS. 61-64, in which, again, a strip of material is provided with an outer creasing line 172 and an intermediate creasing line 174 therebetween, and upper and lower boundary areas 176 and 178 define Between the edge 180 of the strip and the outer press fold line 172. The folding at the outer creasing line 172 is in the opposite direction of the folding along the middle creasing line 174, so that both the outer and lower boundary areas protrude horizontally to the right, as seen in FIG. 62. It can be understood that the two horizontal areas extend horizontally across the middle fold line 174, and can overlap the lower boundary area of the adjacent divider on the right, so that they can be fixed to each other in any suitable manner, forming an expanded state shown in the figure. 63 and the plate shown in Figure 64 in a compressed state.

In yet another embodiment of the plate 182 made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, as seen in FIGS. 68-73, the plate again has an outer piece 54, a connecting piece 56 and a plurality of dividers 184 extending therebetween. It can be seen most clearly in Figs. 68 and 71. The divider 184a in one part of the plate has a Z-shaped cross-section, and the divider 184b in another part of the plate has an inverted Z-shaped cross-section. At the position 186 where the direction of the divider changes, the slab can be bent at a right angle, as seen in Figures 72 and 73, so that the slab can, for example, follow the right-angled contour of the building component on which the slab is installed. For example, the plate can be wrapped around a rectangular ventilation pipe, the type of the ventilation pipe can be seen in the house, and it is used to guide forced air or the like.

Referring again to Figures 68 and 71, in the right part of the plate, it can be understood that the divider 184a is a Z-shaped section to define an upper horizontal leg 188-which extends to the left, and a lower horizontal leg 190-which extends to the right. And a diagonal line connecting the leg 192-it connects the right edge of the upper leg to the lower leg. The left edge. The Z-shaped divider 184a is of course similar to the foregoing, and is formed by arranging the creasing line in the strip of material made of the divider and then folding the strip of material along the creasing line. The reverse Z-shaped divider 184b on the left side of the plate certainly has an upper horizontal leg 194-extending to the right, a lower horizontal leg 196-extending to the left, and a diagonal connecting leg 198-from the top The left edge of the leg extends to the right edge of the lower leg.

It can be seen most clearly in Figs. 68 and 71-73. At the position 186 where the direction of the divider changes (near the center of the plate shown), the plate can be folded at a right angle. Then, the plate can be fully expanded, as shown in Figures 72 and 73, so that the legs of the divider are perpendicular to each other, thereby forming rectangular cells.

Referring to Figures 68 and 69, it can be understood that the plates can also be compressed, as in the previous embodiments of plates made in accordance with the present invention.

The plates can also be rigidized in a cross direction, as shown in Figures 74-79. It can be understood that a section of the plate near one end of the plate can be cut at part 89 by cutting through the connecting piece 56 and the divider 52 (in the direction transverse to the length of the divider) without cutting the outer piece 54. This cutting forms a small strip of material 91 that can be independently compressed as shown in FIG. 75 to receive a rigidized clip 93. The rigidized clip in the disclosed embodiment has a substantially J-shaped cross-section, and has a long side 95, an isolated parallel short shaft 97, a connecting wall 99 interconnecting the corresponding edges of the long and short sides, and an edge The opposite edge of the connecting wall 99 hangs down from the long side of the lip 101. The clamp is installed on the compressed material strip and clamps the material in a compressed state. The clip and compressed material can then be folded upwards, as shown in Figures 77 and 78, to create rigidity along the ends of the plates. Of course, when necessary, the rigidized material strip can be glued and fixed in position after it has been folded upwards, as shown in Figures 78 and 79.

The clip-the appropriate modification of which is obvious to those familiar with the art-can also serve as a mounting clip for suspending the plate from the ceiling support member (not shown), in a style such as that described in the co-pending review Application No. 08/752,957, which was filed on April 10, 2000, is titled "A Covering System and Plates Used in the System", and its ownership is the same as that of the present invention. The case is attached here for reference.

From the above description of each embodiment of the present invention, it can be understood that each splitter has exclusive characteristics that can be incorporated into other embodiments. Purely by way of example, the upper and lower parts of the side partitions of each divider or the upper and lower parts of the wall separating the upper and lower boundary regions may be of the same or different sizes to define symmetrical and asymmetrical dividers. In addition, only changing the corners in the side partitions of the divider can make one plate more compressible than the others. Similarly, by separating the dividers by a greater distance, the plates will be easier to bend toward the dividers in the lateral direction. The depth of the divider will also affect the strength of the plate (assuming other parameters remain unchanged), so that by increasing the depth of the plate, the length and width of the plate (ie, the degree of extension) can be significantly enlarged without Change the strength or bonding characteristics of the plates. Moreover, as mentioned above, by laminating different types of decorative sheets to the outer sheet of the board, many beautiful and sound insulation properties can be produced, so that different colors, patterns, textures or the like can be produced to the interior of the room where the board is used. .

From the above description, it can be understood that the material of the outer sheet, the connecting sheet or the divider can be changed to achieve different characteristics of the board. For example, the material can be changed to obtain different sound insulation characteristics of the sheet, or to obtain different light transmission characteristics. Moreover, the material can be flame-retardant to prevent fire from spreading in the building where the panels are being used. It is also possible to use different materials for the plates, and-for example, the cover sheet or the connecting sheet is made of the same or different materials, and the divider is also made of the same or different material as one of the covering sheet or the connecting sheet. The divider itself can be made of different materials in a single plate. For example, a specific divider can be provided to obtain the elasticity and compression characteristics of the plate, and other dividers can be provided to change the sound insulation, light transmission or flame retardancy of the plate. Moreover, the panels can be stacked in the building structure to change the sound insulation or light transmission characteristics of the panels.

Although the aforementioned slabs have been mainly described as being used to replace traditional acoustic tiles supported on the T-shaped support members of the suspended ceiling grid, the slabs can be slightly modified so that they can also be suspended on the same T-shaped support members. It can be understood that by suspending the slab of the present invention on the T-shaped support member 60, the slab can be used to replace or replace the soundproof tiles placed or supported on the top of the T-shaped support member 60 by removing or not removing. Update the existing ceiling system.

A panel 200 modified to be suspended or supported by a T-shaped support member 60 is shown in FIGS. 80-96, and the plurality of panels shown in FIG. It can be understood that each plate 200 is of the aforementioned general type, and as seen in Figs. The cell divider is preferably, as described above, compressible, and is best seen in Figs. 87-91. It is formed of individual strips of material that have been crimped and folded to define the elongated tube. It has two truncated triangular regions 210 and 212 that are superimposed on each other. The divider 208 has a collapsible middle side wall 214, and the middle side wall 214 has a fold line 216, which allows the side wall to collapse inward as shown in Figures 89-91, or expand outward as shown in Figures 87 and 88, depending on many conditions Depending on the situation, it includes the type of adhesive used to manufacture the fiberglass matting material of the divider and the heating and cooling process of the divider which will be described in more detail later.

Along the open end of the cell divider 208, at each end of the plate 200, as best seen in Figures 81-86, a single clip 218 is secured to the plate. The clip is elongated, and is preferably an extruded member of a rigid material such as aluminum, plastic or the like, and has a substantially reverse J-shaped structure, which is probably best seen in FIG. 82. Therefore, they define a vertical main flat body 220 with a lower protruding lip 222 from the bottom edge of the main body. An upper downwardly open hook-shaped channel 224 extends from the upper edge of the main body. Furthermore, a second or horizontally open hook-shaped channel 226 is formed along the upper edge, which protrudes from the main body in the direction opposite to the lip 222. An obliquely protruding rib 228 extends downwardly from the upper edge of the main body below the horizontally open hook-shaped channel 226.

Referring to Figures 92-95, the clip 218 is fixed to the end of the plate 200 by notching the end of the plate, as described above, so that the outer plate 204 protrudes from the opposite end of the plate or the outer plate longitudinally, or , The outer sheet can be made slightly longer or wider than the rest of the plate, so that it naturally protrudes from the opposite end and the opposite side, as shown in Figures 87 and 92, and defines the outer sheet longitudinal extension 230 and the outer sheet side To extension 232. A long straight hardened strip 234, which can be made of plastic, aluminum, cardboard or the like, is adhered to the top surface of the outer sheet longitudinal extension 230, where it protrudes from the end of the sheet, and then, by hardening the strip The longitudinal extension of the outer panel is inserted into the downwardly opened J-shaped channel 224 adjacent to the main body, and the lip 222 is hung above the innermost edge of the hardening member, and the clip is placed above the longitudinal extension of the outer panel and the stiffening strip, such as Shown in Figure 94. When the clip is arranged in this way, the outer panel longitudinal extension 230, the hardened strip 234 and the clip 218 can be folded upwards, as shown in FIG. Up to rib 228. Then, the horizontally opened J-shaped channel 226 can be glued or fixed to the connecting piece 206 to support the clip at the position shown in FIG. 95.

The diagonal ribs 228 of each clip protrude below the connecting piece 206 to support the plate in a fully expanded position. By following the same procedure at each longitudinal end of the plate, it can be understood that each plate will have a clip, and the horizontally opened J-shaped channel 226 is arranged to be fixed to the flange of the T-shaped support member 60, such as Shown in Figures 84 and 85.

An alternative method for securing the J-clip to the end of the plate is shown in Figures 92A-95A. In an alternative system, at the open longitudinal end of a plate, a notch or slit passes downward through the open end of the connecting piece 206 and the divider 208, as shown in Figure 92A, in order to cut the connecting piece and the divider. A small gap is defined between the part and the rest of the plate. Then, the connecting piece and the divider are pressed down into a closely adjacent relationship, and the outer piece 204 and the compressed material are then inserted into the downwardly opened J-shaped channel 224 of the clip, so that the lip 222 of the clip hangs on the compressed material Above the innermost edge, as shown in Figure 94A. Then, the clip and the compressed material contained therein are folded upward as shown in FIG. 95A, and are preferably fixed in position with an adhesive to define the longitudinal ends of the plate.

As shown in Figure 83, the end of the horizontally opened J-shaped channel 226 is inwardly separated from the opposite longitudinal end of the clip 218 to accommodate a T-shaped support member 60 that is perpendicular to the T-shaped support member 60 of the fixed clip. extend. In this way, the slabs can be supported by a traditional grid of T-shaped support members in a suspended rather than supported manner, while the other set of soundproof tiles are supported by the grid or not supported by the grid. In other words, the plate 200 with the clip 218 fixed to it can be used with the existing grid or with a new grid in exactly the same way. It can also be understood that the clips of adjacent longitudinally aligned panels can be against each other (Figure 85). Therefore, the outer panel ends of the panels are only slightly isolated, so that the ceiling has a substantially continuous appearance, but in fact it is not To the grid of the suspension plate. In addition, since the clips support the panels in their fully expanded position, the lower or outer panel 204 of each panel will be horizontally aligned with the outer panel of an adjacent panel, so that the ceiling formed by the panel has a smooth Uniform appearance. Referring to Figures 87-91, the outer panel lateral extension 232 can be folded upward to be engaged with the adjacent side wall 214 of the outermost divider, and fixed to it with a suitable adhesive so that the panel has a side edge along its side Complete appearance.

Sometimes, what you want is, like a sheet folded around a corner, or to form a corner. With the panel of the present invention, the fold or corner can be manufactured in an aesthetically attractive and attractive manner, as shown in FIGS. 97 and 98. As can be seen in Fig. 97, a divider 208-which includes a connecting piece 206 spanning its top-can be cut from the remaining part of the plate at a position where it needs to be folded or bent, leaving the outside where the divider is removed.piece204. The remaining part of the plate can be folded in one direction or the other, as shown in FIG. 98, so that the orientation of the remaining part of one of the plates is perpendicular to the other part, and the outer plate 204 continuously extends around the curved member to define A corner used for the complete completion of the plate. This fold in the slab may be necessary in, for example, skylights, where a window is lifted above the ceiling level into an upwardly recessed area, and by following the procedures shown in Figures 97 and 98, A panel or panels can be folded to extend from the normal ceiling level into the recessed area of the skylight.

As mentioned above, the preferred material for manufacturing the divider includes a mixture of fiber glass, thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin. The material so formed must remain oriented in a flat plane, even in a configuration that has been crimped and folded into the divider as described above-for example, as shown in FIGS. 89-91-and later. In order to maintain the folded configuration and make the side walls 214 of each divider folded inward, the panel 200 that has been over a long period of time must be kept at least somewhat compressed, otherwise, the folded side walls will try to fold outwards to return to flatness. Orientation of the plane. Of course, the dividers cannot return to the flat plane orientation because they are fixed to the outer sheet 204 and the connecting sheet 206 along the top and bottom, but if the compression is not maintained, the sidewalls will try to straighten for a certain period of time, and In doing so, from their inward folding orientation in Figure 89 to their outward folding orientation in Figure 88, the sidewalls abut against the sidewalls of adjacent dividers, thereby strengthening each other and rigidizing the plates, so that Because it is actually incompressible. A plate in its roughly incompressible condition is shown in Figure 96. In other words, in order to maintain the compressibility of a finished panel, the side walls must be folded inward, as shown in Figures 89-91.

The strip of material from which the divider 208 is made is folded in an unheated environment, and a hot melt adhesive is applied to the strip, or applied to the outer sheet 204 and the connecting sheet 206 before they are laminated together. As mentioned above, unless the plates 200 are maintained in a compressed configuration, as shown in Figures 89-91, they will expand into the configuration of Figure 88 in a certain period of time, in which the plates are no longer compressible . The time period it takes for the divider to switch from the structure of Fig. 89-91 to the structure of Fig. 88 depends on many factors, including the resin used in the material used to make the divider, and when the divider is attached to the structure shown in Figs. 89-91 Is heat applied to the material when in the structure? By heating to the divider when the divider is compressed, the time period it takes for them to expand into the configuration of FIG. 88 is lengthened. Furthermore, by increasing the percentage of the thermoplastic resin used in forming the material for manufacturing the divider, the time it takes to convert from the structure of FIG. 89 to the structure of FIG. 88 can be increased. For example, the time period for conversion can be changed from 15 minutes to 32 hours.

Therefore, when the slabs 200 are formed and transported, they are preferably transported in a compressed state, so especially at a fixed depth-that is, a depth similar to the fully expanded depth of the slab 200 according to the present invention. When compared with sound insulation tiles, a relatively large number of plates can be packed and transported in relatively small containers. However, once the plates 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 configuration shown in Figure 89 for the aforementioned time period, and then they will be converted to the configuration shown in Figure 88, where the plates become incompressible. During this time period, before the plates become substantially compressible, the plates can be cut into their desired shape and installed in the support grid system. If the previously inserted ones become incompressible, they can be flexibly inserted into the opening defined between the supporting members in the supporting grid system.

As mentioned above, the sheet formed according to the present invention has the desired sound insulation and can be changed according to various parameters. When comparing an embodiment of the present invention with traditional sound-insulating tiles, it can be seen that the benefits of sound insulation are obtained from a plate formed according to the present invention. In FIG. 99, a diagram comparing the plate of FIG. 14 of the present invention with other sound insulation tiles is shown. The X-axis indicates the frequency in Hertz, and the Y-axis indicates the Y-axis with a noise reduction factor. Compared with the plate formed in FIG. 14 according to the present invention, the three plates are hard mineral sound-insulating tile plates manufactured by Armstrong and branded as "CirruS", and two plates manufactured by Ecophon of Sweden and branded as "Focus". Inch-thick fiberglass tiles and perforated 0.7mm metal plates marked Luxalon 300C manufactured by Hunter Douglas of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and a non-woven wool cover sheet.

It can be seen that the performance of the sound insulation board in Fig. 14 at low and relatively high frequencies is better than that of the three-comparison board, and the performance at the intermediate frequency is equivalent.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it can be understood that the present disclosure is completed by examples, and the details or structure can be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention defined in the scope of the appended patent application.