GB2083097A - Sound-absorbing subceiling - Google Patents

Abstract

This comprises a grid of T-rails 1 and 2 suspended from a ceiling 15. Mutually perpendicular pairs of vertical boards 3 and 4 respectively are supported on either side of each T-rail by the crossbar of the T-rail engaging in grooves 10 in the back faces of the boards. The boards are spaced apart to allow the T-rails to be supported at any convenient point along their lengths. Boards 3 are longer than boards 4, and have recesses 12 in their end faces to accommodate rails 2, which support boards 4. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Subceiling The invention relates to a grid-type subceiling comprising sound-absorbing boards which are arranged substantially vertically in pairs and are held by a supporting frame suspended from the top ceiling and composed of T-rails, the boards resting on the arms of the crossbars of the T-rails.

It has been proposed (see DE-GM 71 22 514) to provide such a subceiling wherein a recess extends from an edge surface and the rear face of a board and is so formed that the board can be placed on the arm of the cross bar of a T-shaped supporting rail.

The boards lie against each other above the supportin rail. The supporting frame is suspended at the points of intersection of the rails. In this known subceiling, the boards cannot be spaced from each other. The supporting frame must therefore be suspended at those points on the top ceiling that are aligned with the points of intersection of the rails, and this is not always possible except by the use of inconvenient auxiliary structures.

An object of the present invention is to provide such a subceiling that can be suspended independently of the points of intersection of the rails.

According to the invention, at least one longitudinal slot, parallel with and spaced from the edge face that is towards the room, is formed in the back of each board opposite to the visible face, in which longitudinal slot engages one arm of the crossbar of a T-rail; two longer boards each delimit a shorter board laterally aligned with them and have a recess which is formed in their front face, communicates with the longitudinal slot and accommodates the crossbar of the T-rail adjoining the front face; and the depths of the longitudinal slots and of the said recesses in the boards are so selected that the boards, arranged in pairs, are held in spaced relationship.

Although the step of arranging the boards, disposed in pairs, in spaced relationship has been disclosed in DE-OS 18 15 the supporting frame described therein does not consist of T-rails.

The subceiling in accordance with the invention offers the advantage that the basic element can be a very simple supporting frame of T-rails, on to which the boards, in the required arrangement, need only be pushed by means of their slots. The slots and recesses can be formed in the boards in an extremely simple manner during their manufacture, so that the cost of producing the elements of the subceiling can be kept extremely low. Assembly can be carried out simply and rapidly, and the supporting rails can be suspended at any convenient points on the top ceiling instead of having to be suspended at fixed points of intersection of the rails.A further advantage of the subceiling in accordance with the invention resides in the fact that since the boards are pushed on laterally in order to engage the crossbars of the T-rails in the slots and recesses, no additional upper space extending towards the top ceiling is necessary for effecting assembly. The subceiling displays the uncovered faces of the boards, and a shaded groove having a decorative effect is present between them; the depth of this groove can be selected as required by suitable disposition of the longitudinal slots and recesses.

Advantageously, at least two mutually parallel longitudinal slots are provided in each board, and associated recesses are provided in the front faces of the longer boards. Thus, with a suitable arrange menu, the required depth of shaded groove can be obtained.

If the two sets of longitudinal slots and recesses are spaced equidistantly from their respective parallel edge faces, the board concerned requires only to be turned if one of the exposed edge faces is damaged.

Each pair of boards can be rendered especially stable if spacing strips, which engage in oppositely disposed longitudinal slots and recesses are provided between the boards of each pair, the widths of said spacing strips corresponding to the crosssectional length of the crossbars of the T-rails. The spacing strips may consist of relatively short spaced pieces made of resilient metal, for example.

Various forms of subceiling constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. lisa diagrammatic bottom plan view of part of a subceiling; Fig. 2 is a cross-section through a pair of boards in a first form of subceiling; Fig. 3 is a cross-section through a pair of boards in a second form of subceiling; Fig. 4 is a cross-section through a pair of boards in a third form of subceiling; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a point of intersection of four pairs of boards of a subceiling; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the point of intersection shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 shows an edge portion of a longer board and, separated therefrom, an associated point of intersection of the T-rails.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the first form of subceiling has a supporting frame which consists of T-rails and comprises continuous longitudinal rails 1, and transverse rails 2 are fitted between them. The longitudinal rails 1 are arranged at right angles to the transverse rails 2 to form a square grid. Associated with the longitudinal rails 1 are boards 3 which are longer, by twice the thickness of a board, than shorter boards 4, which are so arranged between the longer boards 3 that their outer faces are aligned with the end faces of the longer boards 3.

The T-rails 1, 2 have a crossbarS, a web 6 and a lug 7 to which is secured wires used for suspending the subceiling from a top ceiling 15 or from some other structure.

As shown in Fig. 2, spaced longitudinal slots 10, parallel with bottom edge faces 13, are formed in the rear face of each of the shorter boards 4, which rear face is opposite to the visible face. The arms of the crossbars 5 of the transverse rails 2 engage in the longitudinal slots 10, so that the shorter boards 4 are disposed substantially vertically at fixed distances apart.

Similarly, longitudinal slots 10 are formed in the longer boards to embrace the arm of the adjacent longer boards to embrance the arm of the adjacent transverse rail 2 that they abut at each end, recesses 12, which communicate with the longitudinal slots 10, are formed in the front faces 17.

In this form of the longer boards 3 and of the shorter boards 4, it is possible to obtain the square honeycomb arrangement of boards shown in underneath view in Fig. 1, in a perspective view in Fig. 5 and as a detail at the junction point in Fig. 6. During assembly, the boards are pushed by means of their longitudinal slots 10 and, where present, their recesses 12 onto the arms of the crossbars of the T-rails one honeycomb at a time, from the side, or in the longitudinal direction of the rails. In the case of the supporting frame shown in Fig. 1, the transverse rails 2 may directly abut the longitudinal rails or may overlap them with the aid of a narrow tongue 18 on the front face.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, in the second form of subceiling, longitudinal slots 11, additional to the longitudinal slots 10, are formed in the rear faces of the shorter boards 4 and are at the same distance from the oppositely disposed edge faces 13.

Similarly, the longitudinal slots 10 and 11, having corresponding recesses 12, are formed in the longer boards (not shown). In this arrangement, the transverse rails 2 can again be arranged in the lower longitudinal slots 10 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, so that a shaded groove 16 of the same depth as in the firstform of subceiling results. If the transverse rail 2 were arranged in the longitudinal slots 11, a very deep shaded groove would be obtained; To stabilize the structure, clips 20 can be pressed into the upper edge faces 13 of the boards 4 and of the boards 3.

In third form of subceiling, shown in Fig. 4, the transverse rail 2 is introduced into the upper slots 11 and a spacing element 9 in the form of a strip is introduced into the lower longitudinal slots 10.

Furthermore, covering boards 8 are laid on the upper edge faces 13 of the boards 3 and 4.

The longitudinal slots 10 and 11 may instead be provided at different distances from the edge faces 13, so that in the assembled position the boards 3 and 4 of each pair can, for example, be arranged to project at the edge presented to the room to different extents to form a fixed pattern, so that further visual effects can be achieved, and the boards may also be coloured.

Claims (8)

1. A grid-type subceiling comprising soundabsorbing boards which are arranged substantially vertically in pairs and are held by a supporting frame composed of rails of T-shaped cross-section, the boards resting on the arms ofthe crossbars of the T-raiis, wherein: at least one longitudinal slot, parallel with and spaced.from the edge face towards the room, is formed in the back face of each board opposite to the visible face, in which longitudinal slot engages the arm of the crossbar of a T-rail; first boards abut second boards with the rear face of each second board aligned with an end face of the first board and each first board has a recess which is formed in its said end face, which communicates with the longitudinal slot and accommodates the crossbar of the T-rail abutting that end face; and the depth ofthe longitudinal slots and that ofthe recesses in the boards are so selected that the boards of each pair are held spaced apart.

2. Asubceiling as claimed in claim 1, wherein each second board abuts first boards at both ends, and each first board is longer than a second board by twice the thickness of a board.

3. A subceiling as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least two mutually parallel longitudinal slots are provided in each board, and associates recesses are provided in the end faces of the first boards.

4. A subceiling as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said two longitudinal slots and the recesses are spaced equidistantly from the mutually parallel edge faces of each board.

5. A subceiling as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein spacing strips, which engage in oppositely disposed longitudinal slots and recesses, are provided between the boards of each pair, the widths of the spacing strips corresponding to the crosssectional length of the cross bars of the T-rails.

6. A subceiling as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figs. 1 and 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A subceiling as claimed in claim 6 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Fig. 2, or Fig. 3, or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A board suitable for use as a said board in a subceiling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.