Arrangement of elements for producing a panel

An arrangement of elements includes a plurality of edging elements and a plurality of components consisting of a flexible material, the edging elements being assembled to form a structure on which a component consisting of a flexible material is placed. The edging elements include assembly members whose ends are respectively fixed in recesses, and the arrangement of elements includes connection elements provided with assembly members which are complementary to those of the edging elements. A connection element can be connected to two consecutive edging elements, once the edging elements have been assembled together with a flexible component, so as to ensure the positioning of the two edging elements without the direct and rigid assembly of the adjacent ends of two edging elements, such that the adjacent ends of two edging elements are simply held by the connection elements.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an arrangement of elements for producing a panel, this panel making it possible, with other identical panels, to cover a wall or build a wall, in particular to produce a false ceiling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To make a false ceiling, it is known to use square-shaped panels placed side by side, each panel comprising a structure made up by assembling a plurality of stiff edging elements and a piece of a flexible material stretched on this surface. The edging elements may in particular have a profiled shape, hollow inside, and the contiguous ends of two consecutive elements are assembled to each other through corner pieces engaged inside these elements.

The panels produced through some existing systems have the drawback of having structures likely to become distorted when the piece consisting of flexible materials are stretched on them, and/or of not allowing uniform tensioning of the piece consisting of a flexible material, meaning in all directions.

Moreover, the elements of some existing systems have the drawback of not being able to be simply and quickly assembled, without particular skills, which significantly limits their uses.

Furthermore, the existing systems do not allow quick and simple resolution of the issue of differences in level between the edges of panels adjacent to a panel to be put into place.

The existing systems also have the drawback of being relatively costly to produce.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,666 describes a system of mounting panels connected by corner pieces, this system not resolving the aforementioned drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to resolve the drawbacks of the systems according to the prior art.

The arrangement of elements to which it relates comprises, in a known manner, a plurality of edging elements and a plurality of pieces consisting of a flexible material, the edging elements being able to be assembled to form a structure on which a piece consisting of a flexible material is placed.

According to the invention, the edging elements comprise assembly means, provided back from their ends, and the arrangement of elements comprises connection elements provided with assembly means which are complementary to those of the edging elements. A connection element can be connected to two consecutive edging elements, once the edging elements have been assembled together with a piece consisting of a flexible material, in such a way as to ensure the positioning of the two edging elements without the direct and rigid assembly of the adjacent ends of said two edging elements, such that the adjacent ends of the two edging elements are simply held be the connection elements.

Thus, in a panel made up using the arrangement of elements according to the invention, the adjacent ends of two edging elements are not assembled directly and rigidly to each other, but are simply held by the connection elements. This assembly results in an absence of any risk of warping of the structure made up by the edging elements and the connection elements when the piece consisting of a flexible material is placed on the structure. Moreover, the absence of connection of the adjacent ends of the two edging elements makes it possible to place the ends of two consecutive edging elements at slightly different levels if required by the placement of the edges of one panel next to the edges of two adjacent panels.

At least one connection element can be conformed so as to be tensioned in its assembly position, such that it exerts, on each edging element, a force intended to distance the adjacent ends of the two edging elements from each other.

Tensioning of the piece consisting of a flexible material may thereby be obtained.

Each edging elements preferably has oblique end surfaces, the end surfaces of two consecutive edging elements being positioned so as to come into the immediate vicinity of each other after assembly.

Preferably, each edging element is conformed to receive and hold an edge of the piece consisting of a flexible material at the level of its longitudinal side intended to be located outside said structure after assembly, each edging element being able to be rotated 180 degrees after assembly to the piece consisting of a flexible material, then to be assembled to the other edging elements.

The edging elements are thus, after assembly, covered by the piece consisting of a flexible material over one part of their outer edges, which not only gives the panels produced a good visual appearance, but is also favorable to obtaining uniform tensioning of the piece consisting of a flexible material.

Each edging element is preferably formed by the assembly of two bars able to receive an edge of the piece consisting of a flexible material between them and to be assembled together so as to hold this edge.

Advantageously, in this case, the bars comprise lugs and cavities sized such that that lugs of one bar can be frictionally engaged in the cavities of the other bar, and vice versa.

Assembly of the edging elements to the piece consisting of a flexible material can thus be done simply and quickly.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention in this case, two bars intended to form an edging element are identical to each other and comprise alternating lugs and cavities developed along constant intervals, these lugs and cavities being disposed such that, when these two bars are positioned head-to-tail, the lugs of one bar are facing the cavities of the other, and vice versa.

The bars can thus be produced from a same mold, reducing the cost of manufacturing the arrangement of elements according to the invention.

The bars may also comprise, in this same case, pins protruding from their surfaces intended to squeeze the piece consisting of a flexible material, these pins being positioned such that, when the two bars are positioned head-to-tail, the pins of one bar are offset relative to the pins of the other bar.

These pins ensure perfect holding of the piece consisting of a flexible material between the bars.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the connection elements are made up of rods or bars of a slightly elastically deformable material, in particular metal, the ends of which form or comprise said means for assembly to the edging elements.

At least some of the lugs of said bars may be hollow inside and the cavities for receiving these lugs may open onto the outside, the channels defined by these lugs thereby opening on the outside of the edging elements.

These channels make it possible to form means for assembling said connection elements to the edging elements, the means for assembling the connection elements then advantageously being formed by portions of these connection elements which may be tightly engaged in the channels formed by the lugs.

The edging elements may also comprise bosses and/or groove-lug assemblies constituting said means for assembling the connection elements to the edging elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The panel1comprises a piece consisting of a flexible material2, edging elements3making it possible to construct a structure on which the component2is stretched, and connection elements4making it possible to connect the edging elements3to each other and hold them in place in relation to each other.

The piece consisting of a flexible material2may be of any sort, in particular a network of thermoplastically-coated wires, disposed perpendicularly and welded to each other. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 4, the component2forms, beyond its part intended to cover one surface of the panel1, tongues5extending each of the edges of this surface. Each tongue5comprises a part5aadjacent to the edge of said surface, intended to partially cover the outer edge of an edging element3, and a part5bintended to be engaged between two bars6making it possible to form an edging element3. This part5bis pierced with regularly-spaced through holes7.

Each bar6is formed by a molded synthetic component. It has, as shown more specifically byFIGS. 7 and 8, an L-shape, meaning that it defines a main wing intended to be positioned in the plane of the panel1after assembly, and a secondary wing whereof the outer surface extends in the direction of the height of the panel1after assembly.

Each bar6has an oblique end surface9, oriented according to a 135-degree angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bar6, the end surfaces9of two consecutive bars6being developed so as to be in close proximity to each other after assembly, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 6.

FIGS. 2 and 3show that each bar6comprises lugs10and cavities11alternating and separated by a constant pitch, these lugs10and cavities11being disposed such that, when two identical bars6are disposed head-to-tail, the lugs10of one bar6are facing the cavities11of the other bar6, and vice versa. These lugs10and cavities11are sized such that the lugs10of one bar6may be frictionally engaged in the cavities11of the other bar6, and vice versa.

Each bar6also comprises cylindrical bosses12coaxial to the lugs10and cavities11, located on the surface of said main wing opposite that on which the lugs10are found. The surface of the main wing on which the lugs10are found is covered with pins intended to be inserted in the material forming the piece consisting of a flexible material2.

The lugs10are hollow inside and define channels, and the cavities11open onto the outside of each bar6, such that these channels themselves open on the outside of the two bars6after assembly.

Each bar6also comprises an oblique groove13and a lug14defining a housing, this housing being intended to receive one of the ends of the connection element4illustrated inFIG. 11, as will be described below.

Moreover, each bar6comprises pins20protruding from its surface intended to squeeze the piece consisting of a flexible material2, these said pins being positioned such that, when the two bars6are positioned head-to-tail, the pins of one bar6are offset relative to the pins of the other bar6.

In practice, as may be inferred fromFIG. 1, the holes7of one tongue5are engaged on the lugs10of a bar6, then another bar6identical to the first is disposed head-to-tail relative to this first bar and is assembled to it through the mutual penetration of the lugs10and cavities11.

The edging element3thus formed is then rotated 180 degrees to bring said part5aof the tongue5to stretch the length of the outer surface of said secondary branch of the second bar6, as shown inFIGS. 4,7and8.

As mentioned above, following rotation of two consecutive elements3for 180 degrees, the end surfaces9of these two elements are in immediate proximity to each other.

In reference toFIG. 4, on one hand, andFIGS. 9 to 11, on the other hand, it appears that the connection elements4enable the connection of two edging elements3in order to hold them in their assembly positions, resulting from the aforementioned rotation, in relation to each other.

Each connection element4has a main part4ahaving a length slightly greater than the distance separating two bosses12located apart from the adjacent ends of the two elements3, or two groove13-lug14assemblies, and ends4bmodeled to cooperate with these bosses12or these groove13-lug14assemblies.

The connection element4shown inFIG. 9is formed by a metal rod curved at both ends to form the ends4b, the diameter of this rod being such that these ends4bmay be frictionally engaged in said channels defined by the lugs10.

The connection element4shown inFIG. 10appears in the form of a metal bar, in the ends4bof which notches have been developed to form forks. These forks enable engagement of these ends4bon the main wings of the two bars6forming an edging element3, bearing against the bosses12, as shown inFIG. 4.

The connection element4shown inFIG. 11has the form of a metallic rod bent at its central part, one end4bof which is curved. This curved end4bmay be engaged in the groove13, then in the housing formed by the lug14of one of the edging elements3, then may be bent by manual pressure, thanks to its bent shape, so as to slightly shorten its length such that the other end4bof this element4can be engaged in the housing defined by the lug14of the consecutive edging element3.

Each connection element4can thereby be connected to two consecutive edging elements3by being tensioned in this assembly position, such that it exerts, on each edging element3, a force tending to distance the ends of the two edging elements3from each other.

In the panel1, the adjacent ends of two elements3are therefore not directly and rigidly assembled to each other, but are simply held, with tension, by the connection elements4. The result is the absence of any risk of warping of the structure formed by the elements3when the component2is stretched, and a possibility of perfect tensioning of this component2. Moreover, the absence of connection of the adjacent ends of the two elements3makes it possible to place the ends of two consecutive elements3at slightly different levels, as shown byFIG. 5, if placing the edges of the panel1next to the edges of two adjacent panels requires it. This difference in level is obtained by placing one of the ends4bof the connection element4shown inFIG. 9slightly less far into the corresponding channel of the lug10.

As appears in the preceding, the invention provides an arrangement of elements having the determining advantages of making it possible to produce panels having structures not likely to warp when the components2are tensioned on them, allowing uniform tensioning of these components2, being able to be assembled simply and quickly, without specific skills, simply and quickly resolving a problem of different levels between edges of panels adjacent to a panel having to be placed, and being relatively inexpensive to produce.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above as an example, but that it extends to all embodiments covered by the annexed claims.