Patent Publication Number: US-10774530-B2

Title: Stretched-web structure for producing a false ceiling or a dropped ceiling box

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a stretched-web structure for producing within a room, at least one wall element. 
     The assembly is specifically, but not exclusively, intended to make boxes as well as false ceilings and false walls, whether lighting or not. 
     Stretched webs made of polymer are commonly used for producing false walls or dropped ceiling boxes, because of their multiple qualities. As a matter of fact, such webs are particularly easy to clean, and tight. 
     Depending on the desired appearance and effect, fabric webs may however be preferred. As a matter of fact, when it comes especially to creating a cozy and warm atmosphere, polymer webs may be somewhat limited as regards rendering. However, even though fabric webs have a satisfactory behavior in terms of sound and heat insulation, they have the disadvantage of being difficult to maintain and getting dirty quickly. Besides, they do not provide optimum sealing. A quick deterioration of the aesthetic appearance of the false wall or of the dropped wall element equipped with such a web then quickly occurs. 
     Now, the main drawback of false ceilings and dropped ceiling boxes is the presence of a residual space (awning) between the web and the ceiling or the bottom wall of the box wherein equipment such as lighting means as well as electric cables, pipes, etc . . . are accommodated. As a matter of fact, dust or various residues contained in the awning are deposited on the fabric web, and soil it. The appearance of the false wall or of the box is then rapidly degraded. 
     The invention aims at remedying such problems by providing a wall element which preserves the rendering of a fabric web over time. 
     The invention also aims at providing a wall element having enhanced sound-insulating and/or light diffusion properties. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the invention provides for a stretched-web structure for producing a false ceiling or a dropped ceiling box in a room, including two flexible webs arranged parallel to one another and fastened stretched between at least one wall, with the structure being characterized in that one of the webs is made of polyvinyl chloride, with the other web being made of fabric. 
     The presence of a PVC web with a fabric web makes it possible to protect the fabric web from dust deposit on the web, while preserving the aesthetic rendering and the (acoustic, thermal and/or other) properties of the fabric web. 
     The web made of polyvinyl chloride is advantageously positioned over the fabric web. 
     The web made of polyvinyl chloride advantageously has micro-perforations so arranged as to form an acoustic web. When the structure comprises lighting means such as light-emitting diodes located above the web made of polyvinyl chloride, the web made of polyvinyl chloride can be provided with perforations or micro-perforations so arranged as to improve the diffusion of light from the lighting means while limiting the visibility thereof. 
     The fabric web advantageously comprises fibers having sound-insulating properties. 
     The polyvinyl chloride web is advantageously translucent or transparent. 
     The structure advantageously comprises lighting means arranged in at least one of the two spaces defined by the inner web. The lighting means may for example be light emitting diodes. 
     Said webs are advantageously fastened to the wall faces of the room so as to form a false ceiling. 
     The structure advantageously forms a box comprising at least one side wall whereon the webs are fastened. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, made while referring to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a structure intended to form a wall element according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a structure intended to form a wall element according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     For clarity, the identical or similar elements of the various embodiments are identified by identical reference signs on all the figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While referring to  FIG. 1 , a structure  1  intended to form, in a room, at least one wall element is disclosed. More particularly, the structure  1  shown is a box able to be fastened to a ceiling by means of suitable fastening means known to those skilled in the art (suspending tie-bars, etc.). 
     The structure  1  comprises a tubular box body  2  having side walls  3  and an end closed by a bottom wall  4 . In the embodiment described, the box body  2  has a parallelepiped shape. It should be understood that the box body  2  is not limited to this shape, and that it may take other forms without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The structure  1  comprises two flexible webs  5 ,  6  fastened stretched between the side walls  3  of the box body  2 , with one of the webs being made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the other web being made of fabric. 
     In order to enable the attachment of the webs  5 ,  6  onto the box body  2 , the inner face  20  of the box body is advantageously provided with fastening means conventionally used for attaching stretched webs (not shown). According to one particular configuration, the box body  2  may consist of one section or several sections positioned end-to-end, with each section forming a rail for receiving hanging means arranged at the peripheral edges of the sheets. Such attachment ensures air-tightness to the structure  1 . 
     The two flexible webs  5 ,  6 , are positioned one below the other at a given distance. They also extend parallel to the bottom wall  4  of the box. The lower web  5  is the web which is visible from the room. It will be called the outer web  5  in the following. The web  6  positioned between the lower web  5  and the bottom wall  4  of the box body  2  forms an inner web. The inner web thus defines, with the bottom wall  4 , an upper space  8 , and with the outer web, a lower space  7 . In the illustrated embodiment, the outer web  5  is provided at the open end  21  of the box body  2 . It thus forms an end web. The inner web  6  is arranged inside the box body  2  so as to be at a distance from the lower bottom wall  4  with the outer web. 
     The inner web  6  is a protective web intended to protect the lower web from soiling. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the outer web  5  is the web made of fabric, whereas the inner web  6  is the web made of PVC. 
     The structure  1  further comprises lighting means  9  provided in the upper space. The lighting means  9  are directly or indirectly fixed on the bottom wall  4  as well as on the side wall portions  3  of the box body  2  located above the inner web  6 . To enable light diffusion, the web  6  made of PVC is translucent. The presence of such a web  6 , between the fabric web  5  and the portion of the box carrying the lighting means  9 , makes it possible to enhance light diffusion, which is thus a more uniform diffusion. The invention is of course not limited to this configuration, since the lighting means  9  may be provided on the bottom wall  4  or on the side wall portions  3  of the box body  2  only. The lighting means  9  may also be arranged in the lower space  7 . 
     Advantageously, the web  6  made of PVC has micro-perforations arranged and distributed over the web to form an acoustically sound-absorbing web. Micro-perforations means any perforation having a diameter of less than or equal to 2 millimeters. The presence of a micro-perforated PVC web thus significantly increases the acoustic performances of the structure  1 . In addition to the presence of micro-perforations, the fabric provided to produce the outer web may be selected from fabrics having sound-absorbing or -insulating properties. The web  6  made of PVC may also have perforations or micro-perforations so arranged and distributed thereon as to improve the light diffusion while limiting the visibility of the lighting means  9  provided in the upper space. 
     In the above, the webs  5 ,  6  are fastened to a box wall so as to form a dropped ceiling box. The structure according to the invention is however not limited to such use, and the latter may be implemented so as to form a false wall (a false ceiling or a false wall face). In this case, the webs  5 ,  6  are attached directly to the wall faces, or to the ceiling and the floor, so as to form a false ceiling or a false wall respectively. 
     Similarly, in the example above, the fabric web forms the outer web of the structure  1  whereas the PVC web forms the intermediate web positioned between the ceiling  4  and the fabric web. Of course, a structure  10  can be provided, wherein the arrangement of the two webs is reversed, so that the outer web  50  is the PVC web and the inner web  60  is the fabric web ( FIG. 2 ). The fabric and PVC webs of the structure  10  have the same characteristics as the webs respectively made of fabric and PVC of the structure  1  described above. 
     The invention described above should be considered as an example. It should also be understood that the persons skilled in the art will be able to produce various embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.