Patent Abstract:
A method of packaging and shipping compressible structural panels is disclosed. Compressible structural panels are provided, typically with first and second sheets separated by compressible or collapsible dividers. The structural panels are stacked and thereafter compressed thereby causing the dividers to compress and the thickness of the panels to become substantially less. In this compressed and stacked configuration, the structural panels are packaged and shipped. At the point of installation of the structural panels, the structural panels are unpackaged, unstacked and allowed to regain the expanded configuration, either by way of natural resiliency or heat setting. The structural panels, once expanded, are ready for installation.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/309,939 filed on Dec. 3, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/970,008 filed on Sep. 27, 2001, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/839,373 filed on Apr. 23, 2001, now abandoned, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/199,208 filed on Apr. 24, 2000. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/309,944, filed on Dec. 3, 2002. All of the above-identified applications are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully disclosed herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention of this application pertains to a method of packaging and shipping compressible structural panels, particularly ceiling panels or wall panels. In particular, the ceiling panels include an outer sheet and a connecting sheet which are spaced apart by spaced dividers. The dividers are compressible, yet resilient, allowing the thickness of the panel to be substantially reduced during packaging and shipping and further allowing the panel to regain its original dimensions after unpackaging. This reduction in volume during packaging and shipping can substantially reduce the packaging and shipping costs. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In the prior art, there is a plethora of structural panels for use as ceiling panels and wall panels. These structural panels have taken many forms, such as drywall or decorative or acoustic panels. However, these solid panels have virtually invariably been heavy and voluminous, thereby resulting in increased packaging and shipping costs. As the panels are typically shipped several times prior to installation—from the manufacturer to the wholesaler, from the wholesaler to the retailer, from the retailer to the installation site—the total shipping costs can be substantial. 
   OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for providing a structural panel which can be shipped at reduced expense. 
   It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for providing a structural panel which has a reduced weight. 
   It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for providing a structural panel which has a reduced volume during shipping. 
   These and other objects are attained by providing a compressible structural panel which can be compressed prior to shipping in order to allow the panel to be shipped with reduced volume. The structural panel, upon being unpacked prior to installation, expands to regain its original shape and volume. Moreover, the compressible structural panel, whether in the compressed or uncompressed state, is very light as little material is used in order to achieve the compressibility. 
   In order to attain the low weight and the compressibility, along with the tendency to regain its original uncompressed configuration after unpackaging, the panels typically include an outer sheet of semi-rigid material with a plurality of dividers protruding from one face thereof. A connector in the form of a sheet or similar interconnecting system is secured to the distal edges of the dividers. The connector could take the form of a sheet or similar interconnecting system is secured to the distal edges of the dividers. The connectors could take the form of another sheet of material, strands of connective fibers, or the like. 
   The dividers are compressible in nature and could take numerous forms. In some embodiments, the dividers are elongated cells having foldable sides so that lateral or transverse pressure will compress the cells, and hence the divider, into a shallow space. The dividers can be formed from folding a strip of semi-rigid material such that the longitudinal sides or partitions fold inwardly or outwardly when the divider is compressed laterally. The dividers are constructed so as to normally assume an expanded or extended configuration and are resilient so as to return to that configuration after the compressed force has been removed. 
   A panel formed in accordance with the present disclosure for use in the packaging and shipping method will assume an expanded configuration in its normal at-rest configuration. However, when pressure with a perpendicular component is applied to the outer sheet or the connector, the dividers are compressed thereby allowing the entire panel to assume a very thin thickness or profile. When the structural panel is being compressed, there typically should be very little, if any, sliding movement between the outer and connector sheets. This is advantageous for shipping purposes as a greater number of panels can be packaged in a container than is possible with prior art panels that have a uniform thickness during shipping and use. The panels, particularly in the uncompressed state, are predominantly air filled and, therefore, are very lightweight. 
   In particular, the present invention involves packaging the panels in a compressed configuration prior to shipping, and allowing the panels to regain their original shape upon unpackaging, typically after shipping and immediately prior to installation. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a panel formed in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary isometric view looking upwardly at a drop ceiling in a building structure, with the panels of  FIG. 1  incorporated therein. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a front elevation of a strip of material from which a divider of the panel is made. 
       FIG. 5  is a front elevation of the strip of material shown in  FIG. 4  being creased to form pre-fold lines. 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevation of the strip of material shown in  FIG. 4  after having been creased as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a front elevation of the strip of material shown in  FIG. 6  having been folded along the preformed fold lines. 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevation of the divider as shown in  FIG. 7  having been compressed. 
       FIG. 8A  is an enlarged section of the circled area of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 9  is a front elevation similar to  FIG. 8  with a layer of adhesive shown in dashed lines positioned above and below the divider. 
       FIG. 10  is a front elevation similar to  FIG. 9  with an outer sheet and a connector sheet being positioned above and below the layers of adhesive. 
       FIG. 11  is a front elevation showing the composite illustrated in  FIG. 10  being heat compressed between heating elements. 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary end elevation of a panel formed in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention and with a decorative layer of material being adhesively secured to the outer sheet of the panel. 
       FIG. 13  is a fragmentary end elevation of the panel as shown in  FIG. 12  being compressed between heated press elements. 
       FIG. 14  is an end elevation of a panel as shown in  FIG. 12  having dividers with asymmetric partitions and with the panel fully expanded. 
       FIG. 15  is an end elevation similar to  FIG. 14  with the panel being partially compressed. 
       FIG. 16  is an end elevation similar to  FIG. 15  with the panel being slightly further compressed. 
       FIG. 17  is an end elevation similar to  FIG. 16  with the panel being fully compressed. 
       FIG. 18  is an isometric view of the panel as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
       FIG. 19  is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the panel shown in  FIG. 18 . 
       FIG. 20  is an isometric view of the panel shown in  FIG. 18  in a fully compressed condition. 
       FIG. 21  is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the panel as seen in  FIG. 20 . 
       FIG. 22  is an isometric view of a plurality of panels stacked together while in a compressed condition. 
       FIG. 23  is an isometric view of the panels shown in  FIG. 22  in an expanded condition. 
       FIG. 24  is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 14  with end supports for the panel to inhibit the panel from bending. 
       FIG. 25  is a fragmentary section taken along line  25 — 25  of  FIG. 24 . 
       FIG. 26  is a fragmentary isometric with parts removed showing an end support on one end of the panel and a second end support being installed on the opposite end of the panel. 
       FIG. 27  is a fragmentary vertical section taken through a portion of the panel illustrating an alternative embodiment of the divider wherein the divider includes an inner layer of a metallic foil. 
       FIG. 28  is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the panel similar to  FIG. 27  showing still another alternative arrangement of the divider wherein a metal foil is applied to the outer surface of the divider. 
       FIG. 29  is a transverse section taken through the panel as shown in  FIG. 14  with the panel being compressed on its top surface. 
       FIG. 30  is a section taken along line  30 — 30  of  FIG. 29 . 
       FIG. 31  is an end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 14  with the panel being curved concave upwardly. 
       FIG. 32  is an end elevation of a panel in accordance with a second embodiment of the panel wherein the partitions of the dividers are symmetric rather than asymmetric as shown in  FIG. 31 . 
       FIG. 33  is an isometric view showing a panel in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention wherein the connection means are elongated strands or fibers that are secured to the dividers distally from the outer sheet. 
       FIG. 34  is an enlarged isometric showing a portion of the panel illustrated in  FIG. 33 . 
       FIG. 35  is an isometric view of the panel shown in  FIG. 33  with the panel having been bent or curved so as to be upwardly concave. 
       FIG. 36  is an end elevation of a panel formed in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention and corresponding to the panel shown in  FIG. 32 . 
       FIG. 37  is an end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 36  with the panel partially compressed. 
       FIG. 38  is an end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 37  having been fully compressed. 
       FIG. 39  is an isometric view of the panel shown in  FIG. 38  in a fully compressed condition. 
       FIG. 40  is an isometric view of a portion of the panel shown in  FIG. 36  in a fully expanded condition. 
       FIG. 41  is an isometric view of a plurality of panels of the type shown in  FIG. 36  having been compressed and stacked together. 
       FIG. 42  is an isometric view of a portion of the panels of the type shown in  FIG. 36  having been stacked in a fully expanded condition. 
       FIG. 43  is a diagrammatic end elevation of a panel with asymmetric dividers illustrating dimensional characteristics thereof. 
       FIG. 44  is a diagrammatic end elevation of a panel with symmetric dividers illustrating dimensional characteristics thereof. 
       FIG. 45  is an enlarged end elevation of a portion of the panel of  FIG. 43  illustrating other dimensional characteristics. 
       FIG. 46  is an enlarged end elevation of a portion of the panel of  FIG. 44  illustrating other dimensional characteristics. 
       FIG. 47  is an end elevation similar to  FIG. 45  showing the panel compressed with a force F. 
       FIG. 48  is an end elevation similar to  FIG. 46  showing the panel compressed with a force F. 
       FIG. 49  is an isometric view of another embodiment of a divider for use in the panel of the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. 
       FIG. 50  is an end elevation of the divider shown in  FIG. 49 . 
       FIG. 51  is an end elevation of a panel including a plurality of the dividers shown in  FIG. 49  in an expanded form. 
       FIG. 52  is a reduced end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 51  in a compressed form. 
       FIG. 53  is an isometric view of still another embodiment of a divider for use in the panel of the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. 
       FIG. 54  is an end elevation of the divider shown in  FIG. 53 . 
       FIG. 55  is an end elevation of a panel formed in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention and utilizing the divider of  FIG. 53  with the panel in an expanded form. 
       FIG. 56  is a reduced end elevation of the panel of  FIG. 55  in a compressed form. 
       FIG. 57  is an isometric view of still another embodiment for a divider for use in the panel of the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. 
       FIG. 58  is an end elevation of the divider shown in  FIG. 57 . 
       FIG. 59  is an end elevation of a panel utilizing the divider of  FIG. 57  with the panel shown in an expanded form. 
       FIG. 60  is a reduced end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 59  in a compressed form. 
       FIG. 61  is an isometric view of still another divider for use in the panel of the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. 
       FIG. 62  is an end elevation of the divider shown in  FIG. 61 . 
       FIG. 63  is an end elevation of a panel utilizing the divider shown in  FIG. 61  and with the panel in an expanded form. 
       FIG. 64  is a reduced end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 63  in a compressed form. 
       FIG. 65  is an exploded isometric view of a panel similar to that shown in  FIG. 1  that has been rigidified by providing additional dividers at the ends of the panel that extend perpendicular to the primary dividers. 
       FIG. 66  is a side elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 65 . 
       FIG. 67  is an end elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 65 . 
       FIG. 68  is an end elevation of a further embodiment of the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention in which the panel can be bent at a right angle. 
       FIG. 69  is an isometric view of a panel formed as in  FIG. 68  with the panel in a fully compressed condition. 
       FIG. 70  is a side elevation of the panel shown in  FIG. 69 . 
       FIG. 71  is an end elevation similar to  FIG. 68  with the panel slightly further expanded. 
       FIG. 72  is an isometric view of the panel of  FIG. 68  having been bent along a right angle and with the panel fully expanded. 
       FIG. 73  is an end elevation of the panel as shown in  FIG. 72 . 
       FIG. 74  is an fragmentary isometric view of an end of a panel with a segment of the panel having been partially cut. 
       FIG. 75  is a fragmentary isometric similar to  FIG. 74  with the partially cut segment of the panel having been compressed and positioned for receipt of an elongated clip. 
       FIG. 76  is a fragmentary isometric similar to  FIGS. 74 and 75  showing the clip having been mounted on the compressed segment of the panel. 
       FIG. 77  is a fragmentary isometric similar to  FIG. 76  wherein the clip mounted on the compressed segment of the panel is being folded upwardly. 
       FIG. 78  is a fragmentary isometric similar to  FIG. 77  wherein the clip mounted on the compressed segment of the panel has been folded 900 into abutment with the new end of the panel. 
       FIG. 79  is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line  79 — 79  of  FIG. 78 . 
       FIG. 80  is a fragmentary isometric view of an alternative arrangement of a ceiling system wherein panels are suspended from rather than supported by a supporting gridwork. 
       FIG. 81  is an isometric view of a panel for use in the ceiling system shown in  FIG. 80 . 
       FIG. 82  is a fragmentary isometric view of an end of a clip member used in the panel of  FIG. 81 . 
       FIG. 83  is a fragmentary isometric view of the clip of  FIG. 82  mounted on the longitudinal end of the panel shown in  FIG. 81 . 
       FIG. 84  is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken along line  84 — 84  of  FIG. 80 . 
       FIG. 85  is an enlarged fragmentary sectional taken along line  85 — 85  of  FIG. 80 . 
       FIG. 86  is a fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 85  with the conventional acoustical tiles removed from their supported relationship to the support members. 
       FIG. 87  is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken through the panel of  FIG. 81  showing the outer sheet extended from a longitudinal side edge of the panel. 
       FIG. 88  is a fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 87  with the extended outer sheet being folded up and adhesively secured to a longitudinal end of the panel of  FIG. 81 . 
       FIG. 89  is a fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 88  with the panel slightly compressed. 
       FIG. 90  is a fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 89  with the panel further compressed. 
       FIG. 91  is a fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 90  with the panel substantially fully compressed. 
       FIG. 92  is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section showing the outer sheet extending longitudinally from one end of the panel of  FIG. 81 . 
       FIG. 93  is a longitudinal fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 92  with a stiffener strip supported on the outer sheet extension. 
       FIG. 94  is a longitudinal fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 93  with a clip secured to the outer sheet extension. 
       FIG. 95  is a longitudinal fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 94  with the clip being folded upwardly to overlie the longitudinal end of the panel. 
       FIGS. 92A–95A  are views identical to  FIGS. 92–95 , respectively, showing an alternative system for mounting a clip to the end of a panel with the end of the panel being compressed in a manner to replace the stiffener strip used in  FIGS. 92–95 . 
       FIG. 96  is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical section taken along line  96 — 96  of  FIG. 81 . 
       FIG. 97  is a transverse section with portions removed showing one divider being removed to facilitate a folding of the panel. 
       FIG. 98  is a transverse section with portions removed similar to  FIG. 97  showing the panel folded about the space where the divider was removed as seen in  FIG. 97 . 
       FIG. 99  is a fragmentary section taken through an alternative embodiment of a compressed panel showing a unique system for gluing the cellular structures to the outer and cover sheets. 
       FIG. 100  is a fragmentary section similar to  FIG. 99  with the panel fully expanded. 
       FIG. 101  is a fragmentary isometric showing an alternative clip embodiment connected to the end of a panel. 
       FIG. 102  is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line  102 — 102  of  FIG. 101 . 
       FIG. 103  is a fragmentary isometric showing the clip being moved into a closed position at the end of the associated panel. 
       FIG. 104  is a fragmentary vertical section showing a panel with a clip of the type shown in  FIG. 103  supporting adjacent panels from an inverted T-grid support system. 
       FIG. 105–107  are fragmentary vertical sections showing sequential steps for mounting the panel with a clip of the type shown in  FIG. 101  to an inverted T-grid support system. 
       FIG. 108  is a fragmentary vertical section with parts removed illustrating a U-shaped support system and panels with side edge clips for cooperation therewith. 
       FIG. 109  is a fragmentary vertical section similar to  FIG. 108  showing a deeper U-shaped support system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   At the outset, the panels disclosed herein are disclosed in the parent application, Ser. No. 10/309,939 filed on Dec. 3, 2002, the contents of which have been incorporated herein by reference. 
   Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, one sees that  FIGS. 1 and 12  show a typical compressible structural panel  50  which may be used with the invention of the present method. Compressible panel  50  includes a plurality of compressible parallel dividers or beams  52  extending between an outer sheet  54  (see  FIG. 12 ) and a connector sheet  56 . A decorative sheet may be provided to overlie the outer sheet  54 . Compressible structural panel  50  is compressible from its normal expanded condition shown in  FIGS. 1 and 12  to a fully compressed condition as shown in  FIG. 17 . Particularly in its normal expanded state, the panel is comprised mostly of air and is, therefore, very light and easy to handle. 
     FIGS. 22 and 23  illustrate the method of the present invention. Firstly, a stack of uncompressed panels  50  is provided as shown in  FIG. 23 . Then, pressure or some similar method is used to compress the stack of panels  50  to the configuration shown in  FIG. 22 . Then, a package  1000  is formed around the stack of compressed panels  50  by methods that would be known to those skilled in the art after review of the present disclosure. Package  1000  is then shipped. A plurality of these packages can be shipped from a manufacturer to a wholesaler. The wholesaler can then send a portion of the plurality of packages to any number of retailers. The retailers can then further divide the received packages into smaller groups of packages and send these smaller groups of packages to any number of customers, typically at a site of installation. Alternatively, with the increased ease of packaging and shipping these packages, a wholesaler may even ship directly to the retail sites or points of installation, particularly after receiving an order from an electronic system, such as the internet, by accessing a website or receiving an e-mail. After the packages are received, the packaging is removed so that panels  50  can reach the expanded configuration, either by way of natural resilience or by way or the application of heat, as described herein. 
   The panel  50  has many possible embodiments, examples of which will be described hereinafter. Further, these embodiments can take many forms, such as a wall panel, a fixed ceiling panel, or panels for a drop ceiling such as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  wherein a gridwork of elongated inverted T-shaped support members  60  are conventionally supported from a ceiling thereby defining rectangular openings  62  and peripheral support edges  64  around those openings on which a ceiling tile or panel  50  can be positioned. 
   As shown in  FIG. 12 , dividers  52  are formed from the individual strips of material shown in  FIG. 4  which have been pre-creased and folded into a desired configuration so that when incorporated into the panel  50  are transversely compressible allowing the panels to be compressed for packaging and shipping. Outer sheet  54 , connector sheet  56  and dividers  52  may be made from the same or different materials, and are typically held together by adhesive  68 . 
   The dividers  52 , shown in cross section in  FIG. 12 , might be formed from a continuous strip of material but in the disclosed embodiment are each individual dividers of an elongated cellular or tubular configuration. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates the flat strip  66  before being passed into the creaser of  FIG. 5 . In the crease, the material is passed between rotary creasing wheels  70  and back up rollers  72  so that longitudinally extending creases  74  (including  74   a ,  74   b ,  74   c  as shown in  FIG. 6 ) are formed in the material at predetermined laterally spaced locations. Strip  66  is then folded into the configurations illustrated in  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  8 A. As shown in  FIG. 7 , typically lower triangle  78  has a broader base than the upper triangle  80 . Applying pressure to the cell as configured in  FIG. 7  in a vertical direction causes the components of the cell to compress so that the divider assumes the compressed configuration as shown in  FIG. 8 . Typically, adhesive  68  is applied when the cell is in the compressed configuration. 
   As shown in  FIG. 10 , the divider  52  with adhesive  68  applied to its upper and lower faces is passed between the outer sheet  54  and the connector sheet as shown in  FIG. 11 , the entire laminate is then compressed between heated plates  82  which activate the adhesive  68  in the case of thermoplastic adhesives or act as a catalyst in the case of thermosetting adhesives. 
   If a thermosetting resin is used in bonding the glass fibers within the strips  66  and sheets  54  and  56  of material, the panel will naturally expand to its preformed condition, as shown in  FIG. 12 , after having been compressed and bonded together. If a thermoplastic resin is used, it will remain compressed but need only be reheated and the strips will inherently expand under the heat. The panel can either inherently expand or be selectively expanded to a desired height or thickness. 
   As shown in  FIG. 13 , the decorative sheet  58  could also be positioned between the outer sheet  54  and the heat press  82  with a suitable adhesive therebetween the bond the decorative sheet to the outer sheet thereby resulting in the panel illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     FIGS. 14–17  illustrate the assembled panel in progressively compressed configurations. 
   A problem with conventional ceiling panels of the prior art is that they remain the same size and thickness during shipment, installation and use. However, with the present invention, the panels are compressed for shipping purposes so that far more panels can be packed in one container for shipping purposes thereby substantially reducing the volume shipped thereby substantially reducing shipping costs. Moreover, the light weight design of the panels described herein substantially reduces the shipping weight. Upon unpackaging, typically immediately prior to installation, the panels  50  can be allowed to naturally regain their original configuration or in some embodiments, as described hereinabove, a heater can be used to vary the thickness of the final panel. 
   As shown in  FIG. 31 , panel  50  can be easily flexed or bent transversely of the direction in which the elongated dividers  52  extend to facilitate the insertion of the panel into the support structure of a drop ceiling. However, as illustrated in  FIGS. 24 and 25 , panel  50  can be made substantially more rigid by placing support members  84  at opposite ends of the panel so as to cover the open ends  86  of the tubular or cellular dividers. Support members  84  can be preformed C-shaped channel members  88  as shown in  FIGS. 24 and 25  or strips  90  of adhesive material as shown in  FIG. 26 . Similarly, as shown in  FIGS. 65–67 , a divider  52   a  could be placed at each end of the panel to cover the open ends of the parallel dividers  52 . The outer sheet  54  and connector sheet  56  are extended to cover the dividers  52  which serve to make the panel  50  more rigid in the cross-direction. 
   The structural characteristics of divider  52  can be varied by laminating the inner or outer surface of the divider with another sheet of material and possibly a metallic sheet material  92 , as shown in  FIGS. 28 and 27 , respectively. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 29 and 30 , pressure applied to one side of the panel  50  will not deform the opposite of the panel  50 . 
     FIGS. 33–35  illustrate a second embodiment of a panel  94  wherein the connector sheet  54  has been replaced with a connector in the form of a plurality of elongated flexible but non-extensible strands or fibers  96 . 
   In both  FIGS. 12 and 34 , the disclosed panels have dividers which have longitudinal fold lines  100  wherein the side partitions fold inwardly when the panel is compressed. The side partitions thereby define upper and lower portions  98   a  and  98   b  which are rectangular but wherein the upper portion  98   a  is of a smaller dimension than the lower portion  98   b . This may be considered an asymmetric configuration. 
     FIGS. 36–42  illustrate a third embodiment which is identical to that shown in  FIG. 12  except that the partitions  104  in the dividers  105  are symmetric in configuration. In other words, fold lines  106  along the partitions  104  are positioned so that an upper rectangular portion  104   a  of each partition is of equal size to a lower rectangular portion  104   b . The compressed and expanded forms of the panel  102  shown in  FIGS. 36–38  are illustrated isometrically in  FIGS. 39 and 40 .  FIGS. 41 and 42  illustrate the stacking of the compressed panels  102  for shipping. 
     FIGS. 49–52  illustrate an alternative embodiment wherein the connector sheet is eliminated by use of a divider  110  which is hourglass-shaped. 
     FIGS. 53–56  illustrate a further alternative embodiment of panel  132  wherein dividers  134  are not cellular in and of themselves but are rather strips of material that have been folded into a zig-zag pattern and secured between an outer sheet and a connector sheet  138  thereby forming a cellular compressible panel. 
     FIGS. 57–60  illustrate yet another embodiment of divider  152  for use in panel  154 . This divider  152  includes a pair of parallel outer crease lines  156  with folds in the same direction therein spaced inwardly from the side edges  158  of a strip of material from which the divider is formed and a third intermediate crease line  160  between the parallel outer crease lines. An upper marginal zone  162  is defined between one edge of the strip of material and one of the outer crease lines and a second much larger lower marginal zone is defined along the bottom of the divider between the associated edge of the strip of material and the adjacent crease line. The overlapping lower marginal zones are secured to each other thereby forming an integrated segmented outer sheet  168  formed from the plurality of lower marginal zones of the respective dividers. 
   A similar embodiment  170  of a divider is shown in  FIGS. 61–64  where a strip of material is provided with a pair of outer crease lines  172  and an intermediate crease line  174  therebetween, with upper and lower marginal zones  176  and  178  being defined between the edges  180  of the strip and the outer crease lines  172 . The folds at the outer crease lines  172  are in an opposite direction to the fold along the intermediate crease line  174  so that the outer and lower marginal zones both project horizontally to the right, as viewed in  FIG. 62 . Both of the horizontal zones extend horizontally beyond the intermediate crease line  174  and are adapted to overlap the upper and lower marginal zones of adjacent dividers to the right so that they can be secured thereto in any suitable manner to form the panel shown expanded in  FIG. 63  and compressed in  FIG. 64 . 
   A further embodiment of a panel  182  is disclosed in  FIGS. 68–73  wherein the panel has an outer sheet  54 , a connector sheet  56  and a plurality of dividers  184  extending therebetween. As shown in  FIGS. 68 and 71 , the dividers  184   a  in a part of the panel are of Z-shaped cross-section while the dividers  184   b  in the other part of the panel are of reverse Z-shaped cross-section. At the location  186  at which the direction of the dividers changes, the panel can be bent at a right angle as seen in  FIGS. 72 and 73  so that the panel can, for example, follow the right-angled contours of building components on which it is mounted. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 68 and 71 , the dividers  184   a  in the right-hand portion of the panel are Z-shaped in cross-section so as to define an upper horizontal leg  188  that extends to the left, a lower horizontal leg  190  that extends to the right and a diagonal connecting leg  192  that connects the right edge of the upper leg to the left edge of the lower leg. The Z-shaped dividers  184   a  are formed similarly to those described previously by placing crease lines in strips of material from which the dividers are made and then folding the strips of material along the crease lines. 
   As shown in FIGS.  68  and  71 – 73 , at the location  186  where the direction of the dividers changes, (in the illustrated panel, near its center) the panel can be folded at a right angle. The panel can then be fully expanded as shown in  FIGS. 72 and 73  so that the legs of the dividers are perpendicular to each other thereby forming rectangular cells. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 68 and 69 , it will be appreciated that the panel can also be compressed as with the earlier described embodiments of panels made in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. 
   In still a further embodiment  190  of the panel of the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 99 and 100 , the dividers  192  are of the configuration illustrated for example in  FIGS. 7–9  even though they have been inverted so that the bottom of the divider is shown on the top and secured to the overlying outer sheet  194  along three parallel glue lines  196 . The opposite side of the divider which is open and defined by two flaps  198  and  200  has one of the flaps  198  secured to the connector sheet  202  while the other flap  200  is unsecured. The panel  190  is shown in a compressed condition in  FIG. 99  and an expanded position in  FIG. 100 . In the compressed condition, it will be seen that the connector sheet  202  is shifted slightly to the right relative to the outer sheet  194 . When the panel is allowed to fully expand as shown in  FIG. 100 , the left sidewall  204  of each cell folds out into a vertical orientation as the material from which the cell is made biases the sheet toward a flat orientation and in doing so, the connector sheet  202  is pulled or shifted to the left so that its edges become aligned with the edge of the outer sheet. The movement of the connector sheet to the left is caused by the unfolding of the sidewalls of the divider. The connection of the left flap  198  to the connector sheet  202  pulls the connector sheet to the left upon expansion of the cell. On the other hand, as the right side of the dividers unfolds and assumes a vertical orientation, the bottom flap  200  associated therewith is allowed to slide relative to the connector sheet  202  so that the flaps become more separated than they are in the compressed condition of  FIG. 99 . The right sidewall of one divider is then folded into contiguous relationship with the left sidewall of an adjacent divider so that the sidewalls of the dividers reinforce each other and become somewhat rigid to rigidify the panel so that it cannot be easily compressed. 
   The compressible panel used is the method packaging and shipping of the present invention is also amenable to rigidification in a cross-direction in a manner illustrated in  FIGS. 74–79 . A segment of the panel near an end thereof can be partially cut at  89  by cutting through the connector sheet  56  and the dividers  52  (in a direction transverse to the length of the dividers) but not severing the outer sheet  54 . This cut forms a small band  91  of material, which can be independently compressed as illustrated in  FIG. 75  to receive a rigidifying clip  93 . The rigidifying clip in the disclosed embodiment is of substantially J-shaped cross-section having a long side  95 , a spaced parallel short side  97 , a connecting wall  99  interconnecting corresponding edges of the long and short sides and a lip  101  depending from the long side along the opposite edge from the connecting wall  99 . The clip is mounted on the compressed band of material so as to retain the material in a compressed state. The clip and compressed material can then be folded upwardly as shown in  FIGS. 77 and 78  to form a rigidification along the end of the panel. The rigidified band of material can be adhesively secured in position after it has been folded upwardly as illustrated in  FIGS. 78 and 79  if desired. 
   A panel  200  that has been modified to be suspendable from or supportable by the T-shaped support members  60  is shown in  FIGS. 80–96  with a plurality of the panels shown in  FIG. 8  installed in underlying relationship to existing acoustical panels  202  supported on support members  60 . As will be appreciated, each panel  200  is of the general type previously described and as seen in  FIGS. 84–86  has an outer sheet  204 , a connector sheet  206 , and a plurality of parallel cellular dividers  208  therebetween. The cellular dividers are preferably, as previously described, compressible in nature and best seen in  FIGS. 87–91  as being formed from individual strips of material that have been creased and folded so as to define elongated tubes having two truncated triangular areas  210  and  212  superimposed upon each other. The dividers  208  have foldable intermediate side walls  214  with fold lines  216 , which allow the side walls to either fold inwardly as shown in  FIGS. 89–91  or fold outwardly as shown in  FIGS. 87 and 88  depending upon a number of conditions including the type of binder used in the fiberglass matting material from which the dividers are made and the treatment of the dividers to heat and cold which will be described in more detail later. 
   At each end of the panel  200  along the open ends of the cellular dividers  208 , a unique clip  218  as seen best in  FIGS. 81–86 , is secured to the panel. The clips are elongated and preferably extruded members of a rigid material such as aluminum, plastic, or the like and are generally of inverted J-shaped configuration as probably best seen in  FIG. 82 . They therefore define a vertical main flat body  220  with a lower protruding lip  222  from the bottom edge of the main body. An upper downwardly opening hook-shaped channel  224  extends from the upper edge of the main body. Also along the upper edge is formed a second or horizontally opening hook-shaped channel  226  which protrudes from the main body in the opposite direction as the lip  222  even though it opens in the same direction as the lip  222 . An obliquely protruding rib  228  extends downwardly from the upper edge-of the main body beneath the horizontally opening channel  226 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 92–95 , the clip  218  is secured to the end of the panel  200  either by notching the end of the panel, as described previously, so that the outer sheet  204  protrudes longitudinally from opposite ends of the panel or the outer sheet can be made slightly longer and wider than the remainder of the panel so that it naturally protrudes from opposite ends and opposite sides as shown in  FIGS. 87 and 92  defining outer sheet longitudinal extensions  230  and outer sheet lateral extensions  232 . An elongated straight stiffening strip  234 , which might be made of plastic, aluminum, paperboard, or the like, is adhesively bonded to the top surface of the outer sheet longitudinal extension  230  where it protrudes from the ends of the panel and clips are thereafter positioned over the outer sheet longitudinal extensions and the stiffeners as shown in  FIG. 94  by inserting the stiffener strips and outer sheet longitudinal extensions into the downwardly opening J-shaped channels  224  adjacent to the main bodies with the lip  222  hanging over the innermost edge of the stiffeners. With the clips so positioned, the outer sheet longitudinal extensions  230 , stiffener  234  and clip  218  can be folded upwardly as shown in  FIG. 95  until the connector sheet  206  at opposite ends of the panel is received between the horizontally opening J-shape channels  226  and the oblique ribs  228  of the clips. The underside of the horizontally opening J-shaped channels  226  can then be adhesively or otherwise secured to the connector sheet  206  to hold the clip in the position illustrated in  FIG. 95 . 
   The oblique rib  228  of each clip projects beneath the connector sheet  206  so as to hold the panel in a fully expanded position. By following the same procedure at each longitudinal end of the panel, it will be appreciated that the ends of each panel will have a clip thereon and the horizontally opening J-shaped channels  226  are positioned to be secured to a flange of the T-shaped support member  60  as shown in  FIGS. 84 and 85 . 
   An alternative way for securing a J-shaped clip to ends of the panel is shown in  FIGS. 92A–95A . 
   As shown in  FIG. 83 , the ends of the horizontally opening J-shaped channels  226  are spaced inwardly from opposite longitudinal ends of the clip  218  to accommodate a T-shaped support member  60  that extends perpendicularly to the T-shaped support member  60  to which the clip is secured. In this manner, the panels can be carried by a conventional gridwork of T-shaped support members in a suspended or supported manner with or without another set of acoustical tiles being supported by the gridwork. In other words, the panels  200  with the clips  218  secured thereto can be used in connection with an existing gridwork or in connection with a new gridwork in exactly the same manner. 
   A slightly modified clip  240  for the ends of the panels  200  is shown in  FIGS. 101–107 . 
   The clip  240  is substantially similar to the previously-described clip  218  shown in  FIG. 82 , the difference residing simply in the fact that the clip  240  does not have a rib  228 . In describing the clip  240  corresponding parts to the clip  218  will be assigned corresponding reference numerals with a prime suffix. 
   The clip is shown mounted on the compressed end of the panel in  FIG. 101  where the remainder of the panel has been allowed to expand and closed into overlying relationship with the open ends of the dividers in  FIG. 103 . Another difference in the clip shown in  FIGS. 101–107  and the clip  218  shown in  FIG. 82  resides in the fact that a channel  242  is defined between the downwardly opening channel  224 ′ and the horizontally opening channel  226 ′ with the channel  242  opening in the opposite direction to the channel  226 ′. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 105–107 , when mounting a panel  200  having the clips  240  on the opposite ends thereof on a T-grid system wherein inverted T-shape supports  241  in the system have oppositely directed flanges  244  on which other panels  246  of a ceiling system may be supported, the clip  240  on one end of the panel is advanced onto an associated flange  244  by inserting the flange into the horizontal channel  226 ′. 
   Not all support systems for ceiling panels have support members of inverted T-shaped cross section. Rather, as seen in  FIGS. 108 and 109  respectively, the support members  245   a and  245   b  could be of generally U-shaped channeled cross section having inturned lips  247  along the two upper edges of the channeled support members. 
   An edge clip  251  for use with ceiling panels  50  to be supported by a channeled support system is also seen in  FIGS. 108 and 109 . 
   Sometimes it might be desirable to fold a panel around a corner or to form a corner. With the panel used with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention, such a fold or corner can be made in an aesthetically attractive manner as illustrated in  FIGS. 97 and 98 . It will be seen in  FIG. 97  that a divider  208  including the connector sheet  206  across the top thereof can be severed from the remainder of the panel at the location where a fold or bend is desired in the panel leaving the outer sheet  204  where the divider was removed. The remaining portions of the panel can be folded in one direction or the other as illustrated in  FIG. 98  so that one remainder portion of the panel is oriented perpendicularly to the other portion with the outer sheet  204  extending continuously around the bend so as to define a fully finished corner for the panel. Such a fold in the panel might be desirable, for example, in a skylight where a window is raised above the ceiling level into an upwardly recessed area and by following the procedure shown in  FIGS. 97 and 98 , a panel or panels can be folded to extend from the normal ceiling level up into the recessed area of the skylight. 
   The strips of material from which the dividers  208  are made are folded in an unheated environment and a hot melt adhesive is applied to the strips or to the outer sheet  204  and connector sheet  206  before they are laminated together. Unless the panels  200  are maintained in a compressed configuration such as illustrated in  FIGS. 89–91 , they will, over some period of time, expand into the configuration of  FIG. 88  in which configuration the panel is no longer compressible. This time period over which it takes for the dividers to convert from the configuration of  FIGS. 89–91  to the configuration of  FIG. 88  is dependent upon a number of factors including the resin used in the material from which the dividers are made and also whether or not heat is applied to the material while the dividers are in the compressed configuration of  FIGS. 89–91 . By adding heat to the dividers while they are compressed, the time period it takes for them to expand into the configuration of  FIG. 88  is lengthened. Also, by increasing the percent of thermoplastic resin used in the material from which the dividers are made, the time in which it takes for the dividers to transform from the configuration of  FIG. 89  to the configuration of  FIG. 88  can be increased. By way of example only, the time period for the transformation may be varied anywhere from 15 minutes to 32 hours. 
   Accordingly, when the panels  200  are formed and shipped, they are desirably shipped in a compressed state so that a relatively large number of panels can be packed and shipped in a relatively small container particularly in comparison to conventional acoustical tiles of a fixed depth, i.e., a depth similar to the fully expanded depth of a panel  200  in accordance with the present disclosure for use with the packaging and shipping method of the present invention. Once the panels are removed from the shipping container, however, they expand immediately 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 of  FIG. 89  for the above-noted time period after which they will transform into the configuration shown in  FIG. 88  where the panel becomes incompressible from a practical standpoint. 
   During that time period, the panels can be cut to their desired shape and installed in a supporting grid system before the panels become substantially incompressible. They can therefore be flexed for easy insertion into the openings defined between support members in the supporting grid system if inserted before becoming incompressible. 
   Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example, and changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4