Patent Description:
The acoustic panel system according to the present invention provides a worker with an easy-to-install system, which is flexible and can be adapted to various sound absorbing/reflecting properties and at the same time creates architectural details.

When constructing buildings both for private and commercial use, it is commonly known to construct ceilings and walls forming architectural details for aesthetic as well as sound improving reasons within the room.

One example of prior art systems is disclosed in <CIT>. The referred document discloses an acoustic panel which is constructed as a laminate and comprises a plurality of openings in contact with an intermediate space comprising a sound absorbing material. This panel is however premanufactured, is time consuming to produce, and leaves the installation process with very limited degrees of variation.

Other ceiling/wall systems disclose acoustic panels in which wooden laths are attached to a mounting panel prior to installing the panel to the wall or ceiling, where the laths are fastened to the panels by screws extending from the back of the panel, through the panel and into the laths. It is not desirable to fasten the laths to the mounting panel by screws which are fastened through the laths from a front surface and into the mounting panel, as these screws would be visible to persons inside the room.

Another example of a prior art system is disclosed in <CIT>. This document describes a strip ceiling system having a number of elongate strips having a part being sized and configured to fit into a longitudinal groove of a sheet.

The above-mentioned systems are all time consuming to construct and install, and therefore costly in terms of labour.

It is an object of the invention to provide an acoustic panel system which is suitable for being mounted to a ceiling/wall surface, where the acoustic panel system is easy to mount and creates a surface having visual and sound improving properties.

The above object and advantages, together with numerous other objects and advantages, which will be evident from the following description of the present invention, are according to a first aspect of the present invention obtained by:
An acoustic panel system for installation on a wall or ceiling surface, the acoustic panel system, comprising:.

The mounting plate may come in a variety of embodiments and characteristics. The plate may thus have any desired dimensions and be made of any type of material, such as a wood or a gypsum. The mounting plate may in a further embodiment be manufactured from a sound absorbing material.

The mounting plate is suitable to be fastened to a desired surface of a room and serves as backing for the acoustic elements.

Even though the acoustic panel system is intended for mounting to a wall or ceiling surface, the system is also suitable for use as a partition wall, such as a freestanding partition wall. The mounting plate is manufactured with sufficient structural strength, such that the system is self-supporting.

The fastening elements are preferably manufactured from plastic, but may in a further embodiment be manufactured from materials such as metal, wood, or other materials rendering the fastening elements with sufficient structural strength. The first part of the fastening elements is fastened to the mounting panel, and the second part of the fastening elements is fastened to the acoustic elements. According to the invention, the first part or the second part of the fastening elements is arranged with a friction-connecting means, such that when performing a final step of installation, no tools are needed, and the acoustic elements can be installed in a speedy and simple manner. According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the mounting plate comprises a plurality of perforations being arranged alternately and in consecutive rows.

The mounting plates comprise in a preferred embodiment a plurality of perforations, which are arranged in consecutive rows and suitable for receiving the first part of the fastening elements. The mounting plates preferably comprise a relatively high number of perforations, such that the variation of possible connection points for the acoustic elements is high. The acoustic elements may thus be connected to the mounting panels in any desired position, which influences the aesthetic as well as the sound improving properties.

When the acoustic elements are attached to the mounting panel, not all perforations are necessarily used for the connection, and will thus be visible for persons within the room. These perforations also influence the acoustic properties of the system, and in an embodiment where the mounting plate comprises perforations, there may be arranged another layer of sound absorbing material behind the mounting plate, which further enhances the acoustic properties of the system.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the acoustic elements comprise a perforation on an upper side intended for facing the mounting plate, the perforation being arranged for connection with the second part of the fastening elements.

In order to arrange the acoustic element onto the mounting plate in a simple manner, perforations are arranged on an upper side of the acoustic elements which faces the mounting plate. Hereby, there is no need for the worker to make any further arrangements to adapt the elements to the mounting plate.

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the acoustic element is an elongated element, such as a lath, preferably a wooden or plastic lath, the elongated element comprising a plurality of the perforations.

The acoustic elements are in a preferred embodiment composed of elongated elements, such as wooden laths, where these elongated elements are fastened to the mounting plate by a number of fastening elements, such as preferably at least two fastening elements, preferable at either end of the elements, and may be arranged in any desired position on the mounting plate. The acoustic elements are in the most basic embodiment mounted to the mounting panel via only one fastening element. According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the acoustic elements comprise a groove on an upper side intended for facing the mounting plate, the groove being arranged for connection with the second part of the fastening elements. According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the acoustic elements are elongated elements, such as laths, preferably wooden or plastic laths, and comprise a groove and a perforation on an upper side intended for facing the mounting plate, the groove and perforation being arranged at opposite ends of the elongated elements.

In order to be able to arrange the individual elongated elements in a non-parallel relationship, the elongated elements comprise a longitudinal groove, or at one end, a groove which is suitable to receive the second part of a fastening element. It is hereby possible that an elongated element may span between consecutive rows of perforations such that the perforation aligns with the groove of the elongated element.

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the first part of the fastening elements comprises a threaded portion or friction-engaging means, and the second part of the fastening elements comprises friction-engaging means.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first part of the element comprises a threaded portion, such that the fastening element is screwed, e.g. by a suitable tool, into engagement with the mounting plate, and when performing a final step of installation, the acoustic element is simply pressed by the worker into friction engagement with the mounting plate, such that no tools are needed in this final step, and the installation can be made in a simple and quick manner.

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the second part of the fastening elements comprises a threaded portion, and the first part of the fastening elements comprises friction-engaging means.

In an alternative embodiment, the first part of the fastening elements comprises a threaded portion, and the second part comprises friction-engaging means. Here, the fastening elements will be screwed into engagement with the acoustic elements with a suitable tool and then brought into engagement with the mounting plate by pressing the first part of the fastening elements into engagement with the mounting plate.

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the friction-engaging means comprises a flexible element for engaging an inner surface of the perforations or the embossments.

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the friction-engaging means comprises a number of flexible arms or a substantially circumferential flexible element.

The fastening elements in a preferred embodiment comprise one or more flexible elements for engaging the inner surface of the perforations or the embossments. These flexible elements may be arranged as a number of arms, or as a circumferential element, which, when the element is pushed into engagement with the perforation/embossment, engages the inner surface of the perforations/embossments.

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the fastening elements comprise tool-engaging means arranged between the first and second parts, and/or arranged at an end of the first or second parts.

In order to effectively engage the threaded portion of the fastening elements into the mounting panels or the acoustic elements, the fastening elements comprise tool-engaging means, such as a notch or bolt flange, at one or both ends, and/or a bolt flange arranged between the first part and the second part of the fastening element.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the above objects and advantages are obtained by:
A method for arranging an acoustic panel system on a wall or a ceiling surface, the method comprising the following steps:.

According to the above-defined method, it is achieved that the above-mentioned acoustic panel system easily and effective can be installed onto a panel or wall surface.

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims, to those skilled in the art. Like elements will thus not be described in detail with respect to the description of each figure.

<FIG> is an exploded perspective view of an acoustic panel system <NUM>. The acoustic panel system <NUM> is illustrated in a position mounted onto a ceiling surface (not shown). The acoustic panel system <NUM> is illustrated with a mounting plate <NUM> and a plurality of acoustic elements <NUM>, which in the illustrated embodiment, are elongated acoustic elements <NUM>. It is to be understood that a plurality of such acoustic panel systems <NUM> can be mounted onto the ceiling surface or a wall surface, in side-by-side relationship, such that a larger area of the ceiling or wall surface may be covered.

The mounting plate <NUM> is preferably manufactured from wood or gypsum, but may also be manufactures from other suitable materials, such as e.g. plastic or thin-walled metal plates. The mounting plate <NUM> may thus consist of a perforated metal ceiling grid, which is typically used as sound-enhancing or ventilated ceiling panels.

The acoustic elements are in a preferred embodiment produced from wood, such as a wooden lath, but may in an alternative embodiment be produced from different materials known to a person skilled in the art.

The mounting plate <NUM> comprises a number of perforations <NUM> and/or embossments <NUM> arranged in consecutive rows.

The acoustic elements <NUM> comprise a number of openings <NUM> which are arranged such that they align with the perforations/embossments <NUM>, <NUM>.

The acoustic elements <NUM> are mounted to the mounting plate <NUM> via a number of fastening elements <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, eight fastening elements <NUM> are used; it is however to be understood that any different number of fastening elements <NUM> can be used, such as fewer of more. In the most basic embodiment, only one fastening element is used.

The fastening elements <NUM> are arranged for engaging the perforations/embossments <NUM>, <NUM> and the openings <NUM> of the acoustic elements respectively.

In order to arrange the acoustic elements <NUM> onto the mounting plate <NUM>, each fastening element <NUM> is first mounted to a perforation <NUM> or embossment <NUM>, and the acoustic elements are then fastened to the fastening elements via a friction connection between the acoustic elements <NUM> and the fastening means. Each acoustic element <NUM> is thus arranged onto the mounting plate <NUM> simply by a worker "pressing" the openings <NUM> into engagement with the fastening elements.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a blow-up of a fastening element <NUM>, and clearly illustrates the fastening element <NUM> comprising a first part <NUM> and a second part <NUM>.

The first part <NUM> is illustrated having a thread <NUM>, such that the fastening element <NUM> may be screwed into engagement with a perforation <NUM> or embossment <NUM> with a suitable tool. The fastening element <NUM> therefore comprises tool-engaging means <NUM> arranged at the ends of the fastening element <NUM> and/or between the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM>. The tool-engaging means <NUM> are illustrated as a notch/bold, but may be arranged in different embodiments according to any desired tool to be used.

The second part <NUM> of the fastening element <NUM> is illustrated with friction-connecting means <NUM>, such that when the openings are "pressed" into engagement with the fastening elements <NUM>, the friction-connecting means engages an inner surface of the perforations <NUM> or embossments <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective sectional view of an acoustic panel system <NUM>, showing part of a mounting plate <NUM>, part of an acoustic element <NUM>, and a fastening element <NUM>.

The mounting plate is illustrated with a number of perforations <NUM> and illustrated with one embossment <NUM> for connection to the thread <NUM> of the first part <NUM>. The perforations <NUM> are preferred in a situation where the mounting plate <NUM> is to be used as a ventilating ceiling panel or as an acoustic mounting plate, and the embossments may be used when there is no desire for ventilation through the mounting plate. The fastening element <NUM> of the illustrated embodiment may be connected to either the perforations <NUM> or the embossments <NUM>.

The acoustic element is shown with an opening <NUM> for connection with the friction-connecting means <NUM>, which in the illustrated embodiment is defined by two flexible arms extending outwards from the fastening element <NUM>, preferably at opposite sides.

It is however to be understood that the fastening element <NUM> may comprise a different number of flexible arms, such as one, three, four or more, and in an even further embodiment, the fastening element <NUM> may comprise a substantially circumferential, flexible element. This is particular suitable in an embodiment (not shown and not forming part of the invention) where the acoustic element comprises a longitudinal groove instead of openings. Arranging the acoustic element <NUM> with a groove, enables the acoustic element <NUM> to be connected to different consecutive rows of perforations <NUM> and/or embossments <NUM>. Hereby, the different acoustic elements <NUM> of the acoustic panel system <NUM> may be arranged in a non-parallel relationship.

Claim 1:
An acoustic panel system (<NUM>) for installation on a wall or ceiling surface, said acoustic panel system (<NUM>) comprising:
a mounting plate (<NUM>), suitable for fastening to said wall or ceiling surface, said mounting plate (<NUM>) defining a first main surface intended for facing said wall or ceiling surface, and a second main surface being opposite said first main surface and intended for facing an interior of a room;
a number of acoustic elements (<NUM>) suitable for fastening to said second main surface;
a number of individual fastening elements (<NUM>), each fastening element (<NUM>) intended for fastening one of said acoustic elements (<NUM>) to said second surface, said fastening elements (<NUM>) comprising a first part (<NUM>) intended for fastening to said mounting plate (<NUM>), and a second part (<NUM>) intended for fastening to said acoustic elements (<NUM>),
said first part (<NUM>) or said second part (<NUM>) being arranged with a friction-connecting means (<NUM>), such that said first part (<NUM>) or said second part (<NUM>) may be connected to said mounting plate (<NUM>) or said acoustic elements (<NUM>) without the use of any tools,
said mounting plate (<NUM>) comprising a plurality of perforations (<NUM>) or embossments (<NUM>) arranged in consecutive rows, said perforations (<NUM>) or embossments (<NUM>) being intended for connection with said first part (<NUM>) of said fastening elements (<NUM>), and characterized in that
said acoustic elements comprise a perforation (<NUM>) on an upper side intended for facing said mounting plate (<NUM>), said perforation (<NUM>) being arranged for connection with said second part (<NUM>) of said fastening elements (<NUM>).