U.S. patent application number 11/672205 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-23 for basic module for a modular screen for display or partition.
Invention is credited to Erwan Bouroullec, Ronan Bouroullec.
Application Number | 20070193217 11/672205 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38016625 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070193217 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bouroullec; Ronan ; et
al. |
August 23, 2007 |
BASIC MODULE FOR A MODULAR SCREEN FOR DISPLAY OR PARTITION
Abstract
The invention relates to a basic module, which can for instance
be of a substantially rectangular shape and where there at opposite
ends of the module outwardly extending protrusions for releasable
engagement with co-operating openings in adjacent modules are
provided. It is thereby possible by using the modules according to
the invention to form for instance a partition and by proper choice
of modules (for instance relating to colour, choice of material and
other characteristics) to form partitions or the like having
desirable design and application related characteristics (for
instance acoustical characteristics).
Inventors: |
Bouroullec; Ronan; (Paris,
FR) ; Bouroullec; Erwan; (Paris, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STITES & HARBISON PLLC
1199 NORTH FAIRFAX STREET, SUITE 900
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
38016625 |
Appl. No.: |
11/672205 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/782.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 2/74 20130101; E04F
13/0864 20130101; E04F 13/0875 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/782.1 |
International
Class: |
E04C 2/00 20060101
E04C002/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 8, 2006 |
DK |
PA 2006 00178 |
Claims
1. A basic module comprising a central body, at opposite ends of
said body being provided with protrusions extending in an outward
direction from said body, where the body is furthermore provided
with through openings, through which openings protrusions provided
on adjacent modules can pass, thereby providing releasable
engagement between a given opening Hand a corresponding
protrusion.
2. A basic module according to claim 1, characterized in that the
module furthermore comprises through openings, through which
portions of a support structure can be passed.
3. A basic module according to claim 1, characterized in that the
module furthermore comprises a number of thicker portions that can
be upholstered.
4. A basic module according to claim 1, characterized in that said
protrusions are provided on an edge portion connected to the
central body and laterally displaced relative to the central
body.
5. A basic module according to claim 4, characterized in that said
central body is furthermore provided with through openings through
which said protrusions provided on said edge portion can pass, when
the edge portion is bent over the corresponding portion of an end
region of the central body.
6. A basic module according to claim 1, characterized in that the
module is made of textile provided on either side of a core.
7. A basic module according to claim 6, characterized in that the
thickness of the core is in the range of 10 to 20 mm.
8. A basic module according to claim 6, characterized in that the
core is made of PE foam.
9. A system of basic modules according to claim 1, characterized in
that the system comprises a support structure comprising support
means passed through said openings in individual modules.
10. A system according to claim 9, characterized in that said
support structure furthermore comprises connecting members that
connect an individual of said means with adjacent support
means.
11. A system according to claim 9, characterized in that the system
furthermore comprises means for suspending the system.
12. A system according to claim 9, characterized in that the system
comprises main modules side modules top and bottom modules and
corner modules, whereby a surface comprising substantially straight
edge portions and substantially 90 degrees corner portions can be
provided.
13. The use of the system according to claim 12, where said
partition or surface structure is used for decorative purposes
and/or for fastening objects to the partition or surface and/or for
acoustic control of a room or other space, where the partition or
surface is provided.
14. A method for establishing a surface, such as a partition, the
method comprising the following steps: (a) the provision of a
plurality of central modules comprising a central body and
protrusions extending in outward directions from end regions of
said body and through openings through the body; (b) assembling
said surface by bringing said protrusions on each individual of
said central modules into releasable engagement with said openings
in adjacent modules.
15. (canceled)
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a basic module for a modular
screen, which for instance can be assembled to form a flexible
partition, the extent, appearance and characteristics of which can
be changed according to specific requirements by choosing
appropriate modules. The invention furthermore relates to a screen
composed of a plurality of modules according to the invention and
to a method of forming a screen. The invention furthermore relates
to the use of said modules, system and method for attaining given,
desired design effects, functional effects and for providing the
possibility to apply acoustic control of a room or local areas
within a room, for instance around a work place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is an object of the present invention to provide a basic
module that is formed such that a plurality of modules can easily
be assembled to larger units, for instance a partition. By applying
modules of different colours, materials (or covered by different
materials) or other characteristics many different appearances of
the unit can be attained, which may be of interest at least from a
design point of view. Furthermore, a partition according to the
invention can by proper choice of materials be given desirable
acoustical properties and it may thus be used for acoustical
control of a room. Furthermore, the unit according to the
invention--or the individual modules according to the
invention--can by proper choice of materials be used as a bulletin
board. According to a specific embodiment of the invention the
modules are made of a textile provided on both opposing sides of a
core of a suitable thickness, for instance 10 to 20 mm, made of PE
foam, which is a flameproof and closed-cell foam material. It is,
however, understood that also other materials could be used for
composing the modules according to the invention and that these
also as an alternative could be made in one piece--for instance
without upholstering--of a suitable material, provided that this
had or was given the necessary flexibility in regions of the module
that must be bendable.
[0003] The said objects are according to the invention attained by
a basic module having for instance a substantially rectangular
shape, even though many other shapes would also be conceivable,
where at opposing ends of the module outwardly extending
protrusions are provided, which can be brought into releasable
engagement with co-operating openings in adjacent modules, which
openings according to a preferred embodiment are provided centrally
in the module.
[0004] In order to assemble and retain a plurality of said modules
in a total assemblage of modules, for instance to form a partition
as described above, the modules can furthermore be provided with
through openings, through which a support structure for instance
consisting of wires, cables, rods or belts, etc. can be passed,
such that the individual module is supported at its position in the
system of modules.
[0005] For assembling a total system, such as a partition, said
outwardly extending protrusion is on certain modules provided on
end portions of the module that is displaced laterally relative to
the module, said end portions being foldable in such a manner that
a substantially unbroken edge region of the system, for instance a
partition, is attained. The present invention thus relates to both
of these basic forms of modules and the corresponding total systems
that can be assembled from these modules.
[0006] The present invention furthermore relates to a method of
providing a surface, for instance a partition, where the method
basically comprises the following steps: [0007] (a) provision of a
plurality of central modules comprising a central body and
protrusions extending in an outward direction from said body and
through openings provided through said body; [0008] (b) assembling
said surface by bringing said protrusions on each individual of
said central modules into releasable engagement with said openings
in adjacent modules.
[0009] The invention furthermore relates to the use of said
modules, system and method for attaining given, desired design
effects, functional effects and for providing the possibility to
apply acoustic control of a room or local areas within a room, for
instance around a work place.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The invention will be more fully understood by reading the
following detailed description of various embodiments of the
invention in conjunction with the figures, where
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a basic module
according to an embodiment of the invention shown in plane view and
as a schematic, perspective view;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows schematic perspective views of end modules
(left and right) according to an embodiment of the invention, from
which it appears that the two outwardly extending protrusions at
one end of the module are provided displaced relative to the main
body of the module;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a schematic, perspective view of a section of a
system of modules according to an embodiment of the invention
illustrating engagement between the individual modules and an
example of a support structure;
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a schematic, perspective view of a partition
composed of modules according to an embodiment of the invention,
where the upper portion of the partition is provided with said end
modules, which upon bending provide a substantially unbroken edge
portion of the partition;
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a schematic, perspective view of a section of
the edge region of a partition according to the invention, such as
shown in FIG. 4, the figure serving to illustrate the bending of
end portions of the modules;
[0016] FIG. 6 shows a plane view of a first module according to a
second embodiment of the invention referred to as a main
module;
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a plane view of a second module according to a
second embodiment of the invention referred to as a side
module;
[0018] FIG. 8 shows a plane view of a third module according to a
second embodiment of the invention referred to as a top and bottom
module;
[0019] FIG. 9 shows a plane view of a fourth module according to a
second embodiment of the invention referred to as a corner
module;
[0020] FIG. 10 shows a schematic, plane view of a surface formed by
modules according to the invention and forming a wall or partition
including a door opening;
[0021] FIG. 11 shows a plane view of a portion of a surface formed
by modules according to the invention;
[0022] FIG. 12 shows a plane view of a corner portion of a surface
formed by modules according to the invention;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a suspension of a
module according to the invention; and
[0024] FIG. 14 illustrates schematically curved portions of a
surface formed by modules according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] In the following, a more detailed description of embodiments
of the module according to the present invention is given and of a
system composed of such modules, by which a partition is formed. It
should, however, be noted that a person skilled in the art would be
able to conceive other embodiments of the basic inventive idea and
that such alternative embodiments are regarded as being within the
scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims and
technical equivalents of these.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1 there is thus shown an embodiment of a
basic module according to the invention generally referred to by
reference numeral 1 and comprising a central main body 3, which, in
the shown embodiment, is provided with a number of thicker, for
instance upholstered areas 2, either on one of the substantially
plane sides of the module or on both of these. Centrally in the
module there is provided openings 9 for releasable engagement with
corresponding means in adjacent modules. These corresponding means
are in the shown embodiment the outwardly extending protrusions 4,
5 provided along the end portions of the module, which protrusions
may also comprise thicker portions/upholstered portions on one or
both sides as indicated by reference numeral 6 in FIG. 1. According
to a preferred embodiment, said protrusions are thicker or provided
with upholstered regions on one side and substantially planar on
the other, opposing side, as indicated by reference numeral 10,
such that two of these protrusions, when the modules are assembled
to form a system, can abut against each other in a face-to-face
relationship along the planar surfaces. When modules are assembled
to form a system, a given protrusion 4, 5 is passed through a
corresponding opening 9 in an adjacent module, which is made
possible by the flexibility of the materials used and the
protrusion thereby locks releasably in the opening by engagement
between the recesses 8 with the corresponding edge portions of the
openings 9. Furthermore, the module according to the shown
embodiment is provided with through openings 7 for passage of the
above mentioned support structure, which will be shown in FIG.
3.
[0027] With reference to FIG. 2 there is shown left and right end
modules 11 and 12, respectively, according to an embodiment of the
invention used for providing said substantially unbrokenly
extending side portions of for instance a partition. How this is
accomplished will be described in connection with FIG. 5.
[0028] The left and right end modules are in the shown embodiment
mirror symmetric and both comprise a central body 3. The end
modules differ from the module described in connection with FIG. 1
primarily in that the end modules 11, 12 laterally displaced at one
end of the module are provided with an edge region 14, on which
there is provided outwardly extending protrusions of the same kind
as described previously. The lowermost (as seen in the figure) of
these protrusions 16 is placed so that by bending the edge region
14 inwardly over the modules 11, 12 it can be passed through a
corresponding opening 18 in the module, while the upper protrusion
can be passed through an opening in an adjacent module, as shown
more clearly in FIG. 5. Apart from said differences the end modules
11 and 12 essentially comprise the same features as the central
modules 1, described in connection with FIG. 1.
[0029] With reference to FIG. 3 there is shown a schematic
perspective view of a section of a system 24 of modules according
to an embodiment of the invention, which among others illustrates
the engagement between the individual modules and an example of a
support structure. This support structure consists in the shown
embodiment of the system according to the invention of a number of
horizontally extending cables or the like 25 that are mutually
connected with hook-like members 28, whereby a fixed skeleton for
the system of modules is formed. The individual cables 25 are
passed through the openings 7 in the modules. In the figure, the
system is furthermore shown suspended at reference numeral 26. The
shown section of the system comprises three rows R1, R2 and R3 of
modules arranged above each other, said modules being connected
with each other in such a manner that they partially overlap each
other in a manner corresponding somewhat to the tiles on a roof. It
appears from FIG. 3 that the outwardly extending protrusions 4 and
5 of a given module are passed through corresponding openings 9 in
the modules placed behind and in front of the given module,
respectively. In this manner there is formed a substantially
continuous surface of modules (as shown in FIG. 4). This surface
can be planar, but due to the flexibility of the modules it is also
possible to construct different forms of curved surfaces.
[0030] An example of a system according to the invention
constructed in principle as shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated in FIG.
4 that shows a schematic, perspective view of a partition 27 formed
by modules according to an embodiment of the invention, where the
uppermost part of the partition is provided with said end modules
11 and 12 comprising edge regions 14 that by bending provide a
substantially unbroken edge portion of the partition. The partition
27 constitutes in the shown example a substantially planar face of
modules, outwardly from which face said outwardly extending
protrusions used for attachment of the modules to adjacent modules
as shown in FIG. 3 extend. Such a partition, composed of modules
according to the invention, can by proper choice of modules (for
example in relation to choice of material, the composition of the
individual module, colour etc.) be given a lot of different
characteristics, both relating to appearance, but also relating to
acoustical characteristics etc. as mentioned initially.
[0031] The provision of an essentially unbroken edge region of the
system by means of the end modules 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 2 is
illustrated in FIG. 5, which shows a schematic, perspective view of
a section of the edge region of a partition as for instance shown
in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 thus serves the purpose of illustrating the
bending of the end regions of the modules in order to provide the
edge region.
[0032] With reference to FIG. 5 there are shown two of the central
modules 1 described in connection with FIG. 1. These are in FIG. 5
shown as a relatively light lower module 1' and a relatively dark
upper module 1''. Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows two end modules,
illustrated by dots and short lines, respectively, and comprising
the reference numerals 11 (the main body), 14 (said edge region)
and 15 and 16 (the protrusions extending in an outward direction
from the edge region). As illustrated by the arrows A and B in FIG.
5, the edge regions are folded such that they overlap partially the
outermost region of the corresponding end module, and the
protrusion 16 is passed in a backward direction (as seen in the
figure) through the corresponding opening 18 in the end module 11.
The protrusion 5 on the central module 1'' is likewise passed in a
backward direction through this opening 18. The protrusion 15 on
the lowermost end module 11 (shown with short lines) is passed in a
forward direction (as seen in the figure) through the lowermost
opening 18 in the uppermost end module, which also applies to the
protrusion 4 of the central (light) module 1'. In the manner
illustrated, the substantially unbroken edge region of the system
or partition is formed, which edge region is thus defined by the
bent edge portions 14 and the corresponding end portions of the end
modules.
[0033] With reference to FIG. 6 there is shown a basic module
according to a second embodiment of the invention generally
referred to by reference numeral 29. This module resembles the one
shown in FIG. 1 to a large extent except for the upper edge portion
29'', which resembles the lower edge portion 29' as opposed to the
module shown in FIG. 1, where the upper edge portion is straight.
Features of the modules shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 are otherwise
designated by identical reference numerals.
[0034] An end (or side) module according to a second embodiment of
the invention and corresponding essentially to the first embodiment
shown in FIG. 2 is in FIG. 7 generally referred to by reference
numeral 30. The upper edge portion 30'' differs from the
corresponding portion in the module shown in FIG. 2 in that the
upper edge portion 30'' of the module according to the second
embodiment shown in FIG. 7 resembles the lower edge portion 30',
i.e. the upper edge portion 30'' is not straight as in FIG. 2.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 8 there is shown a top or bottom module
according to the second embodiment of the invention generally
indicated by reference numeral 31. The use of this module for
forming a partition is shown in FIG. 10. In this module the upper
edge portion 31'' is straight as opposed to the lower edge portion
31'.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 9 there is shown corner modules 32, 33
according to the second embodiment of the invention by means of
which it is possible to form a substantially 90 degrees corner
portion of for instance a partition, as shown in FIG. 10.
[0037] With reference to FIG. 10 there is shown a schematic, plane
view of a surface 34 in a room, comprising a door opening 35, where
the surface is formed by modules according to the invention. The
main part of the surface 34 is formed by the modules according
either to FIG. 6 or FIG. 1 indicated by reference numerals 1, 29,
which modules are termed main modules. However, the top portions,
bottom portions, end or side portions and corner portions are
formed by top and bottom modules 31, side modules 11, 30 and corner
modules 32, 33, respectively. As it appears from FIG. 10, the
various modules according to the invention make it possible to form
a surface with substantially straight edge portions that can be
adapted to the desired dimensions of walls, etc. of a given room,
which surface can even comprise openings in the surface, such as
the door opening 35 illustrated in FIG. 10.
[0038] With reference to FIG. 11 there is shown a plane view of a
portion of a surface formed by main modules 29 according to the
invention.
[0039] With reference to FIG. 12 there is shown a plane view of a
corner portion of a surface comprising the four different modules
29 (main), 30 (side), 31 (top) and 32, 33 (corner) according to the
invention.
[0040] With reference to FIG. 13 there is shown a schematic
representation of suspension means for a module (or system)
according to the invention. Thus, FIG. 13 shows a module 31 (and
adjacent modules, not shown in FIG. 13) suspended from for instance
a wire 26, as for instance shown in FIG. 3, which wire 26 is
connected via a cable tensioner 36 to a wire 37, which wire is
attached to a supporting structure, for instance to a ceiling.
[0041] Finally with reference to FIG. 14 there is shown schematic
views seen from above of systems of modules according to the
invention, illustrating the possibility of forming curved portions
of surfaces by the modules according to the invention. Different
curvatures are designated by reference numerals 38, 39, 40, 41 and
42.
* * * * *