Dividing wall element

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a partition element, in particular a partition element as a visual screen for subdividing spaces such as open-plan offices, for example.

2. Prior Art

Such partition elements are generally known and usually comprise at least one partition body and a frame construction for accommodating and holding the at least one partition body. A number of partition elements can be combined with or connected to one another in order, for example, to divide off smaller workspaces in open-plan offices. In this respect, there are not only autonomous or mobile partition elements having their own, preferably movable, stand device but also fixed partition elements which can be mounted on other furniture items such as desks and chests of drawers.

In order to be able to ensure that the individual workers in open-plan offices, for example, have a working environment which is as disruption-free as possible, there is also an increasing need to reduce noise-induced disturbances in addition to providing the visual screening function offered by the conventional partitions.

DE 202 16 162 U1 has therefore proposed a partition element in which the partition body is composed of at least one panel which is substantially made of a sound-absorbing material. In one specific embodiment, the partition body of this known partition element comprises two outer panels, made of soft wood fiber, paperboard or the like, and an inner panel between the two outer panels which is produced from corrugated paperboard in such a way that the corrugated paperboard is folded up a number of times on itself in the direction of the length of the partition body.

Furthermore, DE 25 18 955 A1 discloses a partition element comprising two outer shells and a multilayer mat between the two outer shells. In this arrangement, the mat is composed of an air-impermeable and flexible material layer and at least one sound-absorbing material layer. The sound-absorbing material layer is preferably made of a material having a high capacity to absorb sound over a wide range of frequencies, such as, for example, mineral fiber wool or loose felts made up of metal, plastic or inorganic fibers.

DE 26 50 886 C2 describes a sound-absorbing panel which comprises a pair of facing skins consisting of a thin perforated metal sheet and a core in the form of a honeycomb grid based on the principle of a Helmholtz resonator. In addition, the two facing skins are covered with a layer of a porous, sound-absorbing material.

DE 20 2007 007 930 U1 discloses a ceiling or wall element in the form of a lightweight wooden panel which is substantially composed of a relatively thin, self-supporting facing layer (for example aluminum or steel sheet) and a reinforcing layer of consolidated expanded glass granules, ceramic foam or a similarly rigid material. An acoustic fleece can additionally be provided between the facing layer and the reinforcing layer.

Furthermore, DE 34 02 967 A1 discloses a wall element comprising a frame construction and a wall body, wherein the wall body comprises a first perforated panel, a first fleece, a sound-absorbing layer of felt mats which is held in a frame, a second fleece and a second perforated panel, which are arranged in this order in the direction of thickness of the wall body. In variants of this wall element, it is proposed to provide two sound-absorbing layers having a sound transmission barrier in between or, in addition to the one sound-absorbing layer, a sound-reflecting panel. Even if the sound-absorbing layer of this wall body itself is formed from a material having cavities, apart from this layer no further cavity is provided in the direction of thickness of the wall body.

The object on which the present invention is based is to provide a partition element having good sound-absorbing properties and a simple structure.

This object is achieved by a partition element which has at least one partition body and a frame construction for accommodating and holding the at least one partition body. The partition body has a first outer panel in the form of a microperforated sheet, a first fleece, a sound absorption device and a second outer panel, which are arranged behind one another in this order in the direction of thickness of the partition body. The sound absorption device in turn comprises at least one sound absorption element having a certain dimension in the direction of thickness of the partition body, and at least one cavity having a certain dimension in the direction of thickness of the partition body.

The first outer panel of the partition body in the form of a microperforated sheet offers an attractive design for the partition element and at the same time allows sound waves to penetrate into the interior of the partition body. There, the sound waves of lower frequency (for example in the range of approximately 500 Hz) are absorbed within the sound absorption device and the sound waves of higher frequency (for example in the range from approximately 1000 to 2000 Hz) are absorbed between the two outer panels. The partition element constructed according to the invention thus has both positive sound absorption properties and positive design properties combined with a simple structure made up of few components and is advantageously suitable for subdividing open-plan offices, for example.

The sound absorption device of the partition element according to the invention comprises at least one sound absorption element having a certain dimension in the direction of thickness of the partition body and at least one cavity—constituting a component which is separate from the at least one sound absorption element—having a certain dimension in the direction of thickness of the partition body. Even if the additional cavity means that a smaller material thickness has to be selected for the sound absorption element in the direction of thickness of the partition body and this has a negative effect on the absorption of low-frequency sound waves, it has been found, surprisingly, that the provision of the two components constituted by the sound absorption element and cavity in the partition element structure defined according to the invention leads overall to very good sound absorption properties of the partition element, in particular of a partition element for subdividing open-plan offices and the like.

In one embodiment of the invention, the sound absorption device of the partition body comprises two sound absorption elements which are spaced apart in the direction of thickness of the partition body to form the at least one cavity. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the sound absorption device comprises a sound absorption element which is spaced apart from the second outer panel in the direction of thickness of the partition body to form the at least one cavity.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the at least one cavity can be formed by means of at least one spacer element. This spacer element is configured in the manner of a frame, for example.

In yet a further embodiment of the invention, at least one bulkhead element can be introduced into the at least one cavity for the purpose of reducing the penetration of sound through the sound absorption device. This at least one bulkhead element is selected for example from a substantially flat bulkhead element, a corrugated bulkhead element and an angled bulkhead element.

Preferably, the sound absorption device has a substantially symmetrical structure in the direction of thickness of the partition body, with the result that the partition element has substantially the same acoustic properties from both sides.

In a preferred embodiment, the first fleece can be adhesively bonded to the first outer panel, for example by a hotmelt process.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the second outer panel can likewise take the form of a microperforated sheet and a second fleece can be arranged between the sound absorption device and the second outer panel of the partition body, this second fleece preferably being adhesively bonded to the second outer panel, for example by a hotmelt process. With this structure, the sound absorption properties of the partition element are obtained equally on both sides.

The material of the at least one sound absorption element of the sound absorption device of the partition body according to the invention can be selected for example from mineral foam, mineral fibers, nonwoven fabric, cardboard, foam and felt. For example, the sound absorption element is a cartonboard having a honeycomb grid structure or a corrugated shape, wherein the cavities of the cartonboard are interconnected, or the material of the sound absorption element is a melamine resin foam or a polyester wadding.