BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention is directed to ceiling tiles and more particularly to a novel lightweight non-woven fibrous plastic tile that can be installed as a lay-in ceiling tile on a hung ceiling assembly grid or directly bonded to a ceiling.

[0002] Ceiling tiles supported on a grid for use as suspended or hung ceilings, also known as lay-in ceiling tiles are well known in the art. Such tiles can be suspended from known support systems, such as an aluminum or steel grid that has spaced openings to accommodate the lay-in, or drop in installation of individual tiles in each of the spaced openings of the grid.

[0003] Most known ceiling tiles are rigid and inflexible structures, usually formed of gypsum or a composition of gypsum. Gypsum based ceiling tiles are relatively fragile and easily chip and dent. Such tiles are suceptible to breakage or damage during shipment from factory to retailer, and during tile installation. Gypsum based tiles must therefore be specially packaged to withstand the occasional rough handling that occurs during shipment.

[0004] It is thus desirable to provide a durable ceiling tile that is lightweight, flexible, self-supporting and is not susceptible to denting, chipping or breakage.

[0005] As used herein the term "self-supporting" is intended to refer to a ceiling tile that is flexible, non-collapsible and retains its shape and structural integrity without the use of reinforcing or supporting means. [0006] The term "non-woven" as used herein is intended to refer to a web of randomly distributed plastic fibers within given size ranges for length and girth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] In the accompanying drawings,

[0008] Fig. 1 is a simplified schematic perspective view of a ceiling tile incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

[0009] Fig. 2 is a simplified plan view thereof;

[0010] Fig. 3 is a simplified front elevational view thereof with beveled edges;

[0011] Fig. 3 A is a simplified fragmentary front elevational view of another embodiment thereof with non-beveled or straight edges;

[0012] Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof showing in simplified schematic fashion the texture and random

arrangement of the non- woven plastic fibers that are the constituents of the tile;

[0013] Figs. 5 and 5A are simplified fragmentary front elevational views of a hung ceiling grid that supports the tile; and,

[0014] Fig. 6 is a simplified schematic view of the interior of a room showing an assembly of the tiles bonded to a ceiling and wall;

[0015] Corresponding reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] As used herein and for purposes of simplification of the description, the term non-woven fibrous plastic tile will refer to a ceiling tile. However the term "ceiling tile" should be understood to encompass both ceiling tiles and wall tiles.

[0017] Referring to the drawings, a non- woven fibrous plastic ceiling tile incorporating one embodiment of the invention is generally indicated by the reference number 10 in Fig. 1. The ceiling tile 10 has a polygonal shape, such as rectangular, and is preferably square. However, the tile 10 can also have other geometric shapes, such as triangles and polygons having five or more sides.

[0018] The non-woven fibrous plastic ceiling tile 10 includes an upper planar surface 12 and a lower planar surface 14 (Fig. 3). The upper planar surface 12 is usually the display surface. The upper planar surface 12 and the lower planar surface 14 each have a non- woven fibrous texture shown in simplified schematic form in Fig. 4. The fibrous texture is based on a random and uniformly distributed arrangement of non-woven plastic fibers 16 that are fused together with other similar fibers 16 without a binder. The fibers 16 criss-cross and contact each other. For purposes of simplification Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of the individual fibers 16 in the tile 10 with exaggerated spacing and not in contact with one another.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the ceiling tile 10 has a beveled or tapered peripheral edge 18 having an angle 18a that ranges from about 25 degrees to about 45 degrees with respect to the reference line 19 (Fig. 4). The beveled edge 18 extends from the upper surface 12 to the lower surface 14 of the ceiling tile 10. [0020] In another embodiment of the invention the ceiling tile 10 has a non-beveled or straight edge 20 (Fig. 3A).

[0021] The ceiling tile 10 can be bonded to a ceiling or installed as a lay-in panel onto a hung ceiling support grid 22 (Fig. 5).

[0022] When installed onto the hung ceiling support grid 22 the tile 10 is preferably sized to enable the bevel edge 18 to make interference contact with an inner edge 24 of a support arm 25 of the ceiling support grid 22 that supports the ceiling tile 10 (Fig. 5). The inner edge 24 defines a grid opening 26 of the support grid 22. The tile 10 is thus arranged with the display surface 12 facing downwardly when installed in this manner in the support grid 22.

[0023] Under this arrangement the interengagement between the beveled peripheral edge 18 of the ceiling tile 10 and the inner edge 24 of the ceiling support grid 22 creates a "bite" between the edge 24 and the beveled edge 18 of the tile 10. This interengagement helps the ceiling tile 10 remain securely positioned on the ceiling support grid 22 without any bonding material while the ceiling tile 10 protrudes through the grid opening 26. If desired, the ceiling tile 10 can also be additionally secured to the grid 22 with any suitable known ceiling tile securement clips (not shown).

[0024] The grid opening 26 in the grid 22 (Fig. 5) and the ceiling tile 10 are preferably sized such that the beveled edge 18 of the tile 10 does not show through the grid opening 26, and is thus not visible from below the support grid 22.

[0025] Alternatively the ceiling tile 10 can be installed as a drop in tile on the hung ceiling support grid 22 such that surface 14, which has the same appearance characteristics are the surface 12, is the downwardly facing surface. Under this arrangement a peripheral portion of the tile surface 12 rests on top of the support arm 25 of the support grid 22 as shown in Fig. 5 A. If desired any suitable known securement clips or spots of bonding material (not shown) can be used to securely position the tile 10 on the support arm of the support grid 22.

[0026] If desired, the non- woven fibrous plastic tile 10 can be bonded directly to a wall or ceiling (Fig. 6) with an adhesive bonding agent, such as any suitable known water based acrylic composition.

[0027] When the non- woven fibrous plastic tile 10 is bonded directly to a wall or ceiling, the tile 10 is reversible and either surface 12 or surface 14 can be installed as the visible facing surface. The option of being able to display the ceiling tile 10 with the beveled edge 18 showing with surface 12 as the exposed surface, or without having the beveled edge 18 showing, as when the surface 14 is the exposed surface, is a matter of choice. The installer thus has two display choices with the non-woven fibrous plastic tile 10.

[0028] Because the non-woven fibrous plastic tile 10 is lightweight, flexible and relatively thin, the tile 10 can be easily installed by a do-it- yourselfer. The tile 10 is easily trimmed for custom fitting with any suitable known sharp edged cutting or slicing tool, such as a box cutter. Thus the tile 10 can be easily shaped to fit snugly around or alongside any ceiling or wall accessory, such as a window 28 (Fig. 6).

[0029] The non- woven fibrous plastic ceiling tile is composed of a low density compressed non-woven fibrous plastic material. The non-woven fibrous plastic material can be any suitable polymer fiber such as polyester, polypropylene, nylon, PBT, polyacrylonitrile, polybenzimidazole, blends thereof, and other known polymer fibers that can tolerate the heat and pressure conditions used to form the ceiling tile and to exhibit the fire resistant, sound absorbent, and mold and microbial resistant properties and characteristics needed for the ceiling tile.

[0030] Preferably, the non-woven fibrous plastic material is a

polyester, and more preferably it is a hollow conjugated silicon polyester staple fiber.

[0031] The non- woven fibrous plastic tile can be prepared from a fibrous fluffy, cotton-like polyester material, such as that sold under the brand name Huamao™ by Wuxi Longshine International Trade Co. Ltd. of Jiangsu, China, which is a blend of different polyester fibers.

[0032] The process for preparing the non-woven polyester tiles includes the steps of mixing, chopping and stacking by means well known in the art, cotton-like polyester material into uniformly distributed, randomly arranged, unbound non-woven plastic fibers to form a preliminary layer of non-woven plastic fibers. Preferably the fibrous, cotton-like polyester material is selected to provide non-woven plastic fibers having a denier of about 2 denier to about 20 denier and a length of about 20 mm to about 80 mm, although other lengths can be used as desired.

[0033] The preliminary layer of non- woven plastic fibers is then heated to a fusion temperature which ranges from about 225 °C to about 260 °C for a time sufficient to bond the non-woven fibers to each other by the melting of a predetermined selected amount of fibers in the preliminary layer.

Because the polyester fibers are a blend of different polyester materials, not all of the fibers will melt at the lower temperature of the fusion temperature range.

[0034] Accordingly, the fusion temperature can be increased from the lower temperature of the fusion temperature range until a predetermined amount, preferably about 50% of the non-woven plastic fibers melt and bond the remaining unmelted non- woven plastic fibers together in a randomly arranged and uniformly distributed pattern to form a mat-like bonded layer without the use of a bonding agent.

[0035] The bonded layer of non-woven plastic fibers is compressed while the non-woven plastic fibers are at the fusion temperature at a pressure sufficient to form a heat stabilized compressed layer of non-woven plastic fibers having the thickness desired for the ceiling tile which typically varies from about 2 millimeters to about 20 millimeters thick, preferably from about 9 millimeters to about 14 millimeters thick, and a density of about 0.005 to about 0.025 pounds/cubic inch, preferably about 0.0035

pounds/cubic inch.

[0036] The compression pressure can vary from about 500 to 1000 kg/cm and can be performed by passing the preliminary layer of bonded non-woven plastic fibers through rollers in a manner well known in the art. It is also contemplated that the use of heated rollers at the fusion temperature range of 225 °C to 260 °C can accomplish the self-bonding of the non- woven plastic fibers and compression to a layer thickness of about 2 mm to about 20 mm in a single step.

[0037] The thickness range of the preliminary layer of uniformly distributed randomly arranged unbound non-woven plastic fibers is selected to provide the heat stabilized compressed bonded layer with the desired thickness of about 2 mm to about 20 mm and the desired density of about 0.005 to 0.025 pounds/cubic inch. The heating and compression of the preliminary layer thus establishes the final thickness of the compressed layer.

[0038] The compressed and heat bonded layer of the non-woven plastic fibers can be formed in the shape and size of an individual ceiling tile such as a 2 foot by 2 foot square tile with a thickness of approximately 0.35 inches (9 millimeters) and a total weight of approximately 11 to 12 ounces.

The compressed layer of the heat bonded non- woven plastic fibers can also be formed on a larger scale with an enlarged length and width that is cut or divided into individual self-supporting flexible ceiling tiles of the desired size and shape. However, any selected size and shape can be produced as desired, such as rectangles, triangles, and polygons with at least 5 sides, and the like.

[0039] The non- woven plastic tiles can be colored with any desired color or color blend, before or after the heating and compression cycles. The selected color is preferably solution dyed into the fibers by means well

known to those skilled in the art. The colors, color blends, and shades

include white, gray marble, slate gray, black, sky blue, royal blue, beige, brown, yellow, indigo, violet purple, green, orange and red.

[0040] The finished non-woven fibrous polyester ceiling tile is durable, lightweight, flexible, resilient and self-supporting, and is not subject to

flaking, cracking or chipping in contrast to gypsum or gypsum based tiles.

[0041] The non-woven fibrous polyester tile has the following burn resistant characteristics in accordance with ASTM E84:

1) Class A

2) Frame Spread Index/FSI: 0

3) Smoke Developed Index/SDI: 10

[0042] The non-woven fibrous polyester tile is also acoustically

absorbent and has the following sound absorption coefficient in accordance with ASTM C423:

1) Lay-in/Grid Installation System (Ceiling): NRC 0.75

2) Stuck-On/Adhesive installation System (Ceiling): NRC 0.30 [0043] Thus, the non-woven fibrous polyester tile reduces noise by absorbing acoustic energy as sound waves strike and enter the acoustically absorbing non-woven fibrous material that forms the tile.

[0044] Since the non-woven fibrous polyester tile has no sulfur constituents it meets the highest air quality standards in accordance with ASTM D5116. Furthermore the non-woven fibrous polyester tile is mold and microbial resistant in accordance with ASTM D6329.

[0045] As noted, the tiles can also be secured to a wall in any selected pattern or color arrangements to provide any conceivable design pattern on a wall such as diamonds, stripes, and checkerboard, for example. If desired, the tiles can be cut into different shapes and pieced together to form multicolor stripes, triangles, borders, and the like, especially on walls.

[0046] The beveled edges of the tile are visually "forgiving". For example, when the tile is bonded directly to a ceiling or wall there can be slight misalignments of the outer edges of the tile so that all columns and rows of tiles do not line up exactly. However any slight misalignment of the tiles in a tile assembly on a wall or ceiling is hardly perceptible because of the beveled edges.

[0047] Furthermore, the beveled edges of the non-woven fibrous plastic tile ensure that there is only slight edge-to-edge contact between adjacent tiles 10 at the top surface edge 14a (Fig. 4) when the tiles 10 are bonded directly to a ceiling or wall with either the tile surface 12 or 14 being used as the display surface. Therefore any expansion of the tiles 10 in a side-by-side arrangement is not likely to cause tile buckling.

[0048] Because of the light weight of the tile 10 any unexpected collapsing or falling of the tile 10 from a wall or ceiling is unlikely to cause damage or injury. [0049] The tile 10 is flexible, resilient and impact resistant. Because of the fibrous nature of the tile 10, it is very durable, does not reveal scratches and is easily replaceable if replacement is required.

[0050] The non-woven plastic fibers provide the tile 10 with sound absorption properties, resistance to bacteria and fungi, and good thermal stability. The tile 10 can also be used in areas of high humidity.

[0051] As various changes can be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the

accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.