Technical Field The invention relates to a flexible panel for heat-and sound-insulating the area between substantially parallel and interspaced beam elements in a building, eg two posts in a wall or two ridge beams of two trusses in a roof structure, said panel being made of fibres, such as mineral wool fibres, plastic fibres or plant fibres, and provided with planar end surfaces being cut off substantially perpendicular to the"flex"direction of the panel.

It is known to insulate the area between and atop the ridge beams of two trusses in a roof structure by placing mineral wool insulation panels in two or more layers, ie one layer between the ridge beams and one or more layers atop the ridge beams and the first layer. This is not a quite satisfactory method, as several operations are involved in the placing of the panels.

It is also known to provide one of the large flat lateral faces of a mineral wool panel with score line slits such that the panel may be easily divided into smaller panels at said slits.

Brief Description of the Invention The object of the invention is to provide a flexible panel of the above type and which in a more simple manner than hitherto allows the panel to insulate atop the beam elements and in particular to insulate atop said ridge beams, while providing insulation between the beam elements.

According to the invention the flexible panel is characterised in that its length slightly exceeds the spacing between the beam elements and that its thickness exceeds one

cross-sectional dimension of the beam element, eg the height ofthe ridge beam and that at least one end face of the panel is provided with one to five slits arranged substantially parallel to the large lateral faces of the panel and that the spacing between one of said lateral faces and the first slit in the row of slits substantially corresponds to the said one cross-sectional dimension of the beam element, eg the height of the ridge beam. As a result the portion of the panel positioned in between beam elements may be wedged therebetween ("flexed"into position), and in particular between the ridge beams and project thereabove. More specifically the portions of the panel positioned between one of the large lateral face of the panel and level of the first slit are compressed. However, the portion of the panel positioned beyond said slit remains uncompressed and thus extends over at least one of the beam elements, in particular the ridge beams. The latter beams are thus covered by the panel material and insulated.

According to the invention an embodiment, in which the beam elements are ridge beams, is characterised in that the depth of each slit is greater than or equal to half the width of the ridge beam. As a result the panel portion opposite the ridge beams may be compressed in a comparatively easy manner. The half of the upper surface of a ridge beam may be covered by a single panel. The adjacent panel then covers the other half of the surface of the ridge beam in question.

According to the invention the thickness of the panel may range from 200 to 350 mm, which has proved particularly advantageous.

Moreover according to the invention the panel may be provided with at least one flexible zone of a length of 20-200 mm at the end face provided with the slits. It is thus ensured that at least the area adjacent the said end face is sufficient resilient (ie that the flexible zone may be compressed).

According to the invention the length of the panel may be 800-1200 mm, eg about 1000 mm, and the width may be 550-650 mm, eg about 600 mm, and the thickness may

be 200-350 mm, eg about 240 mm. These dimensions have proved particularly suitable for many types of panels.

Moreover according to the invention the height of the panel portions defined by a large panel lateral face and a slit may exceed the height of a panel portion between two successive slits. This embodiment has proved particularly practical.

According to the invention the height ofthe panel portion between two successive slits may be constant. This has proved particularly advantageous.

Furthermore according to the invention the panel may be thus compressible (flexible) in its longitudinal direction that in its mounted state between two ridge beams as far as its upper part is concerned the panel may extend at least to a centre line on the upper face of the ridge beams. This embodiment of the panel is particularly suitable for insulating between and atop ridge beams.

The invention also relates to a rolled blanket of heat-and sound-insulating mineral wool, the size of the blanket corresponding to a number of juxtaposed panels according to the invention. The blanket is characterised in that it is flexible in a direction perpendicular to the rolling-up direction and that the said one to five slit (s) is/are provided at least in one of the longitudinal, narrow lateral faces of the blanket. As a result large areas may be insulated in one operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a panel according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a panel according to the invention positioned between

two beam elements such as two ridge beams, Fig. 3 is diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a panel provided with a slit at either side, the panel being shown undeformed ; ie it is compressible (flexible) over the entire length of the panel.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of the panel, in which the panel has a compressible zone (a flexible zone) at either of its end faces provided with slits.

Fig. 5 illustrates two successive ridge beams in two successive roof trusses in a roof structure (not shown), Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic and perspective view of a panel with five slits, Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of two posts, an insulating panel being secured therebetween, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a wound blanket of the panel material.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The flexible panel 1 shown in Fig. 1 serves as heat and sound insulation of the area between the substantially parallel beam elements arranged with an interspacing x, eg two ridge beams 3', 3"of two trusses in a roof structure or two posts 13', 13"in a wall, confer also Figs. 2,5 and 7. In Fig. 7 the panel is denoted by the reference numeral 10.

The panel 1 is made of fibres, such as mineral wool fibres (fibres of glass or stone) and has planar end faces 6, which have been cut off substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the"flex"direction) of the panel, confer the double-headed arrow A in Fig. 1. The length 1 of the panel exceeds the spacing x between the beam

elements 3'and 3", confer Fig. 2. The panel may be of a thickness t exceeding one of the cross-sectional dimensions of the beam element, eg the height h of the ridge beam.

It clearly appears from Fig. 2 that t exceeds h. One end face of the panel may be provided with one to five slits. Fig. 1 illustrates how the panel may be provided with one slit 5. Fig. 6 illustrates how the panel may be provided with five slits 5a-5e. The slits are placed substantially parallel to the large flat lateral face 1 a. The spacing y between one of these lateral faces 1 a and the first slit 5a in the row of slits corresponds substantially to one cross-sectional dimension of the beam element, eg the height h of the ridge beam. In so far as the beam elements are ridge beams, each slit in the panel may have a depth d greater than or equal to half the width b of the ridge beam 3'.

The thickness t of the panel 1 is preferably between 200-350 mm.

At the end face 6 provided with the slits 5, the panel 1 may be provided with a flexible zone 8 of a length w of 20-200 mm, confer Fig. 4. When mentioning that the panel has at least one flexible zone, it is to emphasize that the panel material outside the flexible zone (s) may be comparatively rigid.

The length of the panel 1 may be 800-1200 mm, eg about 1000 mm, width may be 550-650 mm, eg about 600 mm, and the thickness may be 200-350 mm, eg about 240 mm.

As shown in Fig. 6, the height y of the panel parts defined by a large panel lateral face 1b and a slit 5a may exceed the height yl of the panel parts between two successive slits among the slits 5a-5e.

The heightyl of the panel parts between two successive slits of the slits 5a-5d may be constant.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the panel may be compressible in its longitudinal direction

such that when mounted between two ridge beams 3'and 3"part of the panel may extend at least to the centre line m of the upper face of each of the ridge beams 3', 3".

A rolled blanket 15 of heat-and sound-insulating mineral wool and of a size corresponding to a number of juxtaposed flexible panels according to the invention may be formed as shown in Fig. 8. The wound blanket 15 is compressible (flexible) in a direction corresponding to the double-headed arrow B being perpendicular to the rolling-up direction. The said one to five slits is/are arranged in at least one of the narrow longitudinal lateral faces 12 of the rolled blanket. Only one slit is, however, shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 7 illustrates how a panel 10 may be arranged between two vertical posts 13', 13" in a wall, one portion of the panel being wedged between the posts and the remaining portion of the panel projecting beyond about half of the posts.

The invention may be modified in many ways without thereby deviating from the scope of the invention.