Method for making a frameless acoustic cover panel

A method for making acoustic cover panels for portable room partitions of the type having a freestanding frame with at least one acoustic cover panel connected with an enclosing an associated side of the frame, said method comprising:

• providing a non-woven backing material of the type having adjacent fibers interconnected by heat fusible means;
• cutting a backing sheet from the backing material to a predetermined shape with a marginal edge;
• providing an upholstery material having a finished exterior surface;
• cutting an upholstery sheet from the upholstery material to a predetermined shape with a marginal edge and a size commensurate with the backing sheet;
• assembling the backing sheet and the upholstery sheet by positioning an interior side of the upholstery sheet on an exterior side of the backing sheet.
• adhering the interior side of the upholstery sheet to the exterior side of the backing sheet to define a composite sheet with a marginal edge;
• heating the composite sheet to soften the heat fusible means in the backing sheet;
• forming the heated composite sheet by creasing outer portions of the composite sheet along predetermined crease lines spaced inwardly from the marginal edge of the composite sheet to form integral flanges which are bent inelastically inwardly from the crease lines at a selected angle to the remaining generally planar portion of the composite sheet to create a one-piece, frameless molded cover panel with a predetermined, tray-like shape adapted to mate with and cover one side of the panel frame;
• cooling the composite sheet while in the predetermined tray-like shape, such that the composite sheet permanently assumes the predetermined tray-like shape, which serves to stiffen and rigidify the one-piece, frameless cover panel to a degree which facilitates manual handling of the same and attachment to the panel frame, yet permits selected flexure along at least one of the flanges to facilitate mating abuttment with either the frame or an adjacent one of the cover panels.