An acoustic panel having rigid, damped faces and an interior layer assembly. The assembly can constructed with minimal layer coupling and common construction adhesives and without the use of mechanical fasteners. The panel is capable of providing significant noise attenuation while maintaining sufficient structural rigidity such that the panel is suitable for a broad range of construction applications.
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0. 12. An acoustic panel having a top frame end, a right side and a left side, the acoustic panel comprising:
first and second outer layer structural face panel members, each being spaced apart and having an outer layer density characteristic and an outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic and an outer layer sound transmission characteristic;
A structural frame member disposed between and at said top frame end of said first and second outer layer structural face panel members,
In a space located between said first and second outer layer structural face panel members, which is not occupied by said structural frame member; a multi-layer outer core comprising:
A first layer which is a damping layer, having an outer core density characteristic which is different from said outer layer density characteristic and an outer core acoustic reflectivity characteristic which is different from said outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic and an outer core sound transmission characteristic which is different from said outer layer sound transmission characteristic;
In a space between said first and second outer layer structural face panel members a multi-layer inner core comprising:
A second layer which is a layer with varying geometry on a side and varying density; and
A panel contacting said second layer only at areas thereon with a larger thickness.
11. An acoustic panel having a top frame end, a right side and a left side, the acoustic panel comprising:
first and second outer layer structural face panel members, each being spaced apart and having an outer layer density characteristic and an outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic and an outer layer sound transmission characteristic;
a structural frame member disposed between and at said top frame end of said first and second outer layer structural face panel members,
in a space located between said first and second outer layer structural face panel members, which is not occupied by said structural frame member; a multi-layer outer core comprising:
a plurality of outer core damping layers, each being spaced apart from at least another of said plurality of outer core damping layers and having an outer core density characteristic which is higher than said outer layer density characteristic and an outer core acoustic reflectivity characteristic which is lower than said outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic and an outer core sound transmission characteristic which is lower than said outer layer sound transmission characteristic;
in a space between at least two of said plurality of outer core damping layers, a multi-layer rigid inner core comprising:
a formed fiber composite layer with varying geometry and density having a planar first side which is parallel to an outer surface of said plurality of outer core damping layers and having an irregular thickness dimension; where areas of larger thickness have a lower density than areas having a smaller thickness; and
a substantially planar panel contacting said formed fiber composite layer only at areas thereon with a lower density and a larger thickness.
1. An acoustic panel having a top frame end, a right side and a left side, the acoustic panel comprising:
a. first and second parallel rigid outer layer structural face panel members, each being spaced apart and having an outer layer density characteristic and an outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic and an outer layer sound transmission characteristic;
b. A structural frame member disposed between and at said top frame end of said first and second parallel rigid outer layer structural face panel members,
c. In a space located between said first and second parallel rigid outer layer structural face panel members, which is not occupied by said structural frame member; a multi-layer outer core comprising:
i. A plurality of parallel outer core damping layers, each being spaced apart from at least another of said plurality of parallel outer core damping layers and having an outer core density characteristic which is higher than said outer layer density characteristic and an outer core acoustic reflectivity characteristic which is lower different than said outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic and an outer core sound transmission characteristic which is lower than said outer layer sound transmission characteristic;
ii. In a space between at least two of said plurality of outer core damping layers, a multi-layer rigid inner core comprising:
a. A formed fiber composite layer with varying geometry and density having a planar first side which is parallel to an outer surface of said plurality of outer core damping layers and having an irregular thickness dimension; where areas of larger thickness have a lower density than areas having a smaller thickness; and
b. A substantially planar panel contacting said formed fiber composite layer only at areas thereon with a lower density and a larger thickness.
2. The acoustic panel of
3. The acoustic panel of
4. The acoustic panel of
5. A panel of
6. A panel of
7. A panel of
8. The acoustic panel of
10. The acoustic panel of
0. 13. The acoustic panel of claim 12 wherein first and second outer layer structural face panel members are parallel and rigid.
0. 14. The acoustic panel of claim 12 wherein said first layer which is a damping layer, is one of a plurality of outer core damping layers, each being spaced apart from at least another of said plurality of outer core damping layers and having an outer core density characteristic which is higher than said outer layer density characteristic and an outer core acoustic reflectivity characteristic which is lower than said outer layer acoustic reflectivity characteristic an outer core sound transmission characteristic which is lower than said outer layer sound transmission characteristic.
0. 15. The acoustic panel of claim 12 wherein said multi-layer inner core is disposed in in a space between said first and second outer layer structural face panel members and further within a space between said at least two of plurality of outer core damping layers.
0. 16. The acoustic panel of claim 12 wherein said second layer is a formed fiber composite layer.
0. 17. The acoustic panel of claim 12 wherein said panel is a substantially planar panel.
0. 18. The acoustic panel of claim 14 wherein said multi-layer inner core is disposed in in a space between said first and second outer layer structural face panel members and further within a space between said at least two of plurality of outer core damping layers.
0. 19. The acoustic panel of claim 18 wherein said second layer is a formed fiber composite layer.
0. 20. The acoustic panel of claim 19 wherein said panel is a substantially planar panel.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No, 61/276,057 filed on Sep. 8, 2009 by the same inventors, entitled “Acoustic panel”.
As noise pollution becomes an increasing problem, the need for effective sound attenuating panels also grows. Additionally, the demand for sound attenuating panels that are lighter in weight, economical, and made from environmentally responsible materials is also increasing. In the past materials such as lead have been used to achieve high noise attenuation. However, these materials have significant environmental and manufacturing drawbacks and designs using such materials can often be complicated in their construction. The disclosed invention provides a unique design that meets the performance demands of noise attenuating panels without the use of problematic materials and complicated construction.
A variety of designs have been proposed in the past for acoustic panel assemblies. It is often the intent of these assemblies to restrict the transmission of sound through the use of materials with high damping, or to reduce sound transmission by decoupling two sides of the assembly. It is also an advantage if such acoustic panels are structurally rigid as the demands of modern construction often require acoustic panels to bear a load.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,891 details a design that relies primarily on layered damping materials for acoustic attenuation performance. In this invention, a viscoelastic adhesive is used to bind together layers of material. The viscoelastic adhesive itself is chosen for its damping abilities, and it is used within a layered assembly of other materials to achieve the desired acoustical attenuation. It is also of note that the current cost of the type of damping adhesive detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,891 is typically significantly higher than common construction adhesives.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,285 details a design where a significant effort has been made to decouple layers of the assembly, or at least make sound transmission paths indirect and inefficient. In this invention, a variety of layers, or plies, with differing geometric configurations are used to achieve sound attenuation. The invention also makes use of spacers. These spacers act to reduce sound transmission by reducing the direct transmission paths through the panel structure and adding sound absorbing dead air spaces.
Both of these designs while effective in certain applications also suffer from inherent weaknesses. For the invention outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,891 since each layer is bonded together with the adhesive there results a strong mechanical coupling between each layer thus providing a direct path for sound travel. While the use of a viscoelastic adhesive can reduce this effect and increase sound absorption, it is impossible to completely negate the effect material layers are directly adhered. For the invention outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,285 dead air spaces can reduce sound transmission; however the design still requires each later to adhered together, thus adding to the coupling of the layers and allowing more sound to transmit. In addition, the design does not allow for unique materials that could add acoustic performance. Given the weakness of current designs a new approach is warranted.
The invention achieves high sound attenuation with structural strength through the use of certain materials with given properties in a unique layered panel configuration. This is accomplished by the inherent sound attenuating properties of each material component of the assembly and by inducing specific properties into specific components themselves prior to assembly. Finally, the assembly can be constructed without the use of costly mechanical fasteners, and with the use of common economical adhesives in specific areas such that only minimal coupling of the material layers is seen.
The final layered panel assembly will yield the desired acoustic properties and significant structural rigidity.
The following reference numerals are used to indicate the parts and environment of the invention in the drawings of
(1) Structural face, which may be oriented strand board
(2) Damping layer, which may be mass loaded vinyl
(3) Formed variable density panel, which may be compression formed natural fiber composite
(4) Non-flammable gypsum layer, which may be Sheetrock®
(5) Structural frame, which may be laminated strand lumber
(6) Low density region
(7) High density region
The following reference numerals are used to indicate the parts and environment of the invention in the drawings of
(1000) Perimeter frame, which may be high density fiberboard
(1001) Face damping layer, which may be mass loaded vinyl
(1002) High density structural facing, which may be high density fiberboard
The following reference numerals are used to indicate the parts and environment of the invention in the drawings of
(10001) Structural face, which may be oriented strand board
(10002) Damping layer, which may be mass loaded vinyl
(10003) High density fiber panel which may be, high density fiberboard
(10004) Non-flammable fiber layer, which may be kaowool
(10005) Low density fiber layer, which may be nonwoven cotton batting
Certain properties will affect the ability of a material or assembly to attenuate sound and vibration. Such properties may include density, porosity, rigidity and others. In order to attenuate sound and achieve high levels of transmission loss materials with appropriate properties must be carefully chosen. For maximum performance the materials must be assembled in a manner that promotes attenuation.
The invention accomplishes both of these criteria through the unique use of both sound attenuating materials and a unique configuration. The foundation of the invention lies in the use of rigid, damped facing layers around a tunable core configured for both sound reverberation absorption and transmission loss. The complete assembly is characterized also as having minimal rigid coupling between the layers.
The invention can be understood through the review and several preferred embodiments. It is understood that these embodiments are not exhaustive of how the invention could be configured, but do serve to illustrate the invention.
Variable Density Formed Panel Construction
A standalone view of the formed composites panel is shown in
The last core material of
The final component of this embodiment, shown in
An additional embodiment of the assembly shown in
Decoupling Fiber Layer Construction
The present invention could also be configure to accomplish layer decoupling and sound attenuation through a unique fiber filled decoupling assembly.
Shore, Craig, Scheidecker, Ralph, Anderson, Nathan, Scheidecker, Robert, Carroll, Curtis
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