U.S. patent application number 10/756993 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-12 for soundproofing panel.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hutchinson. Invention is credited to Pompei, Michel.
Application Number | 20040154861 10/756993 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32605940 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040154861 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pompei, Michel |
August 12, 2004 |
Soundproofing panel
Abstract
The invention relates to a soundproofing panel comprising an
"exciter" wall for putting into contact with a fluid in which there
is a source of noise, and a "receiver" wall for putting into
contact with a fluid in which it is desired to attenuate noise, the
panel including between said two walls an intermediate element. In
the panel, the intermediate element is held on at least a portion
of its outline by means of at least one flexible element disposed
between the intermediate wall and the receiver wall.
Inventors: |
Pompei, Michel; (Villiers
Sur Orge, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
CHARLOTTE
NC
28280-4000
US
|
Assignee: |
Hutchinson
|
Family ID: |
32605940 |
Appl. No.: |
10/756993 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
181/290 ;
181/294 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16F 3/093 20130101;
E04B 1/86 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
181/290 ;
181/294 |
International
Class: |
E04B 001/82; E04B
002/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 24, 2003 |
FR |
0300773 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A soundproofing panel comprising an "exciter" wall for putting
into contact with a fluid containing a source of noise and a
"receiver" wall for putting into contact with a fluid in which the
noise is to be attenuated, the panel further comprising at least
one intermediate element between said walls and the intermediate
element comprises over at least a portion of its outline at least
one element providing elastic coupling between the intermediate
element and only the receiver wall.
2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the element(s) is/are
situated only over the outline of the intermediate element or over
at least a portion of said outline.
3. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate element
is constituted by a rigid or semi-rigid intermediate plate
interposed between said layers of sound-absorbing material, the
assembly constituted by the intermediate plate and the two layers
of sound-absorbing material being sandwiched between said two
walls.
4. A panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one flexible
element is a suspension stud made of flexible material, in
particular of elastomer material.
5. A panel according to claim 4, including a plurality of
suspension studs distributed along the periphery of the
intermediate sheet.
6. A panel according to claim 3, wherein at least one flexible
element is a strip of flexible material, in particular of elastomer
material.
7. A panel according to claim 1, including a rigid frame secured to
receiver wall and wherein at least one flexible element is disposed
between the frame and the intermediate element.
8. A panel according to claim 7, wherein at least one said flexible
element is interposed between the frame and the intermediate
element.
9. A panel according to claim 7, wherein at least one said flexible
element is fixed between the inner outline of an opening in the
frame and the periphery of the intermediate element.
10. A panel according to claim 3, including a rigid frame secured
to the intermediate sheet, and wherein at least one said flexible
element is fixed between the frame and the receiver wall.
11. A panel according to claim 7, wherein at least one flexible
element is a flexible wall made up of one or more segments.
12. A panel according to claim 7, wherein the rigid frame is a
cellular array of the honeycomb type presenting an array of cells,
in particular hexagonal cells, sandwiched between two rigid
plates.
13. A panel according to claim 7, wherein the rigid frame defines
an internal cavity which is filled at least in part with
soundproofing material.
14. A panel according to claim 7, wherein the rigid frame presents
one or more openings, and wherein the panel includes an
intermediate element covering at least the outer outline of the
rigid frame.
15. A panel according to claim 7, wherein the rigid frame presents
a plurality of openings, and wherein the panel comprises a
plurality of intermediate elements, each covering one or more
openings of the rigid frame.
16. A panel according to claim 14, wherein at least one said
opening is filled with sound-absorbing material.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a soundproofing panel
comprising an "exciter" wall for coming into contact with a fluid
in which there is a source of noise, and a "receiver" wall for
coming into contact with a fluid in which it is desired to
attenuate the noise, together with a sound-absorbing intermediate
element disposed between the two walls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In the prior art, the intermediate wall is often constituted
by a sheet of rubber interposed between two layers of absorbent
material, said assembly being sandwiched between the exciter and
receiver walls.
[0003] The drawback of that solution is that it is not easy to
adjust the critical frequency of said wall and that the layers of
absorbent material must hold said sheet, thereby limiting the
materials suitable for use to those which present sufficient
mechanical strength. One known solution consists firstly in
covering said wall in metal foil of thickness and mass that are
adjusted to adjust stiffness and mass per unit area, and secondly
in holding the rubber sheet by fixing it by appropriate means to
the exciter wall.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is based on the idea of suspending the
intermediate wall elastically from the receiver wall.
[0005] This provides two advantages.
[0006] Firstly, the intermediate wall is not linked directly to the
receiver wall, thereby improving performance.
[0007] Secondly, the intermediate wall in association with the
exciter wall constitutes a system of two suspended masses which
present a better filtering effect, thereby enabling the panel to
provide better soundproofing, at least in a band of
frequencies.
[0008] The invention provides a soundproofing panel comprising an
"exciter" wall for putting into contact with a fluid containing a
source of noise and a receiver wall for putting into contact with a
fluid in which the noise is to be attenuated, the panel further
comprising at least one intermediate element between said walls and
the intermediate element comprises over at least a portion of its
outline at least one element providing elastic coupling between the
intermediate element and only the receiver wall.
[0009] At least one said flexible element may be a suspension stud
of flexible material, in particular of elastomer material. It may
also be a flexible wall, in particular an elastomer wall,
constituted by one or more segments extending over at least a
portion of the outline of the intermediate wall.
[0010] The intermediate element may be constituted by wall, e.g. a
sheet, in particular an elastomer sheet or an elastomer and metal
foil sheet interposed between two layers of sound-absorbing
material, the assembly comprising the sheet and the layers of
absorbent material being sandwiched between the exciter and
receiver walls.
[0011] One or more flexible material suspension studs may be
disposed along the perimeter of the sheet.
[0012] The panel may include a rigid frame secured to the receiver
wall of the intermediate sheet, at least one flexible element being
fixed between the frame and the intermediate element, e.g. being
interposed between the frame and the intermediate element, or
indeed between the outline of an opening in the frame and the
periphery of the intermediate element.
[0013] The panel may include a rigid frame secured to the
intermediate element, at least one said flexible element being
fixed between the frame and the receiver wall.
[0014] In either case, at least one flexible element may be a
flexible material suspension stud, or a flexible wall made up of
one or more segments extending over at least a portion of the
perimeter of an opening in the rigid frame.
[0015] The rigid frame may be made of a material of the honeycomb
type presenting an array of cells, in particular hexagonal cells,
sandwiched between two rigid plates.
[0016] The inside of the frame defines a cavity which may be filled
at least in part with a sound-absorbing material, e.g. glass
wool.
[0017] In the panel, the rigid frame presents one or more openings
and the panel includes an intermediate element which covers at
least the outer outline of the rigid frame.
[0018] In the panel, the rigid frame presents a plurality of
openings and the panel has a plurality of intermediate elements
each covering one or more openings in the rigid frame.
[0019] At least one said opening may be filled with sound-absorbing
material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear
on reading the following description given with reference to the
drawings, in which:
[0021] FIGS. 1 and 2 show two embodiments of a first variant of the
invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a second variant of the invention,
[0023] FIG. 3a being a section on AA of FIG. 3, and
[0024] FIG. 3b being a variant of FIG. 3a; and
[0025] FIGS. 4a and 4b show two variant embodiments of the
invention, both including a frame with a plurality of openings.
MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] In FIG. 1, a composite soundproofing panel comprises an
exciter wall 1 disposed on a side where exciter soundwaves
(represented by arrows) exist in a fluid 6, and a receiver wall 2
disposed on its opposite side in contact with a fluid 7 in which it
is desired to attenuate noise. In general, the receiver panel 2 is
rigid or semi-rigid. In the invention, it may also be a flexible
wall, e.g. a sheet of rubber.
[0027] An intermediate wall (3, 4, 5) is sandwiched between the
exciter 1 and the receiver wall 2 and comprises in succession a
first layer 4 of sound-absorbing material which may be fixed to the
exciter wall 1, e.g. by adhesive, an intermediate sheet 3, and a
second layer 5 of sound-absorbing material which may be fixed to
the receiver wall 2, e.g. by adhesive. By way of example, the sheet
or plate 3 may be made of flexible or semi-rigid rubber or it may
comprise a rubber and metal foil composite. It may be secured to
both sound-absorbing layers 4 and 5, e.g. by adhesive. In the
invention, the sheet 3 is suspended from the receiver wall 2 by one
or more flexible links, e.g. studs 8.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 2 (fragmentary view), it is possible to
make use of conventional rubber suspension studs 8 between the
plate 3 and the receiver wall 2. They could be replaced by a
suspension using one or more flexible strips so as to distribute
the suspension over a larger area.
[0029] In the variant shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a, the intermediate
wall is not suspended by a direct link to the receiver wall 5. A
rigid frame 10 is used that is secured to the receiver wall 2 and
the intermediate sheet or plate 3 is elastically connected to the
frame 10, e.g. by a system of elastic studs 8 or via at least one
flexible wall 12. This flexible wall 12 is fixed to the inner
periphery of the frame 10 (by a system of screws and washers or by
spots of adhesive), and to the periphery of the intermediate plate
3. The assembly comprising the wall 2, the frame 10, and the
intermediate plate 3 constitutes a cavity which can be filled with
sound-absorbing material constituting the layer 5.
[0030] In the embodiment of FIG. 3b, studs 8 (or one or more
flexible strips) are disposed between the intermediate plate 3 and
the frame 10 which is secured to the wall 2, or else studs 8 (or
indeed one or more flexible strips) are disposed between the wall 2
and the frame 10 which is secured to the intermediate plate 3. In
both cases, the intermediate wall 3 may be flexible, semi-rigid, or
rigid.
[0031] The frame 10 is designed to have sufficient stiffness and,
by way of example, it can be made of a rigid material such as a
honeycomb material with an array of cells, e.g. hexagonal cells,
sandwiched between two rigid plates.
[0032] The elasticity provided by the studs 8 (or by the flexible
wall(s) 12 fixed to the frame 10) and also the elasticity of the
layers 4 and 5 (generally a compressible material such as fiber
glass, felt, or indeed a foam of polyamide, polyimide,
polyurethane, or polyethylene) constitute mass-spring coupling
parameters between the intermediate wall 3 and the receiver wall 2.
The elasticity of the studs 8 or of the flexible wall(s) 12
determines the range of frequencies in which the desired effect is
obtained.
[0033] The frame 10 may have a plurality of openings, e.g. an array
of openings 15 as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. In FIG. 4a there is a
single intermediate plate 3 which covers the frame 10 and thus
covers its openings.
[0034] In FIG. 4b, there are a plurality of intermediate plates 3,
e.g. one intermediate plate 3 per opening.
[0035] At least one opening 15 may be filled with sound-absorbing
material.
* * * * *