Sound absorbing substrate

Details Sound absorbing substrate Sound absorbing substrate

1996-11-08

2001-04-10

Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)

Acoustics

Sound-modifying means

Sound absorbing panels

C181S294000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213252

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a sound absorbing substrate for use as an underlayer in a flooring structure of either commercial, residential or industrial building.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The floors of the buildings or houses usually comprise a subfloor or foundation commonly made of unfinished wood or concrete, and a top floor having a visible upper finished surface. The top floor may consist of one or more layers of wood, resilient tile or sheet, ceramic tile, carpet, linoleum, etc.
It is known in the art that an intermediate layer (also called “underlayer”) can be inserted between the subfloor and the top floor so as to provide resiliency and sound absorbing properties to the same. These layers are commonly manufactured as substrates that can be laid and secured onto the subfloor. In this connection reference can be made to the following U.S. patents, which disclose underlayers consisting of a uniform layer of cellular foam or rubber.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,906 (Chappel)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,941 (Tibbals)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,176 (Baileys)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,413 (Counihan)
Other documents, such as, for examples, U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,041 (Tellman) and the defensive publication U.S. T931,006 (Akron), suggest that the rubber may come from recycled used tires.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,164 relates to a flooring structure which comprises an underlayer made of a resilient material. The bottom surface of this underlayer is provided with spaced-out channels of a substantially U-shaped cross-section (see
FIGS. 4
to
6
of it). The channels are spaced apart from one another and used as a venting system. Because of these channels, only a portion of the overall bottom surface of the underlayer is in contact with the subfloor. However, this portion represents more than 75% of the overall bottom surface.
As can be easily understood, it is desirable for the substrates used as underlayers in a flooring structure to be manufacturable at a given cost while showing good sound absorbing properties.
It is also desirable that such substrates be provided with good acoustic insulation properties while having a minimum thickness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method for improving sound absorbing properties of a flooring structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method using a resilient substrate for improving sound absorbing properties of a flooring structure.
More particularly, the method uses is uses a sound-absorbing substrate as an underlayer in a flooring structure including a subfloor. The substrate is made of a resilient material and comprises a bottom surface sized to cover a given surface area, a top surface, and side edges. The bottom surface is provided with cavities leaving a portion only of the bottom surface in contact with the subfloor, and the surface ratio of the portion of bottom surface in contact with the subfloor to the given surface area covered by said bottom surface ranges from 15 to 65%, preferably from 20 to 50% and more preferably from 15 to 43%. It has been found that by reducing the surface in contact with the subfloor one may reduce and absorb in part the energy which is transferred by the flooring structure when sound hits the floor. Therefore the resulting sound produced on the other side of the flooring structure is reduced accordingly.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the resilient material may be recycled rubber, or other, and preferably consists of recycled tires.
Preferably also, the substrate has a thickness ranging between {fraction (1/64)}″ and 3″ and more particularly between ⅜″ and 1″.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon reading the following non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawing.


REFERENCES:
patent: T931006 (1975-02-01), Laman
patent: 2337525 (1943-12-01), Peik
patent: 2811906 (1957-11-01), Chappell
patent: 3026224 (1962-03-01), Rogers, Jr.
patent: 3579941 (1971-05-01), Tibbals
patent: 3991848 (1976-11-01), Davis
patent: 4109041 (1978-08-01), Tellman
patent: 4112176 (1978-09-01), Bailey
patent: 4150850 (1979-04-01), Doerfling
patent: 4492728 (1985-01-01), Zurkinden
patent: 4493471 (1985-01-01), McInnis
patent: 4709781 (1987-12-01), Scherzer
patent: 4753841 (1988-06-01), Noel et al.
patent: 4759164 (1988-07-01), Abendroth
patent: 4867271 (1989-09-01), Tschudin-Mahrer
patent: 4910935 (1990-03-01), Leukel
patent: 5014815 (1991-05-01), Arcas et al.
patent: 5016413 (1991-05-01), Counihan
patent: 5110660 (1992-05-01), Wolf et al.
patent: 2064403 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 3020706 (1981-12-01), None
patent: 4212757 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 4302987 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 29501727 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 3505458 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 2299293 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 8900227 (1989-01-01), None

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