Portable acoustical blocking system

Abstract

A portable acoustical blocking system is disclosed for use with a support comprising a sheet of acoustical blocking material bound by material edge. A reinforcing tape is affixed to the sheet of acoustical blocking material adjacent to the material edge. A plurality of hangers are secured to the sheet of acoustical blocking material and extending through the reinforcing tape and the sheet of acoustical blocking material for hanging the sheet of acoustical blocking material from the support for inhibiting the flow of acoustic energy between the first and second sides of the acoustical blocking material.

Claims

1. A portable acoustical blocking system for use with a support, comprising: a sheet of acoustical blocking material having a first and a second side and bound by material edge; said sheet of acoustical blocking material having a thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch and a density of greater than one pound per square foot; a flexible reinforcing tape permanently affixed to said first side of said sheet of acoustical blocking material adjacent to said material edge; a plurality of hangers secured to said sheet of acoustical blocking material and extending through said reinforcing tape and said sheet of acoustical blocking material for hanging said sheet of acoustical blocking material from the support for inhibiting the flow of acoustic energy between said first and second sides of the acoustical blocking material; and said sheet of acoustical blocking material and said reinforcing tape being flexible for enabling the entire portable acoustical blocking system including said sheet of acoustical blocking material and reinforcing tape to be rolled as a single unit for transportation.

2. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the support is a chain link fence.

3. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said material edge of said sheet of acoustical blocking material includes a first through fourth edge defining a perimeter of said sheet of acoustical blocking material.

4. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sheet of acoustical blocking material comprises a sheet of flexible barium free formulation mineral filled to have a weight greater than one pound per square foot.

5. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sheet of acoustical blocking material comprising a barium free formulation mineral filled.

6. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing tape comprises a woven polyester material.

7. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of hangers comprises a grommet defining a grommet aperture.

8. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 1, including a plurality of flexible ties for securing said plurality of hangers to the support.

9. A portable acoustical blocking system for use with a support, comprising: a sheet of acoustical blocking material having a first and a second side and bound by material edge; said sheet of acoustical blocking material having a thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch and a density of greater than one pound per square foot; a reinforcing tape heat welded to said first side of said sheet of acoustical blocking material adjacent to said material edge; said sheet of acoustical blocking material and said reinforcing tape being flexible for enabling the entire portable acoustical blocking system including said sheet of acoustical blocking material and reinforcing tape to be rolled for transportation; and a plurality of hangers secured to said sheet of acoustical blocking material and extending through said reinforcing tape and said sheet of acoustical blocking material for hanging said sheet of acoustical blocking material from the support for inhibiting the flow of acoustic energy between said first and second sides of the acoustical blocking material.

10. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of hangers comprises a grommet defining a grommet aperture.

11. A portable acoustical blocking system as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said reinforcing tape and said first side of the sheet of acoustical blocking material are simultaneously heated to an appropriated temperature and said reinforcing tape is pressed upon said first side of said sheet of acoustical blocking material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of the portable acoustical blocking system of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view along line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a magnified view along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the portable acoustical blocking system 10 of the present invention secured to a support shown as a fence;

(6) FIG. 5 is a graph of sound transmission loss as a function of frequency for the portable acoustical blocking system of the present invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a graph of sound absorption as a function of frequency for the portable acoustical blocking system of the present invention.

(8) Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several Figures of the drawings.

DETAILED DISCUSSION

(9) FIGS. 1-3 are various views of the portable acoustical blocking system 5 of the present invention. The portable acoustical blocking system 5 comprises sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 having a first side surface 11 and a second side surface 12. The sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 is bound by a material edge 20. In this example, the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 is bound by a top material edge 21, side material edges 22 and 23 and a bottom material edge 24. The material edges 21-24 define a perimeter of the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10. Although the parameter defined by the material edges 21-24 are shown as a rectangular configuration, it should be understood by those skilled in the art and that the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 may take various configurations.

(10) FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view along line 2-2 in FIG. 1. In this example, the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 has a thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch. The acoustical blocking material 10 comprise a heavy mineral filled, barium free visco elastic acoustical material having a density of greater than one pound per square foot. The sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 is flexible for enabling the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 to be rolled for transportation and/storage.

(11) Important aspect of the present invention is the addition of a reinforcing tape 30 affixed to the first side of the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 adjacent to the material edge 20. In this example, reinforcing tapes 31-34 are affixed adjacent to the material edges 21-24 respectively. The reinforcing tape 30 is heat welded to the first side 11 of the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10. In the heat welding process, both the first side 11 of the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10 and the reinforcing tape 30 are simultaneously heated to an appropriated temperature. After the acoustical blocking material 10 and the reinforcing tape 30 are simultaneously are heated to the appropriated temperature, the reinforcing tape 30 is pressed upon the first side 11 of the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10. In one example, the reinforcing tape comprises a woven polyester material but it should be understood that various other materials may be used as a reinforcing tape 30.

(12) Referring back to FIG. 1, a plurality of hangers 40 are secured to the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10. The plurality of hangers 40 enable the sheet of acoustical blocking material to be suspended from a support for inhibiting the flow of acoustic energy between the first side surface 11 and second side surface 12 of the acoustical blocking material 10.

(13) FIG. 3 is a magnified view along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 further illustrating one of the plurality of hangers 40. Each of the plurality of hangers 40 extends through the reinforcing tape 30 and the sheet of acoustical blocking material 10. The reinforcing tape 30 provides structural strength to the plurality of hangers 40 for suspending the sheet of acoustical blocking material from a support.

(14) In this example, the plurality of hangers 40 are shown as grommets having grommet apertures 42. Although the plurality of hangers 40 are shown as grommets having grommet apertures 42, it should be understood by those skilled in the art and that the plurality of hangers 40 may take various configurations.

(15) FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the portable acoustical blocking system 10 of the present invention secured to a support shown 60 as a fence. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that virtually any support may be used to suspend the portable acoustical blocking system 10 including scaffolding, staggered wood shadow box privacy fences, handrails, horizontal supports and the like. The portable acoustical blocking system 10 finds particular use along rail and road transportation.

(16) A plurality of flexible ties 50 secure the plurality of hangers 40 to the support 60 by extending through the grommet apertures 42 and encircling the support 60. In one example, the plurality of flexible ties 50 are metallic cable ties although various types of flexible ties may be used in the present invention.

(17) FIG. 5 is a graph of sound transmission loss as a function of frequency for the portable acoustical blocking system 5 of the present invention. The portable acoustical blocking system 5 been tested in independent certified acoustical labs and the sound transmission coefficient (STC) of 28 represents a 85% reduction of sound to the human ear.

(18) FIG. 6 is a graph of sound absorption as a function of frequency for the portable acoustical blocking system 5 of the present invention. In frequencies of 50 Hz and below, the heavy limp acoustical blocking material 10 begins to vibrate from low frequency sound waves. The acoustical blocking material 10 transformis low frequency sound waves into mechanical movement and internal friction energy within the acoustical blocking material 10. Laboratory tests indicate that this transformation process reduces these low frequencies from penetrating the acoustical blocking material 10 by over 60 percent relative to the human ear. In addition the acoustical blocking material 10 becomes as an absorbent material in these frequencies with test results showing in an NRC (noise reduction coefficient) as high as 0.78 (1.00 being the max). The acoustical blocking material 10 has a 0.078 NRC (noise reduction coefficient) at the very low freq of 40 Hz and a NRC (noise reduction coefficient)od 0.063 at 100 Hz. The acoustical blocking material 10 not only reduces sound as a barrier, but also acts as an acoustical absorbent material at very low frequencies. Very low frequencies are not reflected as other sound barriers. In contrast to a ridged barrier, the acoustical blocking material 10 mass flexes at low frequencies transforming the acoustical energy into inaudible internal friction energy.

(19) The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.