NON-LINEAR DYNAMIC ABSORBER AND USE THEREOF FOR ACOUSTIC INSULATION

Abstract

A building element includes a sheet of a rigid material and at least one nonlinear energy sink including a blade with two end parts and a nonlinear spring function intermediate part, a mass fixed to the nonlinear spring function intermediate part of the blade, and a fixing element allowing the two end parts of the blade to be fixed to a solid support in such a way that the nonlinear spring function intermediate part can oscillate about its position of equilibrium or its positions of equilibrium. The nonlinear energy sink is fixed rigidly to the sheet by the fixing element. The building element can be contained in a partition wall. Additionally, such an energy sink or building element can be used for reducing the acoustic transparency of a wall.

Claims

1. A building element comprising: at least one sheet of a rigid material and at least one nonlinear energy sink comprising a blade with two end parts and a nonlinear spring function intermediate part, a mass fixed to the nonlinear spring function intermediate part of the blade, and a fixing means allowing the two end parts of the blade to be fixed to a solid support in such a way that the nonlinear spring function intermediate part can oscillate about its position of equilibrium or its positions of equilibrium, the nonlinear energy sink being fixed rigidly to the sheet by the fixing means.

2. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade is subjected to a compressive or torsional stress.

3. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade is subjected to a stress that causes it elastic buckling.

4. The building element as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elastic buckling is less than 10%, this percentage being expressed with respect to a length of the nonlinear spring function intermediate part.

5. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mass is fixed in a central part of the nonlinear spring function intermediate part of the blade.

6. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade is a metal blade.

7. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing means consists of a single piece comprising two built-in means for rendering the end parts of the blade fixed.

8. The building element as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fixing means comprises two branches extending symmetrically from a common base, the two built-in means being situated respectively on the two branches.

9. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nonlinear energy sink is fixed to the sheet in such a way that a plane of the blade of the sink is substantially parallel to a plane of the sheet.

10. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet or at least one of the sheets, is a sheet of plasterboard.

11. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the building element comprises two sheets that are parallel to one another and separated by an intermediate space.

12. The building element as claimed in claim 11, wherein the two sheets are sheets of plasterboard.

13. The building element as claimed in claim 11, wherein an intermediate space between the two sheets is filled with an acoustic insulation material.

14. A wall of a building comprising: the building element as claimed in claim 1.

15. The building element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the building element is configured to reduce an acoustic transparency of a wall.

16. The building element as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two built-in means are situated respectively at or near an end of each of the branches.

17. The building element as claimed in claim 12, wherein the two sheets are sheets of plasterboard fixed to a framework of rails and/or uprights.

18. The building element as claimed in claim 12, wherein an intermediate space between the two sheets is filled with an acoustic insulation material.

Description

[0066] The present invention is now described in greater detail with reference to the attached figures in which

[0067] FIG. 1 is a graph showing how the sound reduction index of a two-leaf partition wall changes as a function of the frequency of the sound that is to be prevented from passing through the wall;

[0068] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nonlinear energy sink according to the invention,

[0069] FIG. 3 is a view from above of the energy sink according to the invention of FIG. 2, showing the two positions of stable equilibrium of the nonlinear spring function blade;

[0070] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through a two-leaf partition wall comprising a nonlinear energy sink according to the invention.

[0071] FIG. 1 has already been discussed in the introduction. It shows the technical problem that the present invention is addressing, namely the increased acoustic transparency (f.sub.0) of a two-leaf wall at low frequencies (approximately 100-150 Hz), referred to as the “breathing” frequency, corresponding to the two sheets of a two-leaf wall resonating in phase opposition.

[0072] The nonlinear energy sink 9 of the present invention, depicted in FIG. 2, has a fixing means 4 in the shape of a flattened Y. This fixing means is made up of a base 7 from which two branches 6 extend symmetrically. At the end of each branch 6 there is a built-in means 5 the clamping of which can be adjusted by means of a screw. The two built-in means 5 hold the two end parts (not visible) of a metal blade 1. The intermediate part 2b of the blade can vibrate freely when activated by the vibration of the main resonator (not depicted) on which the nonlinear energy sink 9 will be fixed. Fixed at the center of the blade 1 is a small mass 3.

[0073] FIG. 3 shows the same nonlinear energy sink the blade 1 of which is subjected to a compressive stress applied along the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the blade. This compressive stress is generated as a result of the fact that the intermediate part 2b of the blade comprised between the two encastré end parts 2a which are built-in into the built-in means 5 is longer than the distance separating the two built-in means. This compressive stress causes the blade 1 to buckle. Each of the two depictions shows a position of stable equilibrium of the buckled blade 1. During operation, which means to say when the nonlinear energy sink according to the invention is fixed rigidly to a sheet subjected to sufficient vibration, the blade can pass from one position of stable equilibrium to the other.

[0074] Finally, FIG. 4 very schematically shows the nonlinear energy sink 9 according to the invention, fixed into a depression in a sheet 11 that forms part of a building element according to the invention. This building element in this instance is a two-leaf partition wall formed of two sheets 11 between which is defined an intermediate space 8 filled with an insulating material 10. The nonlinear energy sink is fixed to the sheet in such a way that the plane of the blade (not visible) is substantially parallel to the overall plane of the sheet 11.