Sound absorbent barrier

-A kind of flexible sound-absorbing barrier technology field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible sound-absorbing barrier. Specifically, the present invention relates to a sound absorbing barrier used for sound shielding in construction sites and the like. The present invention is easily applicable to other uses, such as concerts or sports events.

Background technique

[0002] Representative noise barriers for such applications include solid barriers made of materials such as metal, plywood, or acrylic glass to prevent the propagation of noise. These barriers tend to reflect rather than absorb sound waves. Therefore, the overall level of noise is usually not reduced. In fact, the noise level in the enclosure formed by the barrier may increase due to the presence of the barrier.

[0003] Alternatively, the noise barrier may include sound absorbing materials to reduce the overall noise level. Generally, such barriers include rock wool or glass fibers as sound absorbing materials. Although sound absorption is effective, care must be taken when handling these materials because they can be absorbed into the human body by inhalation and can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Generally speaking, this type of sound absorbing material is encapsulated between two solid material layers (for example, PVC) to prevent water from entering and to prevent the sound absorbing material from escaping. However, by encapsulating the sound-absorbing material in a solid impermeable material, the effect of a barrier as a sound absorber is reduced because sound cannot penetrate the sound-absorbing material.

[0004] Some known sound barriers have sound absorbing materials without a protective layer. However, these barriers absorb rain moisture, thereby causing problems of weight gain, water leakage, and material rot or mold when these barriers are transported or stored in vehicles.

[0005] Some known rigid barriers include a thin plastic film as an upper skin on an absorbent material. However, although the membrane is waterproof, it cannot transmit air and therefore reflects a significant proportion of sound, thereby reducing the performance of the sound-absorbing material.

[0006] Conventionally, the sound-absorbing material noise barrier is folded flat for storage and transportation. Although this reduces the barrier ruler to a certain extent," such barriers are still bulky, too soft, and difficult to manage.

[0007] In addition, traditional sound-absorbing barriers are usually hung from supporting structures, such as scaffolding or RTM fences, by means of cable ties. Therefore, their installation is time-consuming and requires the cooperation of at least two people. This is a significant disadvantage, especially when barriers are installed and removed in a short period of time, such as blocking the sound of railway maintenance that is carried out overnight.

Summary of the invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a flexible sound-absorbing barrier is provided, which includes a sound-absorbing layer disposed between a first porous sound-permeable surface and a second surface, and a sound-absorbing layer disposed between the first surface and the sound-absorbing layer. Waterproof and sound-permeable textile membrane.

[0009] With this configuration, the sound absorbing layer is protected from damage due to the protection of the first surface and the second surface, and prevents water ingress. In addition, the first porous surface and the sound-transmitting membrane allow sound to penetrate into the sound-absorbing layer instead of being reflected back to the noise source.

[0010] Preferably, the second surface is porous and acoustically transparent. With this arrangement, both sides of the sound-absorbing barrier can be used for sound absorption.

[0011] Alternatively, the second surface is non-porous. Therefore, any sound that passes through the first surface and the sound-absorbing layer is reflected back from the second surface, causing the sound to pass through the sound-absorbing layer again. Thus, the barrier can improve the sound attenuation effect.

[0012] Preferably, the second waterproof sound-permeable textile membrane is disposed between the second surface and the sound-absorbing layer. Therefore, water can be prevented from passing through the second surface and entering the sound absorption layer without significantly reducing the sound absorption characteristics of the barrier.

[0013] Preferably, the sound-absorbing layer includes open-cell foam.

[0014] Preferably, the sound-absorbing layer includes a profiled surface including a plurality of bumps or protrusions.

[0015] Preferably, the sound-absorbing barrier is sufficiently flexible so that it can be rolled up.

[0016] Preferably, the sound absorption barrier further includes a fastening tool in order to maintain the sound absorption barrier in a rolled state.

[0017] Therefore, the size of the barrier can be reduced, and its structural rigidity can be increased when it is not in use, which facilitates storage and transportation of the barrier. In addition, the installation of the barrier can be easier, because once suspended from the supporting structure, the barrier will unfold under its own weight when the fastening tool is loosened.

[0018] Preferably, the second surface is made of PVC.

[0019] A flexible non-porous third surface may be provided to be connected to the second surface. The third surface can be made of PVC.

[0020] Preferably, the sound-absorbing barrier further comprises a mounting device for suspending the sound-absorbing barrier from the supporting structure.

[0021] Preferably, the mounting device includes a hook member.

[0022] Preferably, the mounting device further includes a bracket to which the hook member is slidably connected, so that the hook member is slidable with respect to the sound absorption barrier in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sound absorption barrier. The mounting device may include a braking tool to resist the sliding of the hook member and/or to divide the sliding displacement of the hook member into discrete increments.

[0023] Preferably, the hook member includes a first hook for suspending the barrier from the support structure and a second hook for suspending the barrier from the hook member.

[0024] Preferably, the sizes of the first and second hook members are different and arranged so that they can clamp fence posts of different sizes.

[0025] Preferably, the porous inner surface is formed of a flexible plastic material.

[0026] Preferably, the waterproof sound-permeable membrane is formed of RTM or equivalent materials.

Description of the drawings

[0027] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a front view of a sound absorbing barrier according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a front view of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1, with the fastening tools and installation devices removed for clarity;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the installation device of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a front view of the mounting device of FIG. 4, with most of the brackets of the mounting device removed for clarity;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a top view of the mounting device of FIG. 4;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a side view of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1, showing the sound absorption barrier in a rolled state;

[0035] FIG. 8 is a side view of the sound-absorbing barrier of FIG. 1, showing the sound-absorbing barrier suspended from a supporting structure;

[0036] FIG. 9 is a front view of a sound-absorbing layer having a raised profile;

[0037] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sound absorbing layer of FIG. 9.

[0038] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of another sound-absorbing barrier according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of another sound-absorbing barrier according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 13 is a front view of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 12;

[0041] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of another installation device of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of another installation device of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1;

[0043] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of another installation device of the sound absorption barrier of FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of another installation device of the sound-absorbing barrier of FIG. 1, showing the installation device of the first configuration

Set

[0045] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting device of FIG. 15 in a second configuration.

[0046] It should be noted that the figures are shown schematically for brevity and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Detailed ways

[0047] FIG. 1 shows the main components of the sound-absorbing barrier 10 of the present invention. The barrier 10 has a screen 20 for absorbing noise and a mounting device 30 for mounting the barrier 10 to a supporting structure (not shown) such as a fence or a scaffold. The barrier 10 also includes a fastening tool 32, which is used to fix the barrier in a rolled state when it is not in use.

[0048] In this example, the fastening tool 32 includes a two-piece plastic clip having a receiving portion 34 and an inserting portion 36, the receiving portion 34 is attached to a strap at one end of the barrier 10, and the inserting portion 36 is attached to the adjustable A strap, the adjustable strap is fixed to the barrier 10 and faces the opposite end of the barrier 10. Other fastening tools are also available, such as hook and loop fasteners, or buckles, etc. The strap of the fastening tool 32 can also serve as a handle for transporting the barrier when it is rolled up. With this arrangement, the barrier 10 can be firmly kept rolled up when not in use, thereby reducing the space required for storage and improving the ease of handling. This is a special purpose when installing the barrier 10 to a structure with restricted access, such as scaffolding.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the screen body 20 includes a flexible rectangular panel 40 made of sound-absorbing material and enclosed between the first surface 50 and the second surface 60. The screen body 20 is usually 2050 mm long and 1300 mm wide, but these dimensions can be changed to suit different uses.

[0050] In this example, the sound-absorbing panel 40 is formed of open-cell polyurethane foam (such as "Lalnaphon"), although other types of sound-absorbing materials may be used, such as closed-cell foam (such as "Lamacell"), or equivalent Things. However, open-cell foam provides the best sound absorption quality.

[0051] The first surface 50 includes a suitably durable, lightweight and flexible plastic sheet material, and is porous, that is, it includes a plurality of holes so that sound waves can more easily propagate through the surface 50 and reduce reflections from the first surface 50 volume. For example, it can be a woven plastic sheet with loose, scrims to provide porosity. Therefore, the first surface 50 can transmit sound while forming a protective net on the sound absorbing panel 40. Preferably, the holes of the first surface 50 do not substantially exceed 1 mm in length or width.

[0052] The second surface 60 is formed of a non-porous, flexible and waterproof sheet material of an appropriate thickness so that it acts as a barrier to prevent or reduce the propagation of sound. In this example, the second surface 60 is made up of 900g/m²For the formation of PVC, materials of various thicknesses can of course be used. For weight considerations, preferably, the second surface 60 should not exceed 1500g/m²The PVC is formed.

[0053] The outer surface of the second surface 60 also includes one or more strips 62 made of light reflective material (such as Scotchlite) to increase the visibility of the barrier. The reflective strip 62 may be set according to the position of the headlight of a specific type of vehicle. For example, the reflective strip 62 may be placed approximately 770 mm from the base of the barrier to reflect the headlights of a car, and/or placed approximately 1300 mm from the base of the barrier to reflect the headlights of heavy goods vehicles.

[0054] The screen 20 also includes a waterproof, air-permeable and sound-permeable membrane 70, which is located between the first surface 50 and the sound-absorbing panel 40. The film 70 can propagate sound waves to the sound absorbing panel 40 and prevent water ingress. This can be particularly beneficial if the sound absorbing panel 40 is hydrophilic, because water absorption can reduce the sound absorption effect of the sound absorbing panel 40 and cause the barrier 10 to become very heavy and difficult to handle. The membrane 70 is formed of a waterproof air- and sound-permeable textile material of an appropriate thickness. In this example, the membrane 70 is made of about 10g/m²And 100g/m²Between the high-Taisi (RTM) or equivalent materials formed.

[0055] The first surface 50, the second surface 60 and the film 70 are overlapped with a thread 80 and stitched together. Thick side 90 can also be set

It is positioned around the edge of the screen 20 to further strengthen the barrier 10. The second row of thread 100 can be stitched through the surface 50.60 and the film 70 to keep the panel 40 in a specific position, such as aligning the center of the screen 20, as shown in FIG. 2 Shown.

[0056] The barrier 10 includes a number of perforations 110 surrounding the periphery of the screen 20. These perforations allow the barrier 10 to be fixed to a fence, scaffolding or other supporting structure, or to an adjacent barrier 10. The barrier 10 can be fixed by hooks, cable ties or other fixing mechanisms. Preferably, the barrier 10 is secured using a mounting device 30, as discussed below. Generally, the diameter of the eyelet is 25mm. This size is large enough to help secure the barrier 10 to a support structure, or to allow adjacent barriers 10 to be aligned and secured together more easily. The barrier 10 may have at least two perforations 110 in one or more rows, so that the relative position and overlap of adjacent barriers 10 can be adjusted.

[0057] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the mounting device 30 connected to the screen 20. The mounting device 30 includes a bracket 120 and a hook member 130. The bracket 120 may be formed of plastic or other suitable materials such as synthetic materials or steel, and has a substantially U-shaped cross-section to fit on the top edge of the barrier 10. The bracket 120 can be connected to the bracket 120 via a fixing tool 140. It is fixed to the screen body 20 and can pass through the hole 110 of one of the barriers 10. For example, the fixation tool 140 may include a clip or nut and bolt arrangement. With this arrangement, the mounting device 30 can be easily fixed to or removed from the screen 20 as required.

[0058] The hook member 130 is formed from a deformable material of an appropriate thickness, such as steel, plastic, or synthetic material, so that the hook member 130 can be deformed under the condition of being trampled on or under force, instead of being broken or broken. In addition, the flexibility of the barrier 10 allows the mounting device 30 to move, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the mounting device 30. This prevents the installation device 30 from having an acute angle (the staff may be injured or the equipment may be damaged due to the acute angle) and the barrier 10 itself is prevented from being damaged. The hook member 130 includes a top portion 150 and at least one side arm portion 160 that protrudes downward from the top portion 150.

[0059] The top portion 150 of the hook member 130 is supported within the range of the hole 170 of the bracket 120 so that the hook member 130 is slidable with respect to the bracket 120 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the screen 20. With this arrangement, the distance between the side arm portion 160 of the hook member 130 and the bracket 120 can be changed to accommodate various sizes of support structures. Bracket 120 and relative movement of the hook member 130 is illustrated in FIG. 6, FIG. 6 shows a first position P1 and the second position P2 of the hook member.

[0060] As an alternative to a single-sided hook arrangement, the hook member 130 may be double-sided, that is, it may have two side arm portions

160, as shown in Figure 4. This allows the barrier 10 to be installed on either side of the support structure A.

[0061] The bracket 120 and the hook member 130 may be equipped with a braking tool (not shown) to resist the sliding displacement of the hook member and/or divide the displacement of the hook member 130 into discrete increments. This will enable the mounting device 30 to clamp the support structure A, thereby fixing the barrier 10 more firmly.

[0062] With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a method of installing the barrier 10 will be described.

[0063] The barrier 10 is held by the user and transported to a desired position, and is now in a rolled up state, as shown in FIG. 7. The hook member 130 of each mounting device 30 of the barrier 10 is placed on the supporting structure A. If the barrier 10 is suspended inside the support structure A, such as inside the boundary fence of a construction site, the hook member 130 of the installation device 30 should be located (in the case of a single-sided hook arrangement) or extend (in the case of a double-sided hook arrangement) ) Corresponds to the side of the barrier 10 of the second surface 60. Conversely, if the barrier 10 is suspended from the outside of the support structure A, such as the outer side of a scaffold, the hook member 130 should be located or extend on the side of the barrier 10 corresponding to the first surface 50. This ensures that the first surface 50 faces the source of noise.

[0064] Once positioned on the support structure A, each hook member 130 can be adjusted so that it clamps the support structure Ao and then loosens the fastening tool 32 so that the barrier 10 expands to the figure with its own weight in the direction B. The location shown in 8.

[0065] Similarly, other barriers 10 may be installed on the support structure A so that adjacent barriers 10 overlap to provide a continuous noise protection layer. Adjacent barriers can be secured to each other whether by aligning the holes 110 or using fastening tools such as cable ties passing through the holes 110 or by other tools such as Velcro or zippers.

[0066] Once the first surface 50 of the barrier 10 is installed at a desired position facing the noise source, the sound waves pass through the receptor net of the first surface 50 and are absorbed by the sound absorbing panel 40, which dissipates as heat energy Part of the energy of the incident sound wave. Part of the remaining sound waves are reflected by the second surface 60 back to the sound absorbing panel, thereby enhancing noise absorption.

[0067] If greater noise attenuation is required, for example close to a particularly loud noise source, the multi-layer barrier 10 can be suspended from the supporting structure Ao. In order to do this, compared to the hook member of the first barrier 10, the second barrier 10 The hook members 130 of the (or other) barrier 10 can be extended to a greater extent so that they also adapt to the supporting structure Ao or, if a double-sided hook arrangement is used, other barriers can be installed on the back side of the fence or scaffolding.

[0068] Referring to Figures 9 and 10, an alternative sound absorbing layer 40 is shown. For noise sources, the sound absorption layer 40 has a special-shaped surface instead of a flat surface. For example, the surface of the sound absorption layer 40 may have a plurality of bumps 180 or protrusions, and the plurality of bumps 180 or protrusions may extend across the entire width of the panel 40 to increase the surface area of the sound absorber 40 and change the absorption characteristics. Such bumps 180 also contribute to easy rolling of the barrier 10. The bump 180 may have a regular shape, as shown by the bump 182 along the middle of FIG. 10; or an irregular shape, such as a plurality of egg-box-shaped protrusions, or as shown by the bumps 184 at the top and bottom of FIG. 10 .

[0069] FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of the sound barrier 10'. Like the previously described barrier 10, the screen 20 of the sound barrier 10' includes a flexible panel of sound-absorbing material 40' encapsulated between the first surface 50' and the second surface 60'.

[0070] In this configuration, both the first surface 50' and the second surface 60' comprise a suitably durable, lightweight and flexible plastic sheet material which is porous, that is, it comprises a plurality of pores. The waterproof, breathable and sound-permeable membrane 70 is located on each side of the sound-absorbing panel 40'. Therefore, the first surface 50 and the second surface 60 form a sound-transmitting protective net on the sound-absorbing panel 40 and the film 70, while the film 70' prevents water ingress. This configuration enables the two faces of the sound barrier 10' to effectively absorb sound.

[0071] The barrier 10 may also include impermeable edge sealing strips 11 along the top and other edges of the barrier to provide additional weatherproofing and a surface for printing.

[0072] FIGS. 12 and 13 show a third embodiment of the sound barrier 10. In this example, the screen 20' shown in FIG. 11 may be attached to a flexible, waterproof non-porous layer 65, such as a PVC layer, which is suspended from a supporting structure (not shown) using perforations 110. The non-porous layer 65 serves as a quality layer, which limits the propagation of sound through the barrier 10. Due to the addition of the non-porous layer quality layer 65, the sound that has passed through the screen 20' is reflected back through the screen 20' through the non-porous layer 65. Therefore, in addition to reducing sound propagation, this arrangement can provide improved sound absorption. The non-porous layer 65 and the shielding body may have a common boundary with the screen body 20', and the two may be suspended from the supporting structure used, as shown in FIG. 12. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, the non-porous layer may be suspended from a supporting structure, and the screen body 20, using known techniques (such as Velcro (RTM), cable ties, snap fasteners and/or clips (not shown) )) Attached to the non-porous layer 65. With the latter arrangement, the non-porous layer 65 can be sized to fit the requirements of a given installation.

[0073] It should be understood that the mounting device 30 with the hook 130 and the fastening tool 32 for fixing the barrier 10 in the rolled state are features that can be applied (together or individually) to different types of barriers; different types A barrier such as a sound-absorbing barrier that does not include a waterproof sound-permeable layer, or a barrier used for other purposes (such as visual shielding).

[0074] FIG. 14 shows an alternative configuration of the mounting device 230 connected to the screen 20. The mounting device 230 is substantially the same as the mounting device 130. However, instead of fixing the hook member by means of a bracket, the fixing tool 240 of the mounting device 230 directly fixes the hook member 235 to the eyelet 210 of the barrier 10. Alternatively, if the eyelet is not provided, a fixing tool fixes the hook member 235 to the hole passing through the barrier 10. In either case, the hook member 235 is not slidable relative to the barrier, as in the first

In one embodiment, but slidably fixed relative to the barrier.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 14, one of the side arm portions 260 may be bent, welded, or molded so that it returns to the barrier

10 is angled to suspend the barrier more firmly 10ο

[0076] FIG. 15 shows other alternative configurations of the mounting device 330. The mounting device 330 includes a hook member 335, which includes a circular first side arm portion 360 and a second side arm portion 365, the first side arm portion 360 is used to be placed on the top of the support structure A, and the second side arm portion 365 The end is the barrier hook portion 380 facing inwardly (ie, toward the first side arm portion 360). The hook portion 380 passes through the hole 310 of the barrier 10 or simply passes through the hole in the barrier 10 to suspend the barrier 10 from the mounting device 330.

[0077] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 16, the barrier hook portion 380' of the mounting device 330' may be configured to face outward, that is, away from the first side arm portion 360'. With this configuration, the barrier 10 can be easily placed on or removed from the barrier hook portion 380', while the mounting device 330' is maintained in position on the support structure A.

[0078] FIGS. 17 and 18 show other configurations of the mounting device 430. The mounting device 430 includes a resilient and substantially S-shaped hook member 435 having first and second hook portions 460,465. The dimensions of the first and second hook portions 460.465 may be different and are selected so that they Clamp fence tubes B and C of different diameters. For example, in the British construction industry, the diameters of fence pipes commonly used are approximately 40 mm and 35 mm, respectively. Therefore, if the first hook portion 460 has a diameter slightly less than 40 mm and the second hook portion 465 has a diameter slightly less than 35 mm, the slightly elastic hook member 435 will be held in tension and will grip the fence post B or C tightly.

[0079] The open end 490, 495 of each hook portion 460, 465 may be narrower than the diameter of the respective tube B or C, as shown in FIGS. 17 and

18 to provide the hook member 435 to clamp the fence tube B or C more firmly.

[0080] In use, one or more hook members 435 use either the first or second hook portion 460, 465 to grasp the fence tube B or C. The choice of the first or second hook portion 460.465 will depend on the diameter of the fence tube on which the barrier 10 will be hung. Then, the screen body 20 hooks the hook portion that does not clamp the fence tube. By way of example, FIG. 15 shows the first hook part 460 sandwiching the fence tube B and the screen body 20 hanging from the first hook part 465.

[0081] Therefore, the present invention provides a sound-absorbing barrier that is highly flexible and waterproof, and does not contain the sound-absorbing properties of the absorbent material. Flexibility allows the barrier to be adjusted to fit the supporting structure, usually a fence or scaffolding, and to be rolled or folded for transportation or storage.