Acoustic structure

Dec. 16, 1969

3,483,944

J. W. HANDY, JR

ACOUSTIC STRUCTURE

Filed Sept. 9, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US3483944A_D0001.tif" />

ATTORNEY

Dec. 16, 1969

3,483,944

J. W. HANDY, JR

ACOUSTIC STRUCTURE

Filed Sept. 9, 1966

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3483944A_D0002.tif" />

Dec. 16, 1969

3,483,944

J. W. HANDY, JR

ACOUSTIC STRUCTURE

Sheets-Sheet 3

Filed Sept. 9, 1966

<img file="US3483944A_D0003.tif" />

INVENTOR

JOHN W. HANDY JR.

ATTORNEY

3,483,944

Patented Dec. 16, 1969

United States Patent Office

3,483,944 ACOUSTIC STRUCTURE

John W. Handy, Jr., R.F.D. 1, Blackrock Turnpike, Rte. 58, Redding Ridge, Redding, Conn. 06875 Filed Sept. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 578,325

Int. Cl. E04b 1/99; GlOk 11/04

U.S. Cl. 181—30 11 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An acoustic structure for wall and ceiling construction that has a support with a plurality of protruding ribs forming channels extending in an aligned relationship. A plurality of panels are disposed in the channels and mounted on the support so as to be spaced therefrom. Each of the panels has a frame with sound absorptive sheet material attached thereto and the frame has a plurality of sound reflective plates attached thereto and spaced to form openings therebetween communicating with the sheet material to provide alternate areas of sound absorption and reflection. The sheet material is disposed between the support and the plates.

This invention relates to acoustic structures, and more particularly, to a structure for the construction of an acoustic wall or ceiling having desirable acoustic qualities and a highly attractive appearance.

Prior acoustic structures have frequently provided an unattractive appearance or have not provided a high degree of acoustic correction.

It is an object of this invention to provide an acoustic structure that is effective to furnish a high degree of acoustic structure that is effective to furnish a high degree of acoustic correction and presents a highly attractive appearance.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an acoustic structure that furnishes alternate areas of sound absorption and reflection.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an acoustic structure that is particularly useful for wall and ceiling construction and is relatively economical to manufacture.

Various other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification, claims and the drawing appended hereto wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an acoustic ceiling constructed in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2—2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top view taken along lines 3—3 of FIGURE 2 illustrating one of the panels of the acoustical ceiling.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating the details of the construction of the panels.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5—5 of FIGURE 3.

It has now been found that the foregoing objects and other advantages can readily be attained in an acoustic structure for wall and ceiling construction having a support with a plurality of protruding ribs forming channels extending in an aligned relationship. The ribs may contain structural members for the support of a ceiling or a wall. The support may have a surface between the ribs formed in two different planes that converge in an apex at the mid25 point generally between the ribs for reflecting sound in diverse directions.

A plurality of panels are disposed in the channels and are mounted on the support so as to be spaced therefrom and positioned in a plurality of planes within the channel to interrupt the plane of the support to provide acoustic correction. Each of the panels has a frame with sound absorptive sheet material attached thereto. The frame also has a plurality of sound reflective plates attached thereto and spaced to form openings therebetween communicating with the sheet material to provide alternate areas of sound absorption and reflection as the sheet material is disposed between the support and the plates.

The sound reflection plates are formed with a plurality of surfaces extending in diverse planes in order to reflect sounds in different directions. The plates are crimped so that adjacent portions extend in different planes and desirably, the plates are positioned in transversely and longitudinally extending rows on the frame. The panel may be of any desired configuration such as a rectangle or square, for clarity of description, the rows are described as being transversely and longitudinally extending even though the panel may be of a square or other configuration. Openings are formed between the plates in both of said transversely and longitudinally extending rows to provide alternate areas of sound absorption and reflection and the size of the plates and the openings may be of approximately the same dimensions. The plates may be made of metal having a decorative surface thereto to provide a highly attractive design.

An individual acoustic panel construction is provided with a frame means for mounting on walls and ceilings with absorptive sheet material fastened to the frame means. A plurality of sound reflective planes are also mounted on the frame means and spaced from the sheet material so that the reflective plates are positioned to form openings therebetween communicating with the sheet material to provide alternate areas of sound absorption and reflection. The frame means has a plurality of aligned members for supporting the sheet material and the plurality of sound reflection plates, and the sheet material may be attached to cover the entire area of the frame means.

Where the acoustic structure is used as a ceiling for an indoor swimming pool, the metal parts are desirably made of noncorrosive metal such as stainless steel. The metal parts and the sheet material may be painted with a waterproof coating and the reflecting plates desirably have an attractive surface color such as gold. In this specification the word paint refers to any type of surface color that may be carried by the reflecting plates to give them an attractive appearance.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, an acoustical ceiling with an overhead, generally designated by the numeral 10, having a plurality of spaced depending ribs 12, which extend transversely across the overhead 10 in parallel relationship which provide transversely extending channels 13. The exposed surface 14 of the overhead 10' may be inclined upwardly at a slight angle to form two planes extending from adjacent the rib sl2 to an apex at a point midway therebetween to reflect sound in different directions.

A plurality of panels, 16, 16α, 18 and 18α are disposed in the channels 13 and are suspended from the overhead 10 by means of hangers 20, which are fastened to the overhead 10 in a conventional manner. As illus3,483,944 trated in FIGURE 2, the panels 16a and 18 are located in a different plane than panels 16 and 18α in order to interrupt the plane of the ceiling to reduct the effect of sound. The ceiling illustrate din FIGURE 1 has the panels located in the central area of the ceiling to absorb and reflect noise coming from a central area below such as an indoor swimming pool.

In FIGURE 3, there is illustrated a typical construction for the panels 16, 16α, 18 and 18α which are identical except for their length which is varied as illustrated in FIGURE 1. For clarity of description, the panel illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 will be identified generally by the numeral 16. The panel 16 has a frame with a pair of metallic L-shaped supports 22 which are suspended from the overhead 10 by means of the hangers 20 which are attached thereto by fasteners 24. Extending perpendicularly to the supports 22 are a plurality of spaced channel shaped runners 26, which are attached to the supports 22 in a conventional manner such as with fasteners 28. Each of the channel shaped runners 26 have a depending portion with a U-shaped flange 30 adapted to engage a plurality of metal reflecting plates 32. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, each of the plates 32 are formed with a pair of upwardly extending edges 34 which fit snugly into a pair of U-shaped flanges 30 for retention by adjacent runners 26. Each of the metal reflecting plates 32 have four parallel extending surface portions crimped so that adjacent portions are positioned in different planes to reflect sound in various directions.

As best illustrated in FIGURE 3, the metal plates 32 are spaced on the runners 26 so as to form openings 36 therebetween in each row. The openings 36 are approximately of the same dimensions as the metal plates 32. The adjacent rows have metal plates 32 positioned adjacent the openings in the contiguous rows, so that the plates 32 are spaced alternately between openings in both transversely and longitudinally extending rows.

Acoustic sheet material 38 is attached to the supports 22 and runners 26 by means of fasteners such as nails 40 which may be welded or suitably attached to the supports 22. The sheet materal 38 may extend over the area of the entire panel 16 as fragmentarily illustrated in FIGURE 3. The sheet 38 may be of cellular or fiberous material that will absorb sound.

Thus, there is provided an acoustic structure that provides an area for reflecting sound in the form of plates 32, and alternate areas for absorbing sound in the form of openings 36 communicating with the sheet material 38. The sheet material 38 is attached to one flange of the channel shaped runners 26 so that it is spaced from the plates 32 attached to the opposite flanges of the runners 26.

In the disclosed embodiment, the depth of the overhead 10 is approximately Γ, 8, and the ribs 12 are located on approximately 7', 9 center lines. The panels 16α and 18 are disposed approximately β’Α above the lower edge of the ribs 12, whereas panels 16 and 18α are disposed approximately 2 above the lower edge of the ribs 12. The edges of the panels 16, 16α, 18 and 18α are spaced approximately 5Vi from the ribs 12, and the panels 16, 16α, 18 and 18α are desirably separated from each other by approximately 10½ in the channels 13. Panels 18 and 18α are approximately 9', 6 by 6', 2, whereas the panels 16 and 16α are in the order of 5', 6 by 6', 2. The runners are spaced approximately 8 apart and the plates 32 and openings 36 are approximately 8 by 4.

Accordingly, there is provided an acoustic structure that is effective to furnish a high degree of acoustic correction and at the same time present a highly attractive appearance. This structure furnishes alternate areas of sound absorption and reflection, is particularly useful for wall and ceiling construction and is reltaively economical to manufacture.