The invention relates to suspended acoustic panel assemblies for reducing airborne noise.
In large occupied spaces, typically in commercial, industrial, or institutional buildings, acoustic baffles have been suspended from overhead structure.
The baffles are intended to minimize echo, reduce reverberation, and generally improve sound quality. Commonly, the baffles, which can be rigid or semi-rigid panels or draped fabric-like constructions are aligned in parallel or linear arrays.
There is a need for suspended acoustic baffle designs that depart from the traditional linear or rectangular layouts. Ideally, a design, if it is relatively large, should be capable of being made at a factory and shipped in parts, at reasonable cost, to the installation site.
The invention provides a cloud type circular acoustic baffle design or assembly that can be constructed in various sizes and can be fitted with acoustic panels of any color and any desired lower profile. The lower profiles of the acoustic panels collectively create the contour of the lower face of the assembly.
As disclosed, the baffle panels are arranged about a common center. The baffle panels are held together by circular ribs concentric with the enter. The ribs are relatively narrow in section and are disposed at upper edges of the baffle panels making them relatively inconspicuous when the assembly is suspended overhead. Moreover, the concentricity of the ribs, to the extent they are observed, visually reinforces the circular character of the baffle assembly.
Preferably, the baffle assembly is constructed of angular segments of a size that can be practically and conveniently shipped and that at the installation site can be easily combined into a circular assembly.
In the illustrated embodiment, the baffle panels are arranged in an annular pattern, leaving a central circular opening in which a lighting fixture, air duct or other device can be disposed and thereby visually integrated.
Referring to
The board 13, for example, can be a PET felt acoustic panel marketed under the trademark COLORTEX™ of a nominal inch thickness and rated at up to 0.85 NRC. A channel 15, made of 18 gauge steel for example, is assembled over an upper longitudinal edge of a respective board 13, preferably with a tight fit. Besides the tight fit, the board 13 and channel 15 can be fixed together by assembling mechanical fasteners such as binding barrel and screw sets through aligned holes in opposed holes in opposed legs of the channel 15 and the board 13 adjacent their longitudinal ends and mid-length. In normal installations, the baffle assembly 10 lies in a horizontal orientation or plane while the baffle panel units 11 lie in vertical planes.
The baffle panel units are fixed relative to one another by at least two annular ribs 12, depending on the outer diameter of the assembly 10. The baffle assembly 10 illustrated n
As shown in
The baffle assembly segments 18 are fabricated by the manufacturer with a sufficiently small maximum width to be conveniently handled and packaged and economically shipped. At a site where the baffle assembly 10 is to be installed, the sections are joined by assembling arcuate splices 21 (shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated example, the lower longitudinally extending edges of the baffle boards are sculpted with the same curvilinear shape that collectively produces a three-dimensional contoured shape to the lower face of the assembly 10 that is visible to an observer below the assembly. Other edge profile arrangements are envisioned where, for example, the baffle board edges are angular or straight.
While the invention has been shown and described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art all within the intended spirit and scope of the invention.