Patent Application
20110146180
The present invention relates generally to wall assemblies and, more particularly, to wall assemblies having a plurality of Resilient Channel (RC) members attached lengthwise to the wall studs of a newly constructed wall assembly The track component of the present invention is especially adapted for use in acoustical partitioning, and in some embodiments also functions as a firestop for containment of smoke and fire.
Metal framing assemblies used to construct commercial and residential buildings are common in the building construction arts These metal framing assemblies are generally constructed from a plurality of metal framing members including studs, joist, trusses, and other metal posts and beams formed from sheet metal and frequently fabricated to have the same general cross-sectional dimensions (profiles) as standard wood members used for similar purposes. Metal flaming members are typically constructed by roll-forming 12 to 24 gauge galvanized sheet steel. Although many cross-sectional shapes are available, the primary shapes (profiles) used in building construction are C-shaped studs and U-shaped tracks
In the building construction trade, a head-of-wall joint (also sometimes referred to as a top-of-wall joint) refers to the linear junction or interface existing between a top section of a flaming/wallboard wall assembly and the ceiling. Head-of-wall joints often present a serious challenge in terms of reducing or pr eventing the spread of smoke and fire during a building fire In this regard and in common practice, a wall to ceiling connection of many newly constructed buildings consists essentially of an inverted U-shaped elongated track configured to receive steel studs between the sidewalls or “legs” of the shaped channel (track) Wallboard is generally attached to at least one side of the studs The studs and wallboard are in many instances spaced apart from the ceiling a short gap distance in order to allow for ceiling deflections caused by seismic activity or moving overhead loads Track and stud assemblies that allow for ceiling deflections are commonly referred to as dynamic head-of-wall systems. Exemplary steel stud wall assemblies may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos 4,854,096 and 4,805,364 both to Smolik, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203 to Paquette Exemplary dynamic head-of-wall systems having steel stud wall assemblies may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,760 to Brady, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,705 to Orszulak et al.
In order to contain the spread of smoke and fire, a fire resistant material such as, for example, mineral wool is often times stuffed into the gaps between the ceiling and wallboard (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,788 to Herren). For example, mineral wool is often stuffed between a steel header track (e.g., an elongated U-shaped channel) and a corrugated steel roof deck (used in many types of steel and concrete building constructions); a fire resistant and generally elastomeric spray coating is then applied onto the exposed mineral wool to thereby form a fire resistant joint seal (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,905 to Stahl)). In certain situations where the ceiling to wallboard gap is relatively small, a fire resistant and/or elastomeric caulk is commonly applied so as to fill wall-to-ceiling gaps. In still another approach and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos 5,471,805 and 5,755,066 both to Becker, a slidable noncombustible secondary wall member is fastened to an especially configured steel header track and immediately adjacent to the wallboard. In this configuration, the secondary wall member provides a fire barrier that is able to accommodate ceiling deflections.
A preferred approach to containing the spread of smoke and fire, however, is to simply use fire rated track members having a factory applied intumescent strip(s) positioned lengthwise along at least one of the track's outer sidewall surfaces (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,681,365 and 7,814,718, both to Klein) Such state-of-the-art fire rated track members are presently being sold throughout the United States under the tradename “BlazeFrame.”
The use of Resilient Channel (RC) in acoustical partition building construction has since the 1960's been a popular and cost-effective method to increase acoustical isolation. Resilient Channel use in wall assemblies effectively dampens sound waves (by dissipating energy and reducing sound transmission) by suspending gypsum wallboard ⅜ to ½ inch (give or take) from the wall assemblies' wall studs or joists. Resilient Channel members, like many other metal framing members used in building construction, are generally manufactured from 20- and 25-gauge sheet steel, and is typically available with single or double legs.
In certain preferred practices and as shown in
The use of ripped pieces of wallboard at the top and bottom of a newly constructed wall assemblies utilizing outwardly extending Resilient Channel members has a number of drawbacks, including, for example: (1) on-site wallboard for fire rated walls is typically ⅝ inch thick and the gap distance created by most Resilient Channel members is only ½ inch, thereby requiring the installer to have a separate thickness of wallboard (½ inch thick) to create rips from; (2) if ⅝ inch wallboard is used instead, the outwardly protruding framing fastener heads tend to create a bulge along the top and bottom of the wall; and (3) wallboard rips do not expand and seal during fire events, but rather shrink and crack so as to reduce fire protection for fire rated joints.
In view of the foregoing, there is still a need in the art for new and improved wall assembly products and related track members that allow for enhanced acoustical partitioning as well as smoke and fire containment. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.
In brief, the present invention is directed to the various wall assemblies as disclosed and described herein
The drawings are intended to be illustrative and symbolic representations of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention and as such they are not necessarily drawn to scale In addition, it is to be expressly understood that the relative dimensions and distances depicted in the drawings (and described in the “Detailed Description of the Invention” section) are exemplary and may be varied in numerous ways. Finally, like reference numerals have been used to designate like features throughout the several views of the drawings
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements, and more particularly to
For purposes of illustration and not restriction, the following Example demonstrates various aspects and utility of the present invention.
A mock-up of a sound dampening and fire retardant wall assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention was constructed and tested in accordance with test procedure ASIM E 90-04, Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions. More specifically, the test specimen was a wall assembly constructed from metal studs, resilient (RC) channel, and type X gypsum wallboard. The studs were 3⅝ inch (92 mm) 25-gauge metal MarinoWare Viper studs and were spaced horizontally at 24 inches (607 mm) O.C. A graph plotting sound transmission losses associated with certain test results of an exemplary wall assembly in accordance with the present invention is provided as
While the present invention has been described in the context of the embodiments illustrated and described herein, the invention may be embodied in other specific ways or in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S Provisional Application No. 61/284,395 filed on Dec. 18, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/284,396 filed on Dec. 18, 2009, all of which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purposes
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61284395 | Dec 2009 | US | |
| 61284396 | Dec 2009 | US |
