Patent Application
20140318063
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to building construction. More particularly the present invention relates to a vibration damping, sound isolating, structural connector to connect various building elements to aid in sound proofing and noise reduction.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of vibration damping products, a common solution is the composite type of vibration damping materials comprising a metal sheet and a viscoelastic polymeric material. One example of such a vibration damper is formed of a thin steel sheet and a rubber or synthetic resin-based viscoelastic polymeric layer bonded to both sides thereof, and another vibration damper formed by sandwiching and bonding a viscoelastic polymeric layer between two steel sheets.
Said composite type of vibration dampers are used in a wide range of industrial fields such as automotive engine mounts, disc brakes, oil pans, transmissions, compressors, air cleaners, brake clutches, electronic ranges, speakers and players. However, the vibration dampers of the prior art are not structurally capable of supporting large or complex loads or resisting specific significant forces, such as those experienced during building construction.
Other sound-proofing systems include the use of substantial insulation, and specially designed building materials. Both of these systems are costly, and can be difficult to install. Further, these existing approaches to sound proofing are generally topical applications that merely muffle sound on the surface. Structural elements are not used in sound-proofing systems.
Cavity insulation decreases airborne sound transmission but has no effect on structure borne sound such as impact noise that travels a direct path through very dense materials.
Another approach involves staggered stud walls, which are actually double studded walls whereby the opposing wall finishes do not share fastening to common studs. This practice only partially controls sound transmission as both studs walls are attached to the same top and bottom plates allowing for wall impacts to travel up into the ceiling plane and down through the floor system. Attempts are also made to control noise by adding extra layers of sheetrock or installing sheets of mass-loaded vinyl between sheets of sheetrock. Again, these features fail in preventing structural transmission of sounds, and merely muffle some sound transmission.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that may provide adequate vibration damping that is also capable of being an integral part of a building structure, and capable of withstanding heavy loads such as those experienced in a building and during building construction.
The subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article.
In one aspect, a structural connector for joining structural elements of a building together is provided. The structural connector comprises two sheets bonded together by a vibration damping material. The two sheets are opposing each other, and have a vibration damping material between them, such that no part of the first sheet is in contact with the second sheet. A reinforcing structure may protrude from one or both of the sheets into the vibration damping material.
In another aspect, methods of using the structural connector are provided. In one embodiment a method of soundproofing a room during construction of the room is provided. The method involves connecting a plurality of studs to a top and bottom plate, forming a wall framing. The top plate may be attached to a top joist and the bottom plate may be attached to a bottom joist using a number of structural connectors, one structural connector used for each connection between top/bottom plate, and joist. Further, the method may involve connecting a ceiling to a joist by attaching the connector to the joist, and then the attaching ceiling to the connector. Further still, a floor may be connected to a joist by attaching the connector to the joist, and then attaching the floor to the connector.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments.
Generally, the present invention concerns a structural connector comprising opposing sheets, and a vibration damping material joining the sheets. The structural connector is used to connect structural elements of buildings together, isolating the connector faces and limiting vibrations travelling between them.
The structural connectors may be used in soundproofing, which is indented herein to refer to not only full soundproofing, but also sound isolating, limiting, noise reduction, sound attenuation, vibration damping and vibration limiting.
The connectors may be used to join any building structural elements together. For example, the structural connector may be used to join: a floor element to a wall element, wall element to a beam, a column to a floor element, sheetrock furring to a wall element, a ceiling element to a floor element above, a stair stringer to a floor landing, door frame components to wall openings, noise generating mechanical equipment and piping to floors, walls, ceilings and roofs, a rafter to a stud, a rafter to a joist, roof connections, and the like. These building structural elements may be constructed of any material used in building structures, such as metal, wood, composites, or pre-fabricated panels.
The structural connectors may be formed of two or more opposing sheets joined together by a vibration damping material. The opposing sheets may be constructed of any material suitable for connection of the structural elements. Examples of the sheet material may include metals such as steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and the like, wood, composites, and plastics materials, among others. Generally, the sheets will be separated by the vibration damping material, such that there is no rigid connection between them. The separation of the sheets by the vibration damping material functions to prevent or at least limit transmission of vibrations, such as sound, between the opposing sheets.
Each sheet may be shaped in any manner such that there is no rigid connection between them. In one embodiment, edges of the sheets may be bent inward, such that the bent portion extends towards the opposing sheet. In a further embodiment, portions of one or both of the sheets may extend away from the vibration damping material to facilitate connection, shaping, and the like. In one embodiment the extending portions of the sheet may have perforations to facilitate placement of fasteners for attachment of the connector to building elements and/or ease bending of the sheets.
One or a plurality of reinforcing structures may be attached to, or formed by, inner surfaces of a sheet. These reinforcing structures function to secure a connection between the sheets and the vibration damping material. The reinforcing structures may further prevent shearing and other deformation of the vibration damping material when under load. The reinforcing structure may be made of any material, including, but not limited to, metals, wood, composites plastics, or fibers.
In one embodiment, the reinforcing structure may be a reinforcing ladder. This ladder is formed as an elongated element aligned lengthwise or width-wise along an inner surface of one sheet. The elongated element is attached to the sheet by a plurality of rungs along the length of the element, thereby creating a ladder-shaped reinforcing structure.
In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure may be a T-shaped bracket along at least a part of a length or width of an inner surface of a sheet. The bottom of the T-shape being attached to the sheet. In a further embodiment, transverse protrusions may extend from the top of the T shape along its length, further reinforcing the structural connector. In yet a further embodiment, the T-shaped reinforcing structure may form one or a plurality of apertures along its surface.
In other embodiments, the reinforcing structures may be a bracket. The bracket may have any protrusion from the sheet of any shape capable of gripping and securing the sheet to the reinforcing material. For example, the reinforcing structures may be L shaped, I shaped, may have apertures along their lengths, may be hook shaped, and the like. In another embodiment, the sheets may be bent inward at their edges, the bent portions acting as reinforcing structures to hold in the vibration damping material. In some embodiments, a plurality of different reinforcing structures may be used on one structural connector.
In some embodiments, a quantity of mesh or netting may be disposed within the vibration damping material as reinforcement. In some embodiments the mesh or netting may be attached to one or both of the opposing sheets.
The vibration damping material may be any material capable of absorbing and dissipating vibrations, particularly sound vibrations. Further, in some embodiments, the vibration damping material must be capable of holding a weight of a building structural element under either a compression, pulling, or shearing force, without substantial distortion or deformation.
Examples of desirable vibration damping materials may include elastic materials, visco-elastic materials, and the like. Examples may include silicone based materials, rubbers, plastics, flexible epoxies, foam type materials, composites, and the like. In one embodiment, the vibration damping material may be capable of being in a fluid form which can later be cured or set, thereby aiding in the manufacture of the structural connectors.
An edge support may be disposed along an edge of the structural connector, particularly along edges wherein the vibration damping material is exposed. The edge support may prevent a deformation of the vibration damping material both outwardly and inwardly. Examples of edge supports may be a fiber mesh, a film adhered to the vibration damping material surface, strips of film, strips of fiber, and the like.
The structural connector may be made in any manner capable of creating the device having at least two opposing sheets connected by a vibration damping material with no rigid connection between the sheets. In one embodiment, a mold may be utilized to make the structural connector. The mold may be formed as a trough having a rectangular or approximately rectangular cross section and an open top. As such, the sheets may have rectangular flat portions to match one side of the mold. In the mold, sheets may be placed on opposing sides, with a gap between them. Next, the vibration damping material in liquid form may be poured into the mold between the sheets. The mold may have capped ends and a sealed bottom to prevent the liquid from escaping. Once the liquid vibration damping material is poured in and reaches a proper level, it may be allowed to set or cure into a solid state. Once the setting or curing is finished, the structural connector may be removed in one solid piece, the two sheets being connected together by the vibration damping material. In one embodiment, this solid piece may subsequently be cut into smaller pieces. Piece size cutting may be based on construction needs, the size of the structural elements being connected, and other building considerations.
In one embodiment of the structural connector in use, a connection between a joist and a wall assembly may involve the joist attached to a top wall plate by the structural connector. Two pieces of wood strapping, one on each side of the structural connector may be used to facilitate attachment of the connector to the joist and connector to the top wall plate. In other words, connection is from a wall top plate to the strapping, strapping to the connector, connector to another piece of strapping on the opposite sheet, and the strapping to a joist.
It should be understood that the structural connector described herein may also be used for any connection of two objects, not simply connection of building structural elements. For example, in one embodiment, the structural connector may be used as a raft connector. The raft connector may be positioned on a wall, ceiling, floor, or other surface and useable to connect items thereto. The items may be anything that would be desired to attach to a wall, ceiling or the like, such as HVAC equipment, cooking or bathroom exhaust equipment, loudspeakers, televisions, or appliances.
In another embodiment a plurality of structural connectors may be used to at least partially vibrationally isolate a room from the rest of the building. In this embodiment, numerous structural connector may be used, one between each structural element connecting the room to the remainder of the building. For example, a structural connector may be used at each connection point between a wall assembly and a floor assembly or floor rim joist, wall and ceiling assembly or ceiling rim joist, and wall corner connections. In a further embodiment, structural connectors may be used to attach wall studs to top and/or bottom plates. In yet other embodiments, a structural connector or a plurality of connectors may isolate a floor from a subfloor and/or a ceiling from a subfloor above the ceiling.
The room as described in this embodiment may be isolated from any direct structural connections between its structural elements and the structural elements of the remainder of the building. In further embodiments, each room may additionally utilize the structural connectors to further vibrationally isolate each room.
In embodiments of construction wherein pre-fabricated walls and floors are formed, a plurality of structural connectors may be used to connect the pre-fabricated walls and floors to each other and structural elements to which they are attached, such as foundation walls, beams and/or columns.
In another embodiment of a method the connectors in use involves a wall bottom plate being attached to the soundproofing structural connector noted above that is mounted to floor joists and/or rim board (such as a floor assembly). Similarly, a wall top plate may be attached to another soundproofing structural connector. In another embodiment, a wall bottom plate may be attached to connectors mounted on a wall top plate. In similar embodiments, a concrete or engineered panel floor slab may be attached to structural connectors mounted on the top or face of a wall. The walls in turn may be connected to other ceiling or floor slabs by the structural connectors. In yet another embodiment, elevated floor assemblies may be attached to subfloors by the structural connectors. In still another embodiment, stair stringers may be attached to connectors mounted on top and bottom floor landings by the structural connectors. In yet still another embodiment, gypsum wall and ceiling panels may be attached to furring strips which are attached to the structural connectors mounted on wall and/or ceiling structures. These wall and/or ceiling structures may be part of a new construction, or may be existing.
Turning now to
While several variations of the present invention have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present invention, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.
