Patent Grant
6977109
The present invention generally relates to sound absorption and, more particularly, to microperforated polymeric films for sound absorption and sound absorbers using such films.
Sound absorbers have been widely used in a number of different disciplines for absorbing sound. The most common sound absorbers are fiber-based and use fibrous materials such as fiberglass, open-cell polymeric foams, fibrous spray-on materials often derived from polyurethanes, and acoustic tile (an agglomerate of fibrous and/or particulate materials). Such fibrous-based sound absorbers rely on frictional dissipation of sound energy in interstitial spaces and can advantageously provide relatively broad-band sound absorption. Despite their advantages in broad-band absorption, fiber-based sound absorbers have significant inherent disadvantages. Such sound absorbers can readily release particulate matter and deleteriously degrade the air quality of the surrounding environment. Some fiber-based sound absorbers are also sensitive to heat or fire and/or require expensive treatment to provide heat/fire resistance. Consequently, fiber-based sound absorbers are of limited use in many environments.
Perforated sheets have also been used in sound absorbers. Typically, these sheets include relatively thick perforated material, such as metal, having relatively large hole diameters (e.g., greater than 1 mm hole diameters). The perforated sheets are commonly used in two manners. They are often used alone with a reflective surface to provide narrow band sound absorption for relatively tonal sounds. They are also used as facings for fibrous materials to provide sound absorption over a wider spectrum. In the later case, the perforated sheets typically serve as protection, with the fibrous materials providing the sound absorption. Microperforated, sheet-based sound absorbers have also been suggested for sound absorption. Conventional micro perforated sheet-based sound absorbers use either relatively thick (e.g., greater than 2 mm) and stiff perforated sheets of metal or glass or thinner perforated sheets which are provided externally supported or stiffened with reinforcing strips to eliminate vibration of the sheet when subject to incident sound waves.
Fuchs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,527, for example, teaches a sound absorber using relatively thick and stiff perforated sheets of 2–20 millimeter glass or synthetic glass. Fuchs suggests using thinner sheets (e.g., 0.2 mm thick) of relatively stiff synthetic glass provided the sheets are reinforced with thickening or glued on strips in such a manner that incident sound cannot exite the sheets to vibrate. In this case the thin, reinforced sheet is positioned 24 inches from an underlying reflective surface. Mnich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,386, teaches a method of repairing sound attenuation structures for aircraft engines. The sound attenuation structures commonly include an aluminum honeycomb core having an imperforate backing sheet on one side, a perforated sheet of aluminum (with aperture diameters of about 0.039 to 0.09 inches) adhered to the other side, and a porous wire cloth adhesively bonded to the perforated aluminum sheet. According to Mnich, the sound attenuation structure may be repaired by removing a damaged portion of the wire cloth and adhesively bonding a microperforated plastic sheet to the underlying perforated aluminum sheet. In this manner, the microperforated plastic sheet is externally supported by the perforated aluminum sheet to form a composite, laminated structure which provides similar sound absorption as the original wire cloth/perforated sheet laminated structure.
While these perforated sheet-based sound absorbers may overcome some of the inherent disadvantages of fiber-based sound absorbers, they are expensive and/or of limited use in many applications. For instance, the use of very thick and/or very stiff materials or use of thickening strips or external support for the perforated sheets limits the use of sound absorbers using such sheets. The necessary thickness/stiffness or strips/external support also makes the perforated sheets expensive to manufacture. Finally, the perforated sheets must be provided with expensive narrow diameter perforations or else used in limited situations involving tonal sound. For example, to achieve broad-band sound absorption, conventional perforated sheets must be provided with perforations having high aspect ratios (hole depth to hole diameter ratios). However, the punching, stamping or laser drilling techniques used to form such small hole diameters are very expensive. Accordingly, the sound absorption industry still seeks sound absorbers which are inexpensive and capable of wide use. The present invention solves these as well as other needs.
The present invention generally provides relatively thin and flexible microperforated polymeric film for sound absorption and sound absorbers employing such film. A sound absorber, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, includes a surface and a microperforated film having a bending stiffness of 107 dyne-cm or less disposed near the surface such that the film and the surface define a cavity therebetween. The microperforated film includes a plurality of microperforations and a free span portion spanning at least part of the cavity. In some embodiments, the free span portion is capable of vibrating in response to incident sound waves at a particular frequency in the audible frequency spectrum, while the sound absorber absorbs sound.
A microperforated polymeric film for use in a sound absorber, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, includes a polymeric film having a thickness and a plurality of microperforations defined in the polymeric film. The microperforations each have a narrowest diameter less than the film thickness and a widest diameter greater than the narrowest diameter. The narrowest diameter may, for example, range from 10 to 20 mils or less. This microperforated polymeric film may also be relatively thin and flexible.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The Figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
α(f)=1−Aref(f)/Ainc(f) [1]
where Ainc(f) is the incident amplitude of sound waves at frequency f, and Aref(f) is the reflected amplitude of sound waves at frequency f. The sound absorption spectrum 200 generally includes a peak absorption coefficient (αp) at frequency Fp in a primary peak 202, a secondary peak 204, and a nodal frequency Fn between the primary and secondary peaks 202 and 204 at which the absorption coefficient α reaches a relative minimum. The quality or performance of the sound absorption spectrum may be characterized using the frequency range f1 to f2 over which the absorption coefficient α meets or exceeds 0.4 and the frequency range f2 to f3 between the primary peak 202 and secondary peak 204 over which the absorption coefficient α falls below 0.4. Typically, it is desired to maximize the primary peak breadth ratio f2/f1 (Rp) and minimize the primary node breadth ratio f3/f2 (Rn).
As can be seen from
The microperforated polymeric film 410 may be disposed near the reflecting surface 420 in a number of different manners. For example, the film 410 may be attached to a structure which includes the reflecting surface 420. In this case, the film 410 may be attached on its edges and/or its interior. The film 410 may also be hung, similar to a drape, from a structure near the reflecting surface 420. Advantageously, the structure may allow the microperforated film 410 to span relatively large areas without external support. While, in some instances, the free spanning portion(s) (i.e., the dimension of the film over which the film is not in contact with an external structure) of the film vibrates in response to incident sound waves, it has been found that the vibration, if any, may fail to significantly impact sound absorption. By way of example and not of limitation, suitable free span portions may range from about 100 mils (2.5 mm) on up, with the upper limit being delineated solely by the surrounding environment. Moreover, while the illustrated reflecting surface 420 is flat, the invention is not so limited. The contour of the reflecting surface 420 can vary depending on the application.
As noted above, a number of factors affect the sound absorption characteristics of a sound absorber. This embodiment primarily concerns the characteristics of the microperforated film 410 including the shape of the holes as well as physical properties of the film. Other factors such as hole spacing, cavity depth and reflective surface 420 characteristics may be optimized for the particular application. For example, the cavity depth and/or reflecting surface 420 may be adjusted to optimize the sound absorption spectrum for any particular type of microperforated polymeric film. For the frequency range most commonly of interest in sound absorption (roughly 100–10000 Hz), an average cavity depth of between 0.25 inches and 6 inches may be chosen. Variable cavity depths may be used in order to broaden the sound absorption spectrum. Also, in some instances, particularly involving non-normal sound incidence, it may be useful to partition the backing cavity. Hole spacing can also be varied to optimize the sound absorption spectrum for a given microperforated polymeric film. For many applications, hole spacing will typically range from about 100 to 4,000 holes/square inch. The particular hole pattern may be selected as desired. For example, a square array may be used; alternatively, a staggered array (for example, a hexagonal array) may be used, in order to provide for improved tear strength of the microperforated film. The hole size and/or spacing may also vary over the film if desired.
With regard to the holes 412, the holes 412 typically have a narrowest diameter less than the film thickness and typically less than 20 mils. The hole shape and cross-section can vary. The cross-section of the hole 600 may be circular, square, hexagonal and so forth, for example. For non-circular holes, the term diameter is used herein to refer to the diameter of a circle having the equivalent area as the non-circular cross-section. The holes 412 may have relatively constant cross-sections over their lengths similar to conventional techniques. In accordance with one embodiment, the holes 412 have a varying diameter ranging from a narrowest diameter less than a film thickness to a widest diameter. While by no means exhaustive, illustrative hole shapes are shown in
The exemplary hole 600 typically includes generally tapered edges 606 which, near the narrowest diameter 602, form a lip 608. The lip 608, as will be discussed below, can result from the manufacturing process (e.g., during displacement of a thin skin). The lip 608, while typically somewhat ragged, typically has a length l of 4 mils or less and more often about 1 mil over which the average diameter is about equal to the narrowest diameter 602. The dimensions of the narrowest diameter 602 and widest diameter 604 of the hole 600 can vary, which in turn, affect the slope of the tapered edges 606. As noted above, the narrowest diameter 602 is typically less than the film thickness and may, for example, be about 50% or less or even 35% or less of the film thickness tf. In absolute terms, the narrowest diameter may, for example, be 20 mils or less, 10 mils or less, 6 mils or less and even 4 mils or less, as desired. The widest diameter 604 may be less than, greater than, or equal to the film thickness tf. In certain embodiments, the widest diameter ranges from about 125% to 300% of the narrowest diameter 602.
The exemplary hole 600 provides significant advantages over conventional perforations both as a result of the high aspect ratio and other features of its shape. Illustrating the advantages,
The providing of high film thickness relative to effective hole length provides tremendous advantages. For instance, the acoustic performance of a short hole length can be combined with the strength and durability of a thick film if desired. This provides several practical advantages. For example, for a straight-wall hole having a length of 10 mils and a diameter of 4 mil, an optimum hole spacing (e.g., α>0.4 and high αp) is about 20 mils. This corresponds to a hole density of around 2500 holes per square inch and to a percentage open area based on narrowest hole diameter of around 3%. Using a tapered hole having a narrowest diameter of 4 mil and a lip of 1 mil, an “optimum” sound absorption spectrum essentially equivalent to the above can be obtained with a hole spacing of 35 mils. This corresponds to a hole density of around 800 holes per square inch and a percentage open area of around 1%. For a given sound absorption performance, the much lower hole density allowed by the use of tapered holes may provide for much more cost-effective manufacturing. Also, the reduced open area may allow the microperforated film to be more effectively used as a barrier to liquid water, water vapor, oil, dust and debris, and so forth.
The physical characteristics of the microperforated polymeric film 410, such as the film thickness, surface density, and bending stiffness can also vary depending on the application for which the sound absorber is designed. In particular, the physical characteristics of the film may, in some cases, allow the film to vibrate in response to incident sound or, on the other hand, may be selected to reduce vibration or alter the frequency of film vibration without the expense of adding thickening strips or glued-on strips to the polymeric film. For example, as will be discussed below, additives may be included in the polymer to vary desired physical characteristics of the film 410 to reduce film vibration or shift the resonant frequency of the film 410 to a frequency out of the range of interest. The use of additives can, for example, modify the film vibration characteristics while still providing a microperforated polymeric film with a substantially uniform thickness (e.g., no discrete strips of material).
The microperforated polymeric film 410 may further be formed from extremely flexible film (e.g., having a bending stiffness on the order of 105 dyne-cm or less) and still provide adequate sound absorption without requiring substantial external support or thickening strips. Depending on the application, a film of lower bending stiffness may even perform better than a stiffer film.
While film vibration, even at the fundamental resonant frequency, may not substantially impact sound absorption, in some instances it may be desirable to reduce the amplitude of film vibration at a given frequency, shift the fundamental resonant frequency of the film, or arrange the film in such a configuration that resonant motion of the film is unlikely to occur in the frequency range of interest. The invention provides for varying the physical characteristics of polymeric film to achieve such modifications without using stiffening strips as suggested in the art. Vibration of microperforated polymeric film is complex and depends on a number of different factors, including the air pathway provided by the microperforations as well as film bending stiffness, film mass or surface density, film loss factor (i.e., ratio of film loss modulus to elastic modulus), and boundary conditions, such as how the film is supported. A solid material such as a film or panel may exhibit different responses to incident sound, as a function of material properties and frequency, as shown in
Taking into account the various modes of behavior, the properties of a microperforated film may be selectively varied so as to modify the impact of film vibration on the sound absorption spectrum of the film. For example, the bending stiffness of the film may play a primary role if the film is arranged in such a manner as to operate in the stiffness controlled regime. Ignoring the small holes, bending stiffness (BS) of a film follows the relationship:
BS=Fm/(12t3) [2]
where Fm is the film flexural modulus and t is the thickness. Varying the modulus and/or the film thickness can vary the bending stiffness and shift the resonant frequency. Lowering the bending stiffness by reducing the thickness of the film shifts the resonant frequency of the film lower. A comparison of
While varying the film bending stiffness can shift the frequency of the notch in the sound absorption spectrum (as shown above), it may also affect the magnitude of the notch. For example, the notch 1020 in
In view of the above discussion the bending stiffness may be manipulated so as to shift the frequency of, or alter the magnitude of, the films fundamental resonance frequency. In fact, the bending stiffness may be selected so that the film's fundamental resonance occurs at such a low frequency that the film operates in a mass-controlled manner in the audible range. Finally, the bending stiffness may be selected such that the film's critical frequency is far above the audible range. It is further noted that film of very low bending stiffness (e.g., <105 dyne-cm) provide good performance in contrast to the teaching in the art. In further contrast with the art, limp and flexible films of very low bending stiffness may be superior to those of higher bending stiffness. For example, films of the present invention are unlikely to exhibit a critical-frequency vibration in the audible range, in contrast to the thick and stiff films of the art, which may be susceptible to vibration via this mechanism.
The mass of a solid material, most commonly represented by its surface density (mass per unit area), may also play a role in the response of the material to incident sound. The useful role of surface density can be easily seen by comparing
Further details of the role of film mass will be discussed with reference to
As further shown in
In light of the above discussion, it can be seen that the surface density is a highly useful parameter in optimizing the performance of a microperforated film. For example, surface density may be manipulated so as to shift the fundamental resonance frequency of a film as desired. Alternatively, if conditions are such that the film is used in a mass controlled regime, the surface density may be manipulated so as to decrease the likelihood of film motion in response to incident sound.
The damping ability or internal friction of a film also contributes to the tendency of a film to vibrate in response to incident sound waves. The film mechanical loss factor provides a measurement of the internal friction of a film and is defined as the ratio of film loss modulus to film elastic modulus. A high loss factor may have several effects, including reduction of vibration amplitude at resonance, and more rapid decay of free vibrations, which are highly advantageous in the present application. Films with a high loss factor (e.g., ≧0.1) are self-damping in nature and, if excited by incident sound, dissipate film motion as heat. The film of the sound absorber may be selected to provide an adequately high loss factor at the temperature of use. For many applications, a polymeric film which has at least one phase with a glass transition temperature (Tg) less than or equal to 70° C. or which is formed into a microheterogeneous film structure would be suitable. This may be done by appropriately selecting materials, such as copolymers or blends. Also, as with film bending stiffness and film surface density, additives may be included in the film to enhance the loss factor of the film.
Bending stiffness, surface density, and film loss factor may be controlled without varying film thickness. This is highly advantageous in applications where film thickness is subject to design constraints. These film characteristics may be controlled through selection of the polymeric material and/or through the use of additives. In some cases, these characteristics may be modified independently. This allows even finer optimization of the characteristics of the film. In most instances, an additive will effect each characteristic though to different degrees. In these instances, the additives are controlled to avoid unacceptable stiffness or mass-controlled resonances in the frequency range of interest. For example, it may be advantageous to increase both the surface density and the bending stiffness of the polymeric film where the film is used in an intermediate frequency range in which both the film mass and film stiffness contribute to the film vibration.
With regard to surface density, the specific gravity of the microperforated polymeric film, in particular, provides a highly controllable parameter to modify the surface density and frequency performance of a microperforated polymeric film without varying the thickness. Polymers with a high specific gravity, include polyurethanes and PVC, for example, while polymers such as polyethylene typically have lower specific gravities. Specific gravity may be varied by selective incorporation of additives, such as barium carbonate, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate lead, quartz, and/or clay, for example, into the film during processing. With regard to bending stiffness, the modulus of the polymeric film, provides a highly controllable parameter to modify the bending stiffness and frequency performance of the microperforated polymeric film without varying film thickness. Suitable techniques for varying the modulus of the film include incorporating additives such as carbon black, fumed silica, glass fibers, and various mineral fillers, as well as other substances into the film during the processing. With regard to film loss factor, film materials may be chosen with intrinsically high loss factors (e.g., materials with a glass transition temperature near the use temperature). Alternatively, additives may be incorporated into the film material so as to provide an elevated loss factor at the temperature of expected use. Such additives may include those which advantageously provide a microheterogeneous structure, particularly in which one or more phases possesses an intrinsically elevated loss factor. Of particular advantage is the use of additives commonly known as plasticizers, which can be used to alter the glass transition temperature of a given polymeric material so as to provide an elevated loss factor at the temperature of use.
The free span of the microperforated polymeric film can also be selected in consideration of the desired sound absorption spectrum in addition to any physical constraints. For example, the free span of a film may be increased or decreased to shift the film's fundamental resonant frequency out of a range of interest or to move the film between the mass-controlled regime and the stiffness-controlled resonance regime.
In summary, the invention provides a number of variables which may be manipulated so as to provide an effectively functioning sound absorber, with minimum degradation of performance due to film motion. These include film properties such as thickness, bending stiffness, surface density, and loss modulus, as well as boundary conditions such as the free span. It is noted that the relationships between these variables may be complex and interrelated. For example, changing the film thickness may change the bending stiffness as well as the surface density. Which of these variables has the most effect may depend on yet another variable, for example the free span of the system. Accordingly, these variables should be selected taking into account the application and other constraints (for example cost, weight, resistance to environmental conditions, and so on) to arrive at an optimum design.
While microperforated films may be formed from many types of polymeric films, including for example, thermoset polymers such as polymers which are cross-linked or vulcanized, a particularly advantageous method of manufacturing a microperforated film utilizes plastic materials. Turning now to
The type of plastic material and additives may also be selected in consideration of the desired uniformity of hole diameter. For example, polyolefins, such as polypropylene, often exhibit extremely regular and uniform holes when made into microperforated film using the techniques described herein. In contrast, some PVC plastic films may exhibit quite irregular holes with ragged edges. Plastic films with relatively large particulate additives may also exhibit irregularly shaped holes with ragged edges. It is noted that the sound absorption characteristics of irregular or regular holes of equivalent average diameter typically behave similarly. Indeed, in some instances, holes with irregular wall surfaces may even be preferred. Moreover, good sound absorption characteristics can be provided with films having additives such as glass fiber, with large particle size. The particle size of the additives may even exceed the dimensions of the hole diameter while still allowing controllable hole formation and without significantly detracting from the film's ability to absorb sound. In some instances, however, it may be advantageous to provide clean and uniform holes. For instance, in environments where air quality is a particular concern, relatively uniform and clean holes would advantageously generate less debris and particulate and thereby provide a cleaner environment.
Block 1604 represents contacting embossable plastic material with a tool having posts which are shaped and arranged to form holes in the plastic material which provide the desired sound absorption properties when used in a sound absorber. Embossable plastic material may be contacted with the tool using a number of different techniques such as, for example, embossing, including extrusion embossing, or compression molding. Embossable plastic material may be in the form of a molten extrudate which is brought in contact with the tooling, or in the form of a pre-formed film which is then heated then placed into contact with the tooling. Typically, the plastic material is first brought to an embossable state by heating the plastic material above its softening point, melting point or polymeric glass transition temperature. The embossable plastic material is then brought in contact with the post tool to which the embossable plastic generally conforms. The post tool generally includes a base surface from which the posts extend. The shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the posts are suitably selected in consideration of the desired properties of the holes to be formed in the material. For example, the posts may have a height corresponding to the desired film thickness and have edges which taper from a widest diameter to a narrowest diameter which is less than the height of the post in order to provide tapered holes, such as the hole shown in
Block 1606 represents solidifying the plastic material to form a solidified plastic film having holes corresponding to the posts. The plastic material typically solidifies while in contact with the post tool. After solidifying, the solidified plastic film is then removed from the post tool as indicated at block 1608. In some instances, the solidified plastic film may be suitable for use in a sound absorber without further processing. In many instances, however, the solidified plastic film includes thin skins covering or partially obstructing one or more holes. In these cases, as indicated at block 1610, the solidified plastic film typically undergoes treatment to displace any skins covering or partially covering the holes.
Skin displacement may be performed using a number of different techniques including, for example, forced air treatment, hot air treatment, flame treatment, corona treatment, or plasma treatment. Such treatments serve to displace and remove the skins without affecting the bulk portion of the film due to the relatively high mass of the bulk portion of the film as compared to the thin skin. Depending on the type of displacement treatment, the skin may, for example, be radially displaced to form an outward lip or blown out of the hole as debris. In the latter case, cleaning methods can be effectively used to remove any small amount of residue occurring from displacing the skin.
When using thermal displacement treatment, such as a flame treatment, to displace the skins, the thermal energy is typically applied from the side of the film bearing the skin while a metal surface (e.g., a roll) acting as a heat sink, may be provided against the opposite surface, to draw heat from the bulk portions so that the bulk portions of the film do not deform during the thermal displacement treatment. During the thermal energy treatment, the film may also be maintained under tension during and/or after the thermal energy treatment to assist in opening the holes. This may be done, for example, by applying positive pressure or vacuum to one side of the film.
The microperforated polymeric films and processing techniques discussed above provide a number of advantages. As compared to conventional fibrous materials and perforated sheet materials, the above microperforated polymeric films are relatively inexpensive to form and are capable of wider use. The use of post molding provides a relatively inexpensive method of forming high aspect ratio holes. The use of post molding also provides significant quality advantages over other methods of generating perforations in films. For example, post molding generates significantly less debris or particulate matter than, for example, mechanical punching, drilling or boring techniques. The above process also allows for continuous processing and can provide significant cost savings over conventional processing methods.
The above microperforated polymeric films are also suitable for use in a wider range of environments, including those with highly sensitive air quality and high tendencies for heat or fire. For example, a wide variety of additives may be incorporated into a microperforated polymeric film to provide desirable characteristics, such as flame retardancy, heat resistance, UV resistance, etc. The microperforated polymeric films can further provide effective sound absorption, including broad-band sound absorption, without requiring expensive hole formation processing. The relatively flexible nature of the film also increases its opportunity for use. For example, relatively flexible film allows for easy attachment and/or detachment of the film to other structures. The film may even be used removably to allow access to the cavity and/or the reflecting surface defining the cavity. The film may also be transparent thereby allowing a visible inspection of the cavity or reflecting surface.
A few of the many applications for sound absorbers using microperforated polymeric film will now be discussed. It should be appreciated however that the invention is not limited to the small number of examples provided in the discussion which follows. Sound absorbers using microperforated polymeric film may be manufactured in a single unit, such as a panel which includes the microperforated polymeric film, a reflecting surface, and a spacing structure which provides a desired spacing between the film and the reflecting surface. Alternatively, a similar sound absorber panel may be formed without the reflecting surface. In this case, the microperforated polymeric film-based sound absorber panel may be disposed near an existing reflecting surface. The spacing structure may simply include walls which contact edges and/or interior portions of the microperforated film. In other embodiments, microperforated film-based sound absorbers may be formed using existing surfaces and spacing structures. For instance, a microperforated polymeric film may be attached, e.g. by an adhesive, to the underside (e.g., edges) of a car hood using part of the surface of the car hood (e.g., the edges) for support and part of the hood surface (e.g., an interior portion) as a reflecting surface. In further embodiments, multiple layers of microperforated polymeric film may be spaced apart near a reflecting surface to absorb sound.
One particular advantageous use of a microperforated polymeric film is in combination with a fibrous material.
The fibrous material 1808 generally slows the speed of sound in the cavity 1806, thereby enlarging the effective depth of the cavity and shifting the sound absorption spectrum toward lower frequencies. In addition to improving low frequency performance, the fibrous material 1808 can also increase the sound absorption around the primary node of the microperforated polymeric film 1902. The use of a fibrous material 1806 in the cavity 1808 can also serve to minimize film vibration. For example, in
The unperforated barrier film 2008 is typically placed on the outer surface of the microperforated polymeric film 2002 opposite the reflecting surface 2004. While this placement provides better sound absorption, the barrier film 2008 may be placed on the inner surface of the microperforated polymeric film 2002 if desired.
The method of mounting the barrier film 2008 near the microperforated film 2002 can vary, provided the barrier film 2008 is allowed to vibrate. For example, the two films 2002 and 2008 may be mounted together by using a double-faced laminating adhesive 2010 between the two films 2002 and 2008, typically along the edges of the two films 2002 and 2008. Alternatively, for example, the barrier film 2008 may adhered to the microperforated polymeric film 2002 from above. In either case, relatively similar sound absorption spectrums are obtained. The materials for the two films 2002 and 2008 are typically selected taking into account the interaction between the two films 2002 and 2008. In particular, the material types are selected to minimize interaction, such as bonding or sticking, between the two films 2002 and 2008 which would determinally impact barrier film vibration. For example PVDC/PVC and PVDC/polyurethane combinations are typically avoided. It should be appreciated that while some degree of contact between the films may not adversely affect the sound absorption performance, intimate contact between the films, in the form of sticking or wetting out, particularly over large portions of the film surface, may decrease the ability of the barrier film 1908 to vibrate and transmit sound therethrough. Accordingly, this will result in increased sound reflection which may reduce the sound absorption of the sound absorber.
The tendency of the two films 2002 and 2008 to stick or bond also depends on the characteristics of the film surfaces. Typically, rougher surfaces tend to decrease the bonding or stickiness between the two films. Accordingly, the barrier film 2008 is typically placed against the side of the microperforated film 2002 having the widest diameter which is typically rougher than the side of the film 2002 with the narrowest diameter.
As noted above, the present invention is applicable to a number of different microperforated polymeric films and sound absorbers using such films. Accordingly, the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification. The claims are intended to cover such modifications, processes and structures.
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 09/122,240 filed on Jul. 24, 1998.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09122240 | Jul 1998 | US |
| Child | 09537243 | US |
