TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject matter described herein relates, in general, to a sound device that mitigates noise from airflow, and, more particularly, to a sound device that mitigates noise near airflow openings through acoustic resonance while exhibiting a compact form.
BACKGROUND
Airflow traveling through different systems in a building, vehicle, and so on generates noise. For example, airflow moving through a duct of a system controlling vehicle climate causes excessive noise that bothers occupants. Systems may utilize foam along the body of a duct to reduce the excessive noise through absorption. However, foam reduces noise at certain frequencies and filters rather than mitigates noise through targeting frequencies caused from the airflow.
In various implementations, systems utilize lengthy devices along a duct and away from endpoints to damp sound. However, the devices are installed inside the duct to effectively reduce excessive noise. As such, the system impedes and obstructs airflow, thereby compromising duct functionality and efficiency. Furthermore, systems using multiple devices that are purpose-built to reduce noise from a duct have complex geometries that increase bulkiness. Therefore, systems that reduce noise from airflow through filtering and purpose-built devices can be sizable and reduce system performance.
SUMMARY
In one embodiment, example systems and methods relate to a sound device that mitigates sound near airflow openings through acoustic resonance while exhibiting a compact form. In various implementations, systems that reduce noise from airflow in vehicles and buildings have complex forms and attenuate limited frequencies. Furthermore, the systems may involve installing multiple devices along an airflow path (e.g., ductwork) that increases manufacturing costs and system efficiency by creating aerodynamic obstructions. Therefore, in one embodiment, a sound device couples to an opening (e.g., exit point) of a duct endpoint found in vehicles and homes and mitigates noise using a cavity that forms an acoustic resonator. In one approach, the sound device has a body that compactly surrounds a circumference of the opening and the acoustic resonator mitigates noise at target frequencies by reflecting sound waves. In this way, the sound device uses minimal space and prevents airflow obstruction by being located at the opening. Furthermore, the sound device being located at the endpoint of the duct mitigates noise at a primary source. In this way, the sound device avoids the installation of additional sound devices that increase system and manufacturing complexity. Accordingly, the sound device effectively mitigates noise in a compact form while avoiding aerodynamic disruptions and costs from configurations having multiple mitigation devices.
In one embodiment, a sound device that mitigates sound near airflow openings through acoustic resonance while exhibiting a compact form is disclosed. The sound device includes a body coupled to an opening of a duct having noise from airflow, the body surrounding a circumference of the opening and the body is located at an endpoint of the duct. The sound device also includes the body having a cavity with a first partition and the cavity is divided by the first partition, and the cavity forming an acoustic resonator at target frequencies that mitigates the noise by reflecting sound waves.
In one embodiment, a sound device that mitigates sound near airflow openings through acoustic resonance is disclosed. The sound device includes a body coupled to an opening of a duct having noise from airflow, the body surrounding a circumference of the opening and the body is located at an endpoint of the duct. The sound device also includes the body having a cavity with a damping material for the noise surrounding a first partition and the cavity is divided by the first partition, and the cavity mitigates the noise at target frequencies by reflecting sound waves that travel through a path within the cavity lengthened by the first partition.
In one embodiment, an acoustic resonator that mitigates sound near airflow openings through acoustic resonance while exhibiting a compact form is disclosed. The acoustic resonator includes a circular body connected to a square opening of a duct having noise from airflow, the circular body surrounding a circumference of the square opening and the circular body is located at an endpoint of the duct. The acoustic resonator also includes the circular body having a cavity with a damping material for the noise surrounding a first partition that is circular and the cavity is divided by the first partition, and the cavity mitigates the noise at target frequencies by reflecting sound waves that travel through a path within the cavity lengthened by the first partition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various systems, methods, and other embodiments of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one embodiment of the boundaries. In some embodiments, one element may be designed as multiple elements or multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some embodiments, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate one embodiment of a sound device installed at a duct endpoint and mitigating noise from airflow.
FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate embodiments of the sound device having damping material and partitions within a cavity.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate embodiments of the sound device having different shapes and adapting to different openings for duct endpoints.
FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment having multiple sound devices at the endpoint of a duct that mitigates noise from airflow.
FIG. 4B illustrates an example of mitigation performance by the sound device.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the sound device having the vent extruding from an opening to improve noise mitigation.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the sound device being installed in a vehicle to mitigate noise from airflow.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with improving a sound device that mitigates sound near airflow openings through acoustic resonance while exhibiting a compact form are disclosed herein. In various implementations, systems that mitigate noise from airflow have form factors that are sizable and filter noise with sound absorbers that are effective at limited frequencies. As such, systems use multiple devices along a pathway of airflow for effective mitigation, thereby reducing airflow and increasing system costs. Therefore, in one embodiment, a sound device efficiently mitigates noise from airflow with a body surrounding an opening of a duct endpoint while having a slim design saving space. In particular, the body has a cavity forming an acoustic resonator at target frequencies that mitigates the noise by reflecting sound waves for a predetermined distance associated with cavity dimensions. The sound device mitigates noise at the endpoint without other sound devices along or within the path of the duct. In one approach, the cavity has a partition with damping material wrapped around the partition. Here, the cavity mitigates the noise at target frequencies by reflecting the sound waves through a path lengthened by the partition within the cavity. Accordingly, the sound device achieves noise control and mitigation without intricate and bulky configurations involving multiple devices, thereby reducing system costs and complexities.
In the following examples, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, the discussion outlines numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. Those of skill in the art, however, will understand that the embodiments described herein may be practiced using various combinations of these elements.
Turning now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, one embodiment of a sound device 100 installed at a duct endpoint and mitigating noise from airflow are illustrated. Here, the duct 102 is a square and the sound device has a circular form coupled to an endpoint where the airflow exits and primarily generates excessive noise. In one approach, the sound device 100 and duct 102 are formed and manufactured as a single body, where the sound device 100 is substantially flat and compact. Regarding materials, the sound device 100 may be composed of a synthetic polymer, plastic, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate, metallic, semi-metallic, rubber, and so on. In addition to the duct 102, the sound device 100 may mitigate noise from airflow flowing through a vent, path, pipe, exhaust way, and so on in the examples given herein. The sound device 100 mitigates noise propagation originating from the other end of the duct 102 with the cavity 104 that is internal. In FIG. 1A, the sound device 100 and cavity 104 are circular and the sound device 100 has a rectangular opening that corresponds with the dimensions of the duct 102.
Regarding details of noise mitigation, the cavity 104 forms an acoustic resonator that mitigates and eliminates noise by reflecting waves back to a noise source. The sound device 100 can be manufactured as slim, narrow, flat, and so on since a cavity volume for suppressing target frequencies of noise from human hearing demands a minimal size. Accordingly, the sound device 100 exhibits a compact size while effectively mitigating noise from airflow.
FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate embodiments of the sound device 100 having the damping material 106 and a partition 108. In one approach, the cavity 104 is filled with the damping material 106, such as acoustic foam, melamine foam, polyurethane foam, and so on. Here, the damping material 106 may further attenuate noise within or beyond the target frequencies of the acoustic resonator through absorption, thereby improving system robustness. As further explained below, the damping material 106 also further reduces the transmission quotient of the noise caused by the airflow within the duct 102.
Moreover, FIG. 2C illustrates the cavity 104 divided by the partition 108 that increases mitigation levels and extends target frequencies. Here, the partition 108 mitigates noise by lengthening a path for sound waves within the cavity 104. For example, noise travels through the U-shaped path created by the partition 108 that is a self-supported structure within the cavity 104. As such, the sound device 100 increases the quantity of sound reflections through extended propagation within the cavity 104, thereby improving noise mitigation. In this way, the partition 108 may also reduce an amount of acoustic resonance needed for noise mitigation. Regarding FIG. 2D, the damping material 106 surrounding the partition 108 further mitigates noise by absorbing or deflecting sound waves. As explained below, the cavity 104 can be additionally partitioned for increasing and tuning noise mitigation to target frequencies.
Now turning to FIGS. 3A and 3B, embodiments of the sound devices 1001-1004 having different shapes and adapting to different openings for duct endpoints are illustrated. In FIG. 3A, the body of the sound device 100 may be a round, a rectangular, a square, an oval, and so on shape. Similar to prior embodiments, the sound devices 1001-1004 and a duct may be formed and manufactured as a single body or separately as a standalone component. Furthermore, the partition 108 can have a shape conforming with the body of the sound device 100. In other words, the partition 108 is circular when the sound device 100 is circular, rectangular when the sound device 100 is rectangular, and so on. The opening of the duct 102 may be a round, a rectangular, a square, an oval, and so on shape. In one approach, the openings have air guides such as louvers, grills, and so on at or below surface levels (e.g., a vehicle panel, drywall, a building wall, etc.) that creates additional noise. The sound device 100 mitigates the additional noise since disruption to airflow caused by the air guides can be within target frequencies that are tuned according to cavity 104 dimensions. For noise outside the target frequencies caused by a grill, the sound device 100 tunes to additional frequencies that mitigate noise with the partition 108 triggering supplemental resonance as previously explained.
In various implementations, FIG. 3B illustrates having multiple partitions of similar or differing dimensions within the cavity 104. Although the following examples describe two partitions, any number of partitions may be utilized by the sound device 100. The length of the partition can be configured to tune different frequencies for noise mitigation. For example, a second partition 1082 has a length different than a first partition 1081 that reduces the noise at a beginning part on a spectrum of the target frequencies. In contrast, the second partition 1082 reduces the noise at an end part of the target frequencies. In one approach, the first partition 1081 increases a range of the target frequencies and provides selective attenuation of the noise at the target frequencies. In one approach, the first partition 1081 increases noise mitigation at the ends of the target frequencies. Other parts of the cavity 104 may cover the middle portion of the target frequencies. Furthermore, multiple partitions may be concentric or nested. For example, a first partition is a rectangle nested in a second partition that is a rectangle when the body of the sound device 100 is rectangular. In another example, the first partition and the second partition are concentric circles having different sizes when the sound device 100 is circular. Although the examples describe rectangles and circles, any shape that partitions sound may be configured for the sound device 100. Accordingly, the sound device 100 can have partitions of different dimensions and shapes that mitigate noise from airflow at various target frequencies by tuning.
FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment having multiple sound devices at the endpoint of the duct 102 that mitigates noise from airflow. Here, a first sound device 100a is configured on one side of the barrier 410 (e.g., a vehicle panel, a building wall, etc.) and a second sound device 100b is on another side of the barrier 410 for the duct 102. The first sound device 100a and the second sound device 100b are outside of airflow paths within the duct 102, thereby avoiding airflow restrictions. In one approach, the second sound device 100b increases acoustic resonance within the cavity 104 by being offset from the duct endpoint. Additionally, the sound devices 100a and 100b being located at the endpoint of the duct 102 mitigates noise at a primary source.
Similar to prior embodiments, the first sound device 100a, the second sound device 100b, and the duct 102 may be formed and manufactured as a single body or separately as a standalone component. Furthermore, the first and second sound devices have a cavity 104 with a height h and a width w. The transmission spectra T associated with the duct 102 may vary according to the height h and the width w. In one approach, a greater height h increases noise mitigation, particularly at audible frequencies below 1500 Hz. Increasing the width w may increase noise mitigation above 1500 Hz. Accordingly, the sound device 100 can be purpose-built to mitigate noise at different target frequencies by varying the height h and the width w and the duct 102 can utilize multiple devices at an endpoint.
FIG. 4B illustrates an example of mitigation performance by the first sound device 100a where R represents reflection, T represents transmission spectra, and A represents absorption. For example, the transmission spectrum T exhibits values below 20% when the cavity 104 has a radius w of 100 millimeters (mm), a height of 20 mm, and includes acoustic foam as the damping material 106. In FIG. 4B, the mitigation of sound is for the first sound device 100a placed at the endpoint of the duct 102 that increases noise mitigation. The target frequencies of 500 Hz-1500 Hz is low-frequency sound for human hearing. In one approach, the first sound device 100a has a different height h and width w for frequencies up to 20 kHz, representing high-frequency sound for human hearing. Furthermore, different frequency bands can be mitigated when using the second sound device 100b on the another side of the barrier 410. For instance, the first sound device 100a mitigates noise for band f1, whereas the second sound device 100b mitigates noise for band f2. Therefore, the sound devices 100a and 100b mitigate noise from airflow at the endpoint of the duct 102 compactly without obstructing airflow and robustly through tuning into target frequencies.
Now turning to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the sound device 100 with the vent having an extruding part 510 from an opening to improve noise mitigation is illustrated. Here, the extruding part 510 extends out a depth a from the surface 520 of the sound device 100. In one approach, the extruding part 510 has a same size as the opening. In FIG. 5A, the extruding part 510 decreases a transmission quotient for certain target frequencies of the noise according to a depth a than with configurations having the sound device 100 level at the end of the duct 102. In particular, the extruding part 510 may increase acoustic resonance within the cavity 104 by being offset from the duct endpoint. Similar to prior embodiments, the sound device 100 in FIG. 5A and the duct 102 may be formed and manufactured as a single body or separately as a standalone component. Furthermore, FIG. 5B shows a side-view of the extruding part 510 extending a depth relative to the barrier 530 (e.g., a vehicle panel, a building wall, etc.). In FIG. 5B, the sound device 100 may include the damping material 106 such as acoustic foam, melamine foam, polyurethane foam, and so on and further attenuate noise within or beyond the target frequencies of the acoustic resonator through absorption. Therefore, the extruding part 510 extends the range of target frequencies for mitigating noise from airflow through increasing acoustic resonance.
Now referring to FIG. 6, an example of the sound device 100 being installed in a vehicle 610 to mitigate noise from airflow is illustrated. Here, the sound device 100 encircles a grill of the duct 102 at an endpoint without other sound devices 100 within the duct 102, thereby reducing system complexity. Similar to prior embodiments, the sound device 100 in FIG. 6 also optimally mitigates noise by being located at a primary source of the noise. In addition to the duct 102, the sound device 100 may mitigate noise from airflow flowing through a vent, path, pipe, exhaust way, and so on associated with the vehicle 610. In one approach, the internal panel 620 is redesigned to fit the sound device 100. In another approach, the sound device 100 retrofits the grill of the duct 102 for aftermarket installations or as additional component that avoids a vehicle redesign. Accordingly, the sound device 100 effectively mitigates noise while having minimal size and avoiding installations with multiple devices, thereby improving system implementations and reducing manufacturing costs.
Detailed embodiments are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended as examples. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the aspects herein in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Furthermore, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of possible implementations. Various embodiments are shown in FIGS. 1-6 but the embodiments are not limited to the illustrated structure or application.
The terms “a” and “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The phrase “at least one of . . . and . . . ” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As an example, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” includes A, B, C, or any combination thereof (e.g., AB, AC, BC, or ABC).
Aspects herein can be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope hereof.
Patent Application
20250189168
