Patent Application
20130025964
The present invention relates to tongue and groove products, blends for tongue and groove products, and processes of fabricating tongue and groove products. More specifically, the present invention relates to sound reduction of such products and processes.
Tongue and groove products, such as tongue and groove flooring, are used in various facilities where quick assembly is desired and/or where lateral stability is desired. These products include features for engaging individual members that form an assembly of the products. The features can include male parts or tongues and/or female parts or grooves. Tongue and groove products engage each other along such features.
Known tongue and groove products suffer from a drawback that they can be noisy when walked upon. When tongue and groove floors are walked on, force is applied downward and/or in a lateral direction. Such forces distribute in numerous directions due to the mating features of the tongue and groove flooring. Such complex mating features result in these forces generating noises. Such noises are especially loud and frequent when installed at inconsistent temperatures and/or at temperatures of less than 60° F. Known products with waxes positioned on horizontal surfaces in regions that generate noises have failed to reduce such noises. To the contrary, known waxes have been positioned in regions that generate noises and/or have compositions that fail to reduce noises.
A tongue and groove member or assembly, a fabrication process, and a blend that do not suffer from one or more of the above drawbacks would be desirable in the art.
According to an embodiment, a sound-reducing tongue and groove member includes a treatment region within the member and a sound-reducing blend positioned at a location within the treatment region. The sound-reducing blend being positioned at the location provides sound mitigation.
According to another embodiment, a sound-reducing fabrication process includes applying a sound-reducing blend to a location within a treatment region within a member. The sound-reducing blend being positioned at the location provides sound mitigation.
According to another embodiment, a sound-reducing blend provides sound mitigation when applied to a location within a treatment region within a member.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to represent the same parts.
Provided is a sound-reducing tongue and groove member or assembly, a sound-reducing fabrication process, and a sound-reducing blend. Embodiments of the present disclosure reduce or eliminate noises generated from walking on a walking surface, include a desirable hardness, include desirable lubricity, include a desired lack of tackiness, include desirable wear resistance, include desirable resistance to flaking, and combinations thereof.
Referring to
The member 100 further includes a sound-reducing blend 108 positioned on one or more locations 107 within the treatment region 102. The positioning of the sound-reducing blend 108 provides sound mitigation, which may reduce or eliminate noise generated from walking on the outer surface 104, which may reduce or eliminate noise generated from expansion and contraction of the member 100, which may reduce or eliminate noise generated from other forces applied to the member 100, or combinations thereof.
In one embodiment, the sound mitigation reduces or eliminates noise even when the member 100 is installed at inconsistent temperatures and/or at a predetermined temperature or temperature range, for example, at about 70° F., at about 60° F., at about 50° F., between about 50° F. and about 70° F., between about 50° F. and about 60° F., between about 60° F. and about 70° F., less than about 70° F., less than about 60° F., less than about 50° F., less than about 40° F., less than about 35° F., or any combination or sub-combination thereof. In a further embodiment, the sound mitigation reduces or eliminates noise even when the member 100 is used in conditions at a higher temperature, for example, at about 60° F., at about 70° F., at about 80° F., at about 90° F., at about 100° F., between about 60° F. and about 100° F., between about 70° F. and about 90° F., between about 70° F. and about 80° F., greater than about 60° F., greater than about 70° F., greater than about 80° F., or any combination or sub-combination thereof.
The member 100 is any suitable material, including, but not limited to, wood, wood composite, vinyl, polymeric material, stone, ceramics, metal, or a combination thereof. Suitable woods include, but are not limited to, birch, poplar, oak, pine, maple, hardwoods, softwoods, treated wood species, untreated wood species, and combinations thereof. Suitable wood composites include, but are not limited to, medium density fiberboard, high density fiberboard, low density fiberboard, filled polymer composites, wood plastic composites, veneers over different woods or over non-wood or partially wood materials, and recycled or blended materials having cellulosic components. Suitable vinyl compositions include, but are not limited to, polyvinylchloride, luxury vinyl tile, vinyl compositions of vinyl composition tile, and vinyl compositions of vinyl asbestos tile. Suitable polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, poly plastic asphalt tile. Suitable stone materials include, but are not limited to, granite, marble, concrete, and cement. Suitable ceramic materials include, but are not limited to, fired-ceramics. Suitable metal materials include, but are not limited to, steel, aluminum, iron, copper, alloys, and superalloys.
The member 100 is any suitable product or portion of a product that is subject to the generation of noise through forces being applied to the outer surface 104 and/or through expansion and contraction of the member 100. In one embodiment, the product is a wood flooring assembly including a plurality of the members 100 engaged to each other. In general, suitable tongue and groove products include, but are not limited to, flooring, sub-flooring, structural floors, exposed floors, cabinets, drawers, ceilings, walls, cubicles, walkways, pavers, roads, bridges, decks, patios, homes, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, boats, airplanes, automobiles, trims, molding, transitions trips, and trucks and truck trailers. The member 100 is capable of being positioned within the product, outside or on the exterior of the product, and/or under other products and/or surfaces. The member 100 has a predetermined thickness or thickness range, for example, between about 0.25 inches and about 1 inch, between about 0.30 inches and about 0.65 inches, between about 0.30 inches and about 0.50 inches, between about 0.35 inches and about 0.40 inches, above about 0.1 inches, between about 0.1 inches and about 0.2 inches, between about 0.1 inches and about 1 inch, or any combination or sub-combination thereof.
In an embodiment where the member 100 is a composite, the member 100 includes a substantially homogenous composition, such that interior portions of the member 100 and exterior portions of the member 100 include substantially the same composition. Exterior portions are capable of including coatings, surface treatments, or other suitable materials. In a further embodiment, the member 100 is devoid of embedded waxes and/or similar additives.
The member 100 includes a predetermined geometry permitting engagement of a second member 100 that is identical in geometry to the member 100 or corresponds in geometry to the member 100. For example, referring to
Referring to
Referring to
According to an embodiment of the sound-reducing fabrication process, the sound-reducing blend 108 is applied to the location(s) 107 within the treatment region 102 of the member 100. In further embodiments, the treatment region 102 includes the sound-reducing blend 108 and extends in or only in the substantially vertical direction with respect to the outer surface 104 (see
In general, although not intending to be bound by theory, noise generated by the member 100 is believed to be caused by vertical movement occurring between the members 100 forming the assembly, such as a floor. The vertical movement is based upon force applied from the outer surface 104, for example, by an individual walking on the floor. The force from walking is in a diagonal direction (in relation to gravity) and can be broken into a force vector having a horizontal component and a vertical component. The tongue-and-groove features permit slight movement between the members 100 while maintaining a generally stable assembly. The horizontal component of the force vector pushes and pulls the members causing such slight movements. The vertical component of the force vector causes the members 100 to frictionally rub, thereby generating the noise. The sound-reducing blend 108 lubricates and/or decreases the friction between the members 100, thereby reducing or eliminating the generation of noise.
The sound-reducing blend 108 provides sound mitigation when applied. In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 includes a soft wax (not shown) and a hard wax (not shown), for example, homogenously mixed, in solution, in suspension, or combinations thereof. For example, in one embodiment, the wax is a plant wax, an animal wax, a synthetic wax, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof. In a further embodiment, the wax is an epicuticular wax, a candelilla wax, a retamo wax, a sugarcane wax, a carnauba wax, an ouricury wax, a hydrogenated and deodorized soybean oil or plant oils, a lanolin wax, a beeswax, a lignite wax, a paraffin wax, a polyethylene wax, a polypropylene wax, polytetrafluoroethylene wax, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 includes hydrogenated soybean oil and/or a hydrogenated metathesis dimer. In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 is substantially devoid of or completely devoid of oil. In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 includes a paraffin. In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 includes or is a biobased material. In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 is solid at room temperature.
In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 includes, by weight, between about 50%, about 70%, or 100% of a soft and oily wax having a melting point of about 53° C. to 56° C. and a needle penetration of about 35 to about 45 dmm at 25° C.
In one embodiment, the sound-reducing blend 108 includes, by weight, between about 30%, about 50%, or 100% of a hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 67° C. to 71° C. and a needle penetration of about 10.0 to about 20.0 dmm at 25° C.
A series of trials were conducted with various application positions and compositions. The trials involved having an individual walk on a surface of the member 100 in a consistent manner. Evaluating individuals rated noises generated from the member 100 to determine the intensity of the noise generated on a scale of 1 to 4 (4 being the highest amount). The same individuals were used for each trial and the ratings between the evaluators were averaged. The individuals had been trained to ignore sounds generated from the shoes or ambient sounds so that they could focus on sound generated by the member 100.
In a control example, no treatment was applied to the member 100. In this control, the noise rating was about 1.5 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a first example, a treatment was applied to a predetermined location. The treatment was a blend including, by weight, about 50% of the soft and oily wax having a melting point of about 53° C. to 56° C. and a needle penetration of about 35 to about 45 dmm at 25° C. and about 50% of the hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 67° C. to 71° C. and a needle penetration of about 10.0 to about 20.0 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was between about 1.0 and about 1.5 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a second example, a treatment was applied to the predetermined location. The treatment was a blend including, by weight, about 70% of the soft and oily wax having a melting point of about 53° C. to 56° C. and a needle penetration of about 35 to about 45 dmm at 25° C. and about 30% of the hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 67° C. to 71° C. and a needle penetration of about 10.0 to about 20.0 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was about 1.0 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a third example, a treatment was applied to the predetermined location. The treatment was a blend including, by weight, about 50% of the hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 67° C. to 71° C. and a needle penetration of about 10.0 to about 20.0 dmm at 25° C. and about 50% of a very hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 82° C. to 85° C. and a needle penetration of about 2 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was about 1.5 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a fourth example, a treatment was applied to the predetermined location. The treatment was the soft and oily wax having a melting point of about 53° C. to 56° C. and a needle penetration of about 35 to about 45 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was about 1.0 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a fifth example, a treatment was applied to the predetermined location. The treatment was the hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 67° C. to 71° C. and a needle penetration of about 10.0 to about 20.0 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was about 1.0 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a sixth example, a treatment was applied to the predetermined location. The treatment was the very hard and slick-to-touch wax having a melting point of about 82° C. to 85° C. and a needle penetration of about 2 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was about 2.0 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In a seventh example, a treatment was applied to the predetermined location. The treatment was a soft and sticky wax having a melting point of about 74° C. to 78° C. and a needle penetration of about 25 to about 35 dmm at 25° C. In this example, the noise rating was between about 1.5 and about 3.0 when the outer surface 104 of the member 100 was walked on.
In an eighth example, a treatment of the soft and sticky wax having a melting point of about 74° C. to 78° C. and a needle penetration of about 25 to about 35 dmm at 25° C. was applied to the contact surface 106 oriented in a horizontal direction with respect to the outer surface 104 in the engagement recess 202 (see
In a ninth example, a treatment of the soft and sticky wax having a melting point of about 74° C. to 78° C. and a needle penetration of about 25 to about 35 dmm at 25° C. was applied to a location within the treatment region 102 oriented in an inclined direction with respect to the outer surface 104 and bordering the engagement recess 202 (see
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
