SOUND INSULATION CONSTRUCTIONS AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME

• US 20080001431A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Thompson, Delton R., Nelson, Brian L., Gerdes, Ronald W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/187.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4209 Insulation arrangements, e.g. for sound damping or heat insulation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/08 Insulating elements, e.g. for sound insulation sound insulating linings for trains B61D17/185; drivers' cabs for load-carrying vehicles insulated against vibrations or noise B62D33/0604; thermal or acoustic insulation of engines F02B77/11; damping of sounds using compensation by electro-acoustic methods G10K11/178
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0815 Acoustic or thermal insulation of passenger compartments wall or roof liners integrating the insulating function B60R13/02; insulating floor mats or carpets B60N3/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/083 for fire walls or floors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0838 for engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0861 for covering undersurfaces of vehicles, e.g. wheel houses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0884 for mounting around noise sources, e.g. air blowers
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/54 by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving in combination with needling D04H1/485
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/58 by applying, incorporating or activating chemical or thermoplastic bonding agents, e.g. adhesives in combination with needling D04H1/488
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/12 with filaments or yarns secured together by chemical or thermo-activatable bonding agents, e.g. adhesives, applied or incorporated in liquid or solid form
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/14 with bonds between thermoplastic yarns or filaments produced by welding
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches

Abstract

Sound insulation constructions, multilayer constructions for acoustically insulating a source of sound from a receiver that include one or more sound insulation constructions, structures comprising one or more sound insulation constructions and/or multilayer constructions, and a method for acoustically insulating a source of sound from a receiver. In some embodiments, the sound insulation construction includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer can include a bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibiting a work of compression of at least about 0.7 kJ/m³ and an airflow resistance of no greater than 10,000 Rayls/m. The second layer can exhibit an airflow resistance of greater than 10,000 Rayls/m. In some embodiments, the method includes coupling the first layer to a surface of a vehicle to attenuate sound in at least a portion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A sound insulation construction comprising:

a first layer comprising a bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibiting a work of compression of at least about 0.7 kJ/m³ and an airflow resistance of no greater than 10,000 Rayls/m; and

a second layer coupled to the first layer, the second layer having an airflow resistance greater than 10,000 Rayls/m and being air permeable.

2. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the first layer exhibits a maximum acceleration of no greater than about 10 g.

3. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the first layer exhibits a maximum acceleration of no greater than about 3 g.

4. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the sound insulation construction exhibits at least about 60% absorption at a frequency of 1500 hertz.

5. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises at least one of headliner facing, carpeting, trunk liner facing, side panel facing, dash facing, hood liner facing, an outwardly facing layer of a wheel well liner, and an outwardly facing layer of an engine cover.

6. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a nonwoven web.

7. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the bonded fiber nonwoven web comprises at least one of

a) a lofty, open nonwoven web comprising first and second crimped, staple, organic thermoplastic fibers,

b) a uniform, lofty, nonwoven web comprising interlaced randomly disposed flexible organic thermoplastic fibers;

c) inter-engaged continuous crinkled coarse filaments of resilient thermoplastic polymer, and

d) a sponge-like, compressible nonwoven web comprising randomly intermingled and randomly bonded hydrophobic fibers.

8. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibits an airflow resistance no greater than about 2000 Rayls/m.

9. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibits an airflow resistance no greater than about 1500 Rayls/m.

10. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibits an airflow resistance no greater than about 1000 Rayls/m.

11. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibits a work of compression of at least 1 kJ/m³.

12. The sound insulation construction of claim 1, wherein the bonded fiber nonwoven web has an acoustic performance parameter of no greater than about 10,000 g-Rayls/m.

13. A multilayer construction coupled to a surface of a structure and adapted to acoustically insulate a source of sound from a receiver, the multilayer construction comprising the sound insulation construction of claim 1.

14. The multilayer construction of claim 13, wherein the structure is selected from the group consisting of machines, appliances, laboratory equipment, medical equipment, power tools, and architectural structures.

15. The multilayer construction of claim 13, wherein the structure forms at least a portion of a motor vehicle and is selected from the group consisting of a wheel well, a trunk, a ceiling, a side panel, a rear gate, a floor panel, a dash panel, a hood, an engine cover, and combinations thereof.

16. The multilayer construction of claim 13, wherein the sound insulation construction is further coupled to a barrier layer, a decoupler layer, and an optional mastic layer, and wherein the multilayer construction forms a carpet laminate.

17. The multilayer construction of claim 13, wherein the sound insulation construction is further coupled to at least one of shoddy, needle punched shoddy, foam, plastic, woven web, nonwoven web, film, and perforated film, and combinations thereof.

18. An assembly comprising:

a sound insulation construction comprising;

a first layer comprising a bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibiting a work of compression of at least about 0.7 kJ/m³ and an airflow resistance of no greater than 10,000 Rayls/m;

a second layer coupled to the first layer, the second layer having an airflow resistance greater than 10,000 Rayls/m;

wherein the first layer of the sound insulation construction is coupled to an additional layer.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the additional layer comprises metal.

20. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the additional layer is selected from the group consisting of mastics, foam, chopped fiberglass, fabric, film, and combinations thereof.

21. A vehicle comprising:

a surface at least partially defined by a component of the vehicle; and

a sound insulation construction coupled to the surface, the sound insulation construction comprising;

a first layer comprising a bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibiting a work of compression of at least about 0.7 kJ/m³ and an airflow resistance of no greater than 10,000 Rayls/m.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the component comprises at least one of sheet metal, shoddy, needle punched shoddy, foam, plastic, woven web, nonwoven web, film, and perforated film.

23. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a wheel well, a trunk, a ceiling, a side panel, a rear gate, a floor panel, a dash panel, a hood, an engine cover, and combinations thereof.

24. The vehicle of claim 21 further comprising a second layer coupled to the first layer, the second layer having an airflow resistance greater than 10,000 Rayls/m.

25. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the second layer comprises at least one of headliner facing, carpeting, trunk liner facing, side panel facing, dash facing, hood liner facing, an outwardly facing layer of a wheel well liner, and an outwardly facing layer of an engine cover.

26. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein first layer comprises at least one of

a) a lofty, open nonwoven web comprising first and second crimped, staple, organic thermoplastic fibers,

b) a uniform, lofty, nonwoven web comprising interlaced randomly disposed flexible organic thermoplastic fibers,

c) inter-engaged continuous crinkled coarse filaments of resilient thermoplastic polymer, and

d) a sponge-like, compressible nonwoven web comprising randomly intermingled and randomly bonded hydrophobic fibers.

27. A method of insulating sound, the method comprising:

providing a sound insulation construction comprising;

a first layer comprising a bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibiting a work of compression of at least about 0.7 kJ/m³ and an airflow resistance of no greater than 10,000 Rayls/m;

a second layer coupled to the first layer, the second layer having an airflow resistance greater than 10,000 Rayls/m; and

,

coupling the first layer of the sound insulation construction to an additional layer.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the additional layer comprises metal.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the additional layer is selected from the group consisting of mastics, foam, chopped fiberglass, fabric, film, and combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the additional layer is a component of a vehicle.

31. A method of insulating sound in at least a portion of a vehicle, the method comprising:

coupling a first layer comprising a bonded fiber nonwoven web to a surface of the vehicle,

the bonded fiber nonwoven web exhibiting a work of compression of at least about 0.7 kJ/m³ and an airflow resistance of no greater than 10,000 Rayls/m.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising coupling a second layer to the first layer, the second layer having an airflow resistance greater than 10,000 Rayls/m.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein coupling the second layer to the first layer occurs prior to coupling the first layer to the surface.