ACOUSTICALLY INSULATED MACHINE

• US 20120298154A1
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Johnson, Phil, Rockwell, Anthony Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,714,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/184
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4209 Insulation arrangements, e.g. for sound damping or heat insulation
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches

Abstract

Acoustically insulated machines have an internal source of noise and an insulation member. The insulation member may include a plurality of porous, sound absorbing layers and a plurality of dense or facing layers attached to faces of the sound absorbing layers. The dense or facing layers each have a density that is greater than the densities of the sound absorbing layers. The insulation member may be oriented such that one of the dense or facing layers faces toward the internal source of noise. The insulation member may be configured such that most of the low frequency sound energy generated by the internal source of noise is not reflected back into the machine. That is, the dense or facing layer may be configured to allow a majority of low frequency sound energy from the internal source of noise to pass into the insulation member.

Claims

1. An acoustically insulated machine comprising:

a machine having an internal source of noise;

an insulation member comprising a plurality of porous, sound absorbing layers and a plurality of dense layers attached to faces of the sound absorbing layers;

wherein the dense layers have densities that are greater than densities of the sound absorbing layers;

wherein the insulation member is oriented such that one of said dense layers faces toward said internal source of noise;

wherein said dense layer that faces the internal source of noise is configured to allow a majority of airborne acoustic energy having frequencies from about 100 Hz to about 800 Hz from the internal source of noise to pass into the insulation member.

2. The acoustically insulated machine of claim 1 wherein the machine is a clothes washing machine, the source of noise is a motor of the clothes washing machine, and the insulation member is positioned between the motor and a floor that supports a frame of the clothes washing machine.

3. The acoustically insulated machine of claim 1 wherein the machine is a dishwasher, the source of noise is a pump of the dishwasher, and the insulation member is positioned between the pump and a front of the dishwasher.

4. The acoustically insulated machine of claim 1 wherein the dense layers each have an airflow resistance between about 600 and 1400 Rayls.

5. The acoustically insulated machine of claim 1 wherein the dense layers each have an airflow resistance between about 900 and 1400 Rayls.

6. The acoustically insulated machine of claim 1 wherein each porous, sound absorbing layer is 15-300 grams per square foot and has a thickness in the range of 0.5 inches to three inches.

7. A washing machine comprising:

a cabinet having a front or top opening for accepting clothes and a bottom opening having at least one lip portion;

a washing assembly disposed in the cabinet configured to accept clothes to be washed by the washing machine through said front or top opening;

a motor assembly disposed in said cabinet and coupled to said washing assembly for operating said washing assembly;

an acoustic insulation member disposed in said bottom opening of said cabinet, wherein said acoustic insulation element is soft and flexible such that the acoustic insulation member is assembled with the cabinet by folding up the acoustic insulation member, placing the acoustic insulation member in said bottom opening of said cabinet, and unfolding the insulation member such that the acoustic insulation member engages said at least one lip portion to thereby retain the acoustic insulation member in said bottom opening.

8. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said acoustic insulation element is assembled within said cabinet without the use of fasteners or adhesives.

9. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said acoustic insulation element is spaced apart from a floor that supports the cabinet.

10. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said acoustic insulation element engages a floor that supports said cabinet.

11. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein the acoustic insulation member comprises:

a plurality of porous, sound absorbing layers and a plurality of dense layers attached to faces of the sound absorbing layers;

wherein the dense layers have densities that are greater than densities of the sound absorbing layers;

wherein the insulation member is oriented such that one of said dense layers faces toward said motor;

wherein said dense layer that faces the motor is configured to allow a majority of airborne acoustic energy having frequencies from about 100 Hz to about 800 Hz from the motor to pass into the insulation member.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein the dense layers each have an airflow resistance between about 600 and 1400 Rayls.

13. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein the dense layers each have an airflow resistance between about 900 and 1400 Rayls.

14. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein each porous, sound absorbing layer is 15-300 grams per square foot and has a thickness in the range of 0.5 inches to three inches.

15. A dishwasher comprising:

a housing including a washing chamber and an access door;

a plurality of legs supporting the housing;

a pump and drive motor provided in a cavity between said legs and below said housing;

a plate closing a front side of said cavity;

an insulation member provided between said plate and said pump and drive motor, the insulation member comprising;

a plurality of porous, sound absorbing layers and a plurality of dense layers attached to faces of the sound absorbing layers;

wherein the dense layers have densities that are greater than densities of the sound absorbing layers;

wherein the insulation member is oriented such that one of said dense layers faces toward said pump and drive motor;

wherein said dense layer that faces the pump and drive motor is configured to allow a majority of airborne acoustic energy having frequencies from about 100 Hz to about 800 Hz from the pump and motor to pass into the insulation member.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the dense layers each have an airflow resistance between about 600 and 1400 Rayls.

17. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the dense layers each have an airflow resistance between about 900 and 1400 Rayls.

18. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein each porous, sound absorbing layer is 15-300 grams per square foot and has a thickness in the range of 0.5 inches to three inches.