Method and apparatus for reducing noise transmission through a window

• US 9,645,120 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grant Nash
• Original Assignee: Grant Nash
• Inventors: Nash, Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Forrest M
• Application Number:
  US14/846,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20160071505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 181207, 181286
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6707 specially adapted for increased acoustical insulation doors, windows for insulation against noise E06B5/20
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 5/205 windows therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches

Abstract

Attenuators are introduced that offer quiet, enhanced sound quality for interior of enclosures than previous devices. An acoustical rating system for the levels of sound propagation through glass windows/windshields is introduced for the building and construction industry. Just as windows and insulation have an R-value to define the temperature energy efficiency of the interior of a room, an A-Rating™ system would define the acoustical energy efficiency of an enclosure space. In the summer, the higher the R-value, the less cool air that escapes a room through a window (and the less heat that penetrates into the interior), thus keeping the room cooler with less energy. Similarly, the higher the A-Rating™ of a window, the less noise that propagates through, maintaining lower levels of sound in the interior of an enclosure, creating a more harmonious, acoustically energy efficient room for enhanced health, preventing sleep interference, speech interference, and maintaining adequate levels of safety according to EPA and OSHA standards. The A-Rating™ system can help set standards for bearable and unbearable windows for a particular house, building, shopping store, restaurant, vehicle-cabin, fuselage cabin, locomotive/train/subway cabin, hotel, apartment, airport, library, museum, or any other enclosure, for a particular area or jurisdiction.

Claims

1. An attenuator for reducing sound transmission at a selected frequency bandwidth through a window, wherein the window has at least one resonant peak of sound transmission, said attenuator comprising:

at least one elastic body, said at least one elastic body having at least one chamber formed therein, and said at least one chamber containing contents which may be selectively modified, while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, so as to modulate at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber, whereby to modulate the stiffness of said at least one elastic body; and

at least one mass secured to said at least one elastic body;

wherein said at least one elastic body is configured to be secured to the window intermediate the window and said at least one mass; and

at least one tuning element in communication with the contents of said at least one chamber, said at least one tuning element being configured to modify said at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, whereby to provide at least one frequency attenuation bandwidth focused on at least one of (i) a selected frequency bandwidth of sound transmission through the window, and (ii) a single resonant peak of sound transmission through the window.

2. An attenuator according to claim 1 wherein said contents of said at least one chamber comprise a fluid.

3. An attenuator according to claim 2 wherein said at least one tuning element is configured to vary the quantity of fluid contained within said at least one chamber.

4. An attenuator according to claim 3 wherein said at least one tuning element comprises at least one reservoir for said contents, at least one tube for carrying said fluid between said at least one reservoir and said at least one chamber, and at least one valve for regulating the flow of fluid between said at least one reservoir and said at least one chamber.

5. An attenuator according to claim 2 wherein said at least one tuning element is configured to vary the flowability of said fluid within said at least one chamber.

6. An attenuator according to claim 5 wherein said at least one tuning element comprises electrical current run through wires disposed in at least one coiled configuration around said at least one chamber so as to create at least one magnetic field within said at least one chamber.

7. An attenuator according to claim 6 wherein said fluid comprises magnetorheological (MR) fluid, and further wherein the creation of at least one magnetic field within said at least one chamber causes the magnetorheological (MR) fluid to have reduced flowability.

8. An attenuator according to claim 2 wherein said fluid comprises a gas.

9. An attenuator according to claim 2 wherein said fluid comprises a liquid.

10. An attenuator according to claim 1 wherein said contents of said at least one chamber comprise a solid.

11. An attenuator according to claim 1 wherein said at least one tuning element comprises a sensor for detecting sound transmission passing through the window to which the attenuator is secured, and a feedback unit for modifying said contents of said at least one chamber so as to modulate at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber in accordance with the sound transmission detected by said sensor.

12. An attenuator according to claim 11 wherein said sensor comprises a microphone.

13. An attenuator according to claim 11 wherein said feedback unit comprises a CPU.

14. An attenuator according to claim 1 wherein said at least one mass is disposed adjacent to said at least one chamber.

15. An attenuator according to claim 14 wherein said at least one mass is aligned with said at least one chamber.

16. An attenuator according to claim 1 wherein said attenuator comprises a plurality of chambers formed in said at least one elastic body, each chamber containing contents which may be selectively modified, while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, so as to modulate said at least one physical property of said contents of said plurality of chambers and hence modulate the stiffness of said at least one elastic body, and further wherein said at least one tuning element is in communication with the contents of said plurality of chambers and configured to modify said at least one physical property of said contents of said plurality of chambers while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, whereby to provide at least two frequency attenuation bandwidths each focused on at least one of (i) a selected frequency bandwidth of sound transmission through the window, and (ii) a single resonant peak of sound transmission through the window.

17. An attenuator according to claim 16 wherein said plurality of chambers comprise different volumes.

18. An attenuator according to claim 16 wherein said attenuator comprises a plurality of masses secured to said at least one elastic body.

19. An attenuator according to claim 18 wherein a separate mass is provided for each chamber.

20. An attenuator according to claim 19 wherein each mass is disposed adjacent to a chamber.

21. An attenuator according to claim 20 wherein each mass is aligned with a chamber.

22. A system for reducing sound transmission through a window, said system comprising:

a window; and

an attenuator attached to said window, said attenuator comprising;

at least one elastic body, said at least one elastic body having at least one chamber formed therein, and said at least one chamber containing contents which may be selectively modified, while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, so as to modulate at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber whereby to modulate the stiffness of said at least one elastic body; and

at least one mass secured to said at least one elastic body;

wherein said at least one elastic body is configured to be secured to said window intermediate said window and said at least one mass; and

at least one tuning element in communication with the contents of said at least one chamber, said at least one tuning element being configured to modify said at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber while said attenuator is mounted to said window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, whereby to provide at least one frequency attenuation bandwidth focused on at least one of (i) a selected frequency bandwidth of sound transmission through said window, and (ii) a single resonant peak of sound transmission through said window.

23. A method for reducing sound transmission through a window, said method comprising:

attaching an attenuator to the window, said attenuator comprising;

at least one elastic body, said at least one elastic body having at least one chamber formed therein, and said at least one chamber containing contents which may be selectively modified, while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, so as to modulate at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber whereby to modulate the stiffness of said at least one elastic body; and

at least one mass secured to said at least one elastic body;

wherein said at least one elastic body is configured to be secured to the window intermediate the window and said at least one mass; and

at least one tuning element in communication with the contents of said at least one chamber, said at least one tuning element being configured to modify said at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without requiring disassembly of said attenuator, whereby to provide at least one frequency attenuation bandwidth focused on at least one of (i) a selected frequency bandwidth of sound transmission through the window, and (ii) a single resonant peak of sound transmission through the window; and

using said at least one tuning element to modify said at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber while said attenuator is mounted to the window and without disassembly of said attenuator, whereby to provide at least one frequency attenuation bandwidth focused on at least one of (i) a selected frequency bandwidth of sound transmission through the window, and (ii) a single resonant peak of sound transmission through the window.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein said at least one tuning element comprises a sensor for detecting sound transmission passing through the window to which the attenuator is secured, and a feedback unit for automatically modifying said at least one physical property of said contents of said at least one chamber so as to modulate the stiffness of said contents of said at least one chamber.

25. An acoustic rating system for windows wherein the rating for a given window is a function of the characteristic of the window to transmit sound amplitude and frequency.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein the acoustic rating system is as defined in Table 1.

27. A method for characterizing a window, the method comprising:

testing the sound transmission of a window; and

characterizing the window in the context of an acoustic rating system wherein the rating for a given window is a function of the characteristic of the window to transmit sound amplitude and frequency.