Impact sound insulation

• US RE41,945 E1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecore International Incorporated (Draper Fisher Jurvetson International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecore International Incorporated (Draper Fisher Jurvetson International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Downey, Paul Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr.; Richard E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wendell; Mark R
• Application Number:
  US11/782,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 521/44, 521/45, 524/031, 524/80, 524/08, 524/11, 527/461, 527/471.1, 181/284, 181/285, 181/286, 428/327, 428/329, 428/492
• US Class Current: 52/144
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/04 Mats or carpets for courts
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/20 for sound insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31826 Of natural rubber

Abstract

A substrate for use in a flooring system which has a subfloor and a decorative upper layer. The substrate is made in a continuous sheet which has a bottom surface, a top surface, side surfaces and end surfaces. The top surface and the oppositely facing bottom surface are essentially parallel to each other and are spaced apart by the thickness of the substrate. Voids are provided in the substrate, the voids are provided between particles of rubber or other similar material. When the substrate is positioned between the subfloor and the decorative top layer, the particles of rubber provide the strength required to prevent deformation of the substrate in the direction of the thickness and the voids contribute to the sound dampening characteristics required to provide decibel reduction across the thickness of the substrate.

Claims

1. A flooring system comprising:

a subfloor;

a decorative top layer;

a substrate having a top surface and an oppositely facing bottom surface, the bottom surface positioned proximate the subfloor and the top surface is positioned proximate the decorative top layer, the substrate having a thickness of about 10 mm and voids which extend between the top surface and the bottom surface, the substrate is manufactured from rubber in sheets which are cut to the desired configuration;

whereby the substrate has the strength characteristics to support the decorative layer and prevent damage thereto and the sound dampening characteristics to provide decibel reduction through the substrate.

2. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the density of the substrate is less than 1000 kilograms per meter cubed.

3. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate has the strength characteristics required to support the decorative layer while having sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate to be delivered in rolls.

4. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate is fixed to the subfloor by means of an adhesive.

5. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate is fixed to the decorative top layer by means of an adhesive.

6. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate is made from an SBR rubber material.

7. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sound damping characteristics exhibit a decibel reduction of approximately 20 dB for a substrate with a thickness of 5 mm.

14. The flooring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the rubber is formed in a cylindrical member and the sheets are cut from the cylindrical member.

8. A substrate for use in a flooring system which has a subfloor and a decorative upper layer, the substrate comprising of:

a continuous sheet having a bottom surface configured for frictional interface with the subfloor, a top surface configured for receiving the decorative upper layer, side surfaces and end surfaces, the top surface and the oppositely facing bottom surface are essentially parallel to each other and are spaced apart by the thickness of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate being about 10 mm;

an adhesive located on the bottom surface for fixing the substrate to the subfloor;

voids are provided in the substrate, the voids are provided between particles of material of the substrate, such that the particles of material provide the strength required to prevent deformation of the substrate in the direction of the thickness and the voids contribute to the sound dampening characteristics required to provide decibel reduction across the thickness of the substrate; and

the top surface has an adhesive for fixing the substrate to the decorative upper layer.

9. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the continuous sheet is cut to the appropriate length to fit the space requirements.

10. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the density of the substrate is less than 1000 kilograms per meter cubed.

11. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the substrate has the strength characteristics required to support the decorative layer while having sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate to be delivered in rolls.

12. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the substrate is made from an SBR rubber material.

13. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the sound dampening characteristics exhibit a decibel reduction of approximately 20 dB for a substrate with a thickness of 5 mm.

15. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the continuous sheet is cut from a cylindrical member.

16. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 8 wherein the substrate includes a binder and particles of rubber, the binder and the particles of rubber being partially severed at the top surface and the bottom surface of the continuous sheet.

17. A flooring system comprising:

a subfloor;

a decorative top layer; and

a rubber substrate having a density of below 1000 kilograms per meter cubed and a top surface and an oppositely facing bottom surface, the bottom surface positioned proximate the subfloor and the top surface positioned proximate the decorative top layer, the substrate having voids which extend between the top surface and the bottom surface,

18. The flooring system as recited in claim 17, wherein the substrate has the strength characteristics required to support the decorative layer while having sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate to be delivered in rolls.

19. The flooring system as recited in claim 17, wherein the substrate is fixed to the subfloor by means of an adhesive.

20. The flooring system as recited in claim 17, wherein the substrate comprises an SBR rubber material.

21. The flooring system as recited in claim 17, wherein said rubber substrate comprises rubber and polyurethane.

22. A method for installation of a flooring system comprising a subfloor, a rubber substrate, and a decorative top layer, said method comprising:

cutting a continuous sheet of said rubber substrate to a desired length; and

positioning the substrate over a subfloor,

wherein the rubber substrate has a density of below 1000 kilograms per meter cubed and a top surface and an oppositely facing bottom surface, the rubber substrate having voids which extend between the top surface and the bottom surface and strength characteristics to support a decorative layer and prevent damage thereto,

said flooring system having sound dampening characteristics to provide decibel reduction through the substrate of about 20 dB for a substrate having a thickness of 5 mm and about 25 dB for a substrate having a thickness of 10 mm; and

wherein the substrate is fixed to the decorative top layer by means of an adhesive.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the substrate has the strength characteristics required to support the decorative layer while having sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate to be delivered in rolls.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the substrate is fixed to the subfloor by means of an adhesive.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the substrate comprises an SBR rubber material.

26. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said rubber substrate comprises rubber and polyurethane.

27. The method according to claim 22, further comprising positioning a decorative layer on the rubber substrate.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the positioning a decorative layer includes positioning the decorative layer directly on the rubber substrate.

29. The method according to claim 22, further comprising providing the continuous sheet of rubber substrate in the form of a rolled sheet.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the providing the continuous sheet of rubber substrate in the form of a rolled sheet includes providing a rolled sheet that is four feet wide.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the providing a continuous sheet of a rubber substrate includes providing a non-vulcanized rubber substrate.

32. A rubber substrate for use in a flooring system which has a subfloor and a decorative upper layer, the substrate comprising:

a continuous rubber sheet having a density of less than 1000 kilograms per meter cubed comprising rubber and polyurethane and having a bottom surface configured for frictional interface with the subfloor, a top surface configured for receiving the decorative upper layer, side surfaces and end surfaces, the top surface and the oppositely facing bottom surface being essentially parallel to each other and spaced apart by the thickness of the substrate, the rubber sheet being nonvulcanized and having adhesive located on the bottom surface thereof for fixing the substrate to the subfloor;

wherein voids are provided in the rubber sheet between particles of rubber such that the particles provide the strength required to prevent deformation of the substrate in the direction of the thickness and the voids contribute to the sound dampening characteristics required to provide decibel reduction across the thickness of the substrate; and

the top surface has an adhesive for fixing the substrate to the decorative upper layer.

33. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 32, wherein the continuous sheet is cut to the appropriate length to fit the space requirements.

34. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 32, wherein the substrate has the strength characteristics required to support the decorative layer while having sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate to be delivered in rolls.

35. The substrate for use in a flooring system as recited in claim 32 wherein the substrate comprises an SBR rubber material.

36. A method for installing a flooring system comprising a subfloor, a decorative top layer, and a substrate having a top surface and an oppositely facing bottom surface, said method comprising:

positioning the bottom surface of the substrate proximate the subfloor, the substrate having voids which extend between the top surface and the bottom surface, the substrate being manufactured from rubber in sheets which are cut to the desired configuration and having strength characteristics to support the decorative layer and prevent damage thereto and sound dampening characteristics to provide decibel reduction through the substrate; and

positioning the decorative top layer proximate the top surface of the substrate,

wherein the substrate is fixed to the decorative top layer by means of an adhesive.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the density of the substrate is less than 1000 kilograms per meter cubed.

38. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the substrate has the strength characteristics required to support the decorative layer while having sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate to be delivered in rolls.

39. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the substrate is fixed to the subfloor by means of an adhesive.

40. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the substrate comprises an SBR rubber material.

41. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the sound dampening characteristics exhibit a decibel reduction of about 20 dB for a substrate with a thickness of 5 mm.

42. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the substrate comprises rubber and polyurethane.

43. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the voids are provided between particles of rubber.

44. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said substrate comprises rubber and polyurethane.

45. The method according to claim 36, further comprising providing the substrate in the form of a rolled sheet.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the rolled sheet is four feet wide.

47. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the sound dampening characteristics exhibit a decibel reduction of about 25 dB for a substrate with a thickness of 10 mm.

48. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the flooring system has sound dampening characteristics providing a decibel reduction of about 20 dB for a substrate having a thickness of 5 mm and about 25 dB for a substrate having a thickness of 10 mm.

49. The method according to claim 36, wherein the positioning a decorative layer includes positioning the decorative layer directly on the substrate.

50. The method according to claim 36, wherein the substrate is a non-vulcanized substrate.