Acoustically absorbing room divider

• US 9,765,516 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Dinther, Cornelus Hendricus Bertus Arnoldus, Aarts, Ronaldus Maria, Kooijman, Gerben, Ouweltjes, Okke, Kohlrausch, Armin Gerhard, Gommans, Hendrikus Hubertus Petrus, Van Dorp Schuitman, Jasper
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Forrest M
• Application Number:
  US15/036,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 181295, 181284, 181286, 181 30
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/8209 sound absorbing devices E04B1/8218, E04B1/8227 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/172 using resonance effects

Abstract

A room divider (100) for dividing a room into two sub-portions (R1, R2) and for attenuating sound (S1, S2) travelling between the two sub-portions is provided. The room divider comprises hollow cylindrical elements (110) arranged periodically for dividing the room into the two sub-portions. At least some of the hollow cylindrical elements have a cylindrical shell (111) with at least one slit (112) extending in an axial direction (120) of the shell. The shell extends continuously along the perimeter of the corresponding hollow cylindrical element from one side (113) of the at least one slit to another side (114) of the at least one slit. Each of the at least one slit faces in a local elongation direction (130) of the room divider for increasing acoustic symmetry with respect to the two sub-portions. The use of destructive interference and resonance to attenuate sound allows for a less bulky/heavy acoustically absorbing room divider.

Claims

1. A room divider for dividing at least a portion of a room into two sub-portions and for attenuating sound travelling between the two sub-portions, the room divider comprising a plurality of hollow cylindrical elements arranged periodically for dividing said portion of the room into said two sub-portions,

wherein each hollow cylindrical element has a cylindrical shell comprising a slit that extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical shell, the cylindrical shell extending continuously along the perimeter of the hollow cylindrical element from one side of the slit to another side of the slit, and the slit facing in a local elongation direction of the room divider, and

wherein the room divider further comprises a light source arranged to emit light out of at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements,

wherein the room divider further comprises a rail, wherein at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements is movably arranged along the rail.

2. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical shell is arranged to extend continuously along the two portions of the perimeter of the hollow cylindrical element facing said two sub-portions.

3. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein the hollow cylindrical elements are arranged in two rows.

4. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein the hollow cylindrical elements are spatially spaced from each other.

5. The room divider as defined in claim 1, comprising straight passages between the hollow cylindrical elements, the passages extending between opposite sides of the room divider, and the passages being adapted to connect said sub-portions to allow light to pass through the room divider.

6. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of the hollow cylindrical elements have an inner shell arranged concentrically to the cylindrical shell.

7. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements is at least partially light transmissive.

8. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein the light source is arranged at an end of one of the at least one hollow cylindrical element and adapted to emit light towards an interior of said at least one hollow cylindrical element.

9. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein the light source is a strip of light sources arranged along said axial direction in an interior of a shell of the at least one hollow cylindrical element.

10. The room divider as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of the hollow cylindrical elements are at least partially light transmissive and at least partially light diffusive such that visibility through the room divider is controllable by adjusting light emitted by the light source.

11. A room divider for dividing at least a portion of a room into two sub-portions and for attenuating sound travelling between the two sub-portions, the room divider comprising a plurality of hollow cylindrical elements arranged periodically for dividing said portion of the room into said two sub-portions,

wherein at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements has a cylindrical shell comprising two slits facing in opposite local elongation directions of the room divider, and wherein the cylindrical shell extends continuously between the two slits along the perimeter of the hollow cylindrical element,

wherein the room divider further comprises a light source arranged to emit light out of at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements.

12. The room divider as defined in claim 11, wherein the hollow cylindrical elements are spatially spaced from each other.

13. The room divider as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements is at least partially light transmissive.

14. The room divider as defined in claim 11, wherein at least some of the hollow cylindrical elements are at least partially light transmissive and at least partially light diffusive such that visibility through the room divider is controllable by adjusting light emitted by the light source.

15. A room divider for dividing at least a portion of a room into two sub-portions and for attenuating sound travelling between the two sub-portions, the room divider comprising a plurality of hollow cylindrical elements arranged periodically for dividing said portion of the room into said two sub-portions, and a base with a cavity and an opening leading into the cavity, at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements being arranged at the opening of the base in such a way that an interior of a shell of the at least one hollow cylindrical element is acoustically connected to the cavity via the opening,

wherein each hollow cylindrical element has a cylindrical shell comprising a slit that extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical shell, the cylindrical shell extending continuously along the perimeter of the hollow cylindrical element from one side of the slit to another side of the slit, and the slit facing in a local elongation direction of the room divider, and

wherein the room divider further comprises a light source arranged to emit light out of at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements.

16. The room divider as defined in claim 15, wherein the hollow cylindrical elements are spatially spaced from each other.

17. The room divider as defined in claim 15, wherein at least one of the hollow cylindrical elements is at least partially light transmissive.

18. The room divider as defined in claim 15, wherein at least some of the hollow cylindrical elements are at least partially light transmissive and at least partially light diffusive such that visibility through the room divider is controllable by adjusting light emitted by the light source.