Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RESILIENT CONSTRUCTION MEMBER AND
RETROFIT SYSTEM USING SAME
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL
APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to members used in construction, especially in
applications where sound attenuation and sound isolation is important. In
particular,
the present invention relates to construction members used to construct
building
structures in which sound transmission from one room to another is to be
prevented
orreduced.
The present invention also relates to a system for retrofitting a pre-existing
standard wall frame with an improved stud construction which improves sound
attenuation characteristics across the wall.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Standard wall frame systems including a plurality of interconnected
individual studs have long been used to construct walls. Also, in general, it
is
conventionally known to resiliently mount a wall or ceiling in order to
isolate sound
or attenuate transmission therethrough.
U.S. Patent No. 3,445,975 to Nelsson discloses a partition in which first and
second lath panels are held against a metallic stud, channel, or furnng member
by a
clip fastener. One portion of the stud, channel, or furnng member is
cantilevered
away from the portion at which the lath panels are clipped thereto. According
to
Nelsson, this permits the free portion of the stud, channel, or furnng member
to flex
as the lath panels mechanically respond to sound waves incident thereon. The
remainder of the structure dampens this surface movement, reducing sound
transmission to the opposite surface of the partition.
U.S. Patent No. 3,324,615 to Zinn discloses a construction member having a
plurality of laterally extending supporting tabs by which wallboard segments
are
resiliently mounted.
U.S. Patent No. 3,046,620 to Tvorik et al. discloses a ceiling hanger member
whereby a furnng strip (to which a ceiling member is attached) is resiliently
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to a joist, such that the weight of the furring strip and ceiling member
resiliently
separates the furring strip from the joist.
Another known method of sound attenuation is to build a wall frame in which
individual studs are laterally staggered relative to a toe plate and head
plate.
Therefore, alternate studs are used to mount wall board on respective sides of
the
frame so that a given stud is spaced away from one of wall boards.
Unfortunately, the foregoing conventional methods of noise attenuation are
problematic in that they generally move away from basic construction methods
and
thereby increase complexity and cost. For example, they require additional
parts
(such as Tvorik et al. and Nelsson) or specially made parts (such as the
channel
member with specially formed support tabs, as in Zinn). The staggered stud
arrangement necessarily results in a thicker wall partition which reduces the
area of
the room whose walls are framed in this manner, and increases the cost of the
toe and
head plates.
In addition, nail fasteners generally cannot be used with metal members,
thereby undesirably restricting available construction methods.
Finally, a standard wall frame system must generally be completely torn
down to put a conventional sound attenuating systems into place. It would be
therefore desirable to be able to retrofit a standard wall frame system so as
to increase
its sound attenuation characteristics.
In addition to the devices for sound attenuation described hereinabove, a
wood I-beam is commercially available (for example, under the brand name "BCI
Advantage" from Boise Cascade Corporation) that comprises a pair of wood
members with a rigid wooden panel extending therebetween. However, because the
wooden panel is essentially non-resilient, this I-beam offers little or no
sound
attenuation benefit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is therefore most generally directed to a construction
member that relies on resilient flexibility in order to attenuate sound
transmission
therethrough, but also more closely conforms to conventional building members
in
order to minimize or eliminate the need for any special handling or the like
in use.
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In particular, the present invention can relate to construction beam members
which are comparable in size to conventional wood beams (for example, 2" x 4"
or
2" x 6" (5.08 cm x 10.16 cm or 5.08 cm x 15.24 cm)). The beam can comprise a
pair of spaced lateral members having at least one resilient web extending
therebetween. The web is preferably relatively stiff, but may permit a slight
flexure
between the lateral members. The lateral members are preferably, but not
necessarily, made from an easily workable material such as wood.
In addition, the web is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with one or
more spacers so as to facilitate the arrangement of the respective lateral
members
relative to each other and relative to the web. In part, this facilitates the
assembly of
the lateral members relative to each other and relative to the lateral web so
as to
obtain a beam member according to the present invention.
In one embodiment, a retrofit system comprising one lateral member having
a resilient web attached thereto is provided. The resilient web can be
provided with
one or more spacers so that the one lateral member having the resilient web
attached thereto can be easily positioned relative to a respective beam in a
standard
wall frame construction, thereby imparting the sound attenuation benefits of a
frame using resilient construction beams without needing to completely tear
down
the original structure. In this arrangement, respective beams in the standard
wall
frame can act as the other lateral member of the beam according to the present
invention.
The resilient web can be made from a unitary piece of material which is
formed so as to have an x-shaped cross-section. The respective ends of the "x"
are
attached to the respective lateral members in a known manner. Furthermore, the
resilient web formed in this manner may include spacers, as discussed above,
to
facilitate orientation of the respective lateral members relative to the
resilient web.
Moreover, the x-shaped resilient web may be used in combination with one
lateral
member, such that the other side of the resilient web may be used to retrofit
a beam
in a standard wall frame construction, as discussed above.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beam
member including a plurality of spaced apart lateral members and a sound
attenuating resilient web extending between a respective pair of the lateral
members, wherein the sound attenuating resilient web is a molded unitary piece
3A
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comprising crossing first and second main portions, the first and second main
portions each including first and second end portions provided at opposite
ends
thereof, wherein the first and second end portions of the first and second
main
portions, respectively, are bent so as to be generally parallel with each
other,
S wherein the first end portions are attached to a first of the pair of
lateral members
and the second end portions are attached to a second of the pair of lateral
members.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
wall frame in a building construction. The wall frame includes a first end
plate
comprising a first pair of lateral members and a first sound attenuating
resilient web
extending therebetween and a stud comprising a second pair of lateral members
and
a second sound attenuating resilient web extending therebetween, wherein at
least
one of the first and second sound attenuating resilient webs is a molded
unitary
piece comprising crossing first and second main portions, the first and second
main
portions each including first and second end portions provided at opposite
ends
thereof, wherein the first and second end portions of the first and second
main
portions, respectively, are bent so as to be generally parallel with each
other,
wherein the first and second end portions are attached to respective ones of
the first
and/or second pair of lateral members and wherein the stud is orthogonally
mounted on the plate.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in
a
building structure, a frame for mounting a wall. The frame includes a first
end plate
comprising a first pair of lateral members and a first sound attenuating
resilient web
extending therebetween; a second end plate generally parallel to the first end
plate
and comprising a second pair of lateral members and a second sound attenuating
resilient web extending therebetween; and a stud comprising a third pair of
lateral
members and a third sound attenuating resilient web extending therebetween. At
least one of the first, second, and third sound attenuating resilient webs is
a unitary
piece comprising crossing first and second main portions, the first and second
main
portions each including first and second end portions provided at opposite
ends
thereof, wherein the first and second end portions are attached to respective
the
lateral members of a corresponding at least one of the first, second, and
third pairs
of lateral members.
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According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided
a beam member including an I-beam comprising a pair of flange portions and a
rigid web extending therebetween; a secondary member; and a sound attenuating
resilient web extending between the I-beam and the secondary member, wherein
the
sound attenuating resilient web is a unitary piece comprising crossing first
and
second main portions, the first and second main portions each including first
and
second end portions provided at opposite ends thereof, wherein the first end
portions of the first and second main portions are attached to one the flange
portion
of the I-beam, and the second end portions of the first and second main
portions
being attached to the secondary member.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
frame member for hanging a ceiling in a building structure. The frame member
includes a beam comprising a pair of lateral members and a sound attenuating
resilient web extending therebetween, wherein one of the lateral members is
fixed
to the building structure, and the other of the lateral members is left
resiliently free-
floating, the other of the lateral members being adapted to have a ceiling
member
fixed thereto, and wherein the sound attenuating resilient web is a unitary
piece
comprising crossing first and second main portions, the first and second main
portions each including first and second end portions provided at opposite
ends
thereof, wherein the first end portions of the first and second main portions
are
attached to one the lateral member, and the second end portions of the first
and
second main portions being attached to the other the lateral member.
According to an even further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a retrofittable member for converting a standard beam into a sound-
attenuating resilient beam. The retrofittable member includes a lateral
member; and
a resilient web attached to and extending from the lateral member, wherein the
resilient web is a unitary piece comprising crossing first and second main
portions,
the first and second main portions each including first and second end
portions
provided at opposite ends thereof, wherein the first end portions of the first
and
second main portions are attached to the lateral member, and the second end
portions of the first and second main portions being adapted for attachment to
a
standard beam to obtain the sound-attenuating resilient beam.
3C
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According to an even further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a sound attenuating resilient web for connecting a pair of lateral
members,
wherein the sound attenuating resilient web is a unitary piece comprising
crossing
first and second main portions, the first and second main portions each
including
S first and second end portions provided at opposite ends thereof, wherein the
first
and second end portions of the first and second main portions, respectively,
are bent
so as to be generally parallel with each other, wherein the first end portions
are
attached to a first of the pair of lateral members and the second end portions
are
attached to a second of the pair of lateral members.
3D
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be described in detail herein below, with reference
to the drawings appended hereto, in which:
Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of an end of a construction beam
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an end view of a beam according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a plan view of a beam according to a second embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of an example of a resilient web for linking
lateral members in a beam according to the present invention;
Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of a framework for mounting wallboard
or the like, utilizing beams according to the present invention;
Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of a beam according to a third
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a plan view of a beam according to the embodiment of the present
invention shown in Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a plan view of a variant of the beam shown in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a retrofit assembly including a lateral
member and a web, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a construction member according to a
fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a plan view of a resilient web according to a sixth embodiment of
the present invention;
Figure 12 is a front perspective view of the resilient web illustrated in
Figure
11;
Figure 13 is a front elevational view of a resilient construction member
according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 14 is an end view of a resilient construction member according to the
sixth embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a portion of a beam 100 according to the present
invention. In general, beam 100 comprises lateral members 102 and 104 with a
web
106 spanning therebetween.
Lateral members 102, 104 are generally (but not always, as discussed below)
rectangular or squared in cross-sectional profile and preferably have at least
the same
thickness y (see Figure 2). Moreover, lateral beams 102, 104 are preferably
identical
so that each has the same width, proportionately spaced with web 106
therebetween
so as to present an overall beam width x. Lateral members 102, 104 are
preferably
(but not necessarily) identical in shape so as to facilitate manufacture of
beam 100
from one source of stock.
Accordingly, beam 100 can present a cross section having a major dimension
x and minor dimension y corresponding to any standard beam size (for example,
2" x
4", 2" x 6" (5.08 cm x 10.16 cm x 5.08 cm x 15.24 cm), and so on, without
limitation).
According to the present invention, lateral members 102, 104 are elongate
rigid members. Accordingly, a variety of suitably rigid materials could be
used.
However, lateral members 102, 104 are preferably (but not exclusively) made
from
wood, (in part, in keeping with an intent of the present invention to present
a
construction member very similar to those conventionally used in the art).
Wood is
also desirable because it can be worked, generally, in more ways than
comparable
metal members (for example, it can be easily cut, driven with nails or
screws). Not
only can continuous lumber be used, but composite materials, such as plywood
or
wood particle board can be used. In addition, finger jointed wood members can
be
used according to the present invention. A plastic material reinforced with
glass
fibers may also be used in accordance with the present invention.
Web 106 is made from a relatively rigid material that has some flexibility. If
web 106 is relatively too flexible, lateral members 102, 104 have too much
relative
freedom of movement and beam 100 is no longer, overall, a rigid member. If web
106 is relatively too stiff, then the benefits of sound isolation/attenuation
are lost.
Generally, web 106 may be made from any suitably stiff and resilient material,
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including (without limitation) rubber, asphalt, plastic or other resilient
polymeric
material.
In one example of the present invention, web 106 is made from galvanized 22
gauge steel. As seen in Figure 4, web 106 includes edge portions 106a and an
intermediate portion 106b. Edge portions 106a are embedded in lateral members
102, 104, and intermediate portion 106b extends obliquely between lateral
members
102, 104. However, intermediate portion 106b may, most generally, extend
between
lateral members 102, 104 in any orientation so long as flexure between lateral
members 102, 104 is relatively easy (compared to, for example, an intermediate
portion extending straight across the gap between lateral members 102, 104,
which
does not readily flex). The use of galvanized steel as described here may
offer
additional ancillary benefits, such as improved fire safety protection.
Edge portions 106a are embedded in lateral members 102, 104 in any
conventional manner. One possible method (not illustrated) is to form grooves
in
lateral members 102, 104 that are wider than the thickness of edge portions
106a.
Once edge portions 106a are suitably disposed in the respective grooves,
additional
strips of material (such as wood) are pressed into the remaining space in the
grooves,
such that edge portions 106a are wedged into place and retained in the
grooves.
Web 106 may extend continuously substantially the entire length of lateral
members 102, 104. However, when beams 100 are used in construction, it is
useful
to provide a plurality of spaced apart webs 106, such that piping, wiring can
be
passed through the openings between webs 106 (see Figure 3).
Whether one or a plurality of webs 106 are provided, it is specifically
contemplated that beams 100 are provided in standardized lengths (for example,
8
feet (2.44 meter)) as seen in Figure 3 and can be cut down as required.
As mentioned above, it is an important feature of the present invention to
provide a construction member that can be used like conventional construction
beams. Accordingly, Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of a frame work (as
might
be used for walls in a building).
As seen in Figure S, beams 100a, 100b are mounted as studs on a laterally
extending beam (that is, a head plate or toe plate) 100c. (Another laterally
extending
beam (not shown) is provided at the other end of beams 100a, 100b.) The
structure
of each of beams 100a-100c is in accordance with the description of the
present
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invention hereinabove, and will not be repeated here. Attention is drawn to
the
manner in which lateral members 102a and 102b and 104a and 104b are mounted
with respect to lateral members 102c and 104c, respectively, with nails,
screws or any
other conventional fasteners (not shown here). Accordingly, it can be
appreciated
that one side of the frame (that is, lateral members 102a-102c) is resiliently
separated
by way of respective webs 106', 106", and 106"' from the other side of the
frame
(that is, lateral members 104a-104c). Accordingly, sound impinging on a wall
member mounted on one side of the frame is attenuated upon transmission to the
other side of the frame because of the resilience of webs 106', 106", and
106"'.
Furthermore, it is possible to resiliently mount a wall so that it acts like a
diaphragmatic sound absorber. In particular, only one "side" of the frame
assembly
(for example, lateral member 104c and/or lateral members 104a, 104b) is fixed
to the
surrounding building structure, and the other side of the frame assembly has
wall
board or the like mounted thereon (that is, on lateral members 102a, 102b),
without
attachment to the surrounding structure. The wall is therefore mounted on the
"free"
or "floating" side of the studs.
In order to enhance the effect of decoupling the one side of the wall frame
from the surrounding structure, it is desirable to provide a soft gasket (made
from, for
example, foam rubber) between the lateral beam 100c and the surrounding
structure
(that is, the ceiling and/or floor). This promotes relatively free movement of
the one
side of the frame that is not fixed to the surrounding building structure.
To further enhance the effect of decoupling the wall from the surrounding
structure, it is preferable to provide flexible joint material at junctions
between wall
board segments (not illustrated here), including at corners of rooms.
Therefore the
wall surface is visually continuous, but physically decoupled, in order to
take
advantage of the resultant sound attenuation effects.
Also, it is very desirable to provide additional sound and/or thermal
insulation
in the spaces defined by the studs and end plates. Such insulation can be of
any
conventional type, including blown, rolled or batting, foam board. The
addition of
such insulation enhances sound attenuation effects resulting from the present
invention.
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Figures 6 and 7 are a partial perspective view and a partial plan view,
respectively, of beam 200, in accordance with another embodiment of the
present
invention.
The design concept underlying beam 200 is fundamentally similar to that of
beam 100. Like before, lateral members 202 and 204 are provided, and are
resiliently
spaced apart from each other by web 206. Unlike web 106 in beam 100, however,
web 206 is not embedded in lateral members 202, 204. Instead, web 206 is fixed
(by
any conventional means, such as nails 205, as shown in Figures 6 and 7)
relative to
opposite faces of lateral members 202, 204 along the major dimension of the
beam
cross section.
As in the first embodiment, a plurality of spaced apart webs 206 may be
provided along the length of beam 200 (see, for example, Figure 7).
Web 206 is preferably made from a material that is slightly more flexible than
that used for web 106, such as 24 gauge galvanized steel.
Initial comparative testing has been undertaken comparing the sound
attenuation characteristics of conventional construction members versus beam
100
and beam 200, respectively. Initial results indicate that beam 100 has greater
than
expected attenuation characteristics, and that beam 200 should have even
better
attenuation performance than beam 100. This latter effect is thought to be
caused by
the shape and orientation of web 206, which more easily permits a normal
compression between lateral members 202, 204.
In addition, as a variation of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 7, the
plurality of webs are alternately arranged so that the portion of the webs
extending
obliquely thereacross alternates (thereby crossing each other, as seen from an
end of
beam 200) (see Figure 8). In Figure 8, beam 300 comprises lateral beams 302
and
304, and includes a plurality of first webs 306a which are spaced from and
alternate
with a plurality of second webs 306b. Accordingly, respective intermediate
portions
of webs 306a and 306b criss-cross as seen from an end of beam 300.
Inasmuch as sound that one seeks to attenuate or isolate is typically
physically
unique relative to particular environments (for example, a home theater room,
a
movie theater, a machine shop, a recording studio, a concert hall), it is an
important
feature of the present invention to provide a construction member that can be
"tuned"
in order to tailor its sound attenuation properties for a specific
environment. In other
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words, a beam according to the present invention can be specifically
manufactured so
that its resilient properties (in terms of, for example, spring constant) are
made to
correspond to a particular kind of sound (especially in terms of its
frequency) so that
sound attenuation can be maximized.
Such "tuning" can be accomplished by varying the thickness of web 106, 206,
either uniformly or variably over the entire area of web 106, 206. In
addition,
notches, slits, or other openings can be formed in web 106, 206 to control the
resilience of web 106, 206 in accordance with known principles of physics. In
addition, suitably sized perforations or openings in a continuous web can be
formed
so as to create a tunable Helmholtz resonator effect between adjacent cavities
defined
between studs in the framework illustrated in Figure S. By altering the number
and/or size of the perforations or openings, a resultant Helmholtz resonant
frequency
can be controlled, at which attenuation of sound at that frequency is
maximized. It
should be noted that this is different from reference to a plurality of webs
as shown in
Figures 3, 7, and 8.
It can therefore be appreciated that adjoining rooms may be constructed (for
example, adjoining musical studios) such that each room can be tuned in
accordance
with its respective mode of use. In particular, this may be accomplished by
constructed "double wall" framework, where two frames of the structure
illustrated in
Figure 5 are constructed face-to-face, such that the respective opposing sides
of the
frames are fixed to the surrounding building structure and their respective
opposite
sides are left free floating in the manner discussed above.
Assembly of lateral members and resilient webs according to the present
invention is facilitated by providing at least one spacer on the resilient web
or webs
to orient the lateral members relative to the resilient web.
Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a beam 400, somewhat
similar to beams 200 and 300 in Figures 6-8. Here again, beam 400 comprises
lateral
members 402 and 404, and a resilient web 406 extending therebetween.
Resilient web 406 is attached to opposite facing sides of lateral members 402
and 404, respectively, by, for example, staples 408 (although any conventional
attachment method can be used, including, without limitation, screws, nails,
bolts).
Resilient web includes a first portion 406a, a second portion 406b bent at an
angle to first portion 406a, and a third portion 406c bent at an angle to
second portion
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406b and generally parallel with first portion 406a. Generally, lateral
members 402
and 404 are received in the bends defined by the first and second portions
406a and
406b, and by the second and third portions 406b and 406c, as shown in Figure
10.
It is a particular feature of this embodiment to provide a spacer 410 (412) on
at least one of first and third portions 406a and 406c to space a respective
at least one
of the lateral members 402 and 404 away from second portion 406b of the
resilient
web 406. In general, the provision of spacers 410 (412) allows easy assembly
of the
lateral members and the resilient web (known in the art as "self jigging"). In
particular, the provision of spacers 410, 412 prevents the respective lateral
members
402, 404 from being placed in abutting relation to second portion 406b. If
such an
arrangement were to be had, then the abutment of the resilient members against
the
second portion 406b would undesirably retard the resilient sound-damping
characteristics of the resilient web 406.
It is noted that the slight spacing shown in Figure 10 between lateral members
402 and 404 and the resilient web 406 is for clarity of illustration only and
is not
necessarily illustrative of the present invention.
The arrangement of the present invention illustrated in Figure 10 can be
extended desirably to an apparatus and method for retrofitting standard beam
members, especially beam members already assembled into a standard frame
arrangement.
Figure 9 illustrates a retrofitting assembly 500 comprising a lateral beam
502,
to which at least one resilient web 506 is attached by staples 508 or the
like. Each
resilient web 506 as shown includes spacers 510 and 512. However, the
provision of
spacers 512 is most important here. It is emphasized that assembly 500 in and
of
itself is not a construction member per se, but is used in conjunction with
standard
beams in order to provide a resilient beam arrangement.
As before, resilient web 506 may be made from any suitably resilient
material, including (without limitation) metal, rubber, asphalt, plastic, or
other
resilient polymeric material. In one example, spacers 510, 512 are protruding
tabs
formed integrally with the resilient web 506. In a specific example, spacers
510, S 12
may be punch-formed into the material of the resilient web 506 (especially,
but not
necessarily only, where the resilient web 506 is made from metal). The punch-
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formed portions can simply be turned away from the web material as needed to
form
the required spacers.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 9, it is especially important to
provide
spacers 512 as shown. The assembly 500 is arranged relative to a single
standard
beam such as a 2"x4" (5.08 cm x 10.16 cm) (not shown here) and fastened
thereto
(again, by staples, screws, nails, bolts, or any known and suitable fastener).
The
arrangement of the assembly 500 relative to a standard beam is made simple by
the
provision of spacers 512, especially where assembly 500 is coupled to a
standard
beam forming part of a conventional framework.
In addition, the resilient webs 506 may be provided in an alternating
arrangement, so that opposite sides of lateral member 502 are attached to
respective
resilient webs 506, as seen in Figure 9 (this is similar to the arrangement
illustrated in
Figure 8 and discussed above). With this arrangement, the assembly 500 may be
even more easily arranged relative to a standard beam by orienting the
assembly S00
so that respective free ends of the resilient webs 506 are arranged on
opposite sides of
the standard beam. Although the alternating arrangement of resilient webs 506
seen
in Figure 9 is beneficial (for reasons similar to those discussed above
relative to
Figure 8), it is not necessary according to the present invention. The present
invention is certainly operable with the resilient webs 506 all arranged in
like manner
along lateral member 502.
As with the other embodiments discussed above, lateral member 502 may be
rectangular or squared in cross-section, and may preferably be made from
continuous
lumber or a composite wood material, as well as plastic reinforced with glass
fibers.
In one example of the present invention, the spacers 410, 412, 510, 512 may
be arranged to space the respective lateral members about 0.25 inches (0.64
cm) from
the portion of the resilient web spanning the space between the lateral
members
However, the present invention is not restricted to a specific spacing, except
for that
sufficient to prevent the respective lateral members from fully abutting the
resilient
web, as discussed above.
One of ordinary skill will appreciate that the resilient web 506 may be shaped
so as to be attached to lateral members of different profiles. In one example,
a lateral
member 502 which is rectangular or squared in cross-section attached to the
resilient
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web 506 may be used so as to be attached to a conventional rigid I-beam
(discussed
above relative to the related art) or vice versa.
It will be appreciated that the assembly 500 as seen in Figure 9 can been seen
as somewhat analogous to a conventional resilient channel. However, at least
because of the self jigging aspect of the assembly 500 (due to the provision
of
spacers), the assembly 500 is much easier to work with compared with resilient
channel structures.
Figure 11 is a plan view of a resilient web 600 according to sixth embodiment
of the present invention. Resilient web 600 is characteristically made from a
single
piece of material formed so as to generally have a x-shape in cross-section.
In
general, resilient web includes first and second main portions 602, 604 which
are
angled relative to one another (see, for example, Figure 12). Each main
portion 602,
604 has first and second end portions (602a, 602b, 604a, 604b) adapted to be
attached
to lateral members 608 (see, for example, Figures 13 and 14) so as to form a
construction member according to the present invention. For example, the first
and
second end portions of each main portion may be bent relative to their
respective
main portions at fold lines 606, whereby the lateral members 608 are arranged
between generally parallel but unaligned first portions 602a, 604a and second
portions 602b, 604b (see, again, for example, Figures 13 and 14).
Resilient web 600 may, for example, be made from a flat piece of metal (for
example, steel). Longitudinal cuts 610a and 610b are formed generally down the
midwidth of the piece of metal, all the way to the respective longitudinal
ends of the
piece of metal. Longitudinal cuts 610a and 610b may or may not be aligned with
each other. Furthermore, longitudinal cuts 610a and 610b do not meet (lest the
piece
of metal be completely severed), but end at a pivot point or line 610c. In
forming the
resilient web, first and second main portions 602 and 604 are rotated relative
to each
other about a pivot axis lying in the plane of the originally flat piece of
metal and
extending through the pivot point 610c. Although steel was specified above as
a
material of manufacture, any suitable metallic material may be used instead.
Indeed,
any (metallic or non-metallic) material that is similar in bending stiffness
to steel may
be used, as long as its physical characteristics are amenable as a whole to
the
invention disclosed herein (especially with regard to resilient flexibility).
In addition,
the first and second end portions of each main portion 602, 604 may be bent as
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needed so as to be attachable to lateral members 608. As seen, by way of
example in
Figure 14, the respective end portions are attached to lateral members 608
conventional fasteners such as nails 612, but alternatively including, without
limitation, screws, rivets, staples, liquid or solid adhesive, or any
combination of one
or more conventional fasteners.
Instead of cutting and bendingly forming a metal plate, as discussed above,
resilient web 600 may be molded from any suitable thermoplastic material, as
long as
that material possesses resilient properties that make it amenable as a whole
to the
invention disclosed herein (especially with regard to resilient flexibility).
Like the lateral members disclosed elsewhere herein, lateral members 608 are
preferably made from any easily workable material, especially, but not only,
wood
and various formed wood products. Plastic material reinforced with, for
example,
glass fiber, is also suitable.
The resilient web of the sixth embodiment, as seen in Figures 11 - 14, is
conveniently made using a conventional method of manufacture (for example,
using
conventional metal stamping or conventional molding). From an acoustical
perspective, a construction member using the resilient web of the sixth
embodiment
allows linear relative motion between the lateral members, but resists
rotational or
lateral relative motion.
Although not specifically illustrated herein, resilient web 600 may be
provided with one or more spacers as illustrated in, for example, Figures 9
and 10,
from which comparable benefits are gained.
As disclosed elsewhere herein, it is beneficial to provide at least one
opening
in resilient web 600 so as to provide a Helmholtz resonator effect.
It will be appreciated that resilient web 600 may be used with only one
lateral
member 608, in a manner similar to the arrangement illustrated in Figure 9.
The
combination of resilient web 600 and one lateral member 608 can therefore be
mounted on a stud in a preexisting wall frame so as to provide retrofit sound
attenuation benefits. As with the arrangement in Figure 9, one or more spacers
(similar to spacers 512) may be provided to facilitate arrangement of the
web/lateral
member combination relative to a stud in the preexisting wall frame.
Although construction members according to the present invention have been
described hereinabove for wall frames, they are also contemplated for use in
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mounting floating ceilings which are acoustically isolated from a building
structure.
In addition, construction members according to the present invention may also
be
used in floor construction.
In particular, a construction member for mounting a floating ceiling may be
used by fixing one of the lateral members to the building structure and fixing
a
ceiling member to the free floating lateral member (that is, the lateral
member not
fixed to the building structure).
The use of substantially identical lateral members is contemplated according
to the present invention. However, use of dissimilar lateral members is also
expressly within the scope of the present invention for all embodiments. For
example, one of the lateral members 102, 104 shown in Figure 2 may be replaced
by
a conventional wood I-beam of the type described above. In particular, web 106
may
be embedded in one of the flange portions of the wood I-beam, in the manner
disclosed above. Similarly, webs 506 and 600 (as illustrated in Figures 9 and
10 and
Figures 11-14, respectively) are arranged to have end portions on opposite
sides of
one of the flange portions of the wood I-beam.
Although the present invention is directed primarily to construction members
made from non-metal materials, the design concepts may be of interest in the
manufacture of metal studs comprising a pair of metal members with a resilient
web
extending therebetween in accordance with the foregoing description. In
particular, a
metal stud using the inventive principles disclosed herein could be made from
a
single piece of sheet metal, formed into shape.
The present invention being thusly described, it will be obvious that the same
may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a
departure from
the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be
obvious to
one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the
following
claims. It is specifically noted that several embodiments are directed to
particular
features of the present invention. The manner in which different specific
aspects of the
present invention can be used in conjunction is discussed to some extent
hereinabove.
However, the mere fact that one particular feature disclosed herein is not
expressly
disclosed as being used in conjunction with another particularly disclosed
feature is,
alone, not meant to be limiting.
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