US2850109A - Light-permeable sound-absorbing panel - Google Patents

Description

Y Sept. 2,'1958 R. A. BENJAMIN LIGHT-.'PERMEABLE SOUND-ABSORBING PANEL Filed April 27, 1954 S f L V United States Patent O LIGHT-PERMEABLE SOUND-ABSRBING PANEL Reuben Allen Benjamin, Glencoe, lll., assignor to Ben- ]amln Electric Manufacturing Company, Glencoe, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 27, 1954, Serial No. 425,855

7 Claims. (Cl. 181-33) This invention relates to the acoustical and optical treatment of rooms, more particularly to the provision of light-permeable and sound-absorbing panels for utilization as individual members or in connection with lighting fixtures, and it is an object of the 'invention to provide improved apparatus of this character.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a panel of the character described which is simple in construction, ecient in operation, and pleasing in appearance. l

In many rooms, whether oces, studios or factories, it is desirable to have' sound-deadening means and, conveniently, these may be provided in connection with lighting fixtures, particularly those of the fluorescent lamp type, in order not lonly to absorb sound from the light fixture itself, but from the surroundings.

Sound-deadening panels or baffles of the prior art have been either opaque to `light `or the exterior surface of the panel has been solid so that sound waves impinging thereon were reflected to a substantial extent. Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to provide an improved light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel wherein the exterior surface is sound-transparent over the sound frequency range, but the interior of the panel is highly effectively sound-absorbing over the same range so that sound after having entered the panel is absorbed or deadened and never emerges. In carrying out the invention in one form a light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel is provided comprising a pair of spaced apart perforated layers of light-permeable material and a layer of light-permeable, sound-absorbing material disposed in the space between the perforated layers.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view partially in section showing a panel according to the invention suspended from the ceiling of a room in connection with a uorescent lighting tixture;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view taken in the direction ofarrows 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on a larger scale taken substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially :along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises a light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel shown suspended from a ceiling 11 beneath a pair offluorescent lamps 12Iand 13, the suspension being by means ofrods 14 or other suitable means.

Thepanel 10 comprises a pair ofperforated members 15 and 16 which are spaced apart and between which there is a layer of sound :absorbingmaterial 17. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thelayers 15 and 16 may be in contact with the surfaces of the layer of sound-absorb- Patented Sept. l2, 1958ICC ing material 17, but it will be understood that thelayers 15 and 16 may be spaced a short distance away from the sound-absorbing material. Thelayers 15 and 16 may be held apart in any suitable manner so as not to crush the sound-absorbing material, such for example as byspacers 18.

Thelayers 15 and 16 may be made, for example, of a clear or translucent plastic material provided withperforations 19, which perforations may, for example, be of the order of 1A inch to W16 inch in diameter and spaced on centers 3A inch to 11A inch apart. The size, number, and spacing of the perforations,'as well as the thickness of thelayers 15 and 16, may be chosen to satisfy particular conditions so long as the dimensions are such that thelayers 15 and 16 are substantially transparent to sound over the sound frequency range.

Thematerial 17 may be any translucent or transparent wool, for example made `o'f spun glass or rock fibers which are highly sound absorbing over the sound frequency range. Thus, when sound impinges upon thelayers 15 and 16 it passes therethrough by virtue of the perforations and then is absorbed within thewool layer 17, the thickness thereof being chosen to satisfy the particular conditions. One to two inches in thickness has been found satisfactory.

The panel as a whole should be light-permeable in order that use may be made of it in connection with lighting fixtures and it may be as nearly transparent as the materials desired to be used will permit. It may also, of course, be translucent whereby to produce a desirable diffused effect. Various decorative effects may be produced by using colored materials, for example, for thelayers 15 and 16.

To obtain a slight spacing of a substantial portion of the exterior layers from the sound-absorbing material, these layers may be corrugated as shown bylayers 2l and 22 in Figs. 4 and 5. The materials oflayers 21 and 22 may be the same as those described in the preceding gures and theperforations 23 may be dimensioned and disposed as already described, but as shown are disposed only in the tops or outermost parts of the corrugations. Perforations may also be provided in the bottoms of the corrugations, if desired. A layer of highly efficient sound-absorbing, light-permeable material 24 is disposed between thecorrugated layers 21 and 22 so that contact is had for support purposes only with the bottoms or innermost parts of the corrugations. In a panel constructed in this fashion, the sound enters theperforations 23 and spreads out within the triangular spiace between the perforations and the surface of the wool-absorbingmaterial 24 so that the sound impinges initially upon the sound material over a larger area thereof. A greater portion of the wool-absorbing materialcomes into operation and a greater sound-absorbing or deadening effect is obtained.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modications may be made, and it is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprisign a pair of spaced-apart, perforated layers of lightpermeable, material, and a layer of light-permeable, sound-absorbing material disposed in the space between said perforated layers.

2. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprising a pair of spaced-apart, perforated layers of lightpermeable material, and a layer of fibrous, lightpermeable material disposed in the space between said perforated layers.

3. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprising a pair of spaced-apart, perforated layers of lightpermeable material, spacers for holding said perforated layers in said spaced-apart relationship, and a layer of fibrous, light-permeable material disposed in the space between said perforated layers.

4. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprising a pair of spaced-apart, perforated layers of lightpermeable material, spacers for holding said perforated layers in said spaced-apart relationship, and a layer of fibrous, light-permeable material disposed in the space between said perforated layers but spaced therefrom.

5. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprising a pair of corrugated, spaced-apart, perforated layers of light-permeable material, and a layer of fibrous, lightpermeble material disposed in the space between said perforated layers.

6. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprising a pair of corrugated, spaced-apart, perforated layers of light-permeable material, and a layer of fibrous, lightpermeable material disposed in the space between said perforated layers but being in contact only with the innermost parts of the Acorrugations thereof.

7. A light-permeable, sound-absorbing panel comprising a pair of corrugated, spaced-apart layers of lightpermeable material, each of said layers being perforated along the outermost parts of the corrugations thereof, and a layer of fibrous, light-permeable material disposed in the space between said perforated layers but being in contact only with the innermost parts of the corrugations three'of.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,011,252 Modigliani Aug. 13, 1935 2,160,638 Bedell et al, May 30, 1939 2,161,708 Heerwagen June 6, 1939 2,218,992 Monroe Oct. 22, 1940 2,590,204 Phillips Mar. 25, 1952 2,710,335 Wong June 7, 1955 2,715,449 Lemmerman et alv Aug. 16, 1955 2,759,093 Ferar et al. Aug. 14, 1956

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