EP1183437B1 - Partitioned wave-guide sound insulation glazing - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an acoustic insulating glazing unit.This glazing unit comprises two glass sheets (12, 14) joined together around their periphery by means of an assembly (16) forming a seal (163) and an insert frame (161) which defines, with the two glass sheets, a flat cavity filled with a gas, and a waveguide fastened between the glass sheets, internal to the insert frame. The waveguide consists of at least one straight tubular section (20, 22, 24, 26) placed on the periphery of the gas-filled cavity along one side of the glazing unit, this section being provided with a transverse partition (28) which closes the latter in its length direction, the said partition being placed at a length position along the section which depends on the acoustic mode of the cavity that it is desired to disorganize, this partition defining, on either side of it, two chambers (30, 31) which communicate with the cavity through the ends of the sections.

Description

The present invention relates to the acoustic insulation of a glazing.

Insulating glazing is commonly used in the building to improve the thermal insulation of premises. Glazing generally comprises two glass sheets associated by means of an intermediate frame which keeps them at a distance from one another by trapping between them a blade of air or gas. For example, the glass sheets may have a thickness of 4 mm and be separated by an air or gas gap in general between 6 and 24 mm. However, as they are, these windows have limited acoustic performance, significantly lower than that of a monolithic glass of the same overall surface mass and, in particular, double glazing with two sheets of 4 mm have poor acoustic performance.

Various means are used in the industry to improve the acoustic performance of these insulating glass units. The most common way is to increase the thickness of the glass sheets, but this technique has limited efficiency and increases the weight of the glazing.

Another way is to increase the thickness of the air space, but the effect is sensitive only for air thicknesses of several centimeters, which prohibits the realization of sealed insulating glass.

Patent EP-0 100 701 discloses a glazing unit whose glass sheets are constituted by special laminates incorporating particular polymer films. This type of glazing allows a very clear improvement compared to ordinary insulating glass, but the cost is also significantly higher.

Some publications have proposed glazings made of monolithic glass sheets of standard thickness, outside of which are installed Helmholtz resonators tuned to the resonant frequency of the air space enclosed between the sheets of glass with which they are connected. It is recalled that a Helmholtz resonator is constituted by a cavity which communicates with the outside through a narrow orifice. When an acoustic pressure acts on said orifice, it tends to vibrate the air mass contained in the cavity at a certain frequency which is a function of the dimensions of this cavity. The Helmholtz resonator is used to attenuate low frequency oscillations; its efficiency is maximum around its frequency of acoustic resonance as well as its harmonics.

An example of this technique is described in the patent application WO-A-85 02640, which relates to a box provided with spherical Helmholtz resonators located outside the box and in communication with its internal cavity by low ducts. section. However, this system is completely unsuited to insulating glass units because the production of external spherical resonators is expensive and difficult to implement. In addition, these resonators are relatively large compared to the volume of the air gap of the glazing and thus lead to a set of large dimensions.

Patent DE 3 401 996 relates to a variant of the previous system applied to a glazing unit, which uses only one Helmholtz resonator, always outside the glazing unit, mounted at its periphery and whose cavity communicates with the blade. air through a continuous slot, but this system has the same defect as the previous one.

Finally, patent EP 0 579 542 discloses a glazing unit provided at its periphery with a waveguide which communicates with the air gap through a plurality of orifices whose shape, section and position are determined in such a way as to detune the acoustic and mechanical waves which are born respectively in the air space and on the sheets of glass when the glazing is subjected to an incident acoustic field.

This waveguide is embodied by a single profile around the insulating glass, arranged along the sides of the spacer frame, internally relative to this frame, with holes preferably in the middle of the sides to ensure communication between the inside the waveguide and the air gap. In another variant, this waveguide is formed of several rectilinear profiles whose ends are not contiguous, thus providing additional communication passages between the inside of the waveguide and the air knife.

Finally, the document DE-A-28 03 740 describes a glazing unit provided at its periphery with a waveguide associated with the spacer, this waveguide consists of a straight tubular profile and provided on its lateral walls with ports that communicate with the air space.

Whatever the variant embodiment, the acoustic performance is quite limited and the introduction of the waveguide profile or profiles is complicated.

The present invention aims at remedying the drawbacks of the prior art techniques presented above and relates to glazing acoustic insulation formed of two monolithic or other glass plates, with improved acoustic efficiency, reserving a clear view, compact, easy to manufacture and for a cost barely higher than that of conventional insulating glass units.

The invention is based on the observation that a glazing formed of two glass plates and which is subjected to an incident acoustic excitation is the seat of several vibro-acoustic modes, but that one of the acoustic modes which conveys the most energy from one plate to another is that in λ / 2. If, therefore, this mode is essentially attenuated in λ / 2, most of the acoustic energy transmitted from one glass to the other is eliminated.

The invention relates to an acoustic insulating glazing unit of the type described in DE-A-28 03 740, that is to say formed of two glass plates separated by a peripheral spacer frame, enclosing a cavity filled with gas, in particular most generally air, and having an inner waveguide consisting of at least one rectilinear tubular section disposed at the periphery of the cavity, along one side of the glazing, characterized in that this section is provided with a transverse partition which closes in the direction of its length, arranged at a location of this length which is a function of the acoustic mode that is desired to mitigate.

The glazing is thus associated with a double tubular Helmholtz resonator tuned to the wavelength of the acoustic mode that Ion essentially wants to disorganize, for example λ / 2, if we want to disorganize this vibratory mode, where λ / i (i being an integer} if we want to disorganize this other vibratory mode We know that λ is given by the formula λ = c / l where c is the velocity of sound in the internal cavity of the glazing and l is the length of the resonator of Tubular helmholtz, depending on the position of the partition.

Advantageously, for better efficiency, there are four profiles in the cavity, at the periphery of a rectangular insulating glass, along the sides of said glazing, each section being provided with a transverse partition.

The position of the partition depends on the acoustic mode to disorganize: it is placed substantially in the middle of the length of the profile to act on the mode in λ / 2 or the third to detune the acoustic mode in λ / 3.

The middle partition can be made by any suitable means. It can come from manufacture with the profile during the extrusion thereof or be carried out later, in particular by interlocking two profiles of lengths slightly less than the half-length of one side of the glazing, on a partition connector, that is to say equipped with a partition or, in particular in the case of thermoformable plastic profiles, by restricting the section and welding, or a partition can be slid and wedged inside the profile smooth.

On the other hand, it is possible to insert inside the waveguides absorbent material to improve the acoustic performance. It is then wise to use this absorbent in place of a partition and make it play the role of partition. The guide will then be formed for example of tubular sections, smooth internally, in which buffers of absorbent material are inserted and are positioned at the desired locations, in particular respectively in the middle of the length of each profile.

The principle of nested profiles on a connector which contains a buffer of absorbing material is also an interesting practical solution.

The profiles forming the waveguide may be disjoint and in this case, their inner chambers defined on either side of the partition communicate with the cavity of the glazing through the open ends of the profiles which are opposite to the partition.

They can also be assembled by means of tubular brackets whose wings fit into the ends of the profiles, an orifice being provided in the brackets or in the wall facing the profiles, to communicate the interior space of the profiles with the cavity of the glazing, at the angles of the glazing.

In another embodiment, a frame is made from a straight hollow section by folding thereof and holes are made in the corners of the frame, in its wall which is intended to be turned towards the cavity internal glazing.

• la figure 1 est une vue en plan d'un vitrage isolant acoustique selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention, avec un arrachement à mi-épaisseur du vitrage ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe à plus grande échelle suivant la ligne II-II de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe analogue à la figure 1 d'un vitrage isolant acoustique selon un second mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne IV-IV de la figure 3;
• les figures 5, 6 et 7 montrent en coupe longitudinale trois modes de réalisation de la cloison médiane dans un profilé ;
• la figure 8 montre un connecteur-cloison ;
• la figure 9 est une vue en perspective d'une équerre servant à relier les profilés entre eux ; et
• la figure 10 est une vue en perspective d'un guide d'onde en forme de cadre rectangulaire réalisé au moyen de profilés assemblés avec les équerres de la figure 9 et les connecteurs-cloisons de la figure 8.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description of some embodiments, which will be made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a plan view of an acoustic insulating glazing unit according to a first embodiment of the invention, with a tearing mid-thickness of the glazing;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale along the line II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 of an acoustic insulating glazing according to a second embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Figure 3;
• Figures 5, 6 and 7 show in longitudinal section three embodiments of the median wall in a profile;
• Figure 8 shows a partition connector;
• Figure 9 is a perspective view of a bracket for connecting the profiles together; and
• FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a waveguide in the form of a rectangular frame made by means of profiles assembled with the brackets of FIG. 9 and the partition connectors of FIG. 8.

With reference first of all to FIGS. 1 and 2, the glazing 10 which is shown therein comprises, in a manner known per se, two glass sheets 12, 14 connected to each other over their entire periphery by a joint assembly and an interleafed interposed sealing frame. as a whole by the reference 16 which keeps them separated by trapping between them a flat cavity 18 which can contain air and / or a gas. This assembly 16 generally comprises a rigid section 16 ₁ forming an intermediate frame glued to the sheets 12, 14.

The profile 16 ₁ is provided on each of its lateral faces in contact with the glass sheets, a butyl rubber gluing and sealing bead 16 ₂ and a peripheral sealing gasket 16 ₃ which adheres to the edges internals of the two glass sheets 12 and 14.

According to the invention, in order to increase the acoustic insulation of the glazing, a waveguide is formed at the periphery of the latter, inside the assembly 16, which communicates with the cavity 18 via orifices placed at appropriate places. The waveguide consists of a plurality of rectilinear tubular sections 20, 22, 24, 26 which are glued to the two glass sheets and to the inner faces of the assembly 16.

These profiles have a rectangular section of the same height as the profiles forming spacer frame 16 ₁ , and are open at their ends. They include for example in the middle of their length, a median partition 28 which defines on either side of it two chambers 30, 31. These profiles are not contiguous, so that the chambers 30, 31 communicate with the cavity 18 through their open ends.

As explained above, such profiles with partitions in the middle of their length behave like Helmholtz resonators which have the property of disrupting the acoustic mode in λ / 2, which conveys the majority of the energy of the field. acoustic incident.

It is clear that in the case of the rectangular windows of Figure 1 which uses two pairs of respective lengths of profile 1 and L, the waveguide can reduce the two wavelengths λ _1/2 and λ _2/2, λ ₁ and λ ₂ are respectively equal to c / L and c / 1.

In cases where it is desired to disorganize other acoustic modes, for example λ / 3, it is at other places along the length of the profiles that the partition 28 is placed, for example one-third of the length. profiles 20, 22, 24, 26.

The efficiency of the waveguide can be increased by inserting in the inner chambers 30, 31 an acoustically absorbent material 32.

As is known in the field of insulating glass units, a desiccant 34 is advantageously arranged in the intermediate frame profiles 16 ₁ , holes 36 drilled in these profiles 16 ₁ and ending inside the profiles 20, 22, 24 , 26 of the waveguide, putting this desiccant 34 in communication with the air of the cavity 18, via the waveguide profiles 20, 22, 24, 26.

The embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from the preceding one only in that the straight tubular sections 20, 22, 24, 26 of the waveguide simultaneously serve as profiles of the rigid intermediate frame 16 ₁ serving to keep spaced the two sheets of glass. Thus, the realization of the glazing is simpler, and the clear view of said glazing is increased.

In this embodiment, as is more particularly visible in FIG. 4, the butyl rubber beads 16 ₂ which seal with the glass sheets are deposited on the lateral edges of the waveguide sections and the 34, as well as possibly the acoustic absorbent 32 are disposed within these profiles.

Advantageously, as shown in Figure 4, the lateral sides of the tubular sections 20, 22, 24, 26 are provided with longitudinal grooves 33 located between the butyl rubber beads 16 ₂ and the cavity 18. These grooves are able to serve as a reservoir safety for butyl rubber or in general the bonding putty that could migrate to the clear view of the cavity 18 under the effect of gravity, temperature or vibration.

The partition can be made in different ways, for example, it can be constituted by a throat 38 obtained by crushing two opposite walls of the profile (Figure 5) or a single wall of the profile (Figure 6). This is particularly convenient when the profiles 20, 22, 24, 26 are made of thermoplastic material; the profile is then crushed and heat-sealed. The partition may also be constituted by a buffer 39 with a high acoustic absorption capacity (FIG. 7).

The partition may also be made using a bulkhead connector 40 as shown in FIG. 8. This connector is constituted by a section of tubular section 41 of short length, for example approximately 2 to 5 cm, of section slightly smaller than that of the profiles 20, 22, 24, 26 of the waveguide, but of the same shape, so as to fit into them. It is provided in the middle of its length with a partition 28 and on its periphery, for example in line with the partition 28, with a rib 42 raised in relation to its surface and having a height equal to the thickness walls of the profiles 20, 22, 24, 26.

Thus, two half-lengths of profiles fitted on this connector, will constitute in a simple way a waveguide section with a smooth outer surface, with a partition 28. It will be noted that the acoustic absorbent may also be disposed in this connector 40, on each side of the partition 28.

The bulkhead connector shown in FIG. 8 has longitudinal grooves 43 intended to receive the ribs 37 which project inside the sections 20, 22, 24, 26.

FIG. 9 shows in perspective a bracket 50 serving to assemble the profiles 20, 22, 24, 26 to facilitate their placement inside the double glazing, and in particular to ensure the continuity and solidarity of the double spacer frame. glazing insofar as, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the profiles 20, 22, 24, 26 at the same time act as an interim framework 16 ₁ .

Each bracket 50 comprises a central body 51 and two wings 53, 55 having the same external section as the profiles. The wings are terminated by end pieces 56, 58 of reduced section so as to fit inside the ends of the profiles. The brackets have in their inner corner windows 54 which communicate the interior of the waveguide with the cavity 18.

The manufacture of the acoustic insulating glazing unit of FIG. 3 is as follows: firstly, the four sections 20, 22, 24, 26 are formed by means of the partition connectors 40 and portions of tubular sections that are fitted onto these sections. In the four sections 20, 22, 24, 26 thus formed, the absorbent 32 and the desiccant 34 are introduced, then the sections are assembled by means of the brackets 50 to obtain the frame shown in FIG. 10. The length of the sections will be chosen according to the glazing dimensions that we want to manufacture. Is then deposited cords 16 ₂ butyl rubber on the side faces of the insert frame thus formed and then glue the two glass sheets 12, 14 of the spacer frame. Then injected into the groove formed at the periphery of the glazing a sealed plastic cord 16 ₃ .

Note that the assembly of the profiles is very simple and is done without trial and error since the shoulders 60 defined between the end pieces 56, 58 and the body 51 of the square limit to a fair value the length of introduction. tips inside the profiles. It will be noted that the upper and lower faces of the spacer frame are flat over their entire surface, and have no extra thickness. The two sheets of glass therefore bear uniformly on the entire surface of these faces.

It goes without saying that the waveguide can also be made on demand, in one piece with the desired dimensions, for example by folding a long tubular section according to the shape and dimensions of the glazing to be formed and welding or in assembling in another way the two ends of the frame thus produced.

Holes are then drilled in the inner corners of this frame to communicate the interior with the cavity 18. Here again, the partitions 28 will be made by one of the methods described above, for example, by introducing into the interior of the profile, before folding, four absorbent pads that are positioned so that, after folding, they are in the middle of the four sides of the guide, or, especially when it comes to thermoplastic profiles, by crushing the profile to wanted places and by heat-sealing.

In order to produce the glazing of the variant shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the profiles 20, 22, 24, 26 are formed for example by means of tubes and partition connectors. A butyl rubber bead is then deposited on the lateral faces of each profile 20, 22, 24 and 26 thus formed. These profiles are then deposited inside a window during manufacture and already having its lower glass sheet 12 and its rigid intermediate frame 16 ₁ , bonded to this sheet 12. The profiles 20, 22, 24, 26 being in place, juxtaposed to the different sides of the spacer frame, the glazing is closed by putting in place the second glass sheet 14.

Such glazings according to the invention are particularly effective for air slats 16 to 24 mm in height.

Claims (12)

1. Acoustic insulating glazing unit of the type comprising:

   - two glass sheets (12, 14) joined together around their periphery by means of an assembly (16) forming a seal (16₃) and an insert frame (16₁) which defines, with the two glass sheets, a flat cavity (18) filled with a gas; and

   - a waveguide fastened between the glass sheets, internal to the insert frame, the waveguide consisting of at least one straight tubular section (20, 22, 24, 26) placed on the periphery of the cavity (18) filled with gas, along one side of the glazing unit

   characterized in that this section is provided with a transverse partition (28) which closes the latter in its length direction, the said partition being placed at a length position along the section which depends on the acoustic mode of the cavity that it is desired to disorganize, this partition defining, on either side of it, two chambers (30, 31) which communicate with the cavity (18) through the ends of the sections.
2. Glazing unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that it includes several, especially four, waveguide sections (20, 22, 24, 26) placed along the length of each of the sides of the cavity (18).
3. Glazing unit according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the partition (28) of each section is placed approximately halfway along its length.
4. Glazing unit according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the partition (28) is placed one third the way or one quarter the way along the length of the section.
5. Glazing unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partition is produced by one of the means belonging to the following group:

   partition connector (40), heat-welded constriction (38) in a thermoplastic section, buffer (39) of acoustically absorbent material or partition slid into the section.
6. Glazing unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert frame (16₁) of the insulating glazing unit and the waveguide sections (20, 22, 24, 26) are separate and juxtaposed.
7. Acoustic insulating glazing unit of the type comprising:

   - two glass sheets (12, 14) joined together around their periphery by means of an assembly (16) forming a seal (16₃) and an insert frame (16₁) which defines, with the two glass sheets, a flat cavity (18) filled with a gas; and

   - a waveguide fastened between the glass sheets, internal to the insert frame, the waveguide consisting of at least one straight tubular section (20, 22, 24, 26) placed on the periphery of the cavity (18) filled with gas, along one side of the glazing unit, and the waveguide section acting at the same time as the insert frame,

   characterized in that this section is provided with a transverse partition (28) which closes the latter in its length direction, the said partition being placed at a length position along the section which depends on the acoustic mode of the cavity that it is desired to disorganize, this partition defining, on either side of it, two chambers (30, 31) which communicate with the cavity (18) through the ends of the sections.
8. Glazing unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the waveguide sections (20, 22, 24, 26) are provided, along their faces in contact with the glass sheets (12, 14), with a longitudinal groove (33) forming a safety reservoir for retaining, in the case of creep, the material (16₂) which serves to adhesively bond the glass sheets (12, 14) to the insert frame (16₁).
9. Glazing unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sections are joined together in the form of a continuous frame having the same shape as the glazing unit, apertures (54) being cut into the inner corners of the said frame in order to make the internal chambers of the sections communicate with the cavity (18).
10. Glazing unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sections (20, 22, 24, 26) are separate and their internal chambers (30, 31) communicate with the cavity (18) through the open ends of the sections.
11. Glazing unit according to Claim 9, characterized in that the sections (20, 22, 24, 26) are joined together by means of tubular corner pieces (50), the legs (56, 58) of which fit into the ends of the sections, the said corner pieces having an orifice (54) at their internal edge in order to make the internal space of the sections communicate with the cavity of the glazing unit.
12. Glazing unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the waveguide contains an acoustic absorbent (32).

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