Acoustically effective insulating lining for motor vehicles
AssigneeRieter Automotive (International) AG
InventorEric Renault
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An insulating lining that is used as a floor covering and is especially useful in providing acoustic insulation. The insulating lining consists of a covering layer and a cell layer with a plurality of cells. The cells are defined by lateral cell walls and are open on the bearing surface side. The cell walls of the cell layer have spacers on the bearing surface side so that when the insulating covering is in place air which is enclosed in each cell can communicate directly with the airspace in each adjacent cell through a lateral space between the bearing surface and the bottom edge of the cell wall between each pair of adjacent cells.
Claims18
Insulating covering in the form of a spring-mass system for acoustic insulation of a vibrating part, which insulating covering comprises three different functional zones:
- a first zone (A) comprises non-perforated top layer having an inner surface which lends stability and non-crushability to the entire insulating covering and serves as a mass layer for the spring-mass system;
- a second zone (B) comprising a cellular layer having a plurality of open cells, each cell comprising:
- a plurality of lateral cell walls each having a top edge and a bottom edge, said top edge of each cell wall being connected to said inner surface;
- an air space enclosed by said cell walls and said top layer, whereby the cell walls and the air space enclosed thereby assume the function of a resilient spring for the spring-mass system;
- and
- a third zone (C) comprising a plurality of spacer elements disposed on portions of said bottom edge of selected ones of said cell walls of said plurality of cells and extended below said bottom edge of each cell wall, said spacer elements being so positioned as to separate the second zone (B) and substantially an entire length of the bottom edge of each cell wall of the cellular layer thereof from a non-perforated bearing surface when the insulating covering is in place whereby air enclosed in each cell's airspace can communicate directly with the airspace in each adjacent cell in said cellular layer through a lateral space between the bearing surface and the bottom edge of the cell wall between each pair of adjacent cells.
A method of acoustically insulating a vibrating part having a non-perforated bearing surface, comprising:
- providing an insulating covering having a spring-mass system, comprising:
- a first zone having a non-perforated top layer having an inner surface which lends stability and non-crushability to the insulating covering and serves as a mass layer for the spring-mass system;
- a second zone comprising a cellular layer having a plurality of open cells, each cell comprising:
- a plurality of lateral cell walls each having a top edge and a bottom edge, said top edge of each cell wall being connected to said inner surface;
- an air space enclosed by said cell walls and said top layer, whereby the cell walls and the air space enclosed thereby assume the function of a resilient spring for the spring-mass system;
- and
- a third zone comprising a plurality of spacer elements disposed on portions of said bottom edge of selected ones of said cell walls of said plurality of cells and extended below said bottom edge of each cell wall;
- positioning said insulating covering on the bearing surface such that said spacer elements separate the second zone and substantially an entire length of the bottom edge of each cell wall of the cellular layer thereof from the bearing surface whereby air enclosed in each cell's airspace can communicate directly with the airspace in each adjacent cell in said cellular layer through a lateral space between the bearing surface and the bottom edge of the cell wall between each pair of adjacent cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.