Spacer assembly for preventing an acoustic short circuit in a building
AssigneeKeene Building Products Co., Inc.
InventorJames R. Keene
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spacer assembly adapted to prevent the formation of acoustical short circuits in a building ceiling, floor and/or wall assembly. The spacer assembly includes a support member and is adapted for spacing and supporting a finished interior building element in acoustic isolation with respect to a structural member.
Claims23
An assembly for preventing an acoustic circuit in a building construction including a structural beam for supporting finished interior components, said assembly comprising:
- a spacer;
- and
- an elongate U-shaped support operatively associated with said spacer, the elongate U-shaped support defining a lengthwise extending channel and having at least one flange, the U-shaped support extending lengthwise in a direction perpendicular to the length of the structural beam;
- wherein the spacer comprises:
- a penetration resistant portion having a width that is generally coextensive with the width of the structural beam and a length extending across a substantial portion of the channel defined by said U-shaped support,
- engagement means supporting said U-shaped support and comprising a C-shaped slot defined by the spacer that receives said flange of the U-shaped support;
- and
- a fastener for connecting the spacer and support assembly to the structural beam.
A building construction having a flooring or ceiling assembly that displays improved acoustic characteristics, wherein the assembly comprises:
- at least one structural beam;
- at least one finished interior element;
- at least one elongate U-shaped support defining a channel disposed between the finished interior element and the structural beam, the elongate U-shaped support including a flange and extending lengthwise in a direction perpendicular to the length of the structural beam;
- at least one fastener extending upward for fastening the finished interior element to the U-shaped support;
- and
- a spacer assembly operatively associated with said U-shaped support and disposed at least partially between the support and the finished interior element, and wherein the spacer assembly comprises:
- a support engaging means engaging the support and comprising a slot into which the flange of the support is received;
- a structural beam engagement means engaging the structural beam, and
- wherein the spacer is of dimension suitable for preventing a fastener extending upward from the finished interior element from contacting the structural beam;
- and
- wherein the structural beam is one or more of a horizontal structural beam and a vertical structural beam, and wherein the finished interior element is one or more of an interior finished ceiling element and an interior finished wall element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.