# US 8,770,345 B2 · Gypsum-panel acoustical monolithic ceiling

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- Number: US 8,770,345 B2
- Document ID: US8770345B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/534,454
- Filed: 2012-06-27
- Published: 2014-01-02
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-06-27
- Assignees: USG Interiors, Inc.
- Applicants: Erin Dugan; Mark Miklosz
- Inventors: Erin Dugan; Mark Miklosz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770345B2

## CPC

- E04B 9/001: {characterised by provisions for heat or sound insulation}
- E04B 9/045: {being laminated}
- E04B 1/86: slab-shaped
- E04B 9/0457: {having closed internal cavities}
- E04B 9/245: {by means of screws, bolts or clamping strips held against the underside of the supporting construction (E04B9/26 takes precedence)}
- E04B 2001/8461: {layered}
- E04B 2001/8476: {with acoustical cavities, with or without acoustical filling}
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})

## Abstract

An acoustical panel for forming a monolithic ceiling or wall, the panel extending across a rectangular area, and having a core made primarily of gypsum, the core being essentially coextensive with the panel area such that it has two opposed sides, each of an area substantially equal to the area of the panel, the core having a multitude of perforations extending generally between its sides, the perforations being distributed substantially uniformly across the full area of the core and being open at both sides of the core, the face side of the core being covered by a porous layer, the perforations being optionally restricted at a rear side of the core, the porous layer at the face side of the core being suitable for adherence of drywall joint compound and a water-based non-blocking paint.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An acoustical panel for forming a ceiling or wall, the panel extending across a rectangular area with a nominal thickness of about at least ½ in., the panel having a core made primarily of gypsum, the core being essentially coextensive with the panel area such that it has two opposed sides each of an area substantially equal to the area of the panel, the core having a multitude of perforations extending generally between its sides, the perforations being distributed substantially uniformly across the full area of the core and being open at face and rear sides of the core, the face side of the core being covered by an effectively visually imperforate porous layer when painted, the perforations being restricted by a porous covering at a rear side of the core, the porous layer at the face side of the core being suitable for adherence by conventional drywall joint compound and a water-based non-blocking paint, the panel, after the porous layer at the face side of the core and joint compound are painted with said non-blocking paint, being adapted to exhibit an NRC of 0.50 or more.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An acoustical panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein long edges of the panel are slightly tapered for receiving joint tape and joint compound.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An acoustical panel as set forth in claim 1, having a nominal width of 4 feet and a nominal length of at least 8 feet.

### Claim 4

An acoustical panel for forming a ceiling or wall, the panel extending across a rectangular area with a nominal thickness of about at least ½ in., the panel having a core made primarily of gypsum, the core being essentially coextensive with the panel area such that it has two opposed sides each of an area substantially equal to the area of the panel, the core having a multitude of perforations extending generally between its sides, the perforations being distributed substantially uniformly across the full area of the core and being open at face and rear sides of the core, the face side of the core being covered by a porous non-woven layer that is effectively visually imperforate when painted with a non-blocking paint, the perforations being restricted at a rear side of the core by a porous acoustical non-woven fabric, the porous non-woven layer at the face side of the core being suitable for adherence by conventional drywall joint compound and a water-based non-blocking paint, the panel, when installed and the porous non-woven layer covering the face side of the core is painted with a non-blocking paint capable of concealing said joint compound, being adapted to exhibit a NRC of 0.50 or greater.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An acoustical panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rear side of the panel includes a porous paper layer effective to restrict the core perforations.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An acoustical panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein face and rear sides of the core are covered with respective paper layers having perforations in registry with the core perforations.

### Claim 7

An acoustical monolithic ceiling or wall construction comprising a generally planar grid of spaced parallel support elements, a plurality of acoustical panels secured at their rear sides to the support elements in a manner such that the panels each bridge spaces between the support elements, the panels forming joints between adjacent panels, the joints overlying respective support elements, each panel having a gypsum core forming a major part of a thickness of a panel, the core having a multitude of spaced perforations distributed across substantially a full area of the core, the core perforations being open or only partially restricted at a rear side of the panel, a porous layer covering the perforations on a face side of the core, the joints between panels at their faces being concealed by tape and joint compound on the porous layer and by a continuous non-blocking coating of paint over the full faces of the panels including the tape and joint compound at their joints while an acoustically effective porosity of the porous layer is maintained whereby the construction exhibits a NRC of at least 0.50.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An acoustical construction as set forth in claim 7, wherein a collective cross-sectional area of the perforations of a panel is about 20% of a total area of the face of the panel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

An acoustical construction as set forth in claim 7, wherein a collective cross-sectional area of the perforations of a panel is between about 9% and about 28% of a total area of the face of the panel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

An acoustical construction as set forth in claim 7, wherein a panel is formed by perforating a sheet of conventional drywall.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

An acoustical construction as set forth in claim 10, wherein the drywall is through perforated.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

An acoustical construction as set forth in claim 7, including an acoustical non-woven porous fabric laminated to a rear side of each panel.

### Claim 13

An acoustical monolithic ceiling or wall construction comprising a generally planar grid of spaced parallel support elements, a plurality of acoustical panels secured at their backsides to the support elements in a manner such that the panels each bridge spaces between the support elements, the panels forming joints between adjacent panels, the joints overlying respective support elements, each panel having a gypsum core forming a major part of a thickness of a panel, the core having a multitude of spaced perforations distributed across substantially a full area of the core, a porous non-woven layer covering the perforations on a face side of the core, an acoustical non-woven porous fabric laminated to a rear side of each panel to form the panel backside, the joints between adjacent panels at their faces being concealed by a continuous non-blocking coating of paint formed in situ over the full faces of the panels including their joints, the non-blocking paint leaving sufficient porosity in the porous non-woven layer at the face side of the core for the construction to achieve a NRC of at least 0.50.