Improved sound-insulating glazing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a glazing (10) comprising at least two glazing walls (7), wherein a cavity is formed between the glazing walls (7), and the cavity comprises at least one acoustic shielding device comprising at least one polymer foam plate (3), the at least one polymer foam plate (3) comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations (6) and defining a chamber (2) within the cavity.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention belongs to the general field of glazing manufacturing. More specifically, the present invention relates to an acoustic shielding device configured to improve the acoustic shielding performance of a glazing, and preferably to an acoustic shielding device configured to suppress the presence of moisture between the glazing walls of the glazing. The present invention also relates to a glazing comprising at least one such device. The present invention is not limited thereto, but is particularly advantageous in the case of building glazing. [Background technology]

[0002] Double glazing, consisting of two glass panes separated by a cavity filled with gas, usually air, is conventionally used for windows and facades of buildings due to its thermal and acoustic insulation properties.

[0003] However, the sound transmission loss obtained by such double glazing decreases at frequencies close to a frequency called "mass / spring / mass." This "mass / spring / mass" frequency corresponds to the resonant frequency of double glazing and is located at a low frequency. This phenomenon is called the mass / spring / mass effect and is caused by large pressure fluctuations within the air cavity at the mass / spring / mass frequency.

[0004] Furthermore, various solutions have been devised to improve the acoustic insulation performance of glazing. For example, International Publication No. 2022 / 234237 relates to a glazing comprising at least two glazing walls, wherein a cavity is formed between the glazing walls, and the cavity comprises at least one device comprising at least one plate, the plate comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations, and defining a chamber disposed within the cavity.

[0005] There is a need to provide an alternative system that can improve the acoustic shielding characteristics of glazing, particularly at low frequencies, and preferably improve its moisture absorption performance. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention aims to address some or all of the shortcomings of the prior art, particularly those described above, by providing a solution that provides glazing far more effective than the prior art solutions for sound insulation. In advantageous embodiments, the manufacturing method is further simplified. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Accordingly, according to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a glazing comprising at least two glazing walls, wherein a cavity is formed between the glazing walls, and the cavity comprises at least one acoustic shielding device comprising at least one polymer foam plate, the at least one polymer foam plate comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations and defining a chamber disposed within the cavity.

[0008] In certain embodiments, the glazing may further include some of the following features, either individually or in any technically feasible combination:

[0009] In some embodiments, the sound-blocking device includes a profile or casing formed from multiple polymer foam walls, the chamber being the inner space of the profile or casing defined by the walls, and the polymer foam plate containing multiple periodically arranged perforations being one of the walls of the profile or casing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sound-blocking device is a glazing spacer device.

[0011] In some embodiments, the acoustic barrier device includes an inner portion facing the chamber and an outer portion facing away from the inner portion, and the average percentage of open cells of the polymer form of the inner portion is greater than the percentage of open cells of the outer portion. Preferably, the average percentage of open cells of the polymer form of the inner portion is 30% to 99%.

[0012] In some embodiments, the acoustic barrier device is a one-piece unit.

[0013] In some embodiments, the acoustic barrier device includes at least one linear bar, the at least one linear bar forms at least one polymer form plate, and is combined with a spacer device, and the chamber is defined by the edges of the polymer form plate and the glazing.

[0014] In some embodiments, the polymer form includes an average percentage of open cells of 30% to 99%, preferably 65% to 98%.

[0015] In some embodiments, the polymer form is selected from the group consisting of silicone forms, polyurethane forms, polyethylene forms, melamine forms, and combinations thereof.

[0016] In some embodiments, the glazing includes a desiccant, either within or attached to the acoustic barrier device.

[0017] In some embodiments, the desiccant is incorporated into the polymer form.

[0018] In some embodiments, the desiccant is disposed within at least one envelope, which is preferably held inside or outside the chamber.

[0019] In some embodiments, the at least one polymer foam plate includes at least three perforations, preferably at least four perforations.

[0020] In some embodiments, the glazing further includes one or more additional acoustic insulation devices, each additional acoustic insulation device including a plate that includes a plurality of periodically arranged perforations and defines a chamber disposed within the cavity, preferably, the periodicity of the perforations of the polymer foam plate and the periodicity of the perforations of the plate of each additional acoustic insulation device are different from each other.

[0021] In some embodiments, the plate of each additional acoustic insulation device includes a polymer foam.

[0022] In some embodiments, the acoustic insulation device is disposed within a peripheral zone of the cavity of the glazing.

[0023] In some embodiments, the glazing is a building glazing, for example, a building facade glazing, a building window or door glazing, or an interior glazing.

[0024] The present invention also relates to an acoustic insulation device including at least one polymer foam plate, the plate including a plurality of periodically arranged perforations, the device being suitable for the manufacture of the above-described glazing.

[0025] The present invention makes it possible to meet the needs described above herein. In particular, the present invention provides a glazing device capable of obtaining a glazing that is easy and simple to manufacture, relatively lightweight and compact, yet has improved acoustic insulation properties.

[0026] This is achieved by the presence of a polymer foam plate containing a plurality of periodically arranged perforations within the device, which enables the formation of a chamber. The device enables a dual acoustic effect achieved by the absorption of acoustic energy by the chamber and the plurality of perforations, and by the absorption of acoustic energy by the polymer foam. The combination of the presence of the chamber and the presence of periodic perforations on the plate enables the creation of a resonator, which can absorb at least a portion of the acoustic energy in the glazing cavity formed by the two glazing walls, thereby reducing the transmission of sound through the glazing. In particular, the resonator absorbs a large amount of acoustic energy at frequencies close to its resonant frequency. Furthermore, due to the absorption of energy at the harmonic frequencies of the resonator and physical phenomena related to the change in the characteristics of the glazing gas cavity due to the presence of the resonator, it is also possible to improve acoustic isolation at frequencies higher than the resonant frequency of the resonator. In addition, the polymer foam of the plate, due to its porous structure, further enhances acoustic isolation by absorbing at least a portion of the acoustic energy itself. Therefore, the device of the present invention, with its acoustic absorption capability, provides improved acoustic isolation performance and can be easily manufactured.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following non-limiting description with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of glazing according to the present invention on the left, and an enlarged schematic perspective view of an example of a device according to the present invention (first modified example) in the form of a profile present within the glazing of this example on the right. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example of the device according to the present invention in the form of a casing (a second modified example). [Figure 3]Figure 3 shows, on the left, another example of glazing according to the present invention, and on the right, an enlarged schematic perspective view of an example of a device according to the present invention (second modification) in the form of a casing present within the glazing of this example. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows, on the left, another example of glazing according to the present invention, and on the right, an enlarged schematic perspective view of an example of a device according to the present invention in the form of a box located within the glazing of this example (a third modification). [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows, on the left, another example of glazing according to the present invention, and on the right, an enlarged schematic perspective view of an example of a device according to the present invention in the form of bars present within the glazing of this example (a fourth modification). [Figure 6] Figure 6 schematically shows a specific embodiment of the device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 3 in a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the planar XZ direction. [Figure 7] Figure 7 schematically shows another specific embodiment of the device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 3, in a longitudinal section view along the planar XZ direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The present invention is disclosed in more detail and non-limiting terms in the following disclosure.

[0030] The present invention relates, firstly, to an acoustic shielding device for glazing.

[0031] The following description is primarily intended to illustrate some configurational aspects of the device, and that glazing equipped with the device can provide excellent performance with respect to sound insulation.

[0032] The glazing is any type of glazing comprising at least two glazing walls, wherein the glazing walls define a cavity between them. In the spirit of the present invention, the cavity of the glazing is defined as the volume between the two glazing walls of the glazing.

[0033] The device according to the present invention may be a glazing spacer device, or may include a glazing spacer device. "Spacer device" means any device that can set the length of the spacing between glazing walls of a glazing in which the device is to be placed.

[0034] Alternatively, the device according to the present invention can be combined with a spacer device without being used as a spacer device itself.

[0035] The device according to the present invention includes at least one polymer foam plate (hereinafter also referred to as the "polymer foam perforated plate" or "perforated plate") which has a plurality of periodically arranged perforations. "Polymer foam" means a material having a porous structure which contains a number of small bubbles called "cells" within a solid polymer matrix.

[0036] The polymer foam plate includes two main faces that are opposite each other and perforated, these main faces refer to, in this specification, the “inner face” (corresponding to the face oriented toward the center of the cavity formed between the glazing walls of the glazing) and the “outer face” opposite this inner face.

[0037] With respect to a polymer foam perforated plate, the length corresponding to the maximum dimension of the plate in the plane of the main face of the plate (also referred to as the "main plane of the plate"), the width corresponding to the dimension of the plate in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the plate in the main plane of the plate, and the thickness corresponding to the dimension of the plate in the direction perpendicular to the main plane of the plate (and therefore corresponding to the dimension of the plate between the two main faces of the plate) can be defined.

[0038] The polymer foam perforation plate is preferably rectangular and parallelepiped (i.e., the polymer foam perforation plate has a certain length, width, and thickness).

[0039] When the device according to the present invention is a spacer device, the width of the polymer foam perforation plate preferably determines the length of the gap between the glazing walls of the glazing where the spacer device is intended to be used (i.e., the thickness of the cavity between the glazing walls). The polymer foam plate can have a width of 6 to 30 mm, preferably 10 to 20 mm, for example, 16 mm or 20 mm, which is particularly applicable in embodiments where the device is a spacer device.

[0040] The thickness of the polymer foam perforation plate is preferably 0.1 to 15 mm, more preferably 0.2 to 1 mm. In particular, the polymer foam perforation plate can have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, 0.2 to 0.4 mm, 0.4 to 0.6 mm, 0.6 to 0.8 mm, 0.8 to 1 mm, 1 to 1.2 mm, 1.2 to 1.5 mm, 1.5 to 2 mm, 2 to 3 mm, 3 to 4 mm, 4 to 5 mm, 5 to 10 mm, or 10 to 15 mm.

[0041] Polymer foam plates can be manufactured by any method known to those skilled in the art. For example, polymer foam plates can be manufactured by injection molding. Physical and / or chemical leavening agents can be used to expand the polymer, for example, within a mold. Alternatively, plates can be manufactured using extrusion foaming techniques.

[0042] The polymer foam of the plate of the present invention can be selected from the group consisting of silicone foam, polyurethane foam, polyolefin foam (particularly polyethylene foam), melamine foam, and combinations thereof. The polymer foam is preferably silicone foam or polyurethane foam.

[0043] The polymer foam of the plate has an average porosity of 0.7 or higher, and / or an average air resistance of 5,000 to 150,000 N·s·m. -4It can be characterized by being. The porosity of the material can be measured using a porosimeter according to the fluid saturation method by mercury intrusion. The air flow resistivity can be measured in accordance with the NF EN ISO 9053-1 standard. Such a porous structure of the polymer foam can improve the acoustic performance of the device, and thus can further improve the acoustic insulation of the glazing to be arranged.

[0044] The polymer foam of the plate can have an average porosity of 0.75 or more, 0.8 or more, 0.85 or more, 0.9 or more, or 0.95 or more, for example, a porosity of 0.7 - 0.75, 0.75 - 0.8, 0.8 - 0.85, 0.85 - 0.90, 0.90 - 0.95, or 0.95 - 0.99. In a particularly preferred mode, the polymer foam of the plate has an average porosity of 0.7 - 0.99, more preferably 0.9 or more. The average air resistivity of the polymer foam is 5,000 - 10,000 N·s·m -4 、10,000 - 20,000 N·s·m -4 、20,000 - 40,000 N·s·m -4 、40,000 - 60,000 N·s·m -4 、60,000 - 80,000 N·s·m -4 、80,000 - 100,000 N·s·m -4 、100,000 - 120,000 N·s·m -4 、120,000 - 140,000 N·s·m -4 、or 140,000 - 150,000 N·s·m -4 and may be. Preferably, the polymer foam of the plate has an average air resistivity of 20,000 - 100,000 N·s·m -4 and has.

[0045] Advantageously, the polymer foam of the plate may contain an average percentage of open cells of 30–100%, preferably 30–99%, and more preferably 65–98%. The average percentage of open cells can be measured using a microscope. For example, by observing a cross-section of the polymer foam under a microscope, it can be determined whether each cell is open or closed. The average percentage of open cells is then calculated by dividing the total number of open cells by the total number of cells. The microscope may be, for example, an optical microscope or a scanning electron microscope. Alternatively, the average percentage of open cells can also be measured by measuring the characteristic lengths of the polymer foam (e.g., viscous characteristic length and thermal characteristic length) using an ultrasonic tortoise oscillometer, and then using these characteristic lengths to calculate the porosity of the foam, thereby determining the open cell ratio.

[0046] The polymer foam of the plate may contain an average percentage of closed cells of 0-70%, preferably 1-70%, and more preferably 2-35%. The average percentage of closed cells can be measured in the same way as the average percentage of open cells.

[0047] "Open-cell" and "closed-cell" refer to cells that are connected (i.e., have continuous pathways between cells) and cells that are separated from each other (i.e., do not have continuous pathways between cells), respectively. Generally, open-cell foams have superior sound absorption capabilities due to the transmission of sound waves between cells, while closed-cell foams have higher rigidity. Naturally, the rigidity and sound absorption capabilities of polymer foams depend on various factors such as the foam's density, cell size, and chemical composition.

[0048] In some embodiments, the average percentage of open cells in the polymer foam of the plate may be, for example, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 65% or more, 70% or more, 75% or more, 80% or more, 85% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or about 100%. If the device is not a spacer device, the average percentage of open cells is preferably about 100%. The average percentage of closed cells in the polymer foam of the plate may be, for example, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 30% or less, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, 2% or less, 1% or less, or about 0%. If the device is not a spacer device, the average percentage of closed cells is preferably about 0%.

[0049] The polymer foam plate includes a plurality of periodically arranged perforations. "Multiple perforations" means at least two perforations. More specifically, the polymer foam plate may include two, three, at least three, four, at least four, five, at least five, six, at least six, seven, at least seven, eight, at least eight, nine, at least nine, ten, or at least ten periodically arranged perforations. The more periodically arranged perforations there are in the polymer foam plate, the better the acoustic isolation of the glazing in which the device is located. In one particularly preferred embodiment, the polymer foam plate includes at least three periodically arranged perforations, and more preferably at least four periodically arranged perforations.

[0050] "Periodically arranged perforations" means that the perforations are identical and that they exist at regular intervals within the polymer foam plate (i.e., the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations is approximately constant). The perforations penetrate the entire thickness of the polymer foam plate (extending from the inner surface of the polymer foam plate to the outer surface of the polymer foam plate) and allow fluid communication between the spaces located on either side of the polymer foam plate (i.e., the perforations allow the circulation of fluid, more specifically gas, from one space to the other). Advantageously, all periodic perforations are aligned and more preferably along the longitudinal axis of the polymer foam plate (i.e., in the direction of its length). Even more advantageously, the perforations are positioned along the longitudinal axis of the polymer foam plate and centered within the width of the polymer foam plate.

[0051] The perforations can be generated by any method known to those skilled in the art. Depending on the method, the perforations may be generated during the extrusion of the device (in-line) or by using drilling techniques as an additional step of the method (offline).

[0052] The perforations can have any suitable shape. In certain embodiments, the perforations have a circular or substantially circular cross-section (i.e., in the main plane of the polymer foam plate).

[0053] Advantageously, the perforations in the polymer foam plate are microperforations. A "microperforation" means a hole with a diameter or maximum dimension (on the main plane of the polymer foam plate) of 8 mm or less. Preferably, the perforations have a diameter or maximum dimension of 0.2 to 8 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 8 mm (on the main plane of the polymer foam plate). In some embodiments, the diameter or maximum dimension of the perforation may be 0.2 to 0.5 mm, 0.5 to 1 mm, 1 to 2 mm, 2 to 3 mm, 3 to 4 mm, 4 to 5 mm, 5 to 6 mm, 6 to 7 mm, or 7 to 8 mm.

[0054] In one particularly preferred configuration, the periodic perforations are distributed along the entire length of the polymer foam plate. Alternatively, the perforations may be periodically arranged over only a portion of the length of the polymer foam plate, for example, over portions of the polymer foam plate having lengths of 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 10% or less of the total length of the polymer foam plate.

[0055] For each perforation, a geometric center of the perforation can be determined (hereinafter simply referred to as the "center"). The distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations is preferably 5 to 200 mm, more preferably 10 to 110 mm. The distance between the centers of two adjacent periodic perforations may be 5 to 10 mm, 10 to 20 mm, 20 to 30 mm, 30 to 40 mm, 40 to 50 mm, 50 to 60 mm, 60 to 70 mm, 70 to 80 mm, 80 to 90 mm, 90 to 100 mm, 100 to 110 mm, 110 to 120 mm, 120 to 140 mm, 140 to 160 mm, 160 to 180 mm, or 180 to 200 mm.

[0056] Advantageously, the opening area ratio (i.e., the ratio of the surface area of ​​all periodically arranged perforations to the total surface area of ​​the polymer foam plate (including the surface of the perforations)) is 0.01 to 8%, preferably 0.05 to 0.8%. The opening area ratio may be 0.01 to 0.05%, 0.05 to 0.1%, 0.1 to 0.2%, 0.2 to 0.3%, 0.3 to 0.4%, 0.4 to 0.5%, 0.5 to 0.6%, 0.6 to 0.7%, 0.7 to 0.8%, 0.8 to 0.9%, 0.9 to 1%, 1 to 2%, 2 to 3%, 3 to 4%, 4 to 5%, 5 to 6%, 6 to 7%, or 7 to 8%.

[0057] The perforated polymer foam plate defines a chamber either within the device itself or within the glazing in which the device is placed. The chamber is located within the cavity of the glazing.

[0058] The chamber thickness is preferably 2 to 200 mm, more preferably 5 to 50 mm. The chamber thickness corresponds to the dimensions of the chamber in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the polymer foam plate. In some embodiments, the chamber has a thickness of 2 to 5 mm, 5 to 10 mm, 10 to 20 mm, 20 to 30 mm, 30 to 40 mm, 40 to 50 mm, 50 to 60 mm, 60 to 70 mm, 70 to 80 mm, 80 to 90 mm, 90 to 100 mm, 100 to 120 mm, 120 to 140 mm, 140 to 160 mm, 160 to 180 mm, or 180 to 200 mm.

[0059] The size and configuration of the polymer foam plate, its perforations, and chambers can be selected according to the expected resonance frequency of the assembly consisting of the polymer foam plate and chambers. In practice, the relationship between the resonance frequency f of the perforated polymer foam plate and the thickness of the polymer foam plate, the thickness of the chambers, the spacing between perforations, and the size and distribution of the perforations can be estimated by the following equation:

[0060]

number

[0061] In Equation 1, σ is the opening area ratio (dependent on the size and distribution of the perforations), L is the thickness of the polymer foam plate (m), D is the thickness of the chamber (m), and d is the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations (m).

[0062] Advantageously, the system comprising the polymer foam plate and the chamber is configured to resonate at low frequencies. "Low frequency" means sound waves having a frequency of less than 300 Hz. For example, the system comprising the polymer foam plate and the chamber may be configured to resonate at frequencies of 250 Hz or less, 225 Hz or less, 200 Hz or less, 175 Hz or less, or 150 Hz or less. In other embodiments, the system comprising the polymer foam plate and the chamber may be configured to resonate at frequencies of 400 Hz or less, or 350 Hz or less.

[0063] The polymer foam plate preferably includes a single row of periodically arranged perforations. Alternatively, the polymer foam plate may include multiple rows of periodically arranged perforations in the polymer foam plate, for example, at least two rows or at least three rows, where each row differs from the others (for example, the dimensions of the perforations and / or the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations may differ in each row). If the polymer foam plate includes multiple rows of periodic perforations, each row is located in a different part of the polymer foam plate (along its length). The presence of multiple different rows of periodic perforations allows the system comprising the polymer foam plate and the chamber to resonate at multiple frequencies, where each part of the assembly of the polymer foam plate and the chamber, including different rows of periodic perforations, has a different resonant frequency.

[0064] The perforations may be partially or preferably completely covered with a fabric. For example, the fabric may be bonded to the polymer foam plate, for example, to the inner surface of the polymer foam plate, by any suitable means. In this way, the fabric forms a screen having a certain resistivity to the perforations. Although not intended to be bound by any particular theory, the inventors hypothesize that as sound waves pass through the fabric to enter the chamber, they are resisted due to the presence of the fabric, thereby improving the absorption of acoustic energy, and thus improving the low, medium, and high frequency acoustic insulation of the glazing, including the device. It is advantageous for the fabric to have a thickness of 0.1 to 3 mm, preferably 0.2 to 1 mm. The fabric may be made of any natural or synthetic fiber fabric, such as cotton fibers and / or flax fibers. The fabric preferably has a porosity of 0.07 to 0.99, more preferably 0.5 to 0.99, and / or 90,000 to 3,500,000 N·s·m -4 It has an air resistance coefficient of 300,000 to 3,000,000 N·s·m -4 The fabric has an air resistivity of 0.07-0.2, 0.2-0.4, 0.4-0.6, 0.6-0.8, or 0.8-0.99. The air resistivity of the fabric is 90,000-300,000 N·s·m -4 300,000 ~ 500,000 N·s·m -4 500,000~1,000,000 N·s·m -4 , 1,000,000~1,500,000 N·s·m -4 1,500,000~2,000,000 N·s·m -4 , 2,000,000~2,500,000 N·s·m -4 2,500,000 ~ 3,000,000 N·s·m -4 , or 3,000,000 ~ 3,500,000 N·s·m -4 That's fine.

[0065] The inside of the chamber may contain gas and may optionally be covered with the above-mentioned fabric.

[0066] Advantageously, the polymer foam plate described above is a one-piece unit. "One-piece unit" means that the polymer foam plate is composed of a single component, with no visible joints or separate parts. For example, the polymer foam plate is manufactured as a one-piece unit by injection molding.

[0067] In some preferred embodiments, the present invention also comprises a glazing sound-blocking device equipped with a desiccant configured to absorb moisture. “Desiccant” typically refers to a substance that has the property of drying out the atmosphere in which it is placed, or in other words, a substance that has the property of absorbing all or part of the moisture contained in the atmosphere. The use of such a desiccant reflects the intention to absorb moisture before it turns into water. The desiccant may be present within the sound-blocking device or attached to it.

[0068] The desiccant may contain granular material, preferably in a non-aggregated (i.e., individualized) form. These granular materials may be, for example, molecular sieves, silica gel, calcium chloride (CaCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), activated carbon, or chemical formula M 2 / n It is made of zeolite having O·Al2O3·xSiO2·yH2O, where M can represent Ca, Mg, K, or Na. In general, any material known to those skilled in the art can be used as a granular material for the manufacture of a desiccant.

[0069] Desiccants can be incorporated into polymer foam plates. For example, granular desiccants are uniformly held in fixed positions within the polymer foam plate. This advantageously prevents the release of granular material through perforations in the polymer foam plate. For example, the desiccant can be mixed with the polymer before the foam is manufactured.

[0070] Alternatively, the desiccant can be placed within at least one envelope, which is preferably held inside or outside the chamber. Each envelope may contain the granular form of the desiccant. Each envelope may be made of a flexible or rigid material, such as paper, plastic, polymer, or plant fibers or woven fibers. The envelope may be perforated to allow the granules to absorb moisture. These perforations are usually smaller in diameter than the granules to prevent the granules from leaking out of the envelope containing them.

[0071] The acoustic shielding device according to the present invention may be in the form of a profile or a casing and may include a plurality of polymer foam walls. In this case, the chamber is the inner space of the profile or casing defined by the walls, and the polymer foam plate containing a plurality of periodically arranged perforations is one of the walls of the profile or casing.

[0072] Referring to Figure 1, in the first modification, the sound-blocking device according to the present invention is in the form of a profile, which is bonded to each of two glazing walls and is formed of a plurality of polymer foam walls. The chamber may be the inner space of the profile defined by the walls, and the polymer foam plate containing a plurality of periodically spaced perforations is one of the walls of the profile. "Profile" means a hollow tubular structure, and the chamber is the inner space of this tubular structure. The profile may be a linear profile. "Linear profile" means that the profile is linear in the direction of its length (thus the longitudinal axis of the profile can be defined). According to this modification, the device is advantageously a spacer device for glazing.

[0073] In this first modification, the matters described above regarding the polymer foam of the polymer foam plate apply to all walls of the device made of the same material.

[0074] The acoustic shielding device 1 according to the first modification may include an inner portion facing the chamber 2 and an outer portion facing away from the inner portion. The inner portion corresponds to a region of the device including the inner surfaces of various walls defining the chamber. The outer portion corresponds to a region of the device including the outer surfaces of various walls (facing the inner surface). What is referred to above as the inner surface of the polymer foam plate forms part of the outer surface of the device. What is referred above as the outer surface of the polymer foam plate forms part of the inner surface of the device. For example, the outer portion and the inner portion may each extend over approximately half the thickness of the wall.

[0075] Advantageously, in this modified example, the average proportion of open cells in the inner polymer foam is greater than the proportion of open cells in the outer portion. Advantageously, the average proportion of closed cells in the outer polymer foam is greater than the proportion of closed cells in the inner portion. The presence of such an open-cell to closed-cell gradient within the device ensures that the device has sufficient mechanical strength to function as a spacer device while simultaneously providing effective sound wave absorption. Preferably, the average proportion of open cells in the inner polymer foam (particularly on the inner surface) is 30-100%, more preferably 65-100%, more preferably 70-100%, more preferably 80-100%, more preferably 85-100%, more preferably 90-100%, and more preferably 95-100%. Preferably, the average percentage of closed cells in the polymer foam of the outer portion (especially on the outer surface) is preferably 65-100%, preferably 70-100%, more preferably 80-100%, more preferably 85-100%, more preferably 90-100%, and more preferably 95-100%.

[0076] Alternatively, the density of the polymer foam in the inner portion may be lower than that of the polymer foam in the outer portion. Alternatively, the size of the cells in the inner portion may be larger than that of the cells in the outer portion.

[0077] Forms having such cell gradients can be obtained by controlled curing and expansion within a mold according to methods well known to those skilled in the art.

[0078] Referring again to Figure 1, in some embodiments, the profile includes at least an upper wall 3, a lower wall 4, and two side walls 5, the two side walls 5 defining the profile chamber 2. In this specification, the terms “upper” and “lower” are used with reference to the orientation of the profile 1 shown on the right side of Figure 1. Naturally, the profile can have any other possible orientations, such as an orientation where the longitudinal axis of the profile is perpendicular, or an orientation where the upper wall is below the lower wall (as shown on the left side of Figure 1). The profile can have an open end in the longitudinal direction. However, the chamber of the profile can be closed by sealing the open end of the profile (for example, against the upper wall of another profile as shown in the figure).

[0079] The upper wall 3 includes a number of periodically spaced perforations 6. Thus, the profile 1 is also referred to herein as the “perforated profile.” The perforations 6 are generated throughout the entire thickness of the upper wall, and these perforations 6 allow the chamber 2 of the profile to be in fluid communication with the environment outside the profile (i.e., these perforations 6 allow for the circulation of fluid, more specifically gas, from the chamber 2 of the profile to the external environment and vice versa).

[0080] In this first modification, the upper wall 3 of the profile corresponds to a polymer foam plate containing a plurality of periodically arranged perforations of the device described herein, and the chamber 2 of the profile corresponds to the chamber defined by the polymer foam plate described herein. Therefore, all matters described herein with respect to the perforated polymer foam plate and the chamber defined by the perforated polymer foam plate apply to the upper wall 3 of the profile 1 and the chamber 2 of the profile, respectively. Similarly, all matters described herein with respect to polymer foam apply to the polymer foam wall of the profile 1.

[0081] In this modified example, the thickness of the chamber within profile 1 is the distance between the upper wall 3 and the lower wall 4 of profile 1.

[0082] The upper wall 3 of the profile corresponds to a wall designed to face the center of the cavity formed between the glazing walls 7 of the glazing 10, the lower wall 4 corresponds to a wall of profile 1 designed to be closest to the edge of the glazing walls 7 of the glazing 10, and the longitudinal side wall 5 is designed to be parallel to the glazing walls 7.

[0083] The upper wall 3 and lower wall 4 of the profile may be connected by two side walls 5 (each of the two side walls 5 connecting the longitudinal edge of the upper wall 3 to the longitudinal edge of the lower wall 4). In other less preferred embodiments, the upper wall 3 and lower wall 4 may be connected to each other by any number of walls. Preferably, the upper wall 3 and lower wall 4 of the profile are connected to each other by two short side walls 8 (each of the two short side walls 8 connecting the short edge of the upper wall 3 to the short edge of the lower wall 4).

[0084] Advantageously, the main plane of the upper wall 3 and the main plane of the lower wall 4 are parallel to each other. Even more advantageously, the main plane of the upper wall 3 and the main plane of the lower wall 4 are perpendicular to the main planes of the two side walls 5.

[0085] Preferably, the profile 1 according to the present invention has the shape of a parallelepiped, and more preferably, the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0086] Each wall of profile 1 can independently have the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, preferably each wall of profile 1 has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The thickness of each wall is advantageously 0.1 to 15 mm, and more advantageously 0.2 to 1 mm. In particular, each wall can have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, 0.2 to 0.4 mm, 0.4 to 0.6 mm, 0.6 to 0.8 mm, 0.8 to 1 mm, 1 to 1.2 mm, 1.2 to 1.5 mm, 1.5 to 2 mm, 2 to 3 mm, 3 to 4 mm, 4 to 5 mm, 5 to 10 mm, or 10 to 15 mm.

[0087] In one particular example, the top wall is thinner than the other walls (bottom and side walls).

[0088] Advantageously, the length of the upper wall 3 of profile 1 is equal in the same direction to the length of the cavity between the glazing walls 7 of the glazing 10 in which the device is to be placed.

[0089] Advantageously, the device is an integrated unit. For example, the device can be manufactured as a single unit by injection molding or extrusion molding.

[0090] The perforations can be generated by any method known to those skilled in the art. Depending on the method, the perforations may be generated during the extrusion of the device (in-line) or by using drilling techniques as an additional step of the method (offline).

[0091] Alternatively, the acoustic shielding device according to the present invention may be in the form of a casing. "Casing" means a hollow, closed structure, that is, one that includes a cavity or chamber.

[0092] In this second modification, the matters described above regarding the polymer foam of the polymer foam plate apply to all walls of the device made of the same material.

[0093] Similar to the first modification, the device according to the second modification may include an inner portion facing chamber 2 (as shown in Figure 2) and an outer portion facing away from the inner portion. The average percentage of open cells in the polymer foam of the inner portion (particularly on the inner surface), the average percentage of closed cells in the polymer foam of the outer portion (particularly on the outer surface), the cell gradient within the foam, the method for obtaining such cell gradients, and the thickness of each wall are as defined above with respect to the first modification (profile).

[0094] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the casing 21 includes at least an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, two longitudinal side walls 25 (preferably opposite each other), and two transverse side walls 28 (preferably opposite each other), which define the chamber of the casing. A "longitudinal side wall" means a side wall parallel to the longitudinal axis of the linear casing, and a "transverse side wall" means a side wall perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the linear casing (located at the longitudinal end of the casing). In this specification, the terms "upper" and "lower" are used with reference to the orientation of the casing 21 shown on the right side of Figure 3. Naturally, the casing can have any other possible orientations, such as shown on the left side of Figure 3. The upper wall 23 of the casing corresponds to a wall designed to face the center of the cavity formed between the glazing walls 7 of the glazing 10, the lower wall 24 corresponds to a wall of the casing 21 designed to be closest to the edge of the glazing walls 7 of the glazing 10, the longitudinal side wall 25 is designed to be parallel to the glazing walls 7, and the transverse side wall 28 is designed to be perpendicular to the glazing walls 7.

[0095] Advantageously, the length of the upper wall 23 of the casing 21 is equal in the same direction to the length of the cavity between the glazing walls 7 of the glazing 10 in which the device is to be placed.

[0096] According to this second modification, the device is advantageously a spacer device.

[0097] The upper wall 23 and lower wall 24 of the casing may be connected by two longitudinal side walls 25 (each of the two longitudinal side walls 25 connecting the longitudinal edge of the upper wall 23 to the longitudinal edge of the lower wall 24). In other less preferred embodiments, the upper wall 23 and lower wall 24 may be connected to each other by any number of longitudinal walls 25. Preferably, the upper wall 23 and lower wall 24 of the casing are connected to each other by two short side walls 28 (each of the two short side walls 28 connecting the short edge of the upper wall 23 to the short edge of the lower wall 24).

[0098] Advantageously, the main planes of the upper wall 23 and the main planes of the lower wall 24 are parallel to each other. Preferably, the main planes of the longitudinal side walls 25 are parallel to each other. Preferably, the main planes of the transverse side walls 28 are parallel to each other. Even more advantageously, the main planes of the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 34 are perpendicular to the main planes of the two longitudinal side walls 25 and the main planes of the two transverse side walls 28. In one particularly preferred form, the casing 21 according to the present invention has a parallelepiped shape, and more preferably a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0099] Each wall of the casing 21 can independently have the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and preferably, each wall of the casing 21 has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0100] The top wall 23, or one of the longitudinal side walls 25 (designed not to come into contact with the glazing wall 27 of the glazing 10 when the casing is positioned within the glazing), includes a number of periodically spaced perforations 26. Thus, the casing 21 according to the present invention is also referred to herein as a “perforated (linear) casing.” The perforations 26 are generated throughout the entire thickness of the wall, and these perforations 26 allow the chamber of the casing 21 to be in fluid communication with the environment outside the casing 21.

[0101] In this second modification, the wall of the casing 21, which includes the periodically arranged perforations 26, corresponds to the polymer foam plate containing the plurality of periodically arranged perforations of the device described herein, and the chamber of the casing 21 corresponds to the chamber defined by the polymer foam plate described herein. Therefore, all matters described herein with respect to the perforated polymer foam plate and the chamber defined by the perforated polymer foam plate apply to the perforated wall of the casing 21 and the chamber of the casing, respectively. Similarly, all matters described herein with respect to polymer foam apply to the polymer foam wall of profile 1.

[0102] The perforations may be generated in the same manner as in the first modification.

[0103] In this modified example, the thickness of the chamber within the casing 21 is the distance between the wall of the casing containing the periodic perforations (one of the upper wall 23 or the longitudinal side wall 25) and the wall opposite this wall.

[0104] Advantageously, the device is an integrated unit. For example, the device can be manufactured as a single unit by injection molding.

[0105] In one particularly preferred configuration, referring to Figure 4, according to a third modification, the width of the casing 21 is less than the thickness of the cavity between the glazing walls 27 (in the same direction) of the glazing 30 in which the casing 21 is to be placed. Thus, in this modification, the device can be combined with a spacer other than, preferably, a spacer device. Preferably, when the casing is placed in the glazing 30, at least one (one or both) of the longitudinal side walls 25 is not in contact with the glazing wall 27.

[0106] The width of the casing 21 may be 1 to 99% of the thickness of the cavity between the glazing walls of the glazing, for example, 1 to 10%, 10 to 20%, 20 to 30%, 30 to 40%, 40 to 50%, 50 to 60%, 60 to 70%, 70 to 80%, 80 to 90%, or 90 to 99% of the thickness of the cavity between the glazing walls 27. The width of the casing 21 may be 5 mm or more and less than the thickness of the cavity between the glazing walls 27, for example, the width of the casing 21 may be 5 mm to 29 mm, 5 mm to 19 mm, or 5 mm to 15 mm.

[0107] The length of the casing 21 may be equal to or less than the length of the cavity between the glazing walls 27 of the glazing 30 in which the casing 21 is to be placed, in the same direction. Preferably, the length of the casing 21 is less than the length of the cavity, in the same direction. The length of the casing 21 may be in the range of 1 to 100% of the length of the cavity, for example, 1 to 10%, 10 to 20%, 20 to 30%, 30 to 40%, 40 to 50%, 50 to 60%, 60 to 70%, 70 to 80%, 80 to 90%, 90 to 95%, or 95 to 100% of the length of the cavity between the glazing walls 27. In certain embodiments, the length of the casing 21 may be from 5 cm (in the same direction as the length of the casing 21) to the length of the cavity between the glazing walls 27.

[0108] In this third modification, the top wall 23, or one of the longitudinal side walls 25 (designed not to come into contact with the glazing wall 27 of the glazing 30 when the casing is positioned within the glazing), includes a number of periodically spaced perforations 26. The perforations 26 are generated throughout the entire thickness of the wall, and these perforations 26 allow the chamber of the casing 21 to be in fluid communication with the environment outside the casing 21.

[0109] The perforations may be generated in the same manner as in the first modification.

[0110] In this third modification, if the casing 21 is combined with a spacer device, the casing 21 can be placed, for example, on a conventional spacer device. More preferably, the lower wall 24 of the casing 21 can rest on the spacer device. The spacer device in this modification may be a conventional spacer device. Advantageously, the spacer device is positioned at the edge of the glazing walls 17 of the glazing 20 (between two glazing walls 17). The spacer device may be made of a rigid material, such as a metallic material, preferably aluminum and / or stainless steel, and / or a polymer material, and may include two wings that contact each glazing wall and a connection between these two wings, the connection ensuring that the glazing walls are held at a given distance. If the length of the casing 21 is less than the length of the cavity between the glazing walls, the casing 21 can be placed anywhere in the peripheral zone of the cavity of the glazing.

[0111] Advantageously, the device according to this modification is an integrated unit. For example, the device can be manufactured as a single unit by injection molding.

[0112] Referring to Figure 5, according to the fourth modification, the sound-blocking device according to the present invention includes at least one linear bar 11. "Bar" means a solid body in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The bar includes a plurality of periodically arranged perforations 16. Thus, the bar 11 according to the present invention is also referred to herein as a "perforated (linear) bar".

[0113] In this fourth modification, the bar 11 forms a polymer foam plate containing a plurality of periodically arranged perforations of the above-described device and is combined with a separate spacer device. The chamber 12 is defined by the polymer foam plate (bar 11) and the spacer device (not shown). Thus, all matters described herein with respect to the perforated polymer foam plate and the chamber defined by the perforated polymer foam plate apply to the perforated bar 11 and the chamber 12 defined by the bar 11 and the spacer device, respectively.

[0114] In this modified example, the polymer foam preferably contains an average percentage of open cells of 30-100%, more preferably 65-100%, more preferably 70-100%, more preferably 80-100%, more preferably 85-100%, more preferably 90-100%, and more preferably 95-100%. In some embodiments, the percentage of open cells in the polymer foam may be 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99%, or 100%. The percentage of open cells is preferably 100%.

[0115] The spacer device in this modified example may be a conventional spacer device. Advantageously, the spacer device is positioned at the edge of the glazing wall 17 of the glazing 20 (between the two glazing walls 17). The spacer device may be made of a rigid material, such as a metallic material, preferably aluminum and / or stainless steel, and / or a polymer material, and may include two wings that contact each glazing wall, and a connection between these two wings, which ensures the glazing walls are held at a given distance. The perforating bar 11 may be coupled to the spacer device or may simply be positioned adjacent to the spacer device.

[0116] In this fourth modification, the thickness of the chamber 12 corresponds to the dimensions of the chamber between the drilling bar 11 and the edge of the glazing wall 17.

[0117] Advantageously, the length of the bar 11 is equal in the same direction to the length of the cavity between the glazing walls 17 of the glazing 20 in which the bar 11 is to be placed.

[0118] Here, various embodiments of glazing devices containing a desiccant are described. More specifically, these embodiments are intended to illustrate various configurations / layouts / arrangements of the desiccant.

[0119] For clarity, these embodiments are described assuming that the glazing device conforms to the above description with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Naturally, the present invention is not limited to such considerations, and any of the embodiments described below can be readily applied to the other configurations described above in any technically operable combination.

[0120] Figure 6 schematically shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view in planar XZ of a specific embodiment of the device 21 shown in Figure 3.

[0121] As shown in Figure 6, the granular desiccant 60 is incorporated into the walls of the device 21. Figure 6 shows that the desiccant is incorporated into the bottom wall 24 and the two short side walls 28. Naturally, it is also possible to incorporate the desiccant into the top wall 23 and / or the long side walls 25. If the device 1 is in the form of a profile, the desiccant can be incorporated into the top wall 3 and / or the side wall 5.

[0122] Such devices, in which a desiccant is incorporated into the polymer foam wall, can be realized by injecting the desiccant into the foam cells of the wall.

[0123] This effectively prevents the release of granular material 60 through the perforations 26 in the upper wall 23.

[0124] Figure 7 schematically shows a longitudinal section view in planar XZ of yet another specific embodiment of the device 21 shown in Figure 3.

[0125] As shown in Figure 7, device 1 includes a desiccant placed in four envelopes 70. The envelopes 70 may be held in a fixed position within the chamber 2. The envelopes 70 may be held in a fixed position by bringing each envelope 70 into (direct) contact with the inner wall of the chamber 2, for example, by using an adhesive, in any way known to those skilled in the art.

[0126] Furthermore, the embodiment shown in Figure 7 illustrates the presence of four envelopes 70. However, it should be noted that the number of envelopes does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. Therefore, the possibility of a single envelope, two envelopes, three envelopes, or more than four envelopes is not ruled out.

[0127] Regardless of the number of envelopes that may be considered, the arrangement of the envelopes within the chamber 2 does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. For example, when the device is in the form of a casing 21 (e.g., the second and third modifications), it is advantageous for the casing to be in (direct) contact with the upper wall 23 and lower wall 24 of the chamber 2, as shown in Figure 7. However, it is also possible for the casing to be in (direct) contact with the side walls (short and / or longitudinal). When the device includes a bar 11, which forms a polymer foam plate and is combined with a spacer device (e.g., the fourth modification), the envelopes can be in (direct) contact with the perforating bar (perforated polymer foam plate) and the spacer device. The envelopes can also be positioned at opposing ends of the chamber 2 defined by the perforating bar and the spacer. Preferably, the envelopes are positioned so that the perforations 6 remain free.

[0128] In other embodiments not shown, the acoustic shielding device according to the present invention includes a desiccant held in a fixed position within a chamber, and includes a plate made of a solid material, a so-called "absorbing" plate, which is, for example, the material described above with respect to the granular material shown in Figure 6. The plate is a rigid element having a (substantially) flat surface.

[0129] More specifically, if the device is a profile or casing, the absorption plate can extend horizontally across the entire inner surface of the lower wall of the acoustic shielding device without occupying the entire volume of the chamber. The absorption plate may be held in place at a fixed position on the inner surface of the lower wall by any method known to those skilled in the art, for example, by using an adhesive. Alternatively, the absorption plate can be bonded to the outside of the device, or even incorporated into the wall of the device, such as the lower wall.

[0130] Up to this point, we have described the desiccant as being held in a fixed position within the chamber of the device. However, the present invention is not limited to these considerations and also encompasses further other embodiments in which all or part of the desiccant is not fixed. These other embodiments are advantageous when the acoustic shielding device is located in the lower portion of the glazing, and as a result, it is impossible for the desiccant, which is not held in a fixed position, to leak through the perforations due to the action of gravity.

[0131] In other embodiments not shown, the sound-blocking device includes a desiccant formed of a bar made of a solid material having the same properties as described with respect to an absorption plate, for example.

[0132] The bars may be held outside the chamber and may be positioned in contact with an acoustic shielding device, for example, in contact with the inner surface of a perforated polymer foam plate, in which case each bar is separated from adjacent bars by perforation. Furthermore, each bar may be held in place in a fixed position by any method known to those skilled in the art, for example, by using an adhesive.

[0133] The number of bars can be 2 to 12, and especially 4 to 8.

[0134] A device according to the present invention can simultaneously follow several modifications described herein. Thus, a device according to the present invention may simultaneously include one or more perforation profiles 1 and one or more perforation bars 11; simultaneously include one or more perforation profiles 1 and one or more perforation casings 21; simultaneously include one or more perforation bars 11 and one or more perforation casings 21; or simultaneously include one or more perforation profiles 1, one or more perforation bars 11 and one or more perforation casings 21.

[0135] The device according to the present invention may include a single perforated polymer foam plate. In particular, the device according to the present invention may include a single linear profile 1 having perforations 6 in its upper wall 3, or a single perforated linear bar 11, or a single perforated linear casing 21. However, preferably, the device includes a plurality of perforated polymer foam plates. More specifically, the device includes a plurality of linear profiles 1, each having an upper wall 3 having periodically arranged perforations 6, and / or a plurality of linear bars 11 having periodically arranged perforations 16, and / or a plurality of linear casings 21 having periodically arranged perforations 26 in one of its walls. If the device includes a plurality of perforated polymer foam plates, for example, a plurality of perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated casings 21, the perforated polymer foam plate, perforated linear profile 1, perforated linear bar 11, and perforated linear casings 21 may each be independently as described herein.

[0136] Preferably, if the device includes multiple perforated polymer foam plates, at least some of them may differ from each other, and all of them may differ from each other, and / or at least certain chambers defined by these perforated polymer foam plates may differ from each other, and all of them may differ from each other. In particular, if the device includes multiple perforated linear profiles 1, preferably at least some of them may differ from each other, and all of them may differ from each other. More specifically, they may have perforations 6 with different periodicities, i.e., perforations 6 of different sizes and / or perforations 6 differently arranged on the upper wall 3 (for example, the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations 6 may be different). Or, additionally, they may have upper wall 3 of different thicknesses and / or chambers 2 of different thicknesses. If the device includes multiple perforated bars 11, preferably at least some of them may differ from each other, and all of them may differ from each other. In particular, they may have perforations 16 with different periodicities, i.e., perforations 16 of different sizes and / or perforations 16 differently arranged (for example, the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations 16 may be different), and / or they may have different thicknesses. Alternatively, additionally, at least some of the chambers 12 may differ from each other, and all of them may differ from each other, and in particular the chambers 12 may have different thicknesses. If the device includes a plurality of perforated linear casings 21, preferably at least some of them may differ from each other, and all of them may differ from each other. More specifically, they may have perforations 26 with different periodicities, i.e., perforations 26 of different sizes and / or perforations 26 differently arranged in the walls (for example, the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations 26 may be different). Alternatively, additionally, they may have walls of different thicknesses with perforations and / or chambers of different thicknesses.Therefore, preferably, the perforated polymer foam plates (particularly the perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21) and the chambers they define are configured such that at least a portion or all of the perforated polymer foam plates resonate at different frequencies together with the chambers they define.

[0137] The device may include two or at least two perforated polymer foam plates (e.g., two or at least two perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21) (as described herein), or three or at least three perforated polymer foam plates (e.g., three or at least three perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21), or four or at least four perforated polymer foam plates (e.g., four or at least four perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21), or five or at least five perforated polymer foam plates (e.g., five or at least five perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21). Preferably, at least two perforated polymer foam plates (e.g., at least two perforated profiles 1 and / or perforated bars 11 and / or perforated casings 21) have perforations with different periodicities (i.e., the periodicity of the perforations in one polymer foam plate (e.g., profile 1 or bar 11 or casing 21) differs from the periodicity of the perforations in another polymer foam plate (e.g., another profile 1 or another bar 11 or another casing 21)), and more preferably, at least three perforated polymer foam plates (e.g., at least three perforated profiles 1 and / or perforated bars 11 and / or perforated casings 21) have perforations with different periodicities.

[0138] In one particularly preferred embodiment, the device according to the present invention comprises three perforated polymer foam plates, more specifically three perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21, or at least three perforated polymer foam plates, more specifically at least three perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21, more preferably four (or at least four) perforated polymer foam plates, more specifically four (or at least four) perforated linear profiles 1 and / or perforated linear bars 11 and / or perforated linear casings 21. More preferably, three or at least three of these polymer foam plates (in particular three or at least three of these profiles 1 and / or bars 11 and / or casings 21) are configured to resonate at different frequencies together with the chambers they define.

[0139] The acoustic shielding device according to the present invention may further include one or more non-perforated plates and / or one or more plates having aperiodic perforations. The non-perforated plates and / or plates having aperiodic perforations may be made of polymer foam and / or metallic material, preferably aluminum and / or stainless steel, and / or polymer material, preferably polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polyester, polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylate, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene, acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, or a combination thereof, and the polymer material may optionally be reinforced with glass fibers.

[0140] Preferably, the device includes the same number of polymer foam plates (more specifically casings and / or bars) as the number of sides of the glazing wall of the glazing in which the device is to be placed, for example, the device includes four polymer foam plates.

[0141] The polymer foam plates of the device may not be joined (all or some of them), or they may preferably be joined to each other at their ends. Preferably, if the device according to the present invention is a spacer device, all the polymer foam plates of the spacer device are joined to form a frame. When the polymer foam plates are joined, these polymer foam plates may form a single piece (for example, the polymer foam plates originate from a single polymer foam plate bent at one or more locations, thereby forming, for example, the corners of the frame), or these polymer foam plates may be assembled and integrated by any suitable means, for example, staples, glue, clips and / or interlocks. In particular, if the device includes profiles 1, these may not be joined (all or some of them), or they may preferably be joined to each other at their ends. Preferably, all the profiles 1 of the device are joined to form a frame. If the profiles 1 are joined, these profiles 1 may form a single unit (for example, the linear casing originates from a single casing bent at one or more locations, thereby forming, for example, the corners of the frame), or these profiles 1 may be assembled and integrated by any suitable means, for example, the means described herein. Similarly, if the device includes linear bars 11, the linear bars 11 may not be joined (all or some of them), or (all or some of them) may preferably be joined to one another at their ends. Preferably, all the bars of the device are joined to form a frame. If the bars are joined, these bars may form a single unit, or these bars may be assembled and integrated by any suitable means, for example, the means described herein.Similarly, if the device includes a casing 21, the casings 21 may not be joined (all or some of them), or they may preferably be joined to each other at their ends. Preferably, all the casings 21 of the device are joined to form a frame. If the casings 21 are joined, these casings 21 can be assembled and integrated by any suitable means as described above.

[0142] If the device includes multiple polymer foam plates, the chambers they define (e.g., chamber 2 within the device's profile 1, and / or chamber 12 defined by the linear bar 11 and the glazing edge) can be closed off from each other (i.e., the chambers are not in direct fluid communication with each other), or they can be in communication with each other, or some parts may be closed off from each other and others in communication with each other, for example, by the presence of partitions between the chambers. However, if the polymer foam plates of the device belong to the perforated linear casing 21, the chambers they define, i.e., the chambers within the casing 21, are closed off from each other (i.e., the chambers are not in direct fluid communication with each other).

[0143] The present invention also relates to glazing, including the devices described herein.

[0144] The glazing according to the present invention comprises at least two glazing walls. Advantageously, the glazing walls are parallel or substantially parallel to each other.

[0145] In some embodiments, the glazing according to the present invention may include exactly two glazing walls (in which case it is referred to as "double glazing"), exactly three glazing walls (in which case it is referred to as "triple glazing"), or at least three glazing walls, for example four glazing walls (in which case it is referred to as "quadrilateral glazing").

[0146] In the spirit of the present invention, “glazing wall” refers to any structure that includes (or consists of) at least one glass sheet or glazing assembly. “Glazing assembly” is understood to mean a multilayer glazing element in which at least one layer is a glass sheet. Thus, a glazing wall may include, for example, a single glass sheet independently, or it may include a glazing assembly, such as a laminated glazing (described in more detail below).

[0147] The glass sheet may be made of organic glazing or inorganic glazing. The glass sheet may also be made of tempered glass.

[0148] A glazing wall (or one of several glazing walls) may include (or consist of) a glazing assembly comprising at least one glass sheet, which may be as described above. The glazing assembly is preferably a laminated glazing. The term “laminated glazing” is understood to mean at least one interlayer made of a viscoelastic plastic material is inserted between at least two glass sheets. The interlayer made of a viscoelastic plastic material may include one or more layers of viscoelastic polymers such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), or ethylene copolymer (corresponding to the definition of an ionomer), more preferably PVB. The interlayer may be made of standard PVB or of acoustic PVB (such as single-layer or triple-layer acoustic PVB). Acoustic PVB generally consists of three layers: two outer layers of standard PVB and an inner layer of PVB to which a plasticizer has been added to make it less rigid than the outer layers. The use of glazing walls, including laminated glazing, can improve the acoustic insulation of the glazing, and if the interlayer is made of acoustic PVB, the acoustic insulation is further improved.

[0149] Each glazing wall includes two main faces facing each other, where these main faces correspond to the faces having the largest surface area of ​​the glazing wall. Advantageously, the glazing walls independently (between their two main faces) have a thickness of 1.6 mm or more, for example, 1.6 to 24 mm, preferably 2 to 12 mm, more preferably 4 to 10 mm, for example, 4 or 6 mm. All glazing walls of the glazing according to the present invention may have the same thickness or different thicknesses. The greater the thickness of the glazing wall and / or the higher the density of the glazing wall, the better the sound insulation. Furthermore, the thicker the glazing wall, the lower the mass / spring / mass of the glazing.

[0150] Preferably, all glazing walls of the glazing have the same height and width. The glazing according to the present invention can have any possible shape, preferably a quadrilateral shape, in particular a rectangular or substantially rectangular shape. Alternatively, the glazing can have a circular or substantially circular shape, an elliptical or substantially elliptical shape, or a trapezoidal or substantially trapezoidal shape.

[0151] The glazing walls define cavities between them. Each glazing wall defining a cavity includes an inner surface corresponding to the primary surface of the glazing wall facing the cavity, and an outer surface corresponding to a second primary surface of the glazing wall, i.e., an outer surface corresponding to the primary surface of the glazing wall facing the cavity.

[0152] Advantageously, the device according to the present invention is located within a cavity in the glazing, and more specifically, within a peripheral zone of the cavity in the glazing. The “peripheral zone of the cavity” means a region of the cavity adjacent to the edge of the glazing wall, preferably having a width (i.e., width in the plane of the glazing wall in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the glazing wall) of 20 cm or less, more preferably 10 cm or less, and more preferably 5 cm or less.

[0153] Preferably, one or more perforated polymer foam plates of the device according to the present invention are each parallel to the edge of the glazing wall.

[0154] In one particularly preferred configuration, the device is positioned within a glazing cavity, so that the chamber defined by the perforated polymer foam plate is in fluid communication with the glazing cavity formed between the glazing walls through the perforations in the polymer foam plate. Preferably, if the device includes at least one perforated profile 1, this at least one perforated profile 1 is positioned within the glazing cavity such that the upper wall 3 of the profile 1 faces inward into the glazing cavity and the lower wall 4 of the profile 1 faces outward and to the edges of the glazing. Thus, the chamber 2 within the perforated profile 1 is in fluid communication with the glazing cavity through the perforations 6 present in the upper wall 3 of the profile 1 (i.e., fluid, preferably gas, can circulate from the glazing cavity to the inside of the chamber 2 of the profile 1, and vice versa). If the device includes at least one perforating bar 11, this at least one perforating bar 11 is positioned within the glazing cavity such that a wall having periodic perforations 16 faces inward into the glazing cavity. If the device includes at least one perforating casing 21, this at least one perforating casing 21 is positioned within the glazing cavity such that a wall having periodic perforations 26 faces the center of the glazing cavity, or faces the glazing wall without contacting the glazing wall.

[0155] If the device is a spacer device, the two glazing walls are coupled to the spacer device.

[0156] More preferably, if the spacer device includes at least one perforated profile 1, the two glazing walls are bonded to the side walls 5 of the profile 1 of the spacer device, and even more preferably, their inner surfaces are bonded to the side walls 5 of the profile 1 of the spacer device, respectively. If the spacer device includes at least one perforated casing 21, the two glazing walls are bonded to the side walls 25 of the casing 21 of the spacer device, and even more preferably, their inner surfaces are bonded to the longitudinal side walls 25 of the casing 21 of the spacer device, respectively.

[0157] If the device includes at least one perforating bar 11, the two glazing walls are preferably bonded to opposing sides of the bar 11. Advantageously, the glazing walls are bonded to the device according to the present invention by gluing, for example, by an adhesive such as a polyisobutylene (PIB)-based adhesive, by a silicone sealant, or by double-sided adhesive tape.

[0158] A sealing seal may be present, preferably located on the outer surface of the device (i.e., the surface of the device closest to the edge of the glazing wall), which is preferably the outer surface of the lower wall 4 of the profile 1 (if the device includes at least one perforation profile 1). More preferably, the sealing seal extends from this outer surface to the edge of the glazing wall. This sealing seal can be formed from a polyurethane, polysulfide, and / or silicone-based mastic (referred to as "sealant mastic"). However, if the device includes a perforation bar 11, preferably the bar does not have a sealing seal.

[0159] When the device according to the present invention is a spacer device, or when the device is not a spacer device but is combined with a spacer device, the spacer device is used to set the length of the gap between the glazing walls. This gap length (i.e., the thickness of the cavity between the glazing walls) may be 6 to 30 mm, preferably 10 to 20 mm, for example 16 mm.

[0160] Preferably, the glazing cavity (between the glazing walls) contains gas. The gas may be air, and / or carbon dioxide, and / or argon, and / or krypton, and / or xenon. By using argon, krypton, or xenon in addition to or as a substitute for air, it is possible to improve the thermal insulation properties of the glazing.

[0161] The glazing according to the present invention may be completely opaque, completely transparent, or partially opaque and partially transparent. Preferably, the glazing is at least partially transparent.

[0162] One(s) of the glazing walls may be colored to their thickness over all or part of their surface. One(s) of the glazing walls may be completely or partially covered with an opaque coating, such as paint and / or enamel. The opaque coating may be present on the inner surface of the glazing wall, on the outer surface of the glazing wall, or on both sides, preferably the opaque coating covers the inner surface of the glazing wall. In some embodiments, only one of the glazing walls of the glazing is covered with an opaque coating. This glazing wall is advantageously intended to be the outermost glazing wall of the glazing when the glazing is used for the facade or exterior windows of a building.

[0163] In some embodiments, the glazing walls of the glazing, or at least one of the glazing walls, may be subjected to treatment to improve the thermal barrier properties of the glazing. In particular, the glazing walls may include one (or more) barrier layers, such as metal and / or metal oxide-based barrier layers, on one or more of their main surfaces, preferably on the inner surfaces. If the glazing walls are also covered with an opaque coating (e.g., enamel and / or paint), a barrier layer that is compatible with the opaque coating is preferably used. Alternatively, the barrier layer and the opaque coating may be located on different surfaces of the glazing wall (e.g., the barrier layer may be on the inner surface and the opaque coating on the outer surface). Yet another method is to interpose the barrier layer in the glazing assembly, for example, between the PVB layer and the glass sheet, if at least one of the glazing walls is a glazing assembly.

[0164] Advantageously, at least one of the perforated polymer foam plates of the device and the chamber defined thereof is configured such that the assembly comprising the perforated polymer foam plate and the chamber resonates at the so-called "mass / spring / mass" frequency of the glazing (for example, at least one of the device profiles 1 including periodically arranged perforations 6 on its upper wall 3 resonates at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, and / or at least one of the bars 11 including periodically arranged perforations 16 and the chamber defined thereof resonates at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, and / or at least one of the casings 21 including periodically arranged perforations 26 resonates at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing). In the glazing according to the present invention, the presence of polymer foam plates and chambers configured to resonate at or near the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing can increase not only the sound transmission loss at frequencies near the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, but also the sound transmission loss at frequencies higher than the mass / spring / mass frequency.

[0165] grazing mass / spring / mass frequency f msm This can be calculated using the following formula:

[0166]

number

[0167] In Equation 2, ρ0 is the density of air (kg / m³). 3 ) where c0 is the speed of sound in the air cavity (m / s), and d is the thickness of the air cavity between the two glazing walls (m), and m s1 and m s2 These are the mass per unit area (kg / m²) of the first and second glazing walls, respectively. 2 )

[0168] Preferably, at least one of the perforated polymer foam plates of the device and the chamber it defines (more specifically, at least one of the device profiles 1 including periodically arranged perforations 6 in its upper wall 3, and / or at least one of the device bars 11 including periodically arranged perforations 16, and the chamber 12 it defines, and / or at least one of the device casings 21 including periodically arranged perforations 26) are configured to resonate at a frequency corresponding to, or close to, a frequency one-third octave lower than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing. This makes it possible to increase the sound transmission loss at frequencies close to this frequency.

[0169] Preferably, at least one of the perforated polymer foam plates of the device and the chamber it defines (more specifically, at least one of the device profiles 1 including periodically arranged perforations 6 in its upper wall 3, and / or at least one of the device bars 11 including periodically arranged perforations 16, and the chamber 12 it defines, and / or at least one of the device casings 21 including periodically arranged perforations 26) are configured to resonate at a frequency corresponding to, or close to, a frequency one-third octave higher than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing. This makes it possible to increase the sound transmission loss at frequencies close to this frequency.

[0170] In glazing, at least two perforated polymer foam plates defining a chamber (in particular, at least two perforated profile 1 and / or perforated linear bar 11 and / or perforated linear casing 21), wherein at least one of the polymer foam plates forms a system configured to resonate with the chamber it defines at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, and at least one other polymer foam plate forms a system configured to resonate with the chamber it defines at a frequency one-third of an octave higher or lower than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, preferably at least three perforated polymer foam plates defining a chamber (in particular, at least three perforated profile 1 and / or perforated linear bar 11 and / or perforated linear casing 21), The existence of a device in which at least one polymer foam plate forms a system configured to resonate with the chamber it defines at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, at least one other polymer foam plate forms a system configured to resonate with the chamber it defines at a frequency one-third of an octave higher than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, and at least one other polymer foam plate forms a system configured to resonate with the chamber it defines at a frequency one-third of an octave lower than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing makes it possible to smooth the sound transmission loss around the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing and to improve the acoustic isolation of the glazing over a wider frequency band around the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing.

[0171] More preferably, the glazing according to the present invention further comprises one or more additional sound-blocking devices. Each additional sound-blocking device comprises a plate, the plate comprising a plurality of periodically spaced perforations defining a chamber located within the cavity. Preferably, the periodicity of the perforations in the polymer foam plate of the device according to the present invention and the periodicity of the perforations in the plate of each additional sound-blocking device are different from each other.

[0172] For example, glazing according to the present invention may include the following: - The above-described first acoustic shielding device according to the present invention, the first acoustic shielding device includes a first perforated polymer foam plate defining a first chamber, wherein the system formed by the first perforated polymer foam plate and the first chamber is configured to resonate at a first frequency, the first acoustic shielding device, - A second additional acoustic isolation device, the second additional acoustic isolation device comprising a second perforated plate defining a second chamber, wherein the system formed by the second perforated plate and the second chamber is configured to resonate at a second frequency corresponding to a frequency one-third of an octave lower than the first frequency, - A third additional acoustic isolation device, the third additional acoustic isolation device comprising a third perforated plate defining a third chamber, wherein the system comprising the third perforated polymer foam plate and the third chamber is configured to resonate at a third frequency corresponding to a frequency one-third of an octave higher than the first frequency.

[0173] Each additional sound-blocking device may be a conventional sound-blocking device. Alternatively or additionally, the plate of each additional sound-blocking device may contain the polymer foam defined above.

[0174] In advantageous embodiments, the glazing according to the present invention can exhibit higher acoustic insulation (for example, as determined by measuring the sound transmission loss in particular in accordance with the ISO 10140 standard) than identical glazing that does not include periodically placed perforations in the polymer foam plate of the device over a frequency range of 200 Hz to 2000 Hz, preferably 100 Hz to 5000 Hz, and more preferably 50 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

[0175] The glazing according to the present invention can be used in any application where glazing is used. In particular, the glazing according to the present invention may be building glazing. The glazing can be designed to function as an interface between the outside and inside of a building, and may be, for example, facade glazing, window glazing, or door glazing. Alternatively, the glazing can be designed to be located on the inside of a building.

[0176] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned glazing, - A step of providing at least two glazing walls, - The process of providing the above device, - A step of arranging two glazing walls and forming a cavity between the glazing walls, - The process of inserting the device into the cavity and Regarding methods including

[0177] In one particularly preferred configuration, the device is positioned within the glazing cavity such that a chamber defined by the device's perforated polymer foam plate is in fluid communication with the glazing cavity through the perforations in the device's polymer foam plate.

[0178] Preferably, if the device is a spacer device, the manufacturing method includes the step of bonding two glazing walls to the spacer device. More preferably, if the spacer device includes at least one perforated profile 1 or perforated casing 21, the two glazing walls are bonded to the spacer device such that the upper wall of the spacer device, which includes periodically arranged perforations, faces into a cavity formed between the glazing walls.

Claims

1. A glazing (10, 20, 30) comprising at least two glazing walls (7, 17, 27), wherein a cavity is formed between the glazing walls (7, 17, 27), and the cavity comprises at least one acoustic shielding device comprising at least one polymer foam plate (3, 11, 23), the polymer foam plate (3, 11, 23) comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations (6, 16, 26), and defining a chamber (2, 12) located within the cavity.

2. The glazing (10, 20, 30) according to claim 1, wherein the sound-blocking device comprises a profile or casing formed from a plurality of polymer foam walls, the chamber is an internal space of the profile or the casing defined by the walls, and the polymer foam plate comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations is one of the walls of the profile or the walls of the casing.

3. The glazing according to claim 1 or 2 (10, 20, 30), wherein the sound-blocking device is a spacer device for the glazing.

4. The glazing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sound-blocking device includes an inner portion facing the chamber and an outer portion facing away from the inner portion, and the average proportion of open cells in the polymer foam of the inner portion is greater than the proportion of open cells in the outer portion, preferably the average proportion of open cells in the polymer foam of the inner portion is 30% to 99%.

5. The glazing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sound-blocking device is an integrated unit (10, 20, 30).

6. The glazing (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sound-blocking device includes at least one linear bar (11), the at least one linear bar (11) forming the at least one polymer foam plate and being combined with a spacer device, and the chamber is defined by the polymer foam plate and the edge of the glazing.

7. The glazing (10) according to claim 6, wherein the polymer foam comprises an average percentage of 30 to 99%, preferably 65 to 98%, of open cells.

8. The glazing according to any one of claims 1 to 7 (10, 20, 30), wherein the polymer foam is selected from the group consisting of silicone foam, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, melamine foam, and combinations thereof.

9. The glazing according to any one of claims 1 to 8 (10, 20, 30), comprising a desiccant in or attached to the sound-blocking device.

10. The glazing according to claim 9 (10, 20, 30), wherein the desiccant is incorporated into the polymer foam.

11. The glazing according to claim 9 or 10 (10, 20, 30), wherein the desiccant is placed within at least one envelope, the envelope is preferably held inside or outside the chamber.

12. The glazing (10, 20, 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one polymer foam plate (3, 11, 23) includes at least three perforations (6, 16, 26), preferably at least four perforations (6, 16, 26).

13. The glazing (10, 20, 30) further comprises one or more additional sound-blocking devices, each additional sound-blocking device comprising a plate, the plate comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations and defining a chamber disposed within the cavity, preferably the periodicity of the perforations in the polymer foam plate and the periodicity of the perforations in the plate of each additional sound-blocking device being different from each other, the glazing (10, 20, 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The glazing (10, 20, 30) according to claim 13, wherein the plate of each additional sound-blocking device comprises a polymer foam.

15. The glazing (10, 20, 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the sound-blocking device is located within the peripheral zone of the cavity of the glazing (10, 20, 30).

16. Glazing for a building, for example, glazing for the facade of a building, glazing for the windows or doors of a building, or glazing for interior use, according to any one of claims 1 to 15 (10, 20, 30).

17. An acoustic shielding device comprising at least one polymer foam plate (3, 11, 23), wherein the plate (3, 11, 23) comprises a plurality of periodically arranged perforations (6, 16, 26), and the device is suitable for manufacturing the glazing according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

Images