Glass panel having improved performance in terms of acoustic insulation and moisture absorption

Abstract

The invention relates to a glass panel comprising at least two glazed walls (17, 27, 37) forming a cavity therebetween, wherein the cavity comprises at least one device comprising at least one upper plate (3, 3', 3'', 13, 23) and at least one lower component (9, 9', 9'', 19, 29), the upper plate (3, 3', 3'', 13, 23) comprising a plurality of perforations (6, 6', 6'', 16, 26) arranged periodically, the upper plate (3, 3', 3'', 13, 23) and the lower component (9, 9', 9'', 19, 29) being attached to one another and defining at least one chamber (2, 2', 2'', 12).

Description

Description Title of the invention: Glazing with improved acoustic insulation and moisture absorption performance Prior art

[0001] The present invention belongs to the general field of glazing manufacturing. It relates more particularly to a device configured to improve the acoustic insulation performance of a glazing unit as well as to limit the presence of humidity between glazed walls of said glazing unit. It also relates to a glazing unit comprising at least one such device. The invention finds a particularly advantageous, although in no way limiting, application in the case of building glazing.

[0002] Double glazing, consisting of two panes separated by a cavity filled with gas, typically air, is traditionally used in windows and building facades for its thermal and acoustic insulation performance.

[0003] However, the sound transmission loss caused by such double glazing decreases for frequencies surrounding the so-called "mass / spring / mass" frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the double glazing and located in the low frequencies. This phenomenon, called mass / spring / mass effect, is due to significant pressure variations in the air cavity at the mass / spring / mass frequency.

[0004] WO 01 / 14681A1 describes an insulating glazing unit comprising at least two flat parallel panes, positioned on either side of a closed spacer profile, in such a way that a cavity is created. In the cavity between the two parallel panes and at a distance from the spacer profile, an elongated perforated wall element dividing the cavity is arranged.

[0005] Beyond the acoustic improvement of glazing while respecting space and weight constraints, the solutions envisaged are also subject to problems of managing the presence of humidity between the panes of glass forming a glazing unit. More specifically, it is a question of being able to absorb the residual water vapor in the cavity between the panes during the manufacture of the glazing, and during its use.

[0006] In order to improve the performance in terms of sound insulation as well as moisture absorption, the integration of a sound absorbing material and / or a desiccant agent into a glazing device can be considered, but this is very difficult due to the size of the device and the modifications required on the glazing assembly lines.

[0007] There is therefore a real need to provide a system that facilitates the integration of materials to improve the acoustic insulation of glazing, particularly in low frequencies, as well as the latter's moisture absorption. Statement of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to overcome all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular those set out above, by proposing a solution which makes it possible to obtain a glazing device which can be easily integrated with other materials such as sound-absorbing materials and / or desiccant agents, thus improving the sound insulation and moisture absorption performance between the glazed walls of said glazing.

[0009] Thus, and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a glazing comprising at least two glazed walls forming a cavity between them, in which the cavity comprises at least one device comprising at least one upper plate and at least one lower component, said upper plate comprising a plurality of perforations arranged periodically, said upper plate and said lower component being fixed to each other and defining at least one chamber.

[0010] In particular embodiments, the glazing may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations.

[0011] In embodiments, said top plate and said bottom component are attached to each other by gluing, embossing, staples, clips, latches, sliding connection and / or interlocking.

[0012] In embodiments, the lower component comprises at least one bottom wall and at least two side walls.

[0013] In embodiments, a desiccant is present within said chamber, said desiccant being configured to absorb moisture present within said chamber.

[0014] In embodiments, a porous absorbent material is present within said chamber, preferably selected from the group consisting of mineral wools, textile fibers, polymeric foams and combinations thereof, and the porous absorbent material preferably occupying the majority of the volume of the chamber.

[0015] In embodiments, the desiccant and the porous absorbent material are present within the chamber, said porous absorbent material being disposed on the top plate side.

[0016] In embodiments, said top plate comprises at least three perforations, preferably at least four perforations.

[0017] In embodiments, the device is a spacer device attached to each of the two glass walls.

[0018] In embodiments, said upper plate and said lower component are two separate parts.

[0019] The invention also relates to a device comprising at least one upper plate and at least one lower component, said upper plate comprising a plurality of perforations arranged periodically, said upper plate and said lower component being fixed to each other and defining at least one chamber, said device being suitable for the manufacture of glazing as described above.

[0020] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising at least one upper plate and a porous absorbent material attached to said upper plate, said upper plate comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations, said assembly being suitable for manufacturing a device as described above by attaching the upper plate to the lower component of the device.

[0021] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a device as described above, comprising the steps of providing a top plate comprising a plurality of periodically arranged perforations, providing of a lower component, and attaching the upper plate to the lower component, thereby forming a chamber.

[0022] In embodiments, the method further comprises a step of introducing a desiccant and / or a porous absorbent material into the lower component prior to the securing step.

[0023] In embodiments, the securing step is a gluing, embossing, staple securing, clip securing, latch securing, slide securing and / or boxing step.

[0024] In embodiments, the top plate subjected to the attachment step is part of an assembly also comprising a porous material attached thereto, as described above.

[0025] The present invention makes it possible to meet the need expressed above. More particularly, it provides a glazing device making it possible to obtain glazing with improved acoustic insulation, in particular in the low and medium frequencies, but also in the high frequencies. This device can also be easily integrated with other materials such as acoustic absorbing materials and / or desiccant agents, thus making it possible to further improve the acoustic insulation and moisture absorption performance.

[0026] This is achieved by the presence, in the device, of an upper plate on which a plurality of perforations are periodically arranged and a lower component, said upper plate and said lower component being fixed to each other and allowing the formation of a chamber. The combination of the presence of said chamber with the presence of perforations on the upper plate, these perforations being periodic, allows the creation of resonators making it possible to absorb at least a portion of the sound energy in the cavity of the glazing formed by the two glazed walls, which makes it possible to reduce the transmission of sound through the glazing. In particular, the resonators absorb sound energy significantly for frequencies close to their resonance frequency(ies).In addition, the absorption of energy also for the harmonic frequencies of the resonators as well as physical phenomena related to the modification of the properties of the gas cavity of the glazing, due to the presence of the resonators, make it possible to also improve the acoustic insulation at frequencies higher than the resonant frequencies of the resonators.

[0027] Furthermore, the present invention also addresses the need for the difficulty of integrating a sound-absorbing material and / or a desiccant. This is accomplished by the fact that the device comprises two elements, an upper plate and a lower component, which are fixed to each other. This structure makes it possible, before fixing, to easily introduce a sound-absorbing material and / or a desiccant, in order to provide sound insulation as well as moisture absorption.

[0028] It should be noted that the various components (for example, the upper plate and / or the lower component) forming the device according to the invention may be opaque or transparent or semi-transparent. This makes it possible to improve the visual appearance of the glazing according to the invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0029] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below, with reference to the appended drawings which illustrate an exemplary embodiment thereof without any limiting character. In the figures: [Fig. 1] Figure 1 represents a schematic view of an exemplary device (first variant) according to the invention; [Fig. 2] Figure 2 represents a schematic view of an example of a device (second variant) according to the invention; [Fig. 3] Figure 3 represents a schematic view of an example of a device (third variant) according to the invention; [Fig. 4] Figure 4 represents a schematic view of an example of an upper plate of the device of Figure 2 (second variant) according to the invention; [Fig. 5] Figure 5 represents on its left part an example of glazing according to the invention and, on its right part, an enlarged and perspective schematic view of an example of device (fourth variant) according to the invention present in this example of glazing; [Fig. 6] Figure 6 represents on its left part another example of glazing according to the invention and, on its right part, an enlarged schematic and perspective view of an example of device (fifth variant) according to the invention present in this example of glazing; [Fig. 7] Figure 7 schematically represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, a particular embodiment of the device of Figure 5; [Fig. 8] Figure 8 schematically represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, a particular embodiment of the device of Figure 5; [Fig. 9] Figure 9 schematically represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, another particular embodiment of the device of Figure 5; [Fig. 10] Figure 10 schematically represents a particular embodiment of the glazing according to the invention, in which the device of Figure 1 is placed.

[0030] Description of embodiments

[0031] The invention is now described in more detail and in a non-limiting manner in the following description.

[0032] The invention relates firstly to a device for glazing.

[0033] The glazing may be any type of glazing comprising at least two glazed walls defining a cavity between them. For the purposes of the present invention, the cavity of a glazing is defined as being the volume between two glazed walls of said glazing.

[0034] The device according to the invention may be a spacing device for glazing. The term "spacing device" means any device making it possible to fix the length of the spacing between the glazed walls of the glazing in which it is intended to be placed.

[0035] Alternatively, the device according to the invention may not be used as a spacing device.

[0036] The device according to the invention comprises at least one upper plate comprising a plurality of perforations arranged periodically (also called "perforated upper plate" hereinafter) and at least one lower component, said upper plate and said lower component being fixed to each other and defining at least one chamber.

[0037] Preferably, the top plate of the device comprises, or is made of, a metallic material, such as aluminum and / or stainless steel, and / or a polymeric material, such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polyester, polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylate, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile, butadiene styrene, acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, or a combination thereof, optionally reinforced with glass fibers.

[0038] The upper plate comprises two main faces opposite each other and bearing the perforations, called in this text "external face" (corresponding to the face intended to be closest to the edge of the glazed walls of the glazing) and "internal face" (corresponding to the face intended to face the center of the cavity formed between the glazed walls of the glazing).

[0039] An "edge" of a glass wall means one side of the glass wall (which extends in a direction perpendicular to the thickness of the glazing between the glass walls). For example, for a rectangular or square glass wall, the edges correspond to the four sides of the rectangle or square. An "edge" of the glazing means a peripheral end of the glazing delimited by corresponding edges facing the glass walls.

[0040] In this text, the terms "upper" and "lower" are used in reference to the orientation of the device in the glazing. The upper plate corresponds to a plate intended to face the center of the glazing cavity and the lower component extends from the upper plate towards an edge of the glazed wall of the glazing.

[0041] For the perforated upper plate, we can define a length, corresponding to the largest dimension of the upper plate in the plane of its main faces (also called "main plane of the upper plate", a width, corresponding to the dimension of the upper plate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the upper plate, in the main plane of the upper plate, and a thickness, corresponding to the dimension of the upper plate in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the upper plate (and therefore corresponding to the dimension of the upper plate between its two main faces).

[0042] The perforated top plate is preferably rectangular parallelepiped (i.e. it has a constant length, width and thickness).

[0043] When the device according to the invention is a spacer device, the width of the perforated upper plate preferably determines the dimension of the spacing between the glass walls (i.e. the thickness of the cavity between the glass walls) of the glazing in which the spacer device is intended to be used. The width of the top plate may be from 6 to 30 mm, preferably from 10 to 20 mm, for example 16 mm or 20 mm, particularly in embodiments in which the device is a spacer device. Where the width varies within the device, the width refers to the width that determines the distance between the glass walls (the largest width within the device).

[0044] The thickness of the perforated upper plate is advantageously from 0.1 to 15 mm, more preferably from 0.2 to 1 mm. In particular, the perforated upper plate may have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, or from 0.2 to 0.4 mm, or from 0.4 to 0.6 mm, or from 0.6 to 0.8 mm, or from 0.8 to 1 mm, or from 1 to 1.2 mm, or from 1.2 to 1.5 mm, or from 1.5 to 2 mm, or from 2 to 3 mm, or from 3 to 4 mm, or from 4 to 5 mm, or from 5 to 10 mm, or from 10 to 15 mm.

[0045] The plate is for example opaque, transparent or semi-transparent.

[0046] The upper plate comprises a plurality of perforations arranged periodically. By "plurality of perforations" is meant at least two perforations. More particularly, the upper plate may comprise two, or three, or at least three, or four, or at least four, or five, or at least five, or six, or at least six, or seven, or at least seven, or eight, or at least eight, or nine, or at least nine, or ten, or at least ten, perforations arranged periodically. The more perforations the upper plate comprises arranged periodically, the more the acoustic insulation of the glazing in which the device is present is improved. In a particularly preferred manner, the upper plate comprises at least three perforations, more preferably at least four perforations, arranged periodically.

[0047] By "periodically arranged perforations" is meant that said perforations are identical and are present at regular intervals in the upper plate (i.e. the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations is constant). The perforations are made over the entire thickness of the upper plate (they extend from the inner face of the upper plate to its outer face) and put the spaces located on either side of said upper plate into fluid communication (i.e. they allow the circulation of a fluid, and more particularly of a gas, from one space to the other). Advantageously, the periodic perforations are all aligned, more preferably along a longitudinal axis of the upper plate (i.e. along the direction of its length). even more advantageously, the perforations are arranged along a longitudinal axis of the upper plate located in the middle of the width of the upper plate.

[0048] The perforations may have any suitable shape. In embodiments, they have a cross-section (i.e., in the principal plane of the top plate) that is circular or substantially circular.

[0049] Advantageously, the perforations of the upper plate are microperforations. By "microperforations" is meant holes whose diameter or maximum dimension (in the main plane of the upper plate) is less than or equal to 8 mm. Preferably, the perforations have a diameter, or a maximum dimension (in the main plane of the upper plate) of 0.2 to 8 mm, more preferably of 0.5 to 8 mm. In embodiments, the diameter or maximum dimension of the perforations may be 0.2 to 0.5 mm, or 0.5 to 1 mm, or 1 to 2 mm, or 2 to 3 mm, or 3 to 4 mm, or 4 to 5 mm, or 5 to 6 mm, or 6 to 7 mm, or 7 to 8 mm.

[0050] Particularly preferably, the periodic perforations are distributed over the entire length of the upper plate. Alternatively, the perforations may be arranged periodically over only a portion of the length of the upper plate, for example over a portion of the upper plate having a length less than or equal to 90%, or less than or equal to 80%, or less than or equal to 70%, or less than or equal to 60%, or less than or equal to 50%, or less than or equal to 40%, or less than or equal to 30%, or less than or equal to 20%, or less than or equal to 10%, of the length of the upper plate.

[0051] For each perforation, a geometric center of said perforation may be defined (hereinafter simply called “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, or 10 to 20 mm, or 20 to 30 mm, or 30 to 40 mm, or 40 to 50 mm, or 50 to 60 mm, or 60 to 70 mm, or 70 to 80 mm, or 80 to 90 mm, or 90 to 100 mm, or 100 to 110 mm, or 110 to 120 mm, or 120 to 140 mm, or 140 to 160 mm, or 160 to 180 mm, or 180 to 200 mm.

[0052] Advantageously, the open area ratio (i.e. the ratio of the area of ​​all the perforations arranged periodically to the total area of ​​the top plate (including the area of ​​the perforations)) is from 0.01 to 8%, preferably from 0.05 to 0.8%. The open area ratio can be 0.01 to 0.05%, or 0.05 to 0.1%, or 0.1 to 0.2%, or 0.2 to 0.3%, or 0.3 to 0.4%, or 0.4 to 0.5%, or 0.5 to 0.6%, or 0.6 to 0.7%, or 0.7 to 0.8%, or 0.8 to 0.9%, or 0.9 to 1%, or 1 to 2%, or 2 to 3%, or 3 to 4%, or 4 to 5%, or 5 to 6%, or 6 to 7%, or 7 to 8%.

[0053] In embodiments, the lower component comprises at least one bottom wall and at least two side walls. Advantageously, the two side walls are parallel to each other. Thus, the lower component may be in the form of an open tubular profile, consisting of a bottom wall and two longitudinal side walls (preferably opposite each other and parallel to each other) extending along the longitudinal axis of the profile. Alternatively, the lower component may consist of a bottom wall and four side walls, comprising two longitudinal side walls (preferably opposite each other and parallel to each other) and two transverse side walls (preferably opposite each other and parallel to each other) defining an open box.By "longitudinal side wall" is meant a side wall parallel to the longitudinal axis of the box and by "transverse side wall" is meant a side wall perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the box.

[0054] The lower component may further comprise at least connecting walls that connect each respective longitudinal side wall to the lower wall.

[0055] The connecting wall (preferably both connecting walls) may form an angle of 30° to 60° with respect to the longitudinal side walls, as well as with respect to the bottom wall. The or each longitudinal side wall may, for example, be essentially perpendicular with respect to the bottom wall. Thus, the width of the bottom wall may be less than that of the top wall, the internal space of the bottom component being flared and widening from the bottom wall towards the longitudinal side walls.

[0056] The connecting walls improve the stability of the device and facilitate the fixing of the device in the glazing and its insulation.

[0057] Everything described in this text in relation to the top plate (e.g. length, width, thickness ranges, materials, shape) applies to the walls of the bottom component.

[0058] The top plate may be attached to the side walls of the bottom component, preferably perpendicular to the side walls. Advantageously, the main plane of the top plate and the main plane of the bottom wall are parallel to each other.

[0059] Preferably, the upper plate and the lower component are secured to each other by gluing, embossing, staples, clips, latches, sliding connection and / or interlocking. Preferably, the upper plate and the lower component are secured to each other in such a way that the chamber defined by these two elements is sealed.

[0060] In embodiments, the top plate and the bottom component are attached to each other by gluing, for example by an adhesive, such as a polyisobutylene (PIB), epoxy, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, UV hot melt adhesive, by a silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, neoprene sealant, or by a double-sided adhesive tape.

[0061] Alternatively, the top plate and the bottom component may be secured to each other by mechanical fastening, for example, by embossing, by means of staples, by means of clips, by means of latches, by sliding connection and / or by interlocking, preferably by sliding connection or by means of clips.

[0062] For example, mechanical fixing is a removable mechanical fixing.

[0063] A material may be readily introduced into the chamber of the device. For example, a material may be introduced into the lower component (in particular, the component comprising an open tubular profile or an open box), and the perforated top plate may be secured (e.g., by gluing or mechanical fastening) to the lower component comprising the material in the chamber. Alternatively, a material may be secured to the perforated top plate and the perforated top plate to which the material is secured may be secured to the lower component (e.g., by gluing or mechanical fastening). The material may be secured to the top plate by gluing, for example, using an adhesive as described above.

[0064] In embodiments, the material may be a porous absorbent material and / or a desiccant (as described in detail below). When the device comprises, for example, a porous absorbent material and a desiccant, they may be readily integrated into the lower component during the same filling process, i.e., the integration of the two may be performed in-line.

[0065] The chamber bounded by the upper plate and the lower component is located inside the glazing cavity.

[0066] The thickness of the chamber is preferably from 2 to 200 mm, more preferably from 5 to 50 mm. The thickness of the chamber corresponds to the dimension of the chamber in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the upper plate. In embodiments, the chamber has a thickness of 2 to 5 mm, or 5 to 10 mm, or 10 to 20 mm, or 20 to 30 mm, or 30 to 40 mm, or 40 to 50 mm, or 50 to 60 mm, or 60 to 70 mm, or 70 to 80 mm, or 80 to 90 mm, or 90 to 100 mm, or 100 to 120 mm, or 120 to 140 mm, or 140 to 160 mm, or 160 to 180 mm, or 180 to 200 mm.

[0067] The sizing and configuration of the top plate, its perforations and the chamber can be chosen based on the frequency at which the assembly formed by the top plate and the chamber is desired to resonate. Indeed, the relationship between the resonant frequency f of the perforated top plate and the thickness of the top plate, the thickness of the chamber, the spacing between the perforations and the size and distribution of the perforations can be estimated by the formula:

[0068] [Math. 1] f = 54000.

[0069] In this equation 1, o is the open area ratio (dependent on the size of the perforations and their distribution), L is the thickness of the top plate in m, D is the thickness of the chamber in m and d is the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations in m.

[0070] Advantageously, the system consisting of the top plate and the chamber is configured to resonate in the low frequencies. By "low frequencies" means sound waves with a frequency of less than 300 Hz. For example, the system consisting of the top plate and the chamber may be configured to resonate at a frequency of less than or equal to 250 Hz, or less than or equal to 225 Hz, or less than or equal to 200 Hz, or less than or equal to 175 Hz, or less than or equal to 150 Hz. In other embodiments, the system consisting of the top plate and the chamber may be configured to resonate at a frequency of less than or equal to 400 Hz, or less than or equal to 350 Hz.

[0071] The top plate preferably comprises a single series of perforations arranged periodically. Alternatively, it may comprise several series of perforations arranged periodically in the top plate, such as at least two series or at least three series, each series being different from the others (for example, the size of the perforations and / or the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations may be different in each series). When the top plate comprises several series of periodic perforations, each series is located in a different portion of the top plate (depending on its length).The presence of several different sets of periodic perforations allows the top plate and chamber system to resonate at several frequencies, with each portion of the top plate and chamber assembly that includes a different set of periodic perforations having a different resonant frequency. The perforations in the top plate also act as an air exchange between the cavity and a desiccant, if present (as described below).

[0072] In embodiments, a porous absorbent material may be present within the chamber. Preferably, the term “porous absorbent material” means a material characterized by a porosity greater than or equal to 0.7 and / or a resistivity to the passage of air of from 5,000 to 150,000 Nsnr. 4The porosity of the material can be measured using a porosimeter using the fluid saturation method, by mercury intrusion. The resistivity to the passage of air can be measured according to the NF EN ISO 9053-1 standard. The presence of such a porous absorbent material in the chamber can increase the acoustic performance of the device and therefore further improve the acoustic insulation of the glazing in which it is placed.

[0073] The porous absorbent material may have a porosity greater than or equal to 0.75, or greater than or equal to 0.8, or greater than or equal to 0.85, or greater than or equal to 0.9, or greater than or equal to 0.95, for example a porosity of 0.7 to 0.75, or 0.75 to 0.8, or 0.8 to 0.85, or 0.85 to 0.90, or 0.90 to 0.95, or 0.95 to 0.99. More preferably, the porous absorbent material has a porosity of 0.7 to 0.99, and more preferably greater than or equal to 0.9. The air resistance of the porous absorbent material may be from 5,000 to 10,000 Nsnr. 4 , or from 10,000 to 20,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 20,000 to 40,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 40,000 to 60,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 60,000 to 80,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 80,000 to 100,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 100,000 to 120,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 120,000 to 140,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 140,000 to 150,000 Nsnr 4. Preferably, the porous absorbent material has a resistivity to the passage of air which is from 20,000 to 100,000 Nsnr. 4 .

[0074] The porous absorbent material is advantageously a textile fibrous material, a mineral wool, a polymer foam, or a combination thereof. The textile fibrous material may be a textile made of cotton fibers, linen fibers, hemp fibers, coconut fibers, polyester fibers, cellulose fibers, or a combination thereof. The mineral wool may be selected from the group consisting of glass wool, rock wool, and combinations thereof. The polymer foam may be selected from the group consisting of melamine foams, polyurethane foams, polyethylene foams, and combinations thereof.

[0075] When the porous absorbent material comprises a polymeric foam, the polymeric foam may comprise an average proportion of open cells of 30 to 100%, preferably 30 to 99%, more preferably 65 to 98%. The average proportion of open cells may be measured using a microscope or using an ultrasonic tortuosimeter.

[0076] The polymer foam of the plate may comprise an average proportion of closed cells of 0 to 70%, preferably of 1 to 70%, more preferably of 2 to 35%. The average proportion of closed cells may be measured in the same way as the average proportion of open cells.

[0077] By "open cells" and "closed cells" are meant, respectively, cells that are interconnected with each other (i.e., there are open passages between the cells), and cells that are isolated from each other (i.e., there are no open passages between the cells). In a manner Advantageously, the polymer foam comprises a greater average proportion of open cells than that of closed cells, preferably an open cell proportion of 100%, because, in general, open cell foams have a better sound absorption capacity due to the transmission of the sound wave between the cells.

[0078] The porous absorbent material may fill the entire chamber. Alternatively, the porous absorbent material may be present in only a portion of the chamber, for example, the volume of the porous absorbent material may be 2 to 20%, or 20 to 40%, or 40 to 60%, or 60 to 80%, or 80 to 98%, of the total volume of the chamber. Advantageously, the porous absorbent material occupies the majority of the volume of the chamber, for example, 80 to 98% of the total volume of the chamber.

[0079] Alternatively, or in addition, a desiccant may be present within the chamber, said desiccant being configured to absorb moisture present within the chamber.

[0080] The term "desiccant" is traditionally used to refer to an agent that has the property of drying out the atmosphere in which it is placed, or, in other words, of absorbing all or part of the moisture contained in that atmosphere. The use of such a desiccant is based on a desire to absorb said moisture before it turns into water.

[0081] The presence of the desiccant in the chamber of the device makes it possible to significantly limit the presence of humidity between the glass walls of the glazing. Such properties are therefore added to those described above in relation to acoustic insulation, so as to obtain glazing that is much more efficient than those of the prior art.

[0082] The desiccant agent may comprise granules, preferably in a non-agglomerated manner (i.e. in an individualized manner). Said granules are for example made of molecular sieve, silica gel, calcium chloride (CaCh), sodium sulfate (NazSC), activated carbon, zeolites with the chemical formulation M2ZnO.AI2O3.xSiO2.yH2O; M may designate Ca, Mg, K, Na. Generally, any material known to those skilled in the art for producing desiccant agents may be used as granules.

[0083] The desiccant may fill the entire chamber. Alternatively, the desiccant may be present in only a portion of the chamber, for example, the volume of the desiccant may be 2 to 20%, or 20 to 40%, or 40 to 60%, or 60 to 80%, or 80 to 98%, of the total volume of the chamber. The desiccant may be held fixed within the chamber by any method known to those skilled in the art, for example, by using suitable adhesive means.

[0084] When the desiccant and the porous absorbent material are present in the chamber, the porous absorbent material may occupy a larger volume of the chamber than the desiccant. For example, the porous absorbent material may occupy the majority of the chamber volume, such as 80 to 98%, or 90 to 98% of the chamber volume, to provide optimal sound absorption, and the desiccant may occupy, such as 2 to 20%, or 2 to 10% of the chamber volume. The volume occupied by the desiccant in the chamber may be chosen to ensure absorption of additional moisture from the porous absorbent material.

[0085] The porous absorbent material may be disposed on the side of the top plate, as shown in Figure 1, allowing the porous absorbent material, located between the perforated top plate and the desiccant, to prevent leakage of the desiccant into the cavity.

[0086] In embodiments, the porous absorbent material may be attached to the top plate (e.g., by gluing), as shown in Figure 4.

[0087] Alternatively, or in addition, the chamber may comprise a gas. The gas may in particular be air and / or argon, and / or carbon dioxide, and / or krypton and / or xenon.

[0088] The perforations may be covered by a fabric, in part or, preferably, in whole. For example, the fabric may be glued by any suitable means to the upper plate, such as to the inner face of the upper plate. Alternatively, or additionally, the fabric may be arranged on a porous absorbent material as described above, for example glued to said porous absorbent material, the porous absorbent material being placed inside the chamber, so that the fabric is against all or part, preferably all, of the perforations. The fabric thus forms a screen against the perforations having a certain resistivity. Without wishing to be bound by a theory, the inventors believe that when the sound wave passes through the fabric to enter the chamber, it encounters a resistivity due to the presence of the fabric, which improves the absorption of sound energy and therefore the acoustic insulation of the glazing comprising the device at low, medium and high frequencies. When the fabric is fixed on a porous absorbent material positioned in the chamber, the acoustic insulation of the glazing is further improved. The fabric advantageously has a thickness ranging from 0.1 to 3 mm, preferably from 0.2 to 1 mm. The fabric can be made of any woven natural or synthetic fibers, such as for example cotton fibers and / or linen fibers. The fabric preferably has a porosity of 0.07 to 0.99, and more preferably of 0.5 to 0.99, and / or a resistivity to the passage of air of 90,000 to 3,500,000 Nsnr. 4 , more preferably from 300,000 to 3,000,000 Nsnr4 . Air flow resistivity and porosity can be measured as above. The fabric may have a porosity of 0.07 to 0.2, or 0.2 to 0.4, or 0.4 to 0.6, or 0.6 to 0.8, or 0.8 to 0.99. The air flow resistivity of the fabric may be 90,000 to 300,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 300,000 to 500,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 500,000 to 1,000,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 2,000,000 to 2,500,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 Nsnr 4 , or from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 Nsnr 4 .

[0089] Referring to Figure 1, according to a first variant, the device 1 according to the invention comprises an upper plate 3 and a lower component 9. The upper plate 3 and the lower component 9 are fixed to each other by gluing (indicated by circles) and define a chamber 2. The lower component comprises a lower wall 4, two (longitudinal) side walls 5, and two connecting walls 8 which each connect a respective side wall 5 to the lower wall 4. Each connecting wall 8 forms an angle of 45° with respect to the side walls 5, as well as with respect to the lower wall 4. In this variant, the lower component 9 is a rectilinear profile. According to this variant, the device is advantageously a spacer device.

[0090] The upper plate 3 comprises a plurality of perforations 6 arranged periodically. The perforations 6 are made over the entire thickness of the upper plate and put the chamber 2 into fluid communication with the external environment (i.e. they allow the circulation of a fluid, and more particularly of a gas, from chamber 2 to the external environment and vice versa).

[0091] In this variant, a desiccant 60 comprising granules (in an agglomerated manner) and a porous absorbent material 50 are present inside the chamber 2. The porous absorbent material 50 occupies the majority of the volume of the chamber 2 and is arranged on the side of the upper plate (while the desiccant 60 is placed on the side of the lower plate 4).

[0092] In this variant, the thickness of the chamber inside the device 1 is the distance between the upper plate 3 and the lower wall 4.

[0093] In this variant, the bottom wall 4 is connected to the two side walls 5 by two connecting walls 8. In other embodiments, the top plate 3 and the bottom wall 4 can be connected to each other by any number of walls.

[0094] Advantageously, the plane of the upper plate 3 is perpendicular to the main planes of the two side walls 5, and the main plane of the upper plate 3 and the main plane of the lower wall 4 are parallel to each other.

[0095] Preferably, the upper plate 3, the lower wall 4, each of the two side walls 5 and / or each of the two connecting walls 8 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0096] Advantageously, the length of the upper plate 3 is equal to the length of the cavity between the glazed walls of the glazing in which the device is intended to be placed, in the same direction.

[0097] Referring to Figure 2, according to a second variant, the device 1' according to the invention comprises a structure similar to that of the first variant, except that the upper plate 3' and the lower component 9' are fixed to each other by sliding connection (indicated by circles), thus defining a chamber 2'. Everything described in relation to the upper plate and the lower component of Figure 1 applies to the upper plate and the lower component of the device 1'.

[0098] In this variant, a desiccant and a porous absorbent material are not illustrated. However, in another variant, the device 1 may of course comprise a porous absorbent material and / or a desiccant in the chamber 2'. For example, the device 1' may comprise a porous absorbent material, which may be attached to the upper plate 3', as shown in Figure 4.

[0099] With reference to Figure 3, according to a third variant, the device 1" according to the invention comprises a structure similar to that of the first variant, except that the upper plate 3" and the lower component 9" are fixed to each other by means of clips identified by circles, thus defining a chamber 2". The clips comprise for example two projecting portions projecting from the face of the upper plate 3" oriented towards the lower component 9" each cooperating with a corresponding complementary retaining portion provided in the lower component 9". Everything described in relation to the upper plate and the lower component of Figure 1 applies to the upper plate and the lower component of the device 1".

[0100] In this variant, a desiccant and a porous absorbent material are not illustrated. However, in another variant, the device 1" may of course comprise a porous absorbent material and / or a desiccant in the chamber 2". For example, the device 1" may comprise a porous absorbent material, which may be attached to the top plate 3".

[0101] Referring to Figure 5, according to a fourth variant, the device 1 according to the invention comprises an upper plate 13 comprising perforations 16, and a lower component 19. The lower component 19 comprises a lower wall 14, and two (longitudinal) side walls 15. The upper plate 13 and the lower component 19 are fixed to each other, defining a chamber 12. The upper plate 13 is fixed to the side walls 15. The lower component 19 is in the form of a rectilinear profile, as described above. A porous absorbent material and / or a desiccant may be present in the chamber 12.

[0102] In this variant, the thickness of the chamber inside the device 11 is the distance between the upper plate 13 and the lower wall 14, as in the first variant.

[0103] The top plate 13 and the bottom wall 14 may be connected by two side walls 15 (each of the two side walls 15 connecting a longitudinal edge of the top plate 13 to a longitudinal edge of the bottom wall 14). In other embodiments, the top wall 13 and the bottom wall 14 may be connected to each other by any number of walls.

[0104] Advantageously, the main plane of the upper wall 13 and the main plane of the lower wall 14 are parallel to each other and, even more advantageously, they are perpendicular to the main planes of the two side walls 15.

[0105] Preferably, the upper plate 13, the lower wall 14, and / or each of the two side walls 15 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0106] Advantageously, the length of the upper plate 13 is equal to the length of the cavity between the glazed walls 17 of the glazing 20 in which the device is intended to be placed, in the same direction.

[0107] Figure 5 shows, on the right-hand side, an orientation of the device 11 in the glazing 20. However, the device 11 can of course have any possible orientation, such as for example an orientation in which the longitudinal axis of the profile is vertical or an orientation in which the upper wall is below the lower wall (as shown on the left-hand side).

[0108] Referring to Figure 6, a device 21 according to a fifth variant comprises an upper plate 23 comprising perforations 26 and a lower component 29. The lower component 29 comprises a lower wall 24, two longitudinal side walls 25 (opposite each other) and two transverse side walls 28 (opposite each other). The upper plate 23 and the lower component 29 are fixed to each other, defining a chamber (which is not shown in Figure 6). The upper plate 23 is fixed to the longitudinal side walls 25 and / or to the transverse side walls. The lower component 29 according to the fifth variant is therefore a rectilinear box. A porous absorbent material and / or a desiccant may be present in the chamber.

[0109] Figure 6 shows, on the right-hand side, an orientation of the device 21 in the glazing 30. Of course, the device 21 can have any other possible orientation, as for example shown on the left-hand side.

[0110] The top plate 23 and the bottom wall 24 may be connected by two longitudinal side walls 25 (each of the two longitudinal side walls 25 connecting a longitudinal edge of the top plate 23 to a longitudinal edge of the bottom wall 24). In other less preferred embodiments, the top plate 23 and the bottom wall 24 may be connected to each other by any number of longitudinal walls 25. The upper plate 23 and the lower wall 24 are preferably also connected to each other by two transverse side walls 28 (each of the two transverse side walls 28 connecting a transverse edge of the upper plate 23 to a transverse edge of the lower wall 24). In other embodiments, the lower component may further comprise at least one connecting wall which connects at least one respective side wall (longitudinal or transverse) and the lower wall. [YES] Advantageously, the main plane of the upper plate 23 and the main plane 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 23 and lower 34 walls are perpendicular to the main planes of the two longitudinal side walls 25 and to the main planes of the two transverse side walls 28. In a particularly preferred manner, the device 21 according to the invention has a parallelepiped shape, even more preferably a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0112] Each of the walls of the lower component 29 and / or of the upper plate 23 may independently have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, preferably a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0113] In this variant, it is possible to define for the device 21 a length corresponding to the dimension of the device 21 along the longitudinal axis of the device and a width corresponding to the dimension of the device 21 along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device, in the main plane of the upper plate 23 of the device. In a particularly preferred manner, the width of the device 21 is less than the thickness of the cavity between the glazed walls 27 (along the same direction) of the glazing 30 in which it is intended to be placed. Thus, in this variant, the device is preferably not a spacing device. Preferably, at least one of the longitudinal side walls 25 (one or both) is not in contact with a glazed wall 27 when the device is placed in a glazing 30.

[0114] The width of the device 21 may be from 1 to 99% of the thickness of the cavity between the glazed walls of the glazing, for example from 1 to 10%, or from 10 to 20%, or from 20 to 30%, or from 30 to 40%, or from 40 to 50%, or from 50 to 60%, or from 60 to 70%, or from 70 to 80%, or from 80 to 90%, or from 90 to 99%, of the thickness of the cavity between the glass walls 27. The width of the device 21 may be at least 5 mm less than the thickness of the cavity between the glass walls 27, for example the width of the device 21 may be from 5 mm to 29 mm, or from 5 mm to 19 mm, or from 5 mm to 15 mm.

[0115] The length of the device 21 may be less than or equal to the length of the cavity between the glazed walls 27 of the glazing 30 in which it is intended to be placed, in the same direction. Preferably, it is less than the length of the cavity in the same direction. The length of the device 21 may be from 1 to 100% of the length of the cavity, for example from 1 to 10%, or from 10 to 20%, or from 20 to 30%, or from 30 to 40%, or from 40 to 50%, or from 50 to 60%, or from 60 to 70%, or from 70 to 80%, or from 80 to 90%, or from 90 to 95%, or from 95 to 100%, of the length of the cavity between the glass walls 27. In embodiments, the length of the device 21 may be at least 5 cm less than the length of the cavity between the glass walls 27 (in the same direction as the length of the device 21).

[0116] In embodiments, the upper plate 23 and optionally one of the longitudinal side walls 25 (intended not to be in contact with a glazed wall 27 of the glazing 30 when the device is placed in a glazing) comprise a plurality of perforations 26 arranged periodically. The perforations 26 are made over the entire thickness of the wall and place the chamber of the device 21 in fluid communication with the environment external to the device 21.

[0117] In this variant, the thickness of the chamber inside the device 21 is the distance between the wall of the device comprising the periodic perforations (the upper plate 23 or one of the longitudinal side walls 25) and the wall opposite this wall.

[0118] The device according to the invention can be in several of the variants described above at the same time.

[0119] Preferably, when the device comprises several perforated upper plates and several lower components, at least some of the upper plates are different from each other and they may all be different from each other and / or at least some chambers delimited by said perforated upper plates and said lower components are different from each other and they may all be different from each other. In particular, the top plates (or at least some of them) may have perforations 6, 6', 6" with different periodicity, i.e. perforations 6, 6', 6" of different size and / or perforations 6 arranged differently in the top plate 3, 3', 3" (e.g. the distance between the centers of two adjacent perforations 6, 6', 6" may be different). Alternatively, or additionally, the top plate 3, 3', 3" may be of different thickness and / or the chamber 2, 2', 2" may be of different thickness. Thus, preferably, the perforated top plates and chambers are such that at least some or all of the associated perforated top plates and chambers resonate at different frequencies.

[0120] The device may comprise two or at least two, three or at least three, four or at least four, or five or at least five perforated upper plates and lower components.

[0121] Even more preferably, the device comprises at least: - a first perforated upper plate and a first lower component, which are fixed and define a first chamber, the system constituted by the first perforated upper plate and the first chamber being configured to resonate at a first frequency, - a second perforated upper plate and a second lower component, which are fixed and define a second chamber, the system constituted by the second perforated upper plate and the second chamber being configured to resonate at a second frequency corresponding to a third of an octave below the first frequency, and - a third perforated upper plate and a third lower component, which are fixed and define a third chamber, the system constituted by the third perforated upper plate and the third chamber being configured to resonate at a third frequency corresponding to a third octave above the first frequency

[0122] The device may include one or more assemblies, each assembly including at least one top plate and at least one bottom component, which are secured to each other and define a chamber. Each assembly may be arranged along a different edge of the glazing. For example, for a glazing having four edges, the device may comprise three sets arranged along three of the edges, or four sets arranged along all four edges.

[0123] Preferably, the device comprises as many sets as the glass walls of the glazing in which it is intended to be placed comprise sides, for example it comprises four sets.

[0124] The assemblies may be disjointed (all or some of them) or may be joined to each other (all or some of them), preferably at their ends. Preferably, when the device according to the invention is a spacer device, all the assemblies of the spacer device may be joined so as to form a frame. When the assemblies are joined, they may form a single piece (the assemblies coming for example from a single assembly folded in one or more places, for example to form the corners of the frame) or may be assembled together by any suitable means, for example by means of staples, glue, clips and / or by interlocking or welding. In particular, when the assemblies comprise profiles, these may be disjointed (all or some of them) or may be joined to each other (all or some of them), preferably at their ends.Preferably, all the profiles located at the ends of the assemblies are joined so as to form a frame. When the profiles are joined, they may form a single piece (the straight profiles coming for example from a single profile bent in one or more places, for example to form the corners of the frame) or may be assembled together by any suitable means, for example by the means indicated above. Similarly, when the assemblies comprise straight boxes, they are advantageously disjointed.When the device comprises several assemblies, the chambers may be closed relative to each other (i.e. they are not directly in fluid communication with each other), for example by the presence of a partition between the chambers, or may be communicating with each other, or some may be closed relative to each other and others communicating with each other.

[0125] We will now describe different modes corresponding to different configurations / dispositions / arrangements of the desiccant agents.

[0126] For the sake of simplicity, the description of these modes is carried out by considering that the glazing device is in accordance with that described above with reference to the figure 5 (fourth variant). Of course, such considerations are not limiting of the invention, and all the modes described below are adaptable without difficulty, according to all technically operative combinations, to the other configurations (first variant, second variant, third variant, etc.) described previously.

[0127] Figure 7 schematically represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, a particular embodiment of the device 11 of Figure 5.

[0128] As illustrated in Figure 7, the device 11 comprises, in this embodiment, a porous absorbent material 50 held in a fixed position inside the chamber 12. Said porous absorbent material 50 conforms to the characteristics already mentioned previously. In particular, it is preferably chosen from the group consisting of mineral wools, textile fibers, polymer foams and combinations thereof.

[0129] More particularly, the porous absorbent material 50 occupies the entire volume of the chamber 12. It is therefore understood that maintaining said porous absorbent material 50 in a fixed position results from this configuration within the chamber 12.

[0130] Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the desiccant agents comprise granules 60 integrated, preferably in a non-agglomerated manner (i.e. in an individualized manner), in the porous absorbent material 50.

[0131] Said granules 60 are for example made of molecular sieve, silica gel, calcium chloride (CaCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), activated carbon, zeolites of chemical formulation M2 / nO.AI2O3.xSiO2.yH2O; M can be replaced by Ca, Mg, K, Na. Generally, any material known to those skilled in the art for producing desiccant agents can be used as granules.

[0132] It is understood that in the embodiment of Figure 7, because the porous absorbent material 50 is held fixed in the chamber 12, the desiccant agents in the form of granules 60 are also held in a fixed position therein. This advantageously prevents any release of the granules 60 through the perforations 16 of the upper plate 13.

[0133] Furthermore, it is important to note that considering a porous absorbent material 50 occupying the entire volume of the chamber 12 constitutes only a variant implementation of the invention. Thus, nothing excludes considering other configurations, such as for example a configuration according to which the material porous absorbent 50 occupies only a part of the volume of the chamber 12 and is held fixed inside the latter according to any method known to those skilled in the art, for example by using suitable adhesive means.

[0134] Figure 8 schematically represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, yet another particular embodiment of the device 11 of Figure 5.

[0135] The device 1 comprises a porous absorbent material 50 meeting the same characteristics (in terms of materials from which it can be made) as those described with reference to figure 7, and occupying the entire volume of the chamber 12.

[0136] Unlike the embodiment of Figure 7, in which granules 60 were used, the desiccant here comprises a bar 65 arranged in a cavity 55 of said absorbent material 50.

[0137] No limitation is attached to the shape of the bar 65. For example, the bar 65 may be parallelepipedal or cylindrical. According to other examples, the bar 65 may have, in cross section, a diamond-shaped, star-shaped, etc. profile.

[0138] Said bar 65 is made of a solid material, such as for example a material such as those mentioned above with reference to the granules of figure 7, and occupies the entire space delimited by the cavity 55. The positioning of the bar 65 in the cavity 55 can be carried out by insertion, or by injection of desiccant material.

[0139] Of course, in a similar manner to what has been described with reference to FIG. 7, nothing precludes considering that the porous absorbent material 50 occupies only a part of the volume of the chamber 12 and is kept fixed inside the latter according to any method known to those skilled in the art, for example by using appropriate adhesive means. Nothing precludes considering that the bar 65 occupies only a part of the space delimited by the cavity 55.

[0140] Furthermore, the invention also covers embodiments in which the porous material 50 comprises not only granules 60 but also a cavity 55 within which a bar 65 is housed. It is also possible to envisage a configuration according to which the bar 65 extends horizontally over a part of the length (or the entire length) of the device 11 and is placed on the internal surface of the lower wall 14 of the device 11, without occupying the entire volume of the chamber 12. The remaining volume of the chamber 12 (or at least a part of the remaining volume of ZI the chamber 12) can be entirely occupied by the porous absorbent material 50. It should be noted that the number of such bars does not constitute a limitation of the invention. Thus, nothing excludes considering more than one bar, for example two bars overlapping so as to fill the internal volume of the chamber 12 as well as a layer of porous absorbent material between them.

[0141] Figure 9 schematically represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, yet another particular embodiment of the device 11 of Figure 5.

[0142] As illustrated in Figure 9, the device 11 comprises a porous absorbent material 50 meeting the same characteristics (in terms of materials from which it can be made) as those described with reference to Figure 7.

[0143] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the device 11 comprises desiccant agents held in a fixed position in the chamber 12 and which comprise two envelopes 70, 80 respectively arranged at opposite ends of the chamber 12, each of said envelopes 70, 80 comprising granules meeting the same characteristics as those described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0144] Each envelope 70, 80 may be made of a flexible or rigid material, such as paper, plastic, polymer or plant or woven fibers. Of course, since each envelope 70, 80 and the granules it contains belong to the desiccant agents of the device 1, said envelope 70, 80 is provided with perforations allowing the granules to absorb moisture. These perforations are typically of diameters smaller than those of the granules so that the latter cannot escape from the envelope 70, 80 which contains them.

[0145] Furthermore, in the embodiment described here with reference to FIG. 9, the fixed position of said envelopes 70, 80 is maintained by (direct) contact of each of them with the internal wall of the chamber 12 and the porous absorbent material 50. To do this, said porous absorbent material 50 occupies all of the remaining volume of the chamber 12, i.e. the total volume of the chamber 12 from which the respective volumes of the two envelopes 70, 80 are subtracted.

[0146] The embodiment of Figure 9 can be declined according to multiple variants. For example, it is possible to envisage the following variants, possibly combined with each other when this is technically effective: - the porous absorbent material 50 comprises granules 60, as already described in reference to Figure 7, and / or a bar 65, as already described with reference to Figure 8, - the porous absorbent material 50 is not in contact with at least one of the two envelopes 70, 80, possibly with the two envelopes 70, 80, so as to occupy a volume smaller than the volume left free by the two envelopes 70, 80 within the chamber 12. Therefore, each envelope 70, 80 which is not in contact with the porous absorbent material 50 is kept fixed inside the chamber 12 according to any method known to those skilled in the art, for example by using appropriate adhesive means. The porous absorbent material 50 is kept in a fixed position according to similar characteristics, - no porous absorbent material is present in the volume left free by the two envelopes 70, 80 within the chamber 12.

[0147] Furthermore, the mode of Figure 9 has been described so far considering the presence of two envelopes 70, 80. It should however be noted that the number of envelopes does not constitute a limitation of the invention. Thus, nothing excludes considering a single envelope or even more than two envelopes, for example three envelopes including two envelopes respectively arranged at opposite ends of the chamber as well as another envelope arranged substantially centrally between said two envelopes.

[0148] Finally, whatever the number of envelopes envisaged, the positioning of these within the chamber 2 does not constitute a limitation of the invention.

[0149] The invention also relates to glazing comprising a device as described above.

[0150] The glazing according to the invention comprises at least two glazed walls. Advantageously, the glazed walls are parallel or essentially parallel to each other.

[0151] In embodiments, the glazing according to the invention may comprise exactly two glazed walls (it is then called “double glazing”), or exactly three glazed walls (it is then called “triple glazing”), or at least three glazed walls, for example four glazed walls (it is then called “quadruple glazing”).

[0152] For the purposes of the present invention, a “glass wall” means any structure comprising (or consisting of) at least one sheet of glass or a glazed assembly. A "glazed unit" means a multi-layered glazed element of which at least one layer is a glass sheet. Thus, the glazed walls may, for example, independently comprise a single glass sheet or a glazed unit, for example consisting of laminated glazing (as described in more detail below).

[0153] The glass sheet can be made of organic or mineral glass. It can be made of tempered glass.

[0154] The glazed walls (or one of the glazed walls) may comprise (or consist of) a glazed assembly comprising at least one glass sheet which may be as described above. The glazed assembly is preferably laminated glazing. By "laminated glazing" is meant at least two glass sheets between which is inserted at least one interlayer film generally made of viscoelastic plastic. The interlayer film made of viscoelastic plastic may comprise one or more layers of a viscoelastic polymer such as poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) or an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), or ethylene copolymer (corresponding to the definition of an ionomer), more preferably PVB. The interlayer film may be made of standard PVB or acoustic PVB (such as single-layer or three-layer acoustic PVB).Acoustic PVB is generally made up of three layers: two outer layers of standard PVB and an inner layer of PVB with added plasticizer to make it less rigid than the outer layers. The use of glass walls including laminated glazing improves the sound insulation of the glazing, the sound insulation being further increased when the interlayer film is made of acoustic PVB.

[0155] Each glazed wall comprises two main faces opposite each other corresponding to the faces of the glazed wall having the largest surface areas. Advantageously, the glazed walls independently have a thickness (between their two main faces) greater than or equal to 1.6 mm, for example a thickness of 1.6 to 24 mm, preferably 2 to 12 mm, more preferably 4 to 10 mm, for example 4 or 6 mm. The glazed walls of the glazing according to the invention may all have the same thickness or have different thicknesses. The greater the thickness and / or the higher the density of the glazed walls, the greater the acoustic insulation will be. In addition, the thicker the glazed walls, the lower the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing will be.

[0156] Preferably, all the glazed walls of the glazing have an identical height and width. The glazing according to the invention may have any possible shape, and preferably has a quadrilateral shape, in particular a rectangular or essentially rectangular shape. Alternatively, the glazing may have a circular, or essentially circular, shape, or an elliptical, or essentially elliptical shape, or a trapezoidal or essentially trapezoidal shape.

[0157] The glass walls define a cavity between them. Each of the glass walls defining the cavity comprises an inner face corresponding to the main face of the glass wall facing the cavity in question and an outer face corresponding to the second main face of the glass wall, that is to say corresponding to the main face of the glass wall opposite the face facing the cavity.

[0158] Advantageously, the device according to the invention is positioned in the cavity of the glazing, more particularly in a peripheral zone of the cavity of the glazing. By "peripheral zone of the cavity" is meant an area of ​​the cavity adjacent to the edges of the glazed walls and preferably of width (i.e. in a direction orthogonal to the edge of the glazed walls, in the plane of the glazed walls) less than or equal to 20 cm, more preferably less than or equal to 10 cm, more preferably less than or equal to 5 cm.

[0159] Preferably, when the device is a spacer device (in particular, when it comprises one or more assemblies (each assembly comprising at least one upper plate and at least one lower component, which are fixed to each other), the assembly or assemblies of the device (or spacer device) are each parallel to an edge of the glass walls

[0160] Particularly preferably, the device is placed in the glazing cavity so that the chamber of the device is in fluid communication with the glazing cavity formed between the glazed walls via the perforations of the upper plate. Thus, preferably, when the device comprises at least one perforated profile (first, second, third, and / or fourth variant), it is placed in the glazing cavity so that the upper plate 3, 3', 3", 13 is oriented facing the inside of the glazing cavity, the lower wall 4, 14 being oriented towards the outside and the edges of the glazing. Thus, the chamber 2, 2', 2", 12 is in fluid communication with the glazing cavity via the perforations 6, 6', 6", 16 present in the upper plate 3, 3', 3", 13 (that is to say that a fluid, and preferably a gas, can circulate from the glazing cavity to the interior of the chamber 2, 2', 2", 12, and vice versa). When the device comprises at least one perforated box (fifth variant), it is placed in the glazing cavity so that the wall comprising the periodic perforations 26 is oriented facing the center of the glazing cavity, or is oriented facing a glazed wall without being in contact with it.

[0161] When the device is a spacer device, the two glass walls are fixed to the spacer device.

[0162] More preferably, when the spacing device comprises at least one perforated profile, the glazed walls are fixed to the side walls 5, 15 of the profile(s) of the spacing device, even more preferably their inner face is each fixed to a side wall 5, 15 of the profile(s) of the spacing device.

[0163] Advantageously, the glass walls are attached to the spacer device by gluing, for example by an adhesive, such as a polyisobutylene (PIB) adhesive, by a silicone sealant or by double-sided adhesive tape.

[0164] A seal may also be present, preferably arranged on the external face of the device (i.e. the face of the device closest to the edge of the glass walls).

[0165] With reference to Figure 10, the device of Figure 1 is placed in the cavity between the two glazed walls 37 of the glazing 40. The glazed walls 37 are attached to the device by an adhesive 41, such as a polyisobutylene (PIB) based adhesive. A seal 42 is also present on the external face of the lower wall 4 of the profile(s) of the device (when the device comprises at least one perforated profile). Similarly, a seal may also be present, preferably arranged on the external face of the lower wall 14, 24 of the device. More preferably, the seal extends from the external face to the edge of the glazed walls. This seal may be made with a sealant (called a “sealing sealant” based on polyurethane, polysulfide and / or silicone.

[0166] When the device according to the invention is a spacing device, the spacing device makes it possible to fix the length of the spacing between the glass walls. length of this spacing (i.e. the thickness of the cavity between the glass walls) can be from 6 to 30 mm, preferably from 10 to 20 mm, for example 16 mm.

[0167] When the device according to the invention is not a spacing device, for example when it comprises one or more perforated boxes, said device, and in particular the perforated boxes, may be placed on a spacing device. More preferably, the lower wall 24 may rest on the spacing device. When the length of the box is less than the length of the cavity between the glazed walls, the box may be located in any location in the peripheral zone of the glazing cavity.

[0168] Preferably, the glazing cavity (between the glass walls) comprises a gas. The gas may be air and / or carbon dioxide, and / or argon, and / or krypton and / or xenon. The use of argon, krypton or xenon, in addition to or instead of air, improves the thermal insulation of the glazing.

[0169] The glazing according to the invention may be completely opaque, completely transparent, or partly opaque and partly transparent. Preferably, the glazing is at least partly transparent.

[0170] One (or more) of the glass walls may be tinted in the thickness over all or part of its surface. One (or more) of the glass walls may be covered in whole or in part with an opaque coating, for example, a paint and / or an enamel. The opaque coating may be present on the inner face of the glass wall, or on its outer face, or on both faces, preferably it covers the inner face of the glass wall. In embodiments, only one of the glass walls of the glazing is covered with an opaque coating. This glass wall is advantageously the glass wall intended to be the outermost glass wall of the glazing when the latter is used in a facade or exterior window of a building.

[0171] In embodiments, the glazed walls of the glazing, or at least one of the glazed walls, may have undergone a treatment to improve the thermal insulation of the glazing. In particular, the glazed wall(s) may comprise one (or more) insulating layer(s) such as a metal and / or metal oxide-based insulating layer, on one or more of their main faces, preferably on the inner face. When the glazed wall is also covered with an opaque coating (such as an enamel and / or a paint), an insulating layer compatible with the opaque coating is preferably used. Alternatively, the insulating layer and the opaque coating may be arranged on different faces of the glazed wall (for example, the insulating layer may be on the inner face and the opaque coating on the outer face). Alternatively, when at least one of the glazed walls is a glazed assembly, the insulating layer may be interposed in the glazed assembly, for example between a PVB layer and a glass sheet.

[0172] Advantageously, at least one of the perforated upper plates and the chamber of the device are such that the system consisting of said perforated upper plate and said chamber resonates at the so-called “mass / spring / mass” frequency of the glazing (for example, at least one of the systems of the device comprising on its upper plate 3, 3', 3", 13, 23 perforations 6, 6', 6", 16, 26 arranged periodically is such that it resonates at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing. The presence in the glazing according to the invention of upper plates and chambers configured to resonate at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing or at a frequency close to it makes it possible to increase the sound transmission loss at frequencies close to the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing but also at frequencies higher than the mass / spring / mass frequency.

[0173] The mass / spring / mass frequency fmsm of the glazing can be determined by the following formula:

[0174] [Math. 2]

[0175] In equation 2, p0 is the air density in kg / m 3 , c0 is the speed of sound in the air cavity in m / s, d is the thickness of the air cavity between the two glass walls in m and m si and m S 2 are respectively the masses per unit area of ​​the first and second glass walls in kg / m 2 .

[0176] Preferably, at least one of the systems of the device (more particularly at least one upper plate 3, 3', 3", 13, 23 comprising perforations 6, 6', 6", 16, 26 arranged periodically as well as the associated chamber) is configured to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a third of an octave lower than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, or at a frequency close to it. This allows to increase the transmission loss of sound at frequencies close to this frequency.

[0177] Preferably, at least one of the systems (more particularly at least one upper plate 3, 3', 3", 13, 23 comprising perforations 6, 6', 6", 16, 26 arranged periodically as well as the associated chamber) is configured to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a third of an octave higher than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, or at a frequency close to it. This makes it possible to increase the sound transmission loss at frequencies close to this frequency.

[0178] When the device comprises at least two systems comprising a perforated top plate and an associated chamber, at least one system may be configured to resonate at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing and at least one other system may be configured to resonate at a third octave higher or lower than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing. Preferably, the device comprises at least three systems of which at least one system is configured to resonate at the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing, at least one other system is configured to resonate at a third octave higher than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing and at least one other system is configured to resonate at a third octave lower than the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing.The presence of at least two systems, each comprising a perforated top plate and a chamber, makes it possible to smooth out the sound transmission loss around the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing and to improve the acoustic insulation of the glazing over a wider frequency band around the mass / spring / mass frequency of the glazing.

[0179] Thus, the device described above makes it possible to obtain glazing with improved sound insulation, particularly in the low and medium frequencies, but also in the high frequencies. The improved sound insulation using perforated plates as described above is illustrated in the experimental part of WO 2022 / 234237.

[0180] In advantageous embodiments, the glazing according to the invention may have higher acoustic insulation (determined for example by a measurement of the acoustic reduction index, in particular according to the ISO 10140 standard) than identical glazing but not comprising perforations arranged in periodically in the upper plates of the device, over a frequency range from 200 to 2000 Hz, preferably from 100 Hz to 5000 Hz, more preferably from 50 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

[0181] The glazing according to the invention can be used in any application using glazing. In particular, the glazing according to the invention can be building glazing. The glazing can be intended to provide the interface between the exterior and the interior of the building, and can, for example, be facade glazing, window glazing or door glazing. Alternatively, the glazing can be intended to be placed inside the building.

[0182] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a device as described above, comprising the steps of: - providing a top plate comprising a plurality of perforations arranged periodically, - supply of an inferior component, - fixing the upper plate to the lower component, thus forming a chamber.

[0183] The top plate and bottom component may be as defined below.

[0184] The fixing step can be a gluing, embossing, staple fixing, clip fixing, latch fixing, slide fixing and / or interlocking step.

[0185] When the fixing step is a bonding step, the upper plate may be fixed to the lower component by an adhesive, such as a polyisobutylene (PIB), epoxy, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, UV hot melt adhesive, silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, neoprene sealant, or double-sided adhesive tape. The adhesive may be arranged in the form of dots or lines. It may be arranged along the entire edges of the longitudinal side walls in contact with the upper wall, or not. It may be arranged along the entire edges of the transverse side walls (when present) in contact with the upper wall, or not.

[0186] Alternatively, the fastening step may be a mechanical fastening, i.e., an embossing, staple fastening, clip fastening, latch fastening, slide fastening and / or interlocking step, preferably a slide fastening or clip fastening step.

[0187] In embodiments, the method may further comprise a step of introducing a desiccant and / or a porous absorbent material prior to the fixing step.

[0188] In embodiments, the desiccant and / or the porous absorbent material may be introduced into a lower component prior to the attachment step.

[0189] Alternatively, the desiccant and / or the porous absorbent material may be attached to the top plate before the attachment step. The desiccant and / or the porous absorbent material may be attached to the top plate, for example, by gluing, using an adhesive as described above.

[0190] The desiccant and the porous absorbent material may be as defined below.

[0191] According to the inventive method, the porous absorbent material and / or the desiccant can be easily introduced into the device. Indeed, the porous absorbent material and / or the desiccant can be introduced into the lower component, and the perforated upper plate can be fixed (for example, by gluing) to the lower component comprising the porous absorbent material and / or the desiccant. Alternatively, the porous absorbent material and / or the desiccant can be fixed to the upper plate (for example, by gluing), and the upper plate to which the porous absorbent material and / or the desiccant is fixed can be fixed to the lower component, for example, by sliding fixing. This makes it possible to further simplify the integration of the porous absorbent material and / or the desiccant into the device.Furthermore, the process allows the porous absorbent material and the desiccant to be integrated into the same filling process, i.e. to be carried out in-line.

[0192] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing glazing as described above comprising: - the supply of at least two glass walls; - the supply of a device according to the method as described above; - the arrangement of the two glass walls so as to form a cavity between them; and - introduction of the device into the cavity.

[0193] Particularly preferably, the device is placed in the glazing cavity such that the chamber of the device is in fluid communication with the glazing cavity via the perforations in the top plate of the device.

[0194] Preferably, when the device is a spacing device, the manufacturing method comprises a step of fixing the two glazed walls to the device (or the spacing device). More preferably, when the device comprises at least one perforated profile, the two glazed walls are fixed to the device so that the upper plate 3, 3', 3", 13 of the profile(s) of the spacing device comprising the perforations 6, 6', 6", 16 arranged periodically faces the cavity formed between the glazed walls of the glazing.

Claims

Claims

1. Glazing (20, 30, 40) comprising at least two glazed walls (17, 27, 37) forming a cavity therebetween, wherein the cavity comprises at least one device comprising at least one upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and at least one lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29), said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) comprising a plurality of perforations (6, 6', 6", 16, 26) arranged periodically, said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and said lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29) being fixed to each other and defining at least one chamber (2, 2', 2", 12).

2. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to claim 1, wherein said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and said lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29) are fixed to each other by gluing, by embossing, by means of staples, by means of clips, by means of latches, by sliding connection and / or by interlocking.

3. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29) comprises at least one lower wall and at least two side walls.

4. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a desiccant (60, 65) is present within said chamber (2, 2', 2", 12), said desiccant (60, 65) being configured to absorb moisture present in said chamber.

5. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a porous absorbent material (50) is present inside said chamber (2, 2', 2", 12), preferably selected from the group consisting of mineral wools, textile fibers, polymeric foams and combinations thereof, and the porous absorbent material (50) preferably occupying the majority of the volume of the chamber.

6. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to claim 5, wherein the desiccant (60, 65) and the porous absorbent material (50) are present inside the chamber (2, 2', 2", 12), said porous absorbent material being arranged on the side of the upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23).

7. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) comprises at least three perforations (6, 6', 6", 16, 26), preferably at least four perforations (6, 6', 6", 16, 26).

8. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the device is a spacing device fixed to each of the two glazed walls (17, 27, 37).

9. Glazing (20, 30, 40) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and said lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29) are two separate pieces.

10. Device comprising at least one upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and at least one lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29), said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) comprising a plurality of perforations (6, 6', 6", 16, 26) arranged periodically, said upper plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and said lower component (9, 9', 9", 19, 29) being fixed to each other and defining at least one chamber (2, 2', 2", 12), said device being suitable for the manufacture of a glazing according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An assembly comprising at least one top plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) and a porous absorbent material (50) attached to said top plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23), said top plate (3, 3', 3", 13, 23) comprising a plurality of perforations (6, 6', 6", 16, 26) arranged periodically, said assembly being adapted for manufacturing a device according to claim 10 by attaching the top plate to the lower component of the device.

12. A method of manufacturing a device according to claim 10, comprising the steps of: - providing a top plate comprising a plurality of perforations arranged periodically, - supply of an inferior component, and - fixing the upper plate to the lower component, thus forming a chamber.

13. A manufacturing method according to claim 12, further comprising a step of introducing a desiccant and / or a porous absorbent material before the fixing step.

14. A manufacturing method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the attaching step is a gluing, embossing, staple attaching, clip attaching, latch attaching, slide attaching and / or nesting step.

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