Acoustic partition for removable panel finishing system

Abstract

An acoustical absorbing membrane that may be used in removable panel finishing systems is provided. The acoustic membrane may be formed of any sound transmission loss material that possesses sound-absorbing or sound-deadening qualities. Examples of suitable materials include foil, a foil-faced asphalt material, elastomeric materials, composite laminates, a polymer film, a composite material formed of an organic bonding material and one or more types of reinforcement fibers, a cement board, a gypsum board, a gypsum/WUCS board, a dense WUCS mat, a film formed of a fiberglass reinforced resin, and/or any dense polymeric material. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the acoustic membrane may be a film formed of a loaded polymer or copolymer, such as a copolymer of ethylene-vinyl acetate loaded with barium or CaCO3. The acoustic membrane may have a density of approximately 1 lb/ft2-3 lbs/ft2 and preferably has a thickness from about 1/16-⅜ of an inch.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to removable panel finishing systems, and more particularly, to an acoustic partition that increases sound absorption in a removable panel finishing system for rooms such as may be found in single family homes or commercial buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sound insulation materials are used in a variety of settings where it is desired to dampen noise from an external source. For example, sound insulation materials have been used in applications such as in appliances to reduce the sound emitted into the surrounding areas of a home, in automobiles to reduce mechanical sounds of the motor and road noise, and in office buildings to attenuate sound generated from the workplace, such as from telephone conversations or from the operation of office equipment. Acoustical insulation materials typically relies upon both sound absorption (i.e., the ability to absorb incident sound waves) and transmission loss (i.e., the ability to reflect incident sound waves) to provide adequate sound attenuation.

Conventional acoustical insulation materials include materials such as foams, compressed fibers, fiberglass batts, felts, and nonwoven webs of fibers such as meltblown fibers. Laminates formed of one or more layers of insulation provide the desired acoustical and insulating properties and one or more additional layers of a rigid material provide desired mechanical strength properties and permit simple and convenient installation as well as proper functional performance. Such insulation materials may be used in the walls of single family homes and commercial buildings to both insulate and reduce sound emission from the rooms. Some examples of conventional acoustical materials are set forth below.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0077247 to Schmidt et al. describes a nonwoven laminate that contains a first layer formed of thermoplastic spunbond filaments having an average denier less than about 1.8 dpf and a second layer containing thermoplastic multicomponent spunbond filaments having an average denier greater than about 2.3 dpf. The laminate has a structure such that the density of the first layer is greater than the density of the second layer and the thickness of the second layer is greater than the thickness of the first layer.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0002274 A1 to Tilton discloses a laminate material that includes (1) a base layer formed of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, fiberglass, natural fibers, nylon, rayon, and blends thereof and (2) a facing layer. The base layer has a density of from approximately 0.5-15.0 pcf and the facing layer has a density of between about 10 pcf and about 100 pcf.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,305 to Gelin et al. discloses a sound-deadening laminate that is formed of a structural skin and a layer of a sound-deadening material. The sound deadening material has an equivalent Young's Modulus between 50 and 600 psi. It is taught that the laminate may be attached to the framing members of a building.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,259 to Freist et al. teaches a sound-deadening laminate that has a bituminous layer more than 1 mm thick bonded to one side of a thermal insulation layer such as foam or felt. An adhesive layer (e.g., cement) is positioned on the opposing side of the thermal insulation layer so that the laminate can be affixed to a component to be acoustically improved.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,306 to Patel et al. discloses a layered acoustical insulating web that includes a series of cellulose fiber layers sandwiched between a layer of melt-blown or spun-bond thermoplastic fibers (e.g., polypropylene) and a layer of film, foil, paper, or spunbond thermoplastic fibers.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,197 to Nixon discloses an acoustic panel that is formed of a lightweight fiberglass core with a white or light colored glass mat positioned on a first surface. The glass mat may be attached to the fiberglass core by an adhesive. A textured paint is applied to the outwardly facing surface of the glass mat to provide an aesthetically pleasing surface. It is preferred that a thin textures of colored, tiny flakes are applied to produce a mottling appearance.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,660 to Rias et al. describes a heat and sound insulating panel that is formed of an outer layer of glass fibers, an insulating layer of glass fibers bound by an organic binder, and an aluminum film positioned between the outer layer and the insulating layer. The aluminum film has a thickness less than or equal to 9 microns.

In newly constructed homes, it has become more commonplace to leave rooms unfinished and for the homeowners to finish the rooms themselves as more money becomes available or as the homeowner's family grows. Removable panel systems, such as the finishing system disclosed and described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0219853 to Weir, et al. entitled Room Finishing System, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, provide an insulation system for a room that is easy to install and maintain. The finishing system described in Weir et al. contains a plurality of frame members attached to a masonry wall, a plurality of insulation panels, and first and second snap-in connectors to hold the insulation panels within the frame members. The second snap in connectors are releasably connected to one of the first connectors to permit easy removal of the insulation panel.

Other examples of wall finishing systems are described below.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,050 to Perina discloses a modular grid panel retention system that includes a framework attached to a masonry wall. Panels are attached to the framework by complementary hook and loop fasteners. The panels may be translucent to allow indirect lighting of a basement from behind the panels. It is taught that the grid panel retention system may be used in structures such as basements of industrial buildings and business establishments.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,833 to Andersson discloses a wall structure for the interior sound and thermal insulation of rooms. The wall structure includes one-piece metal fastening profiles attached to the walls of a room or to composite insulating members to hold insulating members against the walls. The insulating members each include a soft insulating sheet fastened to a rigid support sheet. Fastening profiles fasten the insulating members by inserting them between the soft and rigid sheets and thus either attaching a particular insulating member directly to a wall or to an adjoining insulating member.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,841 to Carter, Jr. discloses interior wall panels that have a rigid frame backing member to which an outer pliable sheet material is secured. A filling or padding material is retained between the sheet material and the backing member. The sheet material is secured through the filling at spaced locations to create a three dimensional surface relief. In some embodiments, the wall panels are constructed to provide thermal and insulating properties.

Despite the numerous acoustical insulation products in existence in the art, none of the existing acoustical products provide sufficient sound attenuating properties for use in homes and commercial buildings. Thus, there remains a need in the art for insulation materials that have improved sound absorbing qualities, especially improved acoustical absorbing materials that can be utilized in a removable panel finishing system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an acoustical absorbing membrane or acoustic partition that may be used in removable panel finishing systems. The materials that form the acoustic membrane are not particularly limited so long as the materials possess sound-absorbing or sound-deadening qualities. Non-limiting examples of sound transmission loss materials suitable for use as the sound absorbing membrane include foil, a foil-faced asphalt material, elastomeric materials, composite laminates, a polymer film (e.g., polyethylene, nylon, and the like), a composite material formed of an organic bonding material and one or more types of reinforcement fibers, a cement board, a gypsum board, a gypsum/WUCS (wet use chopped strand glass) board, a dense WUCS mat, a film formed of a fiberglass reinforced resin, or any other dense polymeric material. The acoustic membrane may also be a film formed of a loaded polymer or copolymer such as a copolymer of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) loaded with barium or CaCO₃. In addition, the acoustic membrane may be rigid, flexible, or semi-flexible. The acoustic membrane may have a density of approximately 1 lb/ft²-3 lbs/ft² and preferably has a thickness from about 1/16 of an inch—about ⅜ of an inch.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a removable panel finishing system that includes an acoustic membrane described herein to improve the sound absorbing properties of the finishing system. The acoustic membrane may be attached in a continuous or successive fashion around the room to be finished and may be affixed to the framing studs of the room by mechanical fasteners or adhesives. Joints between successive acoustic membranes may be sealed by tape or caulk to form a substantially continuous acoustic membrane, and therefore a continuous or nearly continuous sound barrier. A frame member formed of a base plate and two projecting arms may be attached to a stud through the acoustic membrane by mechanical fastening devices such that the arms of the frame member project away from the acoustic membrane and towards the interior of the room. Alternatively, the frame member may be affixed to the acoustic membrane by an adhesive. Insulating panels formed of an insulating core material, a fabric facer (such as a fabric or other decorative finish), and optionally a backing facer are positioned between the base plate of the frame member and retaining arms of either a corner frame member (for positioning the insulation panels in a corner of the room) or a divider member (for positioning the insulation panels along a wall of the room). The corner frame member and divider member are releasably connected to the frame member so that the insulation panels can be easily removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removable panel finishing system that includes insulation panels having thereon an acoustic membrane described herein to improve the sound absorbing properties of the finishing system. The insulation panels may be formed of an insulating core material, an acoustic membrane, and optionally a backing facer. In one exemplary embodiment, the acoustic membrane is laminated to the insulating core by the use of an adhesive after formation of the insulating core material. Alternatively, the acoustic membrane may be adhered to the insulating core material either during fabrication by introducing the acoustic membrane to the forming section of a glass wool process or prior to curing the glass wool. The acoustic membrane may be formed of a waterproof material so that the insulation panels may be used in places where the insulation panel may be exposed to water or have a need to be cleaned, such as in a shower stall, near a bathroom sink, in a kitchen, or in a recreational room. The insulating panels are positioned between the base plate of the frame member and retaining arms of either a corner frame member (for positioning the insulation panels in a corner of the room) or a divider member (for positioning the insulation panels along a wall of the room) with the acoustic membrane facing the internal portion of the room to be finished. The corner frame member and divider member are releasably connected to the frame member so that the insulation panels can be easily removed.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a drop ceiling utilizing a removable panel finishing system that includes insulation panels having thereon an acoustic membrane described herein to improve the sound absorbing qualities of the room. For example, a drop ceiling may be formed utilizing a removable panel system in conjunction with insulation panels formed of an insulating core material, an acoustic membrane, and optionally a backing facer. A framing member is mechanically and/or adhesively fixed to a sub-floor framing member such that the arms of the framing member face downwardly and into the interior of the room to be finished. The insulating panels are positioned between the base plate of the frame member and retaining arms of a divider member with the acoustic membrane facing the internal portion of the room. The divider members are releasably connected to the frame member so that the insulation panels can be easily removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a drop ceiling utilizing a removable panel finishing system described herein. In this exemplary embodiment, an acoustic membrane such as described above may be mechanically affixed to sub-floor framing members in a continuous or successive manner. Joints between successive acoustic membranes may be sealed, such as by tape or caulk, to form a substantially continuous acoustic membrane across the ceiling (and therefore form a continuous or nearly continuous sound barrier). A framing member having a base plate and two arms extending perpendicularly from the base plate may be mechanically and/or adhesively affixed to the sub-floor framing members such that the arms of the framing member face downwardly and into the interior of the room to be finished. The insulation panels are positioned between the base plate of the frame member and retaining arms of a divider member with the fabric facing facing the internal portion of the room. As with the embodiments described above, the divider member is releasably connected to the frame member so that the insulation panels can be easily removed.

It is an advantage of the present invention that unlike conventional drywall walls, there is little or no dust generated during installation of the removable panel finishing system.

It is another advantage of the present invention that the acoustic membrane can be easily cut, such as to fit around doors and/or windows.

It is yet another advantage of the present invention that a removable panel finishing system utilizing the acoustic membrane absorbs approximately 75% of the sound energy within the room.

It is a further advantage of the present invention that the acoustic membrane reduces echo time to less than about one second.

It is also an advantage of the present invention that the acoustic membrane can be fabricated to have an aesthetically pleasing surface.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description that follows. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an acoustic membrane affixed to a frame according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a frame member of a removable panel finishing system affixed to a stud according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a removable panel finishing system in an inside corner of a room;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a removable panel finishing system in an area of a room spaced from the corners of the room;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an insulation panel according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial view of a finished room having a removable panel finishing system which utilizes an acoustic membrane according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a is a cross-sectional view of an insulation panel according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention in which the acoustic membrane is positioned on the outer surface of the insulation panel;

FIG. 8 is a is a cross sectional view of a removable panel finishing system in an area of a room spaced from the corners of the room spaced from the corners of the room in which the acoustic membrane is positioned on the outer surface of the insulation panel;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of sub-floor framing members on a masonry wall; and

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a drop ceiling formed by utilizing a removable panel finishing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described herein. All references cited herein, including published or corresponding U.S. or foreign patent applications, issued U.S. or foreign patents, or any other references, are each incorporated by reference in their entireties, including all data, tables, figures, and text presented in the cited references.

In the drawings, the thickness of the lines, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be noted that like numbers found throughout the figures denote like elements. The terms “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “upper”, “lower” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” another element, it can be directly on or against the other element or intervening elements may be present. If an element is described as being “adjacent to” or “against” another element, it is to be appreciated that the element may be directly adjacent or directly against that other element, or intervening elements may be present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “over” another element, it can be directly over the other element, or intervening elements may be present.

The present invention relates, at least in part, to an acoustical absorbing membrane or acoustic partition that may be used in removable panel finishing systems. The components or materials that form the acoustic membrane are not particularly limited so long as the material(s) possess sound-absorbing or sound-deadening qualities. Non-limiting examples of sound transmission loss materials suitable for use as the sound absorbing membrane include foil (e.g., aluminum foil), a foil-faced asphalt material, rubberized asphalt, asphalt, elastomeric materials, composite laminates, a polymer film (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and the like), or a composite material formed of an organic bonding material and one or more types of reinforcement fibers. The reinforcing fibers may be any organic or inorganic fiber that possesses good structural qualities as well as good acoustical and/or thermal properties. In addition, the acoustic material may be a cement board, a gypsum board, a gypsum/WUCS (wet use chopped strand glass) board, a dense WUCS mat, a film formed of a fiberglass reinforced resin, or any other dense polymeric material. For example, the acoustic membrane may be a film formed of a loaded polymer or copolymer (e.g. a vinyl polymer) such as a copolymer of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) loaded with barium or CaCO₃. Other non-limiting filler materials for the polymer or copolymer include clay, iron, lead, steel, zinc, and stone. The acoustic membrane may be rigid, flexible, or semi-flexible. The acoustic membrane may have a density of from approximately 1 lb/ft²-3 lbs/ft², and preferably has a density of from approximately 1 lb/ft²-2 lbs/ft². In addition, the acoustic membrane may have a thickness from about 1/16—about ⅜ of an inch thick, preferably from abut ⅛—about ¼ of an inch.

In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the acoustic membrane is affixed to the frame of a room, such as in a residential home or commercial building. As shown in FIG. 1, a frame 10 includes studs 12 that interconnect a base member 14 and a top member 16. The studs may be formed of metal, wood, or any other suitable building framing material. Mechanical fasteners (e.g., nails, screws, tacks, staples, and the like) or adhesives may be used to fasten the acoustic membrane 20 to the framing studs 12. The acoustic membrane 20 may be attached in a continuous or successive fashion around the room to be finished. Often, the acoustic membrane 20 is not of sufficient length to cover the frame 10 of a room in one solid piece. Thus, joints between successive acoustic membranes 20 (not shown) may be sealed, such as by tape or caulk, to form a substantially continuous acoustic membrane 20. The term “substantially continuous acoustic membrane” as used herein is meant to denote a continuous acoustic membrane or a nearly continuous acoustic membrane.

After the attachment of the acoustic membrane 20 to the studs 12, a removable panel finishing system may be placed on the acoustical membrane to finish the room. As used herein, the terms “finish”, “finishing”, and “finished” refer to the process of installing a removable panel finishing system to achieve a wall surface that would be acceptable for use in regularly inhabited rooms, including rooms in a residential home or a commercial building. A drop ceiling or floor treatment such as tiling, carpeting, or hardwood flooring may be installed at the same time as the removable panel finishing system, but these installations are not specifically required within the meaning of the terms “finish”, “finishing”, and “finished”.

As shown in FIG. 2, a frame member 22 may be attached to a stud 12 through the acoustic membrane 20 by any conventional mechanical fastening devices, such as, but not limited to, nails, screws, tacks, or staples such that the arms 26 of the frame member 22 project away from the acoustic membrane 20. An adhesive may be used in addition to mechanical methods to attach the frame member 22 to a wall stud 12. It is also considered within the purview of the invention to attach the frame member 22 to the acoustic membrane by an adhesive, provided that the acoustic membrane 20 is sufficiently strong to hold the frame member 22 and the remaining portions of the panel finishing system described hereafter.

A portion of an inside corner of a finished room is depicted in FIG. 3. In at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the corner of the finished room includes a frame member 22 attached to the acoustic membrane 20 and a corner frame member 30 releasably connected to frame member 22. It is to be appreciated that, in FIG. 3, although the frame member 22 is shown as being affixed to the acoustic membrane 20 via an adhesive such as is described above, it could alternatively be affixed to a stud 12 located behind the base plate 24 of the frame member 22 by a mechanical fastening device and/or an adhesive (not shown). It should also be understood that variations in the designs of frame members 22 could occur and remain within the scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, a releasable connection between the frame member 22 and the corner frame member 30 may be achieved by catches 28 located on the arms 26 of the frame member 22 (which form a female connector) and a connection member 32 of the corner frame member 30 (which forms a male connector) and snaps between the catches 28 such that the catches 28 releasably retain the connection member 32 therebetween. Alternatively, the releasable connection could be achieved by other arrangement of elements. For example, the frame member 22 could bear a male connector and the corner frame member 30 could bear a female connector. Other types of snap-in connectors or fast-release connectors known to those of skill in the art may alternatively be used.

The corner frame member 30 includes a pair of retaining arms 34. Each retaining arm 34 extends outwardly such that when the panel finishing system is assembled, at least a portion of each respective insulation panel 40 is located between one of the retaining arms 34 and base plate 24. The insulation panel 40 may have a fabric facing or decorative surface 44 on the side facing the room to provide an aesthetically pleasing surface and a backing member 48 on the back surface of the insulation panel 40 to provide additional support. The decorative surface 44 may be colored and/or textured. The retaining arms 34 and the corner frame member 30 thereby retain the insulation panels 40 against the base plate 24 and the acoustic membrane 20. It should be noted that because the retaining arms 34 each extend across a portion of a respective insulation panel 40, there is a relatively large margin of error available to an installer with respect the proper sizing of the insulation panels 40 and the placement of the frame member 22 and the corner frame member 30. In other words, there can be a relatively sizable gap between the end 42 of an insulation panel 40 and, respectively, the acoustic membrane 20 or arm 26 of the frame member 22, and the finished wall will still have an attractive appearance because the gap will be hidden behind a respective retaining arm 34. This feature of the removable panel finishing system allows the installer to spend less time carefully measuring where to attach the frame member 22 or where to cut an insulation panel 40 to fit it into an odd-sized space, with little appreciable reduction of overall thermal performance.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a portion of a finished room along a wall of a room where two insulation panels 40 abut along the same wall can be seen. As illustrated in FIG. 4, two insulation panels 40 are retained against the acoustical membrane 20 by the base plate 24 of the frame member 22 and a divider member 50 that are releasably connected. The divider member 50 includes two retaining arms 52 that maintain the insulation panels 40 in positions adjacent the acoustic membrane 20 and maintain an aesthetic appearance between the two insulation panels 40. It is to be appreciated that in FIGS. 3 and 4, many of the features of the releasable panel finishing system are the same regardless of the room under consideration. Thus, it should be understood that the releasable connection of the divider member 50 and corner frame member 30, the operation and advantages of the retaining arms 52 and 34, and the potential modifications of thereof as discussed herein, apply equally to both figures.

In at least one embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the insulation panels 40 may be formed of an insulting core material 46, a backing facer 48 on the rear surface of the insulating core material 46, and a fabric facing 44 on the front surface of the insulating core 46. The backing facer 48 may be a glass mat facer and may have a weight between 10 and 40 lbs per ream (2880 Ft²). As shown in FIG. 5, the fabric facer 44 may be laminated to the insulating core 46 by the use of an adhesive 49 after formation of the insulating core 46. Preferably, the adhesive has a flame retardancy of less than 25 flame spread and 450 smoke generation (per ASTM-E85), applied at the rate of between 2 gms/ft² and 8 gms/ft². Alternatively, the fabric facer 44 may be adhered to the insulating core material 46 either during fabrication by introducing the fabric facer 44 to the forming section of a glass wool process or prior to curing the glass wool to form a board. The fabric on the fabric facer 44 can be any type of decorative covering, including natural and artificial fiber fabrics. A durable fabric is preferred so that when it is combined with the insulting core material 46, it will pass relevant UL flame and smoke spread tests. In addition, fabric facing 44 provides aesthetics, abrasion resistance, cleanability, toughness, resiliency, rigidity, and elimination of occupant exposure to the insulating core material 46 (e.g., a fiberglass core material).

The insulating core material 46 may be a foam or fibrous insulation board or a combination of an insulation batt and an insulation board. If a foam insulation board is used, a preferred board would be constructed from a resilient melamine foam such as a melamine foam sold under the Basotect® by BASF. If a fibrous insulation board is used, a preferred board is a 700 Series glass fiber insulation board available from Owens Corning, with a 703 Series board having a density of at least about 3 lb/ft³ being particularly preferred. Such glass fiber insulation boards are formed of glass fibers having a binder thereon which has been cured to bind the fibers into a matrix. For densities above about 2.25 lb/ft³, boards of such bindered glass fibers are relatively rigid and can generally support their own weight when stood on their end. Further, they do not sag by any significant amount when left in such a position for a long period of time. It is preferred that the insulating core material 46 and thus the insulation panels 40, whether they are foam or fibrous, be relatively rigid so that the panels 40 maintain their shape over time. It is also preferred that the insulation panels 40 are tackable, e.g., that they are strong enough to hold the weight of a picture or other decorative hanging by means of one or more nails or tacks pushed into the insulation panels 40. It should be understood, however, that because such boards are preferably made from a resilient melamine foam or a fibrous material, they have a generally soft, resilient surface and are relatively acoustically absorptive over a midrange of audible frequencies, e.g., a range including human speech, television programs, etc.

A finished room 60 with the removable panel finishing system described above is shown in FIG. 6. The finished room 60 includes a plurality of divider members 50 and corner frame members 30 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 6). The frame member 22 (not shown in FIG. 6), the divider members 50, the corner frame members 30, end trim members 64, and window trim members 66 are preferably composed of a polymer material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or polystyrene) or a metal material. A polymer material is generally preferred over a metal material to reduce the rate of heat conduction through the divider members 50, corner frame members 30, end trim members 64, and window trim members 66. The outer surfaces of the trim frame members 62 may be treated in a manner well-known in the art such that they possess a decorative finish, such as a simulated wood grain finish. The room 60 may also include a floor 68 and a ceiling 70. The ceiling 70 is shown in the FIG. 6 for convenience as a drywall ceiling, but it may alternatively be some form of a drop ceiling. The floor 68 is depicted in FIG. 6 as a tile floor. However, the floor 68 may be carpeted, be a wood floor, or be otherwise covered with a suitable flooring material. In addition, the room 60 may have windows and doors therein, such as window 72.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the acoustic membrane 20 is pre-applied to the core layer 46 of an insulation panel. Similar to the fabric facer 44 described above, the acoustic membrane 20 may be laminated to the insulating core 46 by the use of an adhesive 49 after formation of the insulating core material 46. Alternatively, the acoustic membrane 20 may be adhered to the insulating core material 46 either during fabrication by introducing the acoustic membrane 20 to the forming section of a glass wool process or prior to curing the glass wool. FIG. 7 depicts an insulation panel 74 in which the acoustic membrane 20 is affixed to the insulating core material 46 with an adhesive 49. A backing facer may optionally be applied to the back surface of the insulating core material 46 of insulation panel 74 (embodiment not illustrated). In FIG. 7, it is to be appreciated that the acoustic membrane 20 forms the external or exposed surface of the insulation panel 74. The acoustic membrane 20 may be fabricated to resemble stucco, bathroom tiles, wood, etc. In addition, the acoustic membrane 20 may be formed of any of the materials set forth above. For example, the acoustic membrane may be formed of a waterproof material such as a dense WUCS material, which would enable the insulation panel 74 to be used in places where the panel 72 may be exposed to water or have a need to be cleaned, such as in a shower stall, near a bathroom sink, in a kitchen, in a recreational room, etc.

Insulation panel 74 may be utilized in the removable panel finishing system described above in an manner very similar to insulation panel 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a frame member 22 may be mechanically and/or adhesively fastened to a stud 12. Two insulation panels 74 are retained between the base plate 24 of a frame member 22 and the divider member 50 by the retaining arms 52. As with the embodiment described above, divider member 50 is releasably connected to the frame member 22 for ease of removing the insulation panels 74. The insulation panel 74 is positioned between the divider member 50 and the base plate 24 in a manner such that the acoustic membrane 20 faces the inside of the room. It is also envisioned that the insulation panel 74 may further include a fabric facer and that the insulation panel 74 may be positioned between the divider member 50 and the base plate 24 such that the fabric facer faces towards the inside of the room.

It is to be appreciated that in both the insulation panel 40 and the insulation panel 74, the thickness of the acoustic membrane 20 and the insulation panel are not particularly limited, so long as the total thickness of the acoustic membrane 20 and the insulation panel do not exceed the length of the arms 26 of the frame member 22 to any appreciable degree. The thickness is desirably a thickness in which the insulation panel 40 or insulation panel 74 fits snugly between the retaining arms 34, 52 and the base plate 24 of the frame member 22. If the thickness of the acoustic membrane 20 and the insulation panel 40 or 74 is too small, a gap between the retaining arms 34, 52 and the base plate 24 would form, which would cause the insulation panel 40 (or the insulation panel 74) to move freely between the retaining arms 34, 52 and the base plate 24 of the frame member 22.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the insulation panel 74 may be used to form a drop ceiling, such as in a basement or other room. An unfinished basement is typically formed of a masonry wall 80 (e.g., cinder blocks) and sub-floor framing members 82 as shown generally in FIG. 9. A drop ceiling may be formed utilizing the removable panel system described above in conjunction with insulation panel 74. An example of the positioning of a framing member and insulation panels 74 is depicted in FIG. 10. A framing member 22 is mechanically and/or adhesively fixed to a sub-floor framing member such that the arms 26 of the framing member 22 face downwardly and into the interior of the basement. Two insulation panels 74 are retained between the base plate 24 of the frame member 22 and the divider member 50 by the retaining arms 52. As with the embodiments described above, the divider member 50 is releasably connected to the frame member 22 for ease of removing the insulation panels 74. Each insulation panel 74 is positioned between the divider member 50 and the base plate 24 in a manner such that the acoustic membrane 20 faces the inside of the room.

In an alternate embodiment for forming a drop ceiling utilizing the removable panel finishing system described herein, the acoustic membrane 20 is mechanically affixed to the sub-floor framing members 82 in a continuous or successive manner (not illustrated). Joints between successive acoustic membranes 20 may be sealed, such as by tape or caulk, to form a substantially continuous acoustic membrane 20 across the ceiling. A framing member 22 may be mechanically and/or adhesively affixed to the sub-floor framing members 82 such that the arms 26 of the framing member 22 face downwardly and into the interior of the basement. Suitable mechanical fasteners include any conventional mechanical fastening devices such as staples, nails, screws, tacks and the like. Insulation panels 40 are positioned between the base plate 24 of the frame member 22 and retaining arms 52 of a divider member with the fabric facing 44 facing the internal portion of the room. As with the embodiments described above, the divider member 50 is releasably connected to the frame member 22 so that the insulation panels 40 can be easily removed. It is to be appreciated that the drop ceiling embodiments are described herein are described with reference to an unfinished basement, but could equally apply to any unfinished room.

The invention of this application has been described above both generically and with regard to specific embodiments. Although the invention has been set forth in what is believed to be the preferred embodiments, a wide variety of alternatives known to those of skill in the art can be selected within the generic disclosure. The invention is not otherwise limited, except for the recitation of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. A removable panel finishing system having improved sound absorbing qualities comprising:

at least one acoustic membrane affixed to studs of a frame of a room to be finished;

framing members affixed to said studs through said acoustic membrane, said framing members each including a base plate and two arms positioned perpendicularly to said base plate, said framing members being affixed to said studs such that said arms face inwardly into said room;

a connection member releasably connected to each of said framing members; and

insulation panels positioned between said base plates of said framing members and said connection members, said insulation panels each including an insulation core, a fabric facer, and a backing facer.

2. The removable panel finishing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane has a thickness from about 1/16 of an inch—about ⅜ of an inch.

3. The removable panel finishing system of claim 2, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane has a density of from approximately 1 lb/ft2-3 lbs/ft2.

4. The removable panel finishing system of claim 3, wherein said acoustic membrane is selected from the group consisting of foil, a foil-faced asphalt material, elastomeric materials, composite laminates, a polymer film, a composite material that includes an organic bonding material and one or more types of reinforcement fibers, a cement board, a gypsum board, a gypsum/WUCS board, a dense WUCS mat, a film formed of a fiberglass reinforced resin, a dense polymeric material and a film formed of a loaded polymer or copolymer.

5. The removable panel finishing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane is affixed to said studs by a member selected from the group consisting of nails, screws, staples, tacks and adhesives.

6. The removable panel finishing system of claim 1, wherein joints between successive acoustic membranes are sealed by a member selected from the group consisting of tape and caulk.

7. The removable panel finishing system of claim 1, wherein said insulation core is selected from the group consisting of a foam insulation board, a fibrous insulation board and a combination of an insulation batt and an insulation board.

8. The removable panel finishing system of claim 7, wherein said fabric facer is formed of a natural or artificial fiber fabric and has an aesthetically pleasing surface.

9. The removable panel finishing system of claim 1, wherein said connection member is selected from the group consisting of a corner frame member and a divider member.

10. A removable panel finishing system having improved sound absorbing qualities comprising:

framing members affixed to studs of a frame of a room to be finished, said framing members each including a base plate and two arms positioned perpendicularly to said base plate, said framing members being affixed to said studs such that said arms face inwardly into said room;

a connection member releasably connected to each of said framing members; and

insulation panels positioned between said base plates of said framing members and said connection members, said insulation panels each including an insulation core, an acoustic membrane, and a backing facer.

11. The removable panel finishing system of claim 10, wherein said insulation panels are positioned such that said acoustic membrane faces inwardly into said room.

12. The removable panel finishing system of claim 10, wherein said insulation panels each further include a fabric facer and said insulation panel is positioned such that said fabric facer faces inwardly into said room.

13. The removable panel finishing system of claim 12, wherein said fabric facer is formed of a natural or artificial fiber fabric and has an aesthetically pleasing surface.

14. The removable panel finishing system of claim 10, wherein said acoustic membrane has a thickness from about ⅛ of an inch to about ¼ of an inch.

15. The removable panel finishing system of claim 14, wherein said acoustic membrane has a density of from approximately 1 lb/ft2-3 lbs/ft2.

16. The removable panel finishing system of claim 15, wherein said acoustic membrane is selected from the group consisting of foil, a foil-faced asphalt material, elastomeric materials, composite laminates, a polymer film, a composite material including an organic bonding material and one or more types of reinforcement fibers, a cement board, a gypsum board, a gypsum/WUCS board, a dense WUCS mat, a film formed of a fiberglass reinforced resin, a dense polymeric material and a film formed of a loaded polymer or copolymer.

17. The removable panel finishing system of claim 10, wherein said insulation core is selected from the group consisting of a foam insulation board, a fibrous insulation board and a combination of an insulation batt and an insulation board.

18. The removable panel finishing system of claim 1, wherein said connection member is selected from the group consisting of a corner frame member and a divider member.

19. The removable panel finishing system of claim 10, wherein said acoustic membrane is affixed to said insulation core via an adhesive.

20. A drop ceiling having improved sound absorbing qualities comprising:

at least one acoustic membrane affixed to sub-floor framing members in a room to be finished;

framing members affixed to said sub-floor framing members through said at least one acoustic membrane, said framing members each including a base plate and two arms positioned perpendicularly to said base plate, said framing members being affixed to said sub-floor framing members such that said arms face downwardly into said room;

a connection member releasably connected to each of said framing members; and

insulation panels positioned between said base plates of said framing members and said connection members, said insulation panels each including an insulation core, a fabric facer, and a backing facer.

21. The drop ceiling of claim 20, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane has a thickness from about 1/16 of an inch—about ⅜ of an inch.

22. The drop ceiling of claim 21, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane has a density of from approximately 1 lb/ft2-3 lbs/ft2.

23. The drop ceiling of claim 22, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane is selected from the group consisting of foil, a foil-faced asphalt material, elastomeric materials, composite laminates, a polymer film, a composite material including an organic bonding material and one or more types of reinforcement fibers, a cement board, a gypsum board, a gypsum/WUCS board, a dense WUCS mat, a film formed of a fiberglass reinforced resin, a dense polymeric material and a film formed of a loaded polymer or copolymer.

24. The drop ceiling of claim 20, wherein said at least one acoustic membrane is affixed to said sub-floor framing members by a member selected from the group consisting of nails, screws, staples, tacks and adhesives.

25. The drop ceiling of claim 20, wherein joints between successive acoustic membranes are sealed by a member selected from the group consisting of tape and caulk.

26. The drop ceiling of claim 20, wherein said insulation core is selected from the group consisting of a foam insulation board, a fibrous insulation board and a combination of an insulation batt and an insulation board.

27. The drop ceiling of claim 26, wherein said fabric facer is formed of a natural or artificial fiber fabric and has an aesthetically pleasing surface.

28. The drop ceiling of claim 20, wherein said connection member is selected from the group consisting of a corner frame member and a divider member.

29. The drop ceiling of claim 28, wherein said connection member is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic and metal.