Patent Publication Number: US-6668504-B2

Title: Sound-deadened wall and wall panel for same

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to a sound-deadened wall and to a wall panel, such as a panel of gypsum drywall board or of fiberboard, for a sound-deadened wall. This invention contemplates that, in a sound-deadened wall embodying this invention, spacers define air gaps between studs and the wall panel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Commonly, in residential and commercial construction, interior walls are constructed with vertical wooden or steel studs, to which gypsum drywall or fiberboard panels are fastened, as by screws driven through the panels into the studs. Sounds tend to be easily transmitted through such walls, as from one room to another, unless such walls are insulated sufficiently with sound-deadening insulation, such as fiberglass mats. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides a sound-deadened wall, which does not require sound-deadening insulation. Broadly, the sound-deadened wall comprises studs, a wall panel fastened to the studs, and spacers positioned along each stud, between said stud and the wall panel, so as to define air gaps between said stud and the wall panel. This invention is useful whether the studs are wooden or steel and whether the wall panel is a panel of gypsum drywall or of fiberboard. 
     Preferably, in a sound-deadened wall embodying this invention, the spacers are elastomeric. Moreover, the spacers may be advantageously defined by elastomeric strips adhering to the wall panel, on the expansive surface to face the studs, before the wall panel is fastened to the studs. Preferably, the wall panel is fastened to the studs by fasteners driven through the wall panel, through the spacers, into the studs. The fasteners may be screws or, if the studs are wooden, the fasteners may be staples, ring-shanked nails, or other nails. 
     In a preferred embodiment, in which each stud has a front edge and a back edge, a front wall panel is fastened to the front edges of the studs with front spacers positioned along each stud, between said stud and the front wall panel, so as to define air gaps between said stud and the wall panel. Moreover, a back wall panel is fastened to the back edges of the studs with back spacers positioned along each stud, between said stud and the back wall panel, so as to define air gaps between said stud and the wall panel. 
     This invention also provides a wall panel, which is useful in a sound-deadening wall, as described above. The wall panel, which has two expansive surfaces and which is fastenable to studs, has spacers adhering to a selected one of the expansive surfaces. The spacers are adapted to define air gaps between the studs and the wall panel when the wall panel is fastened to the studs. 
     Preferably, in a wall panel embodying this invention, the spacers are elastomeric. Moreover, the spacers may be advantageously defined by elastomeric strips adhering to the wall panel, on the expansive surface to face the studs, before the wall panel is fastened to the studs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, partially exploded view of a wall panel having elastomeric strips defining spacers, as discussed above, and being fastened to studs so as to provide a sound-deadened wall embodying this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the sound-deadened wall, which has a front wall panel and a back wall panel, as discussed above. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail, as taken in a region delineated by a broken-line circle in FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     As illustrated, a sound-deadened wall  10  embodying this invention is constructed from an array of wooden studs  20  extending vertically, a front wall panel  30  fastened to the studs  20 , and a back wall panel  40  fastened to the studs  20 . Each stud  20  has a front edge  22  and a back edge  24 . The respective wall panels  30 ,  40 , are similar and are fastened to the studs  20  similarly. 
     The front wall panel  30 , which has two expansive surfaces  32 ,  34 , has an array of elastomeric strips  36  extending horizontally and adhering to the expansive surface  32  that faces the front edges  22  when the front wall panel  30  is fastened to the studs  20 . The front wall panel  30  is fastened to the studs  20 , at the front edges  22 , via screws  38  driven through the front wall panel  30 , through the elastomeric strips  36 , into the studs  20 . The elastomeric strips  36  define air gaps between the studs  20  and the front wall panel  30 . 
     The back wall panel  40 , which has two expansive surfaces  42 ,  44 , has an array of elastomeric strips  46  extending horizontally and adhering to the expansive surface  42  that faces the back edges  24  when the back wall panel  40  is fastened to the studs  20  at the back edges  24 . The back wall panel  40  is fastened to the studs  20 , at the back edges  24 , via screws  48  driven through the back wall panel  40 , through the elastomeric strips  46 , into the studs  20 . The elastomeric strips  46  define air gaps between the studs  20  and the back wall panel  40 . 
     Each wall panel  30 ,  40 , may be a panel of gypsum drywall or of fiberboard, which is preferred. The elastomeric strips  36 ,  46 , are similar and may be made of a synthetic rubber, such as neoprene, of a polymeric foam, such as polyurethane foam, or of an elastomeric polymer, such as polyvinyl chloride having a hardness of Durometer 92 Shore A. Any suitable adhesive is used to cause the elastomeric strips  36 ,  46 , to adhere to the respective wall panels  30 ,  40 . Alternatively, but less desirably, non-elastomeric spacers are used. 
     Air gaps defined by the elastomeric strips  36 , between the studs  20  and the front wall panel  30 , and air gaps defined by the elastomeric strips  46 , between the studs  20  and the back wall panel  40 , tend to muffle sounds that would be easily transmitted between the respective wall panels  30 ,  40 , if the respective wall panels  30 ,  40 , were to contact the studs  20  directly.