Description

MEANS FOR INSULATING A SKIRTING BOARD OR OTHER VERTICAL COAT FROM ACOUSTIC IMPACTS FROM A FLOATING FLOOR

Background Art

[1] A frequent form of annoying noise is due to the stress induced on the structures of buildings by vibrating bodies in contact with them, or by impacts due to the falling of objects or repeated contacts (trampling noise). In such a case, the structures, dynamically stressed, start vibrating and transmit the noise in the atmosphere, and particularly through solid contact. But, whereas the air transmission decreases proportionally to the distance, the transmission through the vibration of stiff structures virtually multiply the extension of the surface which releases the so called impactive noises.

[2] The problem of the impactive noises essentially affects the structural elements as the floors or the slabs of closed rooms exposed to the vibrations of machines, house appliances and different apparatuses, and to the shifting of furniture, the falling of objects on the floor and the more frequent trampling noise, whose effect upon the floor is far greater than the noise usually produced by human steps.

[3] One of the more effective solutions to mitigate impactive noises consists in realizing a floating floor, by interposing a layer of resilient material between the structure of the floor and the floor rough, to create a discontinuity between the stiff structure and the source of the vibrations.

[4] Said resilient material is raised from the horizontal surface to surround the sides of the floor and the respective floor rough, thus insulating the whole from the lateral walls. The perimetrical slot which, filled in with resilient material, separates the floating floor from the surrounding walls, is hidden by the skirting board or, whereas it is a bath or a kitchen, by the marble or ceramic coat of the walls.

[5] But if the said skirting board or other vertical coat is in contact with the floating floor, then the acoustic bridge thus created between the floor and the surrounding walls compromises the insulation effect.

[6] Therefore, in order to prevent the contact and the consequent acoustic bridge between the floating floor and the surrounding walls, the skirting board and vertical coats are fixed to the wall with a gap of some millimetres from the floor. The interstice thus formed is nevertheless exposed to the reception of dirt during the cleaning, and also to the nesting of insects, to which the interstice can be a sort of protected path. Neither can be appropriate, obviously, the use of the silicone rubber as a filling for such in-

terstice.

Disclosure of Invention

Disclosure

[7] The present invention, aimed to avoid in a practical, effective and definitive way to the above mentioned drawbacks, consists of isolating the building structure from vibrations of acoustic impacts rising from floating floors, interposing and fastening a suitable plastic or elastic element between every floating floor and the skirting board or other vertical coat fixed to the surrounding walls. Description of Drawings

[8] To better understand those and other characteristics of the invention, four sheets of drawings are herewith enclosed, in an indicative and not restrictive way, wherein:

[9] FIGURE 1 shows the vertical section of one of the possible embodiments of the invention, that is a wooden skirting board and its elastic or plastic element for the acoustic isolation from a floating floor;

[10] FIGURE 2 shows, through the vertical section of a building structure with floating floor, the use of the skirting board as in figure 1.

[11] FIGURES 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 show, through the vertical sections, some examples of skirting boards according to the invention but having different shapes and materials.

[12] FIGURE 12 shows expedients to adapt, according to the invention, an ordinary skirting board, in terracotta or backed clay, of considerable thickness.

[13] FIGURES 13-14-15 show in sequence a method to fix, according to the invention, the first row of tiles of a vertical coat or a skirting board, of reduced thickness.

[14] FIGURES 16-17 show a different method to fix, with the same elements of the previous example, the first row of tiles of a vertical coat or a skirting board, of reduced thickness.

Best Mode

[15] With reference to the enclosed drawings, starting by those in sheet 1, where figure 2 shows in detail the section of a building at the intersection between the floor and the supporting vertical structure, the floor 100 and the relevant footer 101 lean entirely on a resilient layer 102 horizontally extending up to the vertical walls 103 along which it continues without interruption up to the thickness of the floor and the relevant sub- base, to ensure their complete insulation from the stiff structure of the building.

[16] The skirting board 1 in figures 1 and 2, usually made of wood and fixed prevalently with mastic and/or nails, is shaped and designed to protrude from the vertical wall 103 to which it is fixed, to hide the gap between said wall and the floor.

[17] The main characteristic of said skirting board is that its lower edge has a longitudinal groove running lengthwise IA, suitable to receive the forced insertion of the finned

end 2A of a plastic or elastic profile 2, made of elastic or plastic material, which can be put in contact with the surface of the floor 100 in order to avoid unaesthetic and unhygienic interstices, because of its elasticity and plasticity which prevent acoustic impacts rising from below floating floor to reach the wall 103 and the entire building structure.

[18] The above mentioned profile 2, as wide as the lower edge of the skirting board 1 has an asymmetric outline that prevents the contact with the floor in the rear area in order to avoid possible obstacles like small protrusions or irregular shapes which could be found at the bottom of the vertical wall 103 on which the skirting board is fixed.

[19] Also in figure 3, it has been provided the solution to avoid possible small protrusions at the bottom of the vertical wall 103, and in this case the skirting board 3 has on its back a bevelling 3B which reduces the wideness of the lower edge, centrally crossed by the longitudinal groove 3A suitable to receive the forced insertion of the finned end 4A of a plastic or elastic profile 4, in figure illustrated as tubular, having a symmetric outline that prevents any error of assembly in the skirting board.

[20] The wooden skirting board 5 illustrated in figure 4, also smoothed at its back, is coupled to an elastic or plastic profile 6 which, shaped to cover the lower flat edge and the inclined surface of said bevelling, has two projecting parts 6A that protrude in converging directions and ensure the junction with the skirting board once inserted in the proper grooves likewise oriented, being one of them oriented perpendicularly to the bevelling, and the other one oriented perpendicularly to the horizontal lower edge of the skirting board.

[21] Also the wooden skirting board 7 illustrated in figure 4 is smoothed at its back and coupled to a plastic or elastic profile 8 shaped as to cover the lower flat edge and the inclined surface of said bevelling, to which, in this case, it is fixed by means of a series of metallic rivets 9 or an adhesive.

[22] All the above mentioned examples, that is the skirting boards in figures 1-3-4-5, even if they have a shape which is particularly suited to a wooden made manufacturing, do not exclude the possible use of other suitable materials, and in any case are matchable with plastic or elastic elements which can be provided for their finishing.

[23] The skirting board 10 in figure 6 is a metallic or plastic extruded profile having a housing or hollow 1OA coupled with a longitudinal slot running lengthwise that, arranged along the lower edge of the skirting board, allows the hooking of the elastic or plastic profile 11 having a portion 1 IA wider than said slot and inserted inside the housing 1OA with a simple longitudinal movement.

[24] The skirting board 12 in figure 7 is a metallic or plastic extruded profile which has, near the lower edge 12A, a horizontal fin 12B that protrudes from the profile 12 towards the back to allow its hooking to the corresponding indentation of the plastic or

elastic profile 13 and in particular between the fin 13A and the tubular portion below 13B. Said profile 13 obviously has a thinner thickness where a higher degree of elasticity or plasticity is required.

[25] The skirting board 14 in figure 8 is a metallic or plastic extruded profile having a swallow-tailed coupling with the correspondent plastic or elastic profile 15, and it is to this aim provided with, in the surface below, a housing 14A suitably shaped to house projecting parts 15A that protrude mutually diverging from the upper surface of said profile 15.

[26] The skirting board 16 in figure 9 is a metallic or plastic extruded profile having at its base a semicircular cavity in which to insert the semicircular profile 17, with similar diameter and made of elastic or plastic material, to maintain it pressed against the floor 100 simply because it is fixed against the vertical wall 103.

[27] The skirting board 18 in figure 10 is a profile manufactured by coextrusion or double injection moulding, which combines the rigidity features of part 18 A, to be fixed by suitable glueing means to the vertical wall 103, with elasticity and plasticity of lower part 18B, to be put against the floor 100.

[28] The skirting board 19 illustrated in figure 11, manufactured by extrusion of soft and flexible material, has a wider thickness and consistency in the upper part 19A to be fixed with known means to the vertical wall 103, whereas has a slender thickness and a particular flexibility and softness in the lower tubular end 19B to be put in contact with the floating floor.

[29] Figure 12 illustrates how to adapt, according to the invention, also a considerable thickness skirting board like those made of terracotta, ceramic, stoneware, granite, cement-resin and others.

[30] In particular, the drawings show how, thanks to the considerable thickness and to the flat surface of the lower edge of said skirting boards 20, it is possible to fix to the above mentioned lower edge, by means of a known type double-sided adhesive tape 21, an element 22 made of elastic or plastic material preferably tubular.

[31] Such coupling could be obviously made both in workshop and on the spot using suitable quantities.

[32] The sequence of figures 13-14-15 and of figures 16-17 show two different ways to fix, according to the invention, the first row of tiles of a vertical covering or a limited thickness skirting board.

[33] In particular, as regards the tiles 23 of the vertical covering in figures 13-14-15, it is provided that, by means of a known type double-sided adhesive tape 24, the elastic or plastic profile 25 having a tubular part 25B along one of the longitudinal edges of the flat band (25A) is fixed both against the lower edge and along a segment of the surface on the back. Said tubular part 25B, shaped to cover all or part of the lower edge of the

tile 23, is designed to insulate from the floor, while the flat band 25 A assures the grip of the profile to the tile 23 without excessively spacing it from the vertical wall 103, to which it is fixed by means of glues or other.

[34] In figures 16-17, the known type of double-sided adhesive tape 24 is instead applied on to the vertical walls 103 in order to allow further fixing the flat band 25 A of the elastic or flexible profile 25, and at the same time the tubular part 25B, folded up to form a right angle with the band 25A, leans against the floor 100 below. The tiles 23 are subsequently fixed to the wall 103, with glues or others, after being placed against the profile 25.

[35] It is obvious that, being understood the general characteristics hereby described and illustrated, the expedients and means represented and described, can be changed or modified within the scope of the present patent application.