Apparatus and System for Acoustic Curved Ceiling Baffle and Methods of Manufacturing Thereof

The present application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/231,903, filed Aug. 9, 2023, which in turn is a continuation of Ser. No. 16/997,561, filed Aug. 19, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,732,471, issued Aug. 22, 2023, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/888,593, filed Aug. 19, 2019, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The instant disclosure relates to acoustic curved ceiling baffles and systems, along with the methods for manufacturing and installing the acoustic curved ceiling baffles. In particular, the instant disclosure relates to an acoustic curved ceiling baffles and systems that incorporate cuts or kerfs to properly configure the curves in the acoustic baffle, and that can be quickly and easily installed onto construction ceiling hangers using integrated locks, cables or magnets, to produce a curved baffle system, and to provide an aesthetically pleasing image, along with a reduction in unwanted noise and/or room acoustics.

The instant disclosure further relates to an acoustic baffle and system configured using a program that calculates the correct location of the kerfs in the sidewalls to optimize the predetermined curved baffle pattern or design. Once the sidewalls of the curved baffle are created and assembled along with the top and bottom shaped portions or sections, the assembly will then include an air gap for optimal acoustic properties. The top and bottom shaped portions may include ribs, stiffeners or struts to hold the sidewalls in place and in formation.

The instant disclosure further relates to an apparatus that is configured using recycled polyester felt or PET Felt, and in the preferred embodiment, including the sidewalls, top and bottom shaped portions and the struts. Additionally, the sidewalls may be covered by another layer of felt (or other material) to hide the kerfs incorporated to create the curved baffle.

Although felt or PET Felt is the preferred material due to acoustic, weight and environmental aspects, the instant disclosure can incorporate any material in the manufacture of the acoustic curved baffle, including plastic, wood, metal, etc. The acoustic curved baffle design can also incorporate numerous materials in the same design. For example, the sidewalls could be manufactured using PET Felt and the cover of the walls could be a thin layer of wood. Other possibilities exist for mixing materials.

In general, terms, ceilings can be of two different types, suspended or exposed. Suspended ceilings are usually hung at a distance below the structural members to hide mechanical and electrical equipment, along with electrical conduit, HVAC ducts, water pipes, sewage lines, lighting fixtures, and similar structures. In order to construct a suspended ceiling, a metal grid is suspended from the actual ceiling, usually by wires, and acoustical or similar tiles, are inserted and supported by the grid.

However, for either cost or design purposes, many designs provide that the mechanical and electrical equipment are to be seen and not hidden. In these designs, there is no dropped ceiling and the ceiling is left to be viewed from the floor. Although the exposed ceiling may be a function of the design appeal, quite often an exposed ceiling creates acoustic problems, especially in large industrial rooms. Sound from one area of the room, can be reflected off the ceiling and be heard in other areas of the room. If there are a lot of workers or machinery, the room can become quite loud.

In order to minimize excessive and/or unwanted sound generated because of the exposed ceiling, one solution is to hang baffles from the ceiling at certain intervals to allow for the exposed ceiling to be viewed, but to reduce the acoustic profile. As an example of a structure intended to reduce unwanted noise is the Supported Architectural Structure disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,782,987, to Kabatsi et al., which discloses a plurality of primary supports configured to couple with one or more architectural structures, and a plurality of flexible fins is incorporated into the structure using primary supports, secondary supports and attachment points.

Another example of a ceiling structure is U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/774,233, to Stackenwalt et al., which discloses a decorative structure, which may be curved, suspended within a space and which includes a panel fastened to a support structure by a clip, a portion of which extends along a face of the panel.

These examples utilize additional supports, attachment hardware and clips to assist in suspending the flexible fins or decorative panels to the ceiling or to ceiling structure. In doing so, each of these examples necessitate tools to assemble the structure and to suspend the structure to the ceiling or ceiling support structure.

As such, there is a need for an acoustic ceiling baffles and systems that include curved baffles that look solid, but have an air core or are hollow to provide beneficial acoustic properties. There is also a need for these baffles and systems to be configured to be quickly and easily installed onto existing construction ceiling hangers or support structures, in many cases, without the need for tools, separate attachment devices, clips or the like. There is also a need for an acoustic curved ceiling system that is an aesthetically pleasing image, and that reduces unwanted noise or room acoustics.

The foregoing is intended only to illustrate the present technical field and background art and should not be taken as a limitation or disavowal of claim scope.

The present disclosure is an improved acoustic curved ceiling baffle that utilizes kerfs in the sidewalls to facilitate the creation of the curvature of the sidewalls into the desired curved shape. The curved base sides are configured to be quickly and easily installed onto construction ceiling hangers using either integrated locks, cables or magnets (or a combination of these methods), to produce a curved baffle system, and to provide an aesthetically pleasing image, along with a reduction in unwanted noise and/or room acoustics. The installation methods are described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/639,638, incorporated by reference herein.

The instant disclosure further relates to program used to create the acoustic curved baffle designs. The system uses a program that determines or calculates the location of the kerfs in the sidewalls to optimize the predetermined curved baffle pattern or design. The program can determine where the kerfs should be located in the sidewalls to allow the material to curve either in a concave or convex direction. The program can also determine the size of the particular kerfs depending on the radius of curvature of the sidewalls, or if there is no need for a kerf, such as a straight section of the sidewall. Additionally, the program can determine where a strut will be located on the top or bottom portion or spine, and provide for a cut away of the sidewall at the proper location and in the correct direction, as the strut may intersect the sidewall at a curved portion.

In use, the program can accept a curved design input, possibly from the information pertaining to the top and/or bottom shaped spine. The top and bottom shaped spines may include ribs, stiffeners or struts to hold the sidewalls in place and in formation. If so, the information provided to the program may also include where the struts or ribs of the spine will be located. Using that information, the program can calculate or determine the specific location and size of the kerfs necessary to be cut into the sidewalls to facilitate the creation or manufacture of the sidewalls of the curved baffle. The program can also calculate where the struts will intersect the sidewalls (and the direction of intersection) and provide for cut out of the material at those locations.

Once the program has determined where the kerfs and the strut cutouts are to be located on the sidewalls and the correct kerf sizes for proper curvature, a computer numeric control or CNC machine can cut the kerfs out of the material to create the sidewalls. The CNC machine can also cut out the material for the struts to be located.

Once the sidewalls of the curved baffle with the kerfs and cutouts are created along with the top and bottom spines or shaped portions, the curved baffle can be assembled. The sidewalls will easily curve at the kerfs and fit into the struts of the top and bottom spines. The assembly will then include an air gap for optimal acoustic properties. The top side and bottom side further keep the two base sides a distance apart to create the air gap, which contributes to the beneficial acoustic properties.

Once the sidewalls and top and bottom spines are assembled together, the curved baffle can be finished for a desired look and for installation purposes. For example, the sidewalls and the top and bottom spines can be covered with a similar but thinner material to make the entire curved baffle monochromatic. Additionally, installation hardware can be installed to allow the curved baffle to be installed onto the ceiling structure. For example, cable connectors can be installed into the top spine so that the curved baffle can be attached to hanging cables at the installation site.

The instant disclosure further relates to an apparatus that is configured using recyclable or recycled polyester felt or PET Felt, in the preferred embodiment, including the sidewalls, top and bottom shaped portions and the ribs or struts. Again, the sidewalls may be covered by another layer of felt to hide the kerfs incorporated to create the curved baffle. In the preferred embodiment, PET Felt having a thickness of nine (9) millimeters is used for the sidewalls, top and bottom portions, and the struts or ribs. Additionally, PET Felt having a thickness of three (3) millimeters is used for the material covering the sidewalls and the bottom and top portions to give the end product a finished look.

Although felt or PET Felt is the preferred material due to acoustic, weight and environmental aspects, any material can be used to manufacture the acoustic curved baffle of the present invention, including plastic, wood, metal, etc. The acoustic curved baffle design can also incorporate numerous materials in the same design. For example, the sidewalls could be manufactured using PET Felt and the cover of the walls could be a thin layer of wood. Other possibilities exist for mixing materials.

It is thus an objective of the present disclosure to provide an improved acoustic curved baffle, comprising sidewalls with kerfs for facilitating the curvature of the baffle sides, along with a top and bottom spines containing ribs to facilitate the assembly of the baffle. An objective of the present disclosure further provides for the sidewalls and the top and bottom spines to be covered using a thin veneer, laminate or material to improve the visual characteristics of the baffle. Additionally, an objective of the present disclosure provides for installation hardware to be attached to the curved baffle to facilitate installation onto existing ceiling structures without the need for tools, clips or additional attachment devices.

It is yet another objective of the present disclosure to provide a program for calculating and determining the placement or location of the kerfs and cutouts in the sidewalls and the shape of the top and bottom spines based on the curved baffle design. Once determined, it is an objective of the present disclosure to provide instructions to a CNC machine for cutting out the sidewalls, top and bottom spines and the ribs, along with the kerfs properly located on the sidewalls for the particular curved design.

In a further aspect, the invention can be an acoustic curved ceiling baffle system comprising: a curved baffle comprising: a first curved sidewall formed of felt and having a first major surface, a second major surface, and a first thickness measured between the first and second major surfaces of the first curved sidewall, a plurality of first linear sidewall cuts formed in the first major surface of the first curved sidewall that facilitates the curvature of the first curved sidewall, the plurality of first linear sidewall cuts extending only partially into the thickness of the first curved sidewall, the plurality of first linear sidewall cuts extending from a top of the first curved sidewall to a bottom of the first curved sidewall and being parallel to one another; a second curved sidewall formed of felt and having a first major surface, a second major surface, and a second thickness measured between the first and second major surfaces of the second curved sidewall, a plurality of second linear sidewall cuts formed in the first major surface of the second curved sidewall that facilitates the curvature of the second curved sidewall, the plurality of first linear sidewall cuts extending only partially into the thickness of the first curved sidewall, the plurality of first linear sidewall cuts extending from a top of the first curved sidewall to a bottom of the first curved sidewall and being parallel to one another; a curved top portion formed of felt; a curved bottom portion formed of felt; each of the first and second curved sidewalls extending from the curved bottom section to the curved top section in a spaced apart manner to form an air gap in the curved baffle; one or more struts formed of felt, the one or more structs located within the air gap and extending between the first and second curved sidewalls; and installation hardware coupled to the curved top portion, the installation hardware configured to facilitate hanging of the curved baffle from a ceiling system.

In an even further aspect, the invention can be and acoustic curved ceiling baffle system comprising: a curved baffle extending along a curved central axis from a first end to a second, the curved baffle comprising: a first curved sidewall formed of felt and having a first major surface and a second major surface, a plurality of first linear sidewall cuts formed in the first major surface of the first curved sidewall to facilitate flexing of the first curved sidewall so that the first curved sidewall has assumed a curvature that corresponds to curvature of the curved central axis, the second major surface of the first curved sidewall being uninterrupted by the plurality of first linear sidewall cuts; a second curved sidewall formed of felt and having a first major surface and a second major surface, a plurality of second linear sidewall cuts formed in the first major surface of the second curved sidewall to facilitate flexing of the second curved sidewall so that the first curved sidewall has assumed a curvature that corresponds to the curvature of the curved central axis, the second major surface of the second curved sidewall being uninterrupted by the plurality of second linear sidewall cuts; a curved bottom portion formed of felt; and the first curved sidewall, the curved sidewall, and the curved bottom portion assembled to collectively form a hollow body comprising an air gap, the first and second curved sidewalls being opposite one another.

Additional objectives and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art after reading the specification in light of the drawing figures, however, the spirit and scope of the present invention should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

As stated herein, the objective of the present disclosure is to provide an improved acoustic curved ceiling baffle, and an improved acoustic curved ceiling system, along with improved methods for manufacturing and installing the curved ceiling baffles and creating the acoustic curved ceiling system.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar features in the various views,show different views of the improved curved baffle.shows the resulting curved baffleafter the first sidewalland second sidewallare assembled with the top spineand bottom spine. The top spinecontains one or more top spine struts or ribs, and the bottom spine comprises one or more bottom spine struts or ribs. Theses struts,are used in conjunction with the top spineand bottom spineto hold the sidewalls,in place in their curved position. This assembly creates an air gap(see), which creates the acoustic curved baffle of the present invention.

The curved baffle, which is made in the preferred embodiment, from sheets of nine (9) millimeter polyester felt or PET Felt, is intended to be assembled into a rectangular shape, approximately 8.25 inches high and 2.0 inches thick with an air gap of 1.06 inches. Of course, varying lengths, heights and depths are possible depending on the curvature design. Curved baffles as large as ten feet long and four feet high can be incorporated using the functionality described herein. PET Felt is used in the preferred embodiment due to its beneficial acoustic, weight and environmental properties.

However, almost any material can be used to produce the sidewalls,, topand bottomspines and the struts,. Thus, the acoustic curved baffle of the present invention can be manufactured out of plastic, wood, metal, and other materials. Additionally, the acoustic curved baffle design can incorporate different materials in the same design, such as sidewalls,of PET Felt, to and bottom spines,made of wood and struts,made of plastic, as an example. Other possibilities exist for mixing materials.

shows the first sidewallin its flat position before it is assembled in its curved position. The sidewallhas been modified to include kerfs or cutsin a first sideof the sidewall. The kerfscan be straight creating square or rectangular cuts into the first sideof the sidewall. Additionally, the kerfscan be angled creating an upside down triangle cuts into the first sideof the sidewall. Either way, the kerfsconfigured in the sidewallfacilitate the flex or curvature of the sidewallin either the concave or the convex direction. The kerfscan be the same size, or different sizes, as different size kerfswill allow for smaller diameter curves. Also, to the extent the curved baffledesign is straight in a section of the baffle, there may not be a need for a kerfto be cut into the sidewallat that location.

shows a side view of a cut away from the middle of the curved baffle. The cutaway shows the first sidewalland second sidewall, after being assembled with the top spineand bottom spine. The top spine strutsand the bottom spine strutsfit into the top cut outsand bottom cut outs, respectively, as shown in. Theses struts,assist in securing the sidewalls,in place in their curved position. The air gapcreates the acoustic properties of the curved baffle.

shows a top view of the acoustic curved bafflewithout the top spine, which includes the first sidewalland the second sidewallalong with the cutoutsin the sidewalls,that are used to receive or guide the top spinestruts. When the struts or ribsof the top spineare inserted into the top cutouts, the sidewalls,will maintain their curved shape. Maintaining the curved shape is also helped by the insertion of the struts or ribsof the bottom spineinto the bottom cutoutsof the sidewalls,(see).

Once the strutsof the top spineare inserted into the top cutoutsof the sidewalls,, the curved baffle will maintain its shape.shows a top view of the acoustic curved bafflewith the curved top spineplaced over the first sidewalland the second sidewall.

is a top view of a sidewall,of the acoustic curved baffle, either the first sidewallor the second sidewall, after kerfshave been cut into the sidewall,and after curvature of the sidewall,. In theexample, the sidewall,is able to curve in both convexand concavepatterns from the front sideof the sidewall,. Depending on the size and location of the kerfs, the curvature can be a smaller sharp radius or a larger more gradual radius.

To the extent that the design calls for covering up the kerfson the sidewall,, to create a smoother outer surface, a layer of materialcan be installed or attached to the front sideof the sidewall,. Again, this can be almost any material, such as wood, plastic or metal, but in the preferred embodiment, a three (3) millimeter thick PET Felt pieceis attached to the front sideof the sidewall,. Other sizes and materials can be used for the device cover.

show the acoustic curved ceiling baffleafter being assembled in the curved position of the intended design.shows the top spineand the sidewalls,, which are concealed by a cover. The installation hardwareis included to allow the installation of the curved baffleonto a ceiling system (not shown). In, the installation hardware will be attached to cables sing from the ceiling., like, includes a coverover the sidewalls,, but also includes a top coverover the top spine portion. Additionally,shows end coversthat are located at the endsof the acoustic curved baffle. These covers,,provide a streamlined, monochromatic vision, although any type of cover,,and color can be achieved.

Numerous ceiling baffle shapes and designs can be constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. The curved portions,that will be assembled to make the curved bafflecan use almost any concave or convex design imaginable. The topand bottomspines will then be created along with the struts,so that the curved bafflecan be assembled accordingly.

By using a program, as detailed below, the proper kerfsize and location can be calculated to be carved out in the sidewalls,, along with the top and bottom spines,and the struts,. Once all the pieces are known and/or calculated, the program can determine the optimal cut design thereby reducing material waste. Once the program is converted for use with a CNC machine, the CNC machine can cut each of the pieces necessary for the curved baffle. As such, using the program and a CNC machine, a user can design a baffle and have the structural pieces cut out in a very short time.

As described herein, the material used in the preferred embodiment is polyester felt and is between 60% and 99% recycled material. The walls of the acoustic curved ceiling bafflesin the preferred embodiment are 9 mm thick, and the panel thickness (after assembly) is 2.0 inches thick, with an air gap of 1.06 inches. Other sizes are possible. Maintenance includes occasional vacuuming to remove particulate matter and air-borne debris or dust. Compressed air can be used to dust off the material in difficult to reach areas and for large assemblies.

The felt comes in numerous colors, including white, cream, light grey, light brown, brown, matte grey, charcoal, black, yellow, mango, orange, red, lavender, lime, green, light blue and dark blue. Of course, the curved ceiling bafflescan be manufactured in many other colors and the present disclosure is not limited to these specifications and colors, as these are merely the specifications and colors for the preferred embodiments and alternative embodiments.

An alternative embodiment for installing the curved baffleincludes using magnetsembedded into the curved baffleso that when the curved baffleis assembled, the embedded magnets will hold the curved baffleto a standard ceiling structure (not shown) or to any metal material.

shows a flow chart of the program used to calculate the kerfs and cut outs for the sidewalls, along with the information for all pieces as sent to a CNC machine for optimal cutting and scoring. The program starts at step, which is the same as all programming functions. At step, the acoustic curved ceiling baffleis designed and/or entered into the computer system. This can be done in a number of ways, including providing CAD/CAM software so that the user can design a curved baffle, or if the curved bafflehas already been designed, entering the information into the system for calculations and determinations.

Once the curved baffledesign has been generated and entered into the computer system, the system calculates the kerflocations in step. These kerflocations will be based on the baffledesign and the curvature of the design. Along those lines, at step, the program will calculate or determine the size of the individual kerfs. For example, if the curvature is very tight, a small radius, the program may us larger kerfsand closer together, to allow a small radius curve. If the radius is large, the sidewall,may only need a couple, smaller kerfsto obtain the correct radius of curvature.

Once the kerfdetermination has been completed, the program can calculate the cut out angles and locations,in the sidewalls,for the struts,to be inserted. These struts,will secure the top and bottom spines,to the sidewalls,. This includes step, determining the location, and step, determining the cut out angle, which may not be perpendicular to the direction of the sidewall,, if the strut,intersects the sidewall,at a curve.

Once all of the piece shapes have been determined from the curved baffledesign, the program can optimize a cutting and scoring strategy at stepto minimize waste of the curved bafflematerial. In doing so, the program will shift the different pieces into a location on a board so that the CNC machine will cut out the pieces with the least amount of waste.

Finally, at step, the program will send the information to the CNC machine for cutting out the pieces. The pieces include the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the top spine, the bottom spine, the multiple struts,, and the covers,,, although the covers may be a thinner material to be cut from a different piece of material. Once the pieces are cut to size, the acoustic curved bafflecan be assembled. The program ends at step.

Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment”, or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment”, or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Further, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments without limitation given that such combination is not illogical or non-functional. Although numerous embodiments of this invention have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure.

All directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the any aspect of the disclosure.

As used herein, the phrased “configured to,” “configured for,” and similar phrases indicate that the subject device, apparatus, or system is designed and/or constructed (e.g., through appropriate hardware, software, and/or components) to fulfill one or more specific object purposes, not that the subject device, apparatus, or system is merely capable of performing the object purpose. Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.