CN113167100A

CN113167100A - Improved window and window system

Info

Publication number: CN113167100A
Application number: CN201980075776.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄良兴; 温建伟; 谢友贤; 蔡建益; 陈思中; 李燕玲; 李文辉
Original assignee: HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Current assignee: HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Priority date: 2018-11-22
Filing date: 2019-11-19
Publication date: 2021-07-23
Also published as: KR20210093237A; WO2020106217A1; JP2022516828A; SG11202103916XA

Abstract

An improved window for noise reduction or noise reduction is provided. The window includes a fixed main panel having a surface displaced at a distance relative to a plurality of side panels and a plurality of side panels. In some embodiments, this is accomplished by pushing the fixed window panel outward a distance of a minimum of 150 millimeters (mm) to a maximum predetermined canopy depth value to achieve structural stability. The distance is preferably between 200 and 600mm relative to adjacent window panels on the left and right sides thereof.

Description

Improved window and window system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to windows and window systems, in particular noise reduction windows.

Background

The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art in any jurisdiction before the priority date of the invention.

In a high density urban environment where land is at a premium, it is inevitable to build new house developments in the vicinity of the presence of noise sources such as busy trunk roads and/or transportation channels. Noise pollution from vehicles along a busy road is a problem for the inhabitants, especially for inhabitants of the room units that are facing or are facing the road.

Most noise reduction windows (also called "acoustic windows", acoustic windows ") aim at reducing noise by closing the window. For example, a window having a double glazing and/or a hermetic seal disposed around the window provides a degree of sound insulation when closed. Current noise reduction solutions involve double facades or double glazing. These current solutions and methods are relatively expensive to build and may not be suitable for use in cost-conscious mass-market housing projects. In addition, they require the window to be completely closed to achieve substantial noise reduction and do not allow ventilation. This may not be suitable for use in a housing project where ventilation is encouraged to improve thermal comfort.

It is an object of the present invention to mitigate one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

Disclosure of Invention

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Furthermore, throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

The present disclosure seeks to reduce noise transmission in the event of an open window, allowing natural ventilation of an interior area or room. A further motivation is the need to provide one or more windows to reduce noise transmission while enabling some form of ventilation for use in public accommodation projects where low cost, low maintenance and ease of use of the apparatus are preferred over expensive or complex systems. Such noise reduction or acoustic bay windows may provide the same or even better sound insulation by using one or more passive strategies (e.g., vertical slit ventilation windows facing one side, and noise blocking canopies that use only a single-layer facade window to reduce construction costs).

In one aspect of the invention, a window is included that includes a first window panel; at least one second window panel; a side window panel contiguous with the first window panel and the at least one second window panel in a manner such that the first window panel lies in a first plane and the at least one second window panel lies in a second plane; wherein the side window panel provides an opening in a third plane that is non-parallel with respect to the first plane and/or the second plane.

The window preferably comprises a fixed main panel and a plurality of side panels, the main panel having a surface displaced at a distance relative to a surface of at least one of the side panels. In some embodiments, two side panels are included, and the distance is preferably relative to the surfaces of both side panels. In some embodiments, the fixed main panel in the form of a fixed window panel is arranged to protrude outwardly from the interior of the room unit a distance of a minimum of 150 millimeters (mm) to a predetermined distance. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance is about 1000mm, which is typically the maximum canopy depth for structural stability, but which may vary depending on structural considerations. The distance is preferably between 200mm and 600mm relative to adjacent window panels on the left and right sides of the fixed main panel. Considerations for this distance are based at least on the space for the at least one ventilation slit and the maximum awning depth for structural stability.

In other embodiments, the fixed main panel in the form of a fixed window panel is arranged to protrude inwardly towards the interior of the room unit by a distance of at least 150 millimeters (mm). The distance is preferably between 200 and 600mm with respect to adjacent window panels on the left and right sides thereof. Considerations for this distance are based at least on the competing goals of space for the at least one ventilation slit and maximizing the interior space.

In operation, the main panel is arranged to face noise sources, such as roads, rails, airports, temporary building sites, and the like.

In some embodiments, one or more secondary noise reduction elements are included that cooperate with the window. In some embodiments, such secondary noise reduction elements may be in the form of one or more awnings arranged in cooperation with at least one window of the present invention or with a conventional window to further reduce noise. The noise reduction element may be further enhanced by one or more sound refracting surfaces to further achieve noise minimization.

Drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 a-1 c are plan views of a noise reduction window in different modes of operation according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a noise reduction window in a noise reduction mode while allowing some ventilation, according to some embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a system including a plurality of noise reduction windows that form a system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a noise reduction window according to some embodiments;

5 a-5 c illustrate another embodiment of a noise reduction window according to some embodiments;

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment having one or more secondary noise reduction elements in the form of eave arranged to further reduce noise;

FIGS. 7 a-7 c illustrate one embodiment of a noise reduction window, low ventilation and normal top hung window configuration, respectively, for comparative studies;

fig. 8a and 8b show the results of a sound transmission test performed on the embodiment of fig. 5a and 5 c.

Other arrangements of the invention are possible and the drawings should not be understood as superseding the generality of the detailed description of the invention.

Detailed Description

According to one aspect of the invention, a noise reduction window, hereinafter referred to or used interchangeably with the term "acoustic bay window," is included.

Throughout the specification, the term "window" is an element that selectively allows light, sound, air, or fluid from the environment to enter an interior (e.g., a room or house). The term "window panel" refers to a relatively flat surface having a frame that may be formed or disposed in a surface of a wall, ceiling, door, or used in conjunction with other window panels. The window panel may include at least one element (e.g., a sliding, rotatable, or hinged element) for covering or exposing the frame to facilitate the window panel between the open and closed states.

The proposed acoustic bay window works primarily by reducing the area of the exposed opening directly facing the potential noise source (e.g., traffic), while maintaining the total operable window area required for adequate ventilation.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, an acoustic bay window includes a first window panel; at least one second window panel; a side window panel adjoining the first window panel and the at least one second window panel in the following manner: such that the first window panel lies in a first plane and the at least one second window panel lies in a second plane; wherein the side window panel provides an opening in a third plane that is non-parallel with respect to the first plane and/or the second plane.

In some embodiments, the third plane is orthogonal to the first and/or second planes.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1a to 1c and fig. 2, the acoustic bay window 100 comprises a first window panel (also referred to as main panel 120) and two second window panels (also referred to as adjacent window panels 140). The main panel 120 is joined to the adjacent window panel 140 by two side window panels 160. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1a to 1c, the two planes are substantially parallel with respect to each other.

The main panel 120 may be a permanently sealed transparent panel (i.e., without any openings that allow air and sound to pass through). Each second window panel may be pivotally or slidably attached to the frame, which enables the second window panel to move between an open position (thereby allowing air and sound to pass) and a closed position (thereby preventing air and sound from passing). The second window panel may be partially transparent, translucent, or opaque.

The side panel 160 is arranged to abut the main panel 120 on one end of the side panel 160 and to abut the adjacent panel 140 at the opposite end of the side panel 160. Each side panel 160 includes openings for allowing air and sound to pass through. Likewise, each side panel 160 may be pivotally or slidably attached to the frame, which enables the side panels 160 to move between an open position (thereby allowing air and sound to pass) and a closed position (thereby preventing air and sound from passing). The side window panel may be partially transparent, translucent, or opaque. In fig. 1a to 1c and 2, the side panels 160 are shown open inwards. However, it is also contemplated that the side panels 160 open outwardly. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the opening direction of the side panel 160 as shown in the above-mentioned figures.

When installed, the panel 140 preferably faces the sound source, and the side panel 160 preferably does not face the sound source(s), and additionally faces the windward side when opened. When installed, the main panel 120 protrudes outwardly relative to the interior of the room unit.

In some embodiments, the main panel 120 in the form of a fixed window panel projects outwardly a distance D1 of a minimum of 150 millimeters (mm) to a predetermined maximum distance relative to the adjacent panel 140. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance is about 1000mm, which is typically the maximum awning depth for structural stability, but such maximum awning depth may vary depending on structural considerations. In some embodiments, the distance D1 is preferably between 200mm and 600mm with respect to its left and right adjacent window panels. Considerations for this distance are influenced by or based on the target, such as the amount of space for ventilation slits for effective ventilation and the maximum allowable canopy depth for structural stability.

This fixed window panel arrangement results in an improved bay window structure. The side panels 160 of the "bay window" are operable to create a vertical slit window for ventilation, which faces left and right, rather than forward.

The proposed window 100 may be based on at least three different usage modes, allowing users to vary or control the amount of sound/noise entering their unit while maintaining natural ventilation.

In the fully closed position, as shown in fig. 1a, the

window panels

120, 140, 160 are fully closed. Both noise and airflow are blocked and in operation modes a and B the noise reduction window can be operated in different modes to allow varying amounts of airflow into the interior of the room unit. In mode "a" (see fig. 1b and 2), to maximize noise reduction at some natural draft, the forward facing

window panels

120, 140 remain closed and the only openings that allow air to pass are the side facing vertical slit windows 160 for ventilation and wind movement. This minimizes direct conduction/transmission of sound into the room/room unit since both directly forward facing

window panels

120, 140 remain closed.

In another mode "B" (see fig. 1c), the window arrangement allows the user to select the maximum natural draft because the

window panels

140, 160 can be opened. Although this use case does not work much in noise reduction, the main panel 120 mitigates noise and the window 100 may be supplemented by one or more secondary noise blocking elements (see fig. 6). The pattern "B" represents the maximum natural draft and blocks a part of the noise through the first window panel 120.

The illustration of fig. 2 can be understood as a perspective view of an Acoustic Bay Window (Acoustic Bay Window) 100. The key feature is that the protruding "bay window" portion (i.e., the first window panel 120) has side slit windows (i.e., the side panels 160) for ventilation. Thus, the first window panel 120 is located at a forward (front) position relative to the second window panel 140.

Fig. 3 shows a plurality of acoustic bay windows arranged to form a system 300 of continuous window walls for a residential or commercial dwelling item, resulting in a so-called "ribbon window" effect for aesthetic benefit. In particular, the belt window effect enables the resident to have a relatively large field of view when the resident is near the bay window 100 and perceive a larger space. The central fixed panel (i.e., main panel 120) may not be separated by a mullion, thereby creating a "picture window" effect.

In some embodiments as shown in fig. 5a to 5c, the center panel 120 may also be designed to be opened to allow sound or air to pass through. From outside the building, the bay window produces a more three-dimensional (3D) facade effect. If the protruding bay (bay) is variably located within the window opening, for example on a different floor from left to right, this may create a random and dynamic effect on the facade (see fig. 3).

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment/configuration of an acoustic window 400, wherein the first window panel 420 protrudes towards the interior of the room unit when installed. Accordingly, the first window panel 420 is located at a rear position with respect to the second window panel 440. The first window panel 420 abuts the side window panel 460. Each side window panel 460 in turn abuts the second window panel 440.

Fig. 5a to 5c show further embodiments of the acoustic window 500. It is understood that the acoustic window 500 includes a first window panel 520 having a plurality of

sub-panels

522, 524. As shown in FIG. 5a, each of the plurality of sub-panels 522 may be opened and closed. The sub-panel 522 may be a transparent panel, a translucent panel, or an opaque panel. The subpanel 524 is permanently closed. The subpanel 524 may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. The acoustic window 500 further includes two second window panels 540 and two side window panels 560. Similar to the acoustic window 100, the first window panel 520 is adjacent to one end of the side panel 560, and the opposite end of the side panel is adjacent to the second window panel 540. The second panel 540 includes two

sub-panels

542 and 544. The plurality of sub-panels 542 may be opened and closed. The sub-panel 542 may be a transparent panel, a translucent panel, or an opaque panel. The subpanel 544 is permanently closed. The sub-panel 544 may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. The side window panel 560 includes two

sub-panels

562 and 564. As shown in fig. 5b, the sub-panel 562 may be opened and closed. The sub-panel 562 may be a transparent panel, a translucent panel, or an opaque panel. The subpanel 564 is permanently closed. The sub-panel 564 may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Fig. 5c shows that only the side panel 562 is open.

It should be understood that in various embodiments, the

side panels

160, 460, and 560 may be disposed at a right angle, an obtuse angle, or an acute angle with respect to the respective

first window panels

120, 420, and 520. The

side panels

160, 460, 560 can also be disposed at a right angle, an obtuse angle, or an acute angle with respect to the respective

second window panels

140, 440, and 540.

The described

acoustic windows

100, 400 and 500 may be used to mitigate the effect of ambient noise/sound entering the room unit, while allowing ventilation. When installed, a frame F defining the opening(s) for ventilation provided by the

side window panels

160, 460, 560₁Relative to the frame F defining the opening(s) provided by the first and/or

second window panels

120, 420, 520, 140, 440, and 540₂In non-parallel planes, preferably nearly orthogonal planes.

It should be appreciated that in other embodiments (not shown), the

second window panel

140, 440, 540 may lie in a non-parallel plane with respect to the

first window panel

120, 420, 520.

It should be understood that the

acoustic windows

100, 400 and 500 may be supplemented by secondary noise blocking elements when installed as part of a room unit/item.

In some embodiments as shown in fig. 6, the secondary noise blocking element may be in the form of one or more eaves 620, for example, located at an upper and/or lower portion relative to the mounted acoustic window 100, 400, and/or 500. The eaves may be a horizontal eaves for reducing rain/bird droppings entering the room unit. To further prevent any secondary noise reflections due to the eave extending over the windows 100, 400 and/or 500, the secondary noise reduction elements may be enhanced by adding noise refracting textures on the underside of the eave (see fig. 6). Due to the uniform lower surface of the awning, this arrangement may reduce direct reflections of noise from low angles, directly into the room unit/room via the open window panel. The noise refracting surface may be an uneven surface 620 formed by a series of undulating ribs, grooves, grids, dots, or other shapes. Such uneven surface(s) are arranged to refract or diffract incident noise away, preferably in directions away from the windows 100, 400 and/or 500. The noise refracting/diffracting hard surface may be used as a coating on the underside of the awning. In particular, such noise refracting/diffracting hard surfaces may comprise non-porous materials and may be subject to environmental or natural factors, such as rain, wind, and the like. As another example, various surfaces on one or more canopies may be broken down into multi-faceted and multi-angle patterns to reduce standing sound waves and echoes. Advantageously, the one or more uneven surfaces may minimize the reflection of noise/sound into the unit. Making the surface(s) of the awning uneven requires no additional material, thus reducing material costs and having relatively low maintenance. The risk of falling is also reduced since there is no separate installation. In some embodiments, the uneven surface may form part of the subject design to enhance the overall building facade. Such subject designs may include natural (e.g., leaf designs) and/or wave designs.

In some embodiments, the eave may be a 1000mm, or at least 300mm to 600mm deep, horizontal eave designed as an extended sill at the base of the

acoustic windows

100, 400, and 500, which helps block noise originating below the height of the windows. This is particularly useful in high-rise residential buildings, because traffic noise tends to become large at medium and high-rise heights near roads. The eave may have an eave depth that is greater than the outward protrusion of the one or more first or second window panels when the window is installed, such that the eave is not obstructed by the installed window.

It is understood that the present disclosure achieves a staggered window configuration with a single layer of

windows

100, 400, or 500. This is in contrast to prior art solutions which require the introduction of one or more second layers of sliding windows or masks to achieve an interleaved window construction, which represents a relatively large increased cost. The present invention achieves a staggered window structure with only one layer of windows, thereby minimizing waste of material and simplifying user operation and maintenance.

It will be appreciated that the

window

100, 400 or 500 may be installed at public and private premises facing busy roads with noise hazards without the cumbersome details and excess materials that would increase the cost of the building and also increase the purchase price of the dwelling unit.

It will be appreciated that in the case of use in public accommodation projects, where a low cost, low maintenance and easy to use arrangement is preferred over expensive or complex systems, the

windows

100, 400 or 500 may provide the same or even better sound insulation by using a two window configuration, where at least one set of openings is arranged orthogonal to the other set of openings. In particular, passive strategies (i.e., vertical slit ventilation windows facing sideways, and horizontal awnings to block noise) can be employed in single-storey facade windows to reduce building costs.

It should be understood that

acoustic bay window

100, 400, or 500 may be used in combination with a conventional window (e.g., a casement window and/or a top hung window that may be flush with a facade of a high-rise building).

One or more embodiments of the described

window

100, 400 or 500 may be implemented in a public housing development oriented toward busy roads. These busy roads may include expressways, class 1 roads (Cat 1Road), class 2 roads (Cat 2Road), and the like. Such public housing developments may also face the problem of traffic noise, particularly for certain heaped houses or dwelling units facing noise sources.

The

window

100, 400 or 500 may be manufactured or developed as a modular part of a prefabricated facade to achieve maximum productivity. This makes it easily reproducible to multiple housing developments. It can then also be adapted for use by private departments in dwelling and apartment projects.

In some embodiments, the width of the main or fixed

window panel

120, 420, 520 may vary, for example, in a range of 300mm to 1500mm wide depending on the environment in which it is deployed.

In some embodiments, the overall width of the composite window, including one or more side panels, may also vary, for example, from a minimum of 800mm to 3000mm, as a single individual window. This bay window pattern can also be repeated and expanded indefinitely to create a system of continuous window-wall or "ribbon window" effects.

In some embodiments, the window or window system may include a side window panel disposed at an angle relative to the main panel. Such an angle may be obtuse or acute.

In the described embodiments, one or more of the first, second and side window panels may be formed from glass, such as colored float glass and/or laminated glass. In some embodiments, the thickness of the glass may be between 4mm and 15 mm.

Efficacy of

To test the efficacy of the acoustic bay window in reducing sound/noise entering the building/room unit, a comparative study was conducted on an acoustic bay window as shown in fig. 7a, a low-ventilation window as shown in fig. 7b and a normal roof (window) as shown in fig. 7 c. The acoustic louver design of fig. 7a is arranged in a maximum ventilation mode.

Table 1 shows STC estimates for three windows with similar overall dimensions.

Table 5-1: transmission loss performance in ventilation mode

Table 1 shows that the acoustic convex window has the best acoustic performance of the three window designs tested, with a sound transmission rating of 14.

Table 1 demonstrates the advantage of acoustic bay window design over other window types (e.g., "low-draft" and "normal overhead" window configurations) in terms of noise reduction. It was found that in the ventilation mode, the acoustic bay window (shown in fig. 7 a) had the best transmission loss performance, followed by a "low ventilation" and a "normal overhead window".

The acoustic bay window shown in fig. 7a was physically manufactured and exposed to sound transmitted in a controlled environment at different frequencies in the range of 31.5 to 8000Hz and the parameters were calculated.

In some embodiments, the parameter is Sound Transmission Class (STC) in class 14. This is the singular rating of the sound transmission loss performance of a building element or material measured at sixteen (16) one-third octave bands between 125Hz and 4kHz and is consistent with the earlier estimates shown in table 1. In both cases, a higher STC means that the construction element or material is better at reducing the sound that passes through it. Facade building elements for a single space will be evaluated and their combined STC calculated.

Fig. 8a is a graph of Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Transmission Loss (TL) for a window 500 in "closed mode" (i.e., all window panels that are closed have an STC class of 28). Fig. 8b is a graph of the Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Transmission Loss (TL) of the window 500 in the "ventilation mode" (i.e., the side window panel 560 is open for ventilation while the first and

second window panels

520, 540 are closed to block sound). The graph shows that the window in the vent mode has an STC or 14 as shown in table 1. Thus, the STC of window 500 in the vent mode, while lower than when window 500 is in the closed mode, still provides significant noise reduction compared to more conventional window designs.

Those skilled in the art will further recognize that variations and combinations of the above-described features, rather than substitutions or alterations, can be combined to form other embodiments within the intended scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A window comprises

A first window panel;

at least one second window panel;

a side window panel adjoining the first window panel and the at least one second window panel in the following manner: such that the first window panel lies in a first plane and the at least one second window panel lies in a second plane; wherein the side window panel provides an opening in a third plane that is non-parallel with respect to the first plane and/or the second plane.

2. The window of claim 1, wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel with respect to each other.

3. The window of claim 1 or 2, further comprising two second window panels, each of the second window panels being disposed at one side of the first window panel and joined to the first window panel by a respective side window panel.

4. The window of any preceding claim, wherein the perpendicular distance between the first plane and the second plane is between 150 millimeters (mm) and 1000 mm.

5. The window of any of claims 4, wherein the perpendicular distance between the first plane and the second plane is between 200mm and 600 mm.

6. The window of any of the preceding claims, wherein the first window panel is located in a forward position relative to the at least one second window panel.

7. The window of any of claims 1-5, wherein the first window panel is located in a rearward position relative to the at least one second window panel.

8. The window according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the third plane is at an acute or obtuse angle relative to the first and/or second planes.

9. The window according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said third plane is orthogonal with respect to said first and/or second plane.

10. A window system comprising a window according to any preceding claim, the window system having a secondary noise reducing element.

11. The window system of claim 10, wherein the secondary noise reducing element comprises at least one eave having one side comprising an uneven surface arranged to diffract or refract sound.

12. The window system of claim 11, wherein the at least one eave has an eave depth that is greater than a maximum protrusion of the one or more first or second window panels when the window is installed.