Sound minimizing apparatus

Abstract

A sound minimizing housing with openings to permit air flow. The openings permit sound to escape from the sound minimizing housing, yet sound is minimized by providing for an overlapping arrangement between the cover and the base, by providing for a resilient pad formed of a plurality of tube pieces, and by providing for an isolation of the cover from the base such that sound transfer between the cover and base is minimized.

1 . A sound minimizing housing adaptable for containing therein a noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing minimizes sound generated by the noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing comprises: 
 a) a base having a floor and base sidewalls;    b) a cover having a ceiling and cover sidewalls, with the cover being swingably engaged to the base and having a closed position; and    c) wherein when the cover is in the closed position each of the cover sidewalls inwardly overlaps a respective confronting base sidewall to create a tortuous path for escape of sound waves generated by the noise producing device.    
   
   
       2 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 1 , wherein the base sidewalls comprise front and rear base sidewalls and a pair of right and left base sidewalls, wherein the cover sidewalls comprises front and rear cover sidewalls and a pair of right and left cover sidewalls, and wherein when the cover is in the closed position: 
 a) the front cover sidewall is tucked inwardly of, confronts, overlaps, and is spaced from, the front base sidewall;    b) the rear cover sidewall is tucked inwardly of, confronts, overlaps, and is spaced from, the rear base sidewall;    c) the right cover sidewall is tucked inwardly of, confronts, overlaps, and is spaced from, the right base sidewall; and    d) the left cover sidewall is tucked inwardly of, confronts, overlaps, and is spaced from, the left base sidewall.    
   
   
       3 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 1 , and further comprising at least two openings in the sound minimizing housing, wherein said at least two openings are disposed generally across from each other such that air flows generally into one portion of the sound minimizing housing and out of another portion of the sound minimizing housing.  
   
   
       4 . A sound minimizing housing adaptable for containing therein a noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing minimizes sound generated by the noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing comprises: 
 a) a base having a floor and a sidewall;    b) a cover, with the cover being swingably engaged to the base and having a closed position; and    c) a sound minimizing pad adaptable for being disposed between at least one of i) the noise producing device and the floor and ii) the floor and a surface for supporting the sound minimizing housing, with the sound minimizing pad adaptable for engaging one of i) the noise producing device and ii) an exterior of the floor.    
   
   
       5 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 4 , wherein the sound minimizing pad comprises a plurality of tubular pieces.  
   
   
       6 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 4 , wherein the sound minimizing pad comprises a plurality of resilient pieces.  
   
   
       7 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 4 , wherein the sound minimizing pad comprises a plurality of tubular resilient pieces.  
   
   
       8 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 4 , wherein the sound minimizing pad comprises a plurality of tubular pieces, wherein each of the tubular pieces includes an axis, wherein each of the axis falls in one of two directions, with one of the directions being a plane in which a surface of the pad lies, and with the other of the directions being generally perpendicular to said plane.  
   
   
       9 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 4 , wherein the sound minimizing pad comprises a plurality of tubular pieces, wherein each of the tubular pieces includes an axis, with the axis of some of the tubular pieces being parallel to the axis of some of the other tubular pieces, and with the axis of some of the tubular pieces being at a right angle to the axis of some of the other tubular pieces.  
   
   
       10 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 4 , wherein the sound minimizing pad comprises a floor portion and a sidewall portion, with the floor portion confronting the floor of the base portion, and with the sidewall portion extending generally upright from the floor portion and confronting the sidewall of the base portion.  
   
   
       11 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 10 , and further comprising: 
 a) at least two housing openings in the sound minimizing housing, wherein said at least two housing openings are disposed generally across from each other;    b) a pad opening in the sidewall portion of the sound minimizing pad, with the pad opening confronting one of said at least two housing openings such that air flowing through the pad opening immediately flows through said one of said at least two housing openings;    c) whereby air flows generally into one portion of the sound minimizing housing and out of another portion of the sound minimizing housing.    
   
   
       12 . A sound minimizing housing adaptable for containing therein a noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing minimizes sound generated by the noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing comprises: 
 a) a base having a floor;    b) a cover, with the cover with the cover being swingably engaged to the base, with the cover having closed and open positions relative to the base; and    c) wherein the base is isolated via an isolation arrangement from the cover in each of the closed and open positions.    
   
   
       13 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 12 , wherein the isolation arrangement includes an axis about which the cover is swingable relative to the base, and further includes first and second spacers on the axis, wherein each of the first and second spacers confronts respective sections of the cover and base in each of the open and closed positions, and wherein each of the first and second spacers spaces said respective sections from each other in each of the open and closed positions such that vibrations between said respective sections are minimized.  
   
   
       14 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second spacers comprises nylon.  
   
   
       15 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second spacers consist of a first material, and wherein each of the base and cover consist of a second material.  
   
   
       16 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 12 , wherein the isolation arrangement includes a resilient piece between the cover and the base, wherein the resilient piece confronts each of the cover and the base when the cover is in the closed position such that vibrations between the cover and base are minimized, and wherein the resilient piece is spaced from one of the cover and the base when the cover is in the open position.  
   
   
       17 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 12 , wherein the isolation arrangement comprises: 
 a) an axis about which the cover is swingable relative to the base;    b) first and second spacers on the axis, with each of the first and second spacers confronting respective sections of the cover and base and spacing said respective sections from each other such that vibrations between said respective sections are minimized; and    c) a resilient piece between the cover and the base, wherein the resilient piece confronts each of the cover and the base when the cover is in the closed position such that vibrations between the cover and base are minimized.    
   
   
       18 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 12 , and further comprising at least two housing openings in the sound minimizing housing, wherein said at least two openings are disposed generally across from each other such that air flows generally into one portion of the sound minimizing housing and out of another portion of the sound minimizing housing.  
   
   
       19 . A sound minimizing housing adaptable for containing therein a noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing minimizes sound generated by the noise producing device, wherein the sound minimizing housing comprises: 
 a) a base having a floor and a base rear sidewall;    b) a cover having a ceiling and a cover rear sidewall; and    c) a hinge between the base and the cover such that the cover is swingable relative to the base, with the hinge having an axis and with the axis being spaced rearwardly of each of the base rear sidewall and cover rear sidewall such that the hinge is offset from each of the base rear sidewall and the cover rear sidewall.    
   
   
       20 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 19 , and further comprising at least two housing openings in the sound minimizing housing, wherein said at least two housing openings are disposed generally across from each other such that air flows generally into one portion of the sound minimizing housing and out of another portion of the sound minimizing housing.  
   
   
       21 . The sound minimizing housing of  claim 19 , wherein the each of the base and cover is receptacle shaped and wherein each of the base and cover includes a perimeter, with the perimeters overlapping when the cover is in the closed position as the hinge is in an out of the way offset location.