Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Combined – With a loading dock seal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2001-11-06
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Combined
With a loading dock seal
C052SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311435
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the loading and off-loading of trucks, more specifically, tractor-trailer trucks, it is desirable to simultaneously seal the area between vehicle, terminal dock and/or shelter, against inclement weather. Likewise, it is important to provide such a combined dock seal and shelter as will be able to withstand substantial wind, weather and vehicular abuse. Accordingly, the present invention is adapted to provide at a given warehouse or building dock, a protective unit that presents a weather-resistant seal between truck/trailer and dock when the rear doors of the truck/trailer are open and parallel to sides of the vehicle. It is desirable then that such a dock shelter not only permits complete and unobstructed trailer access, but also provides outstanding weather protection.
Every time one opens a warehouse-loading door to gain access to a tractor-trailer, there is an exchange of inside and outside air that causes building energy loss. With an open, unsealed 8′×8′ loading door, this may currently cost some thousands of dollars a year per door in heating energy loss, and in excess of a thousand dollars a year per door in air conditioning energy loss.
A conventional terminal building usually has multiple dock doors with appropriate vehicle bumpers below the dock. The building doors may have no side frames, the respective door openings simply comprising a loading-unloading cavity in the wall, with or without a vertically sliding door. It is to such building docks that the present invention applies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved gap closure unit for a terminal dock, which provides an improved compressible weather seal about the jamb of the wall opening in the terminal building.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved seal for a closure unit of a terminal dock, which is lightweight, and easy to assemble on site.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gap closure unit having separable parts which are readily replaceable at low cost.
These and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a wall mounted gap closure unit for a terminal dock in a warehouse or the like that includes outwardly positioned left-hand and right-hand side wings, each wing having a free end and an anchor end. Side pad assemblies secured to each sidewall of the doorjamb, the side pad assemblies include a rigid frame, a fabric shell, and a compressible foam core. Hook-and-loop fasteners are disposed between the side pad assemblies and the anchor end of the side wings for removably coupling the side wings to the side pad assemblies.
The closure unit also includes a head curtain assembly disposed in a top wall of the door jamb, including a header beam having distal ends thereof secured and supported on brackets adjacent the fabric shell of the side pad assemblies, and a head curtain depending therefrom into the gap. Resilient straps are provided to flexibly connect the head curtain to the side pad assemblies to thereby restrain the head curtain from movement during high wind conditions and tensioning the head assembly during trailer entry.
The closure unit further includes a pair of bottom pad assemblies removably secured to bottom portions of the side pad assemblies. The bottom pad assemblies preferably have a fabric shell and a compressible foam core.
The side pad assemblies preferably include at least one bottom pad support (fabric) bracket affixed to opposed surfaces of the respective side pad assemblies in the jamb opening. The brackets have spaced apertures for accommodating laces. The bottom pads have mating (fabric) brackets thereon and corresponding apertures so that the laces can extend through the aligned apertures of the respective brackets on the side and bottom pad assemblies for facilitating easy and quick removal of the bottom pads from the side pads.
The closure unit further includes protruding flaps from each side curtain which form a U-shaped channel for engaging the region of leading edges of the side pad assemblies. A portion of the hook-and-loop fastener material is disposed on the side pad assemblies. The flaps have cooperating hook-and-loop fastener material on the interior walls thereof for coupling the side curtains to the side pad assemblies in a readily removable fashion.
In a preferred embodiment each side wing includes resilient stays, each of which are secured transversely to the wing in a vertically spaced array of the wing, the stays being further secured in position by mechanical fasteners to ridgidized wing stiffeners, the stiffeners secured within respective wings in a longitudinal dimension at ends thereof, the stiffeners being longitudinally coextensive with corresponding jamb side walls of the door and the horizontal dimension of the stays in respective wings likewise being coextensive with the gap to be closed.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiment of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modification within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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patent: 6014844 (2000-01-01), Thill
Brockman Thomas R.
Dillon Mark
Anderson Jerry A.
Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP.
Cuomo Peter M.
Fairborn USA Inc.
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