Patent Application
20140360679
The present invention relates to closures for windows, doors, or other portals and, more particularly, to roll-up curtain closure systems.
Roll-up closure systems utilizing a flexible cover or curtain to cover a portal or opening such as a door or window are known. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,736, Crider et al. teach a sealable curtain wherein each lateral margin of the curtain has a strip of hook and loop fastener material affixed thereto, and a complementary strip is affixed to the lateral margins of the structure defining the portal. A first end of the curtain is rigidly affixed across an upper margin of the portal. The opposite end of the curtain can be upturned and connected to a driven take-up roller mounted next to the upper margin of the portal. In this embodiment, an elongated transverse rod is supported within the upturned end of the curtain to maintain tension on the curtain. In a second embodiment, a second elongated transverse rod can be utilized to assist in maintaining tension on the curtain (see FIGS. 1-2 of the 5,566,736 patent). In a third embodiment, a second curtain can be employed (see FIG. 5 of the 5,566,736 patent). In any of the embodiments, activation of the driven take-up roller lengthens or shortens the effective length of the curtain(s) while positioning the mating hook and loop fasteners to seal and unseal the curtain(s) to the lateral margins of the portal.
Galvanized steel pipes have historically been used as the transverse tension rods in the roll-up curtain systems described above. Occasionally, machinery (e.g. a forklift) will impact and bend the steel pipe(s). When this occurs, the curtain will not roll-up properly and, as a result, the curtain system and the portal associated therewith must be placed out of service until the steel pipe(s) can be repaired or replaced. Accordingly, what is needed is a tension rod for use in a roll-up curtain closure system that provides adequate curtain tension and structural support, yet is flexible and resilient to avoid damage as a result of impact by machinery and the like.
The present invention is a roll-up curtain closure system having impact resistant tension rod(s), wherein a first preferred embodiment comprises a pair of spaced apart opposing lateral margins defining opposing sides of the portal, a flexible curtain having a first end and a second end each having a dimension commensurate with the separation of the portal lateral margins wherein the curtain first end is fixedly attached adjacent the portal along a first end thereof and the curtain second end is folded back on itself to define a pocket opening towards the portal first end, an elongated tension rod captured within the pocket, and a curtain driving mechanism operably connected to the curtain second end for varying the height of the pocket. The elongated tension rod comprises an inner flexible bar surrounded by an outer soft foam material, whereby the elongated rod is flexible to bend in response to impact force and is resilient to return to its original linear orientation after the impact force is removed. The flexible bar is preferably an extruded fiberglass bar and the foam material is preferably a tubular closed cell foam.
A second preferred embodiment comprises a pair of spaced apart opposing lateral margins defining opposing sides of the portal, a first flexible curtain having a first end and a second end each having a dimension commensurate with the separation of the portal lateral margins wherein the curtain first end is fixedly attached adjacent the portal along a first end thereof and the curtain second end is folded back on itself to define a pocket opening towards the portal first end, a first elongated tension rod captured within the first curtain pocket, a second flexible curtain having a first end and a second end each having a dimension commensurate with the separation of the lateral margins wherein the curtain first end is fixedly attached adjacent the portal along a first end thereof and the curtain second end is folded back on itself to define a pocket opening towards the portal first end, a second elongated tension rod captured within the second curtain pocket, and a curtain driving mechanism operably connected to the second ends of the first and second curtains for varying the height of the pockets. Each of the first and second elongated tension rods comprises an inner flexible bar surrounded by an outer soft foam material, whereby the first and second elongated rods are flexible to bend in response to impact force and are resilient to return to their original linear orientation after the impact force is removed. Each flexible bar is preferably an extruded fiberglass bar and each foam material is preferably a tubular closed cell foam.
These and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.
While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways.
The invention disclosed herein is technology related to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,566,736, 5,752,557, 5,785,105, 5,960,847, and 6,138,739, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. A more complete understanding of the invention may be obtained by reference to
Attached to brace 17 is a first end 19 of a curtain 18, which is a flexible material selected in accordance with the purposes of the present invention for its ability to block light, air, or moisture from one side to the other side thereof. Therefore, curtain 18 is properly defined as a flexible barrier material, having a first end 19 secured to brace 17 and opposing longitudinal sides 21 and 22 which are longer than the length of channel members 12 and 13 such that the curtain 18 has an upturned lower end 23. Attached to channels 12 and 13 and to sides 21 and 22 are interacting closure members 26 and 27 (e.g. hook and loop fastener) capable of being selectively attached to and detached from each other.
The upturned end 23 may be directly connected to a transverse take-up spindle 31 mounted for rotation above the tops of channels 12 and 13. Alternatively, end 23 may be connected to the spindle 31 by cables or straps, and the spindle may include a spool for such cables or straps. In any case, the spindle 31 is driven by a reversible motor 33 attached to a selected means of control and spindle 31 supports the upturned end 23. An elongated transverse rod 34 is supported within the pocket 24 of the curtain 18 created by the upturned end 23 and has opposing ends which preferably extend into the opposing channels 12 and 13 such that rod 34 can roll freely vertically in the channels, but cannot significantly pivot in the horizontal plane about its midpoint. Thus, as spindle 31 is rotated to wrap lower end 23 thereon, rod 34 is lifted within channel 12 and 13 such that it rolls up the channels 12 and 13.
As shown in
When the curtain 18 is lowered, the first rod 34 provides a very important function. Because the rod 34 is always in the bottom of the pocket 24, the rod 34 provides uniform weight across the width of the curtain 18 so that the curtain 18 is always taut and unwrinkled. As a result, the closure member 27 on the curtain 18 will properly align with the closure member 26 on the lateral margins 12, 13, thus maximizing the integrity of the seal between the closure members 26, 27.
In an alternative embodiment shown in
As shown in
It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as described herein and as recited in the attached claims.
