Patent Grant
10487570
The present disclosure generally relates to hollow doors, and more particularly but not exclusively relates to hollow metal doors.
Hollow metal doors are among the most widely-used types of doors, and find use in virtually all environments in which doors are utilized. In addition to providing a physical access barrier between two areas, it is often desirable for such doors to act as a barrier to the passage of sound, the transmission of heat, and/or the travel of ballistics. Currently-available hollow metal doors have various constructions for providing desired acoustic, thermal, and ballistic performance characteristics. In certain doors, these constructions are provided in the hollow interiors of the door. For example, the hollow interiors of such doors may have mounted therein pads that absorb vibrations to reduce the transmission of sound or metal reinforcements that brace the panels against the impact of ballistics (e.g., windborne debris in severe weather conditions), or the hollow interiors may be filled with an insulating material that reduces the transmission of heat. In other doors, the constructs intended to provide the door with the desired characteristics are mounted to the exposed exterior of the door. However, each of these approaches has certain drawbacks or limitations, such that there remains a need for further improvements in this technological field.
An exemplary door has a hollow interior, and includes a first panel and a second panel that are secured to one another such that a gap is formed therebetween. Each panel has an interior side that faces the hollow interior and an exterior side that is exposed to view. The door further includes a protective coating system that is disposed on the interior side of at least one of the panels. The coating is formed of a two-part elastomeric composition, such as a two-part elastomeric polyurethane composition or a two-part elastomeric polyurea composition. The coating improves the thermal, acoustic, and/or ballistic performance characteristics of the door. Further embodiments, forms, features, and aspects of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
Although the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described herein in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the present disclosure and the appended claims.
References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an illustrative embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. It should further be appreciated that although reference to a “preferred” component or feature may indicate the desirability of a particular component or feature with respect to an embodiment, the disclosure is not so limiting with respect to other embodiments, which may omit such a component or feature. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
Additionally, it should be appreciated that items included in a list in the form of “at least one of A, B, and C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (B and C); (A and C); or (A, B, and C). Similarly, items listed in the form of “at least one of A, B, or C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (B and C); (A and C); or (A, B, and C), as can items listed in the form of “A, B, and/or C”. Further, with respect to the claims, the use of words and phrases such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” and/or “at least one portion” should not be interpreted so as to be limiting to only one such element unless specifically stated to the contrary, and the use of phrases such as “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” should be interpreted as encompassing both embodiments including only a portion of such element and embodiments including the entirety of such element unless specifically stated to the contrary.
In the drawings, some structural or method features may be shown in specific arrangements and/or orderings. However, it should be appreciated that such specific arrangements and/or orderings may not be required. Rather, in some embodiments, such features may be arranged in a different manner and/or order than shown in the illustrative figures unless indicated to the contrary. Additionally, the inclusion of a structural or method feature in a particular figure is not meant to imply that such feature is required in all embodiments and, in some embodiments, may not be included or may be combined with other features.
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With additional reference to
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The process 200 also includes an operation 220, which involves providing an unmixed two-part polymeric composition having a first part and a second part. The operation 220 may, for example, involve procuring a commercially-available form of the two-part composition from a supplier of the same, such as the suppliers mentioned above. After procuring the unmixed solution, the process 200 may continue to an operation 230, which involves mixing the first part of the two-part composition with the second part of the two-part composition, thereby producing a mixed composition.
The process 200 may then proceed to an operation 240, which involves applying the mixed composition to the interior side surface of at least one of the panels 110, 120 (i.e., the first interior surface 112 and/or the second interior surface 122). In the illustrated form, the operation 240 involves applying the mixed composition to each of the interior surfaces 112, 122. In certain forms, the operation 240 may involve applying the mixed composition to each of the interior surfaces 112, 122 without applying the mixed composition to the exterior surfaces 114, 124. When applied to the panels 110, 120, each applied layer has an apply thickness.
The process 200 also includes an operation 250, which generally involves curing the applied composition, thereby forming the hardened coatings 141, 142. Depending upon the nature of the composition, the operation 250 may, for example, involve exposing the applied composition to heat and/or light, or may simply involve allowing the applied composition to air-dry. In embodiments in which the operation 240 involves applying the mixed composition to each of the interior surfaces 112, 122, the operation 250 results in the protective coating system 140 having a first coating 141 disposed on the interior surface 112 of the first panel 110 and a second coating 142 disposed on the interior surface 122 of the second panel 120. When cured, each coating 141, 142 has a cured thickness. The composition may be configured to cure substantially without expanding such that the cured thickness of each coating 141, 142 is substantially the same as the apply thickness of the corresponding layer.
The process 200 further includes an operation 260, which generally involves assembling the door 100. More particularly, the operation 260 involves securing the first panel 110 to the second panel 120 such that the interior surfaces 112, 122 face one another and the exterior surfaces 114, 124 face outward. The operation 260 may further include securing each of the runners 102, 104 to each of the panels 110, 120 in the appropriate locations, thereby further enclosing the hollow interior 130. In certain forms, the assembling operation 260 may take place subsequent to the applying operation 240 and either prior to or during the curing operation 250. In other embodiments, the assembling operation 260 may take place after the completion of the curing operation 260.
With the operation 260 complete, the interior surfaces 112, 122 are concealed within the door 100, and the exterior surfaces 114, 124 are exposed to view. In embodiments in which the mixed composition is applied only to the interior surfaces 112, 122, the protective coating system 140 is entirely concealed within the door 100 such that no part of the protective coating system 140 is exposed to view. As a result, the application of the protective coating system 140 need not interfere with the overall aesthetic of the door 100.
As noted above, the protective coating system 140 aids in improving the thermal, acoustic, and ballistic performance properties of the door 100. For example, the protective coating system 140 acts as a thermal barrier that impedes the transmission of heat between the panels 110, 120, thereby reducing heat transmission through the door 100. Additionally, the protective coating system 140 absorbs or dampens vibration of the panels 110, 120, thereby reducing transmission of sound through the door 100 and improving the sound transmission control (STC) rating of the door. Furthermore, the protective coating system 140 is rigid enough to provide further structural support to the panels 110, 120, which improves the performance of the door 100 under severe weather conditions (e.g., tornado or hurricane conditions), in which the door 100 may be impacted by windborne debris.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least one portion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.
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