This patent generally relates to insulated doors and more specifically to doors that comprise a flexible panel such as an insulated curtain.
Cold storage rooms are refrigerated areas in a building that are commonly used for storing perishable foods. Cold storage rooms are typically large enough for forklifts and other material handling equipment to enter. Access to the room is often through a power actuated insulated door that separates the room from the rest of the building. To minimize thermal losses when someone enters or leaves the room, the door preferably opens and closes as quickly as possible.
Vertically operating roll-up doors and similar doors with flexible curtains are perhaps some of the fastest operating doors available. When such a door opens, its curtain usually bends upon traveling from its closed position in front of the doorway to its open position on an overhead storage track or take-up roller.
Such bending is not a problem if the curtain is relatively thin. However, an insulated curtain may not bend as well due to the required thickness of the insulation. When a take-up roller or curved track bends a thick curtain, relative translation may occur between opposite faces of the curtain. Designing a thick, insulated curtain that can accommodate such translation can be challenging.
Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. In describing these examples, like or identical reference numbers are used to identify the same or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic for clarity and/or conciseness. Additionally, several examples have been described throughout this specification. Any features from any example may be included with, a replacement for, or otherwise combined with other features from other examples.
Although door 10 is useful in unlimited applications, door 10 is particularly suited for providing access to refrigerated cold storage rooms or for separating rooms or areas that are at different temperatures, such as, for example, the interior and exterior of a building at a truck loading dock. In such temperature differential installations, one side of door panel 12 is often colder than the other side, which can subject door panel 12 to an adverse water vapor pressure gradient. While
To operate door 10, in some examples, a powered drive sprocket 18 (
In some examples, door panel 12 includes a plurality of pliable baffles 26 (
In some examples, baffles 26 are sufficiently flexible to accommodate some relative translation between sheets 28 and 30 as door panel 12 bends over mandrel 16. The flexibility of baffles 26 may also enable door panel 12 to restorably break away if something were to accidentally collide with the door 10. Additionally or alternatively, some examples of baffles 26 are sufficiently flexible to conformingly mate with the lateral edges or vertical seams 33 of sheets 28 and 30 so that there is minimal leakage or air exchange between chambers 34. Further, in some examples, baffles 26 are sufficiently stiff to maintain a desired spacing between sheets 28 and 30, particularly in examples where insulation is not used for maintaining such spacing. Further yet, in some examples, baffles 26 have a thermal resistance (i.e., R-value) that is equal to or greater than that of sheets 28 and 30.
Although the actual construction of door panel 12 may vary, the illustrated examples have sheets 28 and 30 being made of any suitable polymeric or natural fabric material that is preferably pliable and can be joined along their outer perimeter by adhesion, tape, melting/fusing/welding, sewing, hook-and-loop fastener, snaps, rivets, zipper, etc. The term, “polymeric,” as used in this patent to describe a material means that the material includes at least some plastic or polymer base, substrate or coating. The term, “pliable” as used in this patent to describe a sheet of material means the sheet is sufficiently flexible to be folded over onto itself and subsequently unfolded without appreciable permanent damage. For toughness, wear resistance, heat seal weldability and flexibility, some examples of sheets 28 and 30 comprises polyurethane sheet material between about 1 and 2 mm thick (thickness 52). In some examples, substantially the entire outer perimeter, including seams 33 and the upper and lower edges of door panel 12, is sealed to prevent appreciable amounts of air from flowing in and out of chamber 32. Inhibiting moist air from repeatedly entering chamber 32 can prevent mold-promoting water vapor from condensing inside chamber 32 on a panel sheet that is facing, for example, a cold storage room.
Baffles 26 can be made of a material similar to or different than that of sheets 28 and 30. The flexibility of sheets 28 and 30 enables door panel 12 to bend over mandrel 16, while the flexibility of baffles 26 enables limited relative translation between sheets 28 and 30 as door 10 opens and closes. As door 10 opens or closes and door panel 12 travels and bends across mandrel 16, this action urges relative vertical translation between sheets 28 and 30. In some examples, thermally insulating pads 38 (e.g., resiliently compressible foam pads, polyester batting, etc.) are installed within chambers 34. The term, “thermally insulating,” as used in this patent to describe pads 38 within door panel 12 means that the pads provide the greatest contribution of the door panel's overall thermal resistance or R-value.
For the illustrated examples, baffles 26 are horizontally elongate, which enable the baffles 26 to not only restrict vertical airflow within door panel 12 but also to accommodate relative vertical translation between sheets 28 and 30. In other examples, door panel 12 is provided with vertically elongate baffles or a combination of vertical and horizontal baffles.
To effectively restrict airflow within door panel 12, horizontally elongate baffles 26 preferably extend along at least most of the full width 40 of door panel 12. To facilitate manufacturing, however, baffles 26 can be made slightly shorter than the panel's full width 40 to make it easier to join the lateral vertical edges of sheets 28 and 30 together. Baffles 26 being a little shorter than full width 40 of door panel 12 places the plurality of air chambers 34 in fluid communication with each other. Thus, as door 10 opens and door panel 12 travels across mandrel 16, some air within door panel 12 will be temporarily redistributed to at least one of the lower chambers (e.g., air chamber 34′) of the plurality of chambers 34, thereby slightly increasing the air pressure within chamber 34′ temporarily, but not really detrimentally.
Although the general assembly of door panel 12 can be accomplished by various means,
An outer perimeter of sheet 28 is fused, sewn or otherwise connected to sheet 30 as schematically depicted by the block at reference number 46 of
Sheets 28 and 30, when made of polyurethane, have significant resistance to water vapor transmission therethrough. Nonetheless, some water vapor might still permeate the warmer of sheets 28 and 30 and migrate through pads 38 toward the colder sheet 28 or 30. If sheet 30, for example, is warmer than sheet 28, water vapor might permeate door panel 12 through sheet 30 and condense and perhaps freeze on the inner surface of sheet 28. An accumulation of trapped liquid water or ice within chamber 34 may inhibit normal operating characteristics of the door panel 12.
To address this potential problem, thermally insulating pads 38, as shown in the example of
In addition or alternatively, in some examples, baffles 26 lean downward toward the warmer sheet, e.g., toward sheet 30. In the illustrated example, the baffles 26 are at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the panel 12 such that ends of the baffles 22 are longitudinally displaced along the longitudinal axis of the panel 12. This allows baffles 26 to drain any accumulated liquid water within chamber 34 down through optional condensate drain holes 58 in sheet 30. Baffle 26 being inclined also allows adjacent pads 38 to overlap at the pads' upper and lower edges, thereby ensuring vertically overlapping insulation at baffles 26. A baffle 26′ is an alternate example configuration of baffle 26.
In addition or alternatively, as shown in
To help hold multiple sheets 60 in place, in some examples, a continuous or segmented sheet 64 (fourth sheet) is thermally or otherwise joined to sheet 30 and/or baffles 26 to create a plurality of pockets 66 in which sheets 60 are inserted. To facilitate effective thermal bonding of sheet 64 with sheet 30 and/or baffle 26, in some examples, baffles 26 and sheets 28, 30, and 64 each comprise polyurethane.
An example flexible door panel movable between an open position and a closed position relative to a doorway includes a first pliable sheet made of a first polymeric material. The first sheet has a first water vapor transmission rate. The example flexible door panel also includes a second pliable sheet made of a second polymeric material. The second sheet is generally parallel to the first sheet when the door is in the closed position. The second sheet has a second water vapor transmission rate. The example flexible door panel also includes a thermally insulating pad between the first sheet and the second sheet. The thermally insulating pad is resiliently compressible. The example flexible door panel also includes a third sheet between the first sheet and the thermally insulating pad. The third sheet has a third water vapor transmission rate. The third water vapor transmission rate is lower than the first water vapor transmission rate, and the third water vapor transmission rate is lower than the second water vapor transmission rate.
In some examples, the first sheet has a first R-value, the second sheet has a second R-value, and the third sheet has a third R-value. The first R-value is greater than the third R-value, and the second R-value is greater than the third R-value. In some examples, the first sheet has a first thickness, the second sheet has a second thickness, the third sheet has a third thickness. The first thickness is greater than the third thickness, and the second thickness is greater than the third thickness. In some examples, at least one of the first sheet or the second sheet includes polyurethane. In some examples, at least one of the first sheet or the second sheet defines a condensate drain hole.
In some examples, the example flexible door panel also includes a plurality of baffles connecting the first sheet to the second sheet to define a plurality of chambers between the first sheet and the second sheet. The plurality of baffles is connected to the first sheet and the second sheet at a plurality of fused joints. In some examples, the example flexible door panel also includes a plurality of thermally insulating pads disposed within the plurality of chambers. The plurality of thermally insulating pads includes the thermally insulating pad. In some examples, the third sheet encircles the thermally insulating pad. In some examples, the example flexible door panel also includes a fourth pliable sheet made of a fourth polymeric material. The fourth sheet has a fourth water vapor transmission rate that is greater than the third water vapor transmission rate of the third sheet. The fourth sheet is joined to at least one of the first sheet or the plurality of baffles to define a pocket between the fourth sheet and the first sheet. The third sheet is disposed within the pocket. The fourth sheet is interposed between the third sheet and the thermally insulating pad. In some examples, the first sheet is to be colder than the second sheet when the door is installed in the doorway of a cold storage room.
In some examples, a flexible door panel movable between an open position and a closed position relative to a doorway includes a first pliable sheet made of a first polymeric material and a second pliable sheet made of a second polymeric material. The second sheet is generally parallel to the first sheet when the door is in the closed position. The flexible door panel also includes a plurality of baffles connecting the first sheet to the second sheet to define a plurality of chambers between the first sheet and the second sheet. The plurality of baffles is connected to the first sheet and the second sheet. The flexible door panel also includes a plurality of thermally insulating pads disposed within the plurality of chambers. A thermally insulating pad of the plurality of thermally insulating pads is between the first sheet and the second sheet. The thermally insulating pad is resiliently compressible. The flexible door panel also includes a third sheet encircling the thermally insulating pad.
In some examples, the first sheet has a first R-value, the second sheet has a second R-value, the third sheet has a third R-value. The first R-value is greater than the third R-value, and the second R-value is greater than the third R-value. In some examples, the first sheet has a first thickness, the second sheet has a second thickness, the third sheet has a third thickness. The first thickness is greater than the third thickness, and the second thickness is greater than the third thickness. In some examples, at least one of the first sheet or the second sheet includes polyurethane. In some examples, at least one of the first sheet or the second sheet defines a condensate drain hole. In some examples, the third sheet has a third water vapor transmission rate. The third water vapor transmission rate is lower than the first water vapor transmission rate, and the third water vapor transmission rate is lower than the second water vapor transmission rate.
An example flexible door panel movable between an open position and a closed position relative to a doorway includes a first pliable sheet made of a first polymeric material. The first sheet has a first water vapor transmission rate. The flexible door panel also includes a second pliable sheet made of a second polymeric material. The second sheet is generally parallel to the first sheet when the door is in the closed position. The second sheet has a second water vapor transmission rate. The flexible door panel also includes a plurality of baffles connecting the first sheet to the second sheet to define a plurality of chambers between the first sheet and the second sheet. The plurality of baffles is connected to the first sheet and the second sheet. The flexible door panel also includes a plurality of thermally insulating pads disposed within the plurality of chambers. A thermally insulating pad of the plurality of thermally insulating pads is between the first sheet and the second sheet. The thermally insulating pad is resiliently compressible. The flexible door panel also includes a third sheet between the first sheet and the thermally insulating pad. The third sheet has a third water vapor transmission rate. The flexible door panel also includes a fourth pliable sheet made of a fourth polymeric material. The fourth sheet is joined to at least one of the first sheet or at least one of the plurality of baffles to define a pocket between the fourth sheet and the first sheet. The third sheet is disposed within the pocket. The fourth sheet is interposed between the third sheet and the thermally insulating pad. The third water vapor transmission rate is lower than the first water vapor transmission rate, and the third water vapor transmission rate is lower than the second water vapor transmission rate.
In some examples, the first sheet has a first R-value, the second sheet has a second R-value, the third sheet has a third R-value, the first R-value is greater than the third R-value, and the second R-value is greater than the third R-value. In some examples, the first sheet has a first thickness, the second sheet has a second thickness, the third sheet has a third thickness. The first thickness is greater than the third thickness, and the second thickness is greater than the third thickness. In some examples, at least one of the first sheet or the second sheet includes polyurethane. In some examples, at least one of the first sheet or the second sheet defines a condensate drain hole. In some examples, the first sheet is to be colder than the second sheet when the door is installed in the doorway of a cold storage room.
An example door includes a first sheet coupled to a second sheet to define a chamber therebetween. The door also includes a thermally insulating pad within the chamber and a third sheet adjacent the thermally insulating pad to substantially prevent water vapor from permeating the thermally insulating pad. The third sheet is positioned between the thermally insulating pad and at least one of first sheet or the second sheet. In some examples, the third sheet substantially surrounds the thermally insulating pad. The door may also include a baffle and a drain hole. The baffle is coupled to the first and second sheets at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the door when the door is in a closed position. The drain hole is defined by one of the first sheet or the second sheet adjacent the baffle to enable liquid to flow within the chamber along at least one of the baffle, the first sheet, or the second sheet through the drain hole.
Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of the coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.