Cargo transportation housing comprising a flexible fast door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239389-B2
Application number	US-201615543438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

The present invention concerns a housing (1) for the transportation of a cargo, such as truck trailers, housings mounted on the chassis of a truck, or shipping containers. The housing of the present invention comprises: (a) walls (1R) defining a closed inner space (1i), (b) an opening (2) provided in one of the walls, and further comprises a rigid door comprising one or more rigid panels (3) which are movable to seal or unseal said opening (2); (c) a flexible fast door comprising a motorized driving mechanism (10) suitable for moving a leading edge (4L) of a flexible shutter (4), wherein the flexible shutter (4) comprises two lateral edges engaged in parallel guiding rails (7) fixed to two parallel and opposite edges of the opening (2), wherein the rigid panel (3) and/or the parallel edge of the opening (2) is provided with a groove to accommodate the guiding rails (7).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A housing for the transportation of a cargo comprising:
(a) walls defining a closed inner space suitable for storing a cargo,
(b) an opening provided in one of the walls and giving access to the closed inner space from an outer atmosphere, and further comprises a rigid door comprising one or more rigid panels which are movable to seal or unseal said opening;
(c) a flexible fast door comprising a motorized driving mechanism suitable for moving a leading edge of a flexible shutter in a first direction to close the flexible shutter and thus seal said opening, and in a second, opposite direction to open the flexible shutter and thus unseal said opening, when said opening is unsealed by the rigid door,
wherein the flexible shutter comprises two lateral edges engaged in parallel guiding rails fixed to two parallel and opposite edges of the opening,
wherein the rigid panel and/or the parallel edge of the opening is provided with a groove to accommodate the guiding rails, and
wherein when the flexible shutter seals the opening, the flexible shutter occupies space that is occupied by the rigid panel when the rigid panel seals the opening.

2. The housing according to claim 1 , selected among one of the following:
a truck trailer;
a cargo housing mounted on the chassis of a truck;
a cargo compartment in a van;
an intermodal freight container; or
a freight train wagon.

3. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible shutter is selected from a flexible curtain or an articulated shutter formed by a series of parallel laths hinged to one another parallel to the leading edge and wherein when the flexible shutter is at least partially open, the portion of flexible shutter not sealing the opening is stored either
(a) rolled-up around a storing drum or
(b) partially wrapped about a rotating axle and stretched in a storing direction, transverse to the direction along which the leading edge is moved to open and close the flexible shutter.

4. The housing according to claim 3 , wherein the motorized driving mechanism drives the moving of the leading edge in one of the following ways:
(a) the motorized driving mechanism drives the rotation of the storing drum or of the rotating axle to move the leading edge in a first direction to close the flexible shutter and in a second direction to open the flexible shutter, or
(b) the motorized driving mechanism pulls or pushes linearly the flexible shutter.

5. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature and/or humidity in the inner space are controlled.

6. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding rail does not protrude further towards the inner of the closed inner space than the rigid panel does when the rigid panel seals the opening.

7. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid panel is provided with the groove such that the guiding rail is nested when the rigid panel seals the opening.

8. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the parallel edge of the opening is provided with the groove such that the guiding rail is accommodated flush with a plane defined by said edge.

9. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible shutter is prevented from being closed to seal the opening while the rigid panel of the rigid door seals the opening.

10. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the parallel guiding rails define two sides of the opening, and wherein the leading edge links the two lateral edges, and moves along the direction defined by the guiding rails upon closing and opening the flexible shutter.

11. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is limited either by edges defined by the portion of wall surrounding the opening, or by edges of a door frame.

12. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein said edges have a thickness, and wherein the guiding rails do not protrude beyond the thickness of the edges.

13. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the motorized driving mechanism can be actuated to open and close the flexible door by means of one or more of:
a switch mounted in the vicinity of the flexible door, and/or
a remote control, and/or
an opening sensor programmed to open the flexible shutter automatically upon detection of an appropriate opening signal, and/or
a closing sensor programmed to close the flexible shutter automatically upon detection of an appropriate closing signal.

14. The housing according to claim 13 , wherein the motorized driving mechanism can be actuated to open and close the flexible door by means of an opening sensor programmed to open the flexible shutter automatically upon detection of an appropriate opening signal, wherein the opening sensor is programmed to open the flexible shutter automatically upon detection of one or more of the following opening signals individually or in combination:
(a) detection of a movement within a given area around the flexible fast door;
(b) detection of a person or object within a given area around the flexible fast door;
(c) detection of digital credentials within a given area around the flexible fast door;
(d) optical detection of a graphical element worn by an accredited operator;
(e) detection of a wave signal or of the presence of a transponder;
(f) detection of a voice signal; and
(g) closing of the rigid door.

15. The housing according to claim 13 , wherein the motorized driving mechanism can be actuated to open and close the flexible door by means of a closing sensor programmed to close the flexible shutter automatically upon detection of an appropriate closing signal, wherein the closing sensor is programmed to close the flexible shutter automatically upon detection of one or more of the following closing signals individually or in combination:
(a) detection of the passage of a person through the opening;
(b) loss of a signal indicating the presence of a person or object within a given area around the flexible fast door;
(c) loss of a wave signal;
(d) detection of a voice signal; and
(e) expiration of a pre-set opening time.

16. The housing according to claim 1 , further comprising a safety feature preventing an automatic closure of the flexible shutter in case the presence of an object or person is detected within a given area around the flexible door.

17. A housing for the transportation of a cargo comprising:
(a) walls defining a closed inner space suitable for storing a cargo,
(b) an opening provided in one of the walls and giving access to the closed inner space from an outer atmosphere, and further comprises a rigid door comprising one or more rigid panels which are movable to seal or unseal said opening; and
(c) a flexible fast door comprising a motorized driving mechanism suitable for moving a leading edge of a flexible shutter in a first direction to close the flexible shutter and thus seal said opening, and in a second, opposite direction to open the flexible shutter and thus unseal said opening, when said opening is unsealed by the rigid door,
wherein the flexible shutter comprises two lateral edges engaged in parallel guiding rails fixed to two parallel and opposite edges of the opening,
wherein the rigid panel and/or the parallel edge of the opening is provided with a groove to accommodate the guiding rails, and
wherein the guiding rail does not protrude further towards the inner of the closed inner space than the rigid panel does when the rigid panel seals the opening.

18. A housing for the transportation of a cargo comprising:
(a) walls defining a closed inner space suitable for storing a

Assignees

• Assa Abloy Entrance Systems Ab

Inventors

• Miller Robert J

Classifications

• B60J5/067

  vertically movable · CPC title

• B60J5/08 Primary

  of roller-blind type {made of rigid elements} · CPC title

• B60J5/108

  for load transporting vehicles or public transport, e.g. lorries, trucks, buses · CPC title

• B60J5/14

  of roller-blind type {made of rigid elements} · CPC title

• B60J5/065

  with non-rigid elements, e.g. side curtains (B60J7/062, B60J7/068 take precedence) · CPC title