Seal apparatus for dock levelers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11649121-B2
Application number	US-201916405998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2018
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

Seal apparatus for dock levelers are disclosed. An example loading dock includes a dock leveler movable between a standard loading position, a cross-traffic position and a below-deck loading position. The dock leveler has deck and lip movably coupled to the deck. A seal assembly is coupled to the loading dock adjacent a forward edge of the dock leveler. The seal assembly sealingly engages a front surface of a lip of the dock leveler and a rear surface of the lip when the dock leveler is positioned in a cross-traffic position or a below-dock position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seal apparatus for use at a loading dock, the loading dock including a deck movable between a raised position, a cross-traffic position, and a lowered position, and a lip pivotally coupled to the deck and movable between an extended position and a retracted position, the lip defining a lip face and a backside opposite the lip face, the seal apparatus comprising:
a front seal;
a cable having a fixed length, the cable to suspend the front seal at the loading dock, the front seal to move, via the cable, relative to a dock face in at least one of a first direction away from the dock face or a second direction towards the dock face, the front seal structured to be positionable between the lip face of the lip and a rear edge of a vehicle to sealingly engage the lip face when the lip is in the retracted position and the deck is in at least one of the cross-traffic position or the lowered position, the front seal structured to enable operation of at least one of the deck or the lip when the front seal is suspended at the loading dock; and
a mounting system to moveably couple the front seal to the dock face, the mounting system to move the front seal relative to the dock face, the mounting system to enable the cable to maintain a fixed length when the front seal moves relative to the dock face.

2. The seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front seal includes an axle to enable the front seal to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the front seal.

3. The seal apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the front seal includes a plurality of flexible flaps extending radially outward relative to the longitudinal axis.

4. The seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front seal includes a resiliently compressible foam member encased within a flexible covering.

5. The seal apparatus of claim 1 , further including a rear seal coupled adjacent the front seal, the front seal and the rear seal to receive the lip of the deck therebetween such that the rear seal engages the backside of the lip and the front seal engages the lip face of the lip when the lip is in the retracted position.

6. The seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting system includes at least one of a weight or a bracket to urge the front seal in a rearward direction toward the dock face of the loading dock and enable movement of the front seal in at least one of a forward direction away from the dock face of the loading dock or a lateral direction along the dock face of the loading dock when the seal apparatus is installed at the loading dock.

7. The seal apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the mounting system enables movement of the front seal relative to the dock face in the rearward direction and the forward direction independent from a tension in the cable.

8. A seal apparatus for use at a loading dock, the seal apparatus comprising:
a front seal structured to extend between lateral edges of a dock leveler of a loading dock, the front seal including:
a first cover defining a plurality of flaps and a first cavity;
an axle positioned in the first cavity to enable the front seal to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the front seal;
a cable to couple the front seal to the loading dock; and
a biasing element to couple to the cable, the biasing element to provide tension to the cable to position the front seal relative to the lateral edges of the dock leveler, the biasing element to bias the front seal in a rearward direction toward a dock face of the loading dock and enable the front seal to move in a forward direction away from the dock face of the loading dock when the seal apparatus is installed at the loading dock, the biasing element to enable the cable to maintain a fixed length when the front seal moves in the rearward and forward directions relative to the dock face.

9. The seal apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the biasing element is positioned within a second cavity of the axle.

10. The seal apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the front seal includes a compressible core, the compressible core having an aperture to at least one of define the first cavity or receive the axle.

11. The seal apparatus of claim 8 , further including a retainer coupled to an end of the axle, the retainer having an aperture to receive the cable, the retainer to retain at least a portion of the cable within the axle of the front seal.

12. The seal apparatus of claim 8 , further including an anchor mounted to the loading dock, the anchor having one or more apertures to receive an end of the cable to couple the front seal to the loading dock.

13. The seal apparatus of claim 8 , further including a rear seal positioned adjacent the front seal, the rear seal including a compressible core and a rear seal mounting bracket to couple the compressible core to the loading dock, the front seal to move relative to the rear seal to allow a lip of the dock leveler to be positioned between the front seal and the rear seal when the dock leveler is in at least one of a cross-traffic position or a below-deck loading position.

14. The seal apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the rear seal mounting bracket includes a magnetic fastener to couple the rear seal to a mounting surface of the loading dock.

15. The seal apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compressible core includes a compressible foam body and a second cover to encase the compressible foam body.

16. The seal apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compressible core includes a bulb seal and a second cover, the second cover having a first portion to project from the bulb seal in a direction away from a dock face of the loading dock.

17. The seal apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the bulb seal includes a reinforcement seal positioned in a cavity of the bulb seal.

18. A seal apparatus for use at a loading dock comprising:
a front seal; and
a mounting system to movably couple the front seal to a dock face of a loading dock, the mounting system to urge the front seal in a rearward direction toward the dock face of the loading dock and enable movement of the front seal in a forward direction away from the dock face of the loading dock when the seal apparatus is installed at the loading dock, the mounting system including:
a first anchor structured to couple to a first side of the loading dock;
a second anchor structured to couple to a second side of the loading dock;
a first cable having a fixed length, the first cable having a first end to couple to the front seal and a second end opposite the first end to couple to the first anchor; and
a second cable having a fixed length, the second cable having a third end to couple to the front seal and a fourth end opposite the third end to couple to the second anchor, the first cable and the second cable to suspend the front seal between a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge of a dock leveler via the first anchor and the second anchor when the seal apparatus is installed at a loading dock, the mounting system to enable each of the first cable and the second cable to maintain the fixed length when the front seal moves in the at least one of the rearward direction or the forward direction.

19. The seal apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the mounting system includes a biasing element positioned within a cavity of the front seal, the first end of the first cable being coupled to a first end of the biasing element and the third end of the second cable being coupled to a second end of the biasing element opposite the first end of the biasing element.

20. The seal apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first anc

Assignees

• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Thole Collin
• Schmidt Timothy J
• Borgerding Gary
• Heim Frank
• Blaser Mary

Classifications

• B65G69/287 Primary

  Constructional features of deck or surround · CPC title

• B65G69/008 Primary

  Dock- or bumper-seals · CPC title

• B65G69/2811

  pivoting ramps · CPC title

• B65G69/2876 Primary

  Safety or protection means, e.g. skirts · CPC title