Systems and methods to retain and refeed door curtains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9493984-B2
Application number	US-201414458769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Apr 12, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

An example door includes a track and a curtain that includes a leading section. The curtain is to be in a breakaway state associated with a folded condition when the lateral section in an area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the track and folded over onto a main section to define an enfolded space. The curtain is to be in the breakaway state associated with an unfolded condition when the lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the track but not folded over onto the main section. The example door also includes an unfolder to extend into the enfolded space as the leading section moves toward an open position while the curtain is in the folded condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door for selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway through a wall, the door comprising:
a first track;
a second track spaced laterally from the first track to define a span between the first track and the second track;
a curtain including a main section, a first lateral section, a second lateral section, and a leading section; the first lateral section to extend into the first track, the second lateral section to extend into the second track, the main section extending between the first lateral section and the second lateral section, the main section spaced apart from the first track and the second track, the leading section below the main section and extending between the first lateral section and the second lateral section, the leading section movable selectively to a closed position and an open position, the curtain to block the doorway when the leading section is at the closed position, the curtain to unblock the doorway when the leading section is at the open position, the curtain in a normal state when the first lateral section in an area proximate the leading section is in guiding engagement with the first track, the curtain in a breakaway state associated with a folded condition when the first lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the first track and folded over onto the main section to define an enfolded space between a folded over portion of the first lateral section and the main section, the curtain in the breakaway state associated with an unfolded condition when the first lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the first track but not folded over onto the main section; and
an unfolder disposed within the span between the first track and the second track, the unfolder to extend into the enfolded space as the leading section moves toward the open position while the curtain is in the folded condition such that the unfolder extends below an edge of the curtain, the edge being along the folded over portion.

2. The door of claim 1 , wherein the unfolder includes a roller.

3. The door of claim 1 , wherein the unfolder is positioned spaced apart from the curtain to define a clearance between the unfolder and the curtain at least some of the time while the curtain is in the normal state.

4. The door of claim 1 , wherein the unfolder is higher than the doorway.

5. The door of claim 1 , wherein the curtain lies between the wall and the unfolder when the curtain is in the normal state and the leading section is in the closed position.

6. The door of claim 1 , further including a second unfolder, the curtain to lie between the unfolder and the second unfolder with the wall being closer to the second unfolder than to the unfolder.

7. The door of claim 1 , further including a front bar to extend across the span between the first track and the second track, the front bar spaced apart from the curtain and lower than the unfolder.

8. The door of claim 1 , wherein the enfolded space extends into the first track.

9. A door for selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway through a wall, the door comprising:
a first track;
a second track spaced laterally from the first track to define a span between the first track and the second track;
a curtain including a main section, a first lateral section, a second lateral section, and a leading section; the first lateral section to extend into the first track, the second lateral section to extend into the second track, the main section extending between the first lateral section and the second lateral section, the main section spaced apart from the first track and the second track, and the leading section below the main section and extending between the first lateral section and the second lateral section, the leading section movable selectively to a closed position and an open position, the curtain to block the doorway when the leading section is at the closed position, the curtain to unblock the doorway when the leading section is at the open position, the curtain in a normal state when the first lateral section in an area proximate the leading section is in guiding engagement with the first track, the curtain in a breakaway state associated with a folded condition when the first lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the first track and folded over onto the main section to define an enfolded space between the first lateral section and the main section, the curtain in the breakaway state associated with an unfolded condition when the first lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the first track but not folded over onto the main section;
an unfolder disposed within the span between the first track and the second track, the unfolder to extend into the enfolded space as the leading section moves toward the open position while the curtain is in the folded condition;
a retainer borne by the first track;
an alignment guide associated with the first track, the alignment guide spaced apart from the retainer;
a primary projection borne by the curtain, the primary projection in guiding engagement with the retainer within the first track when the leading section is traveling between the open position and the closed position while the curtain is in the normal state, the primary projection dislodged from the first track when the curtain is in the breakaway state; and
a secondary projection borne by the curtain and spaced apart from the primary projection, the secondary projection arranged to travel proximate the alignment guide when the leading section is traveling between the open position and the closed position while the curtain is in the normal state.

10. The door of claim 9 , wherein the alignment guide is both vertically and horizontally offset relative to the retainer, and the alignment guide is higher than the retainer.

11. The door of claim 9 , wherein the primary projection is one of a plurality of spaced apart projections distributed along a line.

12. The door of claim 9 , wherein the retainer is vertically elongate, and the secondary projection is vertically elongate when the leading section is at the closed position.

13. The door of claim 9 , wherein the alignment guide includes a roller.

14. A door for selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway through a wall, the door comprising:
a first track;
a second track spaced laterally from the first track to define a span between the first track and the second track;
a curtain including a leading section at a bottom of the curtain, the curtain in a normal state when a first lateral section of the curtain in an area proximate the leading section is in guiding engagement with the first track, the curtain in a breakaway state associated with a folded condition when the first lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the first track and folded over onto a main section of the curtain to define an enfolded space between a folded over portion of the first lateral section and the main section, the curtain in the breakaway state associated with an unfolded condition when the first lateral section in the area proximate the leading section is dislodged from the first track but not folded over onto the main section; and
an unfolder in a form of a roller disposed within the span between the first track and the second track, the unfolder higher than the doorway, the curtain lying between the wall and the unfolder when the curtain is in a closed position in the normal state, the unfolder to extend into the enfolded space as the curtain moves toward an open positi

Assignees

• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Casey Nicholas J
• Knutson Perry W
• Beggs Ryan P
• Haessler Timothy A
• Hoerner William W

Classifications

• E06B9/13

  with closing members of one piece, e.g. of corrugated sheet metal · CPC title

• E06B2009/6836

  sensing obstacle · CPC title

• E06B2009/585

  Emergency release to prevent damage of shutter or guiding device · CPC title

• E06B2009/6827

  sensing light · CPC title

• E06B2009/6818

  using sensors · CPC title