Face panels for loading dock seals and shelters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751703-B2
Application number	US-201615008708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Seal assemblies for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock are disclosed herein. An example seal assembly includes a foam pad, a pliable cover to couple to the foam pad, and a shield to attach to the foam pad. The shield has a first end and a second end. The first end is to couple to at least one of the foam pad or the pliable cover and the second end is to project adjacent a vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad. The shield is to move relative to the foam pad between a standby position when a vehicle is in a non-engaging relationship with the vehicle-engaging surface and a deflected position when the vehicle is in engagement with the vehicle-engaging surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal assembly for sealing against a vehicle at a loading dock, the loading dock including a wall with a doorway, the seal assembly comprising:
a foam pad;
a pliable cover to couple to the foam pad; and
a shield to attach to the foam pad, the shield having a first end and a second end, the first end to couple to at least one of the foam pad or the pliable cover and the second end to project adjacent a vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad, the shield to move relative to the foam pad between a standby position when a vehicle is in a non-engaging relationship with the vehicle-engaging surface and a deflected position when the vehicle is in engagement with the vehicle-engaging surface, the pliable cover is to deform in response to engagement of the vehicle with the pliable cover, deformation of the pliable cover is to cause the shield and the pliable cover to move toward an inner surface of the vehicle such that the shield and the pliable cover seal an air gap defined by a door hinge of the vehicle, the shield and the pliable cover to extend inside the vehicle along an inner side wall inside the vehicle when the shield and the pliable cover seal the air gap.

2. The seal assembly of claim 1 , further including a backer positioned between the foam pad and the wall adjacent the doorway, the backer to attach the foam pad to the wall.

3. The seal assembly of claim 1 , further including a front sheet extending between a first corner of the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad and a second corner of the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad, the first corner being opposite the second corner.

4. The seal assembly of claim 3 , wherein the front sheet is to provide an elongate chamber with a variable volume of air between the front sheet and the pliable cover.

5. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad has a geometric shaped profile.

6. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pliable cover and the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad define a cavity therebetween when the pliable cover is coupled to the foam pad.

7. The seal assembly of claim 1 , further including a web positioned between an inner surface of the shield and an outer surface of at least one of the foam pad or the pliable cover.

8. The seal assembly of claim 1 , further including a stiffener operatively coupled to the shield to urge the shield to the standby position.

9. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the shield includes a L-shaped profile.

10. The seal assembly of claim 1 , further including a front sheet coupled to the at least one of the foam pad or the pliable cover, the front sheet to provide an elongate chamber with a variable volume of air between the front sheet and the pliable cover.

11. A seal assembly for sealing against a vehicle at a loading dock, the seal assembly comprising:
a projection panel to protrude from a wall of the loading dock, the projection panel defining a vehicle-engaging surface to be engaged by a vehicle;
a pliable cover attached to the projection panel to cover at least a portion of the vehicle-engaging surface; and
a shield having a first end and a second end, the shield to couple to a side surface of the projection panel such that the first end of the shield is to be oriented toward the wall of the loading dock and the second end is to be oriented in a direction opposite the first end, the second end to project a distance from the vehicle-engaging surface of the projection panel, the second end of the shield to move between a non-deflected position when a vehicle is not in engagement with the vehicle-engaging surface and a deflected position when the vehicle is in engagement with the vehicle-engaging surface, the second end of the shield and the pliable cover are to extend along an inner surface of the vehicle and are to cover an air gap defined by a door hinge of the vehicle.

12. The seal assembly of claim 11 , wherein the projection panel includes a backer and a foam core.

13. The seal assembly of claim 12 , further including a front sheet to couple to at least one of the pliable cover or the foam core.

14. The seal assembly of claim 13 , wherein the front sheet is substantially planar.

15. A seal assembly for sealing against a vehicle at a loading dock, the seal assembly comprising:
a backer to couple to a wall of a loading dock;
a foam pad to couple to the backer, the foam pad defining a vehicle-engaging surface to receive a trailer of a vehicle;
a pliable cover to overlap at least a portion of the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad;
a front sheet to attach to the pliable cover via a first seam adjacent a first side edge of the vehicle-engaging surface and a second seam adjacent a second side edge of the vehicle-engaging surface, the first side edge being opposite the second side edge; and
a shield having a first portion to attach to at least one of the backer, the foam pad, the pliable cover or the front sheet, the shield having a second portion to project adjacent the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad, the second portion of the shield being movable relative to the first portion of the shield between a deflected position and a non-deflected position, the front sheet is to deform in response to the trailer engaging the vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad, the deformation of the front sheet is to move the shield and the front sheet inside the trailer to cause the front sheet and the shield to seal an air gap at a door hinge of the trailer.

16. The seal assembly of claim 15 , wherein the second portion has a hook-shaped end.

17. The seal assembly of claim 15 , further including a web to extend between the front sheet and the second portion of the shield, the web to wrap across an air gap at a door hinge of the trailer when the shield is drawn toward an inner surface of the trailer.

18. The seal assembly of claim 15 , further including a stiffener coupled to the shield, the stiffener to urge the shield to the non-deflected position when a vehicle is not in engagement with the vehicle-engaging surface.

Assignees

• Digmann Charles
• Schmidt Timothy J
• Heim Frank
• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Digmann Charles
• Schmidt Timothy J
• Heim Frank

Classifications

• E06B7/2303

  hollow · CPC title

• B65G69/008 Primary

  Dock- or bumper-seals · CPC title