Air heated, flexible door panel

• US 6,983,565 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jamison Door Co.
• Original Assignee: Jamison Door Co.
• Inventors: Berry, Curtis L., Nichols, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US10/339,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20040134128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 491/16, 491/18, 491/20, 493/66, 493/70, 494/09, 494/04, 494/751, 494/781, 495/01, 622/73, 622/75, 622/65
• US Class Current: 49/370
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/80 flexible upwardly folding flexible screens E06B9/262
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/02 for providing ventilation, e.g. through double windows; Arrangement of ventilation roses airflow control members per se F24F13/08
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/12 Measures preventing the formation of condensed water double glazing E06B3/24 - E06B3/28 and E06B3/677 ; heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/12 using an insulating packing material
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/021 Sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/087 Sealing strips
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening

Abstract

A door system for a cold storage locker has increased resistance to damage by including resilient door panels that flex when hit by a forklift. A high degree of insulation is achieved by the choice and thickness of the resilient foams therein. Also, the resilient door panels are magnetically attracted to a gasket seal on a doorframe to provide an affirmative seal. Active magnetic control may enhance the attraction or repulsion of the door panel. Frost control is realized by warming air from the cold storage locker and passing it through air channels in the door panel proximate to the gasket seal and down an astragal interface between door panels.

Claims

1. A closure system for comprising:

a doorframe mounted in a wall and defining an entry between a cold space on one side of the wall and a warm space on the other side of the wall;

a movable door panel having a periphery and selectably disposable against the doorframe to at least partially block the entry when in a closed position, the door panel substantially unobstructing the entry when in an open position;

a sealing member positioned between and attached to a selected one of the doorframe and the door panel periphery and operatively configured to form an air seal with the other of the doorframe and the door panel periphery when the door panel is in the closed position; and

a frost control system to prevent ice forming on the sealing member, comprising;

an air passage communicating between the cold space and a doorframe port attached to the doorframe proximate to the periphery of the movable door panel when in the closed position,

an air heater in the air passage to warm air from the cold space; and

an air channel defined internal to the movable door panel proximate to the periphery and including an inlet port communicating with the doorframe port to receive warmed air therefrom;

an air mover in communication with the air passage to move the warmed air through the air passage to the air channel of the door panel.

2. The closure system of claim 1, wherein the air heater is positioned upstream of the air mover in the air passage toward the cold space for maintaining the air mover within an optimum temperature range.

3. The closure system of claim 2, further comprising a door position sensor, wherein the air heater further comprises a temperature controller that is responsive to the door position sensor to activate the air heater.

4. The closure system of claim 2, wherein the air heater further comprises:

a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of the air in the air passage; and

a controller responsive to the sensed air temperature from the temperature sensor to selectively activate the air heater.

5. The closure system of claim 2, wherein the air heater further comprises:

a downstream air heater downstream of the air mover.

6. The closure system of claim 1, wherein the movable door panel comprises at least two leaves engageable at an astragal interface, the air channel including a branch traversing the astragal interface.

7. The closure system of claim 6, wherein the astragal interface is defined by a concave recess along a length of one of the at least two leaves with outer edges in close proximity to the other of the at lest two leaves.

8. The closure system of claim 2, further comprising:

a ferrous target attached to the doorframe;

a door track mounted across a top portion of the doorframe;

said door panel movably and vertically supported by the door track, and comprised of a resilient material including a flexible rearward face;

a door positioning system operable to position the door panel between said open position and said closed position, the flexible rearward face of the door panel having a periphery aligned to the ferrous target of the doorframe when the door panel is in the closed position;

a magnet attached to the periphery of the rearward face of the door panel positioned to draw the flexible rearward face into sealing contact with the doorframe when the door panel is in said closed position.

9. The closure system of claim 8, wherein the frost control system directs the warmed air proximate to the sealing contact.

10. The closure system of claim 9, wherein the air channel comprises air passages in the door panel configured to receive the warmed air and to direct the warmed air to the periphery of the door panel.

11. The closure system of claim 10, wherein the door panel comprises at least two leaves engageable at an astragal interface, the air passages including a branch traversing the astragal interface.

12. The closure system of claim 10, wherein the frost control system further comprises:

a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of the warmed air in the air passage;

said air mover moving the air from the cold space through the air passages to the sealing contact between the door panel and the doorframe; and

a temperature controller responsive to the temperature sensor and configured to activate the air heater and the air mover.

13. The closure system of claim 10, wherein the frost control system further comprises an electrical heater in the doorframe proximate to the sealing contact.

14. The closure system of claim 8, further comprising a door sensor operable to sense a condition of the door panel being blocked, the door positioning system being responsive to the door sensor to discontinue moving the door panel in the direction of the blockage.

15. The closure system of claim 1, wherein the air passage communicates with the cold space at an intake, an exit port in the door panel communicating with an intake to the frost control system to recycle the warmed air.

16. The closure system of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic assembly having a first member installed in the doorframe and a second member installed in a rear facing portion of the door panel, wherein first and second members magnetically attract each other when the door panel is in the closed position and thereby maintain the door panel into proximity with the doorframe.

17. The closure system of claim 16, wherein the first member comprises an electromagnet and the second member comprises a permanent magnet, the magnetic assembly further comprising a door controller responsive to a user command to open the door panel and to deactivate the electromagnet.

18. The closure system of claim 16, wherein the first member comprises an electromagnet and the second member comprises a ferrous target, the magnetic assembly further comprising a door controller responsive to a user command to open the door panel and to deactivate the electromagnet.

19. The closure system of claim 16, wherein the first and second members of the magnetic assembly comprise a ferrous target and a permanent magnet respectively.

20. The closure system of claim 16, further comprising a rearwardly projecting flap attached to a trailing edge of the door panel and including the second member.

21. The closure system of claim 1, further comprising:

a door track mounted across a top portion of the doorframe;

a door position sensor operable to sense the door panel in the closed position with the periphery of the door panel proximate to the doorframe; and

a door positioning system operably configured to position the door panel to the closed position and to reset the door panel to the open position in response to the door position sensor.

22. The closure system of claim 21, further comprising a restraining device positioned to urge a lower portion of the door panel into contact with the doorframe.

23. The closure system of claim 22, wherein the door track includes a lateral extension sufficient for the door panel to open beyond contact with the restraining device, and wherein the door positioning system is further operably configured to move the door panel by opening the door panel beyond contact with the restraining device and thereafter closing the door panel.

24. The closure system of claim 23, wherein the door positioning system is further operably configured to open the door panel in response to a user command to the open position wherein the door panel remains in contact with the restraining device.

25. The closure system of claim 23, wherein the door positioning system is further operably configured to wait for a period of time with the door panel opened beyond contact with the restraining device.