Patent ID: 8443474
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: B05D,B65G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A dock leveler system having a topside exposed to an indoor temperature and a bottom side exposed to an outdoor temperature, the dock leveler system comprising: a deck plate comprised of steel, the deck plate being movable selectively between a raised position and a lowered position, the deck plate having an upper surface and a lower surface that define a plate thickness therebetween, the lower surface being exposed to the outdoor temperature, the deck plate having a first thermal conductivity, the deck plate having a first thickness/conductivity ratio defined as the plate thickness divided by the first thermal conductivity; and a coating on the upper surface of the deck plate, the coating being exposed to the indoor temperature, the coating comprising: a) a polymeric base material; b) a plurality of larger particles; and c) a plurality of smaller particles smaller than the plurality of larger particles, the plurality of smaller particles and the plurality of larger particles being broadly distributed in the polymeric base material to create a plurality of protrusions intermingled with a plurality of coating areas void of particles, the coating having a coating thickness at the coating areas void of particles, the polymeric base material having a second thermal conductivity, the coating having a second thickness/conductivity ratio defined as the coating thickness divided by the second thermal conductivity, the second thickness/conductivity ratio divided by the first thickness/conductivity ratio being greater than one.