Patent Publication Number: US-8984812-B2

Title: Apparatus for shock-secure door or hatch arrangement on marine ships

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application is based on and claims the priority under 35 USC 119 of German Patent Application 10 2012 021 583.5, filed on Oct. 23, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an apparatus for shock-secure arrangement of a door or hatch on marine ships, whereby a door leaf is movably arranged via hinges on a doorway frame so that the door can move between open and closed positions relative to the doorway opening. Latching elements are operable via a handle for latching the door leaf in its closed position in the doorway frame. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Various door and hatch arrangements of the above general type are known for use on marine ships. With such known arrangements, difficulties exist with regard to transmitting the forces of shock events into the doorway frame in order to prevent an unintended springing-open of the door in case of a shock. 
     For securing a ship door against shock as mentioned above, it is already known from the German patent publication DE 10 2006 041 192 B3, to carry out a latching or locking between the door leaf and the doorway frame by slidable rod linkage elements via a plurality of corresponding latching tongues or strap plates distributed around the perimeter of the door, and to form a closed perimeter-encircling operating ring via ball elements in corner areas. In this regard, difficulties exist in the operation thereof by additional remote-controllable handling elements, and the danger exists that the rod linkages will no longer be operable in a correct orderly manner after shock loading. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide an embodiment for a force-withstanding stability door that is strongly loadable by shock loading, which prevents an unintended springing-open thereof and also permits a remotely-controllable opening and closing thereof. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the difficulties or disadvantages of the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as apparent from the present specification. The attainment of these objects is, however, not a required limitation of the claimed embodiments of the invention. 
     The above objects have been achieved according to the invention in a door arrangement for a ship, comprising a doorway frame bounding a doorway opening, a door movably mounted by a hinge arrangement to the doorway frame, and a latching mechanism. Opposite first and second frame edges of the doorway frame respectively have first and second latching bars that extend longitudinally along the frame edges and along the doorway opening. The first latching bar is a movable latching bar. The door is movable between an open position and a closed position in which the door respectively opens and closes the doorway opening. Opposite first and second door edges of the door respectively have therein first and second latching grooves that extend longitudinally along the door edges and that are configured to receive at least partly therein the first and second latching bars when the door is in the closed position. The latching mechanism is connected to the movable first latching bar and adapted to move the movable first latching bar into and out of the first latching groove when the door is in the closed position so as to respectively latch and unlatch the door in the closed position. 
     The term “door” includes any door, hatch, portal cover, and any other movable cover of a passage or access opening on a ship. The term “ship” includes any ship, boat, and any other watercraft. The terms “hinge” and “hinge arrangement” include any mechanism and any components for movably supporting a door relative to a doorway frame or structure around a passage or access opening, whereby the door may pivot, swing, slide and/or shift to move between an open position and a closed position. The hinge arrangement may include plural individual hinges or a single hinge in the nature of a full-length piano hinge. The term “bar” as in the “latching bar” refers to any elongated member or element in the configuration of a bar, a rail, a batten, a strip, a rod, or the like. Various components may be made of metal, fiber reinforced synthetic composite material and/or other suitable materials known in the art. The location of the latching grooves and the latching bars may be reversed, i.e. the grooves may be on the doorway frame and the bars may be on the door edges, whereby the latching mechanism would be provided on the door itself. 
     In particular embodiments of the invention, the ship&#39;s door arrangement can have the following particular features. The doorway frame comprises continuous or through-going latching bars or rails as latching elements on two mutually oppositely located longitudinal sides, which latching bars or rails are receivable in corresponding grooves of a door leaf frame, whereby the side of the door leaf pivotably connected with the doorway frame comprises a stationary latching bar for engaging into the groove of the door leaf frame during a closing motion of the door leaf, and a latching bar that is adjustable in the doorway frame is guided on the oppositely located side, which adjustable latching bar is insertable into a groove of the door leaf frame via adjustment elements in the closed position of the door leaf. 
     By this arrangement, an allocation of the individual elements with relatively small play is possible, and a continuous or through-going uptake of arising shock loads is ensured without impairments. 
     A simple actuation or control exists in that the adjustment elements for the latching bar are formed by pneumatic cylinders and/or manually-actuatable, pivotable operating levers. 
     Furthermore, for security and avoiding an unintended sliding displacement of the latching bar from its latched position when the door is in the closed position, it is suggested to further provide a securing or locking rod arranged parallel to the latching bar in the doorway frame. The locking rod is arranged to be movable vertically or perpendicularly to the motion of latching bar via an allocated operating lever. In this regard a portion of the locking rod is embodied as a toothed gear rack, into which a corresponding tooth or gear element of the pivot axis of the operating lever engages for moving the locking rod. A locking coupling couples the locking rod with the latching bar so that in one of its positions the locking rod allows free motion of the latching bar, but in another one of its positions the locking rod blocks and prevents an unlatching motion of the latching bar. 
     To achieve or enable a small play and thus a relatively tight fit between the door leaf and the doorway frame, it is provided that the sectional profiles of the edges of the door leaf frame facing the doorway frame comprise a sloping taper in the area adjoining the latching grooves and facing the latching bars for guiding or slidingly urging the latching bars into the latching grooves. 
     Further it is advantageous that the pivotable operating levers act on the latching bar via bolts or pins via an over-dead-center bearing or over-center toggle in the latching position. 
     As an additional security or safety, it is provided that the outwardly located surfaces of the door leaf and doorway frame have, mounted thereon, respective corresponding or mating fixture elements that brace against one another in the closed position of the door, so as to act as shock limiters or shock-transmitting elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention may be clearly understood, it will now be described in connection with example embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic overall perspective illustration of an embodiment of a door arrangement according to the invention in an opened position; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the door arrangement according to  FIG. 1  in a closed position, with an additional actuating cylinder for opening and closing the door; 
         FIG. 3  is a front partial detail view of an adjustable or movable latching bar or rail used in an embodiment of the inventive door arrangement; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of the doorway frame with the adjustment or actuating elements for moving the movable latching bar; 
         FIG. 5  is a broken partial top view sectional illustration of the door edges and the doorway frame according to the section line V-V of  FIG. 2  with the latching bars in a latching position; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective illustration of an adjustable or movable latching bar with its actuating elements and the locking rod mechanism; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective illustration of a partial area according to  FIG. 6 , but seen from the back instead of the front; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective illustration of another portion of  FIG. 6 , showing an adjustable operating lever for actuating or moving the movable latching bar; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of a portion of the arrangement of  FIG. 6 , to further explain the operation of the locking rod and locking mechanism; and 
         FIGS. 10A ,  10 B and  10 C are schematic diagrams illustrating an enlarged portion of  FIG. 9  in section, respectively in three different operating states. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS AND OF THE BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION 
     In the illustrated arrangement, a door leaf  1  as a door element is connected pivotably via hinges  2  for closing an opening  3  on a doorway frame  5  fixedly or stationarily provided on a bulkhead  4  or partition of a ship. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a pneumatic (or hydraulic) actuating cylinder  30  is connected to the door leaf  1  and to the doorway frame  5 , and is adapted to actuate an opening or closing motion of the door leaf  1  automatically or by remote control via an electro-pneumatic (or electro-hydraulic) control arrangement. The door leaf  1  may also be opened and closed manually by operating the lock operating lever  16  and the latch operating lever(s)  12 . 
     The doorway frame  5  on the hinge side, i.e. adjacent to a second edge  1 B of the door leaf  1  at which the door leaf  1  is mounted on the hinges  2 , has a stationary latching bar or rail  6  for engagement or insertion in a corresponding groove  7  of a door leaf frame  8  forming the corresponding second edge  1 B of the door leaf  1 . The sectional profile at the second edge  1 B of the door leaf frame  8  in this embodiment has a sloping taper  29  for guiding the latching bar  6  into the groove  7 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The opposite first edge  1 A of the door leaf  1  may also have a similar sloping taper  29  as also shown in  FIG. 5 . A protruding external rim  25  of the door leaf frame  8  overlaps onto the doorway frame  5  and is provided with a seal  9  that lies in contact on the doorway frame  5  in the closed condition of the door leaf  1  in order to seal the doorway opening. In that regard, the stationary latching bar  6  is arranged adjustably in a receiving groove  27  in the doorway frame  5 , and may be adjustably and removably secured or fixed in a stationary adjusted position in the receiving groove  27  by a bolt  26 . 
     In comparison, the doorway frame  5  on the oppositely located side has a movable latching bar  10  that is guided and adjustable in the doorway frame  5 , particularly in a receiving groove  28  in the doorway frame  5 , and that is insertable into a corresponding groove  13  of the door leaf frame  8  on the first edge  1 A of the door leaf  1  for latching the door. The movable latching bar  10  is actuated between its latched extended position and its unlatched retracted position, and is held in this latched position or unlatched position, via pneumatic (or hydraulic) cylinders  11  and/or pivotably arranged manual operating levers  12 . In that regard, the pneumatic cylinders  11  and the operating levers  12  engage the latching bar  10  via bolts  14 ′ and  14  respectively. The pivoted operating levers  12  are held in the latched position and in the unlatched position via an over-center toggle or over-dead-center-point mechanism  31  (see especially  FIG. 8 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7 ,  9 ,  10 A,  10 B and  10 C, a securing or locking rod  17  is arranged parallel to the movable latching bar  10  in the doorway frame  5 . After latching the door leaf  1  in its closed position by moving the movable latching bar  10  to engage into the door edge groove  13 , then the locking rod  17  can be moved to prevent a sliding displacement of the latching bar  10  out of its extended latched position. This is achieved as follows. Generally, a locking coupling comprises a guide block  15  and a locking pin  22  that extends from the movable latching bar  10  and is guided in the guide block, and the locking rod  17  is guided in the guide block transversely to the locking pin  22  so that the locking rod blocks and unblocks travel of the locking pin dependent on the position of the locking rod. 
     More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, manually pivoting a lever handle  16 A of an operating lever  16  causes a vertical sliding motion of the locking rod  17 , because an engagement portion of the locking rod  17  is embodied as a toothed gear rack  18 , which is engaged by a corresponding tooth or gear element  18 ′ provided on the pivot shaft or lever shaft  16 B of the operating lever  16 . The opposite distal free ends of the locking rod  17  respectively extend through and are slidably guided in vertical first guide channels or holes  24 A in guide blocks  15 . Locking pins  22  extend horizontally from the movable latching bar  10  and respectively extend into and are slidably guided in horizontal second guide channels or holes  24 B that intersect the first guide channels  24 A in the guide blocks  15 . Further in the illustrated embodiment, the locking rod  17  has holes  23  which are brought into alignment with the second guide channels  24 B by appropriately sliding the locking rod  17  into an unlocked but latched position as shown in  FIG. 10A . Thus, in the unlocked but latched position of  FIG. 10A , the locking pins  22  of the movable latching bar  10  can slide laterally outwardly away from the door through the second guide channels  24 B in the guide block  15  and the holes  23  of the locking rod  17  received in the first guide channels  24 A of the guide block  15 . Thereby, the movable latching bar  10  is free to move from its latched position ( FIG. 10A ) to its unlatched position ( FIG. 10B ) as the locking pins  22  slide outwardly through the channels  24 B and holes  23  as described above. On the other hand, when the movable latching bar  10  is in its latched position ( FIGS. 10A and 10C ), the locking pins  22  are retracted out of the holes  23  of the locking rod  17 . Thus, the locking rod  17  can be moved to its locked position ( FIG. 10C ), in which the holes  23  do not align with the second guide channels  24 B of the guide block. Thereby, in the locked position ( FIG. 10C ) the locking rod  17  blocks the second guide channels  24 B so that the locking pins  22  cannot slide outwardly, and therefore the movable latching bar  10  cannot move outwardly out of its latched position ( FIGS. 10A and 10C ) to its unlatched position ( FIG. 10B ). Alternatively, the locking rod need not have holes  23  therein, but rather the unlocked position of the locking rod would retract the locking rod tips sufficiently so that the locking pins can pass by the tips of the locking rod in the guide block. 
     Additionally, fixture elements  20  and  21  are applied on the outwardly located surfaces of door leaf  1  and doorway frame  5 , and these fixture elements  20  and  21  butt or contact against one another in the closed position and serve as shock limiters or shock force transmitting elements. 
     In further detailed embodiments of the door arrangement, the latching bars respectively extend continuously along at least 75%, or even at least 90%, or even essentially full-length, of a total length of the vertical doorway frame edges. The latching bars preferably extend along the two opposite longer edges of a rectangular (non-square) door, but in alternative embodiments, the latching bars extend along the two opposite shorter edges of such a door. The latching bars are preferably provided along the hinge-side edge and the opposite edge of the door arrangement. The hinge arrangement being “proximate” to an edge of the door means that the hinge arrangement is mounted or connected closer to that edge than the opposite edge of the door. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated that it is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of any individual features recited in any of the appended claims. The abstract of the disclosure does not define or limit the claimed invention, but rather merely abstracts certain features disclosed in the application.