Patent Publication Number: US-6341450-B1

Title: Composite water-tight door panel installation

Description:
The present invention relates generally to a door panel and installation thereof for water-tight closure of an opening in a wall structure of an enclosure such as a marine vessel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Door closure of openings in certain installations, such as a marine vessel, require water-tight sealage. Existing door panel closures on marine vessels are often inadequate so as to require frequent maintenance and/or replacement to provide the necessary water-tightness. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a door panel and associated installational arrangement in the foregoing type of environment which would avoid and/or overcome water leakage problems heretofore associated therewith, involving vibratory loading, wear and distortion of parts and heavy door weight imposing excessive handling burdens on personnel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a door panel is provided having an external surface that is flush in its closed position with the external surface of an associated wall structure, such as the topside of a marine vessel or ship. Water-tight sealage of an opening in such wall structure is effected by compression of a foam gasket adhesively fastened to a recessed bulkhead portion of a door frame on which the door panel is supported in its closed position. The door panel is displaced between such closed position and an open position through hinge linkage excluded from any external portion of the door panel by confinement to an internally raised portion thereof projecting into the door frame opening. At peripherally spaced locations in such internally raised portion of the door panel, corrosion resistant insert assemblies are retained by adhesive bondage for reception of rolling pins of a selectively controlled actuator mechanism to establish and maintain the water-tightness compressive engagement of the sealing gasket on the recessed bulkhead of the door frame by the door panel in the closed position. Replaceable wedge elements are resiliently held within each of the insert assemblies for engagement by the rolling pins with a tolerated degree of misalignment during maintenance of the water-tight sealing condition. In concert with the latter installational arrangement, a compliant, light-weight construction is utilized for the door panel, consisting of a balsa wood core enclosed within a reinforced plastic skin. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
     A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein: 
     FIG. 1 a perspective view of a portion of a marine vessel wall structure as an installational environment for a door panel in a closed position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective underside view of the door panel per se shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a construction in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an underside plan view of the door panel in the installational arrangement shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line  4 — 4  in FIG. 3, showing the door panel in the closed position; 
     FIG. 4A is a partial section view similar to that of FIG. 4, showing the door panel in an open position; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line  5 — 5  in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section  6 — 6  in FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of disassembled portions of the insert assembly shown in FIGS.  5  and  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 shows a topside portion of a marine vessel wall structure  10  having an opening therein sealed by a door panel  12  in a closed position. Such opening is bordered by a peripheral frame  14  supporting the door panel  12  with an outer gap  16  thereabout in its closed position, exposing a flat surface portion  18  thereof in alignment or flush with the outer surface of the wall structure  10 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the door panel which is generally rectangular in shape has an underside surface  20  from which an inner raised portion  22  projects and on which a grab handle  24  is mounted intermediate opposite end sides thereof in spaced adjacency to one longitudinal side thereof. Also, mounted on such raised underside portion  22  in spaced adjacency to its other longitudinal side are a pair of door hinges  26 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, the door panel  12  has a balsa wood core  28  fully enclosed within an outer casing skin  30  made of a glass reinforced plastic material of adequate strength and stiffness, such as a woven roving, to form a lightweight sandwich construction. In the closed position of such door panel  12 , it is held in sealed relation on the door frame  14  over a recessed bulkhead portion  32  thereof forming an opening  34  through which the underside raised portion  22  of the door panel  12  projects. A peripheral sealing gasket  36  is positioned on such recessed bulkhead portion  32  of the door frame  14  and is bonded thereto for engagement with and compression by the door panel  12  in its closed position to seal the opening in the vessel wall structure  10  in a water-tight manner. As shown in FIG. 4A, the door panel  12  may be angularly displaced to an open position from its closed position by force exerted thereon through the handle  24 . Such angular displacement relative to the wall structure  10  of a vessel enclosure may be accommodated through the hinges  26  and any suitable internal supporting hardware attached to the vessel. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the rectangular raised portion  22  of the door panel  12  has eight (8) spaced cylindrical pockets  38  formed therein at the corners and intermediate such corners. Each of such pockets  38  is adapted to receive a replaceable locking insert assembly  40 , as shown in FIGS. 5,  6  and  7 . The insert assembly  40  consists of an outer cylindrical body  42  made of corrosion resistant steel adhesively bonded to the core  28  of the door panel  12  and a wedge element  44  interfitted therein. At its larger rectangular end  46  and side  48  perpendicular thereto the wedge element  44  is in abutting contact with the cylindrical body  42  within a generally rectangular opening  50  formed therein. Grooves  52  formed in the cylindrical body  42  extend laterally from the opening  50  therein, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for slidable reception of lateral projections  54  on the wedge element  44  which also has a smaller rectangular end  56  exposed from the opening  50  in the body  42  as shown in FIG. 5. A pair of lateral slots  58  and  60  are also formed in the side  62  of the wedge element  44  extending at a wedge angle to the other side  48 . A cantilevered retention spring element  64  anchored to the cylindrical body  42  is received in the slot  60 , as shown in FIG. 5, in order to yieldably resist movement of the wedge element  44  within the cylindrical body  42  after being captured in place therein by reception of the projections  54  within the grooves  52 . 
     As also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the angled side  62  of each wedge element  44  is in contact with a retractable rolling pin  66  associated with a selectively controlled closure mechanism  68  within the vessel. Such rolling pin  66  is accordingly carried at the end of an actuator rod  70  slidably supported on the bulkhead portion  32  of the door frame  14  for displacement by the closure mechanism  68  as diagrammed in FIG.  5 . The rolling pin  66  is thereby displaced to the locking position as shown in FIG. 5 after the door panel  12  is placed in its closed position, to effect and maintain water-tight sealing. 
     It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the door panel  12  is of a robust, light-weight construction which incorporates built-in locking facilities at the peripherally spaced locations of the pockets  38  formed therein, which accommodate facilitated detachment and replacement of the locking insert assemblies  40  after significant wear thereof. The configuration of such locking insert assemblies  40  is such as to tolerate a degree of misalignment of the rolling pins  66  during engagement to reduce maintenance concerns. Consistent therewith, the mounting location of the sealing gasket  36  on the bulkhead  32  prolongs water tightness. Further, the mounting locations of the door handle  24  and hinges  26  on the inside of the door panel  12  for displacement thereof between closed and open positions minimizes topside clutter and improves radar performance, Still further, the composite sandwich construction of the door panel  12  is such as to accommodate fabrication by any convenient low cost method involving for example a vacuum assisted resin infusion process. 
     Obviously, other modifications and variations of the present invention may be possible in light of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.