Patent Publication Number: US-2019168591-A1

Title: Pneumatic door seal with quick release

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates systems, apparatus and methods for a pneumatic door seal. 
     Background 
     Within the last few years, the conservation of energy and corresponding reduction in air pollution as a result of heavy duty diesel powered trucks and refrigerated trailers has been a major topic. Many jurisdictions currently require reductions in energy use and air pollution by trucks and trailers relating to tractor idling as well as operation of diesel powered refrigeration units when being loaded, unloaded, or in standby mode at warehouses, loading docks, stores, and other general parking areas. 
     One important area for efficiency gains is the sealing capability of roll-up type doors on refrigerated trailers. By nature of construction, these devices need to have a space or clearance between segments of the door, i.e., door panels, and have relatively low resistance at the perimeter for them to operate properly. These roll-up type doors are less efficient from an energy retention standpoint than swing-type doors. Additionally, forces created by the refrigeration unit push air against the door as it is used as a “bulkhead” to stop air and can create or cause separation between the panels. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure describes door sealant systems, apparatus, and methods for decreasing the inflation rate and increasing the deflation rate of an elastic membrane of a door assembly. 
     In one implementation, a door sealant system for x is disclosed. The system includes: a seal apparatus configured about a door assembly; an air source configured to supply air into the seal apparatus; a plurality of valves including at least a first valve and a second valve, wherein the first valve is coupled to the air source, the first valve configured to inject air into the seal apparatus at a rate slow enough to allow the door assembly to fully close before the seal apparatus expands to push against the door assembly, wherein the second valve is coupled to the seal apparatus, the second valve configured to release air from the seal apparatus at a rate quick enough to allow the door assembly to be opened without damaging the seal apparatus. 
     In another implementation, a method for controlling an air flow rate for a seal apparatus disposed about a door assembly is disclosed. The method includes: first regulating a first rate of a pressurized air being injected into the seal apparatus, wherein the first rate is regulated to be slow enough to allow the door assembly to fully close before the seal apparatus expands to push against the door assembly; and second regulating a second rate of a pressurized air being released from the seal apparatus, wherein the second rate is regulated to be quick enough to allow the door assembly to be opened without damaging the seal apparatus. 
     In another implementation, an apparatus for controlling an air flow rate for a seal apparatus disposed about a door assembly is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first regulating means for regulating a first rate of a pressurized air being injected into the seal apparatus, wherein the first rate is regulated to be slow enough to allow the door assembly to fully close before the seal apparatus expands to push against the door assembly; and a second regulating means for regulating a second rate of a pressurized air being released from the seal apparatus, wherein the second rate is regulated to be quick enough to allow the door assembly to be opened without damaging the seal apparatus. 
     Other features and advantages of the present disclosure should be apparent from the present description which illustrates, by way of example, aspects of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The details of the present disclosure, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the appended drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a trailer having wheels, side walls, a roof, a roll-up door assembly that includes at least one door panel, and a door frame; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of a door sealant system including a pneumatic seal apparatus and a roll-up door assembly in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of a door sealant system including a pneumatic seal apparatus configured as a single-piece design and a roll-up door assembly in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial front view of a seal track in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5A  is a detailed perspective view of a pneumatic seal apparatus in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5B  is a detailed front cutout view of the pneumatic seal apparatus shown in  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of a door sealant system including a pneumatic seal apparatus and a roll-up door assembly in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for controlling air flow rate for the door sealant system in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disadvantages of above-described door seals can be alleviated to a great extent by providing an elastic membrane that expands when pressurized air is introduced into it for the purposes of creating a seal and/or applying pressure to prevent movement of the door panels. The configuration is such that the deployment of the elastic membrane seal keeps the panels from separating. Thus, in the case of a refrigerated trailer, the configuration improves thermal capacity, and in the case of a dry van, the configuration improves the ability of the door to prevent water ingress at all joints. The seal may be deployed by a manual or electrically-manipulated valve. Further, the elastic membrane can also be automatically deployed using the supply line available on trailers equipped with air brakes. The membrane could be deployed on equipment without supply air available by providing a separate air supply source not intended for braking purposes. 
     However, some cases, a door sealant system using the above-described expanding elastic membrane may have some disadvantages including inflating too quickly before the door is fully closed and/or deflating too slowly such that the user may raise/open the door before the membrane is fully deflated. Any one or both actions (i.e., (1) deploying the membrane before the door is fully closed, and/or (2) opening the door before the membrane is fully deflated) may damage the membrane and the door. 
     Therefore, to address the disadvantages of the door sealant system, as described above, certain implementations of the present disclosure provide for decreasing the inflation rate and increasing the deflation rate of the elastic membrane. Accordingly, after reading this description it will become apparent how to implement the present disclosure in various implementations and applications. Although various implementations of the present disclosure will be described herein, it is understood that these implementations are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various implementations should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a trailer  100  (commonly referred to as a semi-trailer or van) having wheels  110 , side walls  120 , a roof  130 , a roll-up door assembly  140  that includes at least one door panel  142 , and a door frame  150 . The roll-up door assembly  140  typically has space or clearance between the panels  142 , or segments, of the door assembly. 
       FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of a door sealant system  200  including a pneumatic seal apparatus  210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c  (collectively referred to as “ 210 ”) and a roll-up door assembly  220  in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure. The pneumatic seal apparatus  210  is arranged around the perimeter of trailer roll doors  220  so as to be adjacent to all door panels  222  and, in some implementations, adjacent the full roll-up door assembly  220 . More particularly, the pneumatic seal apparatus  210  is disposed in a seal track  400  (see  FIG. 4 ), which extends around the perimeter of the trailer roll-up door assembly  220  and is sized to receive the pneumatic seal apparatus  210 . 
     The pneumatic seal apparatus  210  can be configured as a three-piece design (connected by air supply lines  230 ), as shown in  FIG. 2 , or as a single-piece design  310  joined together at corners, as shown in  FIG. 3 . An implementation of a three piece design of pneumatic seal apparatus  210  comprises a header seal  210   a  and door post seals  210   b ,  210   c . Although the pneumatic seal apparatus  210  of  FIG. 2  is divided into three pieces, the pneumatic seal apparatus can be configured with any number of pieces of membranes. 
       FIG. 2  also includes an inset showing a pneumatic gasket  240  intended to clamp the door panels  222  in place to prevent them from moving. This creates a capture point where gaps between the door panels  222  are substantially reduced and the panels  222  are clamped against the rolling track. In one implementation, the activation is provided by releasing the parking brake supplying air to the trailer and charging the seal through the regulated means such as the pneumatic seal apparatus  210 . 
       FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of a door sealant system  300  including a pneumatic seal apparatus  310  configured as a single-piece design and a roll-up door assembly  320  in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure. The illustrated implementation of  FIG. 3  also shows air supply lines  330  connected to the pneumatic seal apparatus  310 . 
       FIG. 4  is a partial front view of a seal track  400  in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure. As stated above, the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 4  shows the seal track  400  which extends around the perimeter of the roll-up door assembly  220 ,  320  and is sized to receive the pneumatic seal apparatus  210 ,  310 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a detailed perspective view of a pneumatic seal apparatus  510  in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure. In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 5A , the pneumatic seal apparatus  510  includes an elastic membrane  512  defining a conduit or tube  514 . The elastic membrane  512  expands when the conduit or tube  514  receives pressurized air. In  FIG. 5A , the pneumatic seal apparatus  510  also includes a base member  516 , which is sized to fit into the seal track  400  shown in  FIG. 4 . A neck portion  518  may be located between the elastic membrane  512  and the base member  516  and may connect the elastic membrane  512  to the base member  516 . It should be noted that a variety of different pneumatic seal arrangements could be used so long as an elastic, expandable material defines a conduit or tube for injection of air. 
       FIG. 5B  is a detailed front cutout view of the pneumatic seal apparatus  510  shown in  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram of a door sealant system  600  including a pneumatic seal apparatus  610   a ,  610   b ,  610   c  (collectively referred to as “ 610 ”) and a roll-up door assembly  620  in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure. The door sealant system  600  also includes an air source  630 , a parking brake release  632 , an air tank  634 , an air regulator/activation valve  640 , a pneumatic door seal actuator assembly  642 , and a quick release valve  650 . 
     In one implementation, the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  of the door sealant system  600  receives air  612  from the air source  630  and the air tank  634  through an air supply line  636 . The air supply line  636  may be fluidly connected to the trailer parking brake release  632  such that air  612  from the supply line  636  joins the trailer supply line system at the brake release  632 . The supply line  636  is coupled to the air regulator/activation valve  640  and the pneumatic door seal actuator assembly  642 . In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 6 , the air supply line  636  is also fluidly connected to the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  through the quick release valve  650 . 
     In one implementation, the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  is configured as an elastic membrane of an elongated tube (e.g.,  512  in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) disposed around a perimeter of the roll-up door assembly  620  so as to be adjacent to the door panels  622 . The pressurized air  612  is injected into the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  to expand the elastic membrane of the elongated tube  512  and to apply an outward force against multiple sides of the door panels  622 . Applying the distributed outward force against the door panels  622  on multiple sides keeps the door panels  622  as a single unit such that substantially less air flows through the door panels than prior to the application of the outward force to seal the roll-up door assembly  620 . That is, the application of the distributed pressure between the door panels  622  and the door frame (e.g.,  150  in  FIG. 1 ) creates a supporting structure to the door frame. Further, the application of the distributed pressure between the door panels  622  and the frame  150  reduces or eliminates the resonance from the door when operated over the road, reducing or eliminating stress to the rollers, hardware and hinges holding the roll-up door panels  622  in place. 
     In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 6 , the rate of the pressurized air  612  being injected (see arrows  614 ) into the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  is regulated by the air regulator/activation valve  640  to be injected at a slower rate (e.g., half) than the air injection rate of a conventional configuration so that the inflation rate of the elastic membrane is correspondingly decreased. This allows the door assembly  620  to be fully closed (i.e., allows the sectional door  620  to be pulled all the way down) before the elastic membrane presses against it. Otherwise, the door panels  622  and or the membrane can be damaged. 
     The implementation of  FIG. 6  further shows air  612  being supplied to the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  from the trailer&#39;s air tank  634 , which receives air from the external air source  630 . A supply line  636  is fluidly connected to the air tank  634  and extends to the air regulator/activation valve  640 , which serves to regulate the pressure of air  612 . The regulator/activation valve  640  may be configured to allow the air flow at a preset pressure or within a preset range and automatically cut off the flow of air  612  if the pressure is outside the preset range. As described above, in the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 6 , the rate of the pressurized air  612  being injected into the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  is regulated by the air regulator/activation valve  640  to be injected at a slower rate than the rate for the conventional configuration so that the inflation rate of the membrane is correspondingly decreased. 
     In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 6 , the air regulator/activation valve  640  can be manually operated or automatically controlled electrically (e.g., using an electric solenoid valve or via wireless communication). In one implementation, a refrigeration unit of the trailer can be electrically connected to the solenoid valve (e.g., using the pneumatic door seal actuator assembly  642 ) to operate the pressurized air  612  being supplied to the membrane thus working in unison with the refrigeration cycles. 
     In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 6 , the rate of the pressurized air  612  being deflated (see arrows  616 ) from the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  is regulated by the quick release valve  650 . Since the air  612  is being released out of both ends by the quick release valve  650 , the air  612  is deflated at a faster rate (e.g., double) than the air release rate of a conventional configuration so that the deflation rate of the elastic membrane is correspondingly increased. This allows the elastic membrane to deflate quickly so that the membrane quickly loses contact with the door panels  622  before the sectional door  620  is pulled up. Otherwise, if the membrane is still in contact with the door panels  622  when the sectional door assembly  620  is moved, the door panels  622  and or the membrane can be damaged. The quick release of air is important because many trailers have the door sealant system  600  that is activated or deactivated by the cam latch coupled to the door assembly  620 . Further, the quicker rate of deflation of the current implementation is because the current implementation includes the quick release valve  650 , whereas the conventional implementations normally use the air regulator/activation valve to both inject air into and release air out of the seal apparatus. 
     The main feature which differentiates the current implementations (e.g., the implementation shown in  FIG. 6 ) from the existing designs is that by adding the quick release valve (e.g., element  650 ) as shown, for example, in the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 6 , the system (e.g., the door sealant system  600 ) can quickly deflate the elastic membrane(s) as soon as the door latch is open. This allows the door to open immediately (i.e., relatively quickly such that the door can be opened quicker than the door of the existing design) without friction from the seal and without damaging the membrane. Thus, by using a separate valve (e.g., the quick release valve  650 ) for quickly releasing air from the system (e.g., system  600 ) separate from an activation valve (the air regulator/activation valve  640 ), the activation valve can be used to slowly inflate the system and prevent the seal from pressing on the door before it is fully closed and locked in place. 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a method  700  for controlling air flow rate for the door sealant system  600  in accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure. In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 7 , the rate of the pressurized air  612  being injected into the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  is regulated by the air regulator/activation valve  640 , at block  710 , to be injected at a slower rate than the air injection rate of a conventional configuration so that the inflation rate of the elastic membrane is correspondingly decreased. This allows the door assembly  620  to be fully closed before the elastic membrane presses against it and prevent the door panels  622  and or the membrane can be damaged. Then, at block  720 , the rate of the pressurized air  612  being deflated from the pneumatic seal apparatus  610  is regulated by the quick release valve  650  to be at a faster rate than the air release rate of a conventional configuration so that the deflation rate of the elastic membrane is correspondingly decreased. This allows the elastic membrane to deflate quickly so that the membrane quickly loses contact with the door panels  622  before the sectional door  620  is pulled up and prevent damage to the door panels  622  and or the membrane. 
     The above description of the disclosed implementations is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention as described in the specification presented above. Various modifications to these implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. For example, although the above description uses only two valves, one to slowly inject air into the pneumatic seal apparatus and another to quickly release air out of the pneumatic seal apparatus, additional valves can be used to perform other functions. Accordingly, the techniques are not limited to the specific examples described above. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently possible implementation of the disclosure and are therefore representative of the subject matter that is broadly contemplated by the present disclosure. It is further understood that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses other implementations that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present disclosure is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.