Patent ID: 7281481

Claim:
A watertight door comprising: a door frame; a door panel, with a perimeter normally adjacent to the door frame when the door is closed, and with a first facing side and a second facing side, configured to open and close within the door frame; a first gasket lip seal generally encircling the perimeter and nearer to the first facing side, the first gasket lip seal having a base section, sealing section, and bending section; a second gasket lip seal generally encircling the perimeter, nearer to the second facing side, and adjacent to the first gasket lip seal, the second gasket lip seal having a base section, sealing section and bending section; a plurality of extension pin sleeves located perpendicular to the perimeter; a plurality of extension pins moveably housed in the plurality of extension pin sleeves; a plurality of gasket retraction plates located generally about the perimeter, and in communication with the plurality of pins; a plurality of springs located in the extension pin sleeves, and configured to push the extension pins and gasket retraction plates towards the door frame; a gasket retraction plate retraction means in operable communication with the gasket retraction plates; wherein the gasket retraction plate retraction means is configured to retract the gasket retraction plates towards the center of the door panel thereby impinging the first gasket lip seal and the second gasket lip seal such that both gasket lip do not form a seal with the door frame, and wherein the gasket retraction plate retraction means is further configured to release the gasket retraction plates such that the first gasket lip seal and the second gasket lip seals are no longer impinged by the gasket retraction plates and thus both the first and second gasket lip seals each form a seal on the door frame.